The Queen Is Deadformat: vinyl (gatefold - ROUGH 96) / cd
[album rate: 5 / 5] [4,85]
producer: Morrissey, Marr
label: Rough Trade Records - nationality: England, UK
Tracklist: A) 1. "The Queen Is Dead / Take Me Back to Dear Old Blighty (Medley)" (5 / 5) - 2. "Frankly, Mr. Shankly" (5 / 5) - 3. "I Know It's Over" (5 / 5) - 4. "Never Had No One Ever" (5 / 5) - 5. "Cemetry Gates" (5 / 5) - - B) 1. "Bigmouth Strikes Again" (4,5 / 5) - 2. "The Boy With the Thorn in His Side" (5 / 5) - 3. "Vicar in a Tutu" (4 / 5) - 4. "There Is a Light That Never Goes Out" (5 / 5) - 5. "Some Girls Are Bigger Than Others" (5 / 5)
3rd studio album by The Smiths produced by the songwriter duo Stephen Morrissey / Johnny Marr. The album is another step into new territories. The music is sharper and more punk rock-inspired with faster, shorter, and more energetic tracks. The lyrics are both a continuing of the introvert texts on sex and moral, political issues, but also a new sarcastic sneer at personal critics and the music industry in general. The album cover features Alain Delon in a 1964 film "L'Insoumis" ("The Unvanquished") by Alain Cavalier. Not long after the purchase, I soon realised that this album was now my favourite Smiths album, and I simply loved and heard "Cemetry Gates", "The Boy With the Thorn in His Side", "There Is a Light That Never Goes Out", and "Some Girls Are Bigger Than Others" over and over again. The album is great and is by many considered not only the band's best but also one of the best albums ever to be recorded. I still can't single one out as the best - they all have their strengths. The album was ranked the greatest record of all time on NME's The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time list, and it's naturally enlisted in "1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die".
Highly recommendable.
[ allmusic.com, Rolling Stone, Q Magazine, Sputnik Music, Select 5 / 5 stars ]
[ collectors' item 'near mint' - from ~ 50€ ]
1986 Favourite releases: 1. The Smiths The Queen Is Dead - 2. Talk Talk The Colour of Spring - 3. R.E.M. Lifes Rich Pageant
