The Queen Is Dead

Very cool

Ok

More honkeytonk: Vicar in a Tutu https://youtu.be/ke2nucbxP1E

Totally not for me. Thought his voice was bad and he was singing about silly stuff. Just all around bad.

vazelinnal elmegy

This just goes hard, whether in context to wah pedals and catchy riffs, or suicidal ballads.

没有什么亮眼的地方。

I am a smiths apologist, this is already one of my favourite albums🙃 The queen is dead-great start, great lyrics 👍 Frankly, mr shankly- funny,clever lyrics, jaunty instrumental 👍 I know it’s over- we take our first foray into depresso-core but damn if the intensity isn’t glorious 👍 Never had no one ever- the depths of self pity, we’ve all been there. Still like this song but one of the weaker ones on this album Cemetry gates- lol it’s misspelled. I LOVE this song, one of my favourite songs of all time. The lyrics are amazing, great union between Marr and Morrissey 👍 Bigmouth strikes again- another classic. Guitar is next level 👍 The boy with the thorn in his side- good song, just not one of my favourites from this album. Doesn’t really stand out to me on this album Vicar in a tutu-playful, tongue in cheek song There is a light that never goes out- obviously a classic👍 Some girls are bigger than others- boobs. It seems an odd choice to end with this more low-key track rather than the previous,but mirrors the slightly jokey and irreverent opening. Love the subtle outro ending the album. Overall I think this album is the perfect union of Marr and Morissey, truly an amazing album 5/5

not bad! i agree with the "sad music for sad people" review

Some classic songs on this album.

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

Ronnie Specter’s wall-of-sound meets New Wave in this technically proficient album. Morrisey’s at times atmospheric and always emotive vocals are great, as is the percussion. Still, I personally did not find many of the songs themselves enjoyable at all despite the obvious talent involved and I prefer other Smiths albums to this one. To each their own; certainly worth a listen.

Had moments of OKness but was overall unengaging

cool

My favourite Smiths album. Marr and Morrissey at their peak as songwriters and performers.

I am not sure this album would resonate like it did at the time and I am bringing my old biases to it, but was always a bit of a fan...and I still enjoy hearing it...almost all of it.

Extrem generisch

Love it. Played the hell out of this album in the early 90's

3.5. Rounded down because Morrissey is an insufferable twat.

Overall pretty good. Stand out track for me is Big Mouth Strikes Again and Vicar in a Tutu. I’ve liked Big Mouth ever since I heard it in a snowboard movie as a teen. I just find the production to be ahead of it’s time using heavy vocal modulation, it’s jarring for the decade. Not being a fan of Morrisey and more so Smiths fans makes it hard for me to really enjoy this album though.

Jangly guitar in all its glory. Great melodic bass lines. But Morrisey's lyrics are the star here. Sometimes he's clever, sometimes he's a petulant child, usually he's moody as all hell, but always he's compelling. "There Is a Light That Never Goes Out" laps at the shores of genius.

One of the greatest post punk albums, with humorous yet genius lyrics from the frontman, I see why NME gave them the no.1 spot 👍

Immediately listenable with 'fun' lyrics. Pretty good really!

Amazing!

Loved it - the music and lyrics are all written so well.

Wow, these The Smiths blokes make some great music. I sure hope that Morrissey isn't an insufferable prick and ruins an otherwise perfect album composed by Marr by smashing on bloody awful lyrics on 'Some Girls Are Bigger Than Others'. Oh well.

Why this is consistently considered to be one of the greatest albums to ever be released is simply beyond me. The first half features only one great song and by “Never Had No One Ever” I’m always about to call it a day. Luckily the second half puts on a show and almost manages to save the day with a couple of extremely well-crafted songs by Marr. But in the end I think it all comes down to wether or not you find the character of Morrissey interesting enough. And I just don’t. Best: The Queen Is Dead / Bigmouth Strikes Again / There Is a Light That Never Goes Out Worst: Frankly, Mr. Shankley / I Know It’s Over / Vicar in Tutu

I'm still processing "best album ever" information. I like some songs - There is a light..., some girls..., so on. Actually, I Like the Smiths, but in small doses.

Indie rock, 1986. An incredibile record full of great performances by every member of the band and with an amazing tracklist. Every song is fantastic and it's almost impossible to pick a favourite one, from The Queen Is Dead" to "Some Girls Are Bigger Than Others". This is easily one of the best 3 albums of the 80s and so an incrdible masterpiece.

You already know

It's well enough established in this project that I hate the Smiths in general and Morrisey in particular. I'll allow that some of the music is not bad, though not quite good enough to rise above the mopey, sententious lyrics and Morrisey's ur-emo delivery. I am a little cheered to learn that all his royalties from my unwilling plays are likely being paid to the disgruntled former drummer.

4.25

Always start off not liking the song, but will always have something to hook me or keep me engaged, more interesting than enjoyable however.

Pleasant listen. Everything I expected from the Smiths. 3 stars.

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.

Genuinely enjoy the Smiths

Watching the one video from this album (The Boy With The Thorns In His Side), I remember why I don't like The Smiths: Morrissey is just a whiny little s**t. He just... tries to hold himself like he doesn't know what to do with his arms. He is no Jim Morrison, I can tell you that. And that whole jangle-y guitar. Gah. Just... irritating. Next.

I'm not into The Smiths, but have always been a bit curious (an innuendo befitting of Mr. Morrisey). They are good and this album is good. Johnny Marr does some good work arranging the music and Morrissey's lyrics are at his cryptic and/or tongue-in-cheek best. This shines through on the hits - Bigmouth Strikes Again (my personal fave), The Boy With the Thorn in his Side, and There is a Light that Never Goes Out (one of the cheeriest ugly death songs you'll ever hear). Of the lesser knowns, Frankly Mr. Shankly is a fun tune that takes a wicked dig at someone, and I Know It's Over is a musical and vocal triumph of emotion - it is just so captivating, it might even be better than Bigmouth. A few songs don't quite hit the heights of the others, but this album will definitely make me keep exploring my Smithuality.

"And if a double-decker bus crashes into us To die by your side is such a heavenly way to die And if a ten-tonne truck kills the both of us To die by your side, well, the pleasure, the privilege is mine" Such emo glory - The Smiths make emo fun and romantic. I've never listened to the Smiths before the 1001 albums and I know there are some polarizing views about them. My overall impression: this album is a lot simpler in style than their previous album Meat is Murder - I liked the music on Meat is Murder better - but, it's still a great album, with depressing yet amusing lyrics and good songwriting. The title song is a straightforward driving rocker. Good stuff. Frankly Mr Shankly is an amusing ditty aimed at the guy who ran their label. I Know It's Over sounds like an old timey rock and roll ballad about heartbreak and wanting to die. Loved the part where he repeatedly asks "Then why are you on your own tonight?" Then we get even more emo with Never Had No One Ever which moves to the jarringly upbeat emo song Cemetry Gates (really liked this one - good chorus). Bigmouth Strikes Again is a good track (and pretty prophetic as Morrissey became more of an asshole bigmouth as the years went on). Vicar in a Tutu is an amusing song that again sounds like old timey rock and roll. There is a Light That Never Goes Out is pretty straightforward and is the big classic from the album. Good simple tune that gets stuck in your head. The album ends on Some Girls Are Bigger Than Others which feels like a throwaway song with kind of stupid lyrics. It's a shame that they didn't just end with There is Light, but maybe too many listeners would jump off a bridge if they ended there. Instead, it ends on a song that makes you go "huh?" and maybe even laugh a little. Absurd, like life. Excellent album.

This is the second Smiths album in a row that this system has recommended, and while I gave the first one ("Strangeways") 5/5 I just cant recommend this one as highly. 3/5 its got a couple of solid tracks.

Little same-y across the album, kinda whiney but the musicianship is good

Hardly any guitars in the mix - again, bass guitar sounds great. Good songs, a couple are pretty ordinary. Wasn’t my thing at the time.

Good album for having some music in the background; it's easy on the ears, but missing really good compositions. On the other hand, there hardly is any really bad song to be found. The Queen Is Dead is the best track. 3/5

Frankly Mr Shankly is a twee monstrosity that had me reaching for the skip button. I know it's over actually got me pressing it. Never had no one ever is a dirge. The bass line for cemetery gates has my interest. Yes. This is actually quite enjoyable. Best track so far. Bigmouth strikes again has some cracking drums. And again, the bass is highly engaging. I don't like the backing vocals, which seem to have been pitch shifted up. The boy with the thorn in his side is The Smiths at their finest. Simple, Morrissey's vocals fit absolutely perfectly and again the bass lines are just wonderful - if there's anything to criticise it for, it's the 8-stone weakling of a finish. Vicar in a Tutu seems like a return to the twee mess of Frankly Mr Shankly, however the bass keeps you interested. Not interested enough though - my mind is wandering to how that bass could easily be the backing for a hootenanny. There is a light. Wow. Yes, so THIS song is The Smiths at peak. The imagery of the lyrics. The soaring strings. This just works. Some girls are bigger that others. Well this is all kinds of question marks about Morrissey's attitudes to women, sexuality and, frankly attention to detail. Thankfully, this is a quite a short album. There are some genuinely timeless classic tracks on here. But overall I can't really get past the twee filler tracks. Would I listen to some of these tracks again? Absolutely, 100% yes. Do I think that The Smiths were a supremely talented act that deserve recognition? Yes. Would I listen to this exact album again, as an album? Nope.

Fun album. All the songs sounded much the same to me but enjoyed the lyrics

A really solid album. Several really great tracks, and also Vicar in a Tutu.

I give The Smiths 5-stars as a band (four albums made Rolling Stone's top 500 Greatest Albums of All Time list). Yet, each album on its own doesn't quite hit the 5-star mark for me. That said, "The Queen is Dead" is probably the most well-rounded of all their non-compilation albums. 4.5/5

From what I remember the album was okay but I am having a hard time recalling the sound. I am either not paying attention or I am just getting old

36 years later and she still ain't dead. False advertising. One of my favorite albums of all time. Too bad Morrissey is kind of a dickhead, but let's separate the art from the artist. Best track is probably "Bigmouth Strikes Again" although it's so hard to choose when there's also "The Queen Is Dead", "Frankly, Mr. Shankly", "Cemetry Gates", "The Boy With A Thorn In His Side" and "There Is A Light That Never Goes Out". Do you think Lizzy listens to this in her free time cackling as she absorbs the life force of another virgin sacrifice? She'll outlive us all.

Yeagh I enjoyed that

Magnificent. The best Smiths album. Morrissey is at the height of his maudlin melodramatic lyrical superpowers. It’s just so sonically delicious the way Marr and Morrissey’s different strengths compliment each other. I’m addicted to it, I can’t get enough, I can listen endlessly. You discover something new and fascinating with every play, their music is just jam packed with nuance and pithy potency. The Queen is Dead and The Smiths are too, but I do so wish they’d ride again.

For once, I don’t know what to say about an album. I’ve somehow managed to avoid listening to The Smiths in my 36 years, except “How Soon is Now?” (a great song). I expected to like this and I think I did? Maybe? I actually listened to it twice because I couldn’t tell after the first time through.

Rating: 10/10

They were never my favourites, too unhappy, but there are some great tunes here if you can look past the wanker out front

"The Queen is Dead" is the Smiths' 3rd studio album and was primarily recorded in the second half of 1985. Produced by Johnny Marr, Morrissey and Stephen Street, Marr said he was heavily influenced by the Velvet Underground, The Stooges and the Detroit garage scene. I honestly don't think I would pick any one of those bands given 20 guesses but, hey, the music is great is so...Speaking of great, Morrissey's lyrics are pretty much brilliant - satirical, self-deprecating and personal. He covers the monarchy, record industry, loneliness, relationships, plagiarism and social commentary on the female anatomy. At times, I thought Marr's music didn't match up with Morrissey's lyrics. Maybe, they were going for a dichotomy of lyrics and music, a la Dylan's "Rainy Day Woman." I don't think that anymore; the music matches up really well to the lyrics and may actually suggest dual meaning to some of these songs. No duds on this album. Morrissey's lyrics and Marr's melodies make all songs worth checking out to some extent. "The Queen Is Dead" starts the album with a sample from a 1962 British film and the band kicks it in with their most rockin song on the album. Marr had worked on this song since he was a teenager and the lyrics are apparently about the disconnect between the royal family and reality. The second side begins with two songs about the record industry and happen to be their two singles. "Bigmouth Strikes Again" was inspired by the Stones "Jumpin' Jack Flash" and has some pretty self-deprecating lyrics. I always loved the acoustic guitar chorus and electric guitar breaks. "The Boy with the Thorn in His Side" happens to be Morrissey's favorite Smiths' song and about the difficulties dealing with the music industry. My favorite song on the album and maybe my favorite Smiths' tune is "There Is a Light That Never Goes Out:" a lonely person that gets happy and could care less if they died right then and there. At first, a song I thought the happy music didn't match the idea of getting run over by a bus. But, this actually is a happy song in a Morrissey sort of way. It's always great to revisit this album. To me this is The Smiths' best album and deserves its place among the top albums of the 80's.

Ok British sound

I love this album (mostly). Melodic guitar pop delivered with witty lyrics. Music that makes being miserable fun and not so bad as it seems. With the exception of Frankly Mr Shankly. I feel sorry for Marr, Rourke and Joyce to have written the music to this only for Morrissey to add some of the worst lyrics ever. I find it hard to listen to the Smiths since Morrissey turned into an embarrassing racist uncle but strangely enough I listened to the Queen is Dead the day before this came up on my list. You have got to love happenstance

This is the best album from one of the most influential bands of all time. The Smiths are the quintessential indie rock/British post-punk band. This album shows the Smiths at their most mature. Morrissey manages to deliver his message in a way that doesn’t come off as heavy handed as he did in ‘Meat is Murder.’ The songs themselves are crisp, melodic, and impeccably arranged. Johnny Marr’s jangly guitar is simply iconic and is textured wonderfully with the bass and drums to leave songs that feel filled out despite still communicating a sense of alienation.

Between Morrissey and Elvis Costello I'm starting to regret this 1001 album challenge. Please make this be the last of either

Ergh my gawd, Morrissey actually writes some interesting lyrics. Fighting through the gladwrap of pretentiousness is hard, but a shadow of Everest or at least Mt Ainslie awaits.

Oh, Morrissey, you sound so good but everything now is tinged with your later-in-life bitterness and weird racism. So I'm detracting a point because I just can't get past it.

Not really for me; not a fan of the voice and singing style as well as the overall sound. After listening a second time it got better, hence it´s gained a star.

Another one of these huge pop-albums that shows how big the difference is between a true classic and the average, very good 1001-album (like these Morrissey solo albums that are included in the list as well). Contains non-stop Smiths classics: I Know It's Over, Bigmouth and There's a Light etc.

So much better than Meat is Murder. Was edging towards 4 stars, but a second listen made me realise this deserves full marks.

4.5

Brit pop portat a la seva sublimació. Morrissey amb les lletres més increïbles de la seva carrera, Johnny Marr amb unes guitarres que fan fiblar d'emoció i unes cançons que no tenen escletxa per on poder trobar febleses. Perfecte en tot el seu minutatge

For some reason I just don’t enjoy this kind of stuff. It’s not really bad to me, but just not fun to listen to.

I had a hard time accepting that I liked the Smiths and can never go back.

Quelle journée.....

pas le choix c'est trop bien

banging album. overall, a masterpiece.

I mean Fuck Morrissey. But also, this is like top 5 album of all time for me. So sucks I fucking guess. But it's so solid.

I really wanted to hate this, but it has some good songs and Morrissey’s odd voice gives the songs a lot of their character.

Some obviously massive tunes in Cemetery Gates, Bigmouth Strikes Again and There is a Light which are kind of let down by some of the weaker tracks

Gave it two spins in a row cause it’s been a while and it’s so refreshing. It was better than I remembered it being, and I remembered it being very good.

Oh no. Not looking forward to this...I listened to a few songs when Mike played the vinyl but I just don't like them. This probably makes me a bad music snob.

I liked the production and grooves. The really unique delivery of the singer often sounds like singsong narration rather than melody. Sometimes that's cool, but it's a little much for a long listen, even on this short-ish album. The lyrics are also really literal and expository rather than esoteric and poetical. It's strange feeling: to be surprised, by the thought, that this is unusual!

not bad, I can’t say that it’s just fantastic, but I liked a few songs, I plan to learn more about them

She said “i know you and you cannot sing”, I said “you should hear me play piano”.

Fuck Morrisey- I refuse to listen to him. I prefered the Primitives and Cure then and still do today. I don’t know why anyone would even want to cover it. #old

Will stick with my review from chat. I Never really liked Morrissey, and never listen to the Smiths. Having listen to the record now, it’s not that I don’t like it, is that it really doesn’t stand out for me in anyway. I think of it up in something that I had love in the 80s, I could still see enjoying it. I don’t think it is aged poorly. But I don’t think it has a lot it really invites me to watch explore more his music.

Why is there so much fucking Morrissey on this list

Pretty solid Smiths album. Great if you like the Smiths, not if you don’t.

Very sorry that he was going through it. Gotta say though, not very much for me. I know it's over is so slept on and the best song on here. Strong 3

Ha, excellent timing to give me this during Jubilee week. Not listened because I played this to death growing up so it's indelibly marked upon my psyche, I can play it to myself whenever I want.

Good. Best Song: Cemetry Gates

As much as it pains me...I gotta say I like Morrissey.

I feel like Danzig and Morrissey are long lost twins, where one is a total whiny pussy and the other one fucking kicks ass. OK Danzig is kind of a whiny pussy too but at least he croons to metal.

A damn near perfect album. And yet not my favourite Smiths album, Meat is Murder wins that distinction. This album rocks; The Queen is Dead & Bigmouth. This album is gorgeous lyrically; I know it's Over & There is a Light that Never Goes Out. This album has tongue in cheek humour; Vicar in a Tutu & Frankly Mr. Shanklin. This album is solid from beginning to end. 5 🌟

rätt gött. något gnällig sång samt att det är något med gitarrsoundet som jag inte gillar supermycket. men det är ju ändå ett bra album med många bra låter. samt att detta är drömlängden för ett album. så det får dom ett stort plus för.

My sophomore year in college, I got mono and listened to nothing but The Smiths for two months. I don’t listen to them too often anymore but I formed a bond to the music during that window of time and I’ll always count them among my favorite bands. Their style is a balancing act - the music can have a muscular rock sound (I love that fat and funky bass!) but they can be delicate at the same time (like how they add that twinkling synth at the end of “The Queen Is Dead”). Morrissey is the king of sad and melancholy rock but he’s also very funny. He can really sell these ballads of unrequited love but there’s usually at least a hint of irony in his delivery. He’s one of my favorite lyricists too. “Frankly, Mr. Shankly” is a hilarious song and “I’d rather be famous than righteous or holy” is a great line. Here’s another line I love in “Bigmouth Strikes Again”: “Now I know how Joan of Arc felt / As the flames rose to her Roman nose / And her Walkman started to melt.” Ugh lines like that make me want to write rock lyrics. The album is stacked with great songs but these are probably my favorites: “I Know It’s Over,” “Bigmouth Strikes Again,” “The Boy With the Thorn in His Side,” “There Is a Light That Never Goes Out”

Freakin Morrissey, the original sadboi. This is some jangly emo shit right here, bringing me back to high school. I love how even the up-tempo songs still have a dark subject matter; re: "Cemetry Gates" (not to be confused with Pantera's "Cemetery Gates"). A clear favorite track for me is "Bigmouth Strikes Again". Definitely an influential album for many sadbois and grls.

I like how this album starts with some energy and keeps it up. Even the third track, "I know it's Over" which is a little slower and somewhat ballad-y, has a drum and bass groove that keeps it moving. Morrissey just has such a great evocative voice. It's sensitive and yet still has a touch of tough-ness to it. Hearing this full through has given me some new tracks to put in my current rotation. I never really gave The Smiths the time of day but I really enjoyed this!

Not going lie: I was totally disinterested in The Smiths because of Morrisey's (and by extension, The Smith's) rep for depression-centric music. And I only knew "How Soon Is Now", so my thoughts were flavoured with that. But wow was a surprised with "The Queen is Dead"! Lyrically, musically really interesting and inventive. I loved this album and have gladly added it to my collection.

My feelings about The Smiths have changed over the course of this project. From apathy to dislike to disdain. Much of that downward progression can be attributed to Morrissey. He's such a vapid, pretentious ass. Listening to him whinge on and on about himself for a whole album leaves me filled with hatred and loathing. He's just the worst.

Totally understand why people dislike The Smith's, but I throughouly enjoyed it, "There Is A Light That Never Goes Out" and "Some Girls Are Bigger Than Others" are my favourite tracks and a great choice to end the album on.

Not really my thing.

Una joya Soberbio Perfecto Sin duda tenía que estar en la lista Excelente álbum

This is really upbeat for a Smiths record. Some Girls Are Bigger Than Others is a certified banger!

Pop tranquilo con una voz inconfundible. Melodioso y con algo de ritmo

Classic love the smiths

Anthems for incels. Knowing, relatable lyrics and fantastic music. Morrisey is still twat.

Undoubtedly The Smiths finest moment. The Queen is Dead is where they go balls to the wall with their sound and ambition. Just when you think they have peaked with one song or two (the title track, Never Had No One Ever), they go ahead and whack you with another set of songs (Bigmouth Strikes Again, The Boy With the Thorn in His Side, There is a Light That Never Goes Out) that just obliterates whatever your preconceptions are of what's possible. This is rightly considered to be the absolute best album The Smiths ever made and it's an essential album of the 80s.

Okay I guess.

Fuck Morrissey, but damn this is a good album. It is so impressive to me that the music and lyrics are completely separate creative processes within The Smiths and still manage to be so damn cohesive. This album is a fantastic sound that keeps you encapsulated the entire way through. I just can't really put into words that make sense how good I find this album.

Ok. Too repetitive.

one of the great

Nie moglo zabraknac tej bandy na liscie, the smiths z ich trzecim studyjnym krazkiem the queen is dead to jeden z najbardziej influencyjnych brytyjskich materialow lat 80, polaczenie dancingowo synthowych melodii z gloomerowymi lirykami traktujacymi o zyciu ktore pozbawione jest sensu i nadziei na lepsze jutro, bo jutro przynosi tylko wiecej dzisiaj, wiec pradziady dla gloomerowej filozofii zycia, smithsy dostaly drugie zycie z rozwojem tej subkultury w wirtualnym webie, a utwory z tej plyty staly sie prawdziwymi hymnami niezliczonych rzesz umeczonych czlekow, a za sukcesem bandy kryje sie potezne ego pana Morrisseya, ktory juz mial wlasnego picka na liscie wczesniej, natomiast za aranzacje muzyczne odpowiedzialny w tym wypadku byl multiinstrumentalista i kompozytor zesplu Johnny Marr, reszte skladu stanowi Andy Rourke na basie i Mike Joyce na drumsach, niewiele jest chyba plyt ktore kreuja tak nierealnie przerysowanych bohaterow, a jednoczesnie brzmia tak autentycznie i czuc z nich zarowno ego poczucia wyzszosci nad reszta z jednoczesna zaloscia nad swoim losem, jak dla mnie to wlasnie stanowi o brzmieniu smithow, ale jednak czlowiek musi byc w odpowiednim nastroju zeby naprawde przezyc ten odsluch, moze nie teraz, ale kiedys tego doswiadczylem, wiec zarowno plyte jak i bande trzymam gdzies w specjalnym miejscu bibliteczki muzycznej, wiec nie ma co dodawac na plejke, bo z dziesieciu utworow ktore tworza ten zwiezly trzydziestoszescio minutowy krazek cztery juz sa dodane, poza hymnem gloomerowym, czyli there is a light that never goes out znalazlo sie miejsce takze dla otwierajacego utworu kawalka tytulowego te queen is dead, frankly, mr shankly i the boy with the thorn in his side, dobre bylo sobie odswiezyc takiego klasyka, ktory jest dobrym wytrychem do wyspiarskiej sceny indyjsko rokowej

Kyl mä vaan nautin tästä levystä vaikka solisti on yks perse! 😂 Tosi melodista ja melankolista. Kaunista rockmusaa. 4/5

Onhan tää mielettömän kova. Aika monta kertaa tullut kuunneltua ja aina ihastuttaa uudestaan. Musapuoli on ihan priimaa ja Morrisseyn tavassa laulaa angstisia ja paikoin hupsuja tekstejä on myös jotain kumman vetoavaa.

Olipa nautinnollista! There is a light on toki klassikko, mutta tykkäsin myös Frankly, Mr. Shanklysta.

nice album tranquilo y algunas buenas para viajes

Dankzij deze site eindelijk eens wat meer van The Smiths gaan draaien en dat bevalt prrrrrrima; Niet alleen de hitjes zijn goed!

Ik ben fan van The Smiths. There's a Light that Never Goes Out is een van mijn favoriete tracks.

Ik bleek al zeker de helft van de nummers op dit album te kennen, en de rest is ook top! Echt een verrassend goede plaat! Ik hou echt van de Smiths' sound.

Lekker luchtig en die stem blijft fijn. Wel voor m'n gevoel een beetje een Smiths-overkill in deze lijst.

Goog

British emo

Low 4, good but not as good as strangeways

Meh, was ok. Couple of good songs. 5/10

Liked it more than the Morrissey solo album I had before, but not by a whole lot.

I liked the production and grooves. The really unique delivery of the singer often sounds like singsong narration rather than melody. Sometimes that's cool, but it's a little much for a long listen, even on this short-ish album. The lyrics are also really literal and expository rather than esoteric and poetical. It's strange feeling: to be surprised, by the thought, that this is unusual!

Enjoyed but found some songs sounded similar to each other

Petica

Savršenstvo. Neću trošiti riječi. Znaju ljudi šta ja mislim o ovom albumu.

What if we met…. 😳🙈 at the cemetery gates?!?? 👉👈🥺

Ok, kinda whiny singing, good music.

I loved most of this album but there are a couple songs that really don't grab me so it falls a bit short. 4.5/5 stars

The original kings of emo. Morrissey can be a little melodramatic, from envisioning himself being buried in a grave, to wanting to be involved in a fatal car accident, but his voice and Johnny Marr's reverb-drenched guitars add a certain morbid romance to the whole thing. Shame Morrissey's a massive cunt! Favorite tracks: "The Queen is Dead", "There Is A Light That Never Goes Out", "Bigmouth Strikes Again"

Took me 3 tries to get through this and it's not even a long album. I find it painful to listen to. It's so whiney.

Probably my favorite Smiths album but I'm so burnt out on them from Morrissey's overrepresentation on the list that I'm not sure I can muster anything more than a 3.

One of the more popular The Smiths albums. Unfortunately the more I hear of Morrissey the less I like him. It's "good" but I can't anymore... "There is a Light That Never Goes Out" is still their best song though, still like that one.

The Smiths reached perfection with this album. A collection of killer melancholic, romantic, Victorian songs from start to finish. It’s not an exaggeration to say that these songs have been the soundtrack of part of my life. Morrisey is at his best here, let alone Johnny Marr (deeply love his guitar with the capo on Bigmouth strikes again) This is the album for the black parade…

Enjoyable.

Every time I write about the Smiths I feel I should reinforce my view that Morrissey is a cunt. The worst person who's music I will love forever. Now that is out of the way... From start to finish, The Queen Is Dead is, perhaps, The Smiths' strongest album, and it's certainly their funniest. In particular, the Kinks-like music hall bounce of "Frankly, Mr. Shankly" and the rockabilly-tinged "Vicar in a Tutu" sport hilariously cruel lyrics, while brutal one-liners crop up in nearly every track. Elsewhere, the shimmering "The Boy with the Thorn in His Side" is one of Johnny Marr's most glorious tunes, while "There Is a Light That Never Goes Out" features one of Morrissey's most disconsolately romantic lyrics. A stone cold 5/5 for one of the best albums that will ever be written.

4.25

I pretty much only know "How Soon Is Now" from The Smiths, and I've heard the stories of how much of a sad sack Morrissey is. Based on that, I was pretty surprised with how energetic the first two songs were, Frankly Mr. Shankly even having some comedy to it. The Queen is Dead as an opener is pretty solid. The album only has a couple of really "sad" tunes which are I Know It's Over, and Never Had No One Ever. Most of the album has some pep and hopefulness to it. It was a nice surprise, I enjoyed this more than I expected I would. Still wouldn't go out of my way to seek it out, but it was a nice listen. Songs I enjoyed: The Queen is Dead, Cemetry Gates, Bigmouth Strikes Again

The Smithsiä, mitä muuta voi sanoa. Monotonista masismusaa, vaikka myönnettäköön että oli mukana pari biisiä joita kuunnellessa ei tehnyt mieli vetää ranteita ihan täysin auki.

Fav songs: - The Queen Is Dead - Bigmouth Strikes Again

Right. There are a few duds on this album but god damn if Johnny Marr isn’t one of the best guitarists from the 1980s. Cannot rate it lower.

I really enjoyed the full album.

very good 80s brit pop

Overall I liked it but I didn't love it

Muito bom.

a bit repetitive but a couple enjoyable songs

Yes. This. Just. Yes! This is one these albums that have defined my taste in music. It might no be flawless. It might sound dated to some. But for me it is a walk down memory lane. And what a pleasant walk it is.

A good coverage of Johnny Marr's different musical styles for the Smiths. Some of their greatest songs are on this LP.

one of my favorite albums

Loved it years ago, still good. Morrisey is still, well, difficult, but this album is really good

Best. Alltaf.

first half was decent

Knocking off a star because of Morrissey

3 stars for "I know it's over". The rest is nothing I'd come back to, but this one really hits hard.

I'd rather chew on aluminum foil than listen to morrissey.

Listened to 1/25/21 4.5/5 Favorite song: Cemetery Gates Great album - very chill

So this was a listen. Great music, strange lyrics, an 80's album thru and thru.

Well I guess you shouldn't believe everything you read or hear about a band. I was under the impression that the smiths were a downbeat, moany, depressing group - Now i realize that's mostly from people completely focusing on Morissey all the while letting his wit and sarcasm go way above their heads. While it's true Morissey tackles heavier subjects and can come off as a complainer, I think that's largely a misrepresentation of what he's doing. To me, it seems obvious the whole point is to have a juxtaposition between his angsty lyrics and the gorgeous music underneath him. That's only strengthened by his quirky, unconventional vocal melodies and the odd surreal lyric. Coming back to the music; it's just fantastic. The sweet, intricate guitar lines are beautiful, the basslines are catchy, the keys dreamy and the drum rhythms driving. I want to give extra credit to marrs unique and vibrant guitar playing but every time I forcus on him I notice that the music around him is what elevates him so much - so extra credit to everyone i guess. Always remains light, fun and just delightful to listen to.

I hate the fact that this is an excellent album.

Den tror jeg lige man skal høre tio noget mere. Den er god men springer ikke ligefrem i ørene endnu.

Durchgehört, obwohl zwischenzeitlich schwer erträglich, schließlich sind The Smiths ein Name. Wohl kaum eine Band ist derartig überschätzt wie The Smiths. Vielleicht muss man damals dabeigewesen sein? Es spricht für Morrissey, dass er sich für seine späteren Solo-Alben (die mir ja zum Längen besser gefallen haben) bessere Songschreiber ausgesucht hat (denn kreativ ist das hier alles nur leidlich ansprechend), aber er gibt auf dieser Platte auch überhaupt keine gute Figur ab.

Never really had the Smiths on my radar, but I'm glad they now are. Great album~

Loved this. I was a kid when The Smiths were on Top of The Pops, and Morrissey was swinging about his gladioli. I didn't really get it then. Now I absolutely fucking get it.

It has that 80s sound. It was a little eccentric but it was a relatively short album.

Morrissey is an insufferable twat.

6/10 Very vibe. thats it

I had a roommate who liked Morrissey. We don't speak anymore. But ii do love the Smith's

mr johnny is a talented man. mr morris is a cunt.

There were a few tracks I enjoyed and was kinda dancing along to while making myself lunch. In fact, one of the songs I had previously liked, probably from a spotify radio or my discover weekly. There are some interesting tones and effects on the instruments throughout this record, and I think that aspect is the primary draw for me. I totally get why people would love this, especially back when it came out, but it didn't really do it for me.

Didn’t need to listen

Big Mouth Strikes Again is probably The Smiths' best song (and yes, that includes How Soon Is Now?), but Frankly Mr Shankly is probably their worst.

I'm already in a bad mood today and the idea of listening to this fascist wax on about his moronic ideals or listen to the dumbest fucking rhyme I've ever heard in my life (Frankly, Mr. Shankly) fills me with the white hot anger of a thousand suns.

4.5

Quite simply one of THE greatest albums of all time!!!

Wow…. what a first. I was expecting something I didn’t know front to back. I’ve always really enjoyed this album. This was before any bias, so pure…… Frankly, Mr. Shankly is one of my favorites. I Know It’s Over is absolute shit. So it Cemetery Gates. Some Girls Are Bigger Than Others is a Ladywriter by Dire Straits rip off. Maybe this album is actually not good. It’s not bad, but I really only like about half the songs.

I never dislike the Smiths, but it does all run together for me. Fairly clever lyrics, and I certainly see the impact on alternative music.

Actually really like “Queen is Dead”, the pace, the tone and the criticisms in the lyrics. Reminds me of “Bela Lugosi’s Dead” by Bauhaus in sound. However it doesn’t feel particularly strong as the introductive song and nothing that follows really even matches this. Don’t like the slurred vocals. Sounds like every song is being sung by a drunkard at karaoke. This is only made worse as the songs become slowed down and more depressive. However I can see the influence this album would have had on some people, some of the lyrics are very interesting. Such a shame Morrissey is an absolute hypocrite with zero self awareness.

Por fin un disco en que las canciomes son diferentes entre si!

okish 3/5

Some girls are bigger than others indeed...

27th December 2021 Listened in the morning back in the UK whilst clearing up and doing bits and pieces! Morrissey works through his mother issues in entertaining style.

9/10

The Smiths are the type of band I wish I could like more. Their sound is certainly unique, but generally not gripping enough for me to love them. Regardless, I can recognize that this album is very good, and worth checking out. Favorites: "I Know It's Over", "Bigmouth Strikes Again", "There Is a Light That Never Goes Out"

Very good

Very enjoyable album. The song topics are quite creative, even while being often depressing or self-deprecating. The humor in the songs really makes it an enjoyable listen for me. 8/10

I have to say I like this even though I wanted to hate it I hate Morrissey but this album is amazing actually

A couple of great songs, otherwise fine, but not something I'd come back to.

this will always be a favorite. it doesn't have some of my all-time top smiths tracks, but that doesn't matter - it's as much of a time capsule of 1986, complete and whole in itself, as skylarking, by xtc, is at times forgettable in its 1986-ness

Some interesting production tricks and solid chorus-tinged guitar tone, but not enough variation from song to song to leave any lasting impression. Also Morrissey is a piece of shit.

alright soft/alt rock album, much political content that im not really aware of

I ate a giant burger after listening to this. Take that Morrissey!!

Near faultless (particularly the 2nd side). Morrissey at both his black humour best on the title track and ‘Big Mouth’ and most poignant (I Know It’s Over). It’s a cliche but ‘There is a Light’ remains one of the greatest 3 minutes ever committed to tape.

Good album

Gran disco!!!, que mas decir

I can see why this is influential and I like some of the tracks but I don’t think it’s something I’ll come back to frequently.

sucks lmao

Pretty good. Probably need more listens to really get it

Reveals how much Smiths songs need a gimmick, not to mention a kick up the arse. The evidence is I Know It's Over, Never Had No One Ever and The Boy with the Thorn in His Side, which slump too comfortably into their favourite armchair. But everywhere else, they land on something unusual to give the elliptical storytelling, bummed-out vocals and chipper guitar the lift they need. That's a win for form. As for content, only time will tell if I can find any sort of emotional communion with Morrisey. For now, I'm happy to chuckle at his prickly phrasemaking.

Good

Tell you what, Morrissey should have been a fortune teller. He foresaw the queen's death. Mind you, that's treason- it's a good job he wasn't born 500 years ago or his head would be on a spike by now. And I bet even that wouldn't be enough to stop his whining. Joking aside, it's not a bad album but not a particularly good one either.

Listened to this album while I walked Jake to Grams. Love this one.

Tough one. I love big mouth, and I like the bopping feel of some of the songs. But the slightly off key moaning/mumbling just isn’t for me. The Smiths are more than three stars, but not today.

Love it. Not a consistent album by any means but up there for me.

I danced down to the knees

Galna pangare som vanligt!

I prefer Meat Is Murder but this is arguably their peak.

Bra grejer!

It's hard to rate this album - it's certainly influential and there are a couple of great tracks like \"Bigmouth strikes again\" and \"There is a light that never goes out\", but then there are terribly stupid lyrics (\"Some girls are bigger than others\") and mopey lyrics (\"Never had no one ever\"). Also, I don't care for Morrissey.

Teenage me would have given this 6 stars. Adult me wasn’t quite as captivated, and possibly conflicted by Morrissey becoming so horrendous.

Second Listen. I enjoy some of the songs. Stand out tracks: I Know it's Over. Bigmouth Strikes Again, The Boy with The Thorn in His Side.

It was nice and a good eye opener. Not my cup of tea.

Love The Smiths, love this album.

Vähän tylsä ja pitkä levy ilman suurempia tuntemuksia.

Ei antanut oikeastaan yhtään mitään. Pari skippasin ku kävi tylsäks. Usein varsinkin laulu nimenomaan oli plääh

Ahh.... The whining of Johnny Marrs guitars and the whining of Morrisey. Back to the good old days when Morrisey wasn't a controversial figure! Marr & Morrisey at their height here, Morrisey's poetry and Johnny's searing guitar licks. Lovely stuff, you can hear the Detroit influences of Iggy and the MC5 in the heart of the tunes throughout here. My favourites..... Gotta be "The Queen Is Dead" (Life is very long....when your lonely)"Big Mouth Strikes Again" & "The Boy With The Thorn In His Side" & for fun "Frankly Mr Shankly" and of course "There's A Light That Never Goes Out"

Amazing! Loved it from the first second to the last

God I hate The Smiths.

Nice classic soond

A few really good songs- There is Light, Boy With the Thorn, Bigmouth. The Smiths don't make bad songs and same goes for this one although Frankly Mr Shankly is teetering on the edge. Either way, there's a good reason the Smiths have like 500 compilation albums and a couple of them are what most people who are casual Smiths fans know them by. The hits are great, the rest of it is average.

Tråkigt

Decent album - i love there is a light that never goes out, but no other real standout tracks.

Not very remarkable, weird lyrics "some girls are bigger than others". Personally not interesting.

Frankly Mr. Shankly - favorite I know it's over reminds me of a depressing prom song.

My first Smiths album! I remember hearing There Is a Light at work and being like "what is this??" - I think I listened to nothing but the smiths for months after that. Definitely a memorable album for me.

What makes an album? Is it themes: musically, lyrically or narrativly? Is it a bug idea split into chapters like a book? Or is it simply that every song is great in it's own right and deserves a place on the album? This album does that, every song is amazing lyrically, musically the lot. Still a bunch of despicable twats though!

Great pop record

I'm kind of surprised that this album (and the Smiths in general) is so popular. It's not bad by any means, but it's pretty unspecial to me and just has SO many plays!

Solid album

First Listen. Morrissey's voice: good or annoying. Couple good songs. Need to hear more. 2/5.

Fantastic songs on hear. Really enjoyed it and relistening to songs I don't listen to very often

I really do love the Smiths. I find them very nostalgic for my teenage years. This is a great album with some bangers. Only lost a star because Morrissey is a c*nt.

it was better than i’d thought, the singing was a little droopy and monotone but i did like the music overall. some of it was really spread out unnecessarily, but it was good.

Leading with this to make a belaboured and petulant yet important point: Morrissey is a pitiful racist shit-for-brains asshole. now then... Morrissey was the stereotypical epitome of mopey British whiny music that I thought I loathed while I was in high school. It's likely that outside of a lousy party or three I'd never listened to more than 4 straight minutes of The Smiths. But seeing as high school was a long time ago :P maybe this means I'm now a whiny British mope? Or at least I'm able to see past the vocals because what is wrong with me...I'm now starting to enjoy The Cure and Depeche Mode and...this first song kinda kicks ass? "The Queen is Dead" and apparently so are my previously-held musical blocks because this is a great song. There's so much more variety than I'd expected on this album - the first two cuts move along nicely and then "I Know It's Over" starts in and just when you think it might be a little too slow and dull, there's just the right musical touch - the string lines, a faint clean guitar riff - that adds the perfect colour and takes the song to the next level. Other standouts for me: "Never Had No One Ever" is haunting and "Cemetry Gates" has some tremendous guitar work. I definitely overlooked this band to my detriment - the music is melodic and sad (predictable, that) and quite lovely, and for the most part the oddly-coiffed goose-stepper behind the mic doesn't sound too bad on many of these although he definitely goes off the rails or just grows tiring on a few for me. In particular the final two "There Is A Light That Never Goes Out" and "Some Girls..." would have been better without him, or maybe just different lyrics. All in all, pretty enjoyable and enlightening. Morrissey can still get stuffed with a well-done steak though. 7/10 4 stars

Nearly perfect blend of Smiths style rock and roll and there knack for beautiful melodies and poignant t ballads. Has some of The Smiths best songs. I loved this album when it was released and still do today. 5 🌟

5.0 + "Oh, mother, I can feel the soil falling over my head..."

Solid, full of hits

Loved this, still evokes many happy memories of schooltime mayhem. Shame Morrissey turned out to be such a prick though.

Sorry. I'm not a massive fan of The Smiths.

I wanted to hate this. Instead I was just mildly annoyed. Best track: There is a Light that Never Goes Out

An acerbic indie classic

some entertaining songs and some interesting ones but overall not my thing

Great voice. Good sound. Indie rock.

Probably their best work - definitely my favorite of the 3 we've gotten so far. Maybe a little surprised by how catchy some of these are Already Saved: The Boy with the Thorn in His Side; There Is a Light That Never Goes Out Saved After Listening: I Know It's Over, Bigmouth Strikes Again*

Saved Prior: Bigmouth Strikes Again; There Is a Light That Never Goes Out Off Rip: The Queen Is Dead; Frankly, Mr. Shankly; I Know It's Over; Cemetry Gates; Some Girls Are Bigger Than Others Cutting Edge: None Overall Notes: Yeah this was probably my favorite Smiths album, but it didn't get all the way to 5 territory. Good lyrics, great guitar work, melodies are hit or miss but much more hit than miss this album. There Is a Light That Never Goes Out and Bigmouth Strikes Again are two of my favorite Smiths songs ever. Good stuff

The Smiths are dated now and Morrisey being Morrisey and all, they've caught some flack. This album doesn't hold up as much today, but spoke of the times and was influential to so much of the later and current music we have now.

10/7 Incredible pop album.

Not bad, my dad liked this music

Not the best thing to listen to first thing on a Monday morning, but I like

Overrated. Good, not great.

Pure talent y'all.

3.5 rounded up for the singles. Some lovely bass lines. Shame about Morrissey's whole... personality.

I used to hate The Smiths. Without having heard most of their work, I judged it as mopey, self-flagellating posturing from an arrogant bigot. This all changed five years ago, when I was cornered by an aggressively enthusiastic fan in a club toilet to explain exactly what I didn't like. I haplessly explained that, well, as a guitarist, it was impossible not to appreciate Johnny Marr's playing. The rhythm section were tight too. So was it Morrissey? Well, I did like some of his lyrics. He certainly had a way with words. So..... his vocals, then? Actually, vocal imperfections don't bother me too much- it's the heart of the song that matters most to me. So what was my problem?! I went home, listened to this album soon after, and realised I had been a fool for shutting them out on impulse. It quickly became an absolute classic: the surging momentum of the opening track with its hilarious stream-of-consciousness lyric (there is so much more humour here than casual listeners give the Smiths credit for); the magnificent melodic run of upbeat-but-caustic-but-wistful "Cemetry Gates" to "Boy with the Thorn..."; the heartbreakers "I Know It's Over" (my all-time favourite Smiths song) and of course, "There Is A Light...". Morrissey is still an arrogant bigot, but in this case he can take my five stars and shove them up his arse.

Acquired taste the Smiths. Not for me.

Weird. And weird is good. Probably it'll be good to listen to it another time.

The Smiths. Sí que es para tenerlo en vinilo, sí...

Garbage

Didn't enjoy because of Morrissey although there were one or two catchy numbers.

Bigmouth Strikes Again is definitely my favorite song on this album

I like the Smiths, and have heard many of their songs and a full album or two. I'm not sure if I've heard this album before, but I knew several tracks prior to listening to the album. "Cemetry Gates" is a potential new favorite, and "There is a Light That Never Goes Out" and "Bigmouth Strikes Again" are favorites that I've heard many times before. Compared to when I first listened to the Smiths, I have more questions about whether I like the content of the lyrics or not. For now, I'd listen to this album again.

Kinda overrated imo. I would go as far as to say this is the weakest Smiths album.

Second Morrissey in a week, and my first album from The Smiths. It's well done, but my favorite. I can see a bit of influence on later, heavier bands that I like, like Pop Will Eat Itself.

Pretty good considering the lead singer is a shit racist.

Quiero que me gusten los Smiths, de verdad. Pero nunca he podido. Una canción aquí o allá, sí, pero nunca un álbum completo. Creo que es culpa de Morrisey por un par de razones diferentes. Primero, no conocí a la banda bien sino hasta ya mediados de mis veintes, con cierta cantidad de bagaje, referencias y gustos encima; probablemente de haber sido un adolescente en los 80, me hubieran encantado como música contemporánea. Número dos, la voz de Morrisey siempre me ha molestado y no puedo superarlo; no tengo un problema con la manera en que la imposta medio femenina, eso es solo un estilo y está bien; pero tiene una entonación de vergüenza y no puede cantar tres notas seguidas en tono ni por su vida. Tiene una voz muy propia, que entiendo por qué puede llamarle a algunos, pero a mí no me va. La siguiente cosa acerca de Morrisey es que, desde que tengo memoria, siempre ha estado en una línea que va de lo desagradable a lo poco profesional, pasando por la patanería, un gigantesco complejo de superioridad y hasta de vez en cuando con sus tintes pseudoracistas. No tengo un solo recuerdo positivo que me venga a la mente sobre él como persona de ningún comentario, referencia, entrevista ni nada; separar al artista del arte y blah blah blah pero en este caso particular eso realmente me estropea escucharlos. Es con ese trasfondo que vengo a escuchar este disco y lo que es todavía más dificil es que REALMENTE me gusta la música. Es rock alternativo suave musicalmente muy bien hecho, quizá si no tuviera a Morrissey si bien no serían mi máximo me dejaría llevar un poco más y sería más laxo. Suenan cabrón a R.E.M. con un toque británico y sí, musicalmente es simplemente genial. Tal vez, si pasara tiempo con uno de sus discos, podría llegar a tolerar o incluso a disfrutar de su voz. Simplemente no veo por qué debería hacer eso por alguien que no parece una buena persona. ¿Quizá mi opción es buscar una versión instrumental?

Nunca le había entrado a The Smiths, conocía solo unas pocas rolas y apenas ubicaba a Morrissey por su mala reputación de cancelar conciertos al último momento. La verdad es que no me parecío nada malo musicalmente hablando. Algunas canciones son incluso pegajosas y entretenidas. Mi único punto bajo es que la voz de Morrissey no es de mi total agrado y de hecho me parece que hace intencionalmente ese tono tan nasal que es característico pero que a mi gusto satura el oído. Sí me deja con un par de rolas que puedo volver a escuchar y si sale otro disco de ellos no lo vería tan mal.

Masterpiece.

Good music, mot my music

I've always kinda liked a few songs by The Smiths (Boy with the thorn..., girlfriend in a coma, there is a light...) but this is the first time I've listened to this album. The two big hitters here are still the better tracks, but I've now resigned to the fact that I just don't enjoy Morrissey's style of singing - his Kermit the Frog tone, and his way of SPLAT-ing his voice onto a note just to the side of a more melodic one. The latter made a lot of the songs sound like he was just trialling his lyrics in a first sing through kinda way. Anyway, just okay to me. Don't quite understand the hype around this band, but I'm no longer gonna worry about "getting" them. 2.5/5

Very 80's but it sounds good 4

Never really listened to the Smiths, now i see why... that was pretty boring. 80's british pop pretty much.

I didn't think I had the mental fortitude to push past a voice that sounds like British Homer Simpson huffing helium, but alas here we are. First of all, I fucking hate the racist assclown whois Steven Patrick Morrissey. His outright criticism of conservative Margaret Thatcher was epic in the 80's, but now his support for anti-Islamic politicians and rhetoric concerning minorities is disappointing to say the least. Before all this came about, I merely hated his self-righteous overly dramatic buffoonery. But the hypocrisy and asinine behavior is some next level shit. The fact that Morrissey still somehow buoyed by ardent supporters and fans is pretty gross. As for The Smiths, truly, the only saving grace and engine behind the band is guitarist, Johnny Marr. U2's guitarist, The Edge is often referred to as 'the rich man's Johnny Marr' and that's fitting seeing how U2 has sold a combined 175 million records over time while The Smiths has sold less than 10% of that number. However Marr's jangly Rickenbacker / Telecaster sound is unmistakable and immediately identifiable as the sound of independent 80's music from Britain. It's hard to enjoy The Smiths because of the asshat who is inextricably linked to this band. However, I did get a chuckle when I read today that The Smiths, after being offered Oasis-style money for a reunion tour in 2025, was gladfully accepted by Morrissey while simultaneously ignored by Johnny Marr. Or, so Morrissey claimed. Marr responded to Morrissey on social media "As for the offer to tour, I didn't ignore the offer - I said no." In context of 2024, the title of this album. The Queen is Dead is obviously referring to Steven Patrick Morrissey and good riddance. In another parallel universe, this album plays better, it's not contaminated by British Homer Simpson huffing whippits with David Duke, and inevitably scores higher than a three.

If there ever was an album prescient of and apropos for Quarantimes, it is The Queen is Dead. Just as Schitt’s Creek was, surprisingly, exactly what many of us needed in the dark winter of 2020-2021 (YOU fold it in!), this album is just what I need as this Bullshit Period of Time takes a spiraling turn. There IS a light and it NEVER goes out. If David Rose were to write an album, this would be his album. In fact, David Rose reminds me of Morrissey. I know, I know—Morrissey is a little like crappy whiskey: syrupy, trying to be something bigger/more important than he actually is, hard to swallow, too much of him gives you a headache. And yes, he is 100% Brit-dick of the ages. (see: https://www.spin.com/2017/11/morrissey-defends-kevin-spacey-and-harvey-weinstein-saying-victims-shouldve-known-what-could-happen/) But early/mid 1980s Morrissey was a kinder, gentler version. Kind of like how David Rose—and Schitt’s Creek overall—evolved into a kinder, gentler version of himself. And this album, for me, reminds me of when I, too, was a kinder, gentler version of myself. Just a few notes from me: -The opening drums! My beloved They Might Be Giants once made fun of the Smiths for their “boom-chick” drums—The Queen is Dead stands in opposition to that critique. -Cemetry Gates is one of the songs that inspired me to learn the guitar and still one of my favorite little riffs. “A dreaded sunny day” portended my eventual feelings about living in Los Angeles. -Johnny Marr's technique and melodic lines and expressiveness shines here. And I think shows the signal that he's ready to move onto bigger and better things like The Pretenders. -His alliterative references get me every time. Loud, loutish lover. Monkish monsignor. Ten ton truck. -Randy Jackson would most certainly comment on his “pitchy-ness” throughout. But rather than try to be all fancy with my rare reviews, I’ll just let the lyrics speak for themselves as certainly relevant for this turbulent time. Since you’ve asked you are a flatulent pain in the ass. Some girls are bigger than others, some girls’ mothers are bigger than other girls’ mothers. (True? Yes. Relevance? None.) A vicar in a tutu, he’s not strange; he just wants to live his life this way. It’s so easy laugh, it’s so easy to hate, it takes strength to be gentle and kind. Life is very long when you’re lonely. #covid #quarantimes Take me out tonight Because I want to see people And I want to see life There IS a light and it NEVER goes out.

I gave Morrissey a chance. And in doing so, at times during this record, I thought his voice worked - it fits the music and creates something cohesive, if not quite my bag. Other times I felt like it was just too much, not really fitting with the track, and sometimes just overwhelming the instrumentation. Where it works - "Cemetry Gates," "The Boy With the Thorn in His Side," "There is a Light That Never Goes Out." Where it doesn't - "Frankly, Mr. Shankly" and "Vicar With a Tutu" to great extent, and everywhere else a bit? After three tracks I liked the Smiths less than I had before listening to this album. (Only had heard some singles.) After the full album I liked them a little bit more than before beginning. So I don't know where I'm at. I would really like to look up some covers of some of these songs, to hear what they are like without Morrissey's vocal indulgences. Sometimes voices "work" in interesting places/arrangements. Morrissey's voice fits very well with the vibe and instrumentation of "There is a Light That Never Goes Out," though I don't really like the song. As I write this while listening to "Siamese Dream," I can only think about how Billy Corgan has a unique voice that probably wouldn't work in a lot of arrangements? Yet I think it weirdly fits amazingly well with the Smashing Pumpkins' sound. Morrissey's voice just doesn't always meld in that same magical way with the Smith's sound so that vocals and instrumentals elevate each other.

I believe the Smiths are severely overrated. The music is boring to me, the vocals uninspired. Aside from how I feel about Morrisey personally*, I find his voice to be limited in range and full of whiny over-emoting. The music is largely simplistic and the lyrics are a sophomoric retread of teenage angsty introspection. I can't give it 1 star, because there is certainly much worse stuff on this list. But it barely makes a 2 for me. *I think his picture is next to the word "douche" in the dictionary.

My dislike of the Morrissey’s voice knocks this album down 1 star. In the song The Queen Is Dead, a character he wrote self-deprecatingly agrees, "Eh, I know you, and you cannot sing" If there were a strong lead singer instead, maybe it’s a 2 star drop. Unfortunate because I like the music.

This album. If I had 10 stars to award it, I would. Heck, 50 stars. It's one of my favorite albums, one of a few I've really been looking forward to rating. This was one of the first albums that was formative toward my taste in music, my obsessions over music, my love of music. I could go on all day over what it means to me, but I won't. Look at their Wiki, look at what others have to say about it. This is an exceptional album that is highly regarded and highly influential. There are multiple genres of music that trace back to this band and probably this album specifically. Given that it seems Morrissey goes out of his way to be disliked, that speaks volumes about the depth and quality of this album, the band, and yes, Morrissey himself. All that aside, it's just lovely to listen to. The songs are melodic, jangly, full of great hooks. Marr is in top form here, using a guitar in ways no one had really thought about before. It's like listening to an impressionist painting. I love the tonal shifts between the more irreverent songs (like "Queen," "Vicar" and "Shankly") and the sweet, pensive songs (like "I Know It's Over" and "There is a Light"). I am endlessly amused that the band everyone accuses of being so serious ends their best album with a song about, well, boobs. That's funny. The album is full of classics that are even better after repeat listenings. The Queen may get older, but The Queen is Dead hasn't really aged a day. Fave songs: Bigmouth Strikes Again, There is a Light that Never Goes Out, The Boy with a Thorn in His Side, I Know It's Over

Funny sadness. Clever lyrics.

Siento que me va a gustar, increiblemente nunca escuche The Smiths. Bueno no fue muy acertado mi pronostico de que me podia gustar. Es bastante repetitivo y abajo. Nose porque crei que la musica seria mas arriba.

For better or worse, this album is tattooed on my brain.

Heads need quiet spaces to appreciate this album. Pretty good and inoffensive

Not a bad listen. Has good moments

Excelent album. Perfect in all sense

The Queen Is Dead starts out strong. The backbeat on the title cut is overly insistent, but the dense web of Johnny Marr's guitars makes this tune compelling, if overlong, and Morrisey's vocal is at least not offkey. Things swiftly go downhill from there. The ghastly oompah-pah beat of Frankly Mr. Shankly dooms it out of the gate. I Know It's Over is an update of 50s doowop, a nothing composition with a with a melodramatic delivery by Morrisey; he's constantly threatening to go out of tune; it's fucking awful. But what really sinks The Queen Is Dead is the uncreative songwriting; it's a compendium of cliches without a wrinkle of originality to be found anywhere, at least musically speaking. I didn't really pay attention to the lyrics. It didn't take me long to start to really resent Morrisey's melodies, though. They cycle through similar strategies. In particular, he's fond of endlessly arpeggiating between the tonic and the third of the song's key. Every song's melody is approached in this modal fashion. It's beyond boring. On Bigmouth Strikes Again, The Smiths find a new way to be annoying; the harmonies are sped up to sound like the Chipmunks. On the evidence of this album, it's a mystery why The Smiths had any sort of career. Wait, that's right, it was the 80s, possibly the biggest nadir of popular culture in the last 60 years. They fit right in. Other than my praise of the title cut, the only nice thing I can say is that the awful synthesizers are kept in the back of the mix and the production doesn't stink of the late 80s.

Fucking soppy wet lettuce. The queen is alive you slag!

in the words of the super furry animals. 'Let's get juxtaposed, juxtaposed Just suppose I juxtapose with you' The smiths. A band i love as much as any other band, but a band where the singer has shapeshifted in to one of the most loathsome people in the world. i would usually dock points for cretinous lead singers and thats where my juxtaposition lies. do i knobble the whole team for the sake of the star strikers cancerous view of the world or do i risk being a hypocrite and effectively turn into one of those people who loves wacko jackos music so just ignores his noncing? Lets explore. most other cretinous singers rose in their final form as a rancid turd you couldn't flush, but morrissey took the long road. he isn't so much the rancid turd that won't flush he is more the accumulation of years of shite in an uncleaned bog bowl. he is the sidewalls of the trainspotting toilet. the rancid turd and the trainspotting bog are equally as putrid, i wouldn't want to lick either of them and just because one turned up fully formed and the other took time to create doesn't make either more palatable. however, licking the bowl after a couple of years before the build up of shite began is a much more tasteful affair. that couple of years pre shite buildup is the smiths. i use this reasoning to justify my listening to the smiths. its pretty much just after you are the quarry that he got really bad so anything post then will recieve the 'Bono Deduction'. and seeing as how i mentioned wacko jacko earlier i suppose i have to clear that up too or risk sounding like i'm justifying noncing. apparently 1986 was when he got into little boys (metaphorically and physically) so anything before that is fair game anything from the album bad or later is..... bad.

But, the Queen still isn't dead. It's still very good, isn't it? Despite Morrissey being Morrissey. Did you know? Harry Enfield and Bob the Builder were in the original line up for The Smiths.

Oh Mozza, why did you have to go and ruin it? Ya silly racist.

Music sounds good when people play good but then when people are bad sometimes music sounds bad but morrisey is bad and sounds good so that is good and not bad. 5 star for me please Mr Vegan

Like the second song Kind of slow rock Chill and easy to listen to Good vibes Short album

Alright

If it's my current vibe you know sad and kind of not understanding the value of life it's pretty good I didnt listen to it often.

Probably the best album ever…it does not get much better than this.

Really enjoyed this album when I’m usually into more intense albums! Don’t even know what makes it so good. Maybe the vibes. 9.5/10.

es como blur pero un poco más normie y a la vez un poco más rarito hard to explain

Only just listenable, highly repetitive, singer has droning flat voice. Really did not enjoy. I was excited when the Smiths came up, as a band I knew of by reputation only and am familiar with some of Johnny Marr's other works but was super disappointed by this album.

Album art: 2 meh

The anthem of gymnasiet. Visste innan att det såklart är en femma. Vill dö av Johnny Marrs gitarrslingor för att sedan begravas i Morrisseys röst. Att han är ett rasistiskt as väljer jag att skita i. Jag kan inte uppskatta hur många gånger jag fantiserat om mig ståendes i skolans aula, med öm röst sjungandes "OH MOTHER, I CAN FEEL THE SOOIL FAALLING DOOWN ON MY HEEEEEEAAD, AAAHAAAH AHHH YEAH" samtidigt som alla skolans tjejer imaginärt kastar sina trosor upp på scenen. Bästa låt: Alla, egentligen. Men går inte att komma ifrån There Is A Light

Great breakup album

me pareció un poco tipico album pollavieja que los boomers siguen viendo como obra maestra exceptuando tres o cuatro canciones que estaban bien y me gustaron ademas he de admitir que la voz del cantante me estresaba un poco

5/5 - It's The Smiths!

Really nice album Good voice, warm sound 5/5

Absolute dribble