The Queen Is Dead

Fuck Morrissey

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

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.

Anyone else also get this album on September 8, 2022? The day Queen Elizabeth died? Can’t be a coincidence, right? Anyway, as for the album, I thought it was terrible and I hate that I live in a world where it is considered good.

bro I’m laughing my fucking ass off 😭 whoever is running this website is a legend for giving me this album on 9/9/22 anyway, of course this album is fucking perfect - too good for the five star scale even

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

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.

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

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

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

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

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.

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"

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.

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.

Sad music for sad people

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

Man I hate this

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…

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.

Interesting to see how everyone else rates this album today of all days now she is dead… This is an indie masterpiece one of the most influential albums on British music from the 80’s really led the way for Indie bands to follows. This album is so good, I don’t even feel the need to say how much of dick Morrsey is…

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.

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"

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”

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.

Ahhh, this album is fabulous fun

Why is there so much fucking Morrissey on this list

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.

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.

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"

I don't know if it's intentional, mere coincidence, or divine intervention that this was suggested on the very day that the queen passed away, but I appreciate the irony. However I am not a Smiths fan. Highlights are "Light that never goes out" and "Cemetry gates". Other than that it's pretty dull.

Absolute dribble

Morrissey is a whiny bitch but god do I love it

Timely with actual Queen's death. High quality of songs overall, Frankly, Mr Shankly being my favorite.

Morrisey is a prick but he's a very talented prick. Great emotive vocals and really great lyrics from Morrisey particularly on "I Know it's Over." The music on this album is also really good stuff that manages to be entertaining and engaging while still fitting the somewhat dreary and sad tone of a lot of the tracks. The album also manages to have a very consistent feel to it without getting boring or overly repetive. The album even manages to have some fun without distracting from some of the more powerful somber tracks. It's really great stuff all around.

Hate Morrissey - love the Smiths, sometimes. And this album is one of those times - almost every track is a hit - the album is well paced and keeps you wanting more - the songs are masterfully crafted. A wonderful album. Also love the troll that this was pushed to all listeners the day after the Queens death.

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

I wish a double decker bus had crashed into me while listening to this shite 1 ⭐️

Ughhhh I hate Morrissey. I hate the way he sings, I hate the lyrics he writes. I genuinely don't have enough time in my life to waste listening to this crap. The inclusion of this album and the at least one other that I know of makes me reconsider my involvement in this project. It's that bad. Would give it zero stars if I could.

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

The Shits®

The opener is still my joint-favourite The Smiths song alongside their other sonic outlier, How Soon Is Now. The idiotic, arch rhyme of Frankly Mr Shankly camouflages it as potentially the album’s weak link, but with all its nasty cleverness, the title line is a taunt to the audience as much to the addressee. Andy Rourke dominates throughout; he’s up there with Entwistle in elevating the force of a pop band with a prowling bottom end. I have one other observation. Most of the time, Morrissey’s addressing someone else, usually critically, often cruelly. The antipathy isn’t remarkable: it’s a common tool in surviving social life. But his refusal or perhaps inability to consider another’s perspective interests me. He is bitingly incisive with his observations, but appears to lack any empathy or acknowledgement of an inner life of his characters, who might as well be dolls or cut-outs in his solipsistic universe. I fear Morrissey and would never want to be trapped in a mine or Andean place crash site with him, as in a survival situation, I am sure he would see me as food and lap meat from my fingers.

Excellent. Morrissey is a wanker but the album is iconic, fog-horny, self-aggrandizing in such an amusing way. Big fan. Don't listen to the smiths that often but I usually enjoy it. V appt album considering the context (the queen died) doubt that was. Agenuine mistake tbh

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.

First off, very funny 1001 Generator, I don't know if I would've thought of doing that if I tried. Second off, fuck Morrissey. I won't be giving it a one star just for that, because I think that's unfair to the rest of the band, but fuck Morrissey. This album is excellent, not only do the notable songs actually stay enjoyable, but even the not so famous songs are enjoyable, which is an issue some albums from this era suffer from. I know some people think this just sounds sad and that's all to take away, but I think there's more to it then that.

This album was randomly picked the day after Queen Elizabeth II died so I’m not sure if that automatically gives it a 1 or a 5 so it gets a 3 because The Smiths

Can't stand his voice, whining lyrics and boohoo songs.

Hard to get over my intense dislike of Morrissey.

Get this out of my ears

Entering this with a strongly negative prior opinion. Let's see how it goes. At least it is relatively short at under 40 minutes. (Also a coincidental album title for the 9th of September 2022, maybe a little bit in bad taste). By the third track Morrissey's whinging voice is becoming almost intolerable, which is a shame because apart from the vocals the music is actually OK. Track seven and it is becoming physically painful listening to Morrissey, still only three more to go after this. I think I am strong enough. Well I survived to the end, and unfortunately my prior opinion was overwhelmingly confirmed. I detest Morrissey's voice to such a degree that it makes it impossible to really evaluate the rest of the band. It would be interesting to hear covers of some of these songs, perhaps that would help, but as it is I can't give this anything other than 1 star (I would prefer 0)

Got served this on the morning of September 9th, the day after Queen Elizabeth II (I of Scotland) passed away. So much for randomisation. Anyway, this is shite. Shite singer, shite songs, shite production, shite lyrics. The guy sings like he has been kicked in the plums, but I don't think we are that lucky. Turns out he is a nazi too, so fuck him. Would give it zero, or even less than that if I could. Absolutely pish

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

Morrissey is an insufferable twat.

an amazing listen as always. one of The Autumn albums of all time. i was pretty familiar with half of this album already, and several of those songs (bigmouth strikes again, there is a light, i know it's over) are still my favorites from the album. besides those, cemetry gates struck me as a new favorite

Peakest Smiths album OAT. Who knew the queen is dead was so good

Absolutely the best

The Smiths – The Queen Is Dead (1986) On Day 257, separating the art from the artist was essential, but there is no denying the brilliance captured here. Morrissey delivered his signature theatrical wit and falsetto flourishes, but Johnny Marr's production and layered guitar work were absolute peak craft—consistently framing the vocals with intricate, driving melodies. While cuts like the title track, "Bigmouth Strikes Again," and "Cemetry Gates" are total bangers that made me appreciate the entire tracklist over repeated listens, two specific songs elevate this album beyond measure: "I Know It's Over" and "There Is a Light That Never Goes Out." During a period when I was turning to new wave and indie rock to drown out frustration and pain, these two songs met me exactly where I was. One matched my internal resentments with raw, vulnerable introspection, while the other carried an unmistakable feeling of hope. Alongside their seminal compilation Hatful of Hollow (which deserved a spot in the challenge book itself), this record arrived when I needed it most. A timeless, emotionally grounded classic. An easy 5/5.

Airtight tracklist, like 5 songs on here can be argued to be the greatest song ever written.

Genuinely might be one of my new favorite albums

High 4s on a bad day, 5 on most. A decently compact album with so much quality.

So what to score the best album by the best group of my lifetime? It's tricky. The Smiths are on a different level to anyone at this point. An organism of their own, their songs becoming works of art - from the brooding, brutal first track, through it's whimsical second, heartbreaking mid section, the perfect pop of Bigmouth and then THAT track. There Is A Light....possibly the best song ever written. Vicar In A Tutu and Some Girls Are Bigger are less than perfect but it's a high bar set by the other songs.

Gets better and better the more I listen.

Best album I've heard from this website so far

Absolutely stunning wonderful and beautiful in every way. 10s across the board

Remember when white people used to make music like this?

My way of "separating the art from the artist" is to cancel in life but forgive in death (assuming I'm otherwise inclined to fuck with that person's work, like I don't really feel like throwing on a Burzum record regardless what side of the grave Varg Vikernes turns up on on any given day). Mostly this has been fine, occasionally I feel a lackness, like with Kanye, but the only one that really hurts is Stephen Patrick Fucking Morrissey, whose weird trajectory from sad fop to vegan fop to Victorian racist to 21st-century far-right ghoul (so easy to imagine him around a table with Peter Thiel and Nick Fuentes and "Mencius Moldbug," outwardly reticent but inwardly salivating at the decadent homosocial blandishments of these alt-White iconoclasts) is, like, exhibit 1 for the dangers of believing, just because someone's words hit us like a lapel lily to the heart, that they see the world the way we do. Like ... "It's so easy to laugh, it's so easy to hate / It takes strength to be gentle and kind" – what depths of irony???!!! "If a double-decker bus crashes into us / To die by your side / What a heavenly way to die" – that song was a precarious rope bridge, for me and a certain other beautiful soul who I'll always cherish, to something like a grownup version of love – or, like, the cloak of melodrama that made something simpler and plainer and better (regardless how it ended, things end, people grow and fail and grieve) possible. And songs like "Cemetery Gates," that just simply make me happy. Today I'm listening to The Queen Is Dead for my 1001 albums project; tomorrow it'll go back to being dead to me until Morrissey finds his spot with Keats and Yeats (if they'll have him), except when it comes on at a coffeeshop or the like and I linger for a minute for a taste of that lost feeling. Makes it hard to know how to rate it – people always say like "I still love the Smiths for Johnny Marr," and sure, but it's not like you can syphon "Moz" (once nickname-beloved for millions! Pale bisexuals, Chicano tough guys with a teardrop tattoo, poor ol' Mark Simpson who wrote a whole horny book called "Saint Morrissey") from this music. Seems to make more sense to separate the music not only from the artist but also from my own maybe eccentric listening practice, grant it the 5/5 it undeniably has in my heart, and go back to not playing it, return it to the silence of irreconcilability.

Missed this the first time through. Always wanted to listen to it, too. It doesn’t disappoint.

I can't think of another band with lyrics like, "If a 10 ton truck kills the both of us, to die by your side well, the pleasure, the privilege is mine" that are set more beautifully to music.

An essential and no-skip record from The Smiths.

Je me rappelle exactement le moment où les Smiths se sont engouffrés dans ma vie. J'étais adolescent, enfermé dans une chambre trop petite, le cerveau asphyxié par les hormones, le spleen anglais et cette sensation poignante que personne sur cette terre ne pouvait me comprendre. Et puis, la voix de Morrissey est arrivée. Ce crooner dramatique, sarcastique, drapé dans un romantisme morbide et une ironie tranchante comme une lame de rasoir. Depuis ce jour-là, Morrissey et la guitare magique de Johnny Marr ne m'ont plus jamais quitté. Ils ont été là lors de mes premiers chagrins d'amour dévastateurs, mes errances sous la pluie, mes cuites mélancoliques et mes remises en question existentielles. Ils ont été les témoins et les complices de toutes les étapes de ma vie. Alors, s'attaquer aujourd'hui à The Queen Is Dead, c'est un peu comme ouvrir le livre de mes propres souvenirs. C'est l'album culte par excellence, le monument de l'indie-pop britannique, le disque que tout le monde vénère sur un autel. Et soyons clairs d'entrée de jeu : c'est un chef-d'œuvre absolu de bout en bout. Dès le morceau-titre qui ouvre l'album, l'attaque est frontale, irrévérencieuse, presque sauvage. Ça commence par un extrait sonore de Take Me Back to Dear Old Blighty avant d'exploser dans un maelström de larsen, de batterie pilonnée par Mike Joyce et de basse vrombissante signée Andy Rourke. Et là-dessus, Morrissey débarque avec son venin le plus pur, s'en prenant directement à la monarchie, à la Reine, au Prince de Galles et à l'establishment britannique tout entier. « Is the World ah so foul that we're standing on the edge of a brutal war? I'm with the H-bomb... » C'est violent, c'est drôle, c'est d'une insolence rare. Marr fait hurler sa guitare avec une pédale wah-wah furieuse. En quatre minutes, les Smiths balayent la mièvrerie ambiante et rappellent qu'ils sont le groupe le plus important et le plus dangereux du Royaume-Uni. Ce qui fait la force inégalable de cet album, c'est l'alchimie parfaite entre le désespoir le plus noir et un humour noir totalement décapant. Morrissey n'est pas juste un type triste qui pleure sur son sort ; c'est un auteur cynique, acerbe, d'une intelligence diabolique. Prenez Frankly, Mr. Shankly. En deux minutes d'une pop bondissante et faussement naïve, le duo règle ses comptes avec le patron de leur label Rough Trade, Geoff Travis. C'est une lettre de démission mise en musique, remplie d'insultes poétiques et de sarcasmes désopilants sur l'industrie musicale. Puis, sans transition, l'album vous enfonce la tête sous l'eau avec I Know It's Over et c'est ici que le disque touche au sacré. Morrissey y livre une performance vocale d'une vulnérabilité terrifiante, hurlant sa solitude face à un amour impossible. Quand la guitare de Marr s'élève doucement sur le final et que Morrissey répète en boucle « I can feel the soil falling over my head », j'ai encore des frissons qui me traversent l'échine, exactement comme la première fois que je l'ai entendu à seize ans. Et comme si le groupe voulait nous empêcher de nous taillader les veines, ils enchaînent avec Cemetry Gates. Une balade acoustique lumineuse où Morrissey se moque des plagiaires, cite Keats, Yeats et Oscar Wilde, tout en se promenant joyeusement dans un cimetière. Ce contraste permanent entre la lumière de la musique de Johnny Marr et l'ombre des textes de Morrissey est tout simplement génial. Si la première face est une démonstration de force, la seconde moitié de l'album enfonce le clou sans la moindre baisse de régime. On y retrouve l'hymne auto-dérisoire Bigmouth Strikes Again, où Morrissey se compare à Jeanne d'Arc sur son bûcher parce qu'il a encore sorti une connerie de trop. La guitare de Marr y est d'une précision chirurgicale, un galop effréné de cordes en acier qui a inspiré des générations entières de guitaristes indie. On croise aussi la beauté pure de The Boy with the Thorn in His Side, une chanson pop aérienne, brillante, où la voix de Morrissey part dans des vocalises improbables qui devraient être ridicules mais qui s'avèrent magistrales. Et puis... il y a There Is a Light That Never Goes Out. Que dire sur ce morceau qui n'a pas déjà été dit mille fois ? C'est tout simplement l'une des plus belles chansons pop jamais écrites dans l'histoire de la musique moderne. Ce fantasme romantique d'un adolescent prêt à mourir percuté par un bus à double étage plutôt que de rentrer chez lui, porté par des arrangements de cordes synthétiques sublimes, c'est de la poésie pure. C'est l'essence même de ce que sont les Smiths : la beauté trouvée dans le désastre, le romantisme absolu niché dans le désespoir le plus complet. Arrivé à ce stade de ma chronique, vous vous dites sûrement : « Bon, il leur a mis 5 sur 5, il vient de passer dix paragraphes à expliquer à quel point ce disque est un monument, l'affaire est pliée. » Eh bien non, et c'est ici qu'intervient mon avis de fan absolu, celui qui écoute les Smiths depuis des décennies. The Queen Is Dead est un album parfait de bout en bout. Il n'y a pas une seule fausse note, pas un seul morceau à jeter (même le sautillant et absurde Vicar in a Tutu ou le très étrange Some Girls Are Bigger Than Others ont leur place exacte dans cette dynamique). C'est leur album le plus iconique, le plus équilibré, le plus populaire. Mais à mes yeux, ce n'est pas encore la perfection absolue. Car la perfection absolue, le sommet inégalable de leur carrière, le chef-d'œuvre ultime où le groupe a touché le divin avant de se désintégrer à jamais, ce sera sur l'album suivant : Strangeways, Here We Come. Là où The Queen Is Dead est l'apogée de leur formule classique indie-pop/rock, Strangeways est une œuvre sombre, complexe, orchestrale, tragique et expérimentale. Sur Strangeways, Marr explore des sonorités plus denses, des pianos hantés, des ambiances crépusculaires (Last Night I Dreamt That Somebody Loved Me, A Rush and a Push and the Land Is Ours). The Queen Is Dead est l'album de la maturité triomphante ; Strangeways est le chant du cygne sublime d'un groupe au bord du gouffre. Mais ne nous trompons pas de débat : dire que The Queen Is Dead est légèrement inférieur à Strangeways, c'est comme dire que la cathédrale de Notre-Dame est légèrement moins impressionnante que le Taj Mahal. On discute ici au niveau des dieux. The Queen Is Dead méritera toujours sa place au panthéon des plus grands disques de tous les temps. C'est un album que l'on peut réécouter cent fois, mille fois, et y trouver à chaque fois une nouvelle subtilité dans le jeu de guitare de Marr, une nouvelle nuance d'ironie dans le chant de Morrissey, ou simplement se laisser porter par cette vague de nostalgie magnifique. Si vous ne l'avez jamais écouté (ce qui serait un crime passible de la correctionnelle pour tout amateur de rock), jetez-vous dessus. Et si, comme moi, vous avez grandi avec ce disque gravé dans votre ADN, remettez-le sur votre platine. Laissez la guitare de Marr ouvrir le bal, fermez les yeux, et rappelez-vous l'époque où quatre gamins de Manchester ont réussi à faire croire à toute une génération que la mélancolie pouvait être la plus belle chose au monde. Une note finale indiscutable : 5 / 5.

a lil bit short, but it's an amazing albom

Наконец-то альбом, которому я могу поставить пять звёзд. Одна из моих самых любимых пластинок. Настоящий шедевр

Inversely proportional to Morrissey’s twattery

Now see, this is where I get really hypocritical with this project. Are there individual songs I would add to my library and therefore influence my rating? Well, no. Because this album is already in my library. Is Morrissey a huge asshole? No doubt. But this album and a few others from the same time period had a huge effect on my musical tastes that stay on to this day. Now if you'll excuse me, I have to go sit somewhere and look moody. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Pre Nazi Morrissey is the best Morrissey.

People either love or hate the Smiths. I’m in the first camp.

acho que as letras das músicas do the queen is dead habitam minha cabeça desde que eu sou adolescente teve uma vez que eu passei 9 dias acordado por alguns motivos, e já tava num nível de alucinação que só conseguia escutar o the queen is dead enquanto passava pela minha cabeça que uma vida solitária era de fato mto longa ou que eu n tinha direito algum a ter lugar na humanidade (se esses pensamentos fazem sentido pra vc busque ajuda, sua vida vale mais!) dito isso, talvez o melhor álbum deles né a gente sabe que o morrissey (corno do caralho) sempre gastou a onda inserindo fala de filme nas letras e dando uma proporção meio cinematográfica pras músicas, mas pra mim, o tqid é onde a banda alcança isso de verdade. especialmente uma certa ironia entre linhas muito pesadas, quase que como transformando pensamento intrusivo suicida em piadinha pra relevar o quão pesado foi enquanto faz alguma atividade completamente aleatória, uma vibe meio de alivio cômico de cena pesada fora isso, é mto doido pq PRA MIM os instrumentos não tavam no auge pra esse álbum (o jangle maluco de outros álbuns ganham pra mim) mas ainda assim, 100% ambientados né talvez eu goste demais desse(talvez)

i loved this one, i had only listened to a light that never goes out before but the rest of the album has gems too

The best Smiths album, opening with “The Queen is dead”, excellent live and I was lucky to see The Smiths 4 times🙏🏼, I have my original gate hold vinyl, “I know it’s over”, “ There is a light that never goes out” all absolute Bangers - Morrissey, Marr, Rourke, Joyce, 🙌

There are three Smiths albums and four(!) solo Morrissey albums in this exercise, and that is way too many even for 1,099 albums, but this is not one that I'd take off. I'm not a lyrics guy and I feel that you can enjoy 99.95% of music without knowing what the singer is singing, but Morrissey's lyrics are rewarding to look up. They're alternately very witty or picaresque in their conveyance of simple, urgently felt emotion. On top of it, the music accompanying them isn't simply a vehicle for the lyrics, and is enjoyable in it's own right. Many of the albums I've come across on this list have had me checking how much longer I had to go. The Queen Is Dead is the opposite. It leaves me wanting more.

A classic that I Love

Guhhh. Gotta love an album that makes me laugh and cry and live in its world for a while.

Game over. I don’t want to play anymore. I woke up today just excited to listen to The Smiths again, by far the best album I have listened to on this app. In terms of a review I think this is the band who really and truly invented indie guitar music coming together for what is really the seminal indie guitar album. I could write for hours about the obvious great things about this album so I’m going to highlight the slightly less obvious but still ever so brilliant factor I noticed yesterday - Andy Rourke, although using heroin during this time. He is at his absolute peak, consistently overshadowed by Marr but not often is it highlight quite what a beast on the bass guitar you would have to be to keep up with Johnny, flawless all the way through. I would kind of summarise by saying that The Smiths are quite often thought of as inaccessible and overly intellectual but the two biggest moments of the album ‘I know it’s over’ and ‘There is a light’ are some of the most simply put beautiful summaries of life’s two most common themes friendship and heartbreak. Thank you The Smiths for this timeless bit of art, I love you forever.

The Queen is Dead Listening to the Smiths albums properly via this list, I’m constantly struck by how great Rourke and Joyce are, something I don’t think ever really registered when I listened to my Best Of back in the day. And I can see why this is considered their best album, it is great from start to finish, whether they're the songs I already know, Frankly, Mr Shankly, Bigmouth Strikes Again, The Boy With the Thorn in His Side, There is a Light That Never Goes out and Some Girls Are Bigger Than Others, or the rest, which I don’t (know). It feels more joined up in tone than some of the other albums, even if it does vary musically from high tempo like The Queen is Dead, and Irish flecked folk-rock like Bigmouth, to the more whimsical music hallery of Frankly, Mr Shankly, to the rockabilly silliness of Vicar in a Tutu, to the moving and stately There is a Light, to more classically maudlin songs like I Know It's Over or I Never Had No One Ever. They probably have better individual songs throughout their catalogue, but there’s not a weak track on here really, and melodically and vocally it's probably the most consistent of their albums we’ve had. Easy 5. ⚰️⚰️⚰️⚰️⚰️ Playlist submission: Bigmouth Strikes Again

For a while, my favourite Smiths album. Certainly the most assured and powerful. It remains a classic with some of The Smiths best songs.

Up there among my favourite albums of all time, and probably my joint favourite Smiths record. I just feel they were at their absolute peak here, Morrissey’s best lyrics, Marr’s captivating guitar and compositions, Rourke’s iconic new-wave/funk bass and Joyce as solid as is humanly possible on the drums. The four of them combining to capture magic on tape. It is a mind-blowing collection of songs. Era-defining singles and the album tracks are catchy and quirky enough to elevate this album to classic status. More than warrants its inclusion on this list. Saved me from the whirlpool of my teens and twenties countless number of times, as I’m sure it did for others, and it still sounds incredible decades later. 5/5

I asked a girl what her favorite smiths song is and she said “double decker bus” so I blocked her. Greatest Band Oat

One of my favorite Great for smoking cigs under a bridge in the rain No skips

The Smiths are dead. Long live the Smiths.

When I am old and decrepit and lost to dementia, I will still be able to sing every word of this record.

I can't even be objective about this one. I've probably literally heard it 1000 times. One of my all time favorites. There Is A Light That Never Goes Out never gets old no matter how many times I've heard it.

Bought this (on vinyl) in my teens and still have it. It’s an album I can listen to in my head. I’m completely incapable of giving it an unbiased review, such is the presence that this has been in my life. It’s almost like a member of the family, one stuck in the 80’s with floppy hair. Thins has also made me cogitate on the permanence of vinyl. Does its fragility make us look after it? Is it because noone has a record player in their car thus records never have the torture of being thrown into the footwell of the passenger seat and having to fight it out with other car detritus? Either way I still own some pretty shitty records but have lost / disposed of many great CDs

[EDIT - I first got this assigned on Sep 9, 2022, which was nice] I grew up with this album and various Smiths singles of the period - Smash Hits loved 'em and who was I to argue? Oh, the thrill of catching a bit of "Bigmouth Strikes Again" on The Chart Show (perhaps with "Sledgehammer" or "Happy Hour" in the same episode). Still my favorite album of theirs, but now I can appreciate both how great the backing work is (once again, Andy Rourke is incredible) and what a twat Morrissey was/became. So incredibly accomplished, a lot of depth behind the great tunes. Solid five, of course

I love this album. Grew up listening to it.

What can I say, this is one of my favorite albums. I like every second of it.

Incredible album, no skips. If only morissey could listen and learn from his own lyrics. Earnest, soaring, painful, glorious. One of the greats.

Another favorite album of mine. Marr is a genius. Morrissey is an idiot but also a genius. Roarke's bass is among the catchiest I've heard, turning otherwise dirges into dance numbers.

Johnny Marr has said that he used to bring in songs on guitar for Morrisey to sing over, and Morrisey never ended up singing over over the parts Johhny thought he would. He would just put the vocal wherever he felt like putting it. It ends up meaning that Marr's cool riffs often get a little buried, but that's not a terrible thing. I think that captures what I love about The Smiths so much. For the fairly simple instrumentation, there's a depth of discoverability there. Bits you don't notice on the first few go-rounds. Because you were listening to the crooner croon. And for a total fucking wanker, he sure does croon. They also do that thing I love that REM does where the rhythm can be fast and strummy or whatever, but the vocals don't necessarily match the rhythm. He can still be slow and croony while the band is sweating it out behind him. On this listen through I'm really digging the bass. The feel and the tone. I love the separation in sonic space between the bass, the vocals, and the guitar, and it often means the bass is "carrying" the song the song, waiting for the guitars or (more often) the vocals to swoop and and do something enigmatic. Love The Smiths. 6 stars. Minus 1 star because Morrisey is a dick.

Morrissey voice is a ficking vibe.

One of the greatest albums ever. Music from England is the best.