Strangeways, Here We Come

Surprisingly enjoyable compared to what I heard on The Queen Is Dead, striking a much more harmonious balance between Morrissey and the rest of the band in my opinion. I still wouldn't say I'm fully on board with The Smiths, and they sort of lose me in the back half (can't take them seriously after Unhappy Birthday), but I do start to see glimmers of their appeal. Standouts: A Rush and a Push and the Land Is Ours • Stop Me If You Think You've Heart This One Before

Fuck Morrissey. BUT.... I can't figure out why everyone is always salivating over The Queen is Dead when this feels better to me in every conceivable way? I found myself wishing they did more long, atmospheric stuff like Last Night I Dreamt That Somebody Loved Me. It took two listens but this grew on me a lot. I felt like they had their own distinct sound for the first time.

interesting in a good way

I have somehow, perhaps consciously, perhaps not, avoided listening to The Smiths my entire life. Not one song, to my knowledge, has vibrated my eardrums across my many years of music exploration. I think I read about how much of a prick Morrissey is at one point and just kind of avoided them. Well, that ended today. I enjoyed the album, probably more than I was expecting to. I can see the influence they had on many of the artists I enjoy, like Belle and Sebastian, The Decemberists, and others. Twee, wordy indie rock with a splash of edge. It's not my favorite genre, but I can dig it for sure. I definitely found the instrumentals more compelling than the lyrics, which tend towards high school poetry notebook territory (Girlfriend in a coma? Unhappy birthday?). The songs themselves are really satisfying and there are plenty of interesting, unexpected passages that experiment with the sound and form. I expect there are more Smiths albums to be had on this list, so I will see how this stacks up. It's gonna be a 4/5 from me

It was ok, I’m still coloured by that Morrissey album horror. This one was less offensive and some catchy bits sprinkled throughout. Still have moments of that dripping with narcissism vibe that I hated with the Morrissey album. Not love.

I really enjoyed this!

I kinda liked this. I just wish it had less Morrissey.

That was boring.

Ok

One of my faves

Interesting album, with some funny tracks and lyrics. Highlights: "Death of a Disco Dancer" and "Paint a Vulgar Picture"

Not my taste but enjoyed it!

A bit underwhelming being a decent fan of The Smiths especially as their last album. The piano is pretty boring and vocals are noticeably worse and more annoying on a lot of these tracks. The whole thing felt a bit soulless and nothing stood out. A few songs I enjoyed a song or two I had heard prior, but even those are on the lower end of The Smiths’ overall discography.

I really liked this album although I have to say I think this is probably my least favorite album from the smith so far but it's really good. I Absolutely loved "last night I dreamed that somebody loved me" and I will listen to it on repeat for the next week for sure !

pretty good for background work, didnt notice any specific standouts though

Strangeways, Here We Come es una despedida sobria y segura de sí misma. En lugar de terminar con estridencia, The Smiths optaron por la contención: las guitarras claras y precisas de Johnny Marr transmiten madurez y control, mientras que las letras de Morrissey dejan atrás el dramatismo juvenil para abrazar la ironía, la introspección y una crítica más consciente a la industria musical. Temas como “Paint a Vulgar Picture” o “I Won’t Share You” se sienten íntimos y reflexivos, reforzando el tono otoñal del disco. Quizá no tenga el impacto inmediato de The Queen Is Dead, pero su coherencia y sutileza emocional lo convierten en un cierre digno y muy satisfactorio.

Here's a Smiths record that I like all of, from beginning to end. All I knew up til now were the singles, so this was fun. What I've always enjoyed about The Smiths was the contrast between the tuneful music and the lyrics, and this one feels more sad/funny, cynical, and cliché-busting than ever. There's a lighthearted feeling to all of it until you pay attention to the lyrics and then it's like hang on what did he just say? Like if you hear "nothing's changed, I still love you," you don't expect someone to follow that with "only slightly less than I used to." My biggest issue with English-language pop music is all the predictable lyrics, so when a lyricist does something that messes with that predictability, I am primed to like it. And of course Johnny Marr's choices for the music are always spot on, and provide that contrast that makes the lyrics work better in context. I think of Morrissey's solo material as something one is subjected to rather than enjoyed, so it's obvious to me that the music as much as the lyrics is what gives this record 5 stars for me. 5/5

Really enjoyed this one. Johnny Marr’s guitar work is brilliant throughout – jangly, inventive, and somehow both bright and melancholy at the same time. The lyrics are sharp, funny, and cutting in that very Smiths way, full of wit without feeling forced. A near-perfect send‑off musically… shame about Morrissey!

4 almost 5

Morrissey as acerbic as always, even if this isn’t their best

enjoyable

Good album! I've never really listened to The Smiths, but there were multiple tracks where I really enjoyed the dark humor and 80s pop-rock vibes. I'll be revisiting Girlfriend in a Coma and at least a few other songs.

Decent Smiths album, not my fav. First track is kinda ironic given Morrissey’s xenophobia now.

Oh no The tunes are great and then Morrissey's voice is the worst thing I've ever heard

Hmm, I guess it's kinda soft rock. Instruments and a focus on the vocalist. It's ok, could listen to it but wouldn't buy it.

5/10

I hate The Smiths. Fuck Morrissey.

Yes! Love

Morrissey still whiny af the queen is dead is probably a better album

Apparently im a sucker for the smiths. Morrisseys songwriting and vocals are great. Enjoy the sad boy vibes as always. Really like the production of this one as well. Stop me if you think youve heard this one before is iconic.

Just because he's a bit of a wanker doesn't stop this being great. Unhappy birthday is pure Morrissey it's brilliant. Such perfectly memorable lyrics and tunes across it. Gets 4.5, better than 'Queen is Dead' but for some reason I'm not rounding up.

Despite coming of age in the 80s The Smiths were only mildly on my radar. I knew the name but would be hard pressed to name a single track. I expected standard 80s fare, but there is a lot more breadth and depth to their music and their lyrics than that. It invites deeper listening and more attention than most 80s music. Good stuff here.

hát, ez hogy közben elkezdtem a reviewkat és a redditet olvasni kicsit elrontotta vagy csak organikusan rájöttem, hogy nem olyan jó és enyhén idegesítő az énekes hangja. mindenesetre szerintem ez eléggé felejthető háttérzajnak okés.

Strangeways by the Smiths Surprised that there are 7 Smiths or Morrissey LPs in the list but the first year represented by the Smiths lp and Hatful of Hollow isn’t there. Smiths timeline one of slow decline from an extreme peak. Beginning with the 4 Radio Sessions and first two singles in 1983, to the debut album in 1984, onwards to Meat is Murder before the Queen Is Dead, which is their low point. Then, I think sensing the end they rallied with non- lp singles Panic, Ask, Shoplifters of the World Unite and Sheila before ending with this rather jaunty lp. Morrissey’s solo career has been a slow steady decline and his latest single (Make Up is Vile or whatever) sounds like someone asked an AI machine to make a Marc Almond song. I kind of lived this timeline passionately and then disinterestedly. I was 14 in 1983 and revising for an exam. Listening to Kid Jenson he played a session by the band and then John Peel followed on with a session recorded for his show. Went into school the next day and told everyone I’d heard a great new band. No one believed me. Anyway all the Smiths have said that Strangeways is their favourite album by the band. There is a case for that it’s certainly the best produced. I especially liked Paint A Vulgar Picture - is Moz the idol or the fan clawing at the star? Or both? I’d found new bands that were as thrilling as the Smiths or more so by the time this lp came out. But I was glad that the rockist tendencies of the Queen is Dead had been vanquished and Morrisseys songwriting was sharper on Strangeways. It felt like a last hurrah! Like they knew it was ending soon and that freed them up. And even now it feels like a glorious Ta-Ra 5 ish.

Fuck the Smiths, and that whiny bitch Morrisey.

Day 160 Love it when you get a hot streak, some classics on here. Highlights A rush and a push…. I started something… Stop me….

Thats the smiths fs

01) A Rush and a Push and the Land Is Ours - 8,0 02) I Started Something I Couldn't Finish - 7,5 03) Death of a Disco Dancer - 7,0 04) Girlfriend in a Coma - 8,0 05) Stop Me If You Think You've Heard This One Before - 9,0 06) Last Night I Dreamt That Somebody Loved Me - 8,5 07) Unhappy Birthday - 7,5 08) Paint a Vulgar Picture - 7,0 09) Death at One's Elbow - 7,0 10) I Won't Share You - 7,5 TOTAL: 7,70 (77/100) Current ranking: 299/797

No me gusta the smiths

A Rush and a Push is actually one of my favorite Smiths songs so I was excited to see it started off the album. The rest was good, typical of the Smiths. The music itself is always great. I just wish the lyrics were less...hateful of women?

Lacking standouts

This has been my favourite Smiths record for some time. Better production and more widescreen than what went before. I heard Morrissey's new single the other day and even his staunchest defenders will find that a hard one to swallow, but that doesn't change the fact that this is a delightful record.

This feels warm and resigned, almost cathartic in how comfortable it is with itself. It sounds like a band that’s stopped fighting endings and instead decided to just do what they do best one last time. There’s a strange mix of nostalgia, peace, and bittersweet acceptance running through it, like an epilogue that doesn’t need to announce itself. The album feels smaller and quieter than I expected, but that restraint makes it hit harder, especially hearing it as my first full Smiths record. It didn’t overwhelm me in any special way, but still somehow gripped me from start to finish.

I enjoyed this album. Much more my kind of music.

Svakaleg stereótýpa hér á ferðinni, fíla Smiths en er illa við Morrissey, þrátt fyrir að hafa gefið honum sæmilegustu einkunnir hér í þessu verkefni. Ég toga þessa samt ekki upp í fimmu.

It’s a shame that Morrissey is such a cunt.

This one is a lot more poppy and light from The Smiths. Morrissey sounds like he may actually have some happiness and optimism in him. The songs are very airy and whimsical, making it very easy to listen to. Not sure I'd revisit this one, but I wouldn't mind hearing it again.

kinda unhinged but I love the smiths vibe fav: started something I couldn’t finish

529/1001

Wouldn’t say its my favourite but I will keep listening to it and see what I think of it in a months time

It’s a Smiths album, not exactly what I was expecting but nothing special either. Why is Morrissey growling?

Overall Rating - 3.10/5 (6.20/10). Just a middle-of-the-road British Rock album. Nothing great, nothing bad.

very nice

Not sure what to make of this one

Not bad as far as Smith's albums go

This is the last album by The Smiths. The music has expanded from prior albums with more instruments and less of Johnny Marr's classic picking riffs. It's a great album.

I guess all The Smiths albums are on this list. Not quite sure why that has to be, when this is arguably the weakest of their strong repertoire (they're all fine albums so its pretty much picking the worst child, which was you Edward. Fuck you.). I would've picked some other album from a different band that isn't on this list instead of Strangeways, but I assume this was the "safe pick". I wonder how many David Bowie albums on this list were the "safe pick", since he has 9. Zappa should have at least more than four. This has now devolved to a meaningless rant, which is a far more interesting thing to read about versus all the self-indulgent wankery Morrissey sings and talks about for the most part. That guy is a dick.

Nieszkodliwe, niezauwazalne, zapomniane

Helt ok! En del bra låtar en del andra inget speciellt. Gillade den “Girlfriend in a Coma” lite extra!

Fuck morrissey

3,3 - Am Ende geht ihnen die Luft aus, aber bis dahin ein Album auf hohem Niveau ohne die absoluten Kracher. Highlights: A Rush and A Push and the Land is Ours, Unhappy Birthday

I really enjoyed every song on this album. No skip album to me if you're into The Smiths.

Indie alt rock/post punk with Morrisey's distinctive vocals. A Rush and a Push has a good rhythm. Paint a Vulgar Picture is interesting, about selling out, but who is it about? Overall it's kind of fun, but a bit overhyped as it's just an album for teenage contrarians in the 80s.. Best track - A Rush and a Push, Death at One's Elbow 3 stars

Good album...just not my favorite Smiths Album.

Good instrumentals and vibes. Dark lyrics with light sounds

The Smiths are great - had never heard this album, I have to imagine there will be more later.

Nearly their best

The Mids 2.8 if I could

done

It took me a bit to realize that Morrisey was the lead singer here - his voice just doesn't land well on my ears. This album was okay to have in the background, but I kept catching myself getting irritated with his voice.

Way better than "Meat Is Murder". And finally the vocalist looks alive.

Really good. This project is making me question the assumptions I had about all kinds of bands as well as committing to playing full albums. New appreciation for these opportunities

Nostalgic

Enjoyable for the length, would probably have gave it 3 stars if it were a longer album.

I have never liked the Smiths because they're depressing, and especially dislike Morrissey because he's a pretentious twat. The only good thing about this album is that it was their last album. It's just a shame that Morrisey wasn't sent to Strangeways for crimes against music.

Morrissey can be a little too relatable unfortunately

Honestly really hated this album. I really do not like the singers voice, which has these annoying whiny undertones, and weirdly in some songs swapped to what I would consider him trying to immitate the cookie monster? Also I hate when songs just slowly fade out into nothing as a sad excuse to completing the song.

Would have really appealed to like a weird kid in the 80s but not for me. Fav song stop me if you think you've heard this one before

i really only like mainstream smiths songs, so i’m surprised how much i liked this album. however, girlfriend in a coma is… definitely a song. stop me if you think you’ve heard this one before was so catchy though. so much wonderful guitar in this album too, especially in the second half. even though it’s hard for me to take morrissey seriously, this is a good album.

Love the smiths, very happy with this one! Decent

Good songwriting but not my thing. And a bit samey

The Smiths sound like The Smiths. Shock

Easy to listen to.

My third favorite Smiths album (after "The Queen is Dead" and "Louder Than Bombs"). It's the most produced, full-sounding, and diverse album of their catalog. Morrissey is his usual sad sack self but is offset by Marr and co.and some really good songs. I like the attempts to open up their sound more and sings like "Girlfiend in a Coma" and "Stop Me f You've Heard This One Before" are among their best.

A pretty middle of the road Smiths album for me. I liked it better than Meat is Murder but less than The Queen is Dead. Like pretty much all of their stuff, Marr's compositions impress and entertain me a lot more here than Morrissey's vocals and lyrics.

I like

Another great record from The Smiths, but a bit weaker than expected. This is the second album from the band that I listen to, and also the third one related to Morrisey, after listening to 'Vauxhall And I' about a week ago. When comparing this album, to 'Meat Is Murder', the other one I've heard, the material presented is not as striking. I loved how sad and depressing the sound and how relatable the lyrics are in the previous project. However, while 'Strangeways, Here We Come' does have a very similar sound and themes, I don't resonate with it as much, specially the lyrics. There are still some very dark moments that are worth noticing, such as 'Girlfriend in a Coma', 'Last night I Dreamt That Somebody Loved Me', 'Unhappy Birthday' or 'Paint a Vulgar Picture', due to their haunting and critic lyricism. Nevertheless, the rest didn't impress me at the same level. When it comes to comparing to 'Vauxhall And I', 'Strangeays...' is way better. It shows that 'The Smiths' is not only Morrisey's voice and lyrics. The instrumentation is also very well produced, detailed and creative. A great examples of littles details that I liked a lot are the keyboards and marimba in the first song, the synthesised strings in the second one and the haunting pianos and sampled screams in 'Last Night I Dreamt That Somebody Loved Me'. In the end, a very good sounding and catchy album with some dark moments, but it also has not so memorable material.

Loved revisiting this.

Not a huge fan of the smiths, but I can acknowledge a well-produced album. I wouldn't say any of the songs were jaw-dropping! To be honest, when it comes to the 80s era, there are only a few synthesizers I can handle before I get bored and turn on something more modern el oh el. In all seriousness, tho the drums in Death of a Disco Dancer were pretty jaunty. I'm a sucker for consistency in a song, which was an added point. Morrissey just has to shut up real quick, tho. OKAY, now to give an unbiased opinion on this album. I honestly really liked it. So much so, I added Death of a Disco Dancer to my liked songs :) Girlfriend in a Coma was also a song that stood out. To be honest, you can tell that The Smiths is a British rock band. Not because of the obvious accent... but more so with the sound heh.. hehh heh heh.. British bands tend to have a different approach to creating music. As I said before, this album is jaunty for most of it, even though it starts off a little boring. I can confidently say that I like the jauntiness of this album. (know I'm being a little redundant el oh el) Anywho, I would give this album a solid 4/5; each song on the album brought something different, which was really refreshing. Although there was an obvious theme. I think I judged The Smiths a little too much in the past. FORGIVE ME

Good melodies, good team work, Convincing singer.

I mean, it's better than most of the other British rock albums I've heard on here, but that's not really saying much. Another bland and forgettable album, and I honestly don't really get why the Smiths seem to be somewhat popular. Really feels like another white bread of music.

This isnt exactly for me but I did enjoy it and I don’t know how anyone could hate it

Очень странное , мне не понравилось

3.5

not really my genre :/

The music wasn’t bad, but it also wasn’t memorable. The lyrics didn’t make much sense. Morrissey sings like he’s impersonating an opera singer.

Just the wrong side of miserable for me

Great Smiths album that I don't listen to often enough. A lot of good tracks, more sculptural songcraft than their previous albums. Worthwhile listen.

I tried to give this a fair shout and listened all the way through, but I cannot thole Morrissey. Whining obnoxious tosser spoils an otherwise interesting record.

mucho más mi estilo; rock alternativo y no tan heavy. ya conocía girlfriend in a coma canción fav: i won’t share you

Sounds like a good Smiths album. Not the best album, but a good one. Shame that Morrissey is a complete and total door knob.

Here it comes, the Smiths are about to blow me away … ok, just got back, they did not blow me away.

the smiths suck. good record though

Like a cozy emo blanket ❤️

love it, dont listen smiths much, now ill start listen them more

Fine album, not amazing

I hate Morissey

Not my favorite Smiths album, but there's a lot here to enjoy. Simple songs like "Girlfriend In A Coma" get surprise string sections, "Death of a Disco Dancer", which absolutely rules, has awesome drums and stabbing guitars. The album artwork is boring. Like it was designed to be forgotten. Definitely not the album I'd recommend to try and win over a new Smiths fan, but definitely a good album.

The album was OK. Just really, not my cup of tea.

virkelig godt, vil lytte til igen

0/10 bekannt 7/10 Beste Songs: a Rush and a push and the land is ours, girlfriend in a coma, unhappy birthday

So great! The Smiths always hit.

Must have been quite good as it’s the first time I’ve listened to a Smiths album and wanted to hear it again.

Great way to ease back into the project. So many interesting sounds and quality vocals. All the hallmarks of The Smiths.

This is more smiths, and I like the smiths

It was pretty solid, but I don't think it'll enter my regular rotation.

yay! very good, familiar with the smiths, but i hadn't listened to this album yet. doing the thing! 4/5

8/10 yearning

Didn’t tell me much.

For the life of me, I don't understand why they're so popular.

Its like Jeffrey Dahmer made an album. Music was fine, but too much murder for me

The Smiths are just cool. I will never give less than 4 stars on a The Smiths album.

during my first listen I was doing heavy cleaning at home so was an easy 5 stars. now I see it was probably because it seemed more pleasant than what I was doing. still not bad though

unique beats throughout the whole album

Youth

Dear god, don't make me like The Smiths 3-4

3.5 - Good

hm i dunno, but I may have not paid enough attention Will I listen to again: 60%

very standard the smiths album, it’s nice. probably has my favorite song from their discography on it which bumps it up a bit

Ending the year with Morrisey man we really did fail humanity

3.0

I'm already a huge fan of The Smiths but this is probably my least listened to album. My highlights were: Death of a Disco Dancer, Heard This One Before and Last Night I Dreamt. Great album of course but I think there are better smith albums. 4/5

I really, really, really enjoyed this one. Will definitely listen to this one again. Girlfriend in a coma is a song I could replay over and over again.

eh

Wonderful record. I never find this back in the day. Coming in fresh, I can see why so many of my friends are fans.

Good driving album.

A rush and push and the land is ours is peak

Very interesting how different each song is in this experience of only 36 minutes. I really liked Girlfriend In A Coma. I was expecting it to sound very dreary but it was a nice mixture of a happy melody and sad lyrics. Last Night I Dreamt That Somebody Loved Me started off kind of boring but ended very epic like a Bond movie title song. Death At One's Elbow was also cool, it reminded me of certain country-like songs of the 60's. The other songs were not that surprising to me however they were not boring.

Thank god for Marr, Joyce, and Rourke, so I can listen to The Smiths and not feel guilty because of the Morrissey of it all. Strangeways, hile not my favorite Smiths album is still excellent. The band were poised to move in a new direction soundwise from this album as shown on the opener, "Death of Disco Dancer," and "Paint a Vulgar Picture." There's also the return to their early rockabilly sound with "Death at One's Elbow." Some just classic britrock tunes with "I Started Something..." and "Stop Me..." an absolute beautiful closer in "I Won't Share You." and a quintessential sad sack mopey song in "Last Night..." Which admittedly can border on parody of mopey songs, but is truly brilliant. Sch a great album.

Most of these songs are missing a hook for me, and feel monotonous.

Didn't grab me in the same way other smiths projects have in the past. Really the only song that did much for me was death if a disco dancer. Thats a nice one. But everything else just kinda floated on by with no real consequence. Maybe I get more with a re listen but on the first one I haven't almost nothing ro say. Its fine but doesn't do all that much to get excited about

Es un álbum que se te pasa rápido, aunque la verdad es que tampoco es que sea la gran cosa.

Not the best smiths album but i like the smiths

A bit more lushly orchestrated than their other stuff. Shame that this is their final album because I think they were going in an interesting direction. As far as final albums, this is definitely one of the better ones.

First listen

Moany moany morrisey. Never really got the Smiths but appreciate for some they are the most amazing band of all time. Maybe one day someone can help me get there....

Really could not get into this at all personally, just felt very same-y throughout the whole album

One of my favorites

If I wanted to hear jangly incel nonsense I’d listen to a Midwest emo record

Fuck Moz, but the Smiths slap

Not my favorite of The Smiths release, but it’s a pretty wild ride of an album. Moz is still a c*nt.

This has been the WORST Smiths album, imo. It barely kept my attention, and most just annoyed me. Would not recommend a second listen. It doesn’t get better.

Simply a masterpiece, one of most listened to albums ever, I am glad this is included in the book even as it may seem unnecessary to have three Smiths albums in it. This has become my second favorite of the four studio albums and Girlfriend in a Coma is simply a beautifully crafted song.

Kmeb

I really like The Smiths, but I wasn’t very familiar with the songs on this album. I feel like I’ve heard a few of them before, but they aren’t ones I like to listen to. Overall, I still liked it though.

Okay

I knew Girlfriend in a Coma and I'm sure I've heard other songs on 1st Wave. Really liked the somber atmosphere

The Smiths is one of the most generic names possible. Genius

Hatful of hollow and queen is dead are my preferred ones by the smiths. Last night I dreamt and stop me are amazing though

3.5

Many a time I blasted The Smiths, but more popular songs. I like it

Melancholic and wistful, but I can say the same about me lamenting the loss of my ability to have decent sleep.

The instruments i can quite appreciate, with a solid mix of 80's production techniques but the vocals would be an acquired taste. Influential but I won't revisit this by my own volition.

It’s was slow but interesting I feel I should also give it another try

Кузнецы > всё остальное

Pop rock, great johnny marr Death of a disco dancer Girlfriend in a coma Last night i dreamt that somebody loved me

This was the 2nd Smiths album in a row. Previous one was The Queen is Dead. This was easier to listen to. Maybe I just need to be in the right mood for them and that mood is tired and anxious. This one was more positive, musically. Hints of The Doors and even KC and the Sunshine band. I'll say this for them; presuming a lot of those songs to be satirical and tongue in cheek (which I'm not sure of) they do satirical lyrics very well. They don't, IMO, do political and cultural commentary well. Self indulgent at times and not as deep as others would make them out to be.

Nosar på 5 men sackar mot slutet

Känns så extremt inspirerat över nästan hela albumet. Några mindre intressanta låtar tyvärr men överlag är det faktiskt tillräckligt bra för att inte behöva vara bättre!

Det här är super! Låter både väldigt bra och unikt.

Fruktansvärt bra, allt.

fun nostalgic vibe 3 songs i rlly enjoyed

Morrissey is an insufferable racist and the first song sounds like it could have been written by Nigel Farage. Also, "Girlfriend in a Coma" is probably the dumbest song this band ever recorded. I would rank this lower, but I have a soft spot for the music video to "Stop Me If You Think You've Heard This One Before"

The Smith’s are foundational early alternative/New Wave band that raised the bar for all who came after. But this is not their finest work. In fact, given it was their final studio album you can hear the death rattle in several songs.

1. ruzh - 1.5 2. finizh -1.5 3. dancer - 1 4. Coma -1 5. Stop - 1 6. Night -2 7. Birthday - 1 8. Paint - 1.5 9. elbow - 0 10. Share - 1.5

Very much enjoyed

Didn’t enjoy this. Not my thing

é muito chato, meu Deus

gefällt mir sehr gut, insgesamt ist das album wirklich sehr stimmig! mein absolutes highlight war „last night i dreamed that somebody loves me“, ich hab direkt fast geweint

Pretty decent album by a pretty decent band.

oh this guy hmm writing songs while girlfriend in coma..

After enjoying the queen is dead and their self titled, this was a bit of a disappointment. Liked about 2 songs, the rest didt really click for me. 2 stars, don’t see myself revisiting it

actually not bad, just underwhelming... 4/10

I'm not the biggest The Smiths fan and I'd rather stick with compilations for the most part, but it's still good overall. It's just that there are a few weaker moments that I'm not really interested in going back to

It's The Smiths, of course it's alright, but I wouldn't put this one on the list.

It's a pretty good album, but not a "stand out" in terms of jangle pop to me. Their masterpiece will remain "The Queen Is Dead". Still always enjoy The Smiths, tho.

Light rock. Enjoyable but nothing special. 5/10

𝘚𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦𝘸𝘢𝘺𝘴, 𝘏𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘞𝘦 𝘊𝘰𝘮𝘦 functions as the final statement of The Smiths — a band already at its breaking point. I’ve never been a fan of Morrissey’s theatrical vocal style, but here it actually works: the exaggeration fits the emotional scale of the songs, and Johnny Marr’s compositions give the album a richness and confidence that frames his performance rather than exposing it. At the same time, the record can’t be separated from the band’s collapse. Morrissey wanted The Smiths to continue, but Marr — the band’s primary composer — left after its completion. Since then, Morrissey has repeatedly claimed he was “fired,” though the split ultimately came from Marr’s decision to walk away. In hindsight, the album feels like both a peak and an ending: Morrissey providing the words, Marr providing the music, and both reaching a point where they could no longer move in the same direction.

Love The Smiths, not a fan of Morrissey

less whiny than i expected, nice guitar riffs

ну вот, уже что-то. хоть какой-то плюс вайб. умели же раньше люди музыку делать. 5/10

Классика, но точно не топ 1000. Так сказать, концепция присутствует 🧐.

So I was surprised to like this album as much as I did. I’m not an 80s fan, nor do I have much love for Morissey. But here I can see the influences on Blur, Oasis, Superfurry Animals, even Radiohead. Yes, there was some 80s pop on here but there was one track in particular-Last Night I Dreampt Somebody Loved Me- that made it onto my favorites list. For that, I’m bumping this up to a 4.

Not bad but sounds very like his other albums.

Very wishy washy. It had no bite, lacked fun too.

Little thing, selfish, and depressing. I want to like.the Smiths better than I do, I can’t seem to get there because It seems like the lead singer comes across as so self centered. I have heard and did enjoy Girlfriend in a Coma - this is the top track. (2.2*s) It’s serious (the coma, that is.)

The List has revealed to me that I am really not a Smiths fan and I'm glad this was the last album they ever made. Bored...so much so that I forgot this was even playing while driving in to work. I'm ready to put Morrisey and his works behind, never to return...1.49 stars.

Oh great, another Smiths album. Strangeways went down a little smoother than the others. Not sure if I was in a particularly glum mood or this one was just a little less depressing or whatever. I didn't realize The Smiths only have 4 albums. Most of their stuff is in the decent/OK/not bad realm for me but they have a handful of hits they I enjoy. More of this is not the worst just a little tiresome at this point. I'm not sure why the list creator finds Morrissey and company so intriguing. 2.57 stars

Not The Queen is Dead, but good enough. I get that Morissey's voice can be annoying but I personally think it gives the band its distinct sound.

The smiths again??

I love The Smiths. This whole album is so freakin' good. The Smiths were a big part of the soundtrack of my early 20's. Good times, good tunes!

Enjoyed it!

I LOVE MORRISSEY

I forget how upbeat a lot of these songs are, because The Smiths always seem to be associated with being dour and melancholy. That's all Morrissey's fault, I guess.

Good album

Last night I dreamt somebody loved me was definitely my favorite, I love the smiths so much.

TBA

Bænger

I have never been a huge fan of The Smiths, there are a few songs that I think are great and a bunch I could do without. This album is no different, 4 of 5 songs on side A are great and side B is pretty weak. The last 2 songs are interesting but not nearly has high as the hits in the beginning. Morrisey's voice also gets a bit annoying to me after awhile.

Nice album. Some interesting lyrics and melodies. Not musically diverse.

Interesting album, I think I liked it overall. gives the same vibe as mid 00's punk rock

felt experimental but the wackiness isn’t for me and that’s okay

Eh, far from their best work. 4-6 run was best. Didn’t hit the highs I’ve come to expect.

Some nice tracks, strong start, Morrissey is a twat though. High 3

Great guitar lines and riffs, drum fills, orchestration and production, and interesting lyrics.

Oh how I dislike Morrissey… Bloody brilliant album though.

What I knew about The Smiths before listening to this album was that they were an early grunge band without the punk influence with a very talented singer and lyricist - so basically The Cure. My understanding was that they were champions of loneliness, shyness, and outsider status, but also, at least Morrissey, very musically talented. I was not looking forward to this as, while I appreciate and sympathize with all of that, without the angsty, punk-rock edge, I find such music boring and depressing. I also understood that most of England feels Morrissey is a "wanker," "tosser," and/or "twat," but I didn't really know why. I've since learned it's because he's now a hard-right, racist nationalist that has betrayed virtually every person and ideal that he sang about while in The Smiths. This album was pretty much exactly what I had expected. I'm not a huge fan of whatever effect they ran on Morrissey's vocals on most tracks - it's annoyingly distracting. I believe he has the chops, so it's also totally unnecessary. Maybe he's just a victim of '80s over-production and digitalization. Influence 4. Quality 3. Hits 3. Intangibles 4. Not my bag 2.

80s

Pretty good but not really my thing. I'd give it 3.5 stars, but I feel like rounding it down to three instead of up to four.

Pretty good. 4 stars.

Everything by the Smiths is amazing. 5 *

All four smiths records are great although this one i would rank 4th out of all of them .

Quite enjoyed this although does begin to fade towards the end. Favourites include, 'last night...' and 'I started something I coudn't finish'. Point off for the nasty lyrics in, 'girlfriend in a coma'.

Idk jag fastnar inte riktigt för The Smiths men det här uppskattade jag :)

Ok

"I know, it's really serious..." is a great summary of every Smiths album.

Another band I am supposed to like but I've never connected with. Also, this guy is a massive turd, right?

I think this is the weakest of the 4 studio albums The Smiths released, not to mention the fantastic Louder Than Bombs compilation. This is still a good album. It’s probably their best produced album and you can hear the band evolving their sound but I do think the polished production actually takes the edge off the band a little. The first half is wonderful but I think it begins to drag from Last Night… Morrissey is in fine form and his performances here are more in line with his solo career (of which I am also a fan). I would have the debut and Bombs in the list over this and Meat is Murder.

Haven’t listened to much of the smiths before but I rate this! Banger after banger and feel like dancing to every song. Solid.

Not the finest of the Smiths.

Wild to think that the 4 Smiths studio albums came out in less than a four year span! This album is a fitting end, with the band stretching the sonic palette of their jangly, catty yet sensitive pop rock - Complete with the typical Morrissey special; frankly dour lyrics regarding lack of love, death, illness, greed, etc. It does not top my personal list of Smith albums but there is a lot here - that theatrical, dramatic style that makes you wonder where they may have gone if they kept the group together.

I mean, this really is a good album! I saved "A Rush and A Push and the Land Is Our," "Death of a Disco Dancer," and "Unhappy Birthday" but if I listened more times, I'm sure that I would end up saving every song.

One of the greatest bands from the UK or anywhere else in the world. Ever. In the same league as The Beatles (The Beatles are still way better!) The Jam, The Who, The Rolling Stones, Bowie, The Small Faces, Dylan, Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath, The Fall and The Cure. No one writes lyrics like Morrissey at times as good as Bob Dylan & on occasion (however rare) better - they read like great literature- you know the Penguin stuff, orange spines, eternal (?) yeah, like the Cambridge/Oxford 700-page bangers but in just a few minutes- like 3:47. This is as close as the world will ever get to having Oscar Wilde front an indie pop/rock band. Johnny Marr, Andy Rourke and Mike Joyce are all on fire- just like the hairdresser. This is why God gave you ears, a heart and a soul.

Love love love morrissey’s whiny little voice

my favorite album by The Smiths. Kinda poppy, but innovative. And a lot of songs about death. 4/5

I won't share you, no I won't share you With the drive and the dreams inside This is my time

The break-up album. Can you hear the unraveling (the classic banishment of other songwriting talent, separating them by album sides, material simply not working)? Did they put their best effort in despite it all and leave a lasting document (Abbey Road)? Do we hear this and wish it could’ve never ended? Mostly, what an odd duck of a record. There’s the atmospherics and imperial critique of A Rush and a Push. The extremely hokey, cloying Girlfriend in a Coma, which even at 13 I thought was silly. Followed immediately by a straight-up classic. And then a clunker and another goofy ass novelty song. Paint a Vulgar Picture starts off on an all-time footing and then reveals itself as an unworkable mess. All Smiths albums were short and this is no exception which may be its best quality as a parting statement, later dorks.

Have to admit I'm very ambivalent about The Smiths. They have some stellar songs, but not sure I've sat through any of their records and felt that the whole package delivered. Same goes for this. The music itself feels pretentious, which is probably further enhanced by Morrissey's bumptious voice. He does sing good though, no doubt. I'm finding it quite interesting how the manage to make such sad and depressing lyrics to relativelly cheerful tunes throughout the album. Like 'Girlfriend in a Coma', for example. It probably has the most cheerful guitar line, but the lyrics are absurd, or macabre even. That juxtaposition is quite fascinating to me. But overall the record fills a bit like... weak pop somehow, and its songs lacks hooks and memorable lines. Surely won't go back to this probably, but at the same time it was an interesting listen with the lyrics take into consideration. Weak 3.

Once upon a time, I found this page called 1001albumsgenerator and decided to give it a whirl. After about 10 albums I decided to invite a friend and start over from the beginning. One of those first 10 albums was “Strangeways, Here We Come”, so I’ve already had this album once. Apparently I gave it a 4 that time. Now I’ve listened to over 700 more generated album and a substantial part of them have been Morrissey-related. I’m just so tired of him. It’s bland, pretentious and I feel like I’ve heard this album a million times already. Please make it stop. There can’t be that many more of Morrissey-related albums left right…….? Right?

I know a lot of people don't like Morissey, but he does make good music sometimes

Classic

For being the final Smith's album, Strangeways, Here We Come is still a delight. I can't claim to love the more sleek production style, but when you have brilliant songs, they will often shine through anyway. I love the way The Smiths are a soundtrack for sunny spring days, despite Morrissey's often dour and self-pitying lyrical content, and the instrumentation from Marr and co. are still top notch.

Excellent. S'essouffle un peu dans le dernier tiers.

I do like the Smiths. Compared to their other stuff this album is... fine.

Dull

Probably not the best Smiths album but still miles better than a lot of stuff on this list

Morrissey is a twat. But I still love The Smiths.

Rv

Divertido y disfrutable. Me puso de buenas y se agradece escuchar algo con Morrissey que no me parece artificial en su odio hacia absolutamente todo, y que además suena a gente haciendo música y pasándosela bien, no intentando ser insoportables a como de lugar.

Toppen men också sämre än deras övriga? Eller? När jag lyssnar på Smiths önskar jag att jag var sexton o kunde gå in i morrisseybubblan så som den förtjänar att gås in i.

The final one by the 80s indie-rock legends, that brought ringing melodis guitars and interesting lyrics back, when so many otter bands had taken the synth/electronica direction. Maybe not their best but still great, and ending it all at the top.

Couple of bangers, some stuff a bit dull

Girlfriend in a coma - Such fun, but I can't tell if it's fucked up lol Honestly- I just like the smiths so i was a real easy lay on this on. But, it was really a pleasant listen. This is prob the first album I would listen to on my own but its such a joy. I won't share you is very pretty

This is exactly what you’d think it’d be: a band completely fed up with each other while the charismatic frontman starts to find his voice away from them. The Smiths were well dead by this time, and Morrissey hadn’t quite found his solo voice. So what you get is a real doldrums of an album - well produced, but with little to no power of their earlier work. It stinks, and it’s a real bummer that this wasn’t just part of Morrissey’s solo work instead.

Not a great album from the Smiths, I was expecting a lot more on this album but I struggled getting through this one.

I liked this but also it wasn't super memorable

Classic

Just No

Iiiiim morriseeeey and my girlfriend is in a comaaaa; I'm saaaaad and I can't fiiiiind a friiiiiend Make. It. Stop.

While not top tier The Smiths it's still very good. Last Night I Dreamt...is stunning (it's amazing how much the version without the intro loses due to no build up). Marr did the right thing splitting at this point.

Obligatory “fuck Morrissey” before I give this 5 stars

Both Marr and Morrisey believe that “Strangeways, Here We Come” is The Smiths best record and who am I to disagree? Every song on this album is solid from start to finish. Marr's guitar playing is on point, really great stuff. This album marked the beginning of the end for the band. On one hand it is interesting to think about how their music would have evolved if Morrisey didn’t turn out to be an insufferable twat. One the other hand, it led Marr to collaborate on numerous interesting projects, further expanding his range as a musician and one of the greatest and most innovative guitarists of the 20th Century and also helping to expand the progression of indie rock. For his part, Morrisey continued to make decent, sometimes even good music too, albeit less experimental and interesting from my perspective. I honestly can’t remember how I rated previously selections from The Smiths, but again this album is probably their most consistent. Strangeways was released my Junior year in high school and they were among my favorite bands at the time, so there is some admitted nostalgic bias on my part here too.

Dull, depressing, emo bullshit. The music is fine & I can dig it, then Morrissey opens his music & I gotta listen him drone on about being sad or not in love or his band he has to BE in. Sometimes the song is so sad it's unintentionally hilarious, like Unhappy Birthday. Second time exposed to Morrissey on here, this time with the Smiths. Still unimpressed. 2

Big fan of the Smiths, enjoyed this one

Good background, great guitaring, some WEIRD lyrics. (girlfriend in a coma…)

Genuinely just a really good indie rock album

The best!

3/5 7/10 Blah

Girlfriend in a Coma is a weird song! I can think of a few people I would send Unhappy Birthday to. lol

Hvor går man etter man perfeksjonerte gitarbasert pop med The Queen Is Dead? Dekonstruerer og reduserer -- spesielt på gitarfronten. Resultatet er mer eller mindre vellykket, selv om det mangler mye av energien som gjør the Smiths til et så gøy band som det er. Jeg mener at Strangeways har noen av de sterkeste låtene Johnny Marr noensinne har komponert: A Rush and a Push and the Land is Ours, Death of a Disco Dancer, og Last Night I Dreamt That Somebody Loved Me høres knapt ut som noe annet i discographien deres, har helt unike lydbilder, og noen av de mest geniale progressjonene siden the Beatles. Det er peak Smiths. Utover de tre låtene (og I Won't Share You, som jeg sier mer om i neste avsnitt), er låtene svakere enn det meste de har laget. Spesielt Unhappy Birthday og Death At One's Elbows føyer seg inn blant de svakere låtene de noensinne har laget. Låtene jeg ikke har nevnt ved navn har jeg mer ambivalent forhold til. Jeg synes de er gode låter, spesielt Paint a Vulgar Picture, Stop Me If You Think You've Heard This One Before, og Girlfriend in a Coma, men jeg føler de legger seg nærmere Morrissey's styrker enn Marr's, da de går veldig mye opp og ned, hvis det gir mening. I Started Something I Couldn't Finish er kanskje det som høre mest ut som the Smiths vi kjenner fra før. The Smiths avslutter karrieren med enda en Please, Please Let Me Get What I Want-type låt, og selv om I Won't Share You ikke når helt opp til hverken den eller Some Girls Are Bigger Than Ovens, eh jeg mener Others (sykt underrated låt), bringer den nesten samme mengde komfort.

Et litt anonymt Smiths-album. Lite som stikker seg ut. Men et ok Smiths-album er ganske mye bedre enn mange andre album.

Hier soir Guillaume m'a dit qu'il adorerait avoir un T-shirt des Smiths. Avis aux gens pour les cadeaux de Noël.

Beaucoup plus intéressant à mon humble avis que les autres de Smith et Morrissey, c'est festif et comique dans la portée. Ça m'a beaucoup amusé et je compte y revenir

Crime je pense l’avoir mieux aimé que The Queen is Dead! Morissey y fait moins sa Diva on dirait, y rentre plus dans le moule de son band. Mais là on peut avoir un break et écouter autre chose, svp

Quite happy before listening to this. Now, no.

This album surprised me. I loved it. I hated the previous Smiths Album that I listened to. Maybe there is more to them than meets the eye.

Fuck that guy. But Johnny Marr is cool

1 out of 5 Just...no

Not the best Smiths album to me, a bit less consistent compare to the others but still good.

Probably a 3.5 for me. Really like the first half but the second half didn't quite hold up.

I've been inconsisent between 2 and 3 stars but my rationale for 2 here is: -There are probably other Smiths albums on this list that are better. -Morrissey is a wanker

Die depressieve, melancholische vibe die The Smiths typeert zit meesterlijk in deze plaat, maar ik mis het muzikale en tekstuele tikje meer van The queen is dead

Classic mopey boys mopin’ it up.

It sounds like pretty much every other Smith's song I've heard. Not bad, but nothing great either. Just typical depressed Morrissey while Marr makes good music.

Only one banger on here

Overrated album. Depressing with no style points. Sorry. Morrissey is the most overrated frontman alive.

Fun. I really liked this album and it went by really quick. These four guys can really write music. Morrissey’s vocals are pretty and there is never a dull moment. Maybe a little whiney (looking at you Unhappy Birthday) but whatever, it’s The Smiths, what are you going to do. Fuck Morrissey for everything else though. Standout tracks: A Rush and A Push and the Land Is Ours, Stop Me If You Think You’ve Heard This One Before, and Death at One’s Elbow.

Classic Smiths album

Love the smiths, pretty standard album for them?

Loved the start and then it kind of lost me, but the second listen made me like it much more.

It’s good but a swear all their songs sound the same

they dont know how to songwrite i think

Great album. Not my favourite Smiths album but still great. I sometimes find Morrissey’s lyrics unsettling and he’s definitely a moaner, but Marr’s music is good (although I still like the older jingle-jangle guitar sound). Girlfriend in a Coma and Death of a Disco are obvious favourites, but I like Paint a Vulgar Picture too.

Ah the Smiths. Morissey and Jimmy Marr made some wonderful songs. Too bad they’ll never out out new music.

4/5

Good band, good sound, and music.

Fairly unmemorable

Garbish

This has some of their best and a unique feel to the rest of their stuff. The songs seem to float more than being propelled. There's not a bad song here yet it's still might be my least favorite album of theirs. Rating: 4.7

I like the Smiths more retrospectively. This may not be their best album but still sounds good on a sunny afternoon.