Andy Rourke's 10 best basslines for The Smiths (Far Out magazine, with the videos)

[highplainsdem]

https://faroutmagazine.co.uk/andy-rourke-10-best-the-smiths-basslines/

While The Smiths’ sound was dominated in the press by Morrissey’s lyrical choices and Johnny Marr’s inimitable guitar work, the fact remains that they would not have been the tight unit that we know them as without the excellent rhythm section of Andy Rourke and Mike Joyce. Rourke’s playing is considered by most as some of the finest Britain has ever known and loved.

As for Rourke in particular, he is noted for his melodic approach to playing the bass guitar, arguably providing the British counterpoint to R.E.M.’s Mike Mills over the Atlantic Ocean. Rourke met Marr at 11, and the pair enjoyed jam sessions while still at school; the duo formed one of the most important indie bands of all time.

From there, Rourke played in the short-lived funk band Freak Party with Marr before completing The Smiths lineup with Morrisey and Joyce in 1982. Rourke had been known to suffer from an addiction to heroin and was briefly kicked out of the band in 1986 before re-joining just two weeks before the release of their second studio album, The Queen Is Dead.

Here, we’re going to take a closer look at ten of the best basslines the bass icon has ever written and recorded for The Smiths. Without further ado, let’s get melodic.

-snip-

[Hugh_Lebowski]

1. Very sad, spinning Smiths songs now ... weird this happened the day after

I went to a Cure concert last night before ... wearing a Smiths t-shirt.

Not a sign though HPD

Will peep the list when I'm not working.

[highplainsdem]

2. It's a very sad day. And no, I would never have considered the timing and

your wearing that tee a sign. I don't think you understand what signs are. But it doesn't matter.

We lost a great musician, much too soon...