This Charming Man

Anyone doubting the appeal of the Smiths clearly hasn't heard this song, both a great single and a highlight of the band's self-titled debut. Right from the get-go it shows how simply, perfectly good Johnny Marr is -- a talented guitarist who instead of showing off the fact distills his abilities towards making memorable, hook-filled tunes, playing with especial fire. A bright, sudden riff from him starts things off, while the Andy Rourke/Mike Joyce almost jumps to attention when the full song begins. Rourke's quick, stuttering bass work is downright danceable, not something perhaps thought of regarding the Smiths most times, but clearly the case here. As always, meanwhile, Morrissey proves the perfect, inspired wild card, down to his sudden wordless yelps. In a voice that theoretically shouldn't work but, in fact, gets it right word for word and note for note, he delivers his tale of the titular character and the cryptic pickup scenario surrounding him with pure panache, nervous and commanding at once. Early Elvis would have approved of the music, Wilde of the words -- an audacious end result by any standard.