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I remember reading about the friction between Robert Smith of The Cure and Morrissey of The Smiths, and I thought about what I would do if forced to choose between either band. Honestly, it would be tough...the Cure's music is more interesting to listen to overall, even though they do have a few songs that are simply too depressing for me to listen to ("A Thousand Hours" and "The Same Deep Water As You"); but Morrissey's voice and lyrics have an undeniable appeal (even if the man himself has some cringe-worthy viewpoints) - not to say that Robert Smith's voice/lyrics aren't great - and Johnny Marr's guitar arrangements verge on timeless - again, not to disparage the guitar work of Robert Smith/Porl Thompson/Perry Bamonte...

How does everyone here feel?

I feel that oranges are inferior to nice apples - like Cox's Orange Pippins - when the oranges are on the sour side, but superior to apples that aren't very good, such as the Red Delicious (as long as the oranges are sweet, juicy ones).

I think we should just enjoy them both.

CivoLee wrote: ↑

Fri Jul 16, 2021 11:59 pm

Morrissey's voice and lyrics have an undeniable appeal

I would deny this. I'd rather listen to silence than hear him sing.

I like both, but if I had to pick I'd go for The Cure.

Actually, the older I get the more I like the Cure...I have sort of "grown out" of The Smiths, who I loved in my late teens/very early 20s.

They're 2 bands I got into much later than everything else around that time.

I mean, Disintegration came out when I was 16 and I had a copy of that, thanks mainly to the video for Lullaby, but I knew little of their earlier material & tended to pass both bands of as music for moody fuckers (all the goths at school wore either a Cure or Smiths t-shirt at one stage or another).
It's strange really as one good friend in particular was a huge fan of The Cure, having his bedroom walls covered in posters & cutting. He even sported the obligatory "backcomb & hairspray" barnet.

Nowadays I find myself delving deeper into The Cure's back catalogue but have a fixed playlist of songs by The Smiths that I consider the definitive 10 or so tracks that I like & am not likely to go back for a third bite at the cherry,

I could listen to Johnny Marr playing or talking for hours though.

PorkyPrimeCut wrote: ↑

Sat Jul 17, 2021 2:27 am

playlist of songs by The Smiths that I consider the definitive 10 or so tracks that I like & am not likely to go back for a third bite at the cherry,

Ooh, interested to know what they are

The Cure by a mile. Both are great bands but it's almost like a Beatles/Stones comparison to me in the sense that like... one band that's very innovative and covered a lot of stylistic ground, and the other had a great attitude and some killer singles but was basically a one trick pony.

Also I may have to dodge some tomatoes for this one but I prefer Robert Smith as a guitar player to Johnny Marr. Johnny's skilled and melodic but Robert came up with some pretty crazy sounding stuff that seemed to have a much wider influence on music.

Also agree with what Yannis said, the Cure seem to age like fine wine whereas Morrisey's antics have curdled the Smiths a bit.

Like the Cure in all their various phases.

Always wondered what the Smiths songs would sound like if sung by someone with a more "musical" voice.

Timing is everything for the music you like. I still remember buying an import copy of the Three Imaginary Boys album when it first came out. And then going to see them when they first toured downunder in 1980, just as Seventeen Seconds was released. Supposedly on the basis of having sold 300 import copies of TIB at Missing Link in Melbourne, which surprised them. They were amazing live. I still reckon they did 5 encores at the Crystal Ballroom in St Kilda, with about 500 people packed to the rafters. We wouldn't let them go. Here's a Sydney set from that tour:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GRHyMn5wXZM

A year or so later, and much more famous, they played the much larger sit-down Palais Theatre on the Carnage Visors Tour. Sitting through that dirge-like 30 minute movie before they came on stage was a sign that things had changed. I think they played one encore and we were happy to let them go. Faith was released around then. Primary was great but the rest was forgettable. Then came Pornography, and then later they became a frivolous pop band. But they could still kill it when they wanted to ...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s6rkOu9Lc5g

The Smiths were part of a later wave. The excitement of punk and then that first post-punk wave had waned. I had moved on in life. "What Difference Does It Make" was a fabulous riff, but the rest I could take or leave. Never bought a Smiths record. Although I recognize that Morrissey was important to many adolescents at that time. Johnny Marr seems like a nice guy. I find his playing more quirky than compelling. His stated influences were my heroes (McGeoch, Lloyd etc).

I still listen to Seventeen Seconds often.

sal paradise wrote: ↑

Sat Jul 17, 2021 3:18 am

PorkyPrimeCut wrote: ↑

Sat Jul 17, 2021 2:27 am

playlist of songs by The Smiths that I consider the definitive 10 or so tracks that I like & am not likely to go back for a third bite at the cherry,

Ooh, interested to know what they are

Dragged out of my iTunes, in no particular order...

What Difference Does It Make?
This Charming Man.
Handsome Devil.
Please, Please, Please, Let Me Get What I Want.
The Headmaster Ritual.
How Soon Is Now?
What She Said.
Bigmouth Strikes Again.
There Is A Light That Never Goes Out.
Stop Me If You Think Youve Heard This One Before.

I'm sure there'll be B-sides I've never heard so maybe the list would be a couple of tracks longer.

Is this TDPRI all of a sudden?

I am still reeling from the knowledge that Morrissey is a racist fucker. I can't enjoy any of his music, and I was a huge fan. It is not reconciled. I have always preached that enjoying the art is independent from enjoying the artist. But I can't get over it. I gave away the records...

The Cure has had a special place in my heart since high school, which was when Kiss Me broke. I have always said "Anyone who hates The Cure is terrified of their emotions." I stand by that.

Musically, they are not comparable. I liked them both for a long time.

Well said DeathJag. And timtam, awesome war stories! That Bondi gig is tight as hell. Cure forever, even if I haven’t liked much from Wish onwards.

The Cure. Always. If anything just for the masterpiece that is "The Hanging Garden". That song is never played quiet in my world.

I like Morrisseys lyrics and The Smith's music as a whole but it's forever tarnished now he's a racist fuck.

Mixed feelings here- I like the Cure, and I would have said I loved the Smiths before I got to know fat, racist Morrissey better these last years. Fat Racist Morrissey sucks.

That being said, the Cure rarely have songs that are just flat out and out fun and great like "Hand In Glove", which is just a rush of excitement. The Cure are very good, but man, they can drag and drag, and for every great song there's another that's just a complete slog.

Still, both great bands that made a lot of great music, so the world is better off with both.