Classic albums #16 The smiths the queen is dead

[wonderwall]

My pick for next classic album.Its a very hard question but most people would pick this as the best smiths album.

[Shireblogger]

The Smiths – The Queen Is Dead

Context
I was an early convert to the Smiths, buying both their eponymous debut album and “Hatful Of Hollow” during their release weeks. “This Charming Man” was my Sixth Form Common Room anthem for a term. But, for me, “The Queen Is Dead” was a big disappointment, and contrary to many others, I rated it as one of their lesser works. So, would a Haven review give me cause to revise my opinion ?
4/10

General Overview
The sound of a band that was trying too hard, perhaps. Having established a unique and original identity on the music scene, this was The Smith’s opportunity to either relax and have fun within their metier, or to head off in a different direction. But they chose neither, just churning out more of the same, but less effectively. The album starts badly, and stays dull throughout Side One, before getting going on Side Two. The last four tracks rank with the band’s best.
6/10

Intro & Outro
The opening, title, track contains the worst of The Smiths. Morrissey’s lyrics are humourless and unsubtle, his daft vocal histrionics are detectable less than 2 minutes in, and the tune is decidedly indie third division. In short, it’s not about the music, it’s about creating controversy and column inches. Less than 40 minutes later we’re at the end, and things are a complete contrast, with the best of The Smiths on show. “Some Girls Are Bigger Than Others” is witty and fun to listen to, but still has social commentary.
5/10

Music
Johnny Marr is a guitar genius, having created some of the best riffs of the past 30 years. “The Queen Is Dead”, doesn’t feature any of his career highlights, but the jangly “The Boy With The Thorn In His Side” and “Some Girls…” are finely crafted tunes. “Frankly, Mr Shankly” is a useful preview of the following year’s masterpiece “Girlfriend In A Coma”.
5/10

Lyrics
Of course, Morrissey is one of British music’s best lyricists, and this album has a quota of good examples – “And if a double-decker bus crashes into us, to die by your side, such a heavenly way to die”, “It was worthwhile living a laughable life just to set my eyes on the blistering sight”, “As Anthony said to Cleopatra as he opened a crate of ale”. But it also has some of the most spiteful words to ride high in the charts – “You are a flatulent pain in the arse, I do not mean to be so rude” (Yes you do), “When you’re tied to your Mother’s apron, no one talks about castration” – and the excruciating self-pitying “Bigmouth…” as Morrissey compares himself to Joan of Arc burning at the stake.
7/10

Production & Sound
The Smiths were always meant to sound at home on a cheap stereo in a bedsit. Morrissey, Marr and Stephen Street’s production on “The Queen Is Dead” rarely deviated from the blueprint, and I have no problem with that. But then, for reasons which escape me, they elected to introduce a few studio effects, such as the surprise end to “Vicar In A Tutu”, the immediate fade out / fade in on “Some Girls…”, and the church hall rendition of “Take Me Back To Dear Old Blighty” that opens the album. And they all sound amateur and pointless. In fact, they diminish rather than enhance the recording.
5/10

High Points
Side Two. “Bigmouth…” wear thin after a while, but the rest of Side Two is a delightful quartet of classic Smiths, with Marr and Morrissey combining their talents to great effect. “The Boy With The Thorn In His Side” is my favourite, and I’m surprised to note that it didn’t reach the Top 20.
9/10

Low Points
Side One. Weak and dull. Sorry, but I just can’t find much positive to say about any of these songs, especially “I Know It’s Over”, which is a dirge. Only “Cemetry Gates” has any merit, buried amongst its pretention.
2/10

Packaging
The Smiths singles and album covers might just be the best collection amassed by any pop act, ever. Instantly identifiable, and each one distinctive and interesting. Alain Delon, looking not unlike Morrissey himself, in low resolution green two-tone is typically stylish. I’m not keen on the pink typeface, but we do get lyrics and some decent black and white pictures of the band.
8/10

On balance
It isn’t The Smiths’ best album, never mind the Greatest Album of All Time (courtesy the NME). For many bands, it would be a pinnacle, but this one did better both before and after “The Queen Is Dead”.
6/10

TOTAL SCORE
Their Walkman started to melt.
57/100.

For Haven:
5.5/10

[o]

Good choice!

Album track listing

No. Title Length
1. "The Queen Is Dead" 6:24
2. "Frankly, Mr. Shankly" 2:17
3. "I Know It's Over" 5:48
4. "Never Had No One Ever" 3:36
5. "Cemetry Gates" 2:39
6. "Bigmouth Strikes Again" 3:12
7. "The Boy with the Thorn in His Side" 3:15
8. "Vicar in a Tutu" 2:21
9. "There Is a Light That Never Goes Out" 4:02
10. "Some Girls Are Bigger Than Others" 3:14

[wonderwall]

Very interesting review by shireblogger someone who thinks it's not a good album always good to have two sides to a arguement.

[Shireblogger]

Oct 5, 2014 16:24:39 GMT 1 wonderwall said:

Very interesting review by shireblogger someone who thinks it's not a good album always good to have two sides to a arguement.

I hope my review made it clear that I didn't think it was a bad album either. It ranks 10th of the 16 classic albums we've had so far, which probably isn't bad given the competition. Also note that my scoring system is quite a tough one - Ziggy Stardust, which is in my Top 20 albums of all time only scored 8.5/10.

[wonderwall]

What is your favourite smiths album ?

[Shireblogger]

The Smiths, partly because of the impact it had on me when originally released.

[Earl Purple]

I think the only weak track on this album is "Never Had No One Ever", otherwise it's classic all the way through, in particular "I Know It's Over" which appears on side 1, the side you don't like, and the obvious "There Is A Light" on side 2.

The opening track, after its weird "Take me back to dear old blighty" intro really shows Johnny Marr's versatility. Far from the Smiths just making dirges for which they were probably best known, there was some very uptempo rock even dance-orientated as I would describe this one.

There are a few songs when you feel they want to shake off the "indie" tag too and just do "pop". Frankly Mr Shankly is the obvious one for starters, also Cemetry Gates later. Both have a few lyrical lines you can't help but admire.

There has to be at least one dirge though where Morrissey goes on about how desperately lonely he is, and for me "I Know It's Over" is one of the most beautiful "depressed" songs. Unlike "Never had no one ever" which is just filler. Ideally skip this one to not ruin an otherwise brilliant album.

"The Boy With the Thorn in his side"... I was once, around 1994, asked if Morrissey's songs were about homosexuality and I replied that the only one I thought clearly was was this song. I don't know if that's what Morrissey intended but it does seem to suggest that such love is not "recognised". (How can they see the love in our eyes, and still they don't believe us..)

Bigmouth Strikes Again - need we say more? Has applied to him on more than one occasion. Would probably have applied to me had I ever been in a position that people were interested in what I had to say.

Vicar in a tutu: More fun.

There Is A Light: More brilliant depression.

Some Girls Are Bigger Than Others... Ok I'm not that fond of this one, but it's ok.

[vastar iner]

Never know quite what to make of The Smiths. First saw them on Top Of The Pops in 1984. At the time, music which would now be called alternative was still reaching very decent chart positions, so The Smiths just seemed to be the next generation thereof, like Echo & The Bunnymen. I didn’t see in them the sort of saviours that would attract a fundamentalist devotion. Indeed, looking at their early chart runs, they were indeed an “ordinary” band; the debut charter taking 4 weeks to climb to a peak, as did the follow-up. But after that only once did they have a single climb twice…very much a high fan base buy.

Indeed, in the mid-80s, as I sort of got back into music, they tended to bore me. Morrissey shouting his mouth off all the time, going on about the Tories and meat, and then proved his colours by not paying half the group their due as they didn’t deserve it. Hardly from each according to his means. And their singles all seemed after a while to be a bit samey. Yet everyone at school was mega into them. The high, or low, point was probably the 1986 Festive 50, which had six Smiths tracks in its top 20. As Peel himself said in the rundown, it was going way over the top. That joke was not funny any more.

Anyway. The title track, on its own, is great. Menacingly jangly indiepop at its finest. The second track, “Frankly Mr Shankly”, starts with a pun and descends from there. Mozza’s vocal is interchangeable with most of his other tracks.

“I Know It’s Over” though has a distinct feel to it, quiet, brooding, introspective; the problem, again, is the vocal. There’s nothing subtle about it. Again it’s the same tenor, tempo, volume, overloaded with jaded boredom. Where’s the emotion? Where’s the selling? It’s only towards the crescendo towards the end that it becomes fitting. With a more empathetic vocalist, this would have been an outright epic.

“Never Had No One Ever”. Next.

“Cemetery Gates”. There's something of The Sundays about this one, indicative of the influence The Smiths would have over much of the eighties. But it’s remarkably unfocussed. Same as “The Boy With The Thorn In His Side”. Same as “Bigmouth Strikes Again”. Same as “There Is A Light That Never Goes Out”. Same as the final track. Only “Vicar In A Tutu” is any different - that’s more like “Frankly Mr Shankly”. There isn’t that much that is really memorable.

The real USP of The Smiths comes from their lyrics. At least that’s what others say. The trouble is, they come across as whingeing sixth-form-poetry hectoring for half-an-hour. There’s something of the Adrian Mole about them (the veil theme in two songs for instance). If they escape the banal. Morrissey a lyrical genius? Let’s see…

They were born
And then they lived
And then they died
It seems so unfair
I want to cry

Some girls are bigger than others
Some girls are bigger than others
Some girls' mothers are bigger
Than other girls' mothers

Erm, no.

So, in summing up, even listening to many of these for the first time in nearly three decades has not opened my eyes to The Smiths’ charm. Some good singles but all too often they are just boring. Reminds me a bit of the Williams fascination. Too many people scared to say to everyone else “actually, they’re a bit rubbish, really”. That 1986 Festive 50 featured The Shop Assistants, The Jesus & Mary Chain, The Wedding Present, The Primitives, The Fall, Cocteau Twins and The Flatmates, inter alia. Any one of these p*ssed all over The Smiths from a great height. But saying that in 1986 would have called down the wrath of the NME. Oooh, scary.

Out of ten: 4, for trying.

[Earl Purple]

There is magic in some of the lyrics that touch you. And it was clear that Morrissey felt a certain amount of loneliness.

"If you're so clever, then why do you sleep alone tonight"?

4 lines with the word "clever" replaced by different words... and then the answer comes

"because tonight is like any other night.."

Lyrics that grab you like:

"fame fame fatal fame, it can play hideous tricks on the brain, but then I'd rather be famous than righteous or holy, any day any day any day,... but sometimes I'd feel more fulfilled making Christmas cards for the mentally ill, I want to live and I want to love, I want to catch something that I might be ashamed of..."..

that is the "magic" of Frankly Mr Shankly..

musically indie-ish, but certainly on the side of pop. That's how I like my indie. And how can you say they sound the same? How does Frankly Mr Shankly, an uptempo pop song, sound anything like The Queen Is Dead or There Is A Light That Never Goes Out?

[vastar iner]

I said that FMS sounded like VIAT, and that they were different to the rest. Blame Mozza. His vocal is beyond undistinguished.

[TheThorne]

Not reviewing as such but I am not big in lyrics my love of The Smiths more comes from Johnny Marr than Morrissey and his guitar work on The Queen Is dead is some if his best,

But the 1986 me was a different beast I only knew The smiths from Ask and. Panic and my favourite bands were Heart and Huey Lewis so what did I know, most indie to me was just random noise and Twee singing , the smiths were different they were a proper band see also JAMC,

[raliverpool]

It is very easy in hindsight to forget where The Smiths were come the beginning of 1986. After being hailed by John Peel, and the Weekly Indie musical press as the next best thing since the Sex Pistols (Let's be honest they were better!), thanks to a succession of early singles and B-sides, they released their self-titled debut album which seemed like a bit of a disappointment, not because of the collection of songs which had been played at gigs and numerous Radio sessions, but for the drab muddy production, and the relatively poor musicianship of the bassist and drummer. The following few singles were better, but then came the relative dud in their album collection, the sophomore slump that is Meat Is Murder.

Yes, it debuted at #1 due to the good will and anticipation they had built up over the previous 18 months, but Morrissey had spent too much time on sharpening his knifes for the targets within his lyrics to ensure his melodies matched Marr's tunesmithery. The result was dirges like the title track; the poorly produced funk track Barbarism Begins at Home that makes you wish they got Mark King to play on it to improve it FFS; and several other underwhelming unmemorable tracks made worse by following on from the superb album opener The Headmaster Ritual. The problem came from The Smiths taking control of production duties along with the expanding musical pallet, and an awful Morrissey interview where in a early sign of his antagonistic controversial opinions he said of Band Aid: "One can have great concern for the people of Ethiopia, but it's another thing to inflict daily torture on the people of England", hence they suffered accordingly after the initial fanfare/hype. So much so the following two singles peaked at an underwhelming #26 and #49 (their two lowest charting singles since their UK #124 chart debut).

So the pressure was on for the third album which at the time music critics predicted would make or break their legacy. For starters Johnny Marr spent a week with Steve Lillywhite to improve his production skills, in addition they more fully utilized up and coming sound engineer Stephen Street. Whilst Morrissey and Marr licked their wounds, determined to come up with a more focussed sharper collection of songs aiming to hit the bullseye. They took advantage of their UK tour during the first half of 1985, working out song arrangements with bassist Andy Rourke and drummer Mike Joyce during soundchecks.

The album was recorded in towards the end of 1985, and was ready for an early 1986 release, but a legal dispute with their record label Rough Trade meant it was delayed for six months.

Hence we come to this album (#. "Track" length - Rating out of 10):

Side one
1. "The Queen Is Dead" 6:24 - 10.0 The sample that opens the song features music hall veteran Cicely Courtneidge singing the World War I standard "Take Me Back To Dear Old Blighty," in Bryan Forbes' 1962 British film The L-Shaped Room (L stood for lesbian); and then the drums and MC5-esque guitars kick in, and it is immediately obvious The Smiths have got the sound right on an album for the first time, on this humorous anti-monarchy anthem.
2. "Frankly, Mr. Shankly" 2:17 - 9.5 The song addresses Geoff Travis, the head of the Smiths' record label Rough Trade. Travis (a Liverpool FC fan - hence the title, riled MUFC supporter Morrissey over their respective teams performances (those were the days, sobs) acknowledged in an interview with Mojo April 2011 that a line in the song about "bloody awful poetry" was a reference to a poem he had written for Morrissey.
3. "I Know It's Over" 5:48 - 9.0 The band's "bleakest ballad" sees a dying man reflect on what he feels was his wasted and lonely life. Arguably one of Morrissey's greatest ever vocals.
4. "Never Had No One Ever" 3:36 - 6.0 The nearest this album came to filler. Morrissey's lyrics show is insecurity of not belonging, even in his hometown of Manchester.
5. "Cemetry Gates" 2:39 - 8.5 was Morrissey's direct response to critics who had cried foul over his "borrowing" of texts written by some of his favourite authors. As Oscar Wilde once said "Talent borrows, genius steals". Ironically, musically this sounds like The Sundays long before Harriet Wheeler's band existed!

Side two
6. "Bigmouth Strikes Again" 3:12 - 10.0 Morrissey describes being hounded by the press and compares himself to the French martyr, Joan of Arc. Musically, this was Marr's attempt at writing The Rolling Stones' "Jumping Jack Flash".
7. "The Boy with the Thorn in His Side" 3:15 - 7.5 This self mythologising track compared the band's impact on the 1980s British Pop Culture mainstream, and their lack of acceptance on daytime radio playlists. Something Morrissey & Marr later more directly addressed over a track inspired by a 1972 #1 T-Rex hit.
8. "Vicar in a Tutu" 2:21 - 8.0 Morrissey's playful lyrics poke fun at closed-minded religious values, over a Marr rockabilly style track.
9. "There Is a Light That Never Goes Out" 4:02 - 10.0 The band's lyrical and musical masterpiece. Its narrative can be compared to the 1955 film, Rebel Without a Cause, starring James Dean whom Morrissey idolized. Re his first solo single and video www.youtube.com/watch?v=0AvuweztG4Q
10. "Some Girls Are Bigger Than Others" 3:14 - 9.0 The humorous Morrissey Carry On inspired lyric about the varying sizes of the females of the species. The comedic and rather frivolous lyrics and music tome were deliberate. So the final track stood in ironic contrast to the bleak tales told on the rest of the album.

Overall 10 (87.5 / 10 = 87.50% (86%+ category)).

This sonically improved, sharper, focussed album, alongside forthcoming non album singles "Panic", "Ask", "Shoplifters Of The World Unite", and "Sheila Takes A Bow" alongside some great B-sides and the single that never was

ensured The Smiths are rightfully remembered as one of the greatest bands of all time despite all the "Reissue, repackage, pack them into different sleeves, satiate the need ..." of their back catalogue.

My recommendation for a similar album just has to be Echo & The Bunnymen - Ocean Rain (1984) www.youtube.com/watch?v=jVR5t8f53rI&index=2&list=PL2AEFB63C7721F8F9


The Smiths studio album rates:

The Smiths (1984) 7
Meat Is Murder (1985) 4* (* Original version without How Soon Is Now)
The Queen Is Dead (1986) 10
Strangeways, Here We Come (1987) 8

In retrospect it is all too easy to see why The NME ranked this at #1 in their 2013 Greatest Albums Of All Time list. Although Rate Your Music #23; and Acclaimed Music's #25 GOAT ranking might be more accurate.

[vastar iner]

^ Funny, we have similar impressions of it, but with very different evaluations of those impressions...even to the extent of the Echo link. As if to prove the point, I'd definitely rank Ocean Rain much higher.

[o]

The Smiths were a band I didn't like initially and only rediscovered them when I went to uni, where I grew to love a lot of their earlier singles, never had an album by them, apart from Hatful of Hollow.

1. "The Queen Is Dead" 6:24 - Good opener, great guitar. 7/10
2. "Frankly, Mr. Shankly" 2:17 - More playful and amusing lyrics. 6/10
3. "I Know It's Over" 5:48 - Here comes the depression. 5/10
4. "Never Had No One Ever" 3:36 - Get the razor blades out. 4/10
5. "Cemetary Gates" 2:39 - Better. 6/10
6. "Bigmouth Strikes Again" 3:12 - One of my fave singles by them. 9/10
7. "The Boy with the Thorn in His Side" 3:15 - S'okay. 6/10
8. "Vicar in a Tutu" 2:21 - Good title, average song. 5/10
9. "There Is a Light That Never Goes Out" 4:02 - The ultimate Smiths song. 9/10
10. "Some Girls Are Bigger Than Others" 3:14 - Average end to the album. 5/10
Total = 62/100 - 6/10, flashes of brilliance.

[Mic1812]

Cracking album from a great band.

I remember when they appeared with their first album thanks to John Peel and thought woahhhhhhh this is diffferent. This Charming Man was brill but my fave Heaven Knows Im Miserable Now.

was watching an episode of Goodnight Sweetheart recently and had to laugh as Gary Sparrow played Heaven Knows on the piano in the episode and it made me laugh.

Hatful of Hollow also a great album