Rank (album)
| Rank | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Live album by The Smiths | |
| Released | 5 September 1988 |
| Recorded | 23 October 1986 |
| Genre | Alternative rock, indie pop |
| Length | 55:56 |
| Label |
Rough Trade (UK) Sire (US) |
| Producer | Pete Dauncey and Grant Showbiz |
| Professional ratings | |
|---|---|
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic |    [1] |
| Pitchfork | (5.4/10)[2] |
| Rolling Stone | [3] |
| Robert Christgau | B[4] |
| Blender | [5] |
Rank is a live album by the English rock band The Smiths. It was released in September 1988 by their British record company, Rough Trade, and reached No. 2 in the British charts. In the United States, the album was released on Sire Records and made No. 77.
About the album
Rank was released as a contractual obligation. It was recorded on 23 October 1986 at National Ballroom in Kilburn, London, and is a fourteen-track distillation (of 21 songs) by singer Morrissey from the complete concert recording that had earlier been transmitted by BBC Radio 1. The album rode high on The Smiths nostalgia and the success of Morrissey's debut solo album, Viva Hate, earlier the same year.
The songs omitted from the recording of the Kilburn show are: "I Want the One I Can't Have", "There Is a Light That Never Goes Out", "Frankly, Mr. Shankly", "Never Had No One Ever", "Meat Is Murder", and "How Soon Is Now?" Also, some edits can be readily heard in the concert itself, such as at the end of "I Know It's Over" when the crowd starts cheering. In late 2008 video footage appeared from the show on YouTube.
According to The Smiths biographers Johnny Rogan and David Bret, Morrissey originally titled the album The Smiths in Heat. Rough Trade objected and Morrissey proposed Rank, "as in 'J. Arthur'" (J. Arthur Rank is Cockney rhyming slang for "wank").
Cover
The sleeve for Rank, once again designed by Morrissey, stars actress Alexandra Bastedo. The image is from photographer John D. Green's 1967 book Birds Of Britain. The gatefold album's interior features a photo of several The Smiths fans ripping apart Morrissey's shirt. The picture was taken by Ian Tilton at the 1986 Factory Records "Festival of the Tenth Summer" concert at G-Mex Centre in Manchester, England.
Track listing
All tracks written by Johnny Marr and Morrissey except "His Latest Flame" (Doc Pomus, Mort Shuman), "The Draize Train" (Marr) and the very beginning of "The Queen Is Dead" where an audio recording of Sergei Prokofiev's classical piece "Montagues and Capulets" was played to introduce the band.
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "The Queen Is Dead" | 4:11 |
| 2. | "Panic" | 3:07 |
| 3. | "Vicar in a Tutu" | 2:40 |
| 4. | "Ask" | 3:12 |
| 5. | "His Latest Flame/Rusholme Ruffians (Medley)" | 3:55 |
| 6. | "The Boy with the Thorn in His Side" | 3:47 |
| 7. | "Rubber Ring/What She Said (Medley)" | 3:41 |
| 8. | "Is It Really So Strange?" | 3:45 |
| 9. | "Cemetry Gates" | 2:50 |
| 10. | "London" | 2:38 |
| 11. | "I Know It's Over" | 7:49 |
| 12. | "The Draize Train" | 4:23 |
| 13. | "Still Ill" | 4:09 |
| 14. | "Bigmouth Strikes Again" | 5:51 |
Personnel
The band
- Morrissey – vocals
- Johnny Marr – lead guitar
- Craig Gannon – rhythm guitar
- Andy Rourke – bass guitar
- Mike Joyce – drums
Technical staff
- Pete Dauncey and Grant Showbiz – producers
- Paul Nickson – engineer
References
- ↑ DiGravina, Tim. Rank (album) at AllMusic. Retrieved 26 June 2011.
- ↑ "The Smiths: The Smiths Complete | Album Reviews | Pitchfork". Pitchforkmedia.com. 18 November 2011. Retrieved 6 March 2012.
- ↑ Jim Farber (17 November 1988). "Rank | Album Reviews". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 6 March 2012.
- ↑ "CG: the smiths". Robert Christgau. Retrieved 6 March 2012.
- ↑
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