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The Queen is Dead Artist: The Smiths Available nationally at all good record stores
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Long Live the Smiths
February 1984 saw the release of the band's self-titled debut album. Hatful of Hollow a compilation of sorts was released later that year. The next album, Meat is Murder received critical acclaim and to this day, is considered by some to be amongst the best material ever produced by the band. There is no doubt that the sheer brilliance of Meat is Murder had most salivating for more. Yet, when you're on top of the mountain, they say the only way is down, and many fans remained sceptical that the past achievements could be equalled let alone surpassed . In the meantime, new boy Craig Gannon was recruited as an extra guitarist. By the middle of 1986, the band, in a climate where their reputation could be made or broken, released what I believe to be one of the greatest albums ever - The Queen Is Dead. History now tells us that the band had little to fear, as The Queen Is Dead received excellent reviews and was celebrated on various "all time great" polls at the time. The album was an incredible mix of romance, despair, satire and frivolity. The title track remains a marvellous satire on the state of the United Kingdom at the time. Despite the title of the song and indeed the album itself, there is no suggestion of viciousness toward Her Majesty in the lyrics. Musically, the song is unquestionably one of the most impressive works produced, with the interplay between instruments simply spectacular. >>> |
The Queen Is Dead spawned just the two singles at the time, the powerful "Bigmouth Strikes Again" and the buoyant "The Boy With The Thorn In His Side". Six years later a third single, the beautiful "There is A Light That Never Goes Out", was released. This was Morrissey's greatest song of romantic adventure, love and the emotional dilemmas that follow. The masterpiece is completed by tasteful orchestration, including strings and a flute. By this time, Morrissey had developed a reputation as a miserable bastard who drove listeners to loneliness and despair. Tracks like the bleak "I Know It's Over" and the haunting "Never Had No One Ever" captured that mood. However, the success of the album lies partly in the balance achieved through the use of humour. "Frankly Mr Shankly" served as a satirical poke at the music industry and specifically the founder of Rough Trade, while the outrageous "Vicar In A Tutu" conjured all manner of bizarre imagery. "Cemetry Gates" - spelled incorrectly by Morrissey - is a light acoustic arrangement accompanying Morrissey's criticisms of plagiarism and literary one-upmanship. The album is rounded off by "Some Girls Are Bigger Than Others", an interesting comment on female sexuality. The closing song drifts through the ether providing a soft conclusion to undoubtedly one of the finest musical achievements of all time. A little over a year later, the band would release its last album. Pete Crethary Send us your feedback on this article or anything else in The Blurb |
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Hailed
as one of the most important bands of the 80's, The Smiths were founded
in Manchester in 1982 when Steven Patrick Morrissey (later referred to
as just Morrissey) and talented musician Johnny Marr formed a songwriting
partnership. They later recruited drummer Mike Joyce and Andy Rourke as
bass guitarist toward the end of 1982. The quartet signed to Rough Trade
Records in 1983 and released their first single, "Hand In Glove" in May
of that year.