Gavin B.

The best part of the Smiths was Johnny Marr's guitar playing. He's still a hugely influential player on the Britpop scene. The music of the band was tough minded and edgy and it was a blast of fresh air at time when synth music scene in the UK was approaching moribund state of being.

I've always had a love/hate relationship with the way Morrissey sings. Morrissey sometimes comes across as manic/depressive drag queen performing in a in a post-punk carbaret. Morrissey's vocals and lyrics often indulge in bathos and play upon mawkish sentimentality to the point of ludicrous excess. It was okay to laugh at loud at Morrissey's buffoonish sentiments because his self-parody was often calculated and intentional.

The Cure's Robert Smith cultivated the same sort of stage personae but seemed far more credible. There was an alluring element of Robert Smith's personality that was far more dark and disturbing than Morrissey's often comical confrontations with his own free floating anxiety.

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Mojo

Me too actually. I've always put Strangeways one behind the self titled. I'm not sure if i still would, i might give them all another listen as it has been a while.

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sweet_nothing

Strangeways is alos the favorite of Moz and Johnny, It's probably my least fav though Stop Me is probably my favorite Smiths track. Ive never fully understood how The Queen is Dead gets more praise than Meat is Murder.

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FaSho

Meat is Murder is great, but I'd still put it as their 4th best release, they're just that good. Their s/t hasn't gotten too many plays from me, because most of the songs are ob Hatful of Hollow, so the other tracks have slipped through the cracks per say, "pretty Girls Make Graves" is sooo win though.

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lieasleep

the queen is dead had just (imo) more overall emotional depth and diversity. i feel like it really summed up every reason why i love the smiths.

sweet_nothing

Really? I think Meat is Murder had more diversity in its music, with its mixture of rockabilly, dance, ect ect. Queen is Dead for me has this very poppy commercial sound. Their debut album had amazing lyrics but lacked great music to go along with it, on Meat is Murder the music greatly overshadows Moz's lyrics, and The Queen is Dead is somewhat of a middle ground between the 2.

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Astronomer

I agree with this. I'd also have to say though that Meat is Murder and Queen is Dead are probably the Smith's albums I enjoy the most. Like you said, Meat is Murder to me has more diversity which makes it interesting.

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lieasleep

maybe diverse was a bit misleading. what i really meant was emotionally diverse although musically, the diversity award goes to meat is murder. i mean don't get me wrong, meat is murder is a REAL close second to the Queen is Dead but i just always find myself coming back to the queen is dead

my sentiments exactly, it was the all-around smiths album, it had everything:

great music, great lyrics, angst, and morrissey's hair

khfreek

lol what a ponce

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SchwinnHappy

The Smiths, The Smiths, The Smiths. Morrissey is God, only God is a woman.