The sad thing about this documentary is the lack of how important Andy Rourke was to The Smiths sound. One of the most criminally underrated bass players ever.

In 1982, my father took his life. It was a hard time for me as a young teenager. I was drawn to the Smiths and still love them. The Smiths expressed all the emotions I could not during that time. Funny how it takes 40 plus years to realize that. Thank you, Smiths, for helping me during such a bleak time and for helping me deal with my grief. I thank you for helping me and for now enjoying the beautiful music you created.

The amazing thing is almost 40 years later the Smiths still sound fresh. The music definitely has a timeless quality.

Andy Rourke is my favorite! He's such an underrated bassist. Barbarism begins at home bass line for example is a gem.

My love for this band is so bittersweet. I was addicted to MTV & Duran Duran videos. And then one drunken night my best friend introduced me to Morrissey & The Smith’s! The bleak lyrics sung to the incredible music was life changing. My dear friend died at just 50 years old and she is now the only thing I think of when I hear The Smith’s.

It fascinates me that The Smiths were considered in the same breath as charting pop groups. No other group would dare write some of those lyrics, and certainly couldn't chart with anything titled such as "Girlfriend in a Coma." The subject matter itself was so far removed from mainstream pop sensibilities, and even when the band did write a song about love, or loss, or celebration, or whatever other themes were considered acceptable, the approach was so drastically different to the other artists competing for attention, it's really a wonder that The Smiths survived that entire era. A band to be able to break through almost-impregnable walls of clad that stand between the audience and the tastemakers, and still be relevant today, is incredible. The Smiths are one of the greatest bands of all time.

The Smiths music escorted me through my teenager years. The dark humour, incredible lyrics and Marrs guitar blissfully intertwined to perfection.

Knowing that they barely lasted for 5 years, the amount of quality music they've created in such a short time is astonishing... And for such a short lasted band, they made a huge impact.

The Smiths were our Beatles . Every single was an event . Something to cherish and make our worried teenage lives exciting in the Thatcher years . I was so lucky to see them 3 times live . Even prouder to have grown up on the same estate as Johnny F*ckin Marr !

I was 14 in 1984 and became a fan the first time I heard "What difference does it make?" on the radio back then. Great band.

Love the Smiths. A revelation when I finally "got" them. Some of the most sublime music of the entire rock era, not just the 80's.

If The Smiths were great (and I think they were) then Joyce and Rourke were a vital and integral part of that greatness. They weren't "replaceable'" any more than Marr or Morrissey were. The sum of those 4 parts was magic. Peace.

The Smiths have had a big impact on me. I get chills when i hear other people talk about them

My favorite band. Crazy to see how many people are still checking for them today and how many movies their songs are in.

The album covers were pure art

I remember when How Soon Is Now was released. I had never heard anything like it! The guitar work blew me away. Such unique sounds and arranged in perfect order. One of the best songs of the 80's.

I was a complete metal head when I joined the USMC in 89. I met, who would become my buddy, Mike Bush. He introduced me to the Smiths. That was it. I went and bought every album- tape thay had. I was hooked from the get go!! Thanks Mike, love you brother!

"Last Night I Dreamt That Somebody Loved Me" made me a Smiths fan. My best friend's older sister had the "Singles" album, and he played that song, and that was it for me in high school. I had to get into this band.

Greatest band ever- from🇨🇦and in 1987 a girl friend of mine put on strange ways and “Last night” came on and I couldn’t believe what I had just heard - it has haunted and stayed with me for over 30 years. Thousands of hours have been spent listening to Morrissey and The Smiths since that day. 🔥

The Queen is Dead is an absolute masterpiece.

I always hate it when critics say to musicians "Stop complaining about the industry, shut up and give us the music" as if it's not their place to be concerned about their job. Easy to say when you're not contractually obligated, isn't it? The ordinary person isn't interested", how patronizing too. This was a great doco on the band but those guys spoilt it at the end by that guff. That song, Paint A Vulgar Picture, is entirely correct, and maybe it hits uncomfortably close to the bone for them, who are no doubt beholden to the same industry that exploits musicians.

I was introduced to The Smiths at a time when I didn't think pop music really meant that much. I was mostly into prog rock and metal, with a few exceptions, notably XTC, The Cure and a few others, but The Smiths caught my ear and I was one of the first in my group of long haired friends, to fight Morrissey's corner as a singer and Marr as a guitarist. A legendary classic British group who will never be forgotten.

I can settle for the short period of time that their light shined so bright versus it not ever having existed. Period. It was intense for the band as it was for those of us that had our lives changed because of it.

I loved the rough sound of the first LP. No, it wasn't their most musically accomplished piece but it had this crazy, wild energy to it. Even the slow tracks.

Andy Rourke's basslines were extremely important to the sound of the band.

I didn't have my Smiths epiphany till 96'(I had known about them prior though). Was dealing with a depression. Went to my friends house. Entered his room and heard this music that injected me like medicine. I was like; "What is this?". "It's The Smiths" he said. He gave me "Louder Than Bombs" and a book about Morrissey primarily and the band. Then there it was..Definite inspirations/influences for the music I make.

Never will there be a band like them again . I was lucky enough to see them live and meet them .

During the 1980's i was mainly listening to Punk & Metal but my high school crush was a Smiths fan so i started listening to them impress her. The Smiths were my gateway to discovering Joy Division, The Cure, Jesus & Mary Chain, My Bloody Valentine, Stone Roses, Lush, Slowdive, etc...

I first heard of The Smiths from their first John Peel session in May 1983, then two months later through a connection, I was hired by Rough Trade to drive three of their people from London up to Manchester for a gig at The Hacienda. Seems like a lifetime ago.

Correction: The Smiths didn't break up during the recording of Shelia, Take a Bow in January 1987 as this video suggests. They still hadn't even recorded Strangeways yet. The Smiths broke up in May 1987 when they were recording Work Is A Four-Letter Word and I Keep Mine Hidden as b-sides for Girlfriend in a Coma, which was the first single off Strangeways.

I feel so sad that I’ll never be able to see them live, their songs are magical and their stage presence is so much better than any other band’s. The way that the songs speak to people will continue for decades to come

How soon is now was my anthem for 1984 and only 20 years old, how lucky us oldies had it. One of my top ten favourite songs of all time.

If you're just a starter...and you're not sure if you want to get into this band, listen to "Louder Than Bombs"......it's a great starter album.

Mesmerizing song, 'What difference does it make'. The opening bar is so distinctive. Gives me goosebumps. Still one of my favorite bands of all time and I love stuff from The Eagles to AC/DC.

Grew up listening to the smiths, still listening to this day, one of Britain's best.

I was late to the smiths. Only because of a podcast i listen too (xfm) played a few of their tracks and now I'm hooked, obsessed even. Nothing I love more than to drive my car on a long trip while listening to the smiths

The smiths is a unique band there will never be another band like them…..

The guitar on How Soon is Now absolutely blew my head off. Instant fan! 51 now, first heard them in high school.

Johnny Marr is such a bad ass guitar player. Song writer. Sorta unsung.

I’ve been listening to them for 40 years and I never get tired of it

I discovered The Smiths a few years after they split up as I was too young at the time. They remain my all time favourite band, I still listen to them almost every day and it never gets old or boring. Johnny's guitars are magical and Morrissey's lyrics sublime. Andy's bass playing in criminally underrated as is Mike's drums. A truly unique band brought together at a never to be repeated moment in time to produce some of the greatest music ever recorded.

I was in the shower at my brothers apartment in New York City when I pressed play on the bathroom CD player without knowing what was in there. Out came “This Charming Man” and I was immediately a major Smiths fan.

I was a metal head in 1990 and I had a crush on a girl who listened to The Smiths. I can damn near recite every single smiths song lyrics wise word for word. Thanks Jessica where ever you are for turning me on to the smiths and Morrissey. My now wife thought I was (afunny guy) cause I'd sing these words w/ attitude. 😆

The Smith's a breed of their very own... Absolutely love them.

Of all the music I've ever listened to, these guys will always be my #1. It's real experience translated into music. I think this is why they just touch a certain place in all generations' hearts. It's timeless. Lyrics are so funny and outrageous. Marr's musicality is central. Rourke is his perfect sidekick. Joyce does his thing. Their music showed range, depth, beauty and truth. Please tell me who beats this?

The interplay between Marr's guitar with the moving bass lines from Andy Rourke, made such dynamic sounds. If I told someone that there was a keyboard or synth on Charming Man, many would believe me, because it sounds so lush actually only includes bass, drums and guitar.

Learned a lot, thank you. I was pretty sad they didn’t talk about Andy more tho. He away an incredible bassist. And as they point out briefly, often at the heart of the song. Also ‘Barbarism Begins At Home’ is my favorite of their songs and deserved some love

I loved the Smiths music. Not because I related to the music, but it changed the way I felt about those who were different from me.

I first can across The Smiths when I was 15 (2016), because How Soon is Now was used in ‘The Wedding Singer’. I have been absolutely enthralled by them ever since. Their music spoke to me in a way that no other artists had before.

The Smith's will always be my favorite band in the 80's. I lost count at the amount of time I saw them and I was so devastated when they broke up and couldn't believe it because they were such an important band. To this day they are still my favorite and we should have had way more albums but I'm happy we got as many as we did.

As a fan of The Smiths and as a guitar player and musician, Johnny Marr created a guitar sound that effects music till this day. Check his work out with The The, he dropped amazing guitar their too! Shout out to all in The Smiths, I expect you to one day be up for a vote for the Rock n Roll of Fame. Who cares about that but I do expect that even that academy is gonna nod their heads toThe Smiths.

I didn't get into the Smiths til' early 90's...but once I got it....Their music, the feel, the geniusness of them....WOW!!!....They are another kind of Beatles...Since 2020...my eldest Daughter asked me once..." What other kind of music can you prefer me to??...I wrote a list of bands I think She would like...one of them being the Smiths,...She picked ONLY the Smiths off my list and foundit to be one of my HAPPIEST days since!!!....

Morrisey was a great combo of Bryan Ferry and Jim Morrison. And yes. Johnny Marr was amazing. The more time that goes by, the better they sound.

I don’t care what anyone says. The first Smiths album is their best and my all time favorite.

Still sad to this day that I never got to see The Smiths live. I'm 50 and been a fan most of my life and have met all the members over the years and seen Morrissey and Marr umpteen times. I always hoped that they woudl regroup and do a tour for us oldies that just missed them - but alas with Andys passing in May - will never happen now. RIP Andy. The best band that has ever been.

I was a Thrasher ,Punk, metal kid in the 80s , I was influenced in the early 90's by a friend at work to listen to Morrissey, when I discovered how good he was I then went back and listened to all the Smith' s Music which I must say was quite refreshing . I actually went to a Morrissey show in Detroit in 92 or 93 which was Kool. Haven't heard this music in decades....

Growing up in L.A. in the 80’s I got to see the Smiths twice - once at the Forum and the other which was their best show at the Universal Amphitheater which is an outdoor venue. I feel lucky to have lived in L.A. at that time because if a British band was any good, they had to play in L.A. and had KROQ as the radio station to play their music. The cure, Echo and the Bunnymen, Siouxsie, New Order………damn what a great time for music. And I am still a fan - seeing Johnny Marr open for The Killers in Pittsburgh in October. Johnny is still a legendary guitar player.

Johnny Marr wrote the music, Morrisey was given the creations to add his lyrics, his expression. Marr built the house Morrisey was able to create. Incredible symbiotic relationship.

THIS CHARMING MAN - my fav song and fav quote! In this song, a male protagonist, who has punctured his bicycle tire on a desolate hillside, is approached by a "charming man" in a "charming car." After a brief hesitation, the protagonist climbs into the car with the man, who flirts with his passenger and invites him out later that evening. The protagonist rejects the man's offer, because he hasn't "got a stitch to wear." Front man, Morrissey, told Undress in 1984 that this latter line was written from personal experience: "For years and years I never had a job, or any money. Consequently I never had any clothes whatsoever. I found that on those very rare occasions when I did get invited anywhere I would constantly sit down and say, 'Good heavens, I couldn't possibly go to this place tonight because I don't have any clothes, I don't have any shoes.' So I'd miss out on all those foul parties. It was really quite a blessing in disguise."

I never, ever get tired of their stuff. So sad Johnny Marr and he let stuff drive a wedge. They worked so well together in their prime.

Being a Smiths’ fan during the early 80’s was a life style, and I was a proud one of them. I loved Morrissey, still do, he changed my life, he changed my musical taste. I remember when I listened “Hand in Glove” for the first time. My English wasn’t good at the time, I didn’t know what Morrissey was singing about, but o had the feelings that I wasn’t alone anymore.

I've been surprised that we're not hearing The Queen Is Dead on the radio as of late.

The Smiths still sound dangerous. Beautiful timeless music!

Simply the greatest band ever. Quite a few great ones but they are a cut above.

Mate dragged me kicking and screaming to Red Wedge Tour, Royal Court. Billy Bragg (ok), John Cooper Clarke (hilarious), New Order (feet tapping), The Fall (now on my feet) and then …. on they marched to Prokofiev with a delicate ‘Hello’ in the darkness and that was that …. totally addicted for the rest of my life. Astonishing live and singularly the most consistent part of my music and poetry intake.

The background of the interviewee's is just as creative as the music they're talking about. One guy has people wandering back and fourth behind him, another is in front of ProTools, while another guy looks like he's chosen his favourite grandmother's living room.

The Smiths are the union of literature and music.

Not saying Marr's guitar work on 'This Charming Man' isn't brilliant because it is but everything about the song musically is perfect. The drum and bass work is as good as Marr's guitar.

I don't care what the armchair critics say, Strangeways Here We Come is the Smiths most accomplished album as far as I'm concerned and Paint A Vulgar Picture is a great track although it's no big surprise record industry insiders might think otherwise

Chills every time I hear this magical song. Over 3 decades, still powerful. great video. Thanks ❣️

Meat is Murder best album. I was 15 when I went everywhere trying to find that album after seeing “how soon is now” on MTV in 1997

Favourite band ❤️

Where are we going? We're going mad. Love it!

A massive smiths fan at 14, they helped me through my depression and their genius will stay with me the rest of my life

Great doco. They were the defining soundtrack for my time in LA '86, '87, '88, how I do miss those years.

I didn't appreciate them so much in the 1980's in England, but when I moved to the States I was surprised how many people were fans, which sparked my interest in them. Finally got to see Morrissey live in 2013, sadly he only sang 2 Smiths songs, but he was good regardless.

I just got to say that there is not one song that I don't hold as a favorite. They all have a special memory and mood that gets recalled every time I hear them.

Own this on DVD. But I always enjoy a re-watch. I've seen very many music documentaries and reviews, and this one has to one of the very best.

I love the Smiths. They're music is so Universal! and sounds fresh on the radio today compared to new releases!

The 1980's was the last decade that rock and roll was king. The Smiths were a very cool part of it.

How Soon is Now changed my life. I went into recording arts and indie forever. When I went to Underground Rock Garden and sat where they played, it was beyond anything I can describe in 1990. It sealed my future. I also lost my virginity to this song after about a year of it playing each weekend in his room. It worked:), highly recommended.

Good opening with that clip from The Southbank Show - I remember watching it when it first aired.

Let's see, I'm pushing 40 and my first experience with The Smiths was when I was 17-18. My boyfriend was 6 years older and played Girlfriend in a Coma... I was immediately intrigued

So glad to watch this. Thanks to everyone involved.

I truly enjoyed this video! I love the smiths, and hand in glove was my first kinda indie music contact. It lead to so much more. I was a few years behind post punks as I didn't really start buying music til 86, but cable hit my town in 1980, and I would stay up all night listening to music on it, watching this new channel MTV, and the public access channel, due to night terrors. My tastes were opened to so much watching those late night videos, 120 minutes later. It was wonderful.

I was in the military in Texas when I bought my first cassette with a Parental Advisory label, having had the choice of that or a censored version. It was "The Queen is Dead". And I still listen to the Smiths regularly. This love can never die. 💖😭😅

You can tell John Porter really didn't like Morrissey, whereas Stephen Street loved him.

RiP Andy - superb bass player.

Thanks for posting, good times :)

Bloody brilliant. Amongst the most underrated bands of all time

In 1982 I was a little bit glum, firstly it was because I was leaving primary school and starting at a locally notorious secondary modern school for boys, secondly my favourite band The Jam had spit up, by my second year at school, it was no better, the schools reputation wasn't unjustified, it was a hellish place, with psychotic teachers and a fair few psychotic pupils, the music scene wasn't much better in 1983, most of the boys in school were into "break dancing" & "body popping" along with the awful music that accompanied it....Then one boring late Thursday afternoon, my art teacher Miss Power asked the class "are you all watching Steven on top of the pops tonight?"...."Who's Steven?" several of us asked in unison, Steven Morrissey, she answered, Steven was a former pupil of our school and was making his first appearance on TOTP's that very evening, she explained.... With my interest piqued, I watched that evening and was very pleasantly surprised, The Jam were dead, long live The Smiths, I've been a fan ever since that day in 1983, and with the added kudos of having a former pupil from MY school leading the way!...Yes I was a pupil at the infamous St Mary's RC secondary modern for boys in Stretford Manchester, I was even more thrilled a couple of years later after the release of Meat is Murder, especially the first track on side 1.... Morrissey wasn't exaggerating about the place, my headmaster wasn't as amused as I was about that particular song!!! 😂

Simply the best thing to have happened to the British music scene. The birth of the Manchester dominance. Lyrical genius plus guitar playing wizard paired up with supremely talented bass and drummer. How could they fail ? Pleasure to have been in my early youth when they burst on the scene and introduced me to the wonderful world of music 😎👍

From Sleep and the complete Sleep opus is a work of utter brilliance! So glad you gave this some love

Two legendary musicians that gave us so much.

Favourite band of all time 🎶🎶❤️

Ah of course the synth bashers raise their heads again in this documentary. Hate how so many fans go on as if any other 80s pop was complete crap which simply isn't true. There was nothing 'stale' about the music scene of the early-mid 1980s when The Smiths were active. Yes this band were important and influential but so were the likes of Depeche Mode, New Order, Tears for Fears, Prince, Blondie, Gary Numan- even ultra mainstream bands like Duran Duran made some bloody decent music. Love The Smiths' sound but honestly, listening to some fans I feel like a sinner for daring to actually enjoy these other bands too.

This was great. Thanks for sharing.

The mix on the first album sounds great and of its time. So much of its charm is that production and that much reverb on moz’s vox

Johnny Marr inspired me to begin learning guitar and I want to learn bass because of Andy Rourke

Some of the most hilariously ironic lyrics set to the most wonderful music of all time.