Never Had No One Ever - The Story of the Smiths and Morrissey

Spring 2021 Professor: Brian Kim Stefans  Email: stefans@humnet.ucla.edu  Time: Thursdays, 3-3:50 Office Hours: Wednesdays, 12-2 Introduction The Smiths, as Allmusic states, “were the definitive British indie rock band of the '80s.” Led by the mercurial Morrissey, whose sardonic lyrics about love, sexuality and politics revolutionized the pop lyric, and his songwriting partner, Johnny Marr, notable for his “jangly” style of guitar playing that offered an upbeat, even cheerful, counterpoint to Morrissey’s “miserablism,” the Smiths grew a devoted fan base among the alienated youth unsatisfied with the gaudier offerings of British and American pop on the then-new MTV (the Smiths refused to make a video). In this course, we’ll review the band’s four studio albums, including their masterpiece The Queen is Dead, and their two double-LP compilations along with Morrissey’s early solo work. We’ll discuss the distinctive musical influences on the Smiths—ranging from the Byrds to punk, girl b