fucking hell lads and lasses get a grip, the NME come out with some crappy poll with The Smiths at No 1 and some people start losing the plot. All it comes down to is the NME playing up their own 'importance'. That rag is complete crap, The Sun of the music industry, as some people have already pointed out there is so much wrong with the likes of Public Enemy and Eminem being in there its pathetic.

The Smiths are not actually a particularly influential band in terms of music in general, wonderfully talented bands never are, the influential bands are usually the ones who arrive in the right place at the right time, eg Sex Pistols, and The Stone Roses, yet neither of them 2 bands are anywhere near as good as The Smiths. The Sex Pistols are actually the most important band in terms of musical impact in England, The Smiths are the best.

If you look at music in England, (The Smiths have no relevance in The States whatsoever), where is The Smiths legacy nowadays. Posers like Jarvis Cocker (ahem) ???

Joy Division and The Buzzcocks they have influenced a lot of bands, and as for the like of The Beatles, The Kinks, The Who, and The Small Faces we are awash with examples over the years, as for The Smiths - nah, they made us stay in our bedrooms rather than get out of them.

Well, well, well...

I used to read the NME religiously in the mid to late eighties. In the early ninteties, they became very arrogant and self righteous.

It was during these times that I followed our friend, the young wordsmith called Steve Patrick Morrissey, who for the first time, was a quintessential englishman, he actually sang like one (The Beatles were very talented but they sang in American accents and in their later years were part of a marketing scheme)

Steven knew exactly what the "youth of today" in the UK were feeling and he had a complete empathy towards the trials of that period*, he was there with words of comfort. (* = the eighties and nineties). No other songsmith had ever penned words in such a way. It was no longer considered effeminate to be male and have feelings, you were no longer ridiculed if you again were male and read poetry or classic literature.

Since The Smiths split in 1987, I saw Morrissey live as a solo artist some 17 times! and the poll where they are No. 1 is a LONG OVERDUE award to one of the greatest English bands ever. The words were pure literary magic and poetry to my ears, as from my point of view, the music was irrelevant, it was those powerful lyrics.

Therefore, as much as I despise the NME, for once, they have delivered the correct message.

George
www.workingclassproduction.co.uk

> fucking hell lads and lasses get a grip, the NME come out with some crappy
> poll with The Smiths at No 1 and some people start losing the plot. All it
> comes down to is the NME playing up their own 'importance'. That rag is
> complete crap, The Sun of the music industry, as some people have already
> pointed out there is so much wrong with the likes of Public Enemy and
> Eminem being in there its pathetic.

> The Smiths are not actually a particularly influential band in terms of
> music in general, wonderfully talented bands never are, the influential
> bands are usually the ones who arrive in the right place at the right
> time, eg Sex Pistols, and The Stone Roses, yet neither of them 2 bands are
> anywhere near as good as The Smiths. The Sex Pistols are actually the most
> important band in terms of musical impact in England, The Smiths are the
> best.

> If you look at music in England, (The Smiths have no relevance in The
> States whatsoever), where is The Smiths legacy nowadays. Posers like
> Jarvis Cocker (ahem) ???

> Joy Division and The Buzzcocks they have influenced a lot of bands, and as
> for the like of The Beatles, The Kinks, The Who, and The Small Faces we
> are awash with examples over the years, as for The Smiths - nah, they made
> us stay in our bedrooms rather than get out of them.




Working Class Production (http://www.workingclassproduction.co.uk)

"Sex Pistols, and The Stone Roses, yet neither of them 2 bands are anywhere near as good as The Smiths. The Sex Pistols are actually the most important band in terms of musical impact in England, The Smiths are the best."

The Smiths are my fave band of all time, but with the exception of The Queen is Dead - The Stone Roses first album is, in my humble opinion, that wee bit better than any other LP they recorded. I know it might be hard for you to except any other type of music, but The Stone Roses were excellent. As for The Sex Pistols - another great band, but not musically as influential as The Beatles or for that matter The Rolling Stones. And may I remind you that the UK is MORE than England you ignorant sod. You've got Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales - but then I doubt you've heard of or buy records by such artists as Ash, The Manics or Primal Scream.

As for Jarvis Cocker - well I love Pulp but he has admitted several times to NO influence from The Smiths because he wactually dislikes them enormously. So a big DOH to you.

The Smiths influence was in bringing genuinelly alternative music to Woolworths and to the charts (which Joy Division, as fantastic as they were never managed). That mega bands such as Oasis and Suede both admit to wanting to form after hearing The Queen is Dead says it all. And there is most definately a Smiths influence in The Stone Roses as well. Other Smiths influenced bands - Blur, Echobelly, Shed Seven, Sleeper... in fact pretty much the whole Britpop crowd. And you can add Idelwild, Radiohead, The Strokes and Travis to that as well you numpty.

Jesus what a dozy no perception moron you are. Music HAS moved on since 1987 you know. I hear that Mercury Rev's last album was quite good. Why not go out and buy it, and treat yourself to The Strokes while you're at it.

I said England, as surely Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland in particular would like to be seen on their own merit rather than bunched in with the UK. The same argument could be made between the North and South of England.

Secondly you can keep your Strokes, a more retro late seventies post punk bunch of wannabes I have not heard. They are to post punk, what Blink 182 are to punk. I like bands to give me something I have not heard before, eg Goldfrap.

As for The Stone Roses I was into them at the time, and still like their stuff from the late 80s, and admit they are very influential, in the same league as The Smiths they are not in any way shape or form. Ian Brown is one of the worst live performers I have ever witnessed, although he has prooved himself with his solo material. The Stone Roses actually nicked the baggy image from the Happy Mondays, and Made Of Stone is a blatant rip off, of Velocity Girl by Primal Scream. Speaking of Primal Scream, no I don't rate them, The Rezillos and Orange Juice are better examples of bands to come out of Scotland. And don't get me started on Ash, aghhh. Shed 7 are fantastic though.

Honestly some people, the plot really does go array at times.

> "Sex Pistols, and The Stone Roses, yet neither of them 2 bands are
> anywhere near as good as The Smiths. The Sex Pistols are actually the most
> important band in terms of musical impact in England, The Smiths are the
> best."

> The Smiths are my fave band of all time, but with the exception of The
> Queen is Dead - The Stone Roses first album is, in my humble opinion, that
> wee bit better than any other LP they recorded. I know it might be hard
> for you to except any other type of music, but The Stone Roses were
> excellent. As for The Sex Pistols - another great band, but not musically
> as influential as The Beatles or for that matter The Rolling Stones. And
> may I remind you that the UK is MORE than England you ignorant sod. You've
> got Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales - but then I doubt you've heard
> of or buy records by such artists as Ash, The Manics or Primal Scream.

> As for Jarvis Cocker - well I love Pulp but he has admitted several times
> to NO influence from The Smiths because he wactually dislikes them
> enormously. So a big DOH to you.

> The Smiths influence was in bringing genuinelly alternative music to
> Woolworths and to the charts (which Joy Division, as fantastic as they
> were never managed). That mega bands such as Oasis and Suede both admit to
> wanting to form after hearing The Queen is Dead says it all. And there is
> most definately a Smiths influence in The Stone Roses as well. Other
> Smiths influenced bands - Blur, Echobelly, Shed Seven, Sleeper... in fact
> pretty much the whole Britpop crowd. And you can add Idelwild, Radiohead,
> The Strokes and Travis to that as well you numpty.

> Jesus what a dozy no perception moron you are. Music HAS moved on since
> 1987 you know. I hear that Mercury Rev's last album was quite good. Why
> not go out and buy it, and treat yourself to The Strokes while you're at
> it.

...and they're still one of Britain's most overrated bands of all time without a shadow.

> I said England, as surely Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland in
> particular would like to be seen on their own merit rather than bunched in
> with the UK. The same argument could be made between the North and South
> of England.

> Secondly you can keep your Strokes, a more retro late seventies post punk
> bunch of wannabes I have not heard. They are to post punk, what Blink 182
> are to punk. I like bands to give me something I have not heard before, eg
> Goldfrap.

> As for The Stone Roses I was into them at the time, and still like their
> stuff from the late 80s, and admit they are very influential, in the same
> league as The Smiths they are not in any way shape or form. Ian Brown is
> one of the worst live performers I have ever witnessed, although he has
> prooved himself with his solo material. The Stone Roses actually nicked
> the baggy image from the Happy Mondays, and Made Of Stone is a blatant rip
> off, of Velocity Girl by Primal Scream. Speaking of Primal Scream, no I
> don't rate them, The Rezillos and Orange Juice are better examples of
> bands to come out of Scotland. And don't get me started on Ash, aghhh.
> Shed 7 are fantastic though.

> Honestly some people, the plot really does go array at times.

Hahahhahah - your credibility has died in fell swoop. Orange Juice and Shed 7 - get a fucking life and try listening to something that isn't dull 80s 'indie pop' or retro Smiths for the nineties.

P.S. Yes Ian Brown was/ is a dodgy live performer - doesn't change the fact that The Stone Roses is one of the best albums ever... better than anything The Happy Mondays or Primal Scream EVER did. And for the record I like both these bands.

> Hahahhahah - your credibility has died in fell swoop. Orange Juice and
> Shed 7 - get a fucking life and try listening to something that isn't dull
> 80s 'indie pop' or retro Smiths for the nineties.

> P.S. Yes Ian Brown was/ is a dodgy live performer - doesn't change the
> fact that The Stone Roses is one of the best albums ever... better than
> anything The Happy Mondays or Primal Scream EVER did. And for the record I
> like both these bands.

Credidbility ???? I'm not even going into that one. The fact that you have quoted rubbish like Primal Scream (total bandwagon jumpers), and The Strokes at me says it all.

Go and look up The Only Ones and get a musical education.