Reviews (page 8 of 14)
The first half of this album is pretty great but I really didn't find much in the second half to celebrate. Several keepers on that first half. I was only familiar with A Rush and a Push and the Land Is Ours, but the run from Death of a Disco Dancer to Stop Me... is really good.
3/5 - Much prefer The Queen is Dead. Has a few hits and generally listenable for me.
This album was fine. I enjoyed it, but more as background music.
The Smiths is one of those bands you really have to be in the mood for. 3/5
5/10 First Smiths album, was pretty good but probably only one song I'll revisit.
Not the biggest Smiths fan, but found this to be a good listen. 3.3/5.
a voice only a mother could love
Insanely average album. Just 10 straight songs of meh. Specific rating - 3.0 Fav song - stop me if you thjnk you’ve heard this one before Least fav- unhappy birthday
I was delighted to get a Smiths album today, I've dabbled with them before but not really got into their albums. I'd say I enjoyed it ok, but nothing wonderful. No huge sparks, it was just fine. Many people hated this album when I read the reviews, that's not me on this occasion. Not really sure how it leaves me with The Smiths now. Guess I'll find out once I get the next one. I'll probably not relisten here for some time.
Get a different singer please. His "ooohs" had me cringing lol the instrumentals were awesome.
I'm tired of The Smiths. And Morrissey. 3.6
With the exception of the Queen is Dead, the Smiths compilations (Hatful and Bombs, in particular) were more essential to their greatness than the proper studio albums. This has some good songs mostly on side one, but "Stop Me" is the only one that feels like the Smiths. "Death at One's Elbow" sounds like a leftover from the first album. The rest points more to initial uneasy steps of Morrissey's impending solo career. "Last Night" wins a special prize for being their dreariest ballad and "Unhappy Birthday" for their most petulant line "Cuz you're evil and you lie, and should die".
The last gasp of the Smiths as a band. Did not need to be on the list when the far superior Meat is murder and Queen is dead are on the list, and the s/t debut is not.
Walking through a whimsical backcountry neighborhood in southeast Gloucestershire during the peak goth movement of the 1980s. Iconic and well known by many but not inherently the greatest walk out there. A walk you take maybe 5 times a year but never more. It’ll do though! Gonna say 6.84/10. Drink: a well done matcha with some English breakfast syrup mixed in to overpower the grass feel
No pude escucharlo, es un disco que me hubiera gustado escuchar, me encanta The Smiths
Has the vocals/instrumentals that feels like you’re at a dive bar and they’re playing this on a vinyl
I enjoyed this much more than I wanted to. Andy Rourke’s sublime bass work deserves all five stars. The album deserves four, but I am deducting one star, because fuck you, Morrissey. In summary: Andy: perfect 5/7 score 🌟 Album: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Morrissey: 🚫
The Smiths' final album, considered by many to be their best, saw guitarist Johnny Marr leave the band just a couple of months before its release. The remaining members decided not to kick a dead cat, and the band peacefully disbanded. And that's a good thing, because in my opinion, there's very little left of The Smiths here. The musicians fell for the journalists' accusations of monotony, and instead threw in a bunch of new stuff. There's not much of Marr's signature guitar here, but there's a saxophone, strings, and even a drum machine (even though the band's drums had always sounded rather artificial). The songs are good, but they sound like a different band, except for Morrissey's melancholy lyrics and his voice, which are reminiscent of what's happening now. However, the album doesn't drag on; it's genuinely varied, and most importantly, the band knew when to call it a day.
The comments suggest in really supposed to hate the lead singer, but with no external context it was pretty good.
bence the smiths'in daha güzel albümleri var.... bu çok ben the smiths'im ve bilindik bi düzenim var onun dışına çıkmıcam albümü olmuş gibime geldi.
The Smiths er så stabilt fornuftigt at det er svært at hade, men det gør bare heller ikke noget særligt for mig. Det er fint, men ikke dragende. - Okay andet lyt var lidt dragende, men rykker ikke ret meget for mig.
This is just ok. I usually like the smiths but this album wasn’t hitting for me.
I love a good melodramatic moment. Favorite- I Won't Share You
Geebus. How much Morrissey can one person take. Still prefer Smiths to any solo Morrissey.
it was nice
Mix of the Cure, Radiohead and the verve, with a hint of Muse and a little twin peaks soundtrack. Clearly sounds like the time it came out. Nothing special to me.
Pluspunten voor de variatie aan instrumenten. Minpunten voor de irritante stem van de zanger.
I'm comin around on the Smiths
Quintessential Smiths, er það ekki bara?
The Smiths can be so incredibly good and at the same time incredibly tiresome. Another album that I got bored with. The first half has some great tracks but after ‘Last night I Dreamed …’ it becomes one never ending dirge.
Ei herättänyt isoja tunteita. 2,5/5.
I’m not the biggest Smiths fan and consider this among their weaker albums. But the first half is strong and as usual it includes some great jangle pop highlights
Album #100, The Smiths, Strangeways, Here We Come, ⭐⭐⭐ The timeline of the life of The Smiths always freaks me out. This, their final album, was released just three and a half years after their debut. And what a discography they left behind. One of the best of the 80s, and for my money they’re one of the greatest bands of all time. I know there are other Smiths albums on the list, but this is a peculiar inclusion because I think it’s their weakest. I think if they had continued making music together, this probably would have been seen as more of a transitional album, and the next one would have been more cohesive and probably extremely strong. The band really expand their sound on this album. There are more effects and instrumentation throughout. Horn and string sections are used much more heavily, and there are more studio and FX tricks in play too. Morrissey, who by any metric is already a pretty eccentric singer, ups the eccentricity even further here. The grunting on I Started Something I Couldn’t Finish, for example. Some people can’t stand Morrissey, but I love him. I think he’s a genius lyricist with a completely one-of-a-kind delivery. But the real star of the band is Johnny Marr. I’ll save my full adoration for him for the other Smiths albums when they come up, but he’s my all-time favourite guitarist. The problem for me is that this is probably his least riff-oriented album, and because of that I rarely come back to it. Whereas their debut feels pretty timeless to me, this feels much more rooted in the 80s sonically. Especially on the bigger ballads like Last Night I Dreamt That Somebody Loved Me. None of this is really a complaint though. My main issue is just that it lacks bangers. The other Smiths albums have amazing songs stacked on top of each other, whereas this one only has a handful of truly great tracks for me. Still, when it’s good, it’s The Smiths at their best. I’ve always loved Girlfriend in a Coma. I love how you can interpret that song in multiple ways. It can feel tender, melodramatic, or completely cruel depending on how you hear it. But I’ve always found the delivery of the line “I know, I know… it’s serious” genuinely hilarious. That song kind of sums up The Smiths perfectly for me, constantly balancing tragedy and comedy at the same time. And that’s 100 albums. Time’s absolutely flown by.
Muito bom
Nice and easy listening, however nothing revolutionary, and you have to really like his voice to enjoy the Smiths fully.
I'm not gaga for The Smiths but I don't mind them. Better than most 80's stuff on this list.
I already think Morrissey is awful at writing lyrics and melodies and they're making me listen to the WORST Smith's album first?!?!
Better than I thought
A fun album with a great walk through the Smiths capabilities
This was my first time listening to The Smiths, overall I thought it was a well-made album but I honestly thought I would enjoy it more. There was a couple songs that stood out on first listen but the rest didn't quite grab me. But I think it will be worth listening to again to see if I feel differently.
I thought the opening track was vintage Smiths, and then when I am expecting something novel, fresh, or original, it's just more Smiths. Which earns this a 3 star because I'll listen to a different Smiths album if I want the same old sound.
듣기 좋은 컨츄리
Solid, but a bit corny at times. Not my favorite of the smiths, but definitely has some good tracks Rating: 6.5/10 Favorite Song: girlfriend in a coma
I spent an hour crying in therapy this morning and then followed that up with this album, which is actually ideally how it's supposed to be listened to I think. I prefer The Smiths to Morrissey's solo work, but at the end of the day 3 albums by them is still too many. Not as good as The Queen is Dead, but definitely better than Meat is Murder.
A-sidan är magnifik rakt igenom, hits och briljant pop, en i stort sett perfekt albumsida. B-sidan har däremot stora problem, det är egetligen bara "Unhappy birthday" som är bra utan att vara i närheten av något från A-sidan. Överteatrala "Last night.. " kanske funkar för en vilsen 16åring men inte för bihåleinflammerad 48åring, skivans tråkigaste låt , ja kanske Smiths tråkigaste låt faktiskt. Det är en skiva som inte känns färdigjobbad, som om man hann en sida innan bandet upplöstes och sket i vilket, kanske borde den aldrig släppts som album. Morrissey var väl redan i full färd med att färdigställa Viva hate!
Innehåller förvisso fullpoängaren Last night I dreamt that somebody loved me och Stop me if you think that you heard this one before. Men också lökiga baktaktspianolåtar som Girlfriend in a coma och inledande A rush…
Last night… är helt lysande. Antagligen Smiths bästa. I övrigt inte lika bra, men helt okej.
unremarkable rock
Call this 2.5 rounded up - it’s not my favorite Smiths album but there’s still some interesting stuff on here.
Yup pretty good stuff here from the Smiths. I am sorry it took longer than most to come around to it, but solid
There is far too much Morrissey on this list. Thankfully this is saved by Johnny Marr. What a dilemma. Should be 1 just for having Morrissey.
Warum fühl ich was bei den Smiths obwohl ich weiß, dass Morrissey ein Arschloch ist
Lijkt wel een iets minder bekende album van The Smiths. Luistert makkelijk weg
It was ok I like 2 songs
The last studio album by English band The Smiths, as much as I hate Morissey I always thought the smiths were one of the more influential bands of the 80s, but this final album is a mixed bag for me, the band made much more bold choices and there are points in this album that dont seem recognizable as the sound of the Smiths, and thats both in a positive and negative sense
It's no The Queen is Dead, but it's certainly not bad. I've never really bothered with The Smiths - they're one of those bands from before my time that didn't manage to pierce through to my own musical bubble. Now having heard a couple of their albums (and particularly enjoyed the aforementioned) I think I should probably listen some more. Strangeways didn't grab me quite the same way, but I suspect that another listen might fix that. Overall it gets an optimistic 3 for now, that might change in the future.
I love the Smiths, but this isn’t their best. The beginning and end are ok and the middle is great but i think the album would be better with a strong beginning and end and a weak middle.
There’s some really really excellent stuff in here, but there’s also a lot of stuff which I just didn’t care for. I was disappointed since I love The Queen is Dead so much.
cool mais pas leur meilleure 3/-5
Eh not the best smiths album but it has good rythems but becomes repetitive
3.5/5 I like the album, I think it's definitely a very tight, well produced album that displays an increased range of instruments and stronger vocal work, giving it almost a more theatrical feel compared to the prior album, The Queen Is Dead. But I think in that expansion of sound and refinement in production, something had been lost, making Strangeways, Here We Come feel like a weaker entry in the discography compared to the prior mentioned album (and, to thus point the only other reference point I have familiarity with.) Maybe it was a result of inter-band conflict coming to a head, maybe it's the polishedness of it all. I'm not sure. But again, it's not a bad album, I enjoyed a good handful of songs as, ultimately, it's still The Smiths. I'm in love that signature Marr jangle & haunting Morrissey vocal work across the album. But I would likely throw the handful of standout tracks into digital playlists, but likely would reach for The Queen Is Dead to spin over this one. Favorite Track: "Stop Me If You Think You've Heard This One Before"
6/10 - the typical Smiths sound, can be left on shuffle and it's alright
i do not fw morrissey like that
Okay.
I find the Smiths like honey; fine for a taste but too much for a meal. What it lacks for me is some kind of release - a heavier or happier song. It almost happened with Death at One’s Elbow but that song was just not doing anything for me and it was too late anyway.
3.5
Un intermedio entre pedante y depresivo. No esta mal, pero tenes que ser medio emo para escuchar esto todo el dia
Good.
An album that’s almost exactly as old as I am, and just like me, it’s decent, but not the best (Smiths album). Favourite track: Girlfriend in a Coma
A couple of decent songs and a bit of trademark Morrissey humour but didn’t do that much for me as a whole.
I'm no where as near as big of a Smiths fan as this list, but I don't mind them. The first two tracks have a groove, are less boring than some of the Smiths' stuff. Third track has a certain vibe to it. At this point I'm kind of liking this album, it's on the level of Meat is Murder. The rest of the tracks aren't bad, but they kind of faded inot the background after a while and didn't make a huge impression on me. 3/5 overall.
I’m gonna start this off with the obligatory fuck Morrissey. This album lands in a weird middle area for me. It’s nothing incredible, but also not terrible? I will say, I don’t particularly understand the hate for Morrissey’s voice. He sounds fine to me on this record. Now, that’s also coming from someone who’s wildly inexperienced in The Smiths’ and Morrissey’s work, so take what I say with a grain of salt… Something that’s not a good sign is that it’s hard for me to pick out some standout tracks… Nothing was particularly amazing to me. After a while, it starts to sound pretty samey, which, in turn, makes it all relatively forgettable in the end. Will I return to it? … Uh… Maybe? I don’t know. I might spin a few songs again here and there, but it’s honestly not something I can see myself regularly coming back to. Favorite songs: A Rush and a Push and the Land Is Ours, Stop Me If You Think You’ve Heard This One Before, Last Night I Dreamt That Somebody Loved Me Honorable mention: Death at One’s Elbow (I’m on the fence about whether I like this one or not)
Where are the hits though? On the one hand, some gorgeous stuff here and a definite evolution of the sound that had powered them to stardom. On the other, that evolution means some of the magic is lost and it almost feels like they're trying too hard to leave their past behind. Certainly not the first band to fall into that trap and won't be the last. Most importantly of course, fuck off Morrissey.
It's rather good. I'm sorry for Johnny Marr, but it's hard for me to listen to even the best of Morrissey's lyrics now days.
Surprisingly good. I have been mostly bored with the smiths but this was fun.
not their most memorable? but still pleasureable
Ondanks het belachelijke aantal noteringen voor meneer Morrissey, heb ik best zin in een volgend album van de Smiths. Met de andere twee heb ik mij toch prima vermaakt. Ik schrik gelijk op van een jaren '80 nummer met daarin een diepe keel-grom. O jee... Daarna een wat suffig nummer. En daarom volgend wat britpop-zang, al zijn de snelle korte tonen in de muziek niet zo typerend. Het zet door naar een soort lange string waaronder een soort drum-salvo's. Kan me voorstellen dat mensen hier knetter-gek van worden. Maar ik kan het goed hebben. Het mag duidelijk zijn, er wordt heel wat afgewisseld. Een minpuntje hier (vaak voor sufheid), een pluspuntje daar (vaak voor een korte licht theatrale vondst). Dit wordt een kwestie van uitmiddelen. Kom ik op een 3+.
Van de artiesten die er veel te vaak in staan, is onze huisveganist een van de hardnekkigste. Maar dit is als ik het goed heb wel de laatste notering die wij hier van hem voor onze kiezen krijgen. Dit keer in gezelschap van Johnny Marr en kornuiten, al was Johnny het blijkbaar ook spuugzat, want hij stopte na de opnames van dit album. Ik denk dat hij inmiddels alles wel gehoord van the Smiths en "Stop (me) if you think you've heard this one before" nam hij waarschijnlijk iets te letterlijk. Ik geef over het algemeen een vergeetbare 3 aan de albums van Morrissey of the Smiths. Het lijkt me wel dat de snobs hier een keuze in hadden kunnen maken, maar zoals we weten doen ze dat slechts zelden en vaak niet bij de juiste artiesten. De snobs schoffeer ik wel weer een andere keer, ik denk dat dit ook een 3 wordt. Het zijn naar mijn idee redelijke vergeetbare liedjes, maar het schuurt of stoort ook maar amper.
It's a bit forgetable, bavkground music that is fine
I always feel conflicted when it comes to The Smiths. Whilst I have always enjoyed their biggest hits with Morissey's iconic crooning and Johnny Marr's complex guitar playing, they've never been a group I've had interest in album wise. Listening to Strangeways We Come, I found apart from the opening track, the strongest songs to my ears were the singles. This only accounts for 50% of the album and whilst the rest are not horrendous, they ultimately feel forgettable.
Ok album. Not my fav list…
Another sizzlin' strip of bacon, dripping with that signature melancholy, but this time around the boys dabbed the grease a little. The result is an experience that feels like waking from an oppressive winter, flinging the bedroom window open and being met with fresh, crisp air and rejuvenating sunshine. Doesn't nibble my ear lobe like "The Queen is Dead", and small tinkering with their overall sound land hit-or-miss with me, but appreciate the attempts to develop further. Enjoyable listen!
That’s very odd that this album was chosen. I’m a huge Smith’s fan but the album is very inconsistent. There’s four or five good songs but that certainly does not mean it’s one of their best. That belongs to their title album and The Queen is Dead. Just because a band is good it doesn’t mean that all of their releases are worthy. I’m looking at you Radiohead and Led Zeppelin.
Um tanto melhor do que eu imaginava, ainda que seja a mesma perspectiva de música melancólica do morrissey. foi o primeiro álbum do the smiths que apareceu nessa lista e acho que tá OK. 3,5/5.
I found most of the songs to be nice but mostly unremarkable. A couple of the tracks in the middle of the album even caught my interest, but the first two tracks gave me a really bad first impression to The Smiths. I have never heard a real person growl when singing. I thought it was just a fun little thing VOCALOIDs could do sometimes, but I hope I never have to hear a human do that again.
***An ok album
Sad vibes but surprisingly good to clean the house to. 2.8/5.0
“It’s fine.” Represents the high water mark in my relationship with The Smiths so far. Maybe I’ll find one I actually like one day.
This is the palatable version of Morrissey. Thank you Johnny Marr.
I found the first 3 songs and the 5th really strong. The rest were middling at best. The great songs are just classic Smiths tunes and worthy of praise, but the 2nd half of the album was not up to par. Altogether, I am going to say 3 "less than impressed" stars, middling not stellar.
Highkey it was just ight, theres better but def not the worst thing in the world
One of the smiths weaker albums. I feel like this didn’t have the same pull as their more popular releases and no outstanding songs. The music was well made and decent but didn’t have that smiths appeal to them. Anyways still an above average project 6.7/10 3.3/5
intro chula disque unhappy birthday
Least favorite Smiths album. Just not as original as the others. Still, I really like Stop Me and Unhappy Birthday.
It was fine.
Morrissey is awful obviously (which was entirely unpredictable based on, you know, every song he ever wrote), and this is very much mid-tier Smiths. But... yeah... I still enjoyed it quite a bit!
Don't really care for Morrissey. The rest of the band is fine though.
Not exceptional but good smiths
Perus
*Nice sounding album, just nothing that wows me and I'm not a big Morrissey guy.
Must have been in a good mood today because not even Morrissey could ruin it. Not sure if it's genuinely the best Smiths album, but it's the one I've tolerated the easiest.
Its not the best Smiths album, quite a lot of it sounded very dull but it had some classic songs
I quite like the smiths however they have better albums and tracks this isn’t I feel is mid not bad but nothing special
not my favorite Smiths album, a few great tracks, mostly a little boring, 2.5
Not the Smiths most interesting record, but still amazing singing cool production and good performances, and a banger opening track as always
Enjoyed but not my fave smiths. Paint a vulgar picture I hadn't heard before and enjoyed
Decent enough, typical Morrissey singing
An album of his time. Very good singer, good melody!
I love The Smiths. I can listen to Morissey for hours. This is not my favorite album though.
Not bad. Marr is good. There’s only so much Morrissey whining I can take though.
Никогда не был прям фанатом. Джонни Марр - топ, Морриси - нет
не буду переслушивать этот альбом the smiths 2.5
Интересно, надо ли винить the Smiths в том, что в мире наступило засилье однотипных мальчуковых индирок-групп после смерти дискотанцоров
iako mi se nijedna pesma nije nešto specijalno istakla na prvo slušanje, ovaj album mi se zapravo baš dopao, zvuk i atmosfera i instrumenti (koji su prezabavni) su nekako svi u harmoniji jedni sa drugim i baš se lepo slažu pesme dok nisu nikako iste. sad vidim zašto ljudi dolaze morisiju na koncerte (onih 30% koje ne otkaže)
Id have been sure this was the Smiths debut from the sound of it, it feels like they are working out the sound. Morrissey sings weirdly on half of it. But apparently it's their fourth and most experimental album, shows you what I know. Was hopeful I was hearing the bass playing of curly watts, guess not. I did recognise most of the singles which I suppose is a sign it might be a bit bigger than the first album. Feels really raw and thrown together to me though, definitely not their most mature or catchy. Could be the point I suppose. In general, some good songs and the smiths sound is in there but wouldn't rush back.
É um álbum legal. Instrumental bem elaborado e vocais bem colocados. QoA Vesper.
The last dance for the Smiths. It's clear that they wanted a new sound here, breaking free of the jingly-jangly mold that they themselves had made, in favor of a more "traditional" pop-rock sound. The subject matter is still quite dark, so don't you worry about that! "Girlfriend in a Coma" is a shining example in that regard. I just personally don't think this hit quite the highs that "The Queen is Dead" did, but a fine effort nonetheless.
At least it didn’t make me want to slit my wrists
"Death at One's Elbow" was a surprise but it isn't a groundbreaking album for me.
The most songs that stuck with me so far. Not the best of the smiths but definitely nice
I wish I liked The Smiths more than I do, I really do.
Ikke det beste av Smiths akkurat.
randje van weird beard
Better than I expected, not as moody or mopey… sorta surprised how rock n roll it felt?
234/1089 okayyy kinda decent for a morrissey project. faves: a rush and a push…, stop me… 62/100
Jeg kan ikke fordra stemmen til Morrissey og jeg synes heller ikke musikken til bandet er noe særlig, men det var noe her og der som var annerledes enn det jeg forventer av The Smiths på en positiv måte. Svak 3'er.
Dølt og kjedelig. 2.5/5
Overrated
pleasant
This was not their best work. I feel like I had heard better versions of these songs from them earlier in their discography. Bummer! 5/10
Better than I thought it’d be. I was really, really ready to hate this album. Morrissey's voice is good. Marr's guitar is good, sometimes great. It jangles and I hate jangly pop but for some reason it works here. Glad I listened to it, probably wouldn't come back to it. There's nothing nearly as good as How Soon Is Now on it, but it's decent. I can't say I hate The Smiths.
Sure. It’s the smiths so it’s good. Not spectacular
Morrissey sounds like Greg Gonzalez (or vice versa) but Morrissey's growling is very off-putting.
I gave this record 3 listens. The first time around it seemed it might've been my favorite Smiths album. During the second background listen, I could admire the musical maturity. Then for that third dedicated listen I gave way too much attention to the lyrics and we stepped back down a few notches. Morrissey ruins this for me, again. It's not a terrible listen. Just not something I'm going to listen to on purpose. 2.8/5
no soy tan fan de los smiths, pero la verdad, es un buen disco, ningun tema no me gusto. perooo nada del otro mundo. lo puedo escuchar perfectamente, no me genera nada muy especial (estuve distraida, debo admitir)
A very recognizable sound
The upbeat sparkly guitar and drums stand in direct contrast to the somber and cleverly acerbic vocals, in this indie rock album. This album feels like a well written 80s daytime television theme that is hiding, in plain sight, a venomous hate letter addressed to everyone. Two big hits on this album "Girlfriend in a Coma" and "Stop me if you think you've heard this one before." It is easy to see why this was a hit with the cool kids of the late 80s. Its funny, sneering and gives you adequate opportunity to stare at your shoes and wonder why everyone else has it so much easier than you do. (2.899)
This was a better album than previous Smiths albums I’ve heard.
Solid smiths album, nothing crazy
agradable al oido, desconocía de la importancia de The smiths en los 80s
Enjoyed parts of this album but some songs left a little to be desired.
I’ll never not laugh my ass off at the song Girlfriend in a Coma. I will also never be able to take Morrissey seriously no matter how many sadboy songs he sings/pens.
death of a disco dancer es ahora de mis canciones favoritas, ese pianito ????
Don’t feel particularly strong about this either way. It’s decent
The king of putting dismal lyrics in an upbeat package. 3
This album just sounds like every other The Smiths album. It’s lowkey giving immature and petty with some of the songs. I think it’s funny how some of the songs with the worst intentions are the ones with the most joyful and lighthearted tunes.
Enjoyable to listen to, i might just add it to a playlist or two
It's funny that I don't particularly like Morrisey, but I dig The Smiths. I do know this is not an uncommon opinion. This is however not my most favorite of their albums.
I LOVE THE SMITHS what? I said I love the smiths -What summer said Anyway I actually enjoyed it as well
Stop me oh oh oh, stop meee Love this jingle. Always. Never actually listened to the whole album! It's ok.. more whiney British boys.
The closing track here has the most Morrissey line ever: “Has the Perrier gone straight to my head or is life sick and cruel instead?” Oh come of it dude. This was I think the first time I’ve listened to this one, so I’m glad it’s on the list. Like the other Smith records I mostly like it in spite of Morrissey. Johnny Marr shines again, but it still hard for me to totally get past Morrissey’s Morrisseyism, and the songs aren’t quite as strong as The Queen Is Dead.
insanely recognizable style but cant name a single song of theirs lol
Liked the latter half quite a bit
Not their best.
All the songs sort of melted into one, but I still liked it
I'm tired of this grandpa! There's a certain amount of The Smiths I can deal with, and I've reached my limit today
some ok tunes, not a fan of the vocals though
Cover lowkey looks like speed trying not to laugh. Pretty good although Morrissey pisses me off sometimes, some slightly goofy songs here and there. Death of a Disco Dancer sounds like early Radiohead. Fav song: Stop Me If You Think You've Heard This One Before
First song was awesome, then I heard the classic 70s rock guitar and I winced a little. But they made real good use of it, and it worked almost like a bassline. That brings me to the point that the instruments are awesome. But I really don't think his voice quite does it for me. Which sucks because that's like their thing. I kinda see him switch between a handful of voices and after I've heard it for the first time it immediately wears off for me. But outside of that, cool band, fun album, maybe I take them too seriously. It'd be an awesome album to put on a record or cd and passively listen to throughout the day. But when doing critical listening, I can say this album gets a tad redundant at times. If I could I'd give it a 3.5, but I'm leaning harder to a 3. Also, "Last Night I Dreamt That Somebody Loved Me." was an incredible song.
Not a bad album. Shame Morrisey is such a jerk.
I liked this, but not my favorite of theirs. Worth a revisit at some point. 3.5/5
Didn’t hate this. Just don’t have much more to say about these guys at this point
Maybe this is an acquired taste. It was fine. Just didn’t love it. Going 2.75 with points deducted for death of a disco dancer…I almost bailed out of the whole thing with that song.
Maybe half-listening is the best way for me to listen to The Smiths or Morrissey. I thought this was fine for a sniffle and a boy-cry. 2.75/5
The music is great, as always, but Morrissey's everybody-hates-me-and-I'm-more-depressed-than-you shtick gets old quicker every time I listen to him.
For The Smiths, it's flat and short.
Rating: 7/10 A great Smiths album, Strangeways has a lot of dense and layered instrumentation which is probably my favorite aspect of it. Would have been interesting where they had gone from here. I honestly don't know how I would rank their 4 albums and might just prefer to have a best songs list. Tracks 1-6 is a really great run but I like Death of a Disco Dancer and Last Night I Dreamt best.
It's not my favorite Smiths album, but it certainly scratches an itch.
Not for me
Me ha molado bastante Pero no merece más de un 3
Unhappy birthday... I was not expecting that!
I liked it but idk if there was anything groundbreaking
Not too bad
The distinctive sound of The Smiths. I don’t hate it, but I don’t love it. The lyric “I’ve come to wish you an unhappy birthday, cause you’re evil…” did make me chuckle.
381/1089 - I think "Girlfriend in a Coma" and "How Soon is Now?" are the only Smiths songs I like. I wish Morrissey knew how to sing more than 3 notes.
It's become an annual tradition of mine to try to get into The Smiths. I have listened to most of their stuff and outside of few songs it just doesn't click for me. They seem to be a one-trick pony that can reach higher grounds whenever the stars align and all band members are engaged in creating a tune. In this album we have two standouts and fortunately they are back to back. The first one is "Last Night I Dreamt That Somebody Loved Me" which is the result of the aforementioned star alignment. The other one is the track that follows - "Unhappy Birthday" which is genuinely amusing. I can't for the life of me remember anything else and for the record, No, I stll don't like The Smiths. I guess we will try again next year.
Not really my thing but not bad
As with the other Smiths albums here, music and lyrics are ok, but not Morissey, albeit his voice isn't as bad as on the other records.
it was alright idk dawg
Maybe the best Smiths album I’ve heard, but I probably should listen to the Queen is Dead again. I'm not nearly Goth enough to really enjoy it, but it's not bad.
It’s their distinct sound which I can only handle for so long. Great album though, it really is its own thing.
It's tough to rate this one for the following couple of reasons: At some point in my late teens I got really into The Smiths for the same reasons a lot of people around that age get into The Smiths, because they're easy to identify with when you're in that morose, awkward, and insecure stage of life where nothing makes that much sense, you're not sure of yourself and your ability to love or be loved. And then I grew up a bit, things ended up working out more or less okay, and now I can't help but feel sharp pangs of embarrassment when I think about how much I once felt this music. The second reason is that Morrissey is a total dick. That doesn't need any explanation. On the other hand, and I don't want to underplay Mike Joyce and Andy Rourke here, but Johnny Marr is a sublime guitarist. I never understood where his style came from, and with time I've come to think of him as an electric descendent of folk virtuosos like Davey Graham and Bert Jansch, but his sound and style is wholly singular and his playing on this record, as it is on all The Smiths records, is excellent. The Smiths are one of those bands where each member is irreplaceable but sometimes you wish they were an instrumental three piece.
I like this more that the Morrisey solo project even though the connection is clears. Certain tracks seem to predict the solo sound, but there is so much more variety here that makes the whole album a lot more listenable.
i feel like i can't tell if i like this or not, at times i thought it was quite good and other times i was annoyed by his voice and the repetition
This is a hard one for me to review. Musically, I enjoyed it. Some dark themes, "Girlfriend in a Coma" has left me with mixed feelings for sure. I do like the use of the song in the Black Mirror episode San Junipero though. The Smiths also make me think of the main character in The Perks of Being a Wallflower which is a whole other conversation. I enjoyed the album but it sounds like the main singer is a now a far-right conservative piece of work. Hedging my rating and putting it in the middle at 3/5 stars.
The unique sound of The Smiths! Enjoyed the album.
I was always an '80s hater. And a Morrissey hater. He just always seemed so whiny. I saw him at a festival and he refused to play until every vendor quit serving meat. The worst type of person. That being said, the '80s have been growing on me lately and this album wasn't as much of a depressing slog as I thought it would be. Death of a Disco Dancer in particular I really enjoyed. Can't bring myself to go above a 3 though.
I liked this album, definitely not my favorite album by The Smiths, but pretty solid nonetheless.
No real standouts, but all pretty good songs. Faves: A Rush and a Push and the Land Is Ours, Girlfriend in a Coma, Last Night I Dreamt That Somebody Loved Me
Idk ive always thought the smiths were a little overated, this is a pretty good album tho. 6.7/10
Very good but Norristown Morrissey is a cunt.
I prefer Morrissey's solo work, but this isn't bad. Calling a song "Unhappy Birthday" is much funnier than the band probably intended, but that just makes it even funnier. I feel like this album just gets drowned in a sea of 80s albums that sound exactly like it. Past that, I don't have a lot to say. It's certainly an 80s album.
It all feels very much the same
I liked this one more than The Queen Is Dead, which is generally more critically acclaimed - the guitar and piano hit a little more for me, and even Morrissey's voice was less annoying. I still don't think these guys are gonna enter my rotation any time soon, though.
If I open the album generator and see “new wave” and “post punk” next to each other in in the genres one more time I’m gonna lose my mind
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
Ok
Interesting album, with some funny tracks and lyrics. Highlights: "Death of a Disco Dancer" and "Paint a Vulgar Picture"
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.
pretty good for background work, didnt notice any specific standouts though
enjoyable
Decent Smiths album, not my fav. First track is kinda ironic given Morrissey’s xenophobia now.
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
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.
Thats the smiths fs
Lacking standouts
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.
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.
Not sure what to make of this one
Not bad as far as Smith's albums go
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
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 instrumentals and vibes. Dark lyrics with light sounds
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.
Enjoyable for the length, would probably have gave it 3 stars if it were a longer album.
Good songwriting but not my thing. And a bit samey
Easy to listen to.
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.
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.
Очень странное , мне не понравилось
3.5
Sounds like a good Smiths album. Not the best album, but a good one. Shame that Morrissey is a complete and total door knob.
The album was OK. Just really, not my cup of tea.
It was pretty solid, but I don't think it'll enter my regular rotation.
unique beats throughout the whole album
hm i dunno, but I may have not paid enough attention Will I listen to again: 60%
Ending the year with Morrisey man we really did fail humanity
3.0
Good driving album.
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.
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
Not my favorite of The Smiths release, but it’s a pretty wild ride of an album. Moz is still a c*nt.
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
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
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
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.
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.
oh this guy hmm writing songs while girlfriend in coma..
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.
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
Not bad but sounds very like his other albums.
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.
Enjoyed it!
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
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.
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.
Great guitar lines and riffs, drum fills, orchestration and production, and interesting lyrics.
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.
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.
Idk jag fastnar inte riktigt för The Smiths men det här uppskattade jag :)
"I know, it's really serious..." is a great summary of every Smiths album.
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.
Not the finest of the Smiths.
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.
Probably not the best Smiths album but still miles better than a lot of stuff on this list
Rv
Couple of bangers, some stuff a bit dull
I liked this but also it wasn't super memorable
Good background, great guitaring, some WEIRD lyrics. (girlfriend in a coma…)
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
Probably a 3.5 for me. Really like the first half but the second half didn't quite hold up.
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.
Love the smiths, pretty standard album for them?
It’s good but a swear all their songs sound the same
I like the Smiths more retrospectively. This may not be their best album but still sounds good on a sunny afternoon.
Death of a Disco Dancer and Girlfriend in a Coma shine through what is otherwise a pretty tedious and boring album.
C’est le deuxième album de The Smiths que j’écoute. Celui-ci est un peu plus à mon goût que le précédent. Quelques pièces sont bonnes, mais, musicalement, ça ne me rejoint pas. Déso.
This was my first time listening to a smiths album, very moody and lyrics that make total sense when I think about articles that have stated that Morrissey is a huge cunt. I quite enjoyed it though haha
Good album. Lots of cure and rem vibes
After kinda sorta intentionally avoiding listening to a full Smiths album for years this is my first pull. But situations like this are why I decided to take this challenge, listening to stuff I would’ve never gotten to otherwise. Morrissey is a shite man but I tried going at this with the “Morrissey Fan Brings Earplugs to Concert in Case He Talks” mindset every Smiths fan I’ve met has. I Listened to The Queen is Dead as prep beforehand and was surprised at how much I actually liked it. Like I can understand why so many bands spent their whole careers chasing these guys. I can understand the case for that being an album “you must hear before you die”, but with this album: not so much. Feels less like the band’s grand last statement than it does one of b-sides and outtakes compilation albums like Coda from LZ or something(ah shit that’s probably in this list too). Unsurprisingly they were imploding while making this. Still a good listen with tracks like Death of a Disco Dancer and Last Night, but there’s a real lack of a personality to this and most tracks were just like pleasant lullabies, in one ear and out the other.
I’ve never been a Smiths fan, so all the albums included on this list are pretty much new to me. On that bass I’ve got to say this one has been the least appealing so far
worst smiths album worst smiths album cover also but death of a disco dancer and also last night i dreamt that somebody loved me so you know whatever fine it's good
First two songs are nice, then it gets a bit uninteresting
I think I've finally lowered my expectations for The Smiths enough that I didn't hate this as much as I thought I would. I thought that this was the best album from them musically. I didn't even think Morrissey was completely terrible and had some decent melodies. His voice still bothers me, but there were some songs that I found catchy.
Ok, fine, The Smiths aren’t terrible, so what?