Old Music: The Smiths – “Back To The Old House” (Peel Sessions)

The SmithsThe Smiths‘ catalog is a pretty overwhelming animal, in both diversity of sound (take the easy ska of “Frankly, Mr. Shankly” vs. the torch ballad “I Know It’s Over,” for instance) and the sheer number of tracks scattered across their four albums and numerous singles compilations. But their appearances on John Peel’s show over the years always captured the short-lived act at its best, and never better than on this acoustic version of “Back To The Old House,” one of Morrissey’s most intimate songs. “I would rather not go back to the old house / there’s too many bad memories,” he sings in this Sept. 1983 rendition, a simple enough line, but in comparison to the boy who would rather die in a bus collision than go home in “There Is A Light That Never Goes Out,” he doesn’t sound maudlin or melodramatic, for once — just sincere.

The Smiths – “Back to the Old House” (live @ Peel Sessions): mp3

Related: Bootleg: The Smiths – The Complete Peel Sessions

***

Old Music: Classic jamz. Click below for more.