Strangeways, Here We Come

You should’ve seen the look on my face when this record got assigned to me this morning. I was ecstatic. After only 320 albums, I was about to cross The Smiths off the list. I’ve listened to the other two and this was the last. That meant the next 700 albums I had to listen to would be free from Morrissey’s dreary wrath. What a great fucking day. A few minutes later, a realization set in: “That fuck Morrissey has a solo career, too.” So I went over to the 1001 Albums Wikipedia page and looked at the “Artists” section. (This a good resource for when you want to feel like shit about how many more Elvis Costello or, in today’s case, Morrissey records you have to endure). “There can’t be more than one or two of his solo records on the list…not ideal, but it’s manageable,” I thought. There’s *four*. And I haven’t listened to a single one of them. Fuck. Someone put me out of my misery.

I don't want to sound hyperbolic, but I think I regret the years I spent hating on The Smiths more than I regret some of the bad relationships I've had.

Jangle Pop wankery. Sounds like an expensive 4track cassette demo, and i will never understand people's obsession with Morissey. Even Johnny Marr couldnt save this mess, and if this is heralded as the BEST Smiths record, I shudder to imagine what the other ones sound like. No standout tracks. Id give it zero stars if I could.

I love "The Queen Is Dead" as much as everyone else but this is their best album. Also fuck Morrissey

Every moment I hear Morrissey makes every bone in my body go in to attack mode and it upsets me

Was never really a Smiths fan, but now I can appreciate the musicality of the band. I still think that Morrisey is one of most overated singers of all time though.

Hey, this is the first album of this project that’s made me want to write a novel!! Death of a Disco Dancer may have just changed my life? Every song on this album resonated with me in some way. I was superficially acquainted with The Smiths before and always enjoyed what I heard, but listening to an entire album from start to finish has hit me so much harder. I can hear SO many ways they influenced so many of my favorite bands and artists, especially from my Brit pop/rock days in the early 2000s. As I’ve gotten older I’ve realized that most of my favorite songs and sounds are at least a tiny bit dark (i.e. Susanne Sundfor, and some of Radiohead’s and Punch Brothers’ more experimental stuff). And while the songs on this album are very catchy and upbeat, they still have little dark underlying tones of melancholy, sadness, and disillusionment (not just lyrically). I favorited this album on Spotify, will absolutely revisit it, and look forward to exploring The Smiths’ discography more extensively!

The third Smiths album on this list and thank god this shit is done and over with. I've concluded I just do not care for this band. They write the same damn song over and over again and Morrissey's singing never changes. Once you've heard a couple of songs you've heard them all. For such an acclaimed band I was hoping that maybe they had variety but they found one thing and did it pretty mediocrely. Only thing I don't look forward to is there are 3 more Morrissey albums. Seriously why do people fellate this group and members so much? They are one trick pony. I would give it two stars but Girlfriend in a Coma is a great Douglas Coupland book so that's a plus in my book. 2.5/5

some folks here are saying that he sounds like a whiney wanker. I can't disagree

Well, turns out I don't like the smiths. at least now i know

I loved this and no longer know who I am.

Just felt very pretentious all the way through. Can't stand Morrisey's voice. Hard pass.

You can never be quite sure if it's overly serious, just regularly serious or actually making fun of everyone and everything. However, you can dance. It's about death, but it's catchy.

A fantastic album, from the vocals to the layered instrumentation everything fits together so well. Truly ahead of its time and certainly laid the groundwork for countless musicians to follow.

Really good! Not what I expected. Is this New Wave ?

I love this album. Great guitar lines and riffs, drum fills, orchestration and production, and interesting lyrics. Flows well from beginning to end noting their influence on future britpop bands and their own 60s influences, I love this album.

Surprisingly, this album lacked the non-sensical rebellion of their earlier work. Maybe because Morrissey was just sort of along for this one, a way less self-absorbed version of him perhaps? Regardless, the album is actually decent in the background in a much less "What's that noise?" way and more of a 'Hey, what's this?". When the realization though that it is a Smiths album comes across, the reaction will be more surprise than borderline disgust at least.

Every song is great and about half of them are perfect. The Smiths can never be 'cancelled'.

Love The Smiths, but fuck Morrisey's stupid ass. Great album.

Depressing as always.

I hate the smiths

Fantastic way to end an all too short run.

I remember going out purchasing this for my 14th birthday in 1987, a couple of months after it had come out. I was already a big Smiths' fan and since it had been announced that this was to be their final album, I had all the emotions when buying it. The whole ordeal must have really left an impression with me because I can clearly remember everything about the experience, including bringing the vinyl home and putting it on for it's inaugural listen. "Girlfriend in a Coma" played almost every week on MTV's 120 Minutes that summer, along with "Stop Me if You Think You've Heard This One Before" and I was anxious to hear the rest of the material. I've listened to it on the regular since that day. I deeply love this album. The songs have imprinted themselves on me forever and, while a definitely brooding and sad album, it usually puts me in a good mood. It's one of those albums that I really need to just listen to the whole work instead of piecemeal songs. Top Tracks: *Death of a Disco Dancer (one of my favorite songs of all time) *Unhappy Birthday *A Rush and A Push and The Land is Ours *Last Night I Dreamt That Somebody Loved Me

know it backwards, grew up with it and love it

One of the greatest album titles of all time and unlike many other albums, something truly unique. "Stop me if you've heard this one before" is all time classic material but "Girlfriend in a coma" is Moz and Marr at their bleak, melancholy best.

A meticulously crafted masterpiece of melancholy.

I discovered The Smiths by youtube recommendations, so I had no expectations going in. I loved them from the start. From Morrisey's insecure vocals to the introspective lyrics that cover social themes that we can all relate to. Absolutely love the rock sound that is not overbearing, leaves room for the vocals to take lead, and varies with each song to provide a unique experience. Of all The Smiths albums, this last one is their best produced piece that demonstrates their variation and talent. All the songs are great, but I did prefer songs from the rest of their catalogue that dive deeper into the narrator's conflicted emotions.

meh

I can’t believe this album made a list of albums I must listen to before I die. I think this album actually brought me closer to death. As some vocalists have a range of approximately 3 to 4 octaves, Morrissey has a range of about 3 or 4 half steps on the chromatic scale. Shoot me now.

Tedious indie drone

I am not listening to this Nazi prick and his shite band. Never have (even changing the radio station if they come on) never will. I hate this band, especially their arsehole of a singer, and I always will. *googles* how to give a rating below zero

A fine swansong for the best band of the 1980s. well the best band from the 1980s that comes from Manchester anyway...

So the second weekend of August 2024 is coming and it is #day1 of my #1001albumsyoumusthearbeforeyoudie challenge. This is the first time I got to listen to this album back to back, and what a revelation it is to me! The Smiths' swansong... I simply loved it. Not having listened to The Smiths in a while, to me, this record encompasses what the band stood out for—jangly post-punk, the melody, the witty melancholy... But it's probably the drums that make me want to remember this particular album's sound. So spacious and breathy, wow! Such a joy to have experienced it now. I wouldn't mind a vinyl version, to be honest with you. Looking forward to #day2.

About bloody time. The final studio album from the greatest band of the 80s. The marriage of Marr's riffs and Morrissey's lyrics here are some of their best. Its probably my second favorite Smiths album after queen is dead. But there was a happiness when it popped up this morning that only a truly great album can give you. No Skips on this one. Maybe it could be argued that the last two tracks aren't quite up with the soaring heights of the rest of the album but its getting a 5 anyway from me. 5/5

I already knew and enjoyed a couple songs by The Smiths, but none of them are on this album. Regardless, I enjoyed the whole album a lot. It's just really nice and relaxing in a good, mellow, quality darkish synth-pop way. After it finished, I gave it a second spin right after. Great for an otherwise stressful day.

For me this is their best album. Where it all came together. I've never been the greatest Morrisey fan, or even the Smiths to be honest but I like a few of their tunes and this one has the best number of their hits concentrated. Well put together and quite slick in places Plus I think people like to kick Morrisey which is unfair.

Moz is an asshole, just getting that out of the way upfront. But he’s not w/o talent, and incredible wordplay. Plus Johnny Marr is amazing. Going into this w/ fresh ears. I always found the Smiths interesting in that they seemed to exist like New Order, where their singles were huge, but didn’t appear on the albums. And yet the albums were amazing and sold very well. That’s a fascinating, I guess, strategy? It only works b/c even the non-“radio hits” are just incredible. I saw Morrisey live at Riot Fest in 2016. He managed to convince a major festival in Chicago to stop selling sausages and other meat products about an hour before his set, or I guess he wouldn’t go on. He played 45 minutes of weird YouTube clips before he took the stage. His voice still sounds great, but fuck that guy. Smiths are always 5, regardless of his bullshit. I might not be so kind to his solo albums ( though I’ve heard good things about the first few). Whatever, this is a music review site, so I’ll review the album, not just politics. But FUCK his politics. Sorry ass bastard, he sounds like someone that’s never been laid

I think this is the best Smiths studio release, though it seems to generally be considered their worst. Johnny Marr and Morrissey are both at their best, the lyrics are at their most humourous and self-pitying (which, let's face it, is what Morrissey does best), and it has some of the best hooks in the Smiths discography. Johnny Marr's guitar playing on Death of a Disco Dancer is a real highlight. I think it also has more experimentation with their sound compared to the others, which makes me think their next album would have been something somewhat different, though unfortunately we'll never get to hear that. I can see why others would dislike this. Some of the songs are a bit weird (like the country rock song that's under 2 minutes), and Morrissey is definitely at his most dramatic and excessive here. Also credit to Andy Rourke, the most underrated Smith, for his bass playing.

How good is Johnny Marr?

Its kinda funny. People have been telling me for literally years to listen to the Smiths and here they are, on Day 4 of a 1001 day challenge, to let me know how much I've missed from not listening to them over the years! A real outstanding album. The instrumentation is spot on and the lyrics and melody dance between serious and tongue and cheek from song to song. I was going to list all my favorite songs from the album but then realised I was just typing out half the album. I will say after my first two listens through the album, my favorite is probably Last Night I dreamt that Somebody Loved Me. But yeah, def got some Smiths catching up to do now! 5/5

Strangeways is a great description to this album. I like the sound of each song and they focus on very interesting topics, like hoping your girlfriend will wake from a coma.

Foundational band for a lot of other stuff I like today. Have listened to a lot of their other albums. Most of these songs were super solid, I just think I prefer them in slightly smaller doses. Love the A side. Stars for Morrissey’s growling on track one. Johnny Marr is such a classic rockstar too - impressive range of projects since the Smiths.

One of those bands I knew I should listen to because of all the later ones they influenced. Excellent early alt/new wave with lyrics that inspire pop-punk and emo 20 years later

Same review as the last Smiths album: 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.

Well, on the 1 year anniversary of me listening to my first ever album by The Smiths, we have another album by The Smiths. HOW?! How does this happen?! This may genuinely be the craziest coincidence I've had in regards to this generator, and I've encountered some weird coincidences. Am I going to have to wait until October 6, 2025 to get The Queen is Dead? Maybe? I don't know. Let's move on and talk about Strangeways, Here We Come. I liked Meat is Murder quite a bit. I initially gave it a 3/5 but that was because it was the second album I ever got and I didn't like at as much as the first one I got. Since then I have gotten that rating bumped up to a 4 because I realized that the album is quite good actually. However, it's not the best Smiths album. To be fair, I don't know if Strangeways is the best one either, but it's at least better than Meat is Murder. Everything that I liked about that album is here, but it seems that the band really improved on their style in the two years after that album's release. The sound is still very unique and pleasant to listen to. Johnny Marr's guitar work is just as great as ever, as are Morrissey's vocals and writing. Andy Rourke and Mike Joyce also do great playing the bass and drums respectively. I don't have much to say about them, but I figured that I might as well give them praise since I'm doing so for the other members. There's some wonderful songs on here. "A Rush and a Push and the Land is Ours" is strong opener. It really sets up a different feel for this album. "Girlfriend in a Coma" is a pretty similar song that has this weird blend between being very fun to listen to and having very sad lyrics that I kind of really like. I think "Stop Me If You Think You've Heard This One Before" might be my favorite on the album. It's great. Overall, this is a strong album that really goes to show just how much talent there was in the Smiths. It's a shame that this was their last album. At least they ended strongly. High 4/5.

i always love singing along in an exaggerated style of morrisey so my family looks at me weird

Great band with an awful singer who also happens to be an awful person. Favorite track: Unhappy Birthday

Un énième album de Morrissey et de ses godiches de potes. Si le côté musical passe encore, le propos général est sensiblement le même qu'à chaque fois. Et vas-y qu'au fond tout le monde préfère sa propre race, et vas-y que j'arbore un badge pour un parti d'extrême droite, et vas-y que j'agite un drapeau britannique devant un décor évoquant le nazisme... Rien de nouveau sous le soleil.

Morrissey sucks and I've never vibed with The Smiths' style of indie/jangle pop.

Ish. Morrissey has such a dreadful Kermit-y singing voice. Just this splatty wimpy mess of a voice. Gross!

I don't get it, the Smiths are only boring

It's ok. I just can't stand Morrisey

Momma didn't feel it tbh

whats up with all the fucking growling at the beginning, definitely an unwelcome surprise. This was not good, not as bad as expected though. 2/5. But, we need to account for the Morrisey Multiplier. Fuck Morrisey. 1/5

Nope.

This plays every time I have to use the Leeds ring road,Traveling to a doctors appointment were they ask me how many Units of alcohol I consume a week. I say 14 units...We both know this is a lie! As I wait to hand the pharmacist my prescription, I am behind a man in his 60s, Flat cap, brown leather gloves and a navy blue windbreaker. He dose not hand in his prescription but has some questions about it! Your insides sink with the sound of Loyd Grossman plummeting down a well with 1/6th of the Earth’s gravity....Your day from this point is going nowhere...Your day from this point is a Smiths Album

Still wonderful...

Nice

Excellent album, all songs are gold. 10/10 album!

As always amazing s9ngs by a massive walker.

This might be my favorite The Smiths albums. I listened to all the others... and this just beats The Queen is Dead for me. You see... it's such *funny* album. 5/5 - iconic

Not my favorite album but it's still the smiths

Awesome album. Haven't listened in a long while. Went on a Smith's listening spree after this.

Yesssssss

Cracking album, it's a shame Morrissey is such a bell end - I was tempted to dock a star - but Johnny Marr is a wizard, so 5/5 it is.

Great, as all The Smiths albums.

Impossible to be impartial with this band but that’s not really a problem when you hear how good they are. This album, like almost everything The Smiths put out, is a pop masterpiece. Plain and simple. From the very first track Johnny Marr’s ambition to move away from the domain of jangle pop into a more expansive sound impresses itself. In fact this record in some respects is the full realisation of everything The Smiths wanted to be. Not beholden to the past but greatly indebted to it. Also noteworthy is the surprisingly abstract, though no less literate, lyrical content of Morrissey. So much can be said about the enigmatic frontman which might best be saved for another of his albums. But unquestionably he raised the bar for lyrical contemplation in pop music, and in many ways contemporary music criticism is centred around considerations of his style, and the droves of imitators he spawned. An undeniably singular pop group who have never been rivalled.

Classic.

I really liked meat is murder when I listened to it but I didn’t realize until this album that the smiths was a much more modern band. I like their sound and they feel much older of a sound than the other bands of the 80s

So good

G

Con los Smiths me pasa esto de que me gustan cuando los escucho, pero no los escucho tanto. Quizá de repente sí bajonean, pero qué bonito suenan. La voz de Morrissey siempre me ha gustado mucho. Acá me gustan mucho "Death of a Disco Dancer" y "Unhappy Birthday", aunque no tengo skips. La canción final suena a una buena despedida y se agradece mucho que la música y las letras sean igualmente buenazas. 10/10

Loved it

This album was moody and irritating.

Morrissey ist ein Arschloch, aber die Musik seiner Band 10/10

I love this album!!

Love this era of music

I grew up on the queen is dead. I didn't get a copy of this until I was an adult. I remember not liking it much on my first listen, but it quickly grew on me. Death of a Disco dancer is such a perfect song for our times. Girlfriend in a coma is hilarious. If you've ever been in a toxic relationship, this song will hit way too close to home.

Despite Morrissey turning to the dark side, I can still listen to this and experience unrestrained joy! Who else could make the idea of their girlfriend being in a coma sound so appealing?

Hello old friend. I much prefer Meat Is Murder, but I'll accept this on the list! Too short and a couple of throwaway numbers on this, but that's always been the Smiths style. Great album.

wonderful

I'm glad they took a different turn on what would be their final album and didn't replicate The Queen is Dead. It doesn't have as many notable songs, but the music and production feels more sophisticated. It feels more grand and luscious, especially the string arrangements. Girlfriend in a Coma is an excellent example of this. Stop Me If You've Heard This One Before is probably their most accessible song on here, but still holds a lot of weight. You do get a couple of others that sound like they could've been from the Queen era, including Unhappy Birthday. But then you get tracks like Death of a Disco Dancer and Last Night I Dreamt... that goes into darker territory that musically hasn't been explored much.

Amazing album 10* Cover art 5/5

Another charming release by The Smiths. It’s not The Queen is Dead, but definitely is a masterpiece.

Rating: 10/10

This is a great album and an excellent jumping off point for both The Smiths and also for pretty much all post-punk 80s stuff. 5/5

Already listen to this fairly regularly, so knew it would be 5 stars before I played it. Love the lyrics and guitar riffs. "I Started Something I Couldn't Finish" my favourite track.

What a coincidence. In my previous rating I said that I had other music that I prefer for "sadboy time" and look no further but the king of mope himself: Morrissey. Not my favorite Smiths album but it's still great. Everything Smiths and Morrissey is a 5. One of those personal rules. I don't give a shit what kind of asshole Moz might actually be. His vocals and lyrics with Johnny Marr's guitar playing is always welcome to my ears.

No hope, no harm; just another false alarm

9,5

Baš sam Aniti pričao prekjučer da nikak' da dođu, a vjerujem da su sva njihova 4 studijska albuma na 1001. Imali su kratak rok stvaranje glazbe, bar što se tiče kao grupa. I šta su s tim napravili? Definitivno nešta najbolje ikad na ovom svijetu u tako malo vremena. Iako mi je ovo njihov ako baš moram reć najlošiji, ne mogu to tako nazvat jer je i ovaj album tak' jebeno dobar. Vremenski, album je savršen. 10 pjesama oko 36min, dosta. Možda bi se moglo nać da je kratak, ali su strpali u to malo - sve (that's what she said). Također, ovaj album ima drugi najbolji closer sa I Won't Share You, koji se nalazi iza prvog Suffer Little Children sa s/t albuma (jebiga zna se koji album ima najlošiji closer song). Reć ćemo nekako da između ta 4 albuma će biti isti broj zvjezdica, samo ću ja znati koliko je kod nekoga slabija zvjezdica, a kod koga opravdana!

Yes, it's very good

i have always want to be a manic pixie girl! not as good as their earlier album though. not sure why this one was selected as a representation of The Smiths

Very good album.

There should be a sub category for people that made beautiful music while being ugly to each other

Fuck Morrissey

Ok. That last record tricked me. I somehow had the first song on repeat. It was atypical for the rest of the record, which included rock and rap elements. I didn't care for it. So I would have given Duck Rock a 1/5 stars. For the record. Now, Strangways, Here We Come... The best Smith's record, IMHO. Enough said. 5/5.

I love this! This is sepia-toned, melancholic, rueful, brooding, gorgeous. I like the distorted guitars and jangly melodies.

Favourite song: I started something I couldn’t finish

No soy parcial con los Smiths. Fue la primera música no comercial que empezó a gustarme. Los Smiths, Simple Mind y los Housemartins. De este disco en que ya iban desvaneciéndose recomiendo casi todo. Su hit "Girlfriend in a coma" o "I won't share you". Para mí es un 5 estrellas de arriba a abajo.