As much as i love both bands i have to pick Joy Division. Their music just feels closer to the bone and hits the spot more than The Smiths. Joy Division are the ultimate band to listen to sitting in a dark room and wallowing in depression, something i love doing. While both Moz and Curtis wrote incredible lyrics i prefer Curtis' songs as he was one of the most honest songwriters of all time and he told it as it was, listening to his lyrics is like drinking straight whiskey. Peter Hook is one of my favourite bass players, his work with both JD and New Order are incredible.
I think Joy Division had a greater impact on music than The Smiths did. They paved the way for the likes of The Cure, Bauhaus and The Sisters Of Mercy to provide us with dark, brooding, gloomy music that would spawn the whole goth culture over time, as well as other great bands in the 80's such as Echo and The Bunnymen and The Jesus and Mary Chain.
|