The Smiths - The Best British Band Of All Time? - God Is In The TV

The Smiths - The Best British Band Of All Time? - God Is In The TV
By Loz Etheridge

Excerpt:

Morrissey cuts a more controversial figure than ever these days, now well past the point where anyone could feasibly even attempt to defend his offensive comments or totally unacceptable views. He has been reported as having said some truly shocking things in recent years, which none of us in our right minds would ever condone. To that end, for the sake of this article, I would like you to imagine, difficult as it may be, that after The Smiths split up there was nothing but an eerie silence, at least from one quarter of Manchester’s favourite sons.

Instead, let’s go back to a happier time – a simpler time when we found ourselves punching the air in delight at the lyrical genius of ‘Mozzer’, marvelling at the seemingly very intelligent, eloquent but shy, gangly individual who was brightening the lives of society’s outsiders, and, indeed, sometimes even playing a part in some of those kids’ minds that hey, maybe life isn’t so bad after all – I’m NOT ALONE.
 
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My mum dreamt of ‘power cuts’. She had no electricity in her childhood home. For her, the 60s and 70s were a time of unprecedented affluence. She still feels that those two decades were fantastic.
Mine was the same, no lighting until they moved when she was about 6 .. I still got shouted at when in my own home about having “ far to many electric lights on” all at the same time. And that was only about 6-7 years back....
 
Mine was the same, no lighting until they moved when she was about 6 .. I still got shouted at when in my own home about having “ far to many electric lights on” all at the same time. And that was only about 6-7 years back....
I still get that now. And I’m in my own house.
 
I still get that now. And I’m in my own house.
I loved some of my parents “old” sayings... I find myself half saying them to my children now, and when I’ve only got half the sentence out, I know that it’s from my “old fashioned” parents, but I don’t stop as I now know they were right all along... one of my faves was, when things got heated with siblings, was “ stop filling the neighbours mouths with crack” they were very respectable towards neighbors, unlike me
 
It’s a tricky question really.... who is the greatest British band?
You would think the Beatles as they kicked it all off.... Then every lad in the land bought a guitar, so many bands wanting to be the Beatles.... if I remember correctly The Smiths were voted most influential band in1999, 2000, in NME... as we know a host of other bands came after, like what happened with the Beatles..... but I would, through gritted teeth have to say the Beatles......... Definitely not New 4kin order😢😢😢😢
If I remember correctly, Melvis fans have been slagging-off NME as trash, ever since the Kill Uncle days.

...and even the worst New Order show rocks the shitty t-shirts off off of “Poor Me Steve’s” cut-rate hackery, any day of the week.
 
If I remember correctly, Melvis fans have been slagging-off NME as trash, ever since the Kill Uncle days.

...and even the worst New Order show rocks the shitty t-shirts off off of “Poor Me Steve’s” cut-rate hackery, any day of the week.
You may well be right, I was at morrissey gig in Leeds this year, and to be fair, I was disappointed (no pun) I cannot comment on a new order gig as I’ve never been to one.... could you tell me the worst new order gig that you have been to??? How bad was it..
 
As great a rock band as they were ...

they were so deeply influenced by American blues & rock’n roll, so they really didn’t sound very British.
There’s a case to be made for Pentangle, Azimuth and Belle & Sebastian, if your criteria is accepted.
 
If you're penning an article titled "The Smiths - Best British band of all time?" then you don't get the Smiths and never will.

Morrissey and Marr never gave a shit about any race to the "top" as it were. Johnny Marr couldn't care less where he sits on the list of Rolling Stones' 100 Best guitarists of all time and neither do Smiths fans. You can leave that battle to the beatles and the Stones. Two bands I like and acknowledge as important, but hardly ever listen to.

The Smiths were never about being "The Best". We listen to them when we are feeling the worst and upon hearing their music quickly rose up because we heard that Morrissey somehow knew exactly how we felt. I never listened to The Smiths and thought they sounded particularly British. They were more than that.

Music isn't about being the best. It's not sport. You can take your "Best" and put it where the sun doesn't shine.
 
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If you're penning an article titled "The Smiths - Best British band of all time?" then you don't get the Smiths and never will.

Morrissey and Marr never gave a shit about any race to the "top" as it were. Johnny Marr couldn't care less where he sits on the list of Rolling Stones' 100 Best guitarists of all time and neither do Smiths fans. You can leave that battle to the beatles and the Stones. Two bands I like and acknowledge as important, but hardly ever listen to.

The Smiths were never about being "The Best". We listen to them when we are feeling the worst and upon hearing their music quickly rose up because we heard that Morrissey somehow knew exactly how we felt. I never listened to The Smiths and thought they sounded particularly British. They were more than that.

Music isn't about being the best. It's not sport. You can take your "Best" and put it where the sun doesn't shine.
It’s just for fun.
 
You may well be right, I was at morrissey gig in Leeds this year, and to be fair, I was disappointed (no pun) I cannot comment on a new order gig as I’ve never been to one.... could you tell me the worst new order gig that you have been to??? How bad was it..
I’ve seen them 4 times since 1989. They’ve been kicking every time. ALWAYS tight, top-shelf sound and lighting. I haven’t seen them since Hooky departed. ...but I went and saw him with The Light - at a small venue - a couple of years back and they it was a real treat! ;)
 
As great a rock band as they were ...

they were so deeply influenced by American blues & rock’n roll, so they really didn’t sound very British.
Ummmm... American influences, you say? “blues and rock ‘n roll”, you say? “...didn’t sound very British”, you say?

Fak Arf, Clown Shoes.

Have you ever even HEARD The Smiths?
 
As great a rock band as they were ...

they were so deeply influenced by American blues & rock’n roll, so they really didn’t sound very British.

what was it you were spouting about? “American blues and Rock n’ Roll”? 😂
 
It’s just for fun.

It runs much deeper than “fun”. It’s just got nothing to do with commercial success, awards or polls. Many superb creative people live broke. Many die broke. No awards. No accolades. Many touch and even save countless lives, without regard for remuneration of any kind.

Those people are called “ARTISTS”.

They don’t do it “for fun”.

They do it because they MUST do it. ;)
 
Because as a human being with a conscience I have social and political awareness. Imagine if everyone had your frame of mind at the beginning of WW2? They just would have sat on their arses and listened to music, shrugging their shoulders as bombs fell around them. Instead they were called up and became "negative nasty c***s" and fought for the survival of their country, culture and in Winston Churchill's words, the continuation of "their way of life".

Our way of life is not only under threat, it's officially dying. As Morrissey said, the ashes are all around us.

Stop exploiting Morrissey for your disgusting racism.

In his hour of need he didn't turn to the white race or Blighty - he turned to the global Catholic church & many Gods.
 

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