The Smiths' This Charming Man and the Breakthrough Before the Debut
Released in late 1983 as The Smiths' second single, This Charming Man introduced the band's distinct guitar-bass-drums attack before their debut album arrived.
Artist
The Smiths
5 stories on ROMBO
Johnny Marr Puts the Songs First on The Age of Everything
On his sixth album, Johnny Marr spends his energy on songwriting rather than fretwork. The result sits comfortably inside the Britpop tradition he helped build, even where it does not push past it.
Johnny Marr’s Guitar Auction Raises Over £3.6 Million, Tripling Estimates
Christie’s sold Johnny Marr’s instruments for more than three times their projected value, with major lots tied directly to The Smiths and Oasis.
The Smiths’ The Queen Is Dead at 40: Morrissey’s Lyrics Still Cut Without Flinching
Four decades later, the album’s precise blend of political disgust and personal bitterness hasn’t faded—it has simply found new targets.
Ed O’Brien Looks Past Indie Rock in a Candid New Playlist
The Radiohead guitarist walks through a lifetime of listening, from a Scottish World Cup song to the final movement of Fauré’s Requiem, and makes clear he is done with guitar music.