The The

Input on personal favorite songs/albums appreciated.

Two favourites:

Another Boy Drowning - Live at the Albert Hall Beyond Love - Another track from that great gig

Odd but brilliant: Born in the New SA B-side to Heartland

Shades of Blue EP - Four Fucking Amazing Tracks.

Definatley one of my favourite bands ever

Lost his way a bit recently, but couldn't be bettered on his day. Saw him with Johnny Marr and DC Collard at the Apollo - best gig I've been to. Just stunning.

There is talk of a DVD re-issue of the Videos. This will be good news as they are classics.

Thanks NB. Any idea where to track down Shades of Blue?

Well be careful because Matt Johnson is very opposed to Bootleggers and sues anyone who he finds doing it. Bad news for the people on the unoficial website, who called it something like thethebootleg.com - oops!

If that wasn't the case, I'd gladly copy it for you as it's been out of print for years.

It was released in the US as this:

SOLITUDE (Epic -1993) Track Listing: 1 Jealous Of Youth 2 Another Boy Drowning (Live) 3 Solitude, Dolphins 4 That Was The Day 5 Dis-Infected, 6 Helpline Operator (Sick Boy Mix) 7 Dogs Of Lust (Germicide Mix) 8 The Violence Of Truth (Remix)

(Epic EK 66125, US, CD, 1993)

But in the UK as Shades of Blue with only the first four tracks.

Send me an email to err discuss further (don't expect a reply for a week or so - I'll be away.

The official website is thethe.com - officially the hardest site in the world to Google for!

Bugle Boy from Burning Blue Soul is one of my all time favourite tracks by any artist and Soul Mining is in my top 5 of greatest albums. I saw them at St georges Hall Bradford in '89 awesome gig! I hope they do release the videos on dvd my copy of infected vhs got mashed up years ago

Sop press! Just bought the vcd of infected for £4.99!

Uncertain Smile 12" was the soundtrack to my teenage years and is one of my favourite records ever.

Soul Mining is a record both my brother and I loved, This Is The Day was a strong candidate for his funeral last summer, but I went for a Verve song in the end.

jealous of youth was one of the anthems of the summer of 1990 for me. i think matt johnson has one of the most extraordinary voices in music--his range goes from deep, growly bass to falsetto.

as far as albums, i've always had a soft spot for mind bomb and especially dusk.

ive got 4 albums mind bomb,soul mining,infected and dusk
very good.although dusk is the only one i play these days

soul mining was the most "accessible" for matt, and at the time, with my fervour into 'alt' during the 80's, i thought i was pretty cool liking the the while everyone jumped all over U2. in canada, we got uncertain smile and perfect released on a double a-side 12". just listened to 10 minute version of uncertain smile the other day and forgot how poppy it sounds.

Thank you all for the feedback. I just picked up Mind Bomb, with Soul Mining on the way. Looks like Solitude, Infected, and Dusk are also good gets. Never knew that Doves' "Black and White Town" had so much of the same piano from "Uncertain Smile".

Thanks again.

I remember infected, it was really most-playing stuff here, many years ago, hehehe. damn good

LE Roberts wrote: Never knew that Doves' "Black and White Town" had so much of the same piano from "Uncertain Smile".

Thanks again.

Isn't the old boogie woogie master Jools playing said piano in uncertain smile ?

This is the Day..personal favourite of mine

K I N G D O M O F R A I N

Is any of their stufF really good, or is it all die hard Smiths fans following Marr around? Only heard three songs by The The and wasn't that impressed, did I hear the wrong ones?

JHC

68 Pontiac wrote: Is any of their stufF really good, or is it all die hard Smiths fans following Marr around? Only heard three songs by The The and wasn't that impressed, did I hear the wrong ones?

JHC

which ones did you hear?

try these for a start:

infected this is the day jealous of youth the beat(en) generation slow emotion replay

The Haçienda must be (re)Built wrote:

Isn't the old boogie woogie master Jools playing said piano in uncertain smile ?

68 Pontiac wrote: Is any of their stufF really good, or is it all die hard Smiths fans following Marr around? Only heard three songs by The The and wasn't that impressed, did I hear the wrong ones?

JHC

No. By the time Marr Joined, The The had delivered their three best albums IMO. Nothing wrong the period when Marr was with them, the gigs provided stunning reworkings of the older stuff. Two great albums too, but not classic The The.

I think it's fair to say that you either like The The or you don't. It's not one of them bands you can throw on at a party to get everyone dancing. It's music to get stoned and marvel over.

I was big into 80s The The.

Soul Mining and Infected are key players in the soundtrack of my youth. Thought they began to lose their way a bit with Mind Bomb or maybe too much ideology was ruining the party for me. Didn't stick with them but my mate did and still talks them up.

Likewise, seeing them play two shows at the height of their success with Johnny Marr on guitar and I believe David Palmer (Electronic) on drums is a magical memory.

:\pimp3:

Didn't know Palmer had played with Electronic. He was in ABC. Brilliant drummer. I remember an interview in the tour programme where he was asked why he wanted to be a drummer. He answered that he liked hitting things. HARD!

That's who I meant when I said DC Collard. DC is the keyboard player with long hair like Clint Boon (he's probably had it cut now).

Interesting how many people are saying that The The was the soundtrack to their youth. It certainly was mine. I can't get on a train into Manchester without hearing a hissy Walkman playing Heartland or Out of the Blue.

Once went to Morocco for a fortnight and forgot my tape box. Only one tape for a fortnight - a copy of Burning Blue Soul. The music really suited the atmosphere of North Africa. I don't think I've listed to that album since, but I can remember every note!

Boatraceface wrote: This is the Day..personal favourite of mine

+1

Giant. One of the best tracks ever written!

Soul Mining and Mind Bomb are my favorite albums...

although I love everything The The have ever done, except the first limited album Blue Soul Burning and Hanky Panky took a bit out getting around my head...

The last, very angry, album 'Naked Self' was a total corker and highly underpromoted and underrated!