Is there any other band that comes close to the greatness of The Smiths?

[nugz]

The Rolling Stones do not only come close to the greatness of the Smiths, but easily surpass it.

The problem with the Stones is that they overstayed their welcome. their early stuff was fantastic and then it just slowly went downhill. They shouldve broken up before the 80s started, if not earlier.

The thing with bands like The Smiths, The Beatles...and I'm sure theres others that arent coming to mind at the moment, is that they came out of nowhere, made a huge impact in a short period of time...and boom...they were gone before you knew it, and you were left wanting more.

 

[9 x Fined]

I don't listen to The Smiths all that much anymore, Morrissey's solo work has pretty much eclipsed them in both quality and quantity.

 

[SouthpawGlamour]

The Rolling Stones do not only come close to the greatness of the Smiths, but easily surpass it.

RS are lost on me, my brother is a big fan. They started out as a ropey blues band, made some good rock records and then settled into typical boring rock music, all major chords and blues scales.

I like rockabilly cause it's all 7ths and weird dims, much like The Smiths.

 

[Oscar Wilde]

The problem with the Stones is that they overstayed their welcome. their early stuff was fantastic and then it just slowly went downhill. They shouldve broken up before the 80s started, if not earlier.

The thing with bands like The Smiths, The Beatles...and I'm sure theres others that arent coming to mind at the moment, is that they came out of nowhere, made a huge impact in a short period of time...and boom...they were gone before you knew it, and you were left wanting more.

True, they overstayed their welcome. But EVERYTHING overstays its welcome eventually...

 

[the judge]

I like rockabilly cause it's all 7ths and weird dims, much like The Smiths.

I don't have a precise idea of what rockabilly is, but I play the guitar and 7ths - especially major- and weird dims are among my favourite chords. In general I prefer minor chords to major ones.

Actually I think The Beatles and The Smiths have something in common. NEITHER MADE A GREAT ALBUM.

Now that will no doubt irritate a lot of people but it's something I actually believe. The reasons are different though. The Smiths consistantly produced very good music but never quite nailed the LP form (their best record wasn't a proper album, namely 'Hatful of Hollow). The Beatles produced brilliant music but with a lot of filler between the great bits.

Because I'm not one for hyperbole I define a great album as one where every track on the album is great. There are very few albums which fill that criteria, so me saying that The Smiths didn't produce one isn't the huge slap in the face some of you might think.

For me there are weak tracks on all The Smiths albums. 'The Boy With The Thorn In His Side' is a great track as is 'The Queen Is Dead' and 'Big Mouth' but could you really describe 'Never Had No One Ever' as great? Likewise 'Rusholme Ruffians' is a great track and so is 'Nowhere Fast' but is 'What She Said' or 'I Want The One I Can't Have'

I agree. I don't know if I heard a perfect album yet. In all Smiths albums there are bad tracks. But to me I Want The One I Can't Have is very good and Rusholme Ruffians is very weak.

Yes anonymous internet person, I smile all the time.

Well, I am the judge here, just like you are SouthpawGlamour.
Im glad then, because reading your post I imagined you laughing sarcasticly (sorry for my English, if it's not correct please correct me), being bored, serious, but not smiling.

 

[nightandday]

Well If there is one I can't think of it...

what amazes me is that the Smiths don't have any weak link at all. The Rhythum section is up there with the best I've ever heard esp. Andy on Bass. And well the other two members werent that bad either.

Is there any band that comes close?

The Beatles - overated
Joy Divsion - Likewise

Not true.

You do realize that threads like this one are absurd and ridiculous? It's all completely subjective. Someone else on another forum might right now be making a thread called, say, "Is there any band that comes close to the greatness of The Beatles?", "Is there any band that comes close to the greatness of Led Zeppelin?", "Is there any band that comes close to the greatness of The Clash?", or even (oh, horror!) "Is there any band that comes close to the greatness of Oasis?"

Saying that a band is "overrated" usually means simply "it's a band that a lot of other people like and I don't".

 

[SouthpawGlamour]

I don't have a precise idea of what rockabilly is, but I play the guitar and 7ths - especially major- and weird dims are among my favourite chords. In general I prefer minor chords to major ones.



I agree. I don't know if I heard a perfect album yet. In all Smiths albums there are bad tracks. But to me I Want The One I Can't Have is very good and Rusholme Ruffians is very weak.


Well, I am the judge here, just like you are SouthpawGlamour.
Im glad then, because reading your post I imagined you laughing sarcasticly (sorry for my English, if it's not correct please correct me), being bored, serious, but not smiling.

errmmmmm....I am Billy Jones, all my biographical details and photos are on the linked sites. It amuses me that people on this site have (mostly) remained anonymous and I have visited here for years. Other sites I visit won't accept anonymity, like psychobilly online.

What are you all so afraid of? What's the cloak and dagger routine all about? Most of you won't even show your face. Life is not that scary folks! Are you all on the lamb or something?

Rockabilly is a primitive form of music largely considered to be a mix of Hillbilly and R and B. Personified by the recordings of Elvis during the years 1954-56, initially at Sun Studios in Memphis.

Notable artists also from Sun are Carl Perkins, Charlie Feathers, Jerry Lee Lewis and Roy Orbison.

Rockabilly since the 50s has been most popular in the UK and other parts of Europe until recently when it became popular in the USA.

The most succesful rockabilly band with 22 million total sales are New York's Stray Cats, started in 1978.

The Stray Cats frontman and virtuoso guitarist Brian Setzer is also the frontman of million selling Brian Setzer Orchestra.


Its complex but thats the basics.

 

[Camilla]

A friend of mine likes the Brian Setzer Orchestra actually her whole family and i heard it, and I like thier songs.

 

[dallow_bg]

The Kinks.

They come closest for me.
The Beach Boys third.

 

[nugz]

errmmmmm....I am Billy Jones, all my biographical details and photos are on the linked sites. It amuses me that people on this site have (mostly) remained anonymous and I have visited here for years. Other sites I visit won't accept anonymity, like psychobilly online.

What are you all so afraid of? What's the cloak and dagger routine all about? Most of you won't even show your face. Life is not that scary folks! Are you all on the lamb or something? .

I've actually been wondering the same thing. Everyone on here is so mysterious. it's kind of annoying because when I read people's posts, I like to put a face to the name or at LEAST a gender. I mean, its cool if people dont want to be known, i guess. you guys are no fun, haha.

 

[DAnn Coulter]

The Pixies come extremely close to The Smiths' greatness for me.

 

[Cemetry Gates]

Echo & The Bunnymen.....enough said....

Joy Division
Depeche Mode
Sex Pistols
Buzzcocks
The Cure
The Church
Pink Floyd
The Machine
Etc....etc....etc.....

 

[Musley]

The Smiths consistantly produced very good music but never quite nailed the LP form (their best record wasn't a proper album, namely 'Hatful of Hollow). The Beatles produced brilliant music but with a lot of filler between the great bits.

I'm always hearing people say Hatful wasn't a proper album. What idefines a proper album?

 

[SouthpawGlamour]

I've actually been wondering the same thing. Everyone on here is so mysterious. it's kind of annoying because when I read people's posts, I like to put a face to the name or at LEAST a gender. I mean, its cool if people dont want to be known, i guess. you guys are no fun, haha.

It defeats the object really, faceless communication is an oxymoron.

It attracts immature people that wish to behave inappropriately /aggressively without consequences.

Like I say, it's not the case on other sites, quite the opposite.

 

[SouthpawGlamour]

I'm always hearing people say Hatful wasn't a proper album. What idefines a proper album?

They just mean it's a compilation. Artists often don't choose the tracklisting anyway.

Although I would rarely side with the industry, when it comes to tracklisting and single choice, that is usually best left to the label. That is a business and not an artistic decision in harsh reality.

 

[Johan de Witt]

For me personally very close to The Smiths (1983-1987) came Echo and the Bunnymen (esp. from 1980-1984) and The Triffids (1984-1989).

Historically one would have to mention The Beatles (1965-1970) and Velvet Underground (1967-1970) as closest rivals.

 

[johngill]

James
Depeche Mode

 

[konstantinl]

I agree. I don't know if I heard a perfect album yet. In all Smiths albums there are bad tracks. But to me I Want The One I Can't Have is very good and Rusholme Ruffians is very weak.

I not sure why I typed that but I should have said 'The Headmaster Ritual' instead of 'Rusholme Ruffians, although I think 'R.R' is one of the great Morrissey lyrics and musically, it's jaunty enough.

 

[Cemetry Gates]

For me personally very close to The Smiths (1983-1987) came Echo and the Bunnymen (esp. from 1980-1984) and The Triffids (1984-1989).

Historically one would have to mention The Beatles (1965-1970) and Velvet Underground (1967-1970) as closest rivals.

Hello,
Just asking b/c I'm interested, which album of the Bunnymen & VU is your favorite?

 

[mbb321]

"I can see through all your see through clothes
I've got to see you cause I like you loads
I need you, roll your dice and look at me.."

Yes, some bands do come close