The Smiths: Stop me if you think you’ve heard this one before

The Rise and Fall of… The Smiths, 6 MusicArtworks: The Writing Life of Sylvia Plath, Radio 4FOR nearly 40 years, one question has followed The Smiths… why won’t they get back together?Down through all those years the answer has never changed. Johnny Marr says it straight: a definite “no”.This lively trip through archive recordings is in the company of Six’s Steve Lamacq and Elizabeth Alker.They take us from the beginnings – an isolated northern dreamer by the name of Morrissey - to where it all ended.Back in the beginning, the musicians were a “perfect little family” but over the years, things changed.Their break-up in 1987 hit fans hard.This was a tale of frayed friendships and heartfelt anguish: “It was like someone pulling your stomach out through your arse.” Ouch.We began with the youn