Hatful of Hollow

by **JackT** » Fri Dec 12, 2008 12:45 pm

I know it's a little random to bring up this record that has been universally liked for over 20 years, but I have been listening to it a lot lately and it just strikes me more than ever what an incredible album this was. Some things I love about this record:

1) The sound quality of the BBC sessions. They have such an immediacy, clarity and nearness to them that you wonder how they recorded them so well. I wonder if they had special miking techniqes or something.

2) Andy Rourke's bass. People talk about The Smiths like it was just Morrissy/Marr, but on HoH the bass really, really shines, and on some tracks is the cornerstone.

3) The sheer musicality and tightness of the arrangements. It's amazing how good they were, really.

by **withahip** » Fri Dec 12, 2008 12:52 pm

I remember thinking the same thing when I first heard that way back when. The bass lines throughout the Smiths career moved the songs along. It makes sense if you think about it. Jangly guitar requires a driving bass line to move or else it sounds like Galaxy 500.

by **Frank The Bunny** » Fri Dec 12, 2008 1:11 pm

Goddamn it!
I knew I was forgetting about something.
Andy Rourke played a DJ set here in town on Wednesday, and I'd meant to go, but totally spaced it.

It's all your fault, JackT!
You should've started this thread two days ago.

by **Mr.Sparkle** » Sun Dec 21, 2008 2:48 am

LOVE THIS ALBUM. One of my favorites. The bass was important to a lot of those early songs. As someone that plays guitar, I'm always amazed at the guitar and bass in some of the Smiths early stuff, just incredible, very distinct sound. I've always wondered how they came up with some of their songs, was it Morrissey coming up with the melody or what? Marr seems to use a lot of strange chord progressions in their songs.

What Difference Does It Make and These Things Take Time are two of the best songs ever written, IMO.

by **crystal daze** » Wed Dec 24, 2008 9:34 am

Mr.Sparkle wrote: I've always wondered how they came up with some of their songs, was it Morrissey coming up with the melody or what? Marr seems to use a lot of strange chord progressions in their songs.

Johnny Marr on The Queen Is Dead

We knew we had our best songs yet, but our way of writing had been the same as ever. "There Is A Light That Never Goes Out", "Frankly, Mr Shankly" and "I Know It's Over" were done in one evening. "Cemetery Gates" I might have got the music for the night before. I'd work on chord changes, and then Morrissey would come round to my place in Cheshire. We'd sit face to face about two feet away. I'd have an acoustic guitar and I'd be holding a recording Walkman between my knees to get a rough arrangement down. We wouldn't breathe out until I'd pressed the stop button.

Other times, I'd drop off a cassette of some music at Morrissey's house. He lived about two miles away, and I'd ride round there on my Yamaha DT 175 and post them through his letterbox. "Some Girls Are Bigger Than Others" was done that way. All the music for that came in one wave while I was watching telly with the sound down.

http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-enter ... 26130.html

by **JackT** » Wed Dec 24, 2008 9:46 am

They let you ride dirt bikes on streets over there?

by **Frank The Bunny** » Wed Dec 24, 2008 9:48 am

JackT wrote:They let you ride dirt bikes on streets over there?

And 175cc??

What a pussy.

by **black francis** » Wed Dec 24, 2008 11:30 am

Sounds more like a riding lawn mower

by **Mr. Brian** » Wed Dec 24, 2008 1:53 pm

JackT wrote:They let you ride dirt bikes on streets over there?

Yes but it's ok if you wear a monocle and a bow tie. It's just one of those crazy laws that are still on the books that no one understands. It had something to do with WWII I think. For some reason my main source of information, Wikipedia, does not have an entry for it...yet.

by **JackT** » Wed Dec 24, 2008 5:26 pm

Mr. Brian wrote: It had something to do with WWII I think.

Close... Battle of Agincourt. The English defeated the French by employing superior dirt bikes. They also took them over some sweet jumps.

by **isamu** » Mon Jan 19, 2009 2:21 am

Maybe it's because I got around to listening to this album later on after I had already fallen in love with the other studio albums, but when I finally listened to HoH, I wasn't really impressed with the sound. All it made me want to do is pop in the louder than bombs and listen to the original versions.

Meat is Murder is probably my favorite Smiths album.

Hatful of Hollow

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