Oh, Manchester, So Much To Answer For

2. "how soon is now?," the smiths (rough trade '84). as amazing as the smiths were, this rises above all others as their masterpiece - and, in fact, a masterpiece of music, period. marr's rickenbacker chimes like a bell, morrissey's never sounded better, and joyce/rourke keep the beat on the one. combine that with one of the most stunning (and stunningly simple) lyrics in the history of rock: "I am human and I need to be loved, just like everybody else does." call it morose if you must; for me, as a teen, it was a lifesaver.