sleepy jack

Let me end this argument since it's ridiculous.

The Beatles could lay claim to being the most important band of the past 100 years, The Smiths cannot. However that doesn't mean the Smiths suck because all of your favorite bands that aren't the Beatles can't really make the same claim. You could say they're both comparable in the sense they were the biggest pop group and one of the biggest pop groups of their respective eras but we're talking the 60s and 80s which were very different times.

Both were very cohesive and talented musicians that were capable of being complex/simple and both left their comfort zones quite a bit. Oh and Morrissey is an excellent lyricist and boo boo needs to stop judging his songwriting abilities on his personality and one song.

Most of you were wrong.

/argument

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ProggyMan

Hey, I never said the Smiths weren't incredible. Actually I said I loved them.

boo boo

Meat is Murder is not that drastic of a departure for The Smiths. They mixed it up a little more, added a funky riff here, a rockabilly riff there, but Morisseys unmistakable whine makes it a Smiths song. It still sounds like a Smiths album.

As for The Beatles, well listen to Past Masters vol. 1 which features some of their famous early singles, then listen to The White Album. Now thats a departure.

The Smiths to me were very one dimensional. "I'm so shy and socially akward boo hoo". The Smiths is something you listen to when you're depressed, now I actually do like The Smiths, but I have to be in that sh*tty mood to really enjoy them, same with Joy Division.

The Beatles on the flip side have a discography so rich and diverse that theres always some material that will fit the mood you're in. Feeling happy? Listen to Sgt Peppers. Feeling depressed? Listen to The White Album. Angry at your girlfriend? Rubber Soul.

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It's only knock n' knowall, but I like it

http://www.last.fm/user/kingboobs

sleepy jack

Stop making generalizations about the Smiths that aren't even accurate. Meat is Murder was very different musically than anything they've done before, it was a departure for them. Of course if you look at I Want To Hold Your Hand and then Helter Skelter it's a very radical departure but how many bands changed the way the Beatles did? Not many so as I said before it's not a fair comparison. No one compares to the Beatles so people need to stop trying to compare to them.

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boo boo

Look I can tell the difference between Meat is Murder from their other work. Hell the reason Meat is Murder is my favorite Smiths album is mainly because its the one that sounds least like a Smiths album.

But its not that great of a departure, not only when compared to The Beatles but many other artists I could name drop. Take out Meat is Murder and you had a band that was very consistant and rarely left their comfort zone.

Theres a lot of versatile artists out there.

Dude, they're going to be compared. They're competing against each other on a poll YOU made.

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It's only knock n' knowall, but I like it

http://www.last.fm/user/kingboobs

sleepy jack

Contradiction? If its not that great of a departure then why do you have to take it out to say the band never left their comfort zone? I'd also argue that they very much left their comfort zone on Strangeways, Here We Come not necessarily for the best but songs like Last Night I Dreamt etc are certainly different from The Smiths, Meat is Murder and the Queen is Dead.

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sweet_nothing

I know bro, he makes less sense with every post.

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boo boo

Ok look, yes Meat is Murder is a bit of a departure, but not a really radical one. The only real changes are in the instrumentation. Morrissey both vocally and lyrically pretty much stays the same.

And its not unusual for bands to try and diversify a little. Just about everyone does.

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It's only knock n' knowall, but I like it

http://www.last.fm/user/kingboobs

sweet_nothing

Not really i was dicussing this with my cousin (who got me into the smiths) the other day, the lyrics on Meat is Murder aren't really that great compared to their first album, but Morrissey voice is much better and saves the songs(lyric wise).

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sleepy jack

Not many bands have a departure vocally unless they change vocalists...As for the lyrics I'd say their quite different. Meat is Murder is for the most part a protest album and sure Morrissey revisits that in his solo career a bit but not with the Smiths.

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