Strangeways, Here We Come

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?

a good listen

Really don’t get why people think this is their best.

The jaunty melodies hide Morrissey's dark lyrics....Girlfriend in a Coma is made so creepy by the light melody and the laid back laconic vocals

Me like

An unsurprisingly uninteresting unimportant addition to the list coming from Morissey yet again.

Liker The Smiths godt. Albumet her er fint, ikke en favoritt men noen perler. the smiths har ganske dårlige tekster innser jeg etter å ha hørt dette albumet, men det er vel sjarmen :)

First time ever listening to The Smiths. While I know this isn't THE album by the band, I still enjoyed the tracks on here. Not the best thing I've heard so far, but far from the worse and I can't ask for more than that on a Monday.

Marr guitar, the star. Morrisey for the mopey mob. Decent, but not special.

I feel neutral about this album.

Fairly unmemorable to me, though I did particularly enjoy the last track.

meh

it was enjoyable

Nice classic smiths vibe but not really any stand out songs

Gillar ändå deras sound, tror jag skulle uppskatta mer på omlyssning

The album is actually pretty good, it's just a shame Morrissey is a colossal wanker

the Smiths is one of those bands where ever song sounds the same to me, but it's fine because I do like that song. but they really are all the same

It's fine

Jotenkin masis muttei kuitenkaan, ärsyttävää muttei kuitenkaan, mitäänsanomatonta muttei kuitenkaan. En oikeastaan tiedä tykkäsinkö vai enkö. En ollut fani mutta en vihannutkaan.

Siis tykkään the smiths viboista ja silleen musiikillisesti hyvää mut laulajan ääni on välillä tosi rasittava. Oli kokonaisuutena ihan keskiverto.

Pretty solidly mid!

Great band... maybe one of the greatest ever. Worst lead singer... maybe one of the worst ever.

It’s very telling that this list was compiled by a Brit — it’s oversaturated with British sensibilities, and The Smiths are right at the center of that. The Smiths live forever in Goth and Emo history, but I’ve never enjoyed Morrissey’s delivery or voice (though I once saw a cover band that nailed his vibe without being a jerk or showing up late). Personally, I’ve always been more drawn to Johnny Marr’s guitar work, which I feel is the real heartbeat of the band. This album is… fine. It’s distinctly The Smiths, and I don’t think anyone else has ever quite captured their sound, but to quote Family Guy, Morrissey “insists upon himself.” After years of being bludgeoned by his persona and presence, the whole thing just feels exhausting.

I feel like I should either love or hate this but it is just ok. First three songs are the best to me but I don’t think this is amazing or particularly deep. Not unpleasant but won’t be craving to listen to this.

Great record even if it kinda falls flat after Last Night I Dreamt, but everything before would make for a 5/5 EP. Honestly doesn’t need to be on this list, but it’s a fun farewell record for The Smiths, massive shame it could not be a farewell record for Morrissey as a performer too.

Not a Smiths album I’d listen to before for me it wasn’t one of the better albums

Great

= the Beatles

ok, but not my kind of music.

Their singles are better than their albums

I knew they were coming for me but it's pretty amazing that I've made it through 645 days without hitting The Smiths, a band I have always disliked, just on the basis of the few singles I've been subjected to, while living in a house of Indie-loving Mancunians. In fairness to me, I disliked The Smiths long before I learned that Morrissey was an utter helmet; his vocal style has always made my skin crawl and it seemed like they always defaulted to jangly, over-trebly guitars and over-the-top, pretentious wannabe poetic (faux-etic?) lyrics. So it seems I owe Johnny Marr an apology. The guitars are the one serious saving grace here; Marr varies his tones, styles and basically turns his talent to making a handful of decent tunes that even Moz can't completely ruin with his crooning. I even found the irresistible acoustic guitar riff of Girlfriend In A Coma got stuck in my head for days.

I am a big fan of the Smiths, a 3.5 star for me. Drops to a 3 I think.

Ended up listening 3 times because it was good background music while I worked. Nothing terrible about it but also nothing that screams wow. Solid 3

This one sounded closer to what I like than Meat Is Murder. Morrissey's singing was a lot more tolerable, and the music a lot less 80s sounding, but in return it lost a lot of the other album's character and uniqueness. Looks like I'm not much of a fan of The Smiths. If The Queen is Dead (I'm sure that one's also on the list) is coming sooner than 20-30 entries, I'm skipping that one altogether.

The way "Stop Me If You Think You've Heard This One Before" leads into "Last Night I Dreamt That Somebody Loved Me" is hauntingly beautiful.

I love The Smiths, they are one of my favorite bands ever, but out of the 4 studio albums they have....this is the worst right? This album isn't bad at all, Death Of A Disco Dancer, Girlfriend In A Coma, Paint A Vulgar Picture, and I Won't Share You, to me are some of their best songs but I could honestly care less about the other 6 songs on this album, like goddamn. I guess if this is their last album together then I guess it's perfectly fine, and this album never changes how I feel about them personally and in the pantheon of music, but this is just an average Smiths album, and I guess that's a little better than most averages.

I enjoyed listening to this album and all of the instrumental parts were pretty good but I can't really point to any highlights that I'd want to put on a playlist for later. I liked it a little less than Meat is Murder, so it gets a 3 for that.

Upbeat tunes with dark humor and morbid lyrics. Interesting.

might be clever lyrics but I would listen to it again, poetry that didnt grip me over music that didn't enthrall me.

Clearly unfinished but it got me with the girlfriend in a comma song. Cover art 3/5 but most points are for it being just one person on the front clearly adding to the "this band broke up" vibe.

What a fever dream. Did they record separately without listening to each other? The drama surrounding this chaos brings it up from 2.5 to 3 for me.

This is probably the most passionate 3 stars I will ever give! This is an album by a group of people that do not give a f*ck! They hate each other now and they cannot be bothered to work on any of the songs until they're good, this is what you get! Some are too long, some are too short, some don't seem to have their beginnings or ends figured out, Morrissey tries a bunch of weird shit on vocals, much of it doesn't work, but who cares! These are certainly talented musicians, but this album is a mess! I did laugh out loud at a couple songs which endeared them to me because I love me anything sufficiently stupid. Cover is also blah, it's threes all around for this one!

Rock and roll with some other sounds mixed in

Not even the best Smiths album…

Спокойный. Не совсем в моём вкусе.

I pied rush and push or something like taht

Enjoyable listen, with good tunes and lyrics

Instrumentation is pretty good. I still don't like Morrisey as a human being.

Intense interesting storytelling

His voice and those lyrics! If you take him outta the equation honestly some of those guitar tones are cheesy af but Morrissey can make anything listenable. Some great songs on this one.

Hørt en del før - svakeste smiths-album. Litt uinspirert

This is a B/B+ Smiths album, which means that it is still really not bad (standard operating 'Morrisey is an ass' caveat here). It's more diverse sound-wise if still as always dark and miserable lyric-wise, even when sung beautifully. I just do not love the Smiths that much, try as I might. That said, I cannot get 'Girlfriend in a Coma' out of my head now

I love the mordant humor of songs like “Girlfriend in a Coma.” They definitely anticipate (and skewer) the incel mentality. But some of the tracks are just ho-hum.

I still don't really understand The Smiths. "Last Night I Dreamt That Somebody Loved Me" feels like the only track worth listening to, and it's a great one.

I’ve heard of The Smiths but never really listened cool band

This seems weaker than the other albums by The Smiths that I know. At least it has "Stop Me If You've Heard This One Before."

Historically hate Morrissey which has always made listening to The Smiths a hateful act - this is a pretty good album

I like The Smiths, but I’d be lying if I said I didn’t think all their songs sounded exactly the same.

I liked the other Smiths album more

solid and short

Kind of mixed on this one. It was good but I don’t really see what all the fuss is about. I think I need to try out more of their stuff to really form an opinion. I’ll rate based on my first impression for now.

I think if I had a previous connection with the Smiths, I would rank this higher, but I don't - this was a first (and second) listen for me. I'm fine with it - may not ever think to put it on, but can let it ride if it's already playing.

Man, I don't know about some of the lyrics on these songs, they kind of pulled me out of the experience. It's like the songs sound better if you don't scrutinize them too closely. Morrissey's singing style makes the songs sound the same. This was OK.

Everything you said is exactly how I feel

Morrissey and the Smiths are a real love/hate situation for me. I love Rush and a Push and Girlfriend in a Coma, but I HATE Death of a Disco Dancer, and after about 4 songs Morrissey's voice starts to annoy me. It's always going to be just mixtape singles for me with the Smiths I guess.

Nothing stood out enough but has a nice overall vibe

this is the only smiths record that i haven't fully got yet it's a pleasant listen all the way through and there are standout tracks but they don't standout as much as the other album standout tracks i don't know i really want to come around to this album eventually

Of all The Smiths' albums, I don't think I'd ever played this one. I've now played it three times. It's OK, nothing seems to stand out in it other than the occasional peculiar lyric!

Not giving Moz the streaming satisfaction of listening, but the record smokes.

I thought I would have reams to say about what I once called my favourite Smiths album, but here we are. It is more expansive and varied than its predecessors, but that expansion is really just the sound of the band pulling apart. Johnny Marr had a fight with producer, Stephen Street, about the old sound. Bent on abandoning the jingle-jangle that defined the Smiths, he reached for keyboards. Unfortunately, his piano playing is exactly what you would expect from a brilliant guitarist moonlighting: a right hand bouncing octave shapes, a left hand twiddling its thumbs. Interesting only insofar as it isn’t. Legend has it that Morrissey’s request to cover Cilla Black detonated the partnership. Marr didn’t want to play twee pop, though what he did want to play remains a mystery. Certainly the fascimiles of past glories sound a little tired., the experiments inconsistent. Yet when Morrissey finds the right perch, the songs are great: Death of a Disco Dancer is redeemed by its tuneless piano (better than anything Marr played with intent on the instrument); Last Night I Dreamt That Somebody Loves Me is magnificent despite those ghastly fake strings, and I Won’t Share You is an elegy worthy of closing the book. When it fails, as with Paint a Vulgar Picture, Morrissey can hardly be blamed: Marr's big chords are silly. Marr was wise enough to treat this contractual obligation as a laboratory, but it showed how uncertain he was of his own direction. He went on to be the perfect guest star, adding jangle where it was wanted. Without the jangle – Midnite Vultures by Beck; Naked by Talking Heads - you scarcely noticed he was there. I wasn't expecting to have such a negative response to an album that I genuinely like a lot, but there you go! Their best album is still Louder Than Bombs. 3 We have a Karaoke night looming. This album put me in mind of it because The Smiths seem to me to be in a sort of Karaoke mode here. Part of the effect is a sense of increased self-awareness, Morrissey mugging Morrissey with perfect confidence, Johnny Marr more showy in diversity of sound than on previous albums. Part of the effect is that some of the music sounds inorganic and a little detached from the vocal. I don’t find much in this album to love - indeed it has one of my least favourite Smiths songs on it. Girlfriend in a Coma has always seemed to me the creepiest of songs. Disturbing without being funny, deeply oppressive in its lightness. But it is an impressive album nonetheless. There are distinctive pop songs, arranged and performed with great assurance. There are also some genuinely beautiful moments - Death of a Disco Dancer, Last Night I Dreamt…, I Won’t Share you. And I like the title. 3/5

Good

I liked it, which was surprising. 4/5

Starts really well but the last 2-3 songs are pretty pointless. Sadly brings it down a point

Ehhh not bad but kinda depressing, like were this kids alright??

Eh

Generic rock

theres some good bits, morrisey either has great lyrics or writes like a 8 year old

Poppiger 80er Rock auf UK. Klingt gut hörbar. Für mich gab es aber keine Highlights, die in Erinnerung bleiben. 3/5

It was alright, I don’t understand the hype around the smiths.

I like the more noodly early smiths sound. Their later records are too strummy to me and less impactful

Pretty good album. I enjoyed Morrissey's voice in this one. Death of a Disco Dancer and Unhappy Birthday were my favorites.

The Smiths have a very unique sounds to them touching on that light rock feel. It wasn't bad but I didn't vide with lyrics that much a solid 3 star tho

Top 2?? Possibly top 3 Smith’s record

Thought this was pretty good overall. A little down/melancholy for the most part, but that's to be expected from this group. And it wasn't done in a way that made it bad. I enjoyed the listen. There were aspects to it I didn't love (singer's voice got old; it was somewhat bland as a whole; the tone as mentioned). It also never really changed up the style at all, which made it a little more one-note than I would like. There were some songs didn't really do much for me. Even so, I thought it was a pretty solid album. Most of the songs were enjoyable and kept my attention well enough. It's not something I'd call great, but I thought it was a decent-to-good album. I'd probably come back to certain tracks rather than the whole thing again, though I wouldn't hate a re-listen. Overall: 3.3/5

The Smiths are good this was a decent album not my favorite of theirs but still decent!

# Album Name: Strangeways, here we come # Artist: Smiths # Rating: 3/5 # Comments: Damn, this was very mid. I was looking forward to it but it didn’t strike a chord. One good song amongst an album of very average stuff. # Top Tunes: GF in a coma # Would I listen to it again? Maybe once. but if its the same vibe then nah

3.6

The Smiths at their most experimental, the songs on Strangeways feel different to the rest of their output whilst still having that characteristic jangle. There’s some real all-timer Smiths songs on this album, but also a couple of clunkers like Unhappy Birthday that feel more akin to Morrisey’s solo output. Half a good album for sure.

Ugh, finally it's happened. My first Morrissey album. I absolutely could have just listened to one song and extrapolated from that what the rest of the album would sound like, it's hardly varied. And his vocals are whiny and fey and kind of annoying. And I don't understand why this band was so popular and influential. And Morrissey nowadays is a certified cunt. Yet still, these songs are actually alright? Quite pleasing to listen to, some wry humour, and quite pleasant sounding vocals. I'm not going to rush to listen to it again, but I have to admit it wasn't *that* bad.

Some good stuff, but not necessarily (at least consistently) the same quality as their more popular tracks (though this is the first album that I'm listening to, so I have no yardstick to judge by as far as that's concerned).

I always like a good british rock record

Yayy The Smiths :) I like The Smiths. First two songs were really good, rest were alright. I liked when he growled a few times in those ones I think it'd be fun if he did that more. Best song: I Started Something I Couldn't Finish Notable(s): A Rush and a Push and the Land Is Ours

Pretty chill

Better than I remember, but was he always so pitchy?

One rainy day in 2019, when the Red Sox were no good, my teen daughter and I were at Fenway and the organist launched into Girlfriend in a Coma (followed by I Wanna Be Sedated). Teenagers love it when their moms randomly burst out laughing. Apart from that song, this didn't grab me at all--it mostly lacked the jangle and pep of the other albums--except to inspire some soul-searching about why I boycotted Kid Rock on principle but not Morrissey.

-1 star for Morrisey.

Enjoyed. Oddly jaunty by times.

good

Decent English 80s pop album, I had heard of the band but this was my first listen through an album, I am looking forward to listening to more of them in the future.

The jangly music is pretty good, but I struggle to enjoy Morrissey's voice. It just sounds like he's singing the same song over and over again, and it gets old. No particular standouts on this one, but overall it isn't bad.

Between The Smiths three albums and four (FOUR?) Morrissey albums on the 1001 list, I'd say the band and specifically Mr. M are overrepresented. One might even say severely. So yes, I had my moment of "maybe Morrissey isn't the intolerable prick I always pegged him as" early on in our journey, and while this wasn't awful, it was a far cry from superb, or even above-average, especially given all the other blather we've got to endure from his stupid mouth. Which is a lot of words to say, this was OK. Softer production, bigger drums, Morrissey trying to not get in everyone's way. But I'd like to tap out now, if it's all the same to you.

hm, hatte den typischen Pop Klang der Ära, aber nichts was bei mir in Erinnerung bleiben wird

Solid album, nothing that dazzled me, but enjoyed it.

I feel like I should love The Smiths … They check most boxes of what I like musically. Solid production and instrumentation back Morrissey’s clever lyricism. I just don’t feel it. Had a found them during my younger and “edgier” years this may have been one of my favorites.

Another Morrisey/Smiths album. Alright here we go. The first track is pretty good. Jaunty and more "upbeat" than what i think of the Smiths. Second track is alright too. So far so good. Overall it was more interesting to me than anything I have heard from the Smiths, outside of How Soon IS Now? Still not my jam but it wasn't too shabby. 3.2/5

A velvet-voiced ego trip with a few jangly gems worth keeping. I wouldn’t be mad if it was playing in the background.

Morissey is so sad all the time.

enjoyed this album.

excusing what a piece of garbage morrissey is, this album nonetheless has artistic value, but it's not the sound I'd gravitate towards much these days

Not their best but I enjoyed. Could’ve flowed better imo.

Not horrible, and I get The Smiths inspire a lot of music, but a lot of it seems reptitive. I do like the singles though and I gave it a 3 last time, going to stay the same this time!

Classic Smiths, good music

Kokonaisuutena jää lopulta haaleaksi, mut se johtuu lähinnä b-puolen (lopun) hissuttelusta, alussa on hyvää nostetta ja ihan semihauskoja sanoituksia.

Overall, this album isn't too bad, but it is not very exciting. I would mainly recommend leaving this in the background and doing something else, as it is not THAT great when you properly focus on it. Still, given that this came out in 1987, it must've competed with quite a lot of fast-paced music, but I am sure this had quite a lot of fans as well, as it is not too bad.

I've never given The Smiths a shot and my first impression is that they have such a unique sound. I don't know much else to say about this. I liked it, but I can't see myself coming back to it. I also don't think this will be the last album we'll get from The Smiths, and I am interested to hear more. Favorites: - I Started Something I Couldn't Finish - Paint a Vulgar Picture

I discovered The Smiths last year, and they are definitely a band I had to listen to a few times to mesh with. Morrisey's voice can be pretty divisive, but I've come around to liking a lot of their music. Most of my favorite songs by them aren't on this album, but still solid. Favorite tracks: - Girlfriend in a Coma - Stop Me If You Think You've Heard This One Before - Unhappy Birthday

The last studio album of the Smiths before their eventual break up at the same time it was released and going onto to their eventual solo careers. As an album overall, it is just okay to me especially since it follows The Queen Is Dead which is their best studio work in my opinion. However, I feel that there is a couple of highlights and one song that really makes me feel this way is Last Night, I Dreamt That Somebody Loved Me. It is just amazing from start to finish that really makes you feel heartbreak and sadness. Along with this are the accompanying melancholy vocals of Morrissey and the dreamy jangle composition of Johnny Marr that just make this song the perfect one of the album. It almost makes you feel like you were dreaming that you were with the crush that you really want to ask out and you actually end up becoming a couple, only to realize that you woke up and everything was just that, a dream and your have to take yourself back to reality. But if we're going off the whole album, it is just okay to me. It has one amazing song with the rest that feel more like filler than actual songs like with Meat is Murder and the Queen is Dead. It just feels uninspiring and like they were ready to just get out of the band as soon as possible to me. Favorite Tracks: Last Night I Dreamt That Somebody Loved Me Rating: 3/5

Love the Smiths but this one is not my fav album. I do love Last Night I Dreamt That Somebody Loved Me and Stop Me

Not a fan of Morrissey, or even the Smiths. But this was a pretty upbeat version of both, and I like it.

It is too bad that Morrissey is such a piece of shit. He tarnishes everything he has ever done at every possible opportunity. That includes this incredibly well crafted record. Smiths>Morrissey.

It was fine. Enjoyable, but didn't really have any songs that stood out. Great background music, was able to keep me focused without drawing my attention away from work.

I like the dreamy possessive exit

Don't like The Smiths that much, and it's just new wave to me, I have to say I do enjoy the vocals quite a bit.

the smiths, i liked me esta gustando esta banda, creo que es la primera que se repite

Decent. Not really my thing though.

The Smiths are great, though I rarely want a full album's worth of them. The first half of the album feels stronger - "I Started Something" was a great gem I never knew about, and "Girlfriend in a Coma" is classic. I don't see myself coming back to this album much, but it's a good listen overall.

About what I expected. Idk if I’m ever really in the mood to listen to them.

Confirming that if I haven't become a Smiths fan by this point in my life, it probably just ain't gonna happen. I enjoy the "hits" but otherwise Morrissey can save that drama for his mama.

6.5/10

Delicious sound of The Smiths in an ultimately forgettable album.

Pretty good, would rate 3.5 stars if half-stars were a thing on here. For a first-time Smiths experience, I was fairly pleased. Favourite cuts were A Rush And A Push and Stop Me. While I enjoyed the overall experience, I can’t help but wish there were more tracks akin to the opener (the keyboards! The MARIMBA!), and Unhappy Birthday borders on parody with how melodramatic it is.

could you imagine the smiths without whiner extraordinaire morrissey

i like it picasso

I’m dubbing this the OG emo. A lot of my friends are into Morrisey/The Smiths but this was my first real listen to anything outside the few mainstream songs I know. I understand why this vibes with so many.

OK I bought this album when it came out in a desperate attempt to try to stay relevant. And I quite like four of the tracks 😅

Not to brag, bu I didn't like Morrisey before it was cool.

++: I Started Something I Couldn't Finish, Death of a Disco Dancer, Death at One's Ellbow +: Stop Me If You Think You've Heard That Before, Last Night I Dreamt That Somebody Loved Me, Paint a Vulgar Picture +-: A Rush and a Push and the Land Is Ours, Girlfriend in a Coma, Unhappy Birthday, I Won't Share You 6,4/10

The Smiths har liksom aldri funka heilt for meg

I like the smiths but this isn’t their best album.

Nice singing voice, but nothing in this grabbed my attention or moved me emotionally

Not the Smiths best album. Girlfriend in a coma is a great existential conversation. ;)

Not a big fan of the Smiths. A couple of good songs. Well done musically.

Ist halt the smiths. Kein schlechtes Lied dabei aber auch kein absoluter banger wie auf anderen alben. 3/5

Usually not a pop rock fan, I really liked a few songs on this album, and the rest was fine, not irritating. I really liked the variety of instruments and seasoning of other styles. Solid

girlfriend in a coma is RIDICULOUS lol i'm obsessed idk not my favorite smiths record! no real stand outs for me

Good album.

Probably the worst Smiths album, so still better than almost anything else from the 80s.

I would have enjoyed it more if I had heard it first as a teen.

This is the final album from this British band. The Smiths were quite popular outside of the US. There are some nice tunes here but overall very forgettable. There was a darker vibe here as several songs were about death.

meh its alright

Oh yay, another album from the Smiths! And apparently I still have to suffer 3 other albums from Morrissey before the end of this list. Well, anyway, I don't really have anything more to say about the Smiths, after 3 albums I can safely say that they were OK, they did not change my world, I will probably never listen to them again, Morrissey is a prick.

Most bearable Smiths album I’ve ever heard, didn’t make me want to end it all. Truly didn’t think that could happen

It didn’t grab me like The Queen is Dead.

Strangeways, Here We Come is the fourth and final studio album from the Smiths, a British band with a brief but very successful career. After completing the recording, but before the album had been released, guitarist Johnny Marr left the band. In the years since their breakup, the members of the band have all said that Strangeways... is their best work. The Smiths made melodramatic, electro-pop, centered on their histrionic singer, Morrissey. The album includes some of their last hits, like "Girlfriend in a Coma," a great example of the catchy, upbeat, but oddly serious songs the band made.

bão

already heard this on last attempt: had saved 5 songs.

Für mich etwas quengelig. Und britpoppy

That was alright I think

I didn’t hate it, had some good moments that I enjoyed and some groovy parts. I think he has a cool voice too.

Hasta ahora el mejorcito de Morry, el más íntimo y sincero quizá. Nota: 3.4

pretty good but as usual the best parts are when Morrissey isn't singing

Extremely hit or miss.

Absoluto nothingburger, no está mal pero ya

Better than I expected. Some interesting songs and lyrics.

good, but not their best album (as an enjoyer of the Smiths)

Really liked the first song but downhill from there. Until the last few songs which were decent again.

Pleasant enough.

Pretty good, not much more to say

It's always fuck Morrissey. Music is still good tho. I've learned to tune out some voices in songs so the music made up for it.

This was a first time listen. Morrissey has one of the best voices in rock. Not my favorite Smiths album. It seems they were trying some new things.

hell yeah unhappy birthday