Let me end this argument since it's ridiculous.

The Beatles could lay claim to being the most important band of the past 100 years, The Smiths cannot. However that doesn't mean the Smiths suck because all of your favorite bands that aren't the Beatles can't really make the same claim. You could say they're both comparable in the sense they were the biggest pop group and one of the biggest pop groups of their respective eras but we're talking the 60s and 80s which were very different times.

Both were very cohesive and talented musicians that were capable of being complex/simple and both left their comfort zones quite a bit. Oh and Morrissey is an excellent lyricist and boo boo needs to stop judging his songwriting abilities on his personality and one song.

Most of you were wrong.

/argument

Hey, I never said the Smiths weren't incredible. Actually I said I loved them.

Meat is Murder is not that drastic of a departure for The Smiths. They mixed it up a little more, added a funky riff here, a rockabilly riff there, but Morisseys unmistakable whine makes it a Smiths song. It still sounds like a Smiths album.

As for The Beatles, well listen to Past Masters vol. 1 which features some of their famous early singles, then listen to The White Album. Now thats a departure.

The Smiths to me were very one dimensional. "I'm so shy and socially akward boo hoo". The Smiths is something you listen to when you're depressed, now I actually do like The Smiths, but I have to be in that sh*tty mood to really enjoy them, same with Joy Division.

The Beatles on the flip side have a discography so rich and diverse that theres always some material that will fit the mood you're in. Feeling happy? Listen to Sgt Peppers. Feeling depressed? Listen to The White Album. Angry at your girlfriend? Rubber Soul.

Stop making generalizations about the Smiths that aren't even accurate. Meat is Murder was very different musically than anything they've done before, it was a departure for them. Of course if you look at I Want To Hold Your Hand and then Helter Skelter it's a very radical departure but how many bands changed the way the Beatles did? Not many so as I said before it's not a fair comparison. No one compares to the Beatles so people need to stop trying to compare to them.

Look I can tell the difference between Meat is Murder from their other work. Hell the reason Meat is Murder is my favorite Smiths album is mainly because its the one that sounds least like a Smiths album. :laughing:

But its not that great of a departure, not only when compared to The Beatles but many other artists I could name drop. Take out Meat is Murder and you had a band that was very consistant and rarely left their comfort zone.

Theres a lot of versatile artists out there.

Dude, they're going to be compared. They're competing against each other on a poll YOU made.

Contradiction? If its not that great of a departure then why do you have to take it out to say the band never left their comfort zone? I'd also argue that they very much left their comfort zone on Strangeways, Here We Come not necessarily for the best but songs like Last Night I Dreamt etc are certainly different from The Smiths, Meat is Murder and the Queen is Dead.

I know bro, he makes less sense with every post.

Ok look, yes Meat is Murder is a bit of a departure, but not a really radical one. The only real changes are in the instrumentation. Morrissey both vocally and lyrically pretty much stays the same.

And its not unusual for bands to try and diversify a little. Just about everyone does.

Not really i was dicussing this with my cousin (who got me into the smiths) the other day, the lyrics on Meat is Murder aren't really that great compared to their first album, but Morrissey voice is much better and saves the songs(lyric wise).

Not many bands have a departure vocally unless they change vocalists...As for the lyrics I'd say their quite different. Meat is Murder is for the most part a protest album and sure Morrissey revisits that in his solo career a bit but not with the Smiths.

hahahahah, fuck off.

explosions in the sky

The Beatles are easily going through, so I vote for the Smiths.

It's ridiculous to argue about who is 'better'. And being able to master some Beatles songs but no Smiths songs on guitar doesn't make one band superior to the other. Neither are trying to wow anyone with technicality.

Personally, I think the songwriting in both bands is great, but the Beatles had a more varied discography and better songwriting IMO. However, I prefer the vocal/lyrical combination of the Smiths - Morrissey is possibly my favourite vocalist/lyricist ever.

Same here, except I like John Lennon's voice but i hate his lyrics. And Morrissey's voice and lyrics are just something else.

I never understood what makes Morrissey such an incredible lyricist. I mean when people put him on par with guys like Lennon, Dylan, Cohen, Young and Waters it just disgusts me.

I agree that his vocals certainly got better, I like his vocals on Headmaster Ritual and Barbarism Begins at Home. A lot of the vocals from The Queen is Dead sound grating to me, and for a Rush fan thats some kinda achievement. Morrissey is at his best when he cuts back on the whining and crooning and does a little more singing, wish he would do that more often, theres nothing wrong with his voice, its just the way he sings sometimes that bugs me.

The best apects of The Smiths will always be Johnny Marrs excellent guitar playing (though not even he can redeem Modest Mouse for me) and Rourke and Joyce who make a solid rhythm section.

Probably because he writes really good lyrics.

I can understand how people might complain that Morrissey sounds somewhat poncy/flamboyant, but to me, that is part of his attraction. In my mind, one of his best parts is his vocal delivery - not the lyrics alone, not the vocals alone, but more the holistic combination of the two. His lyrics complement his vocals and mesh with their music quite well in general.

His lyrics might not necessarily be confoundingly cryptic or packed with gigantic extended metaphors, but I find them quite good. Morrissey has a certain eloquence about him - as an example of this I'd choose a song like Meat Is Murder. I know you don't agree with the lyrics (elucidate further on that please), but I don't think it's humanly (or humanely :D ) possible to write a better anti-meat eating song - Morrissey makes the song very powerful.

As another example, I'd choose the "If you're so funny, then why are you on your own tonight?..." verse from I Know It's Over. That's not particularly complex, but there's something there in Morrissey's delivery which is just so honest and frank sounding. And you have to love his vocal performance in the Boy With the Thorn in His Side.

Beyond this, I can only post Smiths lyrics and explain why I think they're good, but I'm not going to do that.

Oooh some tough choices in this poll. They're all kick ass artists but voted for The Smiths in the end.

wow tough choices.
Bob Dylan imo.
I just Luuub the folk aspect of his music.

Kinda unfair though...Explosions in the sky/Alice in chains just got caught in the middle of this.

This is effing HARD.
The Beatles, very closely followed by Bob Dylan.

Like you even need to ask me...

Crowy is right in that Strangeways is the greatest depature as far as The Smiths have gone. Some songs were focused more in a glam style, they never did any songs like Death At One's Elbow, they too layering to a new level on Death Of A Disco Dancer, the first track doesn't even have guitars. One of the singles was Last Night for christ sakes...
And Meat Is Murder is their most accessible album, to me at least. I loved it from the off.

People who think The Smiths are depressing are very far off. Enjoy it anyway you want, but their music is uplifting if anything. I Know Its Over is seen as the main culprit, but any fool who actually listened to it will come out of it uplifted, its one of their most passionate and rousing songs, easily. As for most for their others, they're bouncy pop songs. Boo hoo my arse, they're something to celebrate.

Yeh, because songs like Panic are really depressing , and Joy Division? :crazy:

Bob Dylan, easily.

Morrisseys vocals never sound uplifting to me. They have songs that on their own sound upbeat, but Morrissey always adds a bit of disdain to everything he does.

Its hard to warm up to a guy with such relentless hatred for everything.

Hehe, thats his charm for me, its what sets him apart, no-one else could pull it off the way he does.
Moz is one of the truly most peculiar people in music, and its brilliant.

:whythis:

The Beatles should def. win.

Still plaguing these forums with your **** for brains opinions I see boo boo. Lmao, in fact Meat is Murder is their worst studio effort they ever created. If anyones right in this argument, it's Crowquill. Like me, he saw the positives in both bands. And Sweet Nothing, why the hell would how often an artist is picked in polls have anything to do with being your favorite artist? The Beatles kick ass, and how overrated they are change nothing about how they sound. Get over it.

I don't see how that post contributed anything other than arrogance and trolling. You're already walking a thin line and if you want it to widen then I suggest you learn from your original ban.

I was responding to the reasoning for other peoples choices on a music debate forum (hold the debate, I guess). Boo boo took a shot at my comment first, I was responding to him.

You didn't point out anything that hadn't been discussed before except for saying Meat is Murder is their worst album which isn't even correct.

It's officially a concrete fact. A moderator said it, no more need for discussion. And yes, I didn't point out anything that hadn't been discussed. I gave my input on things that had been discussed.

Your "input" didn't contribute anything to the (already dead) discussion at all. The only new things in there were you trying to bait boo boo.

Its considered their worst album because its the least Smiths like album, amirite? Again, thats why its my favorite. :D

Oh, and STFU Don.

Did you not read his comment? If anything he was trying to bait me. He's calling me an old member of this forum or whatever.

This suggests that you have some kinda history with me, and thats because you do, you're Don. And you're an idiot if you don't think we know it.

It's not really considered their worst, Strangeways is and I can see why. I mean there's some excellent songs on it like Girlfriend in a Coma and A Rush and a Push and the Land is Ours but songs like Unhappy Birthday, while different from their other stuff, are on the boring side of things. I mean I still think its a good album but it just doesn't stack up to the others. Its why I think the Smiths had the most timely break up ever.

See, I did contribute because I started a new subject to debate. I actually like Strangeways, Here We Come better than Meat is Murder. I don't know why, but Meat is Murder just doesn't click with me.

That your opinion moron, i don't think they're that great. Important sure, but better than The Smiths or Bob Dylan? No. But that's MY OPINION.