The Smiths: supercrap or not crap?

[Saul Goodman]

No one takes your posts seriously

I do. In a seriously shit kinda way, but only marginally worse than those of crannadict.

 

[Crannadict]

"What are your top 3 albums of all time?

There's a lot of them that I love, but there are certain ones that really take me back. The Smiths album, Depeche Mode - Violator, and Soundtrack for the Mission film."

The Cranberries' Dolores O'Riordan: The extended interview | City Pages

This Saturday, The Cranberries find their way back to First Avenue after many years off the radar as a group. Frontwoman Dolores O'Riordan released a…

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Dolores was so nice to the band that liked Noel and Mike, but she recognised a los oficiales times that the only pop band usually listen on the radio was Duran Duran.

The Smiths or DM never.

 

[andysays]

Yes, now I am being a bit foolish because many were disrespectful to the band that I love. In Spanish we call it "salseo", and I think it's innocuous but a lot of fun

On Urban, we call it acting like a cunt.

If anyone is trolling here, it's you.

 

[skyscraper101]

Whoever this is, they sure remind me of our old friend oneharoldbishop who used to relentlessly post about Beats Headphones.

 

[skyscraper101]

FWIW, I like about four or five Smiths tracks, and the rest I could totally leave. That said, Marr is a consistently awesome guitarist.

 

[maomao]

I can recognise Marr's contribution and talent but I'd rather not listen to it with that cunt whining all over it.

Morrisey's descent into gammonism has been a pleasure to watch for those of us who could never stand him.

 

[QueenOfGoths]

I loved the Smiths and Morrissey when I was a teenager and even now a Smith's number will come on the radio and the lyrics and his vocals will stop me in my tracks.

The fact that he's a massive, massive racist tosser is really quite depressing!

 

[Kaka Tim]

And at least he doesn't sing like a dalek.

 

[killer b]

I can barely listen to them anymore, which is a shame as they created some of the most luminous music of the last 50 years. Much of Morrisey's solo stuff is great too. He might even still make good music now, but I wouldn't know.

 

[ska invita]

Any pointers for Johnny Marr's solo stuff? A couple of tracks would do it

 

[felixthecat]

I love the Smiths, have done since I was a teenager. killer b used the word I was looking for but couldn't find - luminous

Even morriseys descent into cuntdom can't override that for me

 

[killer b]

Any pointers for Johnny Marr's solo stuff? A couple of tracks would do it

Other than Electronic his post-smiths stuff has been pretty bland IMO

 

[farmerbarleymow]

And at least he doesn't sing like a dalek.

I think I'd buy an album by the daleks.

 

[Cid]

Morrissey's novel I recall was universally panned, and won the Bad Sex award for this excrescence:

Eliza and Ezra rolled together into the one giggling snowball of full-figured copulation, screaming and shouting as they playfully bit and pulled at each other in a dangerous and clamorous rollercoaster coil of sexually violent rotation with Eliza’s breasts barrel-rolled across Ezra’s howling mouth and the pained frenzy of his bulbous salutation extenuating his excitement as it smacked its way into every muscle of Eliza’s body except for the otherwise central zone.

I say that, because I wonder what it means for his earlier lyrical ability. Tbh I just haven't listened to enough of him/The Smiths (just never particularly liked either) to think that through. But we're certainly a bit prone to over-interpret the stuff that we love/let it off the hook. I mean did people really think a man telling another man that marriage is shit was this profound, innovative thing? Doesn't it just hint at him being a misogynist prick with a decent band?

 

[Flavour]

Oh yeah didn't he insist his book was first released by Penguin Classics - that was pretty typical of late-era Morrissey ego. The irony of him being wrapping himself tighter into the folds of British Nationalism and yet living in LA with a massive Mexican fanbase also quite hilarious.

 

[Cid]

What has happened to Peter Serafinowicz, anyone know? Off social media for 4 years now.

Last major thing I saw him in was ‘The Tick’ I think, second series aired early 2019. He does a fair bit of voice work too. Obviously 2020 not particularly good for acting. Hopefully getting some family time or something.

 

[Cid]

Oh yeah didn't he insist his book was first released by Penguin Classics - that was pretty typical of late-era Morrissey ego. The irony of him being wrapping himself tighter into the folds of British Nationalism and yet living in LA with a massive Mexican fanbase also quite hilarious.

I think that was his autobiography. Though List of the Lost is still penguin, just not classics by the looks of things.

 

[The39thStep]

Loved the artwork , quite liked their image, liked Marrs guitar but even after seeing them a few times in their early days never really got into them. The only track of theirs I occasionally play is the Hand in Glove version with Sandy Shaw. Student/ex student ban.

 

[Hovercraft Eel]

Any pointers for Johnny Marr's solo stuff? A couple of tracks would do it

I think his solo stuff is ace. Particularly his last album Call the Comet. Here's a variety of songs.

 

[Kevbad the Bad]

There is no way you took my post seriously.

Whoops!

 

[Kaka Tim]

Morrissey's novel I recall was universally panned, and won the Bad Sex award for this excrescence:



I say that, because I wonder what it means for his earlier lyrical ability. Tbh I just haven't listened to enough of him/The Smiths (just never particularly liked either) to think that through. But we're certainly a bit prone to over-interpret the stuff that we love/let it off the hook. I mean did people really think a man telling another man that marriage is shit was this profound, innovative thing? Doesn't it just hint at him being a misogynist prick with a decent band?

fuck me. "the pained frenzy of his bulbous salutation" straight up vogan love poetry. Vogon poetry

 

[ska invita]

fuck me. "the pained frenzy of his bulbous salutation" straight up vogan love poetry. Vogon poetry

the joke being that he insisted it be published by Penguin Classics (usually reserved for books from the canon)

 

[DotCommunist]

I like the Smiths. Marr when he was asked about a rumour over a potential reunion said something like 'Nigel Farage on guitar' so he's still ok.

 

[Favelado]

You can take Morrissey off How Soon is Now and it's still one of the greatest pieces of music I've ever heard.

 

[ElizabethofYork]

Dolores was so nice to the band that liked Noel and Mike, but she recognised a los oficiales times that the only pop band usually listen on the radio was Duran Duran.

The Smiths or DM never.

Fancy you not knowing that Dolo loved The Smiths. Call yourself a fan?! The Cranberries would be ashamed of you.

 

[marshall]

Nope, just don't get them, never have. Friends were obsessed but they never clicked with me.

I did like the artwork though, great early sleeves.

 

[littlebabyjesus]

Morrissey's novel I recall was universally panned, and won the Bad Sex award for this excrescence:



I say that, because I wonder what it means for his earlier lyrical ability. Tbh I just haven't listened to enough of him/The Smiths (just never particularly liked either) to think that through. But we're certainly a bit prone to over-interpret the stuff that we love/let it off the hook. I mean did people really think a man telling another man that marriage is shit was this profound, innovative thing? Doesn't it just hint at him being a misogynist prick with a decent band?

That's shite, of course, but getting chin-scratchy, David Sylvian insists on making a distinction between lyrics and poetry. Lyrics first and foremost serve a certain function, that being to sit in a tune. A very simple sentiment can be made to sound profound by the music - example from The Smiths might be That Joke Isn't Funny Any More. The music and the repetition add profundity and feeling to the line 'I've seen this happen in other people's lives and now it's happening in mine'.

Sylvian doesn't think it even makes sense to isolate song lyrics on a page. Imo, whether he intellectualised it like that or not, Morrissey understood this point very well with his lyrics. And his prose sucks. Ah well.

 

[rubbershoes]

I assumed all urbanites were alienated youth in the 80s.

Why wouldn't we like the Smiths?

 

[andysays]

That's shite, of course, but getting chin-scratchy, David Sylvian insists on making a distinction between lyrics and poetry. Lyrics first and foremost serve a certain function, that being to sit in a tune. A very simple sentiment can be made to sound profound by the music - example from The Smiths might be That Joke Isn't Funny Any More. The music and the repetition add profundity and feeling to the line 'I've seen this happen in other people's lives and now it's happening in mine'.

Sylvian doesn't think it even makes sense to isolate song lyrics on a page. Imo, whether he intellectualised it like that or not, Morrissey understood this point very well with his lyrics. And his prose sucks. Ah well.

And there's even more of a difference between writing song lyrics and writing a novel.

Can't think of that many people who have successfully made the transition from one to the other.

 

[andysays]

I assumed all urbanites were alienated youth in the 80s.

Why wouldn't we like the Smiths?

I certainly was, and I certainly did.

But TBH, once I stopped being an alienated 80s youth, I wasn't really inclined to listen to the Smiths any more.