Album #138: The Smiths - The Queen Is Dead

The Smiths

The Queen Is Dead (1986)

There's very little I can say about The Smiths that hasn't already been said by hundreds of other music writers. Extraordinarily influential on an entire generation of musicians that followed them (hi Britpop), they boast in Morrissey and Johnny Marr two of the most revered musicians of the 80s. Some critics have even said that the band are the most important guitar band of the 80s. Not bad for four Manc lads signed to an independent record label.

In recent years, Marr and Morrissey have seen themselves all over the music press, though for different reasons - Marr because of his dalliances with other bands (notably Modest Mouse and The Cribs) and his solo work, and Morrissey because....well, he's a fuckwit of the highest calibre. At any rate, despite his fuckwittiness, The Smiths are massively acclaimed, and prime candidates for the LOAD Project. I've chosen their third album, The Queen Is Dead, from 1986. I'm not gonna lie, I expect to have my mind blown.

The Album

I didn't have my mind blown.

That, however, does not mean that The Queen Is Dead is a terrible album; far from it. It's really rather bloody good...in fact I would even go so far to say as it's a fantastic listen with barely any noticeable flaws.

I'm just not convinced it merits OMGWTFBBQBESTALBUMEVARRRR!!!!!!!!!!111!111one!!!!eleventyone status.

What it is, is some fantastic indie guitar pop with a few minor flat points. Lyrically it's strong, apart from.....well, a few minor flat points. Its appeal is probably in the fact that when it's on, it's really on - musically and lyrically there are terrific moments of synergy, where the band show just why they were darlings of the critical and musical performer sets alike.

Moments of synergy like There Is A Light That Never Goes Out - lyrically brilliant (even if it treads on familiar ground that had previously been walked by The Who on Quadrophenia, all tortured young person who feels so alienated at home that they consider themselves homeless), and musically superb (guitar and bass provide a good groove, while synth strings add a mildly sombre touch to the massively depressing lyrics), Cemetry Gates (Morrissey's lyrical FUCK YOU to critics who slagged him off for 'thieving' the words of his literary heroes, set to catchy guitar pop), I Know It's Over (a ballad that throws back to the Mersey Beat sound, with a thick, groovy bass line from Andy Rourke, guitars and synth strings providing melody, some loose improv from drummer Mike Joyce, and a Morrissey vocal that is rather spinetingling....oh and some terrific lyrics, including the brilliant line, "It takes guts to be tender and kind"), Bigmouth Strikes Again (relentless Marr jangly guitar, a great bassline, and lyrics from Morrissey that are rather vicious, while painting the song's protagonist as a self-indulgent entitled wanker.), and Vicar In A Tutu (quite a fun tune - a shuffle beat, a walking bassline and a country-style picked guitar twang accompany some rather tongue-in-cheek lyrics from Morrissey, who shows a cheeky sense of humour to go with all the morose social commentary and depressing woe-is-me self-analysis.)

At other times, the synergy is close but not quite there: The Queen Is Dead is a great opener, all cynical snarl and social observation from Morrissey, jangly layers of guitar from Marr, rock-solid rhythmic power from Rourke and Joyce (in fact, Rourke's bass playing is immense)...it just goes a bit too long, finishing with an overly extended instrumental passage; Frankly, Mr Shankly takes on a bouncy 60s pop vibe and nails it pretty well, with breezy guitars and vocals (yep, even the morose Morrissey sounds happy), though it doesn't fit at all with the rest of the album; The Boy With A Thorn In His Side sees Morrissey direct a bunch of questions at the music industry, bemoaning the band's ignored status, and he delivers a great vocal to boot...musically it's okay, though I found the synth strings to border on the overbearing.

Even the two 'minor flat points' are just that - 'minor'. Never Had No One Ever has a simple, but meaningful, lyric - Morrissey's youthful lament about his childhood as an immigrant in Manchester - but musically, despite Marr's guitars sounding quite nice, it's desperately morose and plodding (I suppose it fits the music, but it's not particularly exciting or awesome; an admittedly minor quibble), while closing track Some Girls Are Bigger Than Others has the inverse problem - musically it's splendid, as multiple guitar tracks create an almost orchestral sound thanks to Marr's superb work, ably supported by Rourke's bass...but Morrissey contributes a fucking awful set of lyrics that were probably meant to be irreverent but come off as being purely shithouse, devoid of....well, everything.

The Verdict

I said I wasn't sure it necessarily deserved the mantle of GREATEST ALBUM IN THE WHOLE HISTORY OF EVER. I stand by that - give me Frances the Mute or Kid A or OK Computer or Highway 61 Revisited or Physical Graffiti any day of the week.

Yet The Queen Is Dead certainly deserves to be at least considered one of the (or possibly the single) finest albums released in the 1980s. It was the blueprint for so much indie guitar pop (and Britpop) that was to follow, and those roots can be heard clearly all over the album. Additionally, it's a slow burner; I liked it as I was listening to it, but it wasn't until going back over my listening notes and thinking about the songs that I realised that it actually was seriously good music by seriously good musicians.

So yeah, highly recommended, worth the hype, and clearly a terrific album.

Morrissey's still an utter fuckwit though.

My rating: 9.5/10

Standout Tracks

There Is A Light That Never Goes Out

I Know It's Over

The Queen Is Dead

Cemetry Gates