Between a Clenched Fist and a Kiss: Useless......: The Very Best of T.V. Smith!

If you don't know about the work of T.V. Smith, I encourage you to get educated.

A great way to find out about his music (you can buy his whole catalog later). Originally with punk legends The Adverts, he has persevered over the years, accumulating a very impressive songbook.
While staying true to his ideals. He's one of the good ones.

If it tastes so good, why do you feel so sick?

Useless is a greatest hits collection of his music which came out in 2001 on JKP records in Germany. Fans may quibble over individual song selections, but I think it is pretty damn great. It was released at a time when most of his music was out of print, so this was produced as a quick fix to that problem.

But the collection was re-recorded versions of the originals, which would normally give me pause to consider purchasing it. But this greatest hits set is pretty essential in my view. First of all case, Smith is in very fine form. Which is no great surprise. But his backing band?

None other than German Primo Punks, Die Toten Hosen! So you have a world-class songwriter teamed with a completely kick-ass rock band. It's a perfect storm of punk rock perfection!





Previously he has made similar collaborations, making an EP with Finnish punks Punk Lurex Ok, the Future Used to Be Better, which is also another amazing collaboration.

But what make Useless so good is that while the songs have a great anthemic quality to them, Smith's lyrics are smart. The music never fails to get you worked up, while making you think. And the song My String Will Snap was put on record for the first time, for all you completists.



The disc isn't that easy to get, but seems to be available at Smith's on-line store, where there is plenty of other items worth checking out, like many of his recently reissued solo albums and even tour diaries. A good place to help support a worthy cause.

Maybe The Good Times Never Went Away....or never were really so great--TV Smith--Misinformation Overload--

Some may consider growing old gracefully a virtue. If you are of the punk rock aesthetic, I think the greater virtue is to grow old gracelessly, with a fire in the belly. Take for example TV Smith, originally singer/songwriter extraordinaire for the legendary punk group The Adverts. Unfortunately people know more about The Adverts, but fail to realize that Smith has created a substantial body of excellent vital music in the ensuing years. And he's still at it today, rocking the boat, writing fiery songs brimming with intelligence and outrage. In 2009 he came out with In The Arms of My Enemy, and Live at NVA double Cd. He has also published two collections of his tour diaries most recently. Now he has come out with Sparkle In The Mud, a collection of unreleased recordings and demos from 1979-1983.

Through the hallowed halls I roam....

But this post is about the fantastic disc that he released in 2006, Misinformation Overload. Some economists and analysts are credited with seeing the on coming world financial meltdown at an early stage. If you read the lyrics to the songs on this record, you will see that TV Smith was just as prescient. Basically he calls out a lot of bad behavior, decries the negative trends of our era, and dares us to do something about it. And dares us to think for ourselves, instead of listening to the paid infomercial mantras pounded into our consciousness daily. It's so difficult these days to figure things out, with so much nonsense and as Smith asserts, Misinformation. You know, it's the sort of tactic that is used in the military when fighting a war.

From More Than This....

So the Bankers take their seats
With the party elite
In a Billionaire's retreat
Safely out of Reach..

And they blame the workers, blame the unions
Blame the slump and blame the boom
And the consumer, blame the system
Blame the losers, blame the victims.






Sounds like a familiar story, part of a familiar cycle. It's nice to hear a counter argument, because when more and more of media gets controlled in fewer hands, the narrative has a better chance of being massaged. And for those people who refuse to drink the kool-aid, the unfortunate response may be to lose your faith in everything and to tune out.

From Small Rewards...

Millions are suffering
But tonight let's order in
And watch the happy stuff
Is that enough?

The mindless entertainment
What keeps us tuning in?
All they are offering is
Small rewards.

TV Smith's superior songwriting is ably backed by an excellent band comprised of Tim Cross on keyboards, Happi Mueller on Bass, and Vom Ritchie of  Die Toten Hosen on drums.

From Second Class Citizens--

So we zipped our lips
we worked for tips
We aimed ever-lower but still missed
In this compassionate land
The helping hand
Shows you two fingers, then a fist.



So if you like intelligent energetic punk rock, look no further. Once you've heard this album you will be impelled to hear more. TV Smith is one of the punk legends. He should be regarded on a critical level with the A-list punk rockers. Here's to getting the good word out.