The Smiths: Classic or Dud?

Message Bookmarked
Bookmark Removed
Not all messages are displayed: show all messages (300 of them)
i think you'll find it is actually 'Everybody Let's Fuck'

gareth, Tuesday, 14 August 2001 00:00 (twenty-two years ago) link

I don't think that's been PROVEN BY SCIENCE to be a Smiths song, you know.

DG, Tuesday, 14 August 2001 00:00 (twenty-two years ago) link

Discovering such a proof = URGENT AND KEY

Richard Tunnicliffe, Tuesday, 14 August 2001 00:00 (twenty-two years ago) link

I agree with Richard. Divert all federal funds NOW.

Dan Perry, Tuesday, 14 August 2001 00:00 (twenty-two years ago) link

two months pass...
If you think of the Smiths in simplistic terms, they were a great band with far more top class songs than many other more recognised bands of their era. ie u2, rem. I just wish i was there at the time, morrisey is the ultimate pop star, opinionated, arrogant, bad tempered, hilarious and charismatic. Constantly sacking their managers was a masterstroke, kind of similar to spinal taps drummers...

Robert McPherson, Tuesday, 6 November 2001 01:00 (twenty-two years ago) link

three months pass...
You are obviously a pedophile and an loser. Who else sounds like them moron. Your precious house bands?

I live in Canada, but my cousin is Adam Clayton. Now there's an over-rated band. Not to mention Daft Punk, you Punky-ass bitch!

Rob Clarkson, Thursday, 28 February 2002 01:00 (twenty-two years ago) link

It's like a fusion of eight different board regulars as one person.

Ned Raggett, Thursday, 28 February 2002 01:00 (twenty-two years ago) link

one month passes...
When someone has to come down to the depths of cursing a bands image or apperance, its quite obviuos that a real musical question has not been put forward. I don't think I have to answer classic or "dud"

Graham, Saturday, 6 April 2002 00:00 (twenty-two years ago) link

one month passes...
Over written lyrics. I didn't realise there was such a thing! Morrissey is one of the greatest poets of the 20th century. Without doubt the most influential artist to come from the UK in the last 20 years. Every point you've made about the why the smiths were utter shite is exactly why they contributed so largely to the british music industry. I won' even start telling you how Richie James (manics) was also on a par with poets such as Plath. As for why nobody in mainland Europe likes them? Uh they don't all speak english. I don't listen to meaningful french, german, spanish songs because i don't understand them. Simply the most dilectable band ever to grace the british music scene.

Colin Gates, Monday, 20 May 2002 00:00 (twenty-two years ago) link

I won' even start telling you how Richie James (manics) was also on a par with poets such as Plath.

Hahahahahahaha yes, this is actually quite true!

nabisco%%, Monday, 20 May 2002 00:00 (twenty-two years ago) link

Plath and Richey Manic are so much on the same level its unbelievable. Now, if you'll excuse me, there's a candle I need to stare into.

Dom Passantino, Monday, 20 May 2002 00:00 (twenty-two years ago) link

That's unfair. Plath was a significant poet - even Hugh Kenner, no fan of these things, admitted as much 30 years ago. And her prose was better still, in my eyes.

(This is not to justify what the fellow upthread says about anything else.)

the pinefox, Monday, 20 May 2002 00:00 (twenty-two years ago) link

stop press / Paltrow to play Plath in new flick.

the pinefox, Tuesday, 21 May 2002 00:00 (twenty-two years ago) link

She already has. Haven't you seen The Royal Tenenbaums?

Dom Passantino, Tuesday, 21 May 2002 00:00 (twenty-two years ago) link

YES!! i larfed non-stop (and so did dr vick)

mark "the s stands for WHAT THE FUCK ELSE COULD I DO THE GOAL WAS WIDE OPEN M'LU, Tuesday, 21 May 2002 00:00 (twenty-two years ago) link

three months pass...
On the subject of Marr, does anyone know have EXACT tabs of his guitar playing on the Smiffs records? It's quite hard to figure out exactly what's going on in the songs, the guitar is quite low in the mix. And they're definately a classic band.

Jaymeeness, Monday, 16 September 2002 16:16 (twenty-one years ago) link

one month passes...
Reminder: from Zapsmart (a UK music media listings alert) Yahoo Group

The Smiths

These Things Take Time is, apparently, a Smiths documentary on Friday 8th November. It's on ITV but only in the Granada, Border and Tyne Tees regions

Don't know about other regions? buy the TV supplements in the Saturday
/Sunday papers to check.

DJ Martian (djmartian), Friday, 1 November 2002 20:27 (twenty-one years ago) link

I got The Queen is Dead. Enjoyed it a bit, favorite song remains Frankly, Mr Shankly. I listened to the entire CD twice, and havent heard it since.

Also, either way, they're one of the gayest bands ever.

David Allen, Saturday, 2 November 2002 03:13 (twenty-one years ago) link

i never wore flowers in my back pocket or a hearing aid in my ear but being a mildly sad young kid with no social skills i suppose i believed they existed for people like me.

I thought that was the formula of the Smiths.. they have ever known for what reasons they have been into music arena. And I also am thinking same thoughts for Manics and the other leading combinations of British Pop. They have always shown the same point, from the direction of every groups own artistic catches and daily routine . So they wanted to show us how capital city could be alianated people by prisoned the person into money based relations, the objection of no-mistake, obeyance for survival and etc. which are not illustrated with the ' freedom of reality '. For these reasons The Smiths and others couldn't have been Punk ever, because i believe they show everyone how to survive as humans in big cities. So new ones are using their terminology as proggressing its argument by placing it to more positively speak-out platform, because new indie-pop generation has much comformitted lives through post-modernism but they (also we) have much complicated future problems. I am offering ' The Queen Is Dead ', to who can't be introduced with The Smiths. It should also be given a chance to Cocteu Twins, Bauhaus, Joy Division and all other post-punk voices of British Island .

I. Eken (I. Eken), Sunday, 3 November 2002 12:29 (twenty-one years ago) link

one year passes...
CD80 'portable' Smiths & Morrissey solo (combined) go!

This Charming Man
What Difference Does It Make?
Heaven Knows I'm Miserable Now
Please Please Please Let Me Get What I Want
How Soon Is Now
Shakespeare's Sister
The Boy With the Thorn In His Side
Bigmouth Strikes Again
The Queen Is Dead (Take Me Back To Dear Old Blighty)
Cemetary Gates
There is a Light That Never Goes Out
Panic
Ask
Shoplifters of the World Unite
Half a Person
Sheila Take a Bow
Is It Really So Strange?
Girlfriend In a Coma
Stop Me If You Think You've Heard This One Before
Suedehead
Hairdresser On Fire
Everyday Is Like Sunday
We Hate It When Our Friends Become Successful
The More You Ignore Me, The Closer I Get

(81:26 overburn! chronological by first appearance, missing key classics, but a decent single disc survey)

Spencer Chow (spencermfi), Thursday, 13 November 2003 22:59 (twenty years ago) link

Utterly classic up until "Sheila Take A Bow", anyway.

Dan Perry (Dan Perry), Thursday, 13 November 2003 23:13 (twenty years ago) link

The Smiths were generally overrated. Their way of songwriting just didn't work, as they didn't pay close enough attention to melodic qualities. Morrissey's lyrics and Marr's guitar improvisations became too important, which led to repetitive songs, over repetitive chord patterns.

Then, along came Stone Roses, and UK indie was saviored.

Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Thursday, 13 November 2003 23:15 (twenty years ago) link

enough with your neologizing you mentalonordist

typo acapulco (gcannon), Thursday, 13 November 2003 23:54 (twenty years ago) link

Does Geir mean it got made into a pastie?!

Nick Southall (Nick Southall), Thursday, 13 November 2003 23:56 (twenty years ago) link

http://www.nihilistdisco.matterwave.net/images/yakidk.jpg

Geir, you make my head hurt.

Manuela Kamosi (mjt), Thursday, 13 November 2003 23:59 (twenty years ago) link

The Smiths were a great singles band, but I would never want to listen to them for more than fifteen minutes at a time. (At least now. When I was fifteen it was a differnet story.)

Ian Johnson (orion), Friday, 14 November 2003 02:26 (twenty years ago) link

"fifteen minutes with Ian, oh IIIII wouldn't sayyyy no"

the surface noise (electricsound), Friday, 14 November 2003 02:27 (twenty years ago) link

This is silly. They easily deserve to be considered among the great British bands of all time.

J-rock (Julien Sandiford), Friday, 14 November 2003 03:33 (twenty years ago) link

The Smiths were the gayest band of all time.

So, classic, then.

Mr. Snrub (Mr. Snrub), Friday, 14 November 2003 03:34 (twenty years ago) link

I can't believe how controversial this is when everyone agreed that Duran Duran were classic. Ridiculous.

ddrake, Friday, 14 November 2003 05:53 (twenty years ago) link

(I would like to clarify that my earlier comment was about Spencer's mix, not The Smiths, who were a stone-cold classic no matter how much Morrissey may irritate me today.)

Dan Perry (Dan Perry), Friday, 14 November 2003 13:06 (twenty years ago) link

The Smiths were generally overrated. Their way of songwriting just didn't work, as they didn't pay close enough attention to melodic qualities. Morrissey's lyrics and Marr's guitar improvisations became too important, which led to repetitive songs, over repetitive chord patterns.

for a long time I have said "Geir's not so bad, give him a break".

but now I say GEIR MUST BE DESTROYED.

DV (dirtyvicar), Friday, 14 November 2003 13:30 (twenty years ago) link

Sometimes I want to meet Geir to see what sort of muppet can actually come out with such nonsense. Other times I'm with DV and wish he didn't exist.

chris (chris), Friday, 14 November 2003 13:35 (twenty years ago) link

It's just an indication that Geir completely fails to grasp/appreciate/understand/care much about the extra-musical content/context of pop, which is fair enough.

It means his pop life (from my POV) is irreversibly impoverished as a result, but it allows all manner of other material through for him to enjoy without the contextual baggage that might put other people off.

I don't have a problem with him at all - he just doesn't experience pop music in anything like the same way I do.

Michael Jones (MichaelJ), Friday, 14 November 2003 13:41 (twenty years ago) link

I bet he dances in much the same funky way as you though, Jonesy.

Tim (Tim), Friday, 14 November 2003 13:44 (twenty years ago) link

'melody' IS 'extra-musical content'

dave q, Friday, 14 November 2003 13:47 (twenty years ago) link

Explain, Dave.

Michael Jones (MichaelJ), Friday, 14 November 2003 13:55 (twenty years ago) link

I normally find Geir entertaining and think you are all MEAN to him.

but when he disses the Smiths - that's out of order.

DV (dirtyvicar), Friday, 14 November 2003 17:24 (twenty years ago) link

six months pass...

MOJO reports that an actual genuine get-together (previously unreported anywhere) took place between all 4 smiths in 1995, and that the full story is to appear in a 148 page mag-book-thing
Q SMITHS SPECIAL (available friday 28th 2004).
it advises that we all get 'a stiff drink' ready.

can't wait!

piscesboy, Tuesday, 25 May 2004 16:00 (twenty years ago) link

I read somewhere that this story is much overblown.

Mary (Mary), Tuesday, 25 May 2004 16:32 (twenty years ago) link

dude wtf crack was I on when this thread started?

Allyzay, Wednesday, 26 May 2004 03:27 (twenty years ago) link

so you like the smiths now, ally?

J.D. (Justyn Dillingham), Wednesday, 26 May 2004 03:28 (twenty years ago) link

yeah! I've also owned plenty of Morrissey albums and have since the early 90s so I'm not sure what I was saying about hating his voice either, I must've decided I hated all sad music for that month or something.

Allyzay, Wednesday, 26 May 2004 03:36 (twenty years ago) link

Maybe there was a Smiths fan you were trying to forget about dealing with at the time?

Ned Raggett (Ned), Wednesday, 26 May 2004 04:25 (twenty years ago) link

Classic! A SMITHS CONVERT!

I can't get excited about this Mojo thing, though. I mean, 1995? It all sounds kindof far fetched, or yeah, probably overblown.

x-post

Bimble (bimble), Wednesday, 26 May 2004 04:31 (twenty years ago) link

I mean wasn't that when they were in the midst of lawsuits? Why else would they meet?

Bimble (bimble), Wednesday, 26 May 2004 04:33 (twenty years ago) link

haha Ned you cheeky bastard.

Allyzay, Wednesday, 26 May 2004 04:33 (twenty years ago) link

MOJO reports that an actual genuine get-together (previously unreported anywhere) took place between all 4 smiths in 1995

Why does this make me think of Our Friends In The North?

Dom Passantino (Dom Passantino), Wednesday, 26 May 2004 10:16 (twenty years ago) link

stranger still it was chrissie hynde that was responsible...

piscesboy, Wednesday, 26 May 2004 10:35 (twenty years ago) link


You must be logged in to post. Please either login here, or if you are not registered, you may register here.