Battle of the Mancs
 

Some of the best bands from the past 20 years hailed from Manchester but which was/is the best?

Stone Roses get it for me; the gig at Spike Island started it all and well the rest is history. If only the second album could have been their best work.
Ian Brown is still going strong as a solo artist and arguably makes better music than the 'Roses!

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Joy Division any day, the first time I heard them I felt the hairs on my arms stand up and every time I hear Atmosphere it still happens.

The tour they supported the Buzzcocks was the first time I saw a crowd dwindle before the headline. (the second was when Jane's Addiction supported The Wonderstuff but that's another story for another day.)

They inspired so many bands and even when New Order went d*sco they were still good. How many bands can say that?

Thank you John Peel for introducing me to these, and so many other bands I would never have heard otherwise, R.I.P.

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R.I.P Ian Curtis, also. :(

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True, I still have a problem with the fact John Peel is dead even after a year. Yesterday I put on Radio 4 to listen to Home Truths and it took me 10 minutes to remeber he had gone.:( (Mind you part of that is probably senility)

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I'm only 17 but when i first really getting into 'proper' music; John Peel was always on the radio giving me suggestions! I was listening to 'Lennon Day' on Radio 1 a few months ago and they played a John Peel show from when Lennon released 'Two Virgins' LP; and they started singing 'Now Or Never' to fill time before the news! even started whistling when they ran out of lyrics! brilliant :D

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Favouite band is Jane's Addiction, or Joy Division varies on my mood, but I like anything that show's innovation or is exciting, such as Sly and The Family Stone or Interpol. Just am not interested in current dance like my 14 year old stepdaughter plays (same song different band).

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my favourite band is The Verve, but The Stone Roses started it all off for me

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Got to ask these then
a) Did you (like lots of folk I know) thin Ian Brown was pnts at Glastonbury this year?

b) What did you think of the Seahorses?

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King Monkey wasnt that bad! the trouble with festivals and the long standing artists like Ian Brown,Oasis etc. is that they have so many songs that everyone wants to hear in so little time. Plus by the time he came on everyone was absolutely tw@tted.
I liked his performance of 'I Wanna Be Adored'.

Sorry to say I've never heard Seahorses to be honest.

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Seahorses album was decent but not earthshaking. Always thought Squires was more innovative but looking at both their solo/post roses stuff they needed each other.

Oh BTW there is a bar in York called Stone Roses & yes it is based round them.

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smiths without a doubt....

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Inspiral Carpets were good....they had a certain famous roadie didnt they......a young N.Gallagher!

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Exactly what I was thinking.

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Come on there are 3 of us in this thread who say The Smiths but only 2 votes, very strange unless someone forgot to vote.

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somehow i think someone misplaced their vote......

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Joy Division/New Order hands down! Love Will Tear Us Apart and Blue Monday, 2 of the most timeless hits ever!

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The Smiths without a shadow of doubt for me, I don't know what I would have done without them in the 80's.
All the artists on the list are ones I listen to though. :)

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Yes,The Smiths have it for me to.Although I would have gone for The Buzzcocks if they had been listed. J.Marr included in both line ups.:D :D

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never mind the buzzcocks......lol

cant believe I forgot 'em; ah well shudda wudda cudda & all that.
been listening to The Queen Is Dead again today...timeless.
Stone Roses still get it for me though!! chiiiiiiiiiiiiiimes sing sunday mooorrrnnnn...

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Although i like all the others and even have tickets for mozzer's blackburn gig...it has to be the Roses for me, i've seen Ian three times but never had the pleasure of seeing the band together. I was going to see them at glastunbury in 95 but johnboy went and broke his collarbone int he states mountainbiking! I do belive pulp rocked the place though..i saw them a few weeks earlier at leeds heiniken fest V.V.Good live.

A bar in york called stone roses?!?, I was up there 2 weeks ago, would av made my weekend if we'd found it!

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I voted for Stone Roses - but mainly cos of Ian Brown. Went to see him at MEN in December & it was top (also saw him a couple of years ago at Blackburn King George's). I don't mind any of the bands in the poll - but I'm a bit of a cheat cos I only listen to them cos the fella has them on all the time!!!

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the stone roses without a shadow of a doubt
artic monkeys are sounding very good but there from sheffield

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new order
simply because the video for true faith
slap fights and trampolenes

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I have voted for Oasis. They are brilliant.

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thankyou! finally!
i voted for the roses but oasis were the first band i really got into and i wouldnt have got into the rest of the bands if it wasnt for oasis!
oo ******....seems ive misplaced my vote...ooerr

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Jesus was Batman!NO that was Bruce Wayne

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not the worlds biggest fan of these, but have to concede the early stone roses were absolutely superb, reminded me of the american west coast scene of the late 60s.me daughter used to play em,and i was hooked first time i heard them.:)

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That's a tough one! I'll go with The Smiths just for the sheer amount of good stuff they produced.

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No no no that was bruce wayne!:Banane47:

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Martin Slatery and Ged Lynch are from Bash (Black Grape). Perhaps they should have been on!

The list should have included Inspiral Carpets, Verve (Gt Manchester) and 808 State. Voted for the Smiths because they are a more influential band, Oasis were easier to listen to but have meaningless lyrics.

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Oh, Graham, and to think I used to respect you - you can't honestly think the Smiths were a good band in any way, shape or form. Miserable Mancunian with a gladioli in his pocket - suicide music!!!!!!










And now I'll wait for the backlash!

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Btw - I voted for Joy Division (note: not New Order) - far superior!

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No but Paula will string me up otherwise!

I never liked Morrissey and still don't (never bought records by ANY of the above artists except New Orders first couple of albums) but the band edge a poor bunch to be honest. Joy Division too dischordant, New Order too self indulgent electronically. Oasis to self indulgent period. Johnny Marr et al at least hung their hat on something. Music for depressives.

It should have had the Inspirals, 808 State and Verve.

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Oh please - the Verve!!!!! I didn't know you were so intent on depressing yourself - isn't that why we're in politics? :D :D :D

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Er... Smiths=suicide music... Joy Division=what then?... there seems to be some conflict here ;) hehe

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Definitely should've had 808 state on there, I'd agree with that. You can now download a bagful of their live sets for free from their website - http://808state.com/sounds/index.htm

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How about Mr Scruff... he's a Manc I think.
M People... aren't they Mancunian?

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erm...Verve are from Billinge near Wigan.
To all the people spouting out lazy music analysis such as 'The Smiths are depressing' (which then voted for Joy Division..hmm); for some people music is all about being able to empathise with lyrics and if you actually took the time out to research your unfair opinions - you would see that Morrissey's lyrics are some of the funniest ever written, (for example 'Frankly Mr. Shankly', 'Vicar In A Tutu', 'Shoplifters of the World Unite' etc.) and in my opinion the best social commentary I've seen in music since Ray Davies of The Kinks.
Rant over :)


ps Johnny Marr is one of the greatest guitarists ever!!

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Oh while I'm on one...
Oasis lyrics meaningless?
Read the lyrics to Live Forever or The Masterplan or Half The World Away or Cast No Shadow ...I could go on but I won't :)

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If you didn't want people to vote for Joy Division why bother putting it on the list?

And yes, you're right, they aren't really the happiest of souls either. What I'm basing it on is that I was at college in Salford around the time of Joy Division and The Smiths so was part of the scene. Smiths fans were too evangelical at the time and followed them almost like a religion, revering Morrissey as some sort of saviour of Manchester. So actually what I'm basing it on is that at the time I simply liked Joy Division's music and disliked The Smiths.

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That is your opinion Gayle & I accept it - I like Smiths better than Joy Division but it doesn't mean I should competely dismiss them! The Smiths were a very important band which ever way you look at it & meant a lot to a lot of people.
I just found it funny that you dismissed Smiths as nothing more than music for the depressives yet find Ian Curtis' voice/lyrics exhilerating :)

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Well, I accept that my argument isn't entirely logical. But then again, my music tastes are somewhat eclectic!

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got to agree with Shaker..in the mid 80's (bore) I suddenly realise the smiths are not boring .. but funny and its all been a laugh. some of the stuff they put out was rib cracking stuff

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Its took a while for me to find this bot of t'forum but without a shadow of a doubt. For capturing a decade of dissillusioned angst ridden impressionables, for the fact that Sir Moz is still doing it at 50 odd (I think) for the fact there was never a bad album, for the fact there was so many excellent tracks, for the fact that everyone has a different favourite, for "Its over" "William it was really nothing" & "Girlf in a Coma"

My Vote goes to.............

Special Mention to the Stone Roses though who made such an impact with that first album

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It's gotta be the Smiths although I am pleased to say that I don't own a single recording of any of the artistes mentioned,even aafter 17 years of selling their material! I have a grudging respect for the Mozzer's lyrical talent[ I may yet buy "You are the quarry" ] but the rest of 'em;esp the Gallaghers are a waste of a good skin.

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I have voted for The Smiths as they, in retrospect, were a half decent band whereas Joy Division were rubbish and Ian Curtis couldn't hold a tune in a bucket, New Order have traded on Blue Monday for years and should never have reformed, Happy Mondays were just awful, The Stone Roses and the dreadful Ian "Monkey" Brown had one tune which they played over and over and sometimes backwards and Oasis, who I accept gave music a well needed shot in the arm, have succumbed to derivativeism. PM me and I'll explain what it means to you.

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The Smiths made the most unique music of their generation - perhaps any generation. Morrissey's lyrics were as good as that of Byron & Blake and there is nothing that Johnny Marr cannot do on a guitar; the musical ascpect of that band is overwhelming. I think that makes them a bit more than "half decent".


...and derivativeism isn't a word.

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I think you'll find that the Beatles were slighty more "unique" than the Smiths, they moved music forward, pioneered studio techniques that are still in use today and many many bands still cite them as a major influence (especially your beloved Oasis). Mozart made pretty unique music in his generation, John Coltrane made unique music, Miles Davis too, David Bowie, Sex Pistols, Howlin Wolf, Robert Johnson need I go on?

Oh and ascpect isn't a word either.

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Did anyone order a whooosh?:rolleyes:

I said..."The Smiths made the most unique music of their generation - perhaps of any generation." Thus suggesting that it is arguable that they made the most unique music of any generation; I was in no way citing that my point is fact.

oh ...I made a spelling mistake, you just made up a word :):p

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Voted for The Smiths but all were good bands. The Verve were fantastic and Richard Ashcroft still is (Wigan can count cant it?). Badly Drawn Boy is also a fantastic artist and he's a manc.

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All were great bands.The Smiths just nudged New Order for me,but if i could broaden the musical geography a few miles,those wacked out scouse mop heads Echo & the Bunnymen would top the lot.Best live act of the eighties(king Georges Hall,84),and the first three albums were classics.But they're not mancs so they dont count.The Fall then.:cool: