Oh, believe me, I've tried

I have tried for years to like the Smiths because of all the things that you've mentioned. Wavering between wussy and awesome, literate cool lyrics, and ultimately, the clincher, being British should really put them at the top of the list. And yet, I struggle. I have their "Singles" purchased specifically for Panic and There is a Light That Never Goes Out. I return to them once a year and once a year I sit through 50 minutes of *shrug* "Eh" and 20 minutes of "Niiiiiiiice". I keep trying to put my finger on it and I think this last time I finally realized why they don't do it for me. All their songs sound the same to me. Same dynamics, same rhythms, same Morrisey blabbing his way around bizarre lyrics that seem fresh at first but on repeat are merely annoying. When How Soon is Now? comes on you, it's arresting because it sounds so different compared to the rest of it. There is a Light...is really the same as all other Smiths songs, it's just the best version of the same song they did fifty times over on four albums. That's what I think of them. I also think I lack the historical context to appreciate what were for non-new wave fans in 1980s Britain. I've read a million times about Johnny Marr's guitarwork. I never blown away with it, but I guess if you were listening in the 1980s and you compared Johnny Marr to say, Duran Duran, I'm sure he looked brilliant.