The Queen Is Dead

I think there are other more interesting singles from them but not a bad album

This one took me a while to warm up to, but it's a perfect example of an album that's greater than the sum of its parts. Excellent sequencing and crystal-clear production really highlight some strong songwriting and playing. Morrissey's lyrics alternate between being poignantly wounded and a hilarious asshole. Johnny Marr must be one of the most influential pop guitar players ever - rarely (if ever) playing what could amount to a guitar solo, he instead makes some extremely unorthodox rhythm playing look effortless. The rhythm section is similarly un-flashy but rock solid, elevating strong material. "The Boy with the Thorn in His Side" and "There Is a Light That Never Goes Out" are a few of the best 80s Alternative tracks out there. It's rare to find a full album with no filler or songs that need to be trimmed, but it's a classic for a reason.

I absolutely love this album! Melancholy and funny with a delivery that only Morrissey could pull off.

Listened loved

Thought it was okay. Some good tracks, but still don't like The Smiths.

Gillade denna

Not bad

Love it!

loool no why ok fine

Beautiful melodies and storytelling through lyrics. Wonderful listen throughout

Yeah, this was alright. I like the style but I didn't think it was anything really special.

Well i was looking forward to this album, but it did dissapoint!!! His voice didnt change tone at all, all songs could have run into each other. Sorry 2 stars

Debo escuchar más temas de esta banda

Personal experiences sprinkled throughout the album. Songwriting at its best.

This album came out in my second year of uni and it certainly was a huge hit in the American (and I would imagine at least European if not elsewhere) university set (yes, I'm generalizing, but that was my experience). Heard it at nearly every gathering for about a year. I liked it, I think I bought it (can't remember), but I lost interest after a while from a combination of hearing it too much and just moving on to other music. I haven't heard it in decades. I must admit that as I listened just now, I was bored. Really bored. I recall hearing Morrisey's voice back then and liking that it was different from most pop/rock bands. I'm surprised to say this now, but to me when I hear him now he sounds like someone imitating Morrissey, and not in a flattering way. And while I can definitely appreciate the skill of the musicians, both in writing and performing, I just wasn't engaged with any of it.

Smiths are good but still feel samey - there is a light is amazing tho

Have already listened prior to today, but a pretty damn good album. Best song - bigmouth strikes again

da four

Easy listening.

I've never really given The Smiths any time, I know the classics but that's it. I never really felt that they were my kind of thing, but after listening to this I do get it, can see how people do rate them and connect with them. Kinda arty, lyrics are about struggling with the paradox of life. Gonna rate it 3 cos I do appreciate it but I'd need to give it more time to appreciate it fully, probably rate it higher if I listened to it more. 3/5

I like! Songs dieses Albums höre ich immer wieder gerne und werde das auch in 30 Jahren noch tun.

Three great tracks here

Brilliant.

Poesie pur

Einfach gut, eingängige Songs mit melancholischem Feeling. Ich liebe dieses Album, lange nicht gehört.

Hit! Vielleicht wären es mit lupenreiner Weste fünf Sterne geworden und die Diskussion hat mich doch etwas beeinflusst.

De gekende nummers springen er een beetje uit. Aangenaam verrast van het eerste. Maar na een tijdje is het toch wel telkens hetzelfde liedje dat je hoort.

Geniaal..

Nummers die zichzelf niet opdringen. Ideaal voor achtergrondmuziek.

It's like listening to the same song over and over again for an hour. Pretty bad in my opinion.

I had this on heavy rotation in my early post-grad years. Some quality cuts scattered throughout, enough to make it worth listening through. Except for "Frankly Mr Shankly" and "Vicar in a TuTu", bleh. The existence of those (imo) stinkers knocks it down a star for me.

Greatest album ever written! 5 Stars

I avoided this one for ages because Morrissey is a racist wanker. I know it’s good, but I’m just sick of the guy and for better or worse I hear it in the Smiths’s music. Well, I saw The Killer a week or so ago and had a hankering. Great album, shitty dude.

Wow, and to think I only ever knew them for one song. What an incredible album.

A blast from the past. Haven't listened to this in close to 20 years. Still like it better than "Meat is Murder"

Really good album. I know it’s over is one of my all time favourite songs.

S/O Matt Hammel ❤️

Zalig stemgeluid. Voldoende variatie in de nummers. Fijne ontdekking.

A bit whiny to be honest. Flow from one song to the next not noticing at all that it’s a different one. It just all sounds sad and slow.

Positief verrast door dit album. Erg melancholisch, maar toch gevarieerd en net iets opgewekter dan ik had verwacht volgens wat ik al kende van The Smiths

Love me some Smiths. Not perfect due to some boring songs.

The queen is dead, long live the smiths

Some big classics, but not completely for me.

The Smiths are so frustrating! Had the rest of the band not met Morrissey, and had stumbled into a different singer, they could have been a great band. Some would say they are great already, they are wrong. Musically it's all quite nice, the odd song here and there is even almost bearable, but he really has to go. Another voice here would be glorious. Horrible little man.

Classics

Depressing but good

Delighted to be reacquainted with this gem of an album. A blend of all there is to love about the Smiths and side 2 contains some magnificent singles. The chorus of ‘ there is a light’ is one of the greatest of all time.

The lyrics and singing were eh. But the instrumentals were spot on. Was never a big fan of Morrissey.

Have you heard of The Smiths? I hear they're terrif!

Loved it but I already loved it

Meh.

Despite the Morrisey of it all, this remains an absolutely excellent album.

I think this is an excellent album. I feel like most of the tracks are different enough from each other to be recognizable but similar enough to have the same vibe throughout the album. Of course, we see their classic The Light Never Goes Out and one of my favorites by them. A couple of my other favorites of this album are Frankly, Mr. Shankly, and Bigmouth Strikes Again. This is a classic Smiths album and definitely worth a listen.

Dit is wel fine muziek

Excellent

pretty good

Made me vote for Brexit

This is one that my dad plays a lot. Overall I really like it but on some songs the moodiness gets to me. Favs are the queen is dead, there is a light that never goes out, and bigmouth strikes again

pretty cool

Storytelliiiiiiing. This album is great

Had heard before but an absolute classic - probably their best album with 3 or 4 all time great songs (TIALTNGO, Cemetery Gates, Bigmouth, Frankly, TBWATIHS)

Overall liked it, sounded decent and interesting/goofy lyrics made up for the fact that it sounds pretty mopey throughout.

So many great tracks, this album improves with age.

Best album of the 80's shirley? 6 out of 5. Cemetery Gates the highlight. Tend to skip Never Had No One Ever but the rest makes up for it

Definitely don’t like this as much as “Strangeways...” It’s not bad but some of it makes me roll my eyes.

Most of the songs are good but it's a tough listen all at once

By the time this album was released, I was growing weary of the Smiths, and especially Morrissey’s whining vocals. Guitarist Johnny Marr says that this is his favourite album but it could be because this is their last album, I think, and artists tend to become embarrassed of the earliest more sophomoric works. Bigmouth Strikes Again is one of my favourite Smiths songs, fabulous guitar, and There is a Light that Never Goes Out, based on the number of cover versions out there, has staying power, not to mention a hilarious chorus. The rest, meh.

5

He really wants his mom to know that he can feel! Bigmouth is pretty groovy but it sounds like he's saying Big mac I think this is a good album but it's just not my kind of music

Characteristic, precise, memorable-- a really good band hitting the peak of their creativity.

Great Album. Loved "Cemetry Gates" and "Big Mouth Strikes Again" "The Queen is Dead" Overall unique songwriting and sounds

Hilarious Morrissey voice cracks throughout. The music sounds like it’s about halfway between the Beatles and the Cure. No song stood out as super good and I didn’t really like Frankly, Mr. Shankly or Vicar in a Tutu bc they just sounded kinda creepy. Morrissey’s voice is also pretty bad but I think the songwriting and the interesting vocal melodies tend to play to his voice and make it more manageable. Upon further listening it’s actually pretty good.

Bass sounds good, compressed and lots of delay on the guitar. Totally 80s haha!

Man I hate this

It doesn't get a 1 because the music is actually ok. The vocals are terrible though and I couldn't listen ever again. His voice is ok but his lyrics and cadence aren't entertaining to me.

I Cannot Fucking Wait Til Morrissey Dies [FLAC, 2018] (5/10, quite tame)

This is regarded as the best album of all time and I can finally see why. It’s mostly sad and lonely (that’s the Smiths in a nutshell) but Morrissey is self aware and adds a touch of self deprecating humor sprinkled throughout the album. This album is very well written and Morrissey and Marr are so underrated when compared to the greatest rock duos. Do I consider this the best album of all time? No, I'm not even sure if this is the best Smiths album. Now I know how Joan of Arc felt. Recommended tracks: I Know It’s Over, There Is a Light That Never Goes Out, Bigmouth Strikes Again, Some Girls Are Bigger Than Others, and the title track

I like the Smiths when I listen to their songs on their own. The song writing on this album is interesting but it wasn't my favorite album.

so fucking good wtf

Great rock album! Smiths are 2 for 2 with me so far!

...80's... My struggle to appreciate it continues and this album did nothing to bring me closer to enlightenment. This dudes melodies are just.... non existent. This is up there with some of the worst we have heard yet to my ears.

I've never really been a Smiths person. I do like the production quality of the album.

pretty solid rock music. worth diving into this bands disco further

A sad, forlorn, and frankly delivered album from the mid-80's that is just as catchy as it is critical of humanity. Must be The Smiths.

Meh

Claro que no

Always great to listen to.

How have I not explored this band yet?! 🤤 Beyond the beautiful album, I found a forever favorite song - Cemetry Gates.

Pretty good singing!

First time listening to the smiths. Pretty solid

I used to hate the Smiths, mainly because I'm not a fan of Morrissey's maudlin vocal stylings, but I've grown to appreciate them over the years. Still not a huge fan of the vocals but I liked the music on this quite a bit. 3 stars.

7/10

Cool album

First listen of that album but I know Morrissey well. He didn't ever change his style, did he?

I'm not sure if I've ever heard the smiths before. Voice sounds familiar. 6xx/Valhalla.

Really enjoyed this one

La neta es que musicalmente no es TAN malo.

De weba... es todo

I really only like one song by the smiths.

I really like this album, it has a very chill aesthetic. Probs gonna add some of the songs to my camping playlist.

This album doesn’t need any more words written about it. So there’s 10. Fuck 13. FUCK

Sad music for sad people

meh. all fun and good music until morrissey starts singing. few good catchy ones. indie rock pop.

SHIT

pretty cool

Good shiz. Would listed to more of the smiths

Nothing i've really listened to before, but i like it!

This morning I'm listening to "The Queen is Dead" from the Smiths and released in 1986. I've gone through my share of times in my life where The Smiths were the only band on my mind. I was 12 years old when this album came out, so by no means do I know this band from any formative period growing up. Like a lot of artists, I've come at them later in life, and they have always been meaningful in my life. This continues with Morrissey's work as a solo artist as well. I don't get a lot of chance to listen to the Smiths, as my wife is not usually in the mood for anything from Morrissey as a rule. I get it, for every person that could spend hours listening to Neil Young, Morrissey, or Jarvis Cocker - like myself. There are lots of people who cannot even listen to these artists for even one second. It doesn't take away from the joy I get from listening to The Smiths on a sunny and cold morning in the state of Maine. These songs are going down like a fine wine, except I don't drink, so let's say some delicious coffee. It looks like many fans consider this to be the best album they ever did. How did anyone in 1986 make music like this? The music and lyrics are easily seen as a blueprint for many of the bands I like to come.

"I want to go down in musical history", they say on this album. I'm no historian, so I can't comment on how that went, but the tunes were groovy enough to justify that ambition. I feel that if I listen to it a few times, this album will grow on me. It has the makings of something that is entertaining and soothing at the same time. Something that I could chill out on a Friday evening listening to while basking in the satisfaction of a week well spent.

Starkaste av dem 4 jag redan hört. skoent ljud och en solklar 3.5

Fun little jingle jangle songs that sound happy, lyrically sad, but all in good humor. Not quite my style, but I do appreciate the sound they create. Good for a melancholy mood that needs to be fixed.

I like it.

slower than I prefer for rock, some strange sounds. Lacks any sort of oomph. Overall very meh

meh

Most Excellent, Bigmouth Strikes Again is a bop

Didn't really enjoy it as much as I thought I would. At some points it approached the Piper-At-The-Gates-of-Dawn absurdity, but never seemed to have the courage to cross that line, which left the weirdness feeling awkward rather than fascinating. A few very good tracks, through.

Emo for the win!

Not my type of jams

Esse eu conheço de cor, hoje em dia eu não me identifico tanto com algumas letras, mas são muito boas e o instrumental é perfeito.

😊

Kinda boring. Didn’t feel like an album I needed to hear.

I was only thinking walking back from work today, I hope I get a Smith's one on the album thing, so I can just splurge on how much I love em. WE CAN GO FOR A WALK WHERE IT'S QUIET & DRY & TALK ABOUT PRECIOUS THINGS.

I can only take so much of The Smiths but if I had to listen to one album this would be it

Good. Sounds like The Smiths. Enjoyed it but didn't leave a mark.

Well at least it was short. Whiny goth music. "I sure hope we die by getting hit by this truck" and the super insightful "Some girls ARE bigger than others"

Cemetery gates fav 3/5

Good guitar work from Johnny Marr, but Morrissey is (a) a fascist, and (b) a smug-ass prick

For noe jævla møl

Not bad. Sounds like The Smiths. Can hear where The Cure gets a LOT of their sound from (ironically fronted by one Robert Smith). Overall; I liked it.

Morrissey's crooning is so over the top, and his lyrics toe the line between cheeky and earnestly cheesy. But it all somehow works. Favorite Smiths album for me.

This one probably deserves another listen

Good stuff. I enjoyed this much more than expected

Fuck Morrissey

I honestly liked this album a lot more than I thought I was going to. There's lots neat little instrumental choices that fit the songs very well. Morrisey is not my favorite person on the Earth, but his voice sounds really good here and the lyrics are good

Favorites: The Queen Is Dead, Frankly, Mr. Shankly, Bigmouth Strikes Again Gets droopy after first two tracks.

Good but boring

It was dope but I didn’t really like it

Wish there was more difference between songs but most songs are solid

Liked it, just something about that it makes it easy listening and feel good

This is one of the best albums of my life. Absolute masterpiece

Never listened to a full smiths albums, just random songs here and there. In general, I get why. I feel like the Smiths are a band made for the compilation. Good songs, album is ok? IDK.

Better than I expected

in my blood bought vinyl day 1

Smiths - always good. Some girls bigger than others is on this album... been looking for that song.

cool

Not great, not awful.

false

Efsane

I understand why "There Is A Light..." is so appreciated, it's a fine song. But nothing superlative as far as I'm concerned. Anyway, the sonic landscape is consistently good, a little melancholy but still pop. The pitch-shifting is fun.

9.5/10 FT: Tie between Bigmouth and There is a Light

Morrissey is a prick but points for being formative to my teenage self

Ahhh, this album is fabulous fun

I know this album is iconic but just doesn't do it for me.

well of course this is here <3

it's not really that bad, kinda catchy in a weird way. but it definitely is the soundtrack to suicide in some wussy way, like a sleeping pill overdose

2