Peter Hook talks about The Smiths and Morrissey

You see, here's another chap who knows how to say blatantly contrary stuff, flying in the face of the majority opinion, to get a response. And I fell for it. Only a loon would say Sumner is a better guitarist, or riff-former or melody-maker than Marr.

P.

 

[Deleted member 1074]

It is no surprise to find Peter Hook carrying on until he's blue in the face...surely he learned this from Ian Curtis?

 

[Anonymous]

Jessie Tobias couldn't lick Johnny's jock.

 

[Anonymous]

What a load of cack. Another example of Hooky's ever increasing ego. Sumner a better guitarist than Marr.

Yeah, bands are just beating down Sumner's door, begging him to play that guitar on their albums. I think Marr's had a few bands come a' calling too.

 

[Peterb]

You can disagree all you like but you're still wrong

- marred.

Oh right. If you say so.

 

[Anonymous]

the guy is a sellout and a twat

he's always telling that morrissey story to anybody who will listen, has he got another nostalgic book to sell

With no obvious bias.

 

[Anonymous]

I don't blame Morrissey at all for going 'f***ing mad'. What a douchebag.

 

[Anonymous]

Except the vocal melodies and the basslines - Marr would just like people to think he wrote all the music. Truth is he has never come close to achieving with others, or on his own, what he achieved through musical collaboration with Morrissey and Rourke - you only need to listen to his new album to realise that.

I have to sort of agree. Johnny Marr was never as good as he was in The Smiths ever again. However, Barney has been great in both Joy Division and New Order, and for a longer period of time. I have tix to see Marr solo soon, I know it won't even come close to Moz solo. Moz was also able to go on and be great without Marr.

 

[Anonymous]

I don't blame Morrissey at all for going 'f***ing mad'. What a douchebag.

True. It was a really cold thing to say, especially about Ian.

 

[Anonymous]

New Order is a better band than The Smiths by any objective measure. That doesn't even mention Joy Division which created a bigger legend than The Smiths in a shorter period of time. The real reason I like Bernard Sumner better is because they're probably both boring now, but back in the day I'd have much rather done drugs with Sumner than talk about shoes with Johnny.

 

[Anonymous]

I have to sort of agree. Johnny Marr was never as good as he was in The Smiths ever again. However, Barney has been great in both Joy Division and New Order, and for a longer period of time. I have tix to see Marr solo soon, I know it won't even come close to Moz solo. Moz was also able to go on and be great without Marr.

I think that's because Morrissey's skill - the crafting of a vocal melody/lyric from listening to a piece of instrumental music - was a skill that could continue to produce great songs - because to most people, the vocal melody i.e. the tune, is the song; whereas Marr, regardless of how great the backing track is, has to rely on the lyricist/singer to turn it into a great song - and he's never worked with anyone who had a fraction of Morrissey's talent; but furthermore I think Marr misrepresents what he did in the Smiths - my guess is that a lot of his backing tracks were actually quite basic, and that many of his most inspired melody lines were actually created by harmonising with the lead vocal and bassline after they had been recorded, which would also explain why none of his guitar work seems to come close, melodically speaking, to what he achieved in The Smiths (or, as Marr puts it, why he wants to avoid going back to the 'jingle-jangle' sound - I'd like to hear him do it, just to prove it's really a choice he's exercising, but I don't hear anything on 'The Messenger' to suggest that it is).

 

[Deleted member 1074]

New Order is a better band than The Smiths by any objective measure.

Yeah, if you're a homo.

That doesn't even mention Joy Division which created a bigger legend than The Smiths in a shorter period of time.

Based solely on a twat who hung himself. Hang yourself and I bet you would get some publicity too.

 

[Anonymous]

I'd love to see Bernard Sumner hire Andy Rourke to become New Order's bassist just to stick it to Hooky.

Aren't Andy Rourke and Peter Hook good friends. I doubt that would upset Hooky and I doubt it would happen anyway. I heard Andy Rourke likes New Order.

I think the Mancunian bands The Smiths, Joy Division/New Order, The Stone Roses, Happy Mondays and Oasis all seem to be connected. I don't like the band Oasis at all.

 

[Anonymous]

Yeah, if you're a homo.
Based solely on a twat who hung himself. Hang yourself and I bet you would get some publicity too.

I am a homo which is one of the reasons I liked The Smiths. Troll harder.

 

[Anonymous]

I cannot even believe this conversation is even taking place. Anyone want to talk about how chalk is as good as cheese let me know.

 

[Deleted member 1074]

I am a homo which is one of the reasons I liked The Smiths. Troll harder.

...and Cher?

 

[Anonymous]

I cannot even believe this conversation is even taking place. Anyone want to talk about how chalk is as good as cheese let me know.

Cheese is better because you could draw with cheese but you can't eat chalk. New Order is like making an art masterpiece out of cheese. the Smiths is like having a dinner party and then just handing out chalk, taking turns modeling, one person undresses and another cries and goes home.

 

[Amy]

Jessie Tobias couldn't lick Johnny's jock.

 

[celibate]

Comparing new order to the Smiths it's like apples and oranges, the only thing in common is Manchester

And you must be a moron to say about your friend in whose band he was, and commited suicide, to say to Morrissey you don't
have the guts like Ian, it's digusting to talklike this,And about guitar, Joy Division /new order guitars can't match what johnny did with the Smiths, another league

out!

 

[Anonymous]

It is sad but true that Johnny Marr has never really achieved anything great without Morrissey. I think it was easy to give too much credit to him as the writer of the music, but as some here have already suggested, they vocal melody written to go over a backing track can entirely make the song, and Morrissey has proven immense talent in that area over and over with a lot of other writers. There are a lot of similarities between Marr and Bernard Butler. Listening to both of their solo work, it becomes more and more obviously just how much Morrissey and Bret Anderson added to their respective perceived talent by writing incredible melodies to go over their music tracks. I wonder if Morrissey and Marr worked together again if it would be better than The Tears, which completely failed to measure up to the first two Suede albums. My guess is that it would actually be far better, because Bret seems to have long ago lost his spark of greatness (probably due to too many drugs), while Morrissey still seems to have it.

 

[Anonymous]

Aren't Andy Rourke and Peter Hook good friends. I doubt that would upset Hooky and I doubt it would happen anyway. I heard Andy Rourke likes New Order.

I think the Mancunian bands The Smiths, Joy Division/New Order, The Stone Roses, Happy Mondays and Oasis all seem to be connected. I don't like the band Oasis at all.

Mani is a better bass player than Andy Rourke and Peter Hook put together.