[mooseboy101]

Tell me why you like or dislike the smiths. Personally I don't see there appeal (just an opinion), but I know some of you are big smiths fans, share your thoughts on them.
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[thomas697]

I'm not a huge fan, I have one of there albums in my list because sometimes I get Smith cravings. They're a band that serve a certain purpose for a certain mood.
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Having a family is the kind of thing that could be held against a person

[cartoken]

the combination of amazing melodies, the lyrics and the special voice of Morissey, gave a rare sensitivity ever achieved in music. The Smiths even reached PERFECTION with "The Queen Is Dead" (my 2nd favorite album of all time).

[Mr. Shankly]

Clearly with my chosen moniker, I have to respond to this. When I was a teeenager it was Morrissey's lyrics first, and the the sound of the band second, but as I've gotten older, Johnny Marr's intricate guitar parts became a big part of my enjoyment of this band. The whole band was great though. They had a great rhythm section in Andy Rourke and Mike Joyce as well. I've also come to realize that a lot of Morrissey's lyrics have a subtle wit to them, they are not just gloomy and mopey. Historically, they arrived on the scene at a time when synthesizer bands dominated the musical landscape, especially in England. Everything changed after The Smiths. They were in a lot of ways, the first superstar indie band, and pointed the direction for where indie music and alternative music had to go.

To answer the question more succinctly though, it's Johnny Marr's bright jangley guitar, the poetic, sometimes witty lyrics of Morrissey, the tight driving rhythm section, and the mournful, yet soulful croon of Morrissey's voice. Simply put, they are one of the best and most important bands of all time.

[maxperenchio]

Melodrama

No one matches Morrissey in terms of unabashed shameless melodrama. He has that signature vocal-melody dip (for instance the line "Seems so unfair." in "Cemetary Gates") that just melts some people and annoys others to the core. Mr. Shankly being, presumably, the resident Smiths expert here hit it on the head though, in terms of their relevance to the history of pop music. A lot of music in the 80s set the tone for the slick and vapid commercial age of electronic music that we're still living in today. In response, the Smiths made flowery, romanticized records overflowing with humanity, spots and all. Definitely at least check out "The Queen is Dead" before you dismiss them altogether.

[mooseboy101]

Thanks to everybody telling me there thoughts, I have finally purchased The Queen Is Dead on cd and it was really good. I now agree with the overall chart rating on the album.
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