Taking Sides: The Jam Vs. The Smiths

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Two of the greatest bands in British pop history: For me it's The Smiths, because they only have fucking-killer-LP's in their catalogue. (The second Jam-album sucks).

― Regular John (Regular John), Saturday, 11 March 2006 19:20 (twenty years ago)

The Jam

― kornrulez6969 (TCBeing), Saturday, 11 March 2006 19:26 (twenty years ago)

The Smiths

― Curt1s St3ph3ns, Saturday, 11 March 2006 19:33 (twenty years ago)

get one life.

― dog latin (dog latin), Saturday, 11 March 2006 19:37 (twenty years ago)

I am so proud of myself for not saying something nasty about the Smiths every chance I get. Right or wrong, I'm starting to take the stance that music I don't care for is just music I don't care for.

The Jam are nice enough. I bet they would be big if they just came out today.

― nicky lo-fi (nicky lo-fi), Saturday, 11 March 2006 20:46 (twenty years ago)

This is a good one.

Both Morrissey and Weller had their distinct personalities and my preference for one or the other has definitely varied over time. I can (and do) listen to Smiths albums all the way through, whereas I find it very difficult to imagine listening to the Jam via anything other than singles. That might have something to discovering The Jam post-mortem, but I'm not sure.

― Mitya (mitya), Saturday, 11 March 2006 21:08 (twenty years ago)

I'd second that the Jam were a singles band, and a very good singles band, naturally. But the Smiths were a GREAT singles band. I'd still say their best 'album' is "Louder Than Bombs."

― gooblar (gooblar), Saturday, 11 March 2006 21:44 (twenty years ago)

This thread really needed a Dave Q-style pithy opening post. I suggest "Mark Carlisle RIP".

― Dom Passantino (Dom Passantino), Saturday, 11 March 2006 21:46 (twenty years ago)

Jam are good, but this is ridiculous. The Smiths by a country mile.

― regular roundups (Dave M), Saturday, 11 March 2006 22:23 (twenty years ago)

Smiths, This Charming Man is simply a phenomenal song that could not be ruined even by a horrendous Death Cab for Cutie cover.

― Harrison Barr (Petar), Saturday, 11 March 2006 22:27 (twenty years ago)

Why compromise complexity when the leather runs smoothe on a passenger seat?

― And the air hangs heavy like a dulling wine (Bimble...), Saturday, 11 March 2006 22:40 (twenty years ago)

Seriously if I went on a big Smiths trip it would be a weird thing. For though I love them I don't often pull them out.

The Jam? Yeah a few good tracks, but really in comparison, who cares?

― And the air hangs heavy like a dulling wine (Bimble...), Saturday, 11 March 2006 22:41 (twenty years ago)

Taking Sides: The Lurkers vs. The Bluebells
Taking Sides: Angelic Upstarts vs. Red Lorry Yellow Lorry
Taking Sides: 999 vs. The Bolshoi
Taking Sides: Slitting my wrists in a hot bath vs. Blowing the back of my skull off with a 12 gauge

― Raw, Uncompromising, and Noodly (noodle vague), Saturday, 11 March 2006 22:42 (twenty years ago)

I'll take the skull option for $500, Alex.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Saturday, 11 March 2006 22:48 (twenty years ago)

THIS IS THE LAST NIGHT AT THE FAIR
AND THE GREASE IN THE HAIR
OF A SPEEDWAY OPERATOR IS ALL A TREMULOUS HEART
REQUIRES
A SCHOOL GIRL IS DENIED SHE SAID HOW

sO scratch my name on your arm with a fountain pen!!

BUT MY FAITH IN LOVE IS STILL DEVOUT!!!!!!!!

― It's a hideous trait on her mother's side but my faith in love it stil devo (Bim, Saturday, 11 March 2006 23:10 (twenty years ago)

ON THE DAY WHAT YOUR MENTALITY CATCHES UP WITH YOUR BIOLOGY

― It's a hideous trait on her mother's side but my faith in love it stil devo (Bim, Saturday, 11 March 2006 23:12 (twenty years ago)

A TOUGH KID THAT SOMETIMES SWALLOWS NAILS!

― It's a hideous trait on her mother's side but my faith in love it stil devo (Bim, Saturday, 11 March 2006 23:13 (twenty years ago)

some threads are bigger than others

― M@tt He1geson (Matt Helgeson), Saturday, 11 March 2006 23:13 (twenty years ago)

y know i was thinkin this exact thread a couple of days ago but in a who messed up British Rock most kind of way. the worst features of the current nme types seem to be pre-empted by both. they sort of display the sort of much reviled ultra british small town parochialism though i think both were a lot more conflicted in there views than their copyists and influence would suggest. if there is a pop / indie split in british music which some ilx related people sort of infer would the smiths or the jam be a good place where "the dreaded indie menace" is born? though technically the jam weren't indie were they? john harris' britpop book suggest that britpop can only be looked at as post smiths whilst dom p did a piece on stylus a while back that suggested the retroisms and purisms of the jam inspired the worst parts of britpop. dunno

― pscott (elwisty), Sunday, 12 March 2006 02:07 (twenty years ago)

DRUNK!

― All The Furniture Is In The Garage (Bimble...), Sunday, 12 March 2006 02:13 (twenty years ago)

The Jam, with no shadow of a doubt. Great tunes, great influences, great music.

And "All Mod Cons" is so much better than any Smiths album.

― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Sunday, 12 March 2006 02:40 (twenty years ago)

The Smiths. Although the Jam did come from Woking.

― Neal, Sunday, 12 March 2006 13:38 (twenty years ago)

setting sons

― kw, Sunday, 12 March 2006 17:23 (twenty years ago)

shotgun - classic wrist - dud

― earinfections (Nick Twisp), Monday, 13 March 2006 06:02 (twenty years ago)

musically and lyrically the smiths should win this one because the individual talents of morrisey and marr eclipse the talent of mr weller. but smiths records were never the kind of event that a jam record was for me. that thrilling run of singles from tube station to funeral pyre has never been surpassed in pop music, to my ears.

― dr x o'skeleton, Monday, 13 March 2006 11:11 (twenty years ago)

I want to give it to The Jam for giving us this thread but I still think I have to go with The Smiths.

― Onimo (GerryNemo), Monday, 13 March 2006 14:33 (twenty years ago)

the Smiths had a better batting avg., but the Jam knocked more out of the park. or something.

― Will (will), Monday, 13 March 2006 15:28 (twenty years ago)

the smiths are the correct answer.

― M@tt He1geson (Matt Helgeson), Monday, 13 March 2006 15:36 (twenty years ago)

I like the Jam but they have never made me cry, or got me laid. Smiffs it is.

― Zora (Zora), Monday, 13 March 2006 17:15 (twenty years ago)

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