The Queen Is Dead

EAT MY ASS RNG MACHINE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! i have attempted to Get the widely and apparently easily beloved smiths record the queen is dead what has to be close to a dozen times over the time ive been into music, and ig ive made some progress? but often in a one stop forward three steps back sort of way where i increasingly lose patience with the supposedly blindingly self-evident virtues. its not something that happens often for me!!! i understand mass appeal, i understand Music Nerd Appeal, yet the smiths at least on a musical level remain near impossible for me to conceptualize the draw of. i think i genuinely prefer the morrissey solo record i just got for its lavish arrangements...johnny marr is cool but he aint That cool im sorry! my eternal stumbling block tho is the utterly inscrutable delivery of the vocal melodies, which after so long trying to even Understand the smiths on a base level, still make me feel like im the only person who hasnt been let in on a crazy elaborate society-wide lie....maybe it rly is the timbre of his distinctive but painfully terse and dry voice, it smushes and swirls everything together in a way that makes it impossible for me to pick out any actual Notes...theres no shape, no brightness, no color at all, its all the same neverending string of beige, with only the occasional repetition of words alluding to the band's supposed pop power. and since i couldnt give less of a shit ab the lyrics even if i Wanted to dislike the smiths as much as i do, idk theres just nothing for me here besides my appreciation for the timbre of a good jangly guitar...and thats not nothing, but certainly doesn't counter my frustrations. i dont wanna have this kind of utterly bewildered op anymore, ive come around on similarly oddly unintuitive stuff for me, i like ok computer now!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! but i rly dont think Any artist has so furiously resisted my engagement, left me feeling so entirely unrewarded, all while having the knowledge that i should be able to at least Understand something this beloved In The Abstract even if i dont personally feel it, and yet i dont! at all! fucking ugh.

It was clearly Morrissey singing. And “Bigmouth Strikes Again” stands out. But otherwise it could have been any other New Wave album from the mid 80’s.

I really like ONE Smiths song (yes, the obvious one,) and don't really care about the rest. My teenage depression needs were fulfilled by The Cure, thank you very much. I don't DISlike this album, but it just doesn't do much for me.

Pretty meh music, vocals a little sub par

A bit boring, not my taste. A few tracks have some quirk, but still pretty flat mellow pop rock.

Ponderous and not terribly enjoyable

Crazy they predicted that the queen would die

I was told the Smiths were much better than Morrissey's solo work. I was sadly misinformed.

Beetje cliché soms

Está bien pero tampoco es para tanto. Bien el primer tema.

Never been much of a Smiths guy.

Ok, it makes sense why this music was pretty exciting at the time, but “going back” to the sound of live instruments and rhythm-based pop rock songs seems antiquated now. That said this is great music with some annoying-ass singing on top. I’ve never liked Morrissey’s voice and that’s kept me away from a deeper dive. The lyrics I caught on this listen weren’t all that clever either, though maybe I need to pay more attention to understand. If the same band had a truly charismatic singer who wasn’t doing a weird teenage impression of a lounge singer this would be a 5-star record no problem.

First, fuck Morrissey. Second, I think this album is just fine. I don't know what it is, but I never understood the obsession people have with it. There are some catchy tunes (There Is A Light and Bigfoot in particular) but the immense whining voice and self-loathing is just insufferable at times. Bumped down a half star for Morrissey existing.

Dark and weird, in a good way. But I can’t get past how Morrissey sounds like he has a sinus infection all album. And every song sounds the same: Unpleasant.

Absolutely nothing memorable, don’t like morissey voice. But actual instruments weren’t that bad so 1.6 Probs won’t be listening again

Eh

Feels pretty forgettable, 2/5

Not a Smith's fan - Morrissey - what is it about him? I made it through this album, which is something, because if I can't stand it, I usually stop. so 2 stars for that.

I have very little patience for Morrissey.

Couldn’t finish

This one didn't really make an impression on me Standouts The Queen Is Dead Frankly, Mr. Shankly 2/5

I don't like it, but its not unlistenable

Band sounds good, especially guitar. Can't stand Morissey's sense of melody. Repetitive and awful, same from song to song. Could not get through even half before I ragequit.

It was so so. Nothing stood out to me.

Certainly, it’s the shock value of the title The Queen Is Dead that gets this album on the 1001 List. Well, that and the list was put together by a Brit. This album is better than Meat Is Murder from a few months ago, but that not saying much. Songs seem similar and emo-esque (and a bit weird.) (2.3*s)

I am really just not a big fan of The Smiths apparently. Like the other entry on the 1001 list, "Meat Is Murder," this one was just as boring but a smidge better. Some alright strings and guitar work but Morrissey is an acquired taste. Kermit singing with the chipmunks on top track "Bigmouth Strikes Again." I hope we don't get more Smiths from the list but I'm worried...1.55 stars for Queenie.

Morrissey has always been a mixed bag. Some of his songwriting is intriguing. Some of his tunes are catchy. A lot of his stuff is depressing and melodramatic. The Queen Is Dead is a good mix and most of it worked for me this time around. 2.46 stars

After hearing nothing but positive things about this album, I expected something that wasn't pitiful. The album was too mellow and sullen especially after my listening to Billy Joel. Another critique I have is the overwhelming accents that induced a headache

bigmouth is quiet nice - dont like the rest

No. But better.

I am not sure how many more "The Smiths" albums I can physically listen to. Please please please get a new singer. This has good moments and is better than the first Smiths album we listened to, but ugh. The musicians are really talented and just brought down by vocals. "Frankly, Mr. Shankley" was fun tho. Actual rating....2.5. Liked Songs: "Frankly, Mr. Shankley" , "I Know It's Over" , "Bigmouth Strikes Again" , "Some Girls Are Bigger Than Others"

Eh? I feel like I was supposed to like this more but I did not

very few i enjoyed. overall not my vibes

Meh not into this emo stuff

It’s like, I can see why people would be like, oh this is so great like the epitome of melancholy and infinite sadness and revolutionary! But I’m so glad that I can see it’s total crap

Okay, at times; mainly, it’s repetitive.

Little bit insufferable

After the first song, I thought it had hope but then it just became kind of the same over and over and ended with Some Girls are Bigger than Others. I waiver between a 2 and 3.

Oh Morrisey, you strange exotic bird. I heard he's vegan, that's great, maybe more people should be, but I don't like his singing. He's SOOO much rambling "la-la-la" and it gets on my nerves so bad! I'm sorry Morrisey, it's not you, it's me. I know a lot of people like him but I just can't even.

2/5

U know that theory that says you’re predisposed to like certain things based on certain sound frequencies you hear in utero? Well it’s the opposite of that for me with the smiths. Idk, there’s definitely worse vocalists we’ve had but I just don’t get all the hype with them. I’ve done my due diligence in trying multiple times to like them to no avail.

That's it. I can officially say that I do not like The Smiths or Morrissey. I think the order in which we listened to the Morrissey albums and The Smiths really hurt any chance I had to appreciate them. I definitely came into this review with a chip on my shoulder. I really can't stand his voice. He wasn't as pretentious in this album but I still didn't enjoy any song. Objectively, this album is better than a 2/5, but this is my review so screw it. I won't fight anyone that says its a good album, but I will clench my fist like the Arthur meme.

I don't get why it's rated so high. Maybe without his vocals I would like it more.

So many Smiths. No Segers. Ugh.

Dull, its the smiths

It was decent. Not great

..

Blah blah blah morissey mumbles on

not a fan

Not sure if it was the coincidence of last name, but The Smiths landed wrong for me a long time ago, and has not changed since then.

Morrissey sucks. Even with another band. Big meh for this one.

I found it hard to enjoy.

Quite unremarkable.

I really dont get the Smiths I find the instrumentals average and Morrisey's voice annoying and pretentious. I dont find it dark or interesting. Just extremely proto emo and every album of this group disappoints me.

Not their best

**

as always, The Smiths would be a much better band is they didn't have that racist scumbag up front - the score is purely for Johnny Marr and the guys, not for... Him...

Some alright moments (eg, the title track), especially when Morrissey isn't singing.

Early emo-pop... it's what I'd expect from the genre and the time

I guess I enjoyed this more than the last Smiths record I got, which isn't a low bar to clear, but at least they didn't trip over it.

Once again I am asking for your support in rereleasing all the Smiths albums as instrumentals. I never want to hear Morrissey’s voice.

The production is innovative and full of life, but Morrissey’s vocals are really distracting and don’t pair well with the rest of the band.

The whole album reminds me of a popular surname. It's rather dull, boring, and repetitive(and now, The Queen really is dead). Favorite Song: "Frankly, Mr. Shankly"

There are two or three good songs on here, and a couple more listenable ones, but I still feel like the Smiths are the budget Cure, and Morrissey's whiny snark really doesn't help. The band is good though, which saves it from one star territory. Morrissey has a distinct voice that works on occasion, but mostly just grates. He thinks he's very clever, but really just needs to lighten up.

It's like listening to the same song over and over again for an hour.

I quite like The Smiths. Sometimes even really like them. But it always feels like people *should* either be mildly obsessed with how much they changed their life, or not get them. "There is a Light" and "Some Girls" the clear standout tracks here which gives them a base score of 4. But I'm deducting 1 for the rest not being as good and another because Morrissey.

eh

I can see why they’re influential to so many.

# 331 : Cringe! I don't like the Smiths, I don't love it, I don't hate it, I can listen to it, a couple of things stood out, Love the guitaring, can't stand the singing.

Wow--first it's Liz Phair, now The Smiths. What's next in the litany of not-my-favorite alt/emo rock? (I'm not sure I want to know the answer, honestly, especially since I can see we have 2 more Smiths albums in our future...) This is definitely *not* to my taste, regardless of whether Morrissey is a certified jerk, although that certainly doesn't help. But on the positive side, I don't think I've actually heard any of this album, so it's all new to me. I was surprised that the title track was so...lively...I'll admit (although not quite sure why YouTubeMusic served up a version of "The Queen is dead" as a "film" that was double the length of the actual song and seems to have just crammed in "There is a light that never goes out" and "Panic" at the end, the latter of which was only released as a single, I think, and was the only song I recognized). I'm actually hard-pressed to find many (any?) songs on this album that I found all that enjoyable, sadly, which is a shame given how many accolades the album has gotten. (I'll also say that I prefer Chumbawumba's "Big mouth strikes again" to the Smith's, even though it's not actually a cover and is about Lenny Bruce.)

Meh. I’m a Morrissey hater

Alright

Was a 4 until ‘Some Girls Are Bigger Than Others’… unbearably stupid

Not really into it, I enjoyed Cemetery Gates, but that's about it.

Don’t like the smiths. Never had, never will. If you like this album then there’s a good chance you have a hair cut like Liam Gallagher and your last name is Tudor. If I had to pick a favourite song I’d say bigmouth strikes again. 2/10. Poo.

Alright like. To be fair, the two greatest hits albums have all the best smiths songs, which makes the albums defunkt...

I have never been a fan of The Smiths, but never listened to their albums either.. this on ewas ok.. but still pretty depressing

Don't like the way he sings =\

Never could get past lead singer. Musicality is great, just move past singer.

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO i forgot to listen so speed run the queen is dead- 3 stop singing. "i never even knew what drugs were" the voice crack... frankly mr shankly- 3 i know its over- 3. shut up never had no one ever- tbh. HES OUTSIDE MY HOUSE??? 3 cemetary gates- 3 bigmouth- bro i thought this was mumford and sons. what are the lyrics... 2 or 3 the boy with the thorn in his side- 2 no more please

Ok, I listened to the whole album. Can I be done with the Smiths now? I mean, it’s not awful, but once I heard one song, I heard pretty much everything they’ve done.

Yay another Smiths album and Morrisey's whining singing. This is getting so old.

Nothing really to remember or anything that really stood out.

The Smiths never really resonated with me. It's fine I guess, but I'm not going to listen to it again.

As someone who generally passionately hates The Smiths, I put that behind me and went into this with open ears, and I was pleasantly surprised. Don't get me wrong, this album is still shit - I can't stand Morrisey's stupid fucking monotone whining voice - BUT, I didn't hate all the songs, and I definitely didn't hate the instrumentals. The guitarwork was nice, and had a great 80's tone to it. I genuinely enjoyed the title track of this album, I don't think I'd listen to it regularly, but it's tolerable. But that's about as far as I can go for the positives. This album is whiney, annoying, and boring. Most songs drag on and on and on. When the album finished, I genuinely couldn't tell when it looped because each song sounds exactly the same as the other. I still hate The Smiths, and I still hate Morrisey's annoying vocals and lyrics - but I at least can say that this album isn't the 1 star rating I was expecting to give and I'm glad I at least gave it a chance.

**an ok album

Another album that just isn't heavy enough for me unfortunately. But it does put me back in the mood to listen to more of my old dad rock. I think I might appreciate this album more when I get older and my ears become more sensitive. Right now though I think I'll stick to my usual.

Musically they are good but lyrically they just repeat the same words over and over......and over

"There Is a Light that Never Goes Out" is an alright song, but I genuinely don't like Morrisey... Sorry not sorry.

Irritating.

Incredibly boring - as always

It wasn't bad, but I just don't really see much of anything for me to return to here.

It was too good for 1 star even though that is what I think it deserves.

Another The Smiths album? Too much.

Sorry, just not a fan...

1 song op zich valt mee... meerdere na elkaar is echt wel te veel zelfbeklag en geneuzel en navelstaarderij op een rij... zeer vermijdbaar plaatje

Not into it, this is the second Smith's album and it's not bad, but nothing great or interesting about it.

Probably the best of the 3 or 4 Morrissey albums I've gotten so far. But overall, still pretty bland and forgettable. Just too slow for my tastes.

Meh

I would love this if I didn't hate Morissey so much

sounded listenable enough but i don't think i get the smiths

Morrissey is a cun.....

Not a fan of the Smiths, sorry. Favourite track: there Is a light that never goes out

I might have listened to this a long time ago, but I don't recall. Never been a huge fan of Morissey's voice or the stream-of-consciousness lyrics. But the music is pretty good. In the end it adds up to a below-average listening experience. "She said, " 'Ey, I know you, and you cannot sing' "

Ehh

Voel dit gwn niet

Pfff, wat een slaapverwekkend album zo in de vroege ochtend... I know its over heeft de zanger bijna klagend/ huilend zingend, en dat zorgt er nou niet voor dat de sfeer er lekker in zit. Ook niet een heel mooi nummer naar mijn mening. Dan vind ik frankly mr shankly veel vermakelijker, dat vind ik nog wel geinig namelijk! Vind de zanger totaal niet prettig om naar te luisteren. Zal vast volledig aan mijn smaak liggen, of het gebrek daaraan, maar ik vind het allemaal maar wat zeikerig en dromerig over komen. De instrumentals doen echt zwaar hun best en doen de heavy lifting op dit album, waardoor het uiteindelijk vooral een vrij nietszeggend album is met weinig nummers die er echt uitspringen. FAVO: Frankly mr Shankly, Cemetry gates

"There is a Light That Never Goes Out" is a bop. I think maybe I would have liked this in high school, but now it mostly sounds like a bunch of indistinct melodrama.

So, I'm almost 40, grew up in hardcore, and this is the first time ever listening to The Smiths on my own. It's fine. The instrumentation is good. What the fuck is with some of these lyrics? I don't know if it's bias or not, but it feels to me like Morrissey is inauthentic with his vocal delivery. Like, he actually thinks he has a bighead, because he does, but then he plays it down, because he thinks he's just that smart? Fuck Morrissey.

1. queen iz dead - 1.5 2. frankly - 0 3. itz over - 1.5 4. had no one - 2 5. gatez - 0 6. big mouth - 1 7. the boy - 0 8. vicar - 1 9. a light - 1.5 10. zome girlz - 1

I love being a hater

driving down a coastal road probably would’ve added to the experience

It was okay.

I can understand putting one album by The Smiths on here. This would not be the album I would pick. Also, obligatory fuck Morrissey. Relevance to this list: 1/1 Personal enjoyment: 2/1

37 minutes of light hearted waffle

meh

Listened to it on Friday, it’s now Monday & can’t remember much about it !

It's a little too BritPop-py. Sleeping music that you can sway to. I like the instruments but generally not the music. "Bigmouth Strikes Again" has a decently interesting bass line and overall vibe, but I don't really like the mousey voice that's singing along with the main singer. "There Is a Light That Never Goes Out" I actually kinda know this song. Maybe cuz it's in 500 days of summer (which I've never seen). And the bass line is good. It's pretty okay. But I'd rather not really hear it.

It took me a couple of tries to get through this. It's not that it's bad; I have a hard time engaging with The Smiths' music. It just doesn't compel me. But it is better than the Morrissey solo album I got recently and has "There Is a Light That Never Goes Out," an undeniable all-timer, on its tracklist, so I can't hate it. I understand why people would like this record, but it's not for me. Highlights: Bigmouth Strikes Again, There is a Light That Never Goes Out

Okay thank you for the suggestion, but it just wasn't for me. Can only give it 2 stars.

Pretty bleh. Unimpressed and wouldn't listen to again

unnötig.

Roger Morris’s and band make good music together. Enjoyable music.

Another damn Morrissey album. I don’t get it. Am I missing something? Am I just unable to comprehend his genius? Is he really so great that he deserves 5+ albums on here? No. No he doesn’t. I pray that I won’t have to hear his voice again, but I’m sure I will in time. The album’s technically fine, it’s ok, I’m just sick of hearing this man’s voice. An imperfectly mid album. 5/10 Top 1: 1. The Queen Is Dead

Meh. 2/5

I just don't like Morrissey

couple of zingers but mostly dross

This is a very 80s album. However, where some 80s albums have character, this one lacked in any umph. The main focus of every song was the vocals, but they were extremely lack luster in performance. I tried to find songs I liked, though where I may have liked a singular line of the song, the rest of the song was not hitting the mark. Needless to say, I will not be listening to this again.

Ehhh

1.8

I don't understand how this is particularly good rock.

One really likeable song. The band has a decent sound, but Morrissey's whining vocals are a bit much most of the time. "Some Girls are Bigger than Others" is one of the dumbest songs I've ever heard.

Not my favorite.

Ugh

I know I am old.....I could listen to this, just did not get much out of it. Tired of all the British stuff.

I concur with my fathers points. It didn't hit me on any emotional level or connection. I Just super disliked it. Only reason I'm giving it a 2 is that the bass work was really good

Much better than other albums from the Smiths and Morrissey on this list, outright musical at times. Two stars!

This is one of those bands that I just simply don't understand it's massive support. The singing is unpleasant, the songs are largely similar. I just don't find anything about it amusing or pleasant. By the end of the album, I appreciate the band's contributions, but Morrissey is so whiney, I just want to hate everything about it.

Boring, droning, pretentious, British.

not the biggest smiths fan, but i get why people would be

Pretty boring.

An acquired taste. Morressey's lyrics are simply dialog - just a guy talking about stuff.

Wasn't terrible, but I kept finding myself wanting to put something else on, which is a problem when your album is only 37 minutes long. Plus, Morrissey is a certified douche canoe.

Not my speed, it felt like maybe I wasn't on the right IQ level to enjoy it properly 😅

Not bad. I like There is a Light That Never Goes Out but not a huge fan of the rest.

2/5 forgetful

Gear: Focal Clear (ZMFed) Mix: Unterwasser spielende Drums. Basslauf in "I Know It´s Over" ganz nett. Vocals (Morrissey's Ego entsprechend) überpräsent. Musik: Kennste einen Smith's Song - kennste alle. Was nicht schlecht sein MUSS, aber das ist hier ist halt einfach insgesamt zu...egal. 😴 Wertung: 2/5

Nicht mein Ding.

The title track in the album was pretty bad. The rest of the tracks fluctuated between good and bad. Overall not my cup of tea.

like a 2, kinda weird alternative

British Indie-Pop mit Punk Bezug, nicht meine Musik, aber Geschmackssache, vermutlich in ihrem Genre wegweisend und einflussreich auf die folgenden Generationen der Indie-Pop Gruppen.

I just don't get the Smiths

the queen is dead - nonsense babbling frankly, mr shankly - pree gud i know its over - delulu ballad never had no one ever - more delulu cemetry gates - fun bigmouth strikes again - high pitch singing is annoying, bro thinks he's AJR the boy with the thorn in his side - its ok vicar in a tutu - more babbling there is a light that never goes out - i like when he repeated the lyrics some girls are bigger than others - water is wet

I never listened to a whole The Smith album before. I had a friend who was really into them. Through them I knew ‘Girlfriend In A Coma’. When I just checked through the Spotify discography, I didn’t even have that one liked but ‘A Rush And A Push And The Land Is Ours’. Very fun 80s song. Let me listen to see if I like any songs from this album. None really stood out majorly to me. I knew two more of the songs but nothing that swept me away. I do not mind Morrissey’s voice and I’m still good after 1-2 songs. They are all happy tunes sounding songs that have deeply sad, silly and Aggro lyrics. Does not really work for me. If I want to listen to songs about sad things I need them to also sound sad. Same with silly and Aggro.

This was an OK album but something about The Smiths just irks me. It feels to pretentious and try-hard. Like the cool kids in school listen to it because it's cool and nothing else. Maybe it's cause Morrisey seems like a shitty human.

La primera canción empieza muy raro. Pero The Smiths es un grupo de rock inglés clásico. No me gustó "I know it's over". Tuve que esperar a "Big mouth strikes" again para encontrar nuevas canciones que me gusten.

2.5

De stem van Morrissey blijft me tegenstaan.

Fair - music starts sounding the same!

I can take or leave the Smiths. I'm too young for them to be formative. I get they were influential. How Soon Is Now is phenomenal (but not on this album).

I like The Smiths but this whole album at once was a little too much for me. Very little variation in sound. A couple great hits on here but a couple weird songs as well.

Not great, not terrible. Is a little forgettable but there were some nice songs, didn't add anything. 2.5/5

Boring depressing- but what more do you expect.

Still not my music …

I just don't like the Smiths much.

#62. When I woke up this morning, I had this urge to listen to 37 minutes and 11 seconds of a guy that sounds like Kermit the Frog doing an impression of Jordan Peterson for some reason. And Sheogorath bless, I was given The Smiths to listen to today! Perfect. I will have to deduct three stars though because even though they were right in saying the queen is dead, woke ass Britain made a MAN queen in some weird equal rights affirmative action type thing. I mean, I believe in equal rights and all, but I'm also a bit traditional sometimes, and I just think a woman should be queen. 2/5: meh

The singing sounds so distant and the age of the band shows which isn’t a bad thing, however their vibe is the same in each song like where’s the range? They give me the cure vibes but with no novelty.

Smiths sort are perfectly ok.

It's decent, but not amazing.

2 feels harsh, 3 feels too much. Has the makings of something I should enjoy but I can't get into it.

The Smiths are definitely influential, but this sad brit rock isn't quite for me.

Un peu fatigant, trop plein

Less enjoy

Its the kind of Music my Grandpa is listening. Not my taste, slow, but not in a good way, like a Movie which was stretched to 3 Hours to make the tickets more pricey. Its not terrible Music though, some might like it

I despise Morrissey, and I genuinely can't stand There Is a Light That Never Goes Out, but this was my first Smiths album listen. This really ran the gamut for me from the truly awful, to the bland, to the admittedly great. Will give it 2 stars for the solid ⅓ of the album I enjoyed, and see if I can keep mining for Smiths I can enjoy.

Couldn't finish it. Sad rainy day. His voice is glorious but sort of always the same? Reading his biography, his industrial British roots, anti-hero fuck the queen, queer bending and political bravado. Exhausting on a day like today. Maybe some other time.

The music is solid but I can't stand Morrissey's vocals.

Just No. 1/10 Is what I wanted to write before listening to it but honestly its like a 4/10.

Just middle of the road music instrumentally. However, it’s bands like these that make me gravitate towards music that doesn’t contain lyrics because wtf are they even saying? Mr Shankly please kindly shank me. Holy voice cracks my ass. The lyrics feel really forced over the tracks like trying to read a speech that doesn’t match the pace of the song. Which is strange because the lyrics are such trash why did they try so hard to make it work? That’s poetry I guess. You can probably swap the lyrics interchangeably between songs and they would still sound about the same. “Some girls mothers are bigger than other girls’ mothers” - The Smiths. That’s the most poetic thing I’ve ever heard. The lyrics didn’t add something to this album, they took something away. This killed the Queen. Case closed. 3/10

idk just never really 'got' The Smiths

Frankly Mr Shankly is great. It’s okay background sound but not much going for it in the case of a relisten. Otherwise there’s nothing all that special outside of maybe two of the songs

There's a certain nostalgia about The Smiths, which may have afforded this album one star more than otherwise warranted, but boy, what was I thinking back in the 80s at the school disco with dead flowers in my back pocket, lolling along to The Smiths? Forty years later I cringe at the lyrics and the dourness of the songs. The original shoegazer, Morrissey really was miserable back then, probably still is now. A few catchy memories, but let's not talk about that stage in my life again.

kinda meh 1980s british rock

So here we have to put up with Morressy, and it's a boring Smiths record? There are no hooks here. It's just waves of reverb and whiney bullshit. Which sucks. Because I normally LOVE whiney bullshit. Fuck Morressy.

Not my cup of tea

First impressions without listening, oh well suppose I have to, at least it's only 37 mins. I do try to keep an open mind but morrisey's voice which I can only describe as multi-tonal monotony is not for me. That said Cemerty Gates wasn't bad and does raise it up to a very low 2.

The hits are remarkable as the rest stays underwhelming.

Not a fan of the Smiths but can agree on this being an important album.

so im on the first track and im trying to figure out if i like the song so far i think the main thing that im into is the bass and drums the guitar is pretty cool too actually its his voice i really find it off putting and unsuiting to the music for some reason this instrumental outro to the queen is dead is awesome frankly mr shankly was extremely forgettable despite the rhyme ive listened to i know its over before and have always thought it was pretty good and i sort of expected the album to follow the style of this track more which might be the case for the rest of the album the space for the bass in the verses is really cool too another pretty awesome track never had no one ever really relaxing and sad and his voice wasnt as annoying as when i first heard it this next song on the other hand has just brought me back to disliking it i dont know how he does it this is going to be such a tough album to rate because the music is definitely the sort of thing im into the bass jumping all over the place the guitar parts seem fairly intricate and interesting and the drummer sounds like theyre having a decent time and im sure morrissey is technically a good singer but not my style at all ill stop talking about it until something more notable happens oh yeah that line i have always hated so much for some reason the pleasure the privilege is mine part it makes me physically uncomfortable and i want to avoid it as much as i can and again the music is cool and interesting but i dont like many of the songs as full pieces of work this would probably be a 4/5 star instrumental album but he does manage to bring it down to a 2 for me the lyrics overall have generally been quite poor and this last song does emphasise the point enough for me to believe there is something to what i am saying

I should like the smiths, I’ve tried. I’m just not there yet

Didn't really work for me, feel like you have to be in the right mood to sink into this one.

Not my cup of tea

It was alright, not my favorite

Strange

Not for me

This has been the most frustrating album for me so far. Musically and lyrics are fantastic, very touching and Marr real shines in this. But I cannot stand Morrissey, his singing sound pretentious, hammy and over the top. Most of the album is a 3-5 but the vocals drags the whole album down. All I can say at least there is no "charming man" or my personal hate of "heaven knows I'm miserable now"

Meh.

???

Ok!

I was not impressed by this. I was hoping for a lot of different sounds and things I haven't heard before. How Soon Is Now is one of my favorite songs ever because it's so unique. Nothing on this album was really any different than any other alternative/new age 80s pop.

I am prejudiced, as I have decided I dont like the maudlin Smiths. I force myself to listen to their most popualr track, from the album. Its called "there is a light that never goes out" ... it would be cliche to say their mission seems to be to extinguish said light. There, I did it, without meaning- a Smiths joke. I feel like I ate too much. Which is have. I also find so little pelasure in their music...

Boring, try hard artsy

Ik heb dit album altijd geskipt omdat ik bang was dat ik het leuk zou vinden. Nu toch geluisterd en gelukkig is het niet zo. Fuck morrissey

The major third gets old but fairly interesting and cool mood

Did not love

Personally not a fan of British punk. His voice got a bit on my nerves. I’m sure this album is great for people who are into that genre.

Decent, sounded like a cat dying st times.

Not a fan of Morrissey, not digging his (whining) voice. Musically a solid album tho, with some good tracks. 'Bigmouth Strikes Again'. 2,5/5

Interesting concepts…liked some things but nothing incredible

Seemingly sounds like the point where Morrissey's crooning ego began to outweigh Marr's indie creative genius - too much self-indulgence and not enough jangly riffage. Even with your rosetinted nostalgia glasses on, it's hard to listen to the gladioli-waving toss pot given his descent into populist clickbait.

This was recommended the day after Queen Elizabeth II died.

Kinda boring, not really my thing.

It was okay. Found myself struggling to give it my full attention to get through the full album. Some tracks I'd probably rate higher independently but as an album it wasn't doing it for me.

Its the smiths...meh

Full disclosure: I've always hated Morrissey. His voice, his stage persona... I hated him before he became a weird British Nationalist and it was fashionable to hate him. He is, as the classic Viz article so perfectly put it, a twat. And because bands tend to be overshadowed by the primacy of their singers (thanks, 1942-1944 musicians' strike!), I've always avoided The Smiths. So imagine how gutted I was to find that in amongst the pretentious delivery, the tedious songwriting that makes a 3 minute song feel like 6, and Morrissey's godawful yawning voice... not only is there some really interesting arrangement and production work, but some of Morrissey's lyrics aren't actually that bad. "I Know It's Over," for example, is excellent. And Johnny Marr's guitar work on "Bigmouth Strikes Again" was another standout. "Cemetery Gates," however, is reassuringly awful. And "There Is A Light That Never Goes Out," made me want to put my foot through the computer screen and send Spotify the bill. So I'm glad I've finally listened to some Smiths, and have a little more idea of what the appeal is. But I hope I never have to hear any of this wank again.

No, no...absolutely not a fan. I don't get it, I was a fan of all of this music growing up, but I found this one boring and unimaginative. The band sounded disjointed and Morrissey was out of key on a couple of tracks. I'm giving it a two based on Frankly, Mr. Shankly alone.

Just not my style

Did not like, not my style

Love Marr's guitar in The Queen is Dead. Bummer that I listened to it on the day that QE2 passed.

Wow, this was a little on the nose for my listening list for September 9, 2022! Overall, this was a decent enough album. Outside of “There is a Light That Never Goes Out”, the songs here have an emo-like blasé about them that maybe I can’t identify with nearly 40 years later. For whatever reason, I didn’t love this Smiths offering as much as I really wanted to. That said, I’m happy to have heard this album and would welcome another chance to try more Smiths albums if they popped up.

Morrissey's voice gets pretty hard to listen to after a while. Plus he can go fuck himself.

Did not care for the voice style.

Is this the most overrated album of all time? Rolling Stone puts it in top 200. 5/5 on many review sites/magazines, NME named it best album of all time in 2013. I'm not saying this is a bad album, it's just...mid at best. Morrissey's vocals are unique but a few songs in and I'm over it. So much moaning. So much repetition. There was definitely a stride from "Cemetary Gates" to "The Boy with the Thorn in His Side" where was thinking this is really good, but overall I'm just not that impressed.

nah

The day after the queen dies this is what I get...

I'm not a Smiths fan, but glad I gave this album a go. I didn't mind it, but I won't be going back to it

Not really my sound

Tricky. I really don't like Morrissey. His voice grates. It's ok on uptempo tracks but is unlistenable on slower ones. But then I like the Smiths musically. Maybe I can just say I like Johnny Marr.

Meh…

Why do people like The Smiths so much. I just find their music so inexorably dull. Awful stuff.

p560, 1986. 2 stars Jangly 80s guitar music for lonely pasty faced Mancs in long overcoats whilst standing on damp street corners in the rain, waiting in vain for someone to notice them. Everyone has a musical blind spot, an artist or band that everyone loves and which you just don't like. The Smiths are my blind spot. I don't like Morrisey's whinging whine of a voice, and too many of their songs sound the same. 2 stars for the couple of songs that sound different from the others and for Johnny Marr's guitar work.

La musique est pas particulièrement mauvaise, quelques pièces que l'instrumentation était vraiment bonne, mais vraiment pas un fan de The Smiths, particulièrement la voix de Morrissey.

Kind of cute recommending it the day the queen died. But mediocre album, just not that exciting.

the queen….is dead..is this a joke. big smiths fan but they have better albums

I liked this better than I thought I might....typically not a fan of whiney British punk

Not for me.

Niente, gli Smiths non riesco proprio a farmeli piacere, nonostante ne riconosca l'importanza.

I tried but just can't do it

Lol what a coincidence!! The queen is dead! Decent album but the smiths just annoy the hell out of me for some reason. So overrated in my opinion. Giving it a 2 cause there is definitely worse music on this list

Ironic…

I just can’t listen to Morrisey whine any longer!

She is indeed dead. Favorite track: The Queen is Dead

Can't believe I'm rating a Smith's album this low

Mediocre rock

Not my thing.

A deliberate choice by he 1001 albums project to send out this album today, 9 Sept 2022, on the news of Liz II's demise? Maybe. This is tough. While not a massive fan of the Smiths in the 1980s, I have come to appreciate Johnny Marr's playing (especially) and the dry wit of the lyrics, which stop the songs from being _too_ maudlin. The clever humour throughout, and especially when paired with the surprisingly muscular musicianship, makes this a classic album. I think the title track, Bigmouth Strikes Again and There is a Light That Never Goes Out are all classic songs, and the rest of the album is very strong. But. And this is a big 'but'... Morrissey's increasing and unapologetic racism and right-wing politics make this unpalatable for me. I just can't get the bad taste out of my mouth when I hear Morrissey. His words and actions after the Smiths have sullied and tarnished the Smiths' legacy. To quote Billy Bragg: “whenever a Smiths track comes up I flip on … I just can’t … I love Johnny Marr, he’s the nicest man I ever met in pop music. So I really feel for him that the great work that he’s done should be tainted in this way.” (https://www.theguardian.com/music/2019/may/30/bigmouth-strikes-again-morrissey-songs-loneliness-shyness-misfits-far-right-party-tonight-show-jimmy-fallon). So, I recognise how great this record is, but it just leaves me feeling uncomfortable and slightly dirty listening to it. Sorry Moz, you stuffed it up for me. 5 stars for Johnny Marr, minus a bunch for Morrissey being an abhorrent racist.

This was probably hugely influential, but I can't stand Morrissey.

This record doesnt sound bad by any means. It sounds like its on the verge of a great breakthrough but it just never comes. Maybe I'll have to try a later smiths album to see if they put it all together but this just didnt sound full to me. I was just missing something. Some good songs on here though. RIP Elizabeth 4/10

Nah

Was this a coincidence on the album choice?? Maybe they should have played Sex Pistols, God save the queen, the day before this?? Smiths is one of those bands I was never able to get into their vibe. I did like a few songs like the Queen is dead, Big mouth strikes again and there is a light that never goes out. There were a few songs I was thinking WTF, like some girls are bigger than others. Thought it was just kinda, meh. 2

No

Very oddly specific timing for this album... I didn't really like it that much, and these Monday reviews are tough because my memory of the experience is usually gone. Suffice to say, it wasn't memorable other than the timing.

I just don't like the Smiths (or Morrissey) at all. Too annoyingly whiny for me. I didn't hate this, but I definitely will not listen again.

I really like The Smiths but this album is cutesy Smiths. The sound is there but the snarkiness of the song isn't all the appealing. So much better material from his band.

It should work, it just doesn’t. It sounds like repetitive whining.

I really didn't care for the vocalist -- his voice just hit my ears wrong and his style made every song sound the same even when the music was clearly different

The Queen Is Dead and so is this album. I would have been more entertained looking at a dead queen than listening to this.

and so is this album

I can’t understand their popularity and why Morrissey is so lauded ! The album sounded the same pretty much all the way through ; monotonous melody with words. I’m voting a harsh 2*

Gallows humour with this, whether on purpose or randomly selected on this date. A couple of great songs but not enough to make me want to give it a second listen.

I thought this album was a little boring and the songs blended together and there's to little distinction between them.

Boring guitar and a less than pleasing voice equals meh

very whiney gutiar is good. comes up day the queen died pretty weird.

Not my jam at all. Singer is offtune, lyrics are weird

Not my cup of tea

Nah

Not my style

Do not like the vocalist

A handfull of decent songs but mainly just a drone tone of a album with no “umph” at all but just long droning vocals with half decent background music

The Queen Is Dead, well, given the events of yesterday the whole album is of poor taste, but it was ok, probably wouldn’t listen to it again, it was a bit too long. Frankly, Mr. Shankly is not what I expected stylistically, it has a fun bounce to it, and it doesn’t drag on like TQID did, wouldn’t choose to listen to, but didn’t dislike it and wouldn’t skip it if it came on. I Know It’s Over was ok, nothing great, nothing awful. Never Had No One Ever is just a bit dreary, nothing blows me away. Cemetery Gates is again ok, nothing much to comment on. Bigmouth Strikes Again was a bit boring. The Boy With The Thorn In His Side was listenable, wasn’t a fan though. Vicar In A Tutu never interested me that much, it came and went, and I do not care if I don’t hear it again. There Is A Light That Never Goes Out is on, the instruments are fine, just don’t really care to much. Some Girls Are Bigger Than Others might be my favourite on the album, but it still isn’t great. Honestly, the whole album was a snooze-fest, Morrissey’s vocals weren’t my favourite, and nothing in the album excited me. 2/5

Not good

I can’t handle Morrissey. Vocals are so far forward in the mix that it feels self-indulgent.

Got this album the day after the queen died. Cool. Hated the album though. 2/5

Ok

Meh

2/5 Nothing really exciting about the album IMO. It was ok but nothing crazy.

The music is so so good and the Smiths were obviously so so talented but I just can’t rate this high because Morrissey is such an atrocious human being. Sad.

It's the Smiths. Whoopie.

I have never really listened to The Smiths, I find Morrissey to be utterly insufferable. I have heard a number of their songs covered by other artists. This album has some jams, and I'm done with it and don't want to listen to it again.

Got this recommended on the day the queen died. Poor taste

Without being superfluous, "Never Had No One Ever" is one of the worst songs I've ever heard. UPDATE, OK, we have a new contender with "There Is a Light That Never Goes Out". The rest of the album, well, it started off better than Meat is Murder, but nosedived pretty quickly after that. A reluctant 2 stars, for the clearly evident attempts at musical variety, and deviation from standard pop formulas. No standout songs though.

How apt. I'm not too much of a fan of The Smiths, mainly because of the vocals. Unsurprisingly this didn't do much to change my opinion.

Ok fine. 2 stars, "Light that Never Goes Out" is fine. F Morrissey.

ficcante allegro

Chamou mais atenção porque a rainha da Inglaterra realmente está morta. Reconheci alguns hits dos 80, só que mais uma vez confirma que pós -punk num é pra mim.

I got this album the day the queen of England died, which is fine cause I have no strong feeling towards that woman, I just thought it was funny. Two stars

First of all, ba-dum-tsch, funny. Second, I'm getting really sick of all these Morrissey albums that are throwing off my Spotify algorithm. The drums on the title track are good, but the rest of the album is standard Morrissey namby-pamby fare. Blah.

It’s nice that they saved this album for this one particular day when it's accurate, but it still reeks of Morrissey.

Didn't listen tbh

Arvioni tästä levystä on väistämättä tavallistakin subjektiivisempi, sillä sen äänimaailma edustaa minulle vastustajaa: The Smiths on paras symboli sille kehitykselle, jonka ajan henki kulki punkin jälkeen rock'n'rollista ns. indie-musiikkiin. Siinä missä blues-pohjaisille genreille (mukaan lukien punk) on ominaista piilottaa melodiat yksinkertaisen ja naiivin muodon alle - mikä edellyttää kuulijalta kykyä löytää musiikin sävyt ja samalla luo tarpeellisen jännitteen koukun syntymiselle - The Smithsillä melodisuus toimii jo jatkuvana virtana, johon yksittäisten säkeiden itsensä iskevyys uhkaa alati hukkua. On oireellista, että jopa tämän levyn tarttuvimmissa kappaleissa, kuten "Bigmouth Strikes Again" ja "There Is a Light That Never Goes Out", fokus on biisinkirjoituksen sijaan tuotetun äänen miellyttävyydessä. Ja ihmiset sanovat että punk-bändien biisit kuulostavat kaikki samalta...

def not their best, mediocre at best 🙁😐 - tested positive for covid 💀💀 feeling fine as of right now, just a runny nose and some v powerful sneezes … today i spent the day watching some halloween movies off my halloweenie letterboxd list (it’s the great pumpkin charlie brown, trick r treat, practical magic,) knitting a wash cloth, drinking obscene amounts of water, and laying in bed. it’s been a good day :) it’s been nice to just do nothing

09/09/2022 The Smiths feel like a band that only 13/14 year olds like, and I’m so glad that my 13 y/o self never had a devout smiths phase bc holy shit only teenagers and pretentious fucks must be able to listen to Morrissey all the way through and genuinely enjoy it. He sounds like he swallowed a toad and its farts come out through morrissey’s mouth when he sings. What a wanker I know it’s over is a bop though — ‘Twas a good Friday :) studio was really productive today and I can feel my group getting closer and wanting to hang out more. Hopefully we’ll all hang out more in the future. Heading to San Antonio tonight.

The list of Smiths songs I like begins and ends with "How Soon Is Now?" Otherwise, they've never appealed to me, so went into this album with an open mind and and the hope that I was wrong about them. Turns out I wasn't, really. "How Soon Is Now?" aside, I seem to prefer uptempo Smiths, so "Vicar in a Tutu" and "Frankly, Mr. Shankly" were okay. But "Uptempo Smiths" seems to be a rare creature, and I'm not sure what to do with the rest of the album. Am I supposed to be taking lyrics like "And if a ten-ton truck kills the both of us..." seriously, or is there a comedic layer to it? I have no idea, but it it's the former then wow, dude, melodramatic much? I think it just boils down to the fact that I don't like Morrissey much. I don't think of him or the Smiths as goth, but he's definitely got that South Park goth kid gloomy navel-gazing vibe. I feel like he'd be exhausting to hang around. Find an antidepressant that works for you and buck up, my friend.

Man I hate the smiths. The only reason I’m giving this album 2 stars is bc I’m not an idiot and recognize their talent. But for fucks sake their music is so whiney and boring

Never been a fan of The Smiths

I can't abide The Smiths or Morrissey, I recognise that TQID has moments where it's clearly good but it bores and annoys me, it's not my type of stuff anyway but really rubs me up the wrong way for a bunch of Morrissey-related reasons. 2/5, not enjoyable.

C’est pas franchement mauvais, mais ce n’est certainnement pas le plus grand band de l’histoire. Je m’attendais à beaucoup plus du band qui porte ce titre plus tant de gens.

I liked Meat is Murder more. Not interested in anything on this album if I'm honest.

Had moments of OKness but was overall unengaging

I haven't heard of the Smiths before today. I really really dislike the 80s haunted hollow sounding vocals. The music was eh ok, just not my thing.