http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PShfGsFr6d4 Towards the end of their career, The Smiths couldn't decide on a manager, whether they should tour, or what should they release as an album. So they decided to release couple of their lesser singles as stop gaps, in the form of 'Shoplifters of the World Unite' and 'Sheila Take a Bow'. However, the real story of this period was the missed chance of an album we now have to piece together manually, with songs like 'Is It Really So Strange?' and 'You Just Haven't Earned It Yet Baby' jettisoned in the midst of Johnny's tireless work rate and Morrissey's indecision. But 'London' is a corker, their nod to heavy metal - as if Johnny is daring Morrissey 'Can you sing on this, or is it a 'Draize Train' I'll have to farm out to Bryan Ferry'? Morrissey's answer is exquisite, harking back to his love of '60s literature - finding a metaphor for the predicament that The Smiths found themselves in. The Smiths were spread all over the UK by this point and as people were starting to lose their precious gang identity, the band they never sounded tighter.
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