Not the Jones: Morrissey

AMERICA MAY HAVE been charmed by Boy George, but it's more difficult to imagine it embracing the Smiths and their poetic singer/writer Morrissey, the U.K.'s latest Top of the Pop rave. The Smiths hail from Manchester, the northern industrial town which spawned the likes of the Buzzcocks and Joy Division, and in their sound they've assimilated each of those bands, plus a lot of Velvet Underground, Modern Lovers and Only Ones. The Smiths' first three singles -- 'This Charming Man,' 'Hand In Glove' and 'What Difference Does It Make?' -- have all landed in the upper regions of the U.K. charts, while their debut LP, on the independent Rough Trade label, broke in at #2 its first week out.