The Smiths in the 1970s

[mcrickson]

We've had several threads hypothesizing how successful the Smiths would've been had they arose later than they did, but I don't think I've seen a thread proposing the other direction in time. How do you think the Smiths would've faired during the 70s British punk boom? Do you think they would've have lasted longer or folded earlier? Let's say for all conversational purposes that everything their music was the same as it was in the 80s. What does everyone think?

 

[Bill Zero]

Well, for a start, I think that when they released Bigmouth and Shoplifters people might have said 'What's a Walkman?' and 'What's Channel 4?'.

 

[mcrickson]

Well, for a start, I think that when they released Bigmouth and Shoplifters people might have said 'What's a Walkman?' and 'What's Channel 4?'.

Smart alec

 

[SparkleBoy]

We've had several threads hypothesizing how successful the Smiths would've been had they arose later than they did, but I don't think I've seen a thread proposing the other direction in time. How do you think the Smiths would've faired during the 70s British punk boom? Do you think they would've have lasted longer or folded earlier? Let's say for all conversational purposes that everything their music was the same as it was in the 80s. What does everyone think?

Well, honestly I dont think they would have fared that well. If you are specifically talking about Punk, whether US or UK models, it was all about power. Loud, Fast, and Hard.

Sex Pistols
Ramones
Heartbreakers
Damned
Dictators
Dead Boys
I dont need to go on...

Even the more pop-sensible and literate bands still had a hard edge:

Blondie
Modern Lovers
Television
Wire
And on and on...

The Smiths would have been as unique in the 70s as they were in the 80s, but I really dont see Moz catching on amidst a legion of people idolizing Iggy, Thunders, and the Velvet Underground. In the 80s, that Rickenbacker soared above all the synths, but I cant imagine it standing above Marshall stacks.

The Smiths caused their own revolution in the 80s, but in the 70s, it was the power and ferocity of the Velvet Underground, New York Dolls, and The Stooges that inspired the revolution.

 

[joe frady]

This is actually a really helpful question to ask, inasmuch as it made me realise they/he simply couldn't have existed in the 1970s. They/he are a total product and summation of all that existed before them. The Smiths and Morrissey could only have come after the Dolls, Pistols, Bowie, Stooges, MC5, Buzzcocks, Roxy, Cilla, Sandie and Eurovision !, Etc., etc. It made me think how pop is absolutely a continuum. One age must follow on from another, you can't mix and match and switch one act for another. It just doesn't work. It's part of why pop music is such a beautiful art form.
Cheers mcrickson !

 

[sistasheila]

and morrissey would have got a toootal different haircut and style..remember that one pic with him with the long hair he take of himself in the photobooth?;-)

 

[Worm]

It's not such a stretch to ask the question, but we know what the story would have been: Morrissey was around in the Seventies during the heydays of the glam and punk eras and nothing happened for him. The catalysts weren't there. The Smiths were a direct reaction to the 1980s and are unthinkable in any other decade.

The fact that Morrissey, in his solo career, has gone back to his inspirations from the Seventies means little. He's writing autobiographically and from a distance of two or three decades. The Smiths-- a band which was bigger than Morrissey alone-- will always be an Eighties band.

 

[Anaesthesine]

This is actually a really helpful question to ask, inasmuch as it made me realise they/he simply couldn't have existed in the 1970s. They/he are a total product and summation of all that existed before them. The Smiths and Morrissey could only have come after the Dolls, Pistols, Bowie, Stooges, MC5, Buzzcocks, Roxy, Cilla, Sandie and Eurovision !, Etc., etc. It made me think how pop is absolutely a continuum. One age must follow on from another, you can't mix and match and switch one act for another. It just doesn't work. It's part of why pop music is such a beautiful art form.
Cheers mcrickson !

Agreed. I love following the cultural threads through the decades; it gives me some (very small) hope for humankind.

The Smiths were absolutely of their time - not a minute ahead or behind it.

When an artist or a band IS ahead of their time (like Stravinsky or Throbbing Gristle), it must be such a thrill to know them before the rest of the world catches on; it must be like looking into the future. What a privilege.

 

[One of your children]

Some of the music would of held up as tracks like handsom devil is raw and punky but the words on most of the songs might have been abit to challenging for some of the straight tuff nut punks and possibly to layed back?
The late 70s early 80s invented the peacock punks (new romantics) in london
and that changed music and fashion forever and the smiths embraced that with there love for 70s music and there fashion what with morrisseys camp out fits he used to ware i was 5 when the new romantics were born and i wish i was 16 then i would of jumped in head first lol
Most things 80s was a new take on the 70s but with more make up and wilder fashion and electronica