...I just finished reading an interview Lloyd Cole gave to an Israeli journalist (of Tarbut Ma`ariv) on 19/3/99. Cole had his golden years with the Commotions in the time Moz had them with the Smiths. He's been a solo artist since 1990.

Q: It's impossible to ignore the timing when they compared you to Morrissey. He was God, while you became the one everybody's attacking.
A: Because Morrissey represented everything pop journalists dreamed upon. He was a very non-positive figure, he was angry, he suffered,  he criticized everyone, he was very arrogant - everything you need to make headlines...

and later on:

Q: So for once and for all, was there a prestige competition between the Commotions and the Smiths?
A: people will always say there is none, and there is, always. It's the rule of this profession. We didn't stand a chance concerning the critics, but listeners in those years, when asked, placed the Smiths first and us second, except in 1984, when we were first and they were second.