I don't know, mate. Think you'll have to check with the relevant historians. Missi would know. I've certainly not seen this before. What's in your card?
I live in Stockport - which verr wife says is not Manchester (which verr wife says makes me a plazzy manc, for what it's worth). Just around the corner from Strawberry Studios.
The Smiths were pretty good for their time and I was fanatical about them for about 6 months. Since then I've had no inclination to listen again.
Were they relevant - who cares? It's only pop music and the simplest pop is often the most profound.
~And I was brought up in Macclesfield.
Just thoguth I'd join in.
Quite like the Smiths - think the rest of the bands mentioned are very minor players in the history of British music - but then I'm that bit older and felt the 80s lost the musical plot.
I like a lot of the stuff around today - but as to its importance I'm not sure. I think the wave of it does make a difference but each individual band/DJ/whatever makes very little difference. It's all one small step at a time - and that step is often backwards.
Ho Hum.
Anybody for Aphex Twin? Saw him at glastonbury. I love his records but live was a different kettle of... A wonderfully friendly set, (not his sand paper on the decks set that he occasionally plays), but with records that just sounded completely different. Left me wondering why I had to come and see him DJ to hear genuinely ground breaking records. (I heard one of the tunes he had played on John Peel last night. It was a song by a guy called Amen Andrews a.k.a. Luke Vibert. Crazy jungle, ragga, accessible insanity. nice.)
If Aphex isn't a step forward Tony then I don't know what is...
I suspect that I don't know what is.
I saw Aphex Twin playing with Squarepusher the year before last and it was like watching two desperate men attempting to kill their audience by sound.
Which sounds better than it was.
The convenient thing in the eighties was that you could divide the world very easily into two: those who liked The Smiths would be interesting, intelligent, self-effacing and witty; those that didn't, wouldn't.
I think the same still applies, though I'm still fond of you, Liana.
I had a gorgeous time in Manchester once. And a job that forced me to visit Stockport several times, but I was never won over by it. Wish I could remember the name of that pub...it was the size of two aircraft hangars and only ever had one other customer in it...not far from the train station..?
A pub the size of two aircraft hangars in Stockport? Or Manchester?
I'm with you on the Stockport front. I hate this town. I think I did something terrible in a former life (and I mean something TERRIBLE). It's the only way I can understand how I've wound back up here again.
You've a nerve slagging Yuppies off, Grec, la.
The Arch is the most pretentious tosspot-ridden, poncy-babycham-gargling gaff in the whole of Scumchester.
Perfect for teachers- the socially spastic variety, not the whisky.
Stockport : The B and Q Warehouse is good, and that Decathlon sports superstore next door. Don't think much of the town centre.
Now Manchester city centre. Now that's quite something. Great pubs on the edge of it too. Anyone in the area, give the Arch a go (Cavendish St, off Oxford Road) - you won't regret it.
Are we talking about the same Arch? If so, why is it every time we go in it's full of coked-up Hulme scallies and dealers? Decor-wise, it's a bit pretentious maybe - but the clientelle???!!! Anyway, it's a cool pub, and that's that. (Mainly cause it opens til 2am, doesn't feel the need to charge entry, plays blinding music, and generally rocks.)
Maybe you haven't been in a while, Hitch.
And I was slagging off yuppie, generic music; not yuppies (whom I can take or leave).
Time for your warm milk, I think.
Sheesh.
As it happens Mark Knopfler is possibly the most talented guitarist/songwriter this country has produced in the last 25 years. I don't give a dogs dick what category you or any other musically ignorant person wishes to put him in, the fact remains that amongst his peers he is regarded with awe. I don't seem to remember Chet Atkins, Scotty Moore, Eric Clapton or any other guitar hero crossing the road to play with any of the oiks you've mentioned.
A bit of advice, evacuate your bowels rather than the thread, you're full of crap.
my sister in law comes from stockport ... she was very shocked when aged 8 she was playing in the street and a man beckoned her over to his car ... it being the early 60's and all innocence etc. she skipped over in her sandals ...
the man pointed down towards his lap and she looked in and saw what she thought was a veiny sausage ...
Smiths were brilliant, I've got an mp3 disk of all their best if you want Liana? No ok.
Stone Roses fantastic too, so are Joy Division and Inspiral Carpets.
What about this new band Grandaddy? No ok.
88 posts bloody hell you lot have been hard at work.
I spoke to Johnny Marr once, and I recall him saying he'd sooner rub caustic soda in his eyes with a rusty fork than have my self-indulgent derivative dreary-scale wiggly-wiggly improv bollocks on stage with him.
Bloody nice chap though.
How bloody clever of him to invent a new sound too. Gosh.
Bloody nice chap.
actually it wasnt, no, i must admit i followed suit though.
And whilst we at it, you know how i hate it when you and missi relentlessly goad each other. Do stop, there's a good chap. It really was good fun yesterday, and I know it's difficult, but don't spoil it yet eh?
Peter
The Smiths did have their moments. Marr was indeed a fantastic guitar player and a great foil for Stephen Patrick Morrissey's whiney, witty ramblings.
I prefered someone else though.
Read this.
http://www.ucl.ac.uk/BloomsburyTheatre/lloyd.htm
Self promotion sure, but in the sprit of this thread.
Best wishes
Ralph
Well, I'm with Peter. There was no finer band in the eighties, apart from - possibly - The Stone Roses.
No songwriter in England had a finer grasp of melody than Marr. His music was uplifting and feelgood, Morrissey's lyrics were sad, hilarious, intelligent and thought-provoking in equal measures. Era-defining band.
Sadly, I didn't get into them until long after they'd split up (1992ish) when I started listening to a friend's compilation tape in Germany. I had always resisted them due to Morrisey's difficult vocal and the whole bedroom miserablist wrist-slashing life-more-painful-than-thou thing. Once I took the time to listen I couldn't believe what I had missed out on.
Anyway, great band.
Peter, how did i know you would do this?
Anyway, Im with you on the hilarious bit. They certainly were hilarious..
Stone roses - way better. Way way better.
No Roses, then no Oasis then no Charletons etc.
They were vital. I went to the Spike Island gig with the most appaling PA ever. It was still great though, a real celebration of youth.
Ralphie
Playing with fire here but . . .
The Roses were not so much a great band as a band that typified a key moment in youth culture. The Smiths were a great band (and great bands have to sustain it - have to keep on being a great band for a time - you can't say the Roses did that). I saw the Roses twice - once supporting James at Manchester International II in 1987 and - second time - years later - the last ever gig at Reading - they were on both occasions the single worst live act I've ever seen.
Which isn't to say they weren't great - the first album and bits of Second Coming (like Begging You) rock. They were great. But - great band? Better than the Smiths?
No.
Pages