Today marks the 30th anniversary of the genre-shaping debut album from The Smiths, the John Porter-produced self-titled effort that remains, these three decades later, a point of contention among fans: Did these recordings best represent Morrissey and Marr’s early songs? Or do the Peel Session recordings collected on Hatful of Hollow a better debut?
To mark today’s milestone, we present this full hour-long concert recorded May 4, 1984, in Hamburg, Germany, for the legendary “Rockpalast” TV series. Check it out below:
The Smiths, “Rockpalast” taping, Hamburg, Germany, 5/4/84
1. “Hand in Glove”
2. “Heaven Knows I’m Miserable Now”
3. “Girl Afraid”
4. “This Charming Man”
5. “Pretty Girls Make Graves”
6. “Still Ill”
7. “Barbarism Begins at Home”
8. “This Night has Opened my Eyes”
9. “Miserable Lie”
10. “You’ve Got Everything Now”
11. “Handsome Devil”
12. “What Difference Does it Make”
13. “These Things Take Time”
14. “This Charming Man”
15. “Hand in Glove”
PREVIOUSLY ON SLICING UP EYEBALLS:
- Morrissey announces 25-date U.S. tour ahead of planned new studio album
- Morrissey signs worldwide record deal, promises new album, tour in 2014
- In Q&A, Morrissey reveals plans for new album, novel — plus failed David Bowie duet
God, just listening and watching these videos/songs brings tears to my eyes. I would stay up until midnight JUST to watch 120 minutes! Hanging out in the college radio basement at Rollins College in Winter Park, Fl and dance all night to The Smiths…….lol wow. I would do anything to find a club that played all these songs……..I would drink, dance and loose myself for hours!!!! sghh…….
Same song twice?
I liked the sound of their first LP, but it wasn’t until Hatful Of Hollow that I started to hear these songs in a stronger sense. “Still Ill” and “Ring Around The Fountain” are light years ahead of their studio recordings.
It’s the Troy Tate demos for me. I really love the debut, but if I had to pick a Peel Session track that is better then it has to be What Difference Does It Make? Better recording, better vocal, it’s in the right key… just better.