The Smiths: 20 Best Songs

16. Barbarism Begins At Home

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vc1ObUMFWMo This could have made the list for the bass-line alone, Johnny Marr argues to this day that Andy Rourke's bass on 'The Queen is dead' is better, but all of his bass-lines were amazing - and this takes some beating. To hear Morrissey singing over what is effectively 'Le Chic' re-written by a Mancunian guitarist is something else. If 'Get Lucky' by Daft Punk was the song that brought Nile Rogers back into fashion, think how good it could have been with Marr, Rourke and Mike Joyce in the mix. Manchester guitar bands flirting with funk was nothing new when The Smiths did it, The Stone Roses built their sound on funk and were in no small way inspired by The Smiths, in their tunes and their funk groove. The Smiths always had that groove, and this song was them just shouting it to the rooftops - just in case the wallflowers and the sceptics missed the point.
Contributor
Contributor

What makes music fantastic? Star quality, amazing music, breathtaking lyrics and the ability to bring something new to the table, even if that means a new take on the classics. That's what I love to listen to and write about. As well as writing for What Culture, I occasionally write a blog http://tedney.blogspot.co.uk and sometimes use Twitter, but sparingly @TedneyNash