The Smiths Songbooks. Accurate?

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You should have known me then

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Can anyone give their opinion on the accuracy of the The Smiths songbooks that were published years ago?

I would appreciate the help.
 
They are pretty accurate. There are some weird things like There is a light that never goes out is played with a Cm instead of the capo on the fourth fret the way it is played live every time.

Bigmouth is the same, the Cm. It doesn't sound right which is why I posted the few I had figured out back in 1999. I did Lost when I lived in California but lost the word document but I plan to give it another shot soon.

Heaven Knows is pretty accurate but you need the wah for a better effect, it doesn't work all that great unless you are very skilled with an acoustic.

Most of the Queen is Dead songbook is acurate except for the two mentioned above.

The Viva Hate songbook is dead on. And worth the price I paid for it back in 2000. It is also the only Morrissey songbook I have found without trying too hard.
 
Yeah, most of The Smiths ones are really shit - apart from a version for Louder Than Bombs called On The Record (or similar), which I found in HMV (of all places) a few years back. It had full tabs for all guitar parts & all other instruments used, I sold it & deeply regret it!

P.S Would be interested to see your tab for Bigmouth (& any others you may have).
 
The Louder Than Bombs book I have is great too... I have been really lazy about posting the tabs. I mean, when I learned to play the Viva Hate album, I totally freaked since I knew not too many knew how to play those. Cover bands are different.

I will try to post them and I will do it at this site:

http://www.ultimate-guitar.com/tabs/morrissey_tabs.htm
 
two smiths music books on ebay now...

the world won't listen: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=38105&item=3740589873&rd=1&ssPageName=WDVW

louder than bombs: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=53250&item=3831080309&rd=1&ssPageName=WDVW
 
Thank you so much for the info. I really do appreciate it. I am going to go ahead and purchase them. At the very least, I'm sure that they would be a good rough guide. For example, I've figured out some of Headmaster Ritual in Open D, but I would love to see a dedicated interpretation of it, if it's available.

Oh, and I wasn't even aware that there was a Viva Hate songbook. Wonderful!

You should post your work on Powertabs.net, if you don't already know about it. There are some incredibly accurate Smiths tabs on there, and IBEH seems to be dead on. I tried to watch as many live shows to get an idea.

> They are pretty accurate. There are some weird things like There is a
> light that never goes out is played with a Cm instead of the capo on the
> fourth fret the way it is played live every time.

> Bigmouth is the same, the Cm. It doesn't sound right which is why I posted
> the few I had figured out back in 1999. I did Lost when I lived in
> California but lost the word document but I plan to give it another shot
> soon.

> Heaven Knows is pretty accurate but you need the wah for a better effect,
> it doesn't work all that great unless you are very skilled with an
> acoustic.

> Most of the Queen is Dead songbook is acurate except for the two mentioned
> above.

> The Viva Hate songbook is dead on. And worth the price I paid for it back
> in 2000. It is also the only Morrissey songbook I have found without
> trying too hard.
 
> Yeah, most of The Smiths ones are really shit - apart from a version for
> Louder Than Bombs called On The Record (or similar), which I found in HMV
> (of all places) a few years back. It had full tabs for all guitar parts
> & all other instruments used, I sold it & deeply regret it!

> P.S Would be interested to see your tab for Bigmouth (& any others you
> may have).

You should also try powertabs.net. They have the best Smiths tabs I have seen yet. Also, a guy named Peter Weldon has done some good tabs. Please, Please, and Heaven Knows seem dead on to me.

Also, as far as I know (and as far as I play it) Bigmouth is just Am to C to G and then Am to F to G. That's the entire song, with the guitar break being an Em. The tricky part is obtaining the rhythm.
 
Re: two smiths music books on ebay now...

> the world won't listen:
> http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=38105&item=3740589873&rd=1&ssPageName=WDVW
> louder than bombs:
> http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=53250&item=3831080309&rd=1&ssPageName=WDVW

Thanks for the heads up!

I would really like to see your work.
 
Bigmouth...

I play it B C# and I think D# then B A E - i think. it is more like the live version.

> You should also try powertabs.net. They have the best Smiths tabs I have
> seen yet. Also, a guy named Peter Weldon has done some good tabs. Please,
> Please, and Heaven Knows seem dead on to me.

> Also, as far as I know (and as far as I play it) Bigmouth is just Am to C
> to G and then Am to F to G. That's the entire song, with the guitar break
> being an Em. The tricky part is obtaining the rhythm.
 
Re: Bigmouth...

> I play it B C# and I think D# then B A E - i think. it is more like the
> live version.

Yeah, I forgot to mention that it was with a capo on the 4th fret, but I'm sure that was obvious.

I gained my info from Johnny's guitar player interview where he says it opens with Am, capo on the fourth fret, and then the Em on the break.

I assume you're transposing those chord names according to the key change. Could you give their shapes with the capo on the 4th fret? Please excuse my ignorance.
 
Re: Bigmouth...

I only played it with the capo on the fourth fret when I am just messing around.

Am is:

e-0
b-1
g-2
d-2
a-0
e-x

Em is:

e-0
b-0
g-0
d-2
a-2
e-0
 
Re: Bigmouth...

> I only played it with the capo on the fourth fret when I am just messing
> around.

I'm sorry, I think you misunderstood. I know the chord shapes with the capo.

I just thought the chords names that you had given for your version were still played with a capo on the fourth fret. It confused me. I'll give your chords a shot without the capo.
 
Re: Bigmouth...

I have a video of Bigmouth performed on The Whistle Test. Johnny has a capo on 2nd fret (Les Paul - Standard?), Gannon has a capo on 4th fret (Rickenbacker - 330). Pete Weldon's tab of Bigmouth might be the closest I've seen (http://www.micturion.com/smiths/guitar/smiths/bigmouth_strikes_again.htm).

I must sit down with the video sometime & try and tab out the solo etc.
 
Re: Bigmouth...

Yeah, the Dadd4 that he has in there, nails it. I've always left it out.

He has some great tabs.

> I have a video of Bigmouth performed on The Whistle Test. Johnny has a
> capo on 2nd fret (Les Paul - Standard?), Gannon has a capo on 4th fret
> (Rickenbacker - 330). Pete Weldon's tab of Bigmouth might be the closest
> I've seen
> (http://www.micturion.com/smiths/guitar/smiths/bigmouth_strikes_again.htm).

> I must sit down with the video sometime & try and tab out the solo
> etc.
 
> Can anyone give their opinion on the accuracy of the The Smiths songbooks
> that were published years ago?

> I would appreciate the help.

Not bad on the whole, but as is the fault with most music books, they tend to give the literal chords, often disregarding the fact that a lot of The Smiths' stuff was played with a capo on the second fret to suit Moz's voice. It can be a bit infuriating sorting those chords out, but if you look at the name of the chord, and transpose it to the appropriate fret, then it all becomes easier.

Sk.
 
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