Credits:

The Smiths

Description:

This is the full recording of the performance three days after the performance that later became the live album "Rank", from the famous "The Queen Is Dead" tour in 1986! The Smiths' only official live release, "Rank" (1988), was recorded at the National Ballroom in Kilburn, London on October 23, 1986, and this show was recorded in full at the London Palladium on October 26, three days later, after the Brixton Academy performance on October 24. The year was 1986, the year The Smiths released "The Queen Is Dead," a masterpiece and one of the best albums in the history of British rock. Despite this reputation, the band was exhausted by various problems, such as the unsuccessful expansion into the U.S. and the dismissal and return of bass player Andy Luke due to drug problems. Under such circumstances, Craig Gannon, who joined the band as Luke's replacement, switched instruments from bass to rhythm guitar and stayed with the band after Luke's return, and the 1986 tour was a five-man band with twin guitars.Here, too, we hear a rather effective two-guitar ensemble on some of the songs. What is nice to hear is "There Is A Light That Never Goes Out," a well-loved fan favorite that was cut from the "Rank" set. Yes, since "Rank" omitted six songs from the setlist on that day, this October 26 show, which only replaced one song from the October 23 setlist, can be enjoyed as a pseudo full concert version of "Rank". Unfortunately, the sound quality is a bit poor, but indie-rock fans will have an ear for such things. The Smiths are a talented live band, and their charms will be well conveyed.