Do you prefer The Smiths era, or the solo career of Morrissey?

[dom]

Hello everyone

I was wondering, do you prefer The Smiths era, or the solo career of Morrissey?

I feel that The Smiths have the sublime beauty of being fastened together extremely well as a band - Inch perfect riffs, flickering baselines, filthy clean / muddy lead guitar, excellent lyrics and the pronunciation of Johnny Marrs guitar parts send shivers down my spine.

However, there seems to be a new transition to Morrissey in his solo career. He has similar traits of course to his previous self, but there is something different.

Of course, the OBVIOUS point that there is simply no band members, hence the sound is bound to be different, but what has that made of Morrissey? Are his melodies and arrangements any different do you think? Subject matter (America being one huge issue on his lips these days it seems)

For me, there are moments listening to The Smiths where i get quite depressed, not because of the mournful flickerings of Mozza and Marr with every note, but because i simply can't believe how perfect it can sound sometimes, and how far i am from ever getting to that stage in my musical career. Then listening to Morrissey, i get shivers down my spine with songs like 'let me kiss you' 'Irish blood English heart' 'every day is like Sunday' They do really effect me in a slightly different emotional way than The Smiths do. Mozza even seems to allow for some experimental forward thinking tracks on 'Your Arsenal' with tracks like 'you're gonna need someone' and 'glamorous glue'

For me, if there was a gun to my head and i had to decide, i would say i prefer The Smiths era, simply because of the fact i love pretty much every single song, where as i find some bits of 'Bona drag' and 'kill uncle' a bit tough to sit through.

Enough of me. What of youuus?

Dom

[girlunafraid]

It's almost a Sophies Choice (well for me anyhoo) but if the gun was pointing towards my head I'd have to pick the youngest was the most loved, I still absolutely adore Morrissey & I'm still amazed he can still thrill me like the old days.

love

Grim

[laughing_anne]

I got into Morrissey through the Smiths and that's probably the reason I ever so slightly prefer the Smiths to his solo years. And there's no denying it, even with my love for Alain and his melodies , Johnny's guitars still leave me breathless.
However, I love his songs whether the Smiths or solo and the fact that his style and topics have changed through the years makes him even more appealing. And of course his incredible voice keeps getting better and better... We so need a lovesick smiley...

[Ben Budd]

This old topic eh?

Solo, everytime.

[dom]

This old topic eh?

Solo, everytime.

Sorry, i havent had the discussion about this before, cos am a new beee. This toppic is as fresh as a daisy on a wind swept hill for me :-)

[Ben Budd]

That's fine. You'll find most people love both, but prefer the Smiths but you get special little people like me who see past the nostalgia of a boy from Wythenshawe hamming away on a guitar.

[dom]

That's fine. You'll find most people love both, but prefer the Smiths but you get special little people like me who see past the nostalgia of a boy from Wythenshawe hamming away on a guitar.

lol. fair enough. It's all personal for us, especially when it comes to Morrissey

[Amy]

The Smiths' had Johnny Marr, pretty much makes sure they pip Moz' solo career at the post every time. The Smiths, due to their brief lifespan, also aren't nearly as patchy as Moz' more extensive solo work. Most of this goes without saying, really. Moz is still a fabulous performer post-Smiths (otherwise this website wouldn't exist), but his hints of genius are few and far between now, unfortunately

[dzhemini]

I love solo Morrissey slightly more.
Maybe it's because I'm a new fan and I don't have these nostalgic feelings attached to the Smiths. (The Ringleader of The Tormentors was my first Morrissey album, and the one that made me fall in love with his music).

But of course it's almost impossible to choose.

[laughing_anne]

I love solo Morrissey slightly more.
Maybe it's because I'm a new fan and I don't have these nostalgic feelings attached to the Smiths. (The Ringleader of The Tormentors was my first Morrissey album, and the one that made me fall in love with his music).

But of course it's almost impossible to choose.

I wasn't around during the Smiths either (well, I was around 8 when they split up) so there's no nostalgia in them for me either.However, I got into the Smiths before I discovered his solo material.

[dom]

I love solo Morrissey slightly more.
Maybe it's because I'm a new fan and I don't have these nostalgic feelings attached to the Smiths. (The Ringleader of The Tormentors was my first Morrissey album, and the one that made me fall in love with his music).

But of course it's almost impossible to choose.

These things i am hearing are interesting, because i used to prefer solo at the beggining, but i was only listening to the usual famous smiths songs like charming man, and still ill type stuff. Ringleader was the first Moz album i ever bough as my own too, as well as You are the quarry, smiths stuff was ripped from mates cd. I couldnt decide whch i prefered, until slowly i graduated to a confortable decision that i prefered The Smiths. I think i was worried that i had to love BOTH just as much, out of respect for Mozz, but i felt like i couldn't as they are so different. It's like two seperate worlds sometimes with the two, lol.

[Poco Innocente]

The Smiths for me. and yes Marr being involved undoubtedly plays a big part in me choosing The Smiths over his solo...but equally important for me is what Moz had to say during that period...and says so consistently well. i find his solo lyrics rather hit and miss in parts.

[nowherefast944]

it's such a difficult question to answer. like most of you (probably), I got into Morrissey through The Smiths and I also hold them slightly higher than Morrissey. The Smiths are everything to me. They're the coffee I drink the cell phone I talk on, the bed I sleep in etc etc, figuratively of course. They're the absolute perfect band and the greatest that I'll ever encounter and I feel lucky to have ever discovered them.

Morrissey is different to me. He's like the most graceful being to have ever lived and like many of his fans, I adore him and practically ANYTHING he does (to a limit of course). I'm not saying that I like EVERY song he's ever done or agree with all of his views, but it says something to me that whenever I hear his voice or hear his name or The Smiths in discussion a big smile comes to my face and it practically changes my mood instantly.

Maybe these are signs that I enjoy him too much? I know there are fans that know EXACTLY what I'm talking about.

I think I got a little offtopic, but I hold The Smiths on such a high pedestal that only Morrissey (solo) will ever come close to reaching.

[oscillate wildly]

The Smiths.

I found Moz solo through The Smiths. I listen to them both almost equally (lately, at least). But from hearing every Smiths song, I can't think of any that aren't fully good/amazing, although I know it is pretty impossible for Morrissey to not have any less than great songs considering how many albums he has made. .

[Young And Alive]

I think the fact that The Smiths did so much in such a short space of time and then split up suddenly has added a certain sense of romance to people's memories of them.

It's impossible to compare The Smiths to Morrissey's solo career, not just because of the different personnel involved, but also because of the periods of time we are dealing with. For example, you can't compare the career of Morrissey in 1984 to the Quarry-era Morrissey of 2004. The two sounds are completely different - nothing on The Smiths sounds anything remotely like anything on You Are The Quarry.

I also think that if The Smiths had stayed together then they would be a very different group now to what they were 20 years ago. It would probably be the case that instead we would be discussing whether we prefer The Smiths of today or the The Smiths of the 80's. Basically, the debate is meaningless.

So, The Smiths or solo?

Well, as the man himself might say - I can have both!

[CaliforniaMozGirl]

I have to say The Smiths. Although there are so many beautiful songs Moz has done on his solo albums, those old Smiths albums have held up magically over the years and to my ear just do not sound dated because they are so different from anything else that was. They just can't be beat with the musicianship and Morrissey's poetic lyrics.

[the judge]

but because i simply can't believe how perfect it can sound sometimes, and how far i am from ever getting to that stage in my musical career.

I know exactly what you mean. I experienced that with Radiohead before The Smiths, and was so depressed, then I realized Radiohead weren't so perfect, after all.
you just haven't earned it yet baby. time. exercise. be optimistic and work. No, I haven't achieved anything yet, but I don't despair. I guess Johnny's bands before The Smiths weren't perfect, early Suede songs weren't great, neither were Radiohead's and the list goes on...

Answer to your question:
Smiths era.
Reason: Johnny Marr's music and lyrics' brilliance, wit, genius in almost every song.

[dom]

I know exactly what you mean. I experienced that with Radiohead before The Smiths, and was so depressed, then I realized Radiohead weren't so perfect, after all.
you just haven't earned it yet baby. time. exercise. be optimistic and work. No, I haven't achieved anything yet, but I don't despair. I guess Johnny's bands before The Smiths weren't perfect, early Suede songs weren't great, neither were Radiohead's and the list goes on...

Answer to your question:
Smiths era.
Reason: Johnny Marr's music and lyrics' brilliance, wit, genius in almost every song.

Oh my word, dont get me started on Radiohad. Absaloute genius group of musicians. But yea, Radiohead took a good 9 years or so to really get anywhere, and not JUST cos they weren't recognised, but because they weren't in fact that amazing in the earlier days, just like your average band. Their first album PABLO HONEY was fairly trite apart from 'Creep' and 'Lewis' ... i think, and then they slowly got there. You're right, it's the same with all great bands, and hopefuly the same with us lot too he he he

You've made me want to start a new thread on Radioheads cover or Headmasters Ritual now, plus made me want to listen to thier new album, which i still can't aford at the moment with my horrificly bad pay wage.

[ordinaryboy]

As a relatively new fan to both the Smiths/Moz I find the Smiths to be more easily accessible, it makes an instant impression on you, whereas I find Moz needs time to grow on me in order for me to fully appreciate him. I also prefer the fact that moz's solo material is so extensive... if the Smiths had never split would they sound like he does now?

[vivabob]

i missed the smiths because i was a bit on the young side and got into them properly just before they split , which meant that morrissey has been a constant

i love the smiths but i now view them as a history lesson nothing new is now going to come , i love morrissey now and like girm said its amazing that he can still thrill you in the manner that he does ... for me its morrissey