Strangeways, Here We Come

3,5

Not a bad album if you're in a Smiths mood

Pop inglés tranquilo y minimalista. Sin grandes estridencias. Voz con un toque original

Probably the worst of The Smith’s proper albums, but even their worst album is still pretty decent. Girlfriend in a Coma is a pure joy. Last Night I Dreamt is one of their saddest songs. No bad songs really, just not as fully realized as some of their earlier releases.

The original emos, this is another collection of their melancholy and sadness-tinged songs about love, betrayal, and the music industry.

"If you like the Smiths, this is pretty good" is the dominating thought, suggesting that one does, in fact, like the Smiths. The second half is lesser, but that appraisal grants that it's open for deep cut treatment. The band pulls tricks that should change the sound, most obviously with ambiguous country twang, but each song remains shrouded in typical Smiths beauty. It's final material without finality.

Goofy little man

Liked it more than I thought I would. Johnny Mar is an innovative and inventive guitarist. Morrissey is an insufferable prick.

Finally! An upbeat song about a girlfriend in a coma!

Favourite song: A Rush and a Push

Decent. Favourite tracks include, 'Last Night I Dreamt (That Somebody Loved Me)'. Morrisey's vocals got annoying after a while. A short, no doubt well produced body of work, but I could not really connect with it on the most part.

The beginning tracks are meh, the middle is banging and the last 2 tracks fall off for me.

Mellow

First half is a sleeper. Little disappointed as i love the other Smiths albums but far from the worst album I've heard. Writing a bit boring and not as catchy tunes. Last night I dreamt and stop me are beautiful songs. I won't share you as well :)

I've never been able to get into The Smiths. I groaned internally when I saw this as the next album. However, I found myself enjoying this album. More like 3.5 stars. A bit less maudlin then their other albums.

Preferred the production but songs got weaker towards the end

Very new wave!

3.5

I love The Smiths. This album is decent. I like the ambiguity many of the songs on it have. I think it's not one of my favorite albums from them, though.

This smiths album feels airy and light compared to some of their others...not sure why. Some good tunes, but Morissey is still a tool.

A decent album. Enjoyable.

I like the kinda echo-ey instrumentation, but the vocals are a bit drone-y

lower end smiths album honestly

Galet hu ja int uppskattar lyriken lika mycke som när ja va typ 16 Trevliga melodier dock men nog svagare än ja sku minnas

Their weakest effort, unfortunately. The songs sound too different to form a cohesive whole, and the songs on their own vary in quality. Still, an enjoyable listen

Mest mid smiths albumet?!

Seems to lack the energy of the earlier Smiths albums. Not bad, but quite forgettable.

Overarching theme of melancholy Songs like Girlfriend in a coma sound like a parody of the band Mix of sad sounding songs in the major key giving them an initial disguise of a happy songs Some songs flow into each other as if the album is one song broken up into choruses verses bridges and interludes Album seems to give a feeling of thatcher England The band sound varies from school drama club to pub band to big stage band

Back in the day, I never got into The Smiths. My sister had their albums, I listened, they sounded okay, inoffensive, lush (at times), even keel music that was fine, but to me they were boring. I liked similar sounding bands and always felt The Smiths were a tad bit overrated and couldn't understand why they gained so much success and acclaim. This album is a good record, most of them are, but for me, not essential.

Well, it's definitely the best The Smiths have ever sounded. Not that that's saying much. But this one is actually enjoyable which is a pleasant departure from their norm. You still have to sit through Morrissey's bullshit but, if you grit your teeth and suffer through his vocals, there's a really decent album underneath.

It was ok. It’s the smiths for sure. 3.5/5

Already listened to it. Pretty good, Paint a Vulgar Picture is probably my favourite

p573. 1987. 3 stars One of my musical blind spots. I don't like The Smiths, mostly because of Morrissey's whining voice, its like a mosquito on Valium. Set against that, this is actually OK - unlike most of their other albums, the songs don't all sound the same. Still a blind spot though.

Käsin tehty puusta. Se oli yhtä kallis kuin muut neljä kappaletta, eikä yleisö kuullut Morrisin ääntä. Johnny Marr ei kuollut myrskyssä. Mielestäni tämä tarina on yksi Smithin parhaista, eikä erilainen Ei ole parempaa tapaa. Haluan tehdä sen, jos mahdollista. A Rush and a Push and the Land is Ours

If it wasn't for what Morrissey represents today, I'd probably be more OK with listening to The Smiths. Otherwise, good album, though I'd be struggling to pick a stand-out song here.

I can’t think of a more apropos opening line to a Morrisey-penned tune than “Stop me if you think you’ve heard this one before…” I like that song, and remember it as been the “hit”. I also like the opener, especially the way he rolls the R on RRRRRush. The production on this album is more wall-of-sound than past efforts and it’s interesting that Johnny Marr said he wanted it to sound like a Walker Brothers Album, since they could sound a bit mushy at times, which would make Morrisey the ideal vocalist for such a venture. Songs like “Girlfriend in a Coma” and “Unhappy Birthday” are warm-ups for Morrisey’s solo career. I will not continue my rant about how this album could have possibly been selected over their debut.

top tracks: a rush a pull, i started smth, stop me if you think, last night i dreamt, i won’t share you morrissey kind of slay in a miserable gay man way

Good album

I liked this much more than The Queen is Dead. Depressing lyrics disguised by upbeat music is my jam.

A solid effort from the band. I noticed a bit more synth than I did on 'The Queen is Dead' but pretty enjoyable overall. Much like their debut album the songs are all good with one or two definite standouts on the tracklist. 3.5/5

Hipster bedoeling, maar OK

I'm a stranger when it comes to The Smiths. For whatever reason I've put off listening to them even though I know they are the precursor to some of my favorite bands. I got into this album almost immediately and have found something like about almost every song. Though "Death of a Disco Dancer" is my favorite.

Weee I'm back baby!! This album is pretty good! The Queen is Dead is one of my all time favorites and they have some great compilations, so I was really looking forward to this. My favorite song is definitely Girlfriend in a Coma, which I've known since Hannah Lipstein put it on a mixtape for me sometime in the late 2000s. Truly, a tastemaker. And I love the growling sounds Morrissey makes on "A Rush and a Push and the land is ours." Those are probably the only two songs I will seek out from this album in the future. Still, gotta love some of those sweetly sociopathic lyrics on other tracks: "I still love you, only slightly less than I used to my love."

I don’t quite know what to make of the Smiths yet, if I’m honest. I’m too distracted by Morrissey’s lyrics and the pervasive silliness of the music. There’s clearly something more complex going under the surface with these lyrics, but it evades me. It’s got this funny skip to it, most of the music… almost silly? I think I need more time with this one.

I’m another stranger to The Smiths, though I’m told Hannah was decades ahead of me in high school (middle school?!). What’s new? This album was enjoyable with two standout songs for me: Girlfriend in a Coma and A Rush and A Push and The Land is Ours. I enjoyed the guttural sounds throughout the album and especially in the first track. Girlfriend in a Coma I could listen to over and over. It’s catchy, silly, and now saved to a few of my playlists. Overall, happy I know a bit of The Smiths. I’m told The Queen is Dead is the album I should really listen to, though.

Correct, sans plus!

goed

Dark and depressing but a fun listen.

Standout: I won't share you. Listened to the album twice through because I always feel like I should like The Smiths more than I do. It's tricky. I'll fall for one song on an album but I find on a full album, the songs sound similar enough that they lose my attention. And to me, they sing kind of dispassionately which is not in my nature - I'm looking to be brought to high highs or reduced to low lows by great music. And on this album, I didn't feel strongly moved in any direction.

Not bad, but definitely not as good as Meat is Murder or The Queen is Dead. “Last Night I Dreamt” is a totally awesome song though

This is probably a 4 star album but I don’t really feel like I need/want to listen to it again, so I’ll give it 3. Album Cover: Giving me nothing 1/5

So eighties! Mellow and melodic.

Kinda got bored, not my style

Sneaky 4 songs saved but also that song about having a gf in a coma irrationally pissed me off so much. That was peak cringe from Morrissey, who is no stranger to cringe.

very smith sounding album. not bad

Generic smiths, nothing bad to say here but no sings jump out at me like the standout tracks on their other albums.

Rann ljúflega

On this record some songs are better than others. Still solid though.

I guess they're just not quite in my wheelhouse but they're not objectively bad.

Not nearly at the same level as The Queen Is Dead. It just sounds like they are trying too hard and Morissey sounds like he has bought into his fame and has become even more pretentious.

Well, it was a lot better than The Queen is Dead. I actually really like Death of a Disco Dancer and Unhappy Birthday. However apart from those 2 tracks they all kinda sound the same to me. If you don't listen quite carefully your attention just drifts away. Still I'll give it a 3 'cause I found 2 songs I liked on it which was way more than I was expecting, normally i am just allergic to The Smiths!

the ususal.

Okeyish

All sounds the same

Oh, so this is why people like The Smiths. Not bad.

Μέτριο

Good but not great.

Tiene algunos tracks muy buenos

Shmeh. Couple of good songs but lots of it kinda samey. I've heard better from The Smiths

Was aight

Amo The Smiths y no había escuchado este álbum. No pude escucharlo con mucha atención así que toca hacerlo otra vez

Good

Mozzie and the gang har liksom aldri funka heilt for meg

It grows on you…

Meh. Not bad, not good.

The first time I have listened to a Smith's album start to finish. Sounds rather samey, really.

Good

Mostly unremarkable Brit pop rock propped up by an apparently highly effective media campaign. Best track: Paint a Vulgar Picture

A super chill album that could be nice to just drive to at night and chill. It's a good vibe. A super nice night album. Especially in the beginning. At the end it falls of in my perspective. Though there are some really vibey songs in here. You just gotta find them. A very ok album. I'm glad I'm expanding my music though. "last night i drempt the somebody loved me" is a banger. A modern classic if it comes out rn.

Listened to on 8/10/22 3/5 Favorite song: girlfriend in a coma Not my favorite of their albums because the vibes were all over the place but it was easy background music

A bit depressing but it’s the Smiths so what are ya gonna do? The music was still good so a 3. Favorite song was probably I Won’t Share You.

meh.

not bad at all

Not much of an albums band are they? Only really one standout track (Stop Me etc) and the rest fairly forgettable.

It was aight

Nothing special, but not bad.

Just what I would expect from The Smiths.

Listening to this brought back memories of the mid- to late-'80s, elementary school, hanging out with our babysitter who was probably playing this constantly, but nothing here truly stood out to me. I did enjoy it though, so I'll probably need to give this one another few plays to see if I can find the truly incredible parts of it.

Girlfriend in a coma and unhappy birthday still make me laugh 30+ years later...otherwise.had forgotten their very signature sound

soft vibes but not catchy enough to really get into it

I used to like a bit of The Smiths, less so now that morrisey is an absolute bellend.

OK they can have 3 for Girlfriend in a Coma

not as good as the other smiths albums but pretty listenable all the way through 3.5

Beautifully depressing and hateful. The music is great, and the lyrics are sung with such talent. It's unfortunate that the writer of these lyrics experienced or felt such things, and I hope they've found peace.

Strangeways, Here We Come by The Smiths (1987) If there’s such a thing as thoughtfully grim pop, this is it. Mostly first person singular narratives and reflections, it’s all sweetness and horror. But it’s not a joke. It helps to know at the outset that “Strangeways” was the name of a notoriously rough high-security prison in Manchester, England. So here we come. Songs include themes of death (“Death at One’s Elbow”), punishment (“I Started Something I Couldn’t Finish”), haunting by the ghost of an executed criminal (A Rush and a Push and the Land Is Ours), lack of remorse (“Girlfriend in a Coma”), and other sundry dark states of mind and soul that we all know are really out there. That’s why we watch Dateline. The lyrics express the memories, emotions, hopes and hopelessness of protagonists whose psyches are seriously unintegrated, as in ‘I know I was violent, but I still love you, baby’. That sort of thing. Or in “Last Night I Dreamed that Somebody Loved Me”, we are reassured that it was “just another false alarm”, recorded over a background of screaming male voices in a prison riot. Or we have: “I’ve come to to wish you an unhappy birthday, ‘cause you’re evil and you lie, and if you should die, I may feel slightly sad, but I won’t cry . . . Surely you’re happy it should be this way; I said no and then I shot myself.” This one is set to a jaunty shuffle, with only a slightly dark melody and chord structure. Makes me want to press my lips together, furrow my brow, and wonder. And we also get the darkest take I’ve ever heard on the relationship between recording artists and record companies (“Paint a Vulgar Picture”). The music is well enough produced and performed, with several very nice minor key progressions and synthesized strings, and with lyricist/lead singer Morrissey creditably delivering on this strange basket of goods. It’s a good listen. But it will make you eager to get back to whatever else you were doing. 3/5

Ekki besta Smiths-platan, en ágæt samt.

Me gustó.

Not my favorite Smiths record, despite having one of my favorite songs ("Stop Me"). Weirdly, I feel like Johnny Marr's presence is subdued a little here, and the addition of synths has made it sound a little dated. Favorite tracks: "Stop Me If You Think That You've Heard This One Before", "Girlfriend In a Coma"

Fine I guess, but why does this list have so many Smiths/Morrissey records?

It’s fine. The music is good, but I really can’t stand Morrissey.

Of I’ll the smiths albums this would not be my pick. The smiths are a pop band and so should have some hits on their albums

his voice was the only thing wrong with this album, but i found it easy to avoid because it was overpowered by the music which i liked. everything else was good except is singing is just uh

There's no way to prove it...but fng Morrissey is the most annoying pop/rock star of all-time. Utter bullshit singer, and absolutely stupid/ridiculous lyrics ...oh i'm sorry "Girlfriend in a coma...there were times i could have murdered her" is SUCH QUIET GENIUS tittered a hundred thousand Benetton-turtle-necked-with-bangs teenage girls in the late 80s - it's completely laughably awful; he only semi-got away with it with his prancy fey overly-wraught whiny British pomposity. He's awful and the worst of 80s Brit indie alt pop. And it's a fking shame - because the music here is *fantastic* - Smiths 2 3 and 4 brought their A-games and if they had pretty much any other singer on earth this album would be permanently in my collection. Give me any Johnny Marr solo record over this - he may not be the best singer but he's not distracting from the great/moody/melodic music. Morrissey 1 other Smiths 5 so we'll even it out and give a 3. Angrily. 6/10 3 stars.

Um ...

I'm still fairly cool on The Smiths, but Girlfriend in a Coma is worth a couple of stars at least.

This one properly comes out swinging, but then sinks into a kind of jangle pop torpor, only to pick up again near the end. The longeurs of the mid-set sag are enough to drag this down a star or two. Still, there's a nice variety in the sonic palette here, and the lyrics are as arch and knowing as one might expect. Good, without being great - 'A Rush and a Push and the Land Is Ours' being the standout.

Some decent tracks (Last Night I Dreamt.. Death at one's Elbow) and some ordinary ones. Morrisey's lyrics are sometimes clunky but also inventive - same for the arrangements. Well produced and engineered.

With the context in mind that this was their last album together, it makes sense that the themes felt a bit disjointed. A lot of concepts seemed like an interesting direction toward more accessible pop music, but lots of this just felt unenthusiastic or half baked. The first half of the album was pretty great, really loved A Rush and a Push and the Land Is Ours, and Death of a Disco Dancer found my self bopping my head and even laughing at a couple of the lyrics (in a good way). The sappiness on a lot of the tracks toward the end of the album would normally be welcome, but I felt the lyrics were too bluntly stated to be poetic, especially given their previous work.

typical sound of The Smiths, it's great alt rocking but it's not their best for sure.

The Smiths were only an album releasing entity for 3.5 years. It's doubly impressive, therefore, that 3 out of their 4 albums are on this list. This may not have the consistency or level of humour and brilliance of The Queen Is Dead but is still a solid Smiths album with a handful of classics. And a solid Smiths album is still a very good record. 3.5/5

Reverb or echo or something. A distinct sound that I always apply to the 1980s, and then checking the year of this album - yep 1987. It always sounds like the people are singing in a tunnel with the mic at a far end. It's an ok album. Nothing off-putting and has been a nice mix to work to. Can't say I've overly paid attention to it in the background, which also says something about how nothing really strikes or hits hard enough to be noticeable.

Oh Morrissey, you can complain with the best of them.

Minus 1 star for Morrissey being a dickhead.

The Smiths have a distinctive sound that is evident throughout this album.

airy british pop rock. Stop Me If You Think You've Heard This One Before may be the only thing I remember off this.

Strangeways, Here We Come is filled with a familiar sound. But honestly, nothing really stood out with a wow factor, but it was a good solid album nonetheless. Best: Death of a Disco Dancer Worst: Last Night I Dreamt That Somebody Loved Me

Good enough but never really takes off. Just left me wanting for the most part. Better than Morrissey's solo stuff though. 3/5.

Enjoyable, but slightly disappointing compared to The Queen is Dead. The songs are still very lyrically intriguing and keep everything fresh and fun, and the instrumentals are a little more varied and adventurous. But the melodies are quite as catchy and ear-wormy as TQiD. 6/10

I appreciated the uniquene songwriting, specifically the song structures and lyrics which often told interesting stories that caught your attention. But something just didn't click like I wanted it to.

3.5

Certainly not my cup of tea but I can appreciate that they were musically talented

Le daré un 4, por tener el megahit Girlfriend in a coma, pero me ha aburrido un poco.

Haven't really listened to this album. Think I heard it once, but was not a massive Smiths fan anyway. The one album of their's I do like is Hatful Of Hollow.

“I won’t share you” is a beautiful closer but other than that nothing fully grabs me, could see myself coming back to it though

A torn and crumpled valentine’s card. A spilled bottle of champagne. Not nearly enough cocaine. Is there anyone who can sing a word like ‘murder’ lovelier than Morrissey? His voice is sweeter and smoother than a ruby red glass of sherry. Likewise, the rest of the Smiths, who soar with the best jingle jangle sound since the Byrds. However, I’ve never heard such delightful music (Johnny Marr’s) pared with such utterly doleful lyrics (Morrissey’s)… at least if I’m not considering the Smiths’ LP before this one. Morrissey seems stuck on the subject of unrequited love, which as a British gay man in 1987 was, I’m guessing, not an uncommon experience; not to mention dangerous- another theme running through his lyrics. Beatings, murder, suicide. On ‘Unhappy Birthday,’ he wishes death on his ‘evil,’ deceitful ex-lover! I’m not aware of Morrissey’s religious belief, if any, but every tradition I’m aware of mostly advises against this, witnessing to the dire consequences awaiting the wisher for such a wish. Here’s my main concern, though, and I’m speaking from my own experience. Morrissey falls in love at the drop of a hat. A smile and a wink from a pretty James Dean face, and he’s in seventh heaven. But in love has nothing to do with Love. Love without conditions, expectations. Love that Loves regardless, even if its unrequited, disrespected. The trick is to set one’s boundaries carefully and guard them diligently for one’s own protection, while still Loving the one pissing all over your broken heart. Whereas Morrissey answers the question, ‘… is life sick and cruel?’ with an immediate ‘Yes!’ I would have to disagree. Helen Keller, as one example, suffered in ways that would shame Morrissey and myself, yet pronounced life wonderful. She could have justifiably (according to our often flawed perception and limited human understanding) pronounced it sick and cruel, but intentionally chose not to. Ask yourself why? Morrissey, I hope you do find love one day. Maybe you already have. And I hope it brings you all you desire. But the kind I think you’re so desperately searching for will not ultimately fill that hole in your tender, aching heart. Only Love can, and will, do that.

A cult classic, but difficult to listen to now, knowing how Morrissey has transformed since.

Sometimes I feel like I'm close to liking Morrissey, but he's just so fucking maudlin all the time. He definitely works better with the Smiths than he does as a solo artist, at least from my perspective. Musically, this album is good and did a great job at keeping my interest. The lyrics are...Morrissey. We get it, you're sad and you hate everyone except your girlfriend, who's in a coma. What kills me is that I like his voice. If he would just sing about some other aspect of the human condition, it would be a good album. Instead we get Holden Caufield Sings the Blues. I don't hate it, but it's so close to being really good that it makes me mad 3/5

Excellent. 3/5

Pretty good! Very 80s, very British

I listened to this earlier this year and I didn't dislike it as much this time, but that's as far as I'm willing to go at this point.

I'm not sure I can do this tonight. Not in the mood for Morrissey's moody brooding. I don't hate it and I can't say I even dislike it, but I very seldom want to listen to it.

Unfortunately after listening to a lot of Smiths I don't think I'm a huge fan. Instrumentally it's all fine and dandy but Morrissey's voice and delivery isn't my cup of tea.

┐(￣ヘ￣;)┌ звучит просто... неплохо?

Not the greatest Smiths albums, suffers from Morrissey's tendency to have better song titles than the actual song itself and you always know a band is nearing the end of the line when they start whining about record companies.

I can’t wait ‘til Morrissey dies, and I’ve never been all that impressed by The Smiths aside from the obviously-great handful of classic singles...but I’m kinda shocked that I didn’t hate this. Still not something I’d revisit aside from a couple tracks in a playlist, but Johnny Marr’s airy, jangly, off-kilter, influenced-by-anything-obtuse arrangements got me wondering if I should revisit their most lauded classics. I still wouldn’t say I’m a *fan* of this style by any stretch, but I at least get why my Millennial, North Brooklyn , indie-minded peers all love them, and I don’t hate this record by any stretch. But also it’s far from a *must listen* before I die, more like, “maybe I was a pretentious hardcore kid who just wanted to hate The Smiths, and maybe their strange final album is just odd enough to be more my speed,” but that assessment doesn’t mean it’s essential for everyone, either, especially if you’re already more respective to 80s indie pop than me.

Neither the music or the lyrics drew me in

terrified of anyone who listens to this album often

This is bias I know because of my opinion of Morrisey but I can no longer listen to much of this without hearing a whiny tone

This definitely isn't my favourite Smiths album, some of them very good but quite a few just wishy washy to me

Certainly not as dour and earnest as usual for The Smiths; I can imagine how weary Marr must have felt with Morrissey's toxic incel kvetching, yet his guitars are classy - maybe out of place with the ludicrous literary themes. Regardless, still fun to listen to, and a little sad to mourn the implosion of the band.

svona lala

Niet slecht maar een beetje saai

Camper and more poppy than I associate with The Smiths which I think is why I am enjoying this so much. As it's gone on, it's got weirder and mopier. "I've come to wish you an unhappy birthday?" Puh-leaze.

This felt pretty standard for what morrissey and the smiths provided. Nothing to special here. A decent album that provides more than just what the singer does alone. By this point the bands formula was pretty well developed and it shows here. 6.2/10

Good listen. Hits the ear well but not many tracks stuck out. 3 memorable songs, but the rest weren’t particularly bad.

Nice music, but a lot of the same.

Better than expected. I really liked the opener but did find myself becoming less enthralled as the album wore on

Not my favorite smiths album, but still a good listen. It has their signature sound but the songs feel lacking compared to albums like The Smiths, or The Queen Is Dead.

Nouvel album de l apart du raciste préféré du générateur, et nouvelle grosse performance, qui permet de mettre un terme à la traversée du désert que subit le générateur actuellement. Néammoins, toujorus pas de 4/5 attribué depuis maintenant plus de 17 années. Robert est injoignable, mon camarade robpelletière et moi commençons a perdre espoir...

Not their best (though they all thought so) this was a bit different to the usual Smiths sound and production- and arrangement-wise showed where Morrissey solo would end up.

Honestly, better than I expected. I wasn’t a fan of the first album of theirs that I listened to, but this one was pretty good when it wasn’t trying to be preachy. I get why some people dig the Smiths.

I always feel like I should like the Smiths more than I do.

I'm just left wondering what The Smiths would sound like with another singer. Keep all of Johnny Marr's arrangements and guitar playing, but trade Morrissey for... I don't know who. Got any ideas? Because I have never been able to get into Morrissey's voice. I do like "Strangeways" better than "The Queen is Dead." Marr's aforementioned arrangements are great. But my focus kept drifting away, likely as a way not to notice Morrissey so much. That's as far as I can go and as detailed as I can get after 2 1/2 listens. So if you've got an idea for a who's voice would fit better with The Smith's music, let me know. (I tried listening to some covers - Jeff Buckley's "I Know It's Over" was great, because... Jeff Buckley - but it's not the same.)

Decent album.

Coupla bangers in here, boys.

Morrissey is the sound of a generation. His "growl" in the first two songs draws me in. I'm fascinated by it! Girlfriend in a Coma is a weird song. There must be a story there. Overall, this album gives me a good sense of this band. Vocal acrobatics, dark-ironic lyrics, crisp guitar paired with sonorous synths. It's The Smiths, take it or leave it. They pioneered a vibe and attitude. Their songs are about stuff, so that's great too. 3.5 stars.

3/5

A crap album by Smiths standards but better than most so far.

Treurige muziek. Ik vond het precies net iets té treurig

Nice sound

Modulates well but I couldn't get interested today

Plenty of goodness emerges. Ace a newsworthy album and it will go well. nothing flashy, just good music

Not that catchy I gotta say. I guess they were trying something different but it’s not that amazing

I strongly dislike morissey. The other members are the only thing keeping this from a lower score

Early Smiths albums are far superior than later efforts.

I can appreciate it but doesn't really speak to me. It's too clean and shimmery.

Interesting album. Really intrigued by 'Death of a Disco Dancer' — sounds like it could be an early Radiohead song!

pretty good, not as memorable as their earlier albums but good songs and good production

Lyssnade med Frida och gjorde pannkakor, mysig skiva men inte jätteimpad.

I particularly appreciate Morrissey's expressive vocal delivery. Although it was enjoyable overall, I probably won't be returning to this one.

Nice drums at the end of Death of a Disco Dancer. I really like some of The Smiths stuff, but other times his voice and lyrics are just hit and miss for me. This album is no different, interesting lyrics both good and bad depending on how you look at it. I can imagine it's not everyone's cup but one thing I can say is it's not dull... Fav tracks: Girlfriend in a Coma, Stop Me, Paint a Vulgar Picture

Don’t sleight this guy

The first few tracks I was absolutely loving. Then I started hearing some sort of ridiculous, hilarious lyrics, that were oddly juxtaposed with the music. I was into that. But I felt like the second half of the album got a bit tired. Some songs sounded like a band at the peak of their career, writing songs for the sake of writing songs, with nothing new to say. I would love an EP version of this album with the fat trimmed.

Pretty easy to listen to and enjoyable. Favourite track was A Rush and Push and the Land Is Ours.

came on really strong but got stale over the entirety of the record

Boring

Not bad for a Smiths album I guess?

Not they’re best album, but not bad. I enjoyed it, but then I quite like The Smiths. Wouldn’t be upset if this ended up in my collection.

lite deppigt men jag lyssna hela plattan plus lite till

The smiths are just boring

Underhållande

typical 80's sound, not distinctive to me.

24th May 2021 Listened to this in the front room while working in the afternoon. Sun and rain intermittent, fitting for a Smith's album. I can't divorce myself from the tit Morrissey has become, but I enjoyed a Rush and a Push and the Land Is Ours, Girlfriend in a Coma and of course Stop Me If You've Heard This One Before.

Great production - it has a richness to it. I haven't listened to a lot of Smiths but the songs are well crafted.

I've never really gotten into the Smiths, and this album didn't help out too much. The instrumentation and style choices were pretty good, but Morrisey's weird tounge swallowing thing he does is really annoying. I'll keep giving them a chance though. They're not bad. Fav song: Death of a Disco Dancer

Probably my least favourite Smiths' record, but also their most unusual, so got to give it points for that. Johnny Marr's guitar work is almost unrecognizable. Favourite Tracks: Stop Me If You've Heard This One Before, Girlfriend in a Coma (Oh Morrissey...) and I Won't Share You. Rating: 3.5

Boring, not catchy, not vibey but has good songs

Curious pick for a Smiths album to include in this list. I like it, but it's not their best (or my favourite). Some interesting textures and a few really standout tracks to dig into. "Girlfriend in a Coma" is just pop perfection.

Couldnt finish all of it but what I did listen to was a strange mixed bag. Gotta say the lyrics were uh. Kinda strange at times.

Why did Morrissey have to become a Nazi? I hope there are more Smiths albums because this one is not their best. Some bangers though. Poor old Johnny Marr doing ALL the work.

Epílogo de The Smiths, sin canciones de las míticas pero bien producido y muy compacto en su sonido. Es para fans

Non il migliore degli Smiths

Casually enjoyed it. Wouldn't turn it off if it came on a playlist.

Saved Prior: None Saved Off Rip: A Rush and a Push and the Land Is Ours, Death of a Disco Dancer, Girlfriend in a Coma, Stop Me If You Think You've Heard This One Before Cutting Edge: None Overall Notes: Not as good as prior Smiths material I know, but still good. Will inevitably grow on me because that's just how the Smiths go. Hyped for the other two albums.

The outro to “death of a disco dancer” is pretty cool. I read on wiki that marr wanted to avoid the jingle jangle of previous albums but I’d be lying if I said I didn’t want some jingle jangle. But Marr is still a great guitarist. “Unhappy birthday” sounds like a spoof done by someone mocking like an incel or something. Wtf is this. Marr with more great guitar on “paint a vulgar picture”. Spotify automatically went into another smiths album and I didn’t realize and I was thinking “finally a little jingle jangle on this album”. But nope. Eh. I hate rating and I’m thinking of starting to give everything a 3 unless it stands out in one way or another. I guess I’ll give this one a 3 I don’t know. Didn’t love it but it didn’t offend my ears either. I want more jingle jangle.

Repeat review from Jan 28: Track 1 cool reggae feel and "Feel Flows" swelling vocals. Track 2 "I started something I couldn't finish" could be an accurate description of this 1001 albums exercise. GF in a coma and I know its serious is a lyric I've always loved and still makes me giggle. Big drama songs "Last Night I Dreamt That Somebody Loved Me". Some light grooves with harsh lyrics "Unhappy Birthday". Trouble connecting wiht Morrissey's dark-ironic-but-also-honest lyrics. So much talk of death and dying (heavy) contrasted with melodies and vocal delivery that floats and lilts and delicately flutters (light). Perhaps this contrast is what really connects with the Smiths-devoted? I'll take the weirder American version (REM) instead. B-

So we already listened to this on our first deleted account. I’m pretty sure I wrote an in depth review. But on principal I couldn’t be brought to do it again. Solid album. Nice soundscapes. A few really catchy songs but it just doesn’t have the bangers of some other Smith’s albums. Morrissey is exceptional with lyrics and melodies, captures the rich kid emo ennui of the 80s. But, like all of their albums there’s a lot of fat, a lot of songs I don’t care about that fade into the background—they’re kind of a greatest hits band for me.

Solid album. The Smiths both do it for me and don't do it for me at the same time. I vacillate between midnight and 6 o'clock all through the album.

Josh Thoughts: Agreed with all the above. I've wager at least 5 girlfriends and boyfriends buried at his summer cottage. There were a couple fun jams, a lot of it sort of blended into the background--though I was pretty busy with work today so wasn't able to focus much on the music.

Ok

No es un disco perfecto pero es lo mejor que pudieron hacer. Uno puede intuir que Johnny Marr ya estaba medio harto porque su estilo cambió en este disco: hay menos catedrales de arpegios, hay más acordes, más strumming, incluso solos de guitarra ( a su manera, claro) y tecladitos y pequeños arreglos que se salen fuera de la fórmula Smith. En fin, hay un puñado de buenas canciones, otros medianonas pero todo fine.

Fijne plaat en sterke liedjes. Ik houd wel van die zwarte humor in de teksten.

Alright.

Great album! Super enjoyable to listen to. This feels like music for hipsters, before hipsters were a thing. Favorite track: "Stop me if you think you've heard this one before"

Glaubwürdig der Pathos, homogenes Werk. Wenige Spitzen, aber das ist kein Nachteil. Gute 2.7

Not as good as Meat is Murder but alright so far. Some songs have more of a typical 80s vibe. 6/10.

Never really given them much of a listen. Really enjoyed the albmum

It was okay, really melancholy. The gf song was intense.

Liked some songs but sort of forgettable music

Not exactly my cup of tea, but an enjoyable album nonetheless. Sounds more pop than rock. Interesting sound layers

meh

Classic Smith's. Good stuff.

I hate the Smiths but this is ok.

Very mellow. Nice listen but not something I'd likely return to.

Typical morissey

Interesting. First long listen to The Smiths. Liked: Unhappy Birthday, Girlfriend in a Coma, and Paint a Vulgar Picture

3.5

what’d be playing in the background of a coming of age film for teens who feel misunderstood by everyone aside from themselves. very 90s.

I like the Smiths…mainly because they wrote the soundtrack of Charmed ;).

Yes. I just wish morrissey wasn’t morrissey.

Needs another listen

Sidste Smiths album, tidlig indierock, ikke helt skidt

Pretty dece album, although the songs I ended up adding into my library weren't even the singles (except for Girlfriend in a Coma) lol

1042 albums in... 3 Smiths, 4 Morrissey... "I'm tired, boss..." At least I know I won't come across his whiney fucking voice again... -1 star. +3 stars for the rest of the band, 'cos they had to put up with the prick.

Foi mais difícil de digerir que o The Cure.. talvez por não ser um dos discos mais famosos da banda. É interessante em alguns pontos mas ainda assim, bem longe de ser algo que me envolva como um todo.

Wanker

I really don't like Morrissey's vocal style. He has such a limited range in every single song and it gets old. I didn't mind some of the instrumental moments, though.

Like other albums by this group, the parts where the instrumentals are good, Morrissey's voice drags it down with his singing. And then the rest is just bad overall.

Album 245. Strangeways, Here We Come (https://open.spotify.com/album/7jfexk2w5aDI25njkN0UGg?si=XBST7TwpR1i0lXjW1FJbEA) — The Smiths (1987) Well, it's The Smiths. Always tough listen to me. The fourth and final album. Not the best, but okay. 2/5 Liked: — I Started Something I Couldn't Finish

Pretty boring and slow. Songs feel same-ish to me. Bit of a whiny voice.

Meh

"Stop Me If You Think You've Heard This One Before" I have, it's called anything by The Cure. Great music to unalive yourself to I guess.

Very English sounding pop album with only a couple good ones, wasn’t a huge fan here

One good song. 2.5 (Maybe a 3?)

It all sounds the same to me

Eipä tämä suuremmin innostanut. Ei jatkoon.

Never understood the Smiths. Morrissey is also an awful singer, glad it speaks to some people but god its depressing with little redeeming factors. Must be in a good mood cause its a 2

The Smiths is a difficult listen because Morrissey is an ass. I like some of their music, but too much of it is about Morrissey.

Worst Smiths album

definitely feels like a transitional album to something else. something better! but it’s not quite there. and it’s still The Smiths. meh. deserves to be one of the 1001? ehhh i think you can skip it

There was a time I really liked The Smiths. I’d call it a Phase. Phases are those times you often look back at your life and say, “What was I fucking thinking?”

Fine album I liked "Death of a Disco Dancer", probably will like it more on future listens. high 2

If morrissey has no haters then i am dead A poor forgettable album (excepting stop me) with an extra point for the guitar work.

I know there are many who worship at the shrine, but the Smiths have never done anything for me. Sure the Musicianship is fine, and Johnny Marr's guitar playing is never less than interesting. But over the top of this you have old misery guts himself. His Loneliness The Mope, Morrisey. His lyrics seem, at first sight, a bit ropey, but on closer inspection fail to live up to that level. His singing is mannered at best and his personality so overbearing that everything else is just background If it doers ir for you then go your hardest, but I think there are things I enjoy more. PS: Morrisey is a dick

With the exception of girlfriend in a coma, very disappointing

2/5

Just listened to it, and already forgot.

By my count, this is our THIRD Smiths album so far - they only released FOUR! - and I really don't think anyone needs to hear more than ONE Smiths album before they die, if even that. I love one Smiths song (guess which one!) and it's not on this album. I think it's possible that I could have become a latter-days Smiths fan later in life if Morrissey hadn't turned out to be such a twat. But he did, so.... "Death of a Disco Dancer" was OK - kind of Beatle jangly - and made me think that if I could get past Morrissey's vocals there might be some good music I've been missing all along. But apologies to Mr. Marr, et al, because it is impossible to listen to the Smiths and "get past" Morrissey. I wonder what Kumail Nanjiani thinks of "Girlfriend in a Coma." "Stop Me If You Think You've Heard This One Before" must have been on 120 Minutes a lot because it sounds really familiar. (And I just realized how funny that is. Well-played, Smiths. Unfortunately for me, I listen to all of these albums start-to-finish, so I can't stop him. Next time, Morrissey.) "Unhappy Birthday" is kind of hilarious. I just read that today happens to be Morrissey's birthday. I'll give an extra half-star for that, bumping this up to a 2.

Listened Before? N My new favorite Smiths album! Jangly and pretentious as usual. At least they're consistent. I'll give them half a point for consistency and deduct half a point for having the cover just be a giant shitty image of Morrisey's face. 1.5/5. Added to Library? N Songs added to playlist: A Rush and a Push and the Land Is Ours

Only got about half way through this one. I like The Smiths but for some reason this album wasn’t jiving with me.

Strange indeed haha. Sarcastic and at times funny but overall it wears in me and the vocals are just bad.

I don't love The Smiths but they can make a hit. None of them are on this record, though. It seems like Morrisey said "I'm going to repeat the same line as the title as you pluck the guitar strings as lightly as possible" nine times.

My first time listening to this. My only prior exposure to the Smiths was listening to The Queen Is Dead (once several years ago, and then one more time for this list.) This one is definitely more adventurous than the previous one and it does put Morrissey front and center in the mix; I found he was sort of buried under the echoey production on the previous album. His voice has this soft lilting quality to it but I find it's a little too sappy and delicate to listen to for an entire album. The wide contrast in effort between songs (the longer ones clearly have the most oomph behind them) also sort of detracts. I might revisit this eventually one day, but my opinion of the Smiths is unchanged - they're fine and I'm someone absolutely adores them, but it isn't me.

Morrissey låter bitter och självgod. Så allt är väl som det ska vara? Inte dåligt men inte heller något som jag kommer återkomma till. Last night... är helt ok.

estuvo bien para conocer a los smiths, valio la pena escucharlo. dicho esto, no volvere a reproducirlo en mi vida, de lo mas aburrido que escuche nunca.

background music. Sometimes you never really listened to a specific artist, and sometimes there’s a very valid reason why you never did. Meh.

There would be nothing wrong with having a Smiths album on a list of 1001 albums I need to hear before I die. But for such a list to include THREE of the the four albums put out by the group (and then add FOUR solo efforts by lead singer Morissey!!) is a choice either too lazy or too personally biased to lend any credibility at all to the list. Especially when the same list includes ZERO albums by Warren Zevon!!

No great songs but I could listen to lyrics, some interesting.

'Hoi, wij zijn de makers van dit boek, en dit moet je goed vinden.' Nou, dat maken we zelf nog wel uit. Maar ja, het is intrinsiek aan élk boek van dit type dat je afhankelijk bent van de selectie van de makers. En pas gaandeweg kom je erachter of je het ermee eens bent. Goed, terug naar snobfavoriet Morissey. Echt slecht kan ik het niet vinden, geef mij Morissey en de Smiths liever dan de zoveelste over het paard getilde grofgebekte boze rapmeneer. Maar oenerige teksten als 'girlfriend in a coma, I know it's serious' of 'Stop me if you think you've heard this one before' onderstrepen alleen maar hoe niemendallerig deze muziek is. Je wint er geen Nobelprijs mee, terwijl de muziek ook al zo nikserig is: landerig, allemaal in hetzelfde tempo en met dezelfde instrumentatie, met die keelstem die maar wat zingzegt over de melodie, want waarom zou je het in het metrum passen. En dat verveelt, na zeven platen van deze oliebol. Maar nu zijn we dan eindelijk van hem af.

I think this was my first time properly listening to The Smiths, and I can see why people like them! This album just didn’t really hold my attention, especially telling on a wfh day with minimal distractions.

I only knew The Smiths by name, but I hadn't heard any of their songs. I liked the album, but that was about it.

Fairly OK.

Bin nicht wirklich reingekommen. Ich mag das Album the Smiths viel mehr als dieses von ihnen.

Too soon and too similar after Simple Minds

It was okay. The middle tracks are best. Morrisey is kind of a slimeball and my friend Michael can’t convince me otherwise

Not their best

One of the weaker albums I've heard from The Smiths. Quite forgetful and one that wasn't the easiest to sit through. 1-0 to the Cure.

I haven't done a total deep dive on The Smiths, but they have long been a band that just doesn't quite do it for me. And this confirms! I did, however, listen to this on my commute during a rainy, gray morning, which seems appropriate.

3.5/10

I Was afraid to become a Smiths fan but that one does nothing to me. Girlfriend in a Coma is a bop, but that's about it.

Sorry Morrissey - you crazy now.

Not my thing

I do NOT like this vibe and I usually like the smiths music, very boring

Death At One's Elbow

It’s alright didn’t quite get into it 2.5

Sykt mid

I e faktisk ganske glad i the smiths. Men den her skiva skjønner i ikke at e her. E helt mid på sitt beste. Dørgenes kjedelig på sitt værste

The Smiths e en av de mest oppskrytte bandene i musikkhistorien. Girlfriend in a coma trekke opp her.

Nothing very noteworhty, strummy guitar that kind of reminds me of summer. A lot of weird growls in the beginning.

Honestly, quite boring. I adore the Queen is Dead but this was much more maudlin album that lacked any standout catchy singles.

Meh. It turns out I don’t like the Smiths too much

i’d heard this album before. this has historically been my least favorite smiths album. it’s not horrible, it’s just against heavy competition. queen is dead is one of my favorite albums of the 80s. fuck unhappy birthday, that song sucks. stop me if you think you’ve heard this one before is a new favorite. really liked it this listen. johnny marr rightfully gets a lot of credit but shout out andy rourke and mike joyce. godtier rhythm section. paint a vulgar picture is dreadful. yeah on this listen, this album was pretty rough. some standout tracks for sure, but a lot of dredge. i liked death of a disco dancer, stop me if.. and the rest are either fine or shit.

I'm not keen on Morrisey's voice. Gave up halfway through.

One of my friends, favorite group, never did get it, though, when your best song is girlfriend in a coma that should be enough

Okay, not bad

Stupid, stupid songs

I just don't care. instrumentally, this is serviceable indie pop rock with a post-punk flair, including some extra bells and whistles not featured as much on previous Smiths albums like strings and synths and auxiliary percussion. but, like with all Smiths albums, I'm so damn bored while listening. even with the minor switch-ups in instrumentation and production, the band insists on writing the exact same songs, over and over and over again; you could count the various kinds of Smiths songs on one hand and probably not even use all your fingers. Morrissey sounds like he has a frog in his throat, and I'm very much dreading having to listen to his voice for two more Smiths albums and four of his solo albums. I will never understand what makes this band one of the greatest in history to so many people. snoozefest from front to back. strong 4/10.

Really made me sleepy thinking something good might come on...

not bad but not my style.

Didn't really like it - yet again, I didn't really like any of Morrissey's albums too, so it makes sense.

I don't like it

Not super familiar with the Smiths. I lump them into bands like the cure and Depeche Mode, although quite popular they were never my style of music. 2.5 stars

When I was at Uni all the cool kids seemed to be fanatical about The Smiths . I genuinely wondered (and still do) if part of this attraction was to enable a bit of public snobbery over their friends mainstream music. Whilst I cant be sure of this theory, I can be sure that Im still not cool enough to "get it"

I'm just not impressed

Ok, relaxing album that was pleasent to listen to but not really that interesting.

I love the early smiths, quite a bit actually. More than I'd probably let on. I don't like this at all. The only song on here I like (love actually) is last night I dreamt that somebody loved me. The rest varies between complete shit and boring. Don't get people who love this record.

2/5

There was nothing of note for me, definitely not an album that I needed to hear. 2 stars

boring, i hate the smiths