Far Out: "A track-by-track guide to The Smiths' 'The Queen is Dead' from Morrissey and Marr" (June 16, 2021)

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On 16th June 1986, The Smiths would release their near faultless third album, The Queen Is Dead, which, for Morrissey, Johnny Marr, Andy Rourke and Mike Joyce, would confirm themselves as being the most important voices of a generation. Now, 35 years later, the album still pulses with the same power and the stories behind the songs all the more important.

The album is widely considered to be The Smiths finest work out of the four records that they made during their time together and encapsulates everything that was great about them. Morrissey’s dark lyricism was juxtaposed alongside Johnny Marr’s sunny guitars, allowing the duality of modern living to come to the fore. The record would become the perfect soundtrack to the 1980s.


A collation of comments track-by-track .
Happy 35th The Queen Is Dead.
Regards,
FWD.

(External image used).
 
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On 16th June 1986, The Smiths would release their near faultless third album, The Queen Is Dead, which, for Morrissey, Johnny Marr, Andy Rourke and Mike Joyce, would confirm themselves as being the most important voices of a generation. Now, 35 years later, the album still pulses with the same power and the stories behind the songs all the more important.

The album is widely considered to be The Smiths finest work out of the four records that they made during their time together and encapsulates everything that was great about them. Morrissey’s dark lyricism was juxtaposed alongside Johnny Marr’s sunny guitars, allowing the duality of modern living to come to the fore. The record would become the perfect soundtrack to the 1980s.


A collation of comments track-by-track .
Happy 35th The Queen Is Dead.
Regards,
FWD.

(External image used).
Still has the best intro of any album ever, along with "Atrocity Exhibition" by Joy Division. Both drum intros will stay with me till the cold cold grave. Viva ice cream.
 
The Quietus wrote an almost nice article about Morrissey for TQID anniversary.

I can't bring myself to post the link because it's The Quietus but I thought I'd mention it.
 
Bliss it was to be young when this came out. I went to the Kilburn National gig on the tour, not hard to get a ticket, a small venue bearing in mind their stature at the time. Nick Kent gave it an epic review in the NME and recognised an instant classic. They were smirking at the competition...

Seems so long ago, made by very different people for a very different world.

I wish Moz all the best, a long life, yet I predict the whole solo career will be swept under the carpet of musical history and only The Smiths will exist in the cultural memory as this work is so much more important than anything after 1987. Apologies but that is fact...

The solo career has been a long lap of honour, the real work was done 1983-87, that is "the heritage rock" bequeathed to the world.

I don't listen to the smiths much now as when I do it crushes the solo career so firmly underfoot...

Thanks boys, you were beautiful movers...
 
And replicated brilliantly live.
Well worth the 25%

On record Joyce plays to the sample that is looped. Live he couldn’t have replicated it, he did his 10% best, and that’s fine. Also, live Marr had to play the cymbals for him during the intro!
 
So we're talking 'bout the drums, huh?
 
Bliss it was to be young when this came out. I went to the Kilburn National gig on the tour, not hard to get a ticket, a small venue bearing in mind their stature at the time. Nick Kent gave it an epic review in the NME and recognised an instant classic. They were smirking at the competition...

Seems so long ago, made by very different people for a very different world.

I wish Moz all the best, a long life, yet I predict the whole solo career will be swept under the carpet of musical history and only The Smiths will exist in the cultural memory as this work is so much more important than anything after 1987. Apologies but that is fact...

The solo career has been a long lap of honour, the real work was done 1983-87, that is "the heritage rock" bequeathed to the world.

I don't listen to the smiths much now as when I do it crushes the solo career so firmly underfoot...

Thanks boys, you were beautiful movers...
Isn't this the case with any artist who made their name when they were young?

When McCartney dies, it's The Beatles he'll be remembered for, not Wings or his solo records.

When Springsteen goes, the radio will play Born to Run, not anything he's put out in the last 20 years.

In Morrissey's case, you could actually argue that songs such as "Suedehead", "Everyday Is Like Sunday" and even 21st century offerings such as "First of the Gang to Die" come to mind when people think of his voice just as often as anything he recorded as part of The Smiths.
 
So I broke into the Palace
With a sponge and a rusty spanner
She said: "Eh, I know and you cannot sing!"
I said: "That's nothing, you should hear me play piano!"

Kinda thinkin' this is one of my favorite Moz lyrics.
By makin' himself look nonsensical and illogical,
Moz reveals how the institution of the Royal Family
is nonsensical and illogical to begin with.
 
So I broke into the Palace
With a sponge and a rusty spanner
She said: "Eh, I know and you cannot sing!"
I said: "That's nothing, you should hear me play piano!"

Kinda thinkin' this is one of my favorite Moz lyrics.
By makin' himself look nonsensical and illogical,
Moz reveals how the institution of the Royal Family
is nonsensical and illogical to begin with.
Not really. It relates to a story whereby some chap breached palace security & sat chatting to Her Maj before he was hauled off. He's mocking Buck House security.
 

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