Reviews (page 7 of 14)
Top album
I felt like I was listening to my own music and not an album from this list.
It is interesting to hear some of the origins of what would become 90s britpop.
For me, The Smiths are one of those bands that have amazing singles but no album that I enjoy from beginning to end. This album has one of my favourite The Smiths songs, Stop Me, and it shows all the characteristics that made the bands sound unique, however it’s not quite a 5/5 album in my opinion.
An interesting new discovery. Pleasant sounds with not-so-nice lyrics. The longer I listen to it, the more attractive it becomes.
Mozza is a big racist but this album is good
the smiths are only cool when i listen to them, whenever someone else enjoys them i instantly think less of them as a human being. not my favourite project of theirs. however some of their best songs are on this. fav songs: a rush and a push and the land is ours, i started something i couldnt finish, girlfriend in a coma, stop me if you think youve heard this one before, last night i dreamt that somebody loved me, i wont share you.
Was good, 4/5
Favourites: • Death of a Disco Dancer • Unhappy Birthday
I feel like with The Smiths you just need a good Best Of, but this is probably the album to go for if you could only have one
Paedophiles have more in common with crabs than humans. That's scientific fact. The Smiths are good. Morrissey is bad. Crabs.
This album still has the "Smiths"' vibe without including any of their greatest hits, and it is one of their best albums! Highlight the keyboard work here. It's impressive!
great album
only like 2 songs but they are good songs
Feel sick not giving a Smiths album 5/5 but it just doesnt quite reach the heights of their previous work
This is four for now, but I could easily see myself growing more fond of the tracks on here over time and wanting to give it a five. This was a pretty consistent album; I can't think of one song that wasn't at least enjoyable. My favourite songs were Stop Me If You Think You've Heard This One Before and A Rush and a Push and the Land Is Ours.
Some great songs on here but it does tail off a bit towards the end
This is what I think of when I think of The Smiths
This is an album with two faces for sure. There is the Jangly pop with upbeat rhythms, hooks that make you wanna dance. And then there’s the more soft, somber side, beautiful songs with Morrissey wailing away. Great album! 8,5 out of 10
Never been a smiths fan, it's a good album tho, especially liked finding out that stop me was a cover version of one of their songs.
Great album, makes me wanna dance. But minus 1 star for morrissey.
Not my favourite collection of Smiths tracks, but there's still some goodns here. Another favourite of my dads, so I'm quite partial to these warbly jangly ditties. While their melancholy can be overwrought, it's also sometimes transcendent, and I think it reaches that a couple of times on this record. Morissey is a cunt. Three and a half Fave track: Last Night I Dreamt That Somebody Loved Me
The Smiths can be a mixed bag, but for the most part made decent to great records. This was no outlier - one of their best albums with some unforgettable tracks. Good flow between tracks and solid playing and writing coming together in a short and sweet 36 minutes. Fave track: Paint a Vulgar Picture
Not their best, but still …
I really thought I wouldn’t like but I did
not bad, but fuck you morrissey!
Banger. Really enjoyed this, never listened to this band before. The dark and brooding vibe and lyrics are awesome. This dude really wants to kill women for some reason. It's interesting and it sounds great. Sometimes the singer takes a dump Score: 80 Art: 70
As someone new and with no attachment to this band, I really liked it. It's very dreary and depressing, but not dreadful.
"Chants Macabre".
i mean, it’s the smiths
In spite of the weaker lyricism, this record has the most sonic invention of the smiths records and is a very compelling depiction of a band breaking up and moving on.
A little underwhelmed: I saw The Smiths and I had a small celebration bc from what I have listened to I've really liked their band. This was disappointing as I expected slightly more from this album. Don't get me wrong it sounded nice but there were no stand out tracks and it all sounded like Morrisey singing over a slightly jangly guitar. Not bad by any means but not great either.
An obligatory "fuck Morissey" aside, I'm glad I'm older and less impressionable now than I was when I was a teenager, as I just KNOW I would have based my whole personality off of this music. I've always enjoyed what I've heard of The Smiths, and this album is no exception. There's something about Morissey's voice that's haunting yet soothing to listen to. Personal highlights include "I Started Something I Couldn't Finish", "Girlfriend In a Coma", and "Unhappy Birthday".
No se como definirlo pero este disco transmite mucho, ademas de que es inmersivo y aporta un poco de contradicciones en lo sonoro, delivery y demas, pero contradicciones pensadas que quiera uno o no suman y hacen al oyente pensar. Lleno de canciones buenas, una duracion perfecta 9/10
Where has this band been? Excellent album, I can hear the punk behind all of the synthy 80s layers
Strangeways, Here We Come is perhaps best exemplified in its title: strange. Strange in that this doesn't feel like a swan song from one of Manchester's all time greatest bands and more of a transitional effort that gathered up further more skills and sounds that would require them to move on from what made them exemplary. Consider the elegiac "Last Night I Dreamt That Somebody Loved Me", the countrified stomp and sway of "A Rush and a Push and the Land is Ours" and "Girlfriend in a Coma", the dizzying piano backdrop of "Death of a Disco Dancer" and the rather soon-to-be ironic re-make/re-model takedown of "Paint a Vulgar Picture" and you'd get the gist of The Smiths looking towards what was next. Well, we never got that picture and perhaps it was for the best. Although the album lags towards the end, even the most forgettable Smith's material ranges better than most. A near-perfect swan song when it wasn't supposed to be. Favorites: A Rush and a Push and the Land is Ours, I Started Something I Couldn't Finish, Death of a Disco Dancer, Girlfriend in a Coma, Stop Me If You Think You've Heard This One Before, Last Night I Dreamt That Somebody Loved Me.
I’ve definitely warmed up to the smiths over the course of this album and have wanted to relisten to the Queen is dead but this is a whole different thing than most smiths music I’ve gotten. It feels more orchestral and less guitar focused than the other stuff. Even if I was never wowed or fully into it, I think this was the most interesting album of theirs I’ve gotten. Stop me… is my favorite.
Some of the best songwriting the band has produced. I know the band (and others) call this their best record, something about the production and instrumentation (particularly the use of drum machines and saxophone maybe?) really date the sound for me. Still, it's a great record, just not as great as The Queen is Dead, IMO.
The Smiths were a singles band. I'll fight anyone who says otherwise. That being said, this is as good an album as they ever made. The 2011 remaster cleans up a lot of the gunk from the original release.
Du tog sönder ingefäran… Förlåt Jag gillar jag gillar. Morrissey va på lite tiger humör i början, skön bas i ”Death of a Disco Dancer”. Gillar texten till ”Girlfriend in a Coma” sen är ju ”Last Night I Dreamt That Somebody Loved Me” en riktigt bra låt. Jag gillade albumet också. Håller med om tiger! Vet inte om jag riktigt gillade det - jag har alltid älskat ”Girlfriend in a Coma” och ”I Won’t Share You”! Inte deras bästa album enligt mig dock.
The Smiths — it's even more complicated now. I'm likely to stan for Johnny Marr forever whereas Morrissey can stay in the toilet of his regrettable right wing nationalism. With that out of the way, this is among their best despite it being the end of The Smiths. It's not my favorite of which I rated five stars despite Morrissey's politics. I will again bracket Morrissey out of respect for Johnny Marr and the rest of the band. But this record only gets four stars.
I like the Smiths better than many here because I can see past Morrissey's wankery. The songwriting is great, the band was very tight and his voice just does it for me.
Some proper classics on this album. I have mad respect for The Smiths for making depressing and dismal lyrics sound fantastic
Sucker for these guys, every song is well thought out, unique and dat bass
I had heard some of The Smiths stuff before so although I don’t like Morrissey, for obvious reasons, I can’t deny The Smiths music really does have a hold on me in some way, it’s equally catchy and clever with some beauty to it, some elegance if you will, which might be down to the soft tone of Morrissey. So as expected I am a fan of this album for a number of reasons. Firstly, I want to point out how well the vocals and the instrumental are mixed with each other. Although Morrissey can hit those higher notes I like that he sits equal with the instrumental with a fairly relaxed tone instead so that the listener is equally exposed to all elements of the songs, this is especially seen on the opening track ‘A Rush and a Push and the Land Is Ours’ where you can hear the vocals go rough on the chorus without his voice being raised, a good example of not overdoing it on a song. Secondly, I want to point out the variety of songs we get in this album. There’s a couple of 5-6 minute songs here which allow for a slower instrumental and to really open the song up which I appreciate, a key example of this is from the 2 consecutive tracks ‘I Started Something I Couldn’t Finish’ and ‘Death of a Disco Dancer’ which although using similar instruments suit the lengths of each track well respectively. In addition to this is the mix of harsher and softer songs such as ‘Death at One’s Elbow’ and I Won’t Share You’, the former in which has some nice rock and roll guitar riffs mixed with some drums to create a faster paced song whereas the latter, the final song in which, opens up for the vocalist to sing more whilst being accompanied by an acoustic guitar, it’s a beautiful way to end the album. Finally, I’d like to point out 1 song in particular, ‘Last Night I Dreamt That Somebody Loved Me’. This song is introduced with an interlude full of background crowd noise until the 2 minute mark where the vocals kick in with a slow drum and almost somber piano. It really creates an atmosphere of helplessness which builds for the rest of the song u til we reach a climax at the end where some high notes are hit. It’s truly a wonderful song and probably my favourite on the album. Overall, I really enjoyed this album, the vocals, the instrumentals all of it sounded lovely. There were some weaker cuts on the back end of the record that knock it down slightly for me but my point still holds as the sound of this album is just so pleasing, something I will be returning to. P.S. Jpegmafia - Veteran, track 16 4/5
This one is pretty good
The first album I've officially listened to on this list... and the first listen just flew by! Had to put on again and again... very cool.
Never heard this, really enjoyed and added to my library!
it's great! seems like a more cerebral, atmospheric, less rousing set of smiths songs
yk what this album is acc pretty good. I recognised like half the songs from Thomas learning them on the bass and guitar and there are some tunes. the intro track has mega racist / anti immigration vibes to it. I started something I could not finish, stop me if you've heard this one before, last night I dreamt someone loved me are all mega tunes. girlfriend in a coma also even if the lyrics are really strange.
actually good, why did they have to stop here :(
Fun songs
Morrissey sucks but The Smiths don't. Perfect sadboi music for the era.
A tremendous album. Funny, moving, and more than the sum of its parts. Their best
Yeah...so, The Smiths...again... Is there something distinctively different about this one? Ummm, I think so?? I guess it seemed a bit more upbeat/catchy, like my attention was a but less inclined to wander. Even so, I didn't really love the album. I would probably still rank it in the "well, at least I don't feel that I have to run out of the room screaming" category, but maybe on the upper end of that block.
Some people say: If you know one album by The Smiths you know basically every Smiths song. Parts of that are true but I think that's mainly because of Morrissey's voice. There is some great musicianship next to his vocal delivery and I think you can hear that on this LP. It is a great listen and maybe the one you need by this band.
the smits ,<3
Morussy
Very good
goddamn it morrisey
Fuck Morrissey! Ok that out of the way, I do fucking love The Smiths. It is a bit disappointing to me that their self titled never made the list, I do prefer it to this one. I'm still giving this a 4 though because it is still so good. "Stop Me If You Think You've Heard This One Before" is my favorite song on the album. "Girlfriend in a Coma" is also a good track and as a single guy getting this album on Valentine's Day it is a bit funny to listen to that song. And funny enough I listened to the album and The Queen Is Dead this past Thursday because I was craving some good Andy Rourke bass lines. They aren't the most impressive, but they are catchy and distinct.
i love the smiths I SAID I LOVE THE SIMTHS
A shame that Morrissey is such a cunt because this album is actually pretty good
Oh what to do about the Morrissey of it all? Love this album and think 5 stars right away but then I remember that Morrissey is a thing, this is always tough, separating the art from the artist. In the end this record is too good not to rate a 5, but fuck Morrissey!
Didn't really listen to the Smiths back in the day but there are some great tracks on here.
Admittedly, I'm not the biggest Smiths fan, but this album hooked me right away. Enjoyable to listen to, but a lot of it sounded pretty similar, so nothing really stuck out for me. Not a bad thing, as it was enjoyable enough for me to listen to again, but not 5 star material.
The Smiths хороши. Но мне больше по душе The Queen Is Dead. Звук классный, однородный. Есть мой любимый безладовый бас. И всё-такое живое и настоящее как бы... Легко и непринужденно пронёсся этот альбом. Да так, что прям особо много и не напишешь. Оценка здесь относительная, по вышеназванной причине. Не большой фанат The Smiths, переслушивать вряд ли скоро буду, но просто запомню для себя, что здесь есть позитивные песенки.
Just great stuff. Love a lot of the composition, and Morrissey's got a terrific voice. I'm surprised how much I enjoyed this.
Not my favorite Smiths album but some great songs and more consistent end to end than The Queen is Dead. I get it Morissey is an asshole etc but he knows how to make indie rock music like few others.
Good stuff
Morrissey gör konstiga röster och Johnny Marrs gitarr är inte lika prevalent som på andra album men de e ändå ba banger efter banger
Great melodies, great lyrics. It's jangle pop with keyboards. The singer has a very distinct voice. Favorite song: Stop me if you think you heard this one before.
As much as I hate Morrissey, the lyrics and Johnny Marr make up for the hatred as the songs are alwasy good. Brilliant ideas that flow effortlessly amongst one another. Overall 8/10 cos its Morrissey.
I’m surprised how good this one was to be honest I thought it was meant to be some sorta flop for the smiths but the songs are very good, I’ll give it a 4/5 though because it’s very front loaded.
So OK, *The Queen Is Dead* is in my list of essential albums as well, there are so many great songs in it. But do we *really* need another record from The Smiths in said list? All the other LPs are clearly at least a notch under in term of overall quality: it's that sometimes annoying "affected" way that Morrissey sings those tunes. And the man has become such an egregious character today that, frankly, one wishes mentions of him should not exceed what is strictly necessary for the general purposes of such a list. Maybe we should leave some room for amazing artists that are also bright enough so as to *not* turn into complete twats as they get older. In that line of thought, I suddenly realize that I should now apply the exact same thing for Kanye West. Ouch, that's hard. I still feel *MBDTF* and *Yeezus* (along with one of the two first "Registration" albums, maybe) should be included in my list... So OK--given that The Smith have only released four "real" albums, I should at least include a second one by them. So let's dive into those 'Strangeways'... "I Started Something I Could Not Finish" is a nice tune, with a great chord progression and witty lyrics: "Death Of A Disco Dancer" is a mesmerizing atmospheric piece with an effective build-up; "Girl In A Coma" is nice little sardonic pop cut (amazing strings arrangements on this one): "Stop Me If You Think You've Heard This One Before" is catchy as hell: "Last Night I Dreamt That Somebody Loved Me" has another one of those terrific chord progressions (everyone raves about Johnny Marr's guitar playing, but he was great composer as well)... As for "Paint A Vulgar Picture", its ironic lyrics comparing a love affair to the shenanigans of the music industry haven't aged a day... Jeeze. I think I *really like* this record, actually. My first impulse was to say I wouldn't select *Strangeways, Here We Come* for my list and take the eponymous debut album instead. But I admit it, I'm hesitating now. And if I take this one as well, why leaving *Meat Is Murder* on the wayside? It's the patchiest affair in The Smiths' discography, but it still has some impressive cuts in it... Damn, I wish Morrissey wasn't such a a-hole today. I guess being a great artist doesn't necessarily prevent you from becoming a poor sod. And yet, I really *tried* not to "separate the man from the artist" here... Number of albums left to review or just listen to: less than 700, I've temporarily lost count here Number of albums from the list I find relevant enough to be mandatory listens: approximately a half so far Albums from the list I *might* include in mine later on: a quarter (including this one) Albums from the list I will certainly *not* include in mine (many others are more important): the last quarter
Very nice
Love this one already! whopper.
Smiths are good nothing too crazy from this one but a solid album
Stop blubbering about Morrissey's political shenanigans, whatever they are. I rated The Blueprint the other day, and you didn't see me comment on Jay-Z's morally cringeworthy affinity for the dishonorable Louis Farrakhan, did you? Well, now you did. Rate what's here, and what's here is a nice 6.5/10. The Smiths always have a tasty vibe and beautiful sound.
Heard it before?: Yes Enjoy it?: I love it, you know what you’re getting with the smiths and they just never disappointed Favourite song: Track 8 - Paint A Vulgar Picture
Perhaps the most underrated Smiths album. Side one is absolute gold. Side 2 not far behind. 4.5 stars
It's interesting, I've not listened to The Smiths before, and my first real experience with their music happens to be their last album. It's like skipping to the end of the book since I'm aware of how The Smiths came to an end as a band. It's easy to see why so many people adore this band though. Morrissey's voice is incredible, near hypnotizing. Girlfriend in a Coma was meant to be the star, but I found myself enjoying I Started Something I Couldn't Finish & Death of Disco Dancer more my speed on the A-Side. The B-Side opens with Last Night I Dreamt That Somebody Love Me, and holy shit, does this song hit. It has a dream like quality to it, it feels operatic in scope and grandeur. Looking into it, both Morrissey & Marr feel its the best thing The Smiths did, and my limited experience agrees. I enjoyed Death at One's Elbow too, a sort of outta nowhere bluesy experience. Overall, I enjoyed the album, and look forward to hearing more.
Strangely alt pop
One misremembers this as a compilation so finds it excellence half-surprising. One should have known better (or remembered clearer) as this is the Smiths after all. It's outstanding throughout if not the apogee of their work. "Death of a Disco Dancer" is hugely underrated slow burn of pure Marrsian vintage. "Girlfriend in a Coma" classic Morrissey and "Paint a Vulgar Picture" their version of REM's "Voice of Harold." If this had to be the end, it was damn near to going out on top.
The Smiths. I love The Smiths
Burde nok høre mer på dette albumet
Not my favourite but Johnny Marr 4eva
Feel like i kinda like the smiths
8.5/10
Not much wrong with this. Apart from the self-pity of course
Great, of course.
WHY THE FUCK WOULD YOU DO A SONG ABOUT A GIRLFRIEND IN A COMA? Two songs later he's singing poignant lyrics about love and the sadness that comes from its lack. Then we get a nasty song wishing an ex an unhappy birthday which is full of hatred. He was 28 when he wrote this, surely he's past teenage melodrama by now. Seriously, Morrisey is a gigantic twat from just reading his lyrics, let alone his public rantings. Somehow his whiny voice works while Johnny and the rest of the band are brilliant. If I kept listening to this is probably go 5 starts as it is quite addictive.
Oh fuck yes. Inject it directly into my veins. I've only ever really listened to The Queen is Dead and The Smiths, but I absolutely love those albums. This album started off really strong for me and kind of slowed down towards the end, but I'm glad to have finally listened to it all the way through. Standouts: A Rush and a Push and the Land is Ours, I Started Something I Couldn't Finish, Death of a Disco Dancer, Girlfriend in a Coma, Stop Me If You Think You've Heard This One Before
Tykkäsin kyllä. Ehkä jotkut kappaleet oli vähän synkähköjä omaan makuun, mutta osa oli tosi hyviä. Yhtä olen kuunnellut nyt jatkuvasti, joten ylivoimainen suosikki: Last Night I Dreamt That Somebody Loved Me.
Yes 4.5
Not bad, better than most of the Brit Pop
Really enjoying this continued deep dive into The Smiths’ back catalogue. Whilst this one doesn’t contain the biggest hits (though I’ve always loved ‘I Started Something’), the music and production had become so vibrant at this point. It tails off a bit at the end, but overall, a cracking listen and a fitting swan song.
it’s a good one
Rather dark lyrics but great melodies
Would you believe me if I said that The Smiths never made a bad album in their core discography of 5 albums? It's rare for a band or artist to so quickly and definitively find their sound and consistently produce quality records without it getting stale. Strangeways continues to present the Smiths in a sonically rich production. Songwriting is still good, but not quite as hard-hitting as the songs on the prior album, "The Queen Is Dead". This was seemingly a transitional album for the Smiths, though whether there were plans to transition into a new album instead of a wind-down into a breakup is unknown. It is clear that Marr (bless his heart) and Morrissey (fuck him) were at odds with one another at this point in the Smiths. Thus, we see the end to an incredible group.
Estilo típico de The Smiths. Ningún megahit. Un 4.
Classic pop. Morrissey is often made fun of, but his voice was one to be reckoned with. This is less driving than their previous album, but still one of infinite moodiness.
I used to really hate the Smiths back when they were actually making music. My views on them have softened over the years, to the point that I actually enjoy them. This album I liked a lot. It seemed to display more maturity and polish than most of their work. 4 stars.
Another great album by The Smiths. But IMO album QID is better.
I feel like I'm contractually obligated to say, "Fuck Morrisey". That said, he still makes damn good music.
Loved this in the 80s. Less so now, (thanks Morrissey, you bellend) but nostalgia triumphs so all good
There's quite a few I like on this. 3.5
I liked it better than the queen is dead. Some good and catch songs. Easy to listen to.
Good vibes, would listen again
8/10. Not sure if this album is better than other Smiths albums, or if I am just getting Stockholm syndrome
Morrissey was kinda cooking on this album. Everything is so comically morose. 8/10
Great album, but The Queen Is Dead will always be my favorite.
Such an easy listen. This really is an album experience from Moz and the boys. Girlfriend in a Coma is a highlight. Loved this one.
Marr and Morrissey work together beautifully on this record, 4/5 Highlight- "Death of a Disco Dancer"
It's like they grew up and saved the best album till last. Marr took them in a new direction and the result is a more mature sound than their first albums
Love The Smiths. The latter part of the album is not my favorite, but the rest more then makes up for it. Great album to go out on.. 4/5
Fucking loved it but not all time
Elle t'énerve mais la voir dans le coma te tuerait
t'écoutes pas les paroles et tu regardes pas la couverture franchement t'es bien
Good...probably had only ever heard Girlfriend In a Coma before Influenced Radiohead? Liked "Unhappy Birthday" song
<3<3<3 ikkje da besta smiths albumet då
Awesome!
Morrissey is a twat
They started something. Still hate his voice.
Some iffy shmeh songs, but I can't not like the smiths 😔
Morrissey is an asshole but I love The Smiths
No bangers but I’d like to revisit this album. Good sound
queen is dead is a lot better half of this album are mid 7/10
Surprised by this one. Actually really enjoyed this album. Had never listened to The Smiths previously.
Brilliant. 4.5/5 This is an album that I am very glad I heard before I die. Outstanding! Every song is amazing.
This was good, if a bit wistful and short.
highlights: - a rrrrush and a push and the land is ours - stop me if you think you've heard this one before - i started something i couldn't finish least favs: none really first half is a banger
Sort of wish the rating system on here allowed for half stars. This album is right in that 4.5 zone. It isn't quite a five but it's very close. So I guess I am just going to give it a 4. But it's a bit better than that.
The Smiths are in that weird range of post punk and pre 90s grunge. By the time this album came out they were already an established band and the album really reflects the sound of that time. I enjoyed the album a lot and found it be something I could easily come back to. Of course, I would need a pack of smokes and a leather jacket but I can do that.
This was a fun listen! I can hear so many influences for current bands like The Decemberists and so many others. A good number of the songs jumped out to me and were super enjoyable. I’ll come back this in the future for sure.
I liked this album. The smiths have a great sound and the leads voice is so soothing to me. Unhappy birthday is hilarious to me.
Solid British pop/rock album. Definitely a root album for early Radiohead style songs
A really enjoyable batch of songs. Not quite as great as their best albums but it does have some classic tracks on it like “Stop Me If You Think You’ve Heard This One Before” and the record industry takedown “Paint a Vulgar Picture.” I also really like the glistening closing track “I Won’t Share You.”
Nice dynamic album. I like the arrangements and I think it's overall a nice record to put on and listen through in one sitting. There's some fun production elements here too- like "Death of a Disco Dancer" has some fun little guitar SFX type of plucks happening. I can't say enough about how much I enjoy the pacing. There's such a good mix of songs on the album and it all flows really nicely.
I love the outright depressing nature of the lyrics, and can appreciate the singers voice when he isn't growling.
4.25
To sie nazywa dobry pick na polowe listy, ostatni studyjny krazek od The smiths z 87, wiec cos sie konczy cos zaczyna, bo gdyby nie eksperymenty tej plyty, to pan Morrissey tak odwaznie nie wkroczylby w solowa tworczosc, bo Strangeways, Here We Come jak go teraz slucham wydaje sie byc poligonem na ktorym bylo testowane jak bardzo mozna dac sie poniesc rokowemu brzmieniu, a jednoczesnie nie stracic brandowego feelingu junglowego popu, ktore bylo jedna z najabardziej charakterystycznych, no moze poza ego pan spiewaka, ktore kupilo wielu sluchaczy, w tym rowniez mnie, elementow muzyki zespolu, a na tych 36 minutach mniej jest typowego syntezatorowego i catchowego grania na rzecz harmonijek, harpow czy wymyslnych cymbalow zwanych marimbami, jest to tez jedyny krazek na ktorym sam pan Morrissey cos gra instrumentalnie, sa to klawisze na death of the disco dancer, ktore raczej hajlajtem plyty czy nawet utworu nie sa, 36 minut podzielone na 10 trakow, ale nie sa to typowo 3,5 miniutowe utwory, bo zdarzaja sie nawet 5 minutowe traki ktore wpisuja sie w eksperymenty w poszukiwaniu swiezego stylu, a krotsze piosenki, jak jeden z szlagierow nagrania czyli girlfriend in a coma bardziej przypominaja material z the queen is dead, comowy song to jeden z najbardziej memicznych utworow bandy jesli zestawi sie go z ewangelionowa scena szpitalna, wiec kolejny raz slucham plyty i tak jak w reszcie dyskografii tego skarbu brytyjskiej muzyki rozrywkowej moge sie osluchwiac bez konca, ile w tym wspomnien i doomerskiego weltschmerza, ktory tak potrafia obudzic w czlowieku, a ile naprawde dobrej muzyki ktora laczy w sobie potezne ego wokalisty i solidna robote bandy ktora mu na to pozwalala, zwlaszcza pana Marra, ktory byl rownie wazna osoba dowodzaca ktora miala najwiekszy wplyw na to jak muzycznie kierowal sie zespol, na plejke leci wspomniana dziewczyna w swipaczce i i started something i couldnt finish, ktora ma jeden z bardziej bangierowych openingow jakie mozna uslyszec na plycie
Very enjoyable listen.
Did not now this record but there are, as expected, interesting lyrics and excellent rhythms and timbres.
Wow, great album that surprised me because I didn't think I enjoyed The Smiths this much. Too bad Morrisey is such an asshole.
A great example of their unique , somber pop.
Awesome album! If you like getting lost in someone else’s thoughts about mediocrity, commonality, love, feeling stuck, etc… then this will be a good listen. I would also add, the backing piano, guitar, etc. remind me off a more decadent version of Bon Iver’s For Emma, Forever Ago.
I'm familiar with The Smiths, although I have not heard this album before. I'm already a fan of their music, so I expected to like this. I actually like this one quite a bit, but I need to get more familiar with it. It's pretty solid! I do enjoy the first half a lot more than the second half, though.
I came late to The Smiths party, and I arrived there because of Argentinean hardcore vocalist Boom Boom Kid, who knowingly was influenced by Morrissey in more than one aspect. But I really never got them. Not their music at least. I was rather fascinated by their image: Morrissey and Johnny Marr looked like two smartasses, the classic odd couple fed by a special chemistry, some apparent awkward dynamics, an appropriate update of the Jack Kerouac & Neil Cassidy myth adapted for their specific historical context. If anything, I can't help but admiring them for this aura that they projected around themselves. But then from time to time I played this and some of their other records, and I am always surprised to find something that comes up as compelling. Death Of A Disco Dancer with strings and keys, the reggae-like groove in A Rush And A Push And The Land Is Ours and Girlfriend In A Coma (is that a consequence of the double decker bus crash?), the joyful Stop Me If You Think You've Heard This One Before (what with the extremely long titles?), the dramatic Last Night I Dreamt That Somebody Loved Me. It is a fairly consistent album for being one from a band that at the time was on the brink of collapse. Some trivia: Strangeways is a Manchester's prison, and the character portrayed in the artwork is Richard Avalos in a shot from the movie East Of Eden. Whatever it all means!
Pretty great. But, Morrissy's voice can get annoying after a while. I still like it though! Standouts: Girlfriend in a Coma. Unhappy Birthday, Stop Me If You Think You've Heard This One Before. Others: I Started Something I Couldn't Finish. Death of a Disco Dancer, I won't Share You. I've come 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) Brutal... :) Love it. 4/5
Love the smiths, never heard this before. Death of a disco dancer is near perfect
A suitable swan song, as well as a great example as to why no album should be over 40 minutes long. Especially from a band fronted by Morrissey. But a solid benefit of a 34 minute run time is affording one time for an immediate re-listen to make sure it was good as the first time. The re-listen confirmed (to me, at least) that Morrissey clearly murdered that girlfriend who was in a coma.
Pretty good again! Weird to have two Smiths albums in one week
I've really been missing out on the Smiths! Great album! A couple of strange tracks for sure (girlfriend in a coma is very serious), but I loved the feel and composition of the album.
I got this album when it came it out, remembering liking it but honestly haven't come back to it much. I have usually gone to the other earlier Smiths' albums. Listening to it now, I'm not sure why; this album has a lot of variety, a lot of familiar songs and is solid throughout. It also may be their best produced album. It sounds great. Five of these ten songs were played pretty heavily on the radio, at least on Indie stations, and to some extent you still hear them. The first song, "A Rush and a Push and the Land is Ours", has no guitar, only piano...the direction Johnny Marr wanted to take the band. The second song "I Started Something that I Couldn't Finish" is brilliant guitar and one of their best sounding pop songs. Of course, this album is loaded with morbid titled songs, one of the things I admire about The Smith's: "Unhappy Birthday", "Death of a Disco Dancer", "Death at One's Elbow" and of course, "Girlfriend in a Coma". He could have murder her and now he's hoping her through a coma. Along with Bob Dylan's "Rainy Day Women #12 and #45", one of the best songs where happy music is placed alongside bitter or depressing lyrics. The Smith's and Morrissey have a few of those. Really, no dead weight on the album. Clocking in at 36 minutes, it's a perfect length. This album is both Morrissey's and Johnny Marr's favorite Smiths' album; I finally see why.
Well! I liked this more than I expected; perhaps my expectations were low? Aside from Morissey growling on track 2 (lol) I pretty much let the rest just wash over me and am now feeling properly clean and tidy. Listening to "Unhappy Birthday" for the 2nd time right now. Always a good sign!
I had never previously listened to The Smiths but will definitely pick up some more after this piece. Haunting vocals and lyrics, sense of story, amazing production, no weak tracks, understated rhythm etc. I'm conservative with my 5 star ratings, but this one comes darn close. Give me a couple of more goes at this album and band and I wouldn't be surprised if I listed it as a 5 star! I thank 1001albumsgenerator for this great suggestion.
Četvorka mi je zašto jer mi nije petica
Every Smiths album is new to this boy, and this is the third one so far. It's also the best. A fuller, deeper sound, but without any signs of fussiness. Morrisey's persona takes on new dimensions and he and Marr approach the themes in ways they weren't able to on the Queen is Dead or Meat is Murder. It's funnier than those, too. He does a couple of voices on tracks two and three that made me splutter. He also seems less personally implicated in the stories, so even when you get something as mordant as, "I've come 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", it's delivered with a degree of detachment. More than that, I can't say on one listen. But that one listen gave me a tonne of joy, so I'm going big on the rating.
The only other Smiths album I had listened to was The Queen Is Dead because I think I had seen it on a list of best British albums. Besides the title track I really couldn’t connect with that album. This one, upon listening to today I have heard a few times before. I did end up digging this one more. Paint A Vulgar Picture is really good.
Hadn't heard of this group before. Liked the album a lot. Could for sure see myself listening to this one again.
You know, we have to come to terms with the fact that The Smiths were a pop group. Literate and verbose for the genre, but still a pop group. And extremely good too. How can anyone hear "Stop Me" and not be lost forever? I don't know.
Different from erlier Smiths album. No worse for that though!
A solid album if a little front-loaded. Still contains some of their best songs.
Cool stuff. Was a fan.
Smiths in their golden era
death of a disco dancer is so good
Estilo típico de The Smiths. Ningún megahit. Un 4.
Never heard these guys before and was thoroughly entertained
Jai bien aime. Avoir eu le temos jaurais ecouter 2x un bon son, production et originalite. 4
I didn't want to like this album, but it's very good, what can I say
Genre: Jangle Pop 4/5 Another band I’ve let sit by the wayside, but purely by accident, as I tend to listen to the same things over and over, lol. I’m very happy I finally listened to one of their albums! This is the kind of British, post-Beatles sound that I think is most akin to that era and, after reading that this is one of their *lesser* offerings, I’m now more excited than ever to continue listening to them. The three song run of Girlfriend in a Coma-Stop Me If You Think You've Heard This One Before-Last Night I Dreamt That Somebody Loved Me is a shining moment of the genre, and sits perfectly in the middle of this very, very good album. Certainly one to take repeated listens to. Very nice work from these Brits!
I'm bouncing between a 3 and a 4 here. Musically, the Smiths have always just been kinda okay for me. But, I'm a sucker for the "I sound happy but really these lyrics are pretty dark and morbid" vibe. That's really where the Smiths (or, more accurately, Morrisey) get me. I mean, "Girlfriend in a Coma" - c'mon. Dammit. 4.
3.5
Had low expectations, glad they were wrong! Pretty fun!
A side is fantastic B side less so Probably the worst Smiths album Still a fantastic album Favourite songs:Girlfriend In A Coma,Last Night I Dreamt Somebody Loved Me,I Won’t Share You Least favourite songs:Death At Ones Elbow, Paint A Vulgar Picture Album ranking:8.5/10
Good 80's tunes.
enjoyed it quite a bit
It's the Smith innit, they're great! Loved listening to this album again, a true classic which belongs on this list.
It's been a long time since I listened to this.
Has that beautiful melancholic tint that I love from The Smiths and is hard to find other bands that compare
Pleasant album. Bit weird lyrics sometimes. Would listen again.
More enjoyable than the previous The Smiths album I got on this list. Catchy songs, including of course the well-known 'Stop me...'.
Great album, love the smiths
a great album for studying
Makes me feel cool
Yeah... it was really good. I always thought I hated The Smiths I was wrong. Less cure more the housemartins and really had that brit pop slow jam 90's thing. Excellent album. Only issue for that whole genre is everything kind of blends together but sill good.
Seemed charming for 80s heartfelt downer rock.
I really enjoyed this album. It will be getting a relisten.
It was pretty good! I wasn't a huge fan at first, but it got better, and by the middle of the album, it was solid. Still not 100% my genre, but pretty good.
I know rhee singer's toxic but great swansong by the Smiths
A British sound that I rather enjoyed. 0RS
This album kicks ass! Big fan of the themes, both lyrically and musically.
The worst of their albums but still really bloody good
Lovely stuff. Hits and glorious, unashamed album tracks from the kitchen-sink 80s of the Smiths coasting on a high. 4.5 stars, actually.
This was a fine album to close the Smith’s discography on. Personally I find it weaker than the other two Smiths albums represented in the book, but it’s still a great listen
begrudgingly a 4. Ugh, Morrisey, but it's a good Smiths album.
Loved, morrissey's lyrics fantastic and music good backing - death at ones elbow shakes the general mood up a bit
Final album. Apart from the singles, I know none of the other songs. I need to get into The Smiths more
Classic British Guitar pop. Pity Morrissey has turned into such a prick in later years.
э Раш энд э пуш сладкие и почему-то родные восьмидесятые, "опережая время", морисси еблан 7/10
Nice
Only really know the hits when it comes to The Smiths so was great listening to a full album of songs I didn't know. Great listen overall.
I love the smiths but cants stand Morissey
This album is kind of a shrewd collection that offers imitations of their other successes, but with the highest degree of refinement. (7/10) Favourite Tracks: Girlfriend in a Coma, Last Night I Dreamt That Somebody Loved Me
hit and miss but would happily listen to again
Forse il miglior disco degli Smiths
I was thinking 3...but actually it is good. 4 for me. Shame morrisey is a tool.
Probably the weakest Smiths album, barely. But still very good. Second half is a little weak but the first half stands among their best. 8/10 1. A Rush and a Push and the Land is Ours 2. Girlfriend in a Coma 3. Death of a Disco Dancer
No me gustó tanto.
Definitely top-three Smiths albums.
This scratches an itch better than The Queen Is Dead. It’s The Smiths how I like The Smiths.
Really enjoyed it, only the second Smiths album I've listened to after The Queen is Dead. Some brilliant lyrical highlights, arrangements all really solid, only a few songs outstay their welcome.
I like the Smiths but hadn’t heard this album in full. Really enjoyed it.
Favorite Tracks: Death of a Disco Dancer, Last Night I Dreamt That Somebody Loved Me, I Won't Share You
Pretty good!
I landed Morrisey's first solo album 'Viva Hate' the other day and thought it was decent. Today I l got this, the Smiths last album which comfortably beats 'Viva Hate' on every count.
Already listened, as a huge Smiths fan I love this album even if it is my least favourite by them. 7/10
I really wish Morrissey wasn’t a shithead because this album rules
Not my favorite Smiths album, but I still like it.
Interesting to hear this album as it's the album of theirs I'm least familiar with. Wasn't absolutely blown away by it but it's still The Smiths so still excellent
It’s easy to see how they influenced future moody boys and their music. The lyrics are lovingly dark and sad, but it’s still an amazing record.
I always liked this Smiths album the best despite their relationship problems.
If you like this, wait until you listen to "The Queen is Dead".
Not my favorite Smiths album (that's reserved for their debut or Meat is Murder) but still a quite good one. The album has a really full sound and a good range. I don't need a second invite to give it another listen.
Very good, but like some of their other albums more.
Great album
Brilliant stuff
This was really fantastic and another signal (after Morrissey's Vauxall and I) that I need to listen to more of The Smiths.
We lost our notes for this one, sorry folks
We lost our notes for this one, sorry folks
Dat ene lied is cool en de rest ca va ja
Album with the longest song titles. Surprised I liked growling. Morrissey is a good lyricist and good at harmonies. Never noticed how much Smith’s is in early Radiohead. How many girlfriends does morrissey have buried at his summer cottage? Don’t usually like gimmicky songs, but the first song got me. #2 sounded like a bad dad band. #3 big Radiohead vibes. #4 meh. #5 is the banger, perfect balance, the one worth re-listen. #6 riot/soccer fans overlaid on whale sounds and piano turns into ballad. And the rest was not bad, but kind of spaced out. 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. Ashton: Track 1 cool reggae feel and "Feel Flows" swelling vocals. Track 2 "I started something I couldn't finish" is 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 delicately (light). Perhaps this contrast is what really connects with the Smiths-devoted? B-
not the best smiths but good
I liked it. Some really good songs.
Meeste nummers op deze plaat kende ik nog niet, maar meteen herkenbaar als the Smiths. Prima plaatje.
Lekker licht.
Goood
That album was swaggy. I give it two brad pitt's and two Angelina Jolie's!
Love it. I enjoy the vibe of emotionally complex eighties music. I was only ten when this album came out, and I like to think that I have matured some. But it still feels familiar
Bonus point for a birthday song to send to The Smiths loving lamb javelin.
A lowish 4 I think.
Bien, pero me hizo falta algo de variedad. Me gustó que en varias canciones van increscendo y esto se refleja en La canción que más me gustó: Death of a Disco Dancer: hipnotica y una buena sorpresa. Mood: aguante rock británico
Love it! I don’t know why I’ve avoided the Smiths for so long.
4.4 - A beautifully flowing collection that plumbs some emotional depths to examine even ugly feelings like hatred, jealousy and envy. More approachable than "The Queen is Dead", attaining some highs but without quite the transcendence. I'll definitely be coming back to this one.
Als Mensch mit Lücke bei den Smiths abseits der Singles und entsprechender Neugierde kann ich konstatieren: sehr gute Einsteigerplatte, eher im Gegensatz zu Meat is Murder neulich auch. Gefällt mir gut, Pop, Stimmung, Variationen: alles da. Zeitlos auch, klingt überhaupt nicht nach 80ern oder irgendeinem Jahrzehnt seitdem. Bin geneigt, 3,6 Punkte zu geben. Ach so, und habt ihr bei „Last Night I Dreamt …“ auch so starke Twin-Peaks-Assoziationen gehabt?
Música con buen ritmo, me relajó
All these songs are catchy as heck. I don't know much about The Smiths, but I like this. I'm always down for catchy melodies with sad or strange lyrics. This album cover could have used some workshopping, though. Come on!
yoa no nice, aber nur einisch ghört ka
A Rush and a Push and the Land is Ours is good
Not bad. Reminds me of the cure and that 80s style emo rock.
The punky side of synth and new wave. Loved it.
Bem legal, as letras são peculiares kkkk
smiths podia ser pior pq o morrissey é um lixo humano mas bom demais afff
Actually really liked this. Funky style rock - 4/5
A very interesting album. It almost feels sentimental in a way. I enjoyed probably 40% of the songs on it. Overall, not a bad first to discover.
Enorm goede zweverige vibe, super goede stem en lekker wegluisteren
"Please the Press in Belgium!" in Paint a Vulgar Picture :D
Then this one came out later than I'd have expected. Nearly every song made a distinct impression.
It was ok, lacked the fun guitar riffs of other releases
Some interesting production lifts this album beyond just another Smiths album.
Liked it
Big Johnny Marr fan here. This Aussie gives it four bags of Cheezels out of five.
Good stuff. Classic
The smiths are timeless. I could listen to any of their albums any day of the week and feel all the same things I did the first time hearing them
Morrissey is a piece of shit, but I really enjoy the songs of The Smiths. The opening track was really intriguing, no guitar but oddly haunting. Thank God for Johnny Marr
Brilliant album. Very little filler
Very pleasant rock. Something different than usual!
strange album as the title indicates. lot of songs where the tone of the songs and the subject matter are starkly different. mostly this is happy sounding songs with titles like “unhappy birthday” and “girlfriend in a coma”. mostly though i’ll remember this album for how damn funny it is.
Fantastic- my first time hearing this album. Can't wait to listen again!
Love it! Gonna keep listening to their other shit
I have never heard this band before but it has a ska feel to it and I am a huge fan of ska.
I quite enjoyed this. I've long avoided The Smiths because Morrissey is a cunt, and I was a little young to appreciate them when they came out, but the album as a whole was very listenable.
I already liked a lot of these songs, but I also like the new ones. The first one is echoey and cool.
Good Album that is an all around great listen, not one song stands out but all of them combine for a joyful listening
I have heard the entire discography, and I really like it. Not love, but it's close.
k
A catchy ass smiths album, just like the previous three.
a bit boring but fine
Well, I liked this more than I liked the last Smiths album I listened to. This has that echo-y production of the late 80s that really strikes my fancy, and I found the songwriting to be a step up than whatever the last one was. The melodies are pretty good and the song structure just feels a little more "classic". Morrissey is still a struggle for me to listen to as a vocalist. Motherfucker is just an absolute drag and it actively brings me down to listen to him. I guess that's kind of the point? It fits his personality, anyway. Well, overall I wouldn't listen to this again and I really hope that there's no more Smiths albums on this list, but I feel like I have to rank it higher than the last one, so here's a very generous three stars for you, Moz.
It's no "Queen is Dead"
muito bom
It's the Smiths. Well-produced songs that all sound the same (except the unexpected, eccentric country vibe of "Death at One's Elbow"), topped with clever but pretentious and self-indulgent lyrics. It's fine.
Sympa. Mais bon, ça reste du rock anglais année 80, pas mon truc préféré
Girlfriend in a Coma.
600 days in and already every smiths and morrisey album is done. This is good but I don’t need to listen to them ever again.
I just wrote another review on the Smiths, but idk I have the same feedback for each one. Take Morrissey out, and the album is so much better. For this album, it is consistently good, without many highlights that some of their other albums have. I'm just excited that there are no more Morrissey albums left on this list for me to listen to.
Really enjoyable solid listen through. I like the styling and sonic changes, never flat.
So-so-smoths
I was a big fan of the Smiths when they first came out. I’m doing much better now. I loved Jonnie Mars work way more than I love Morrissey’s. This album seemed a little more washed out with his guitar. I thought the earlier albums were better.
Holy depression Batman Fave track: Girlfriend in a Coma
Final Smiths album. gg no re. 3.5/5
Another album by The Smiths - another so-so listening experience. Since they all sound more or less the same, there isn’t really that much to say about it. The band is tight and well-produced once again, but Morrissey’s voice won’t be interesting even a hundred years from now. You could call it high-class boredom. Why didn’t this band ever get a real singer?
Most of this list is the smiths.
Good Smiths album, similar to the others.
Better than the others I think
Im Frühjahr 1987 zog sich die Band aus Manchester ins Wool Hall Studio nach Bath zurück, um mit Stephen Street sowie in Eigenregie von Johnny Marr und Morrissey ihr viertes Album einzuspielen. Erschienen im September desselben Jahres bei Rough Trade, klingt "Strangeways, Here We Come" von der ersten Sekunde an anders als die drei Vorgänger. Klavier, Streicher, ein insgesamt dichterer Sound – der schlanke Gitarrenjangle ist weg. Marrs Songwriting und Morrisseys Sprechgesang zwischen Selbstmitleid und Ironie bleiben trotzdem klar erkennbar. Die Aufnahmen fanden unter denkbar schlechten Vorzeichen statt. Marr hatte die Band im Juli 1987 verlassen, offiziell existierte sie zum Erscheinungstermin schon nicht mehr. Man hört davon fast nichts. Alle vier Mitglieder haben das Album später als ihre stärkste gemeinsame Arbeit bezeichnet, und "Girlfriend in a Coma" oder "I Started Something I Couldn't Finish" klingen tatsächlich kompakter und selbstbewusster als frühere Singles. Bei "Stop Me If You Think You've Heard This One Before" mit seinem Glam-Rock-Zitat fragt man sich fast, wie unbeschwert das noch klingt, gemessen an dem, was hinter den Kulissen gerade zerbrach. Am meisten bleibt bei mir "Last Night I Dreamt That Somebody Loved Me" hängen – über fünf Minuten lang, aber nie zäh, mit einem der eindringlichsten Refrains, die Morrissey je geschrieben hat. Eine Band, die sich gerade auflöst, und dann klingt das letzte Album so kontrolliert. Selten genug.
Moins mon style, difficile de juger objectivement
The best for me, into now...
Many songs sound sameish but its a sameish that I enjoy