Mellamo Morrissey. Donde esta la biblioteca?

Morrissey "First Of The Gang To Die"

Unlikely as it may seem at first glance, Machester's now legendary the Smiths reach out to a fan base of more than just pale white teens who just had their hearts broken for the very first time. It's not just geeky music afficionados (moi?) who memorize the bleak lyrics of "Please Please Please Let Me Get What I Want" and insist that Johnny Marr is the true genius behind the band's sound. And it's not just homosexual interior decorators who swoon at Morrissey's multiple shirt changes during his concerts. No, although these may seem like obvious answers, the true die hard Smiths/Morrissey fans are Mexican. Particularly the ones who reside in Los Angeles.

At first it seems odd. But when you take into account the concepts of isolation and being an outcast of society that fill the Smiths' canon it makes perfect sense. From the girl with the sharpied brows working at the Pretzel Wagon in the Glendale Galleria to the tatted out thug hanging out on a random corner in Boyle Heights, they just may be the world's biggest Smiths fan.

In 2004, Morrissey decided to capitalize on this with his eleventh solo record You Are The Quarry. It was a return to form of sorts for the ex Smiths vocalist. For years he had become something of a wash in the British music press, isolating fans who longed for the more indie pop sound of his very first solo recording Viva Hate. It not only won back many of his old fans but catered directly to his newest and possibly largest fan base.

Depicted as a 30s style gangster on the LP jacket, the single "First Of The Gang To Die" depicted the "pretty, petty thieves" living in the barrios of L.A. and mourned the death of Hector, the first "lost lad". Its really kind of a bizarre song coming from a guy like Morrissey, but upon further listens it becomes clear that this is just the kind of thing we've come to expect from him. All that said, it comes down to being a great pop song. Vatos locos forever, homes!