Would you have wanted The Smiths to continue?
- Thread starter HeeHee
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Mickey Ferry
Junior Member
It would have been really interesting to see where they would've went next. I would like to imagine it being more towards the Last Night I Dreamt dramatics.
Worm
Taste the diffidence
With proper management and the allowance of side projects for Johnny, then possibly.
But not really. No. I can imagine one or two more great albums, but they'd have disappointed us sooner or later. Accepting a few lame, uninspired albums in exchange for one or two more great albums and singles is not a good trade to make.
They did enough. They're untarnished. And that's all too rare in rock music.
But not really. No. I can imagine one or two more great albums, but they'd have disappointed us sooner or later. Accepting a few lame, uninspired albums in exchange for one or two more great albums and singles is not a good trade to make.
They did enough. They're untarnished. And that's all too rare in rock music.
Fashionista
Crestfallen Stranger
I would've loved to see what they came up with to follow 'Strangeways...' so mainly for that reason I would say yes. But I have to agree with dazzak as the hypothetical questions confuse me, because my thoughts soon begin to drift off into the realms of parallel universes. But then I cease convulsing on the floor, wipe the drool from my chin and get on with life.....
Pervomartovtsi
2222
as they died, it was fine for me, they became pop legends, and maybe if they continued without the chemistry of the first albums, they may have went downhill, it's preety good that they never sold out,that's remarkably cool as f***
Puddle
Banned
I voted no for many reasons...here are some:
1) I like Morrissey's solo work more than the Smiths. There are a few Smith songs that I adore (TIAL, Rubber Ring, and a few others) but overall Morrissey's solo work is just more mature...which i like (it is why i prefer, for example, the TV show Angel over Buffy the Vampire Slayer even though Buffy is considered the original Cult classic).
2) Like some pointed out, bands don't put out good music forever (which is why morrissey should change his current line up), they repeat themselves or all their good ideas have already been done and they start to release uninspired music. If the Smiths stayed together longer, then very soon they would have started to suck, and become less significant...most importantly this means Morrissey would have become less significant. If they broke up in say 1993, then i would argue it would be possible that morrissey wouldn't have had enough fan support and/or creative energy to pursuit a successful and interesting solo career. He would have just faded away. He entered a solo career at the best moment possible--that being the very top the Smiths could have gone (Marr's music began to suck very soon after, whereas morrissey, in my opinion, just begun in the 90s to release some of his most inspired and interesting work).
Lets face it, people prefering the Smiths over Morrissey solo is just hyped up, "it's cool to...", like the Smiths more. Just look at Myspace and Friendster and tons of people put down Smiths as one their favorite musical artists, but hardly anyone puts up Morrissey. This includes some people I've come accross here on Morrissey-solo. If you come here, it means you still like morrissey...am i right to assume? then why don't you put up Morrissey as one of your favorite artists and not just the Smiths. Are you ashamed? Is it not cool?
See what i mean? so lets face it, Morrissey's solo work (especially the early years--the years that would have been missed if the Smiths stayed together) is many times better than the Smiths.
I don't quite understand why it's cool to like the Smiths and not Morrissey by himself. It's unfortunate but i guess you could attribute it to just mass following. The hipsters will say they like the Smiths because it's considered cool to, but not Morrissey because Morrissey is considered uncool.
This World is full of crashing posers. Thank goodness the Smiths ended when they did.
1) I like Morrissey's solo work more than the Smiths. There are a few Smith songs that I adore (TIAL, Rubber Ring, and a few others) but overall Morrissey's solo work is just more mature...which i like (it is why i prefer, for example, the TV show Angel over Buffy the Vampire Slayer even though Buffy is considered the original Cult classic).
2) Like some pointed out, bands don't put out good music forever (which is why morrissey should change his current line up), they repeat themselves or all their good ideas have already been done and they start to release uninspired music. If the Smiths stayed together longer, then very soon they would have started to suck, and become less significant...most importantly this means Morrissey would have become less significant. If they broke up in say 1993, then i would argue it would be possible that morrissey wouldn't have had enough fan support and/or creative energy to pursuit a successful and interesting solo career. He would have just faded away. He entered a solo career at the best moment possible--that being the very top the Smiths could have gone (Marr's music began to suck very soon after, whereas morrissey, in my opinion, just begun in the 90s to release some of his most inspired and interesting work).
Lets face it, people prefering the Smiths over Morrissey solo is just hyped up, "it's cool to...", like the Smiths more. Just look at Myspace and Friendster and tons of people put down Smiths as one their favorite musical artists, but hardly anyone puts up Morrissey. This includes some people I've come accross here on Morrissey-solo. If you come here, it means you still like morrissey...am i right to assume? then why don't you put up Morrissey as one of your favorite artists and not just the Smiths. Are you ashamed? Is it not cool?
See what i mean? so lets face it, Morrissey's solo work (especially the early years--the years that would have been missed if the Smiths stayed together) is many times better than the Smiths.
I don't quite understand why it's cool to like the Smiths and not Morrissey by himself. It's unfortunate but i guess you could attribute it to just mass following. The hipsters will say they like the Smiths because it's considered cool to, but not Morrissey because Morrissey is considered uncool.
This World is full of crashing posers. Thank goodness the Smiths ended when they did.
JoyDiv007
Is It Really So Strange
I suppose I would have liked the Smiths to continue for maybe a couple more yrs longer only so I could have seen them live. My friend saw them and always talks about how great the show was. But as others have pointed out they have no bad material, everything is great. They didn't have a chance to go downhill and record crap.
Sore Lips
moz angeles
I'm not sure I would have wanted the Smiths to continue, but it'd be interesting to at least have Marr and Morrissey pair up again and either work on music or play a Smiths set.
Puddle, I think you're making a lot of assumptions about people who like only The Smiths. I'm sure for some people it has something to do about the 'cool' factor, but what you're saying is almost no different--it's not cool to like Morrissey more and therefore you're even cooler. What a vicious cycle.
Anyway, I was only going to say that in a way, The Smiths created very accessible music. It was very pop, most of it very catchy. Morrissey's solo stuff is not necessarily like that. It is harder to get into. There is more of a 'growing into it' process. Some people don't bother. Which is just as well. I can't say I follow every single one of the lead singers in the bands I listen to.
Puddle, I think you're making a lot of assumptions about people who like only The Smiths. I'm sure for some people it has something to do about the 'cool' factor, but what you're saying is almost no different--it's not cool to like Morrissey more and therefore you're even cooler. What a vicious cycle.
Anyway, I was only going to say that in a way, The Smiths created very accessible music. It was very pop, most of it very catchy. Morrissey's solo stuff is not necessarily like that. It is harder to get into. There is more of a 'growing into it' process. Some people don't bother. Which is just as well. I can't say I follow every single one of the lead singers in the bands I listen to.
Worm
Taste the diffidence
Puddle said:
Put differently, it's possible to really like The Smiths but not care that much for Morrissey himself. Johnny Marr is and was a genius in his own right, and that fact alone makes The Smiths another beast altogether. The image, lyrical content, and music are such that many casual fans can buy Smiths albums and not necessarily be aware of Morrissey in the way that more serious fans are. Sore Lips touched on this, above. Strange but true-- like I said, I've known people like this, and if you think about it, we all know people who listen to various bands in a head-scratchingly superficial way.
As to whether or not Morrissey has used "talented musicians", that's another thread. Whether or not you believe Street, Whyte, Boorer and the rest are as good as or better than Marr, for whatever reason Morrissey's solo work has-- except a few singles-- been less accessible than The Smiths. A lot of that is due to unfair perceptions, maybe.
Those perceptions are important, though. I think for many people there are different associations they make with a solo artist versus his old band. Think The Jam/Paul Weller, The Police/Sting, The Clash/Joe Strummer, The Beatles/John Lennon, etc. It's a weird kind of psychology but I do think it's real. Johnny Marr hiimself made the best comparison of all when he said that liking a band was like being in a gang. Liking a solo artist seems different. Perhaps it's because a band seems more like a unique entity apart from its constituent parts, whereas a solo artist is more egocentric.
If this isn't clear, let me try and come at it another way: wouldn't we all think of Morrissey's solo career differently if he'd picked a band and chosen a new name for it? If the picture sleeves were still 60's film stars instead of Morrissey?
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