Smiths - The Complete Picture

It almost seems like a needless effort to write about The Smiths--one either loves them passionately or despises them. This polarization of opinion could be due to the effect that the dandy-esque front man Morrissey has on a person. Choosing to sing in a remarkably dramatic manner, writing ironically bathetic lyrics that swim with a biting, perhaps condescending wit, Morrissey is one of the most distinct leading men in rock history. But it was his unlikely match with the great guitarist-songwriter Johnny Marr that propelled The Smiths into the annals of pop history and made their songs highly influential classics. On THE COMPLETE PICTURE, The Smiths perform several of their hit singles at various locations, including the British program TOP OF THE POPS. The video serves as a great archive of The Smiths in their heyday, and also contains certain dramatic elements--one can see the latent disdain on Johnny Marr's face as he watches Morrissey posturing as a romantic poet, swaying around melodramatically with...