Let The Day Begin...Let The Day Start!: Day 168 - The Smiths

The Queen is Dead - The Smiths

Rough Trade (Sire in the US)

Produced by Morrissey and Johnny Marr

Released 16th June 1986

UK Chart #2

US Chart #70

Tracklist

01.The Queen Is Dead
02.Frankly, Mr. Shankly
03.I Know It’s Over
04.Never Had No One Ever
05.Cemetry Gates
06.Bigmouth Strikes Again
07.The Boy With the Thorn in His Side
08.Vicar in a Tutu
09.There Is a Light That Never Goes Out
10.Some Girls Are Bigger Than Others

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The third studio album from The Smiths, The Queen is Dead, is one of those albums that is considered to be a real "Indie Classic". I have to say from the outset of this that I am not and have never really been a huge fan of The Smiths. I've kind of flirted with them by buying their singles that I really enjoyed and did buy Hatful of Hollow because I was quite charmed by their Peel Sessions. I did see them once at the Electric Ballroom in Camden Town but was left a bit miffed by the sight of young men adoringly throwing flowers at their new hero.

Their previous album 'Meat Is Murder' (released in 1985) didn't really appeal to me at all. I'm not a Veggie and no amount of listening to the six minute & six seconds of the title track was going to make me one! I recall getting a free EP in NME that had a storming live version of 'What She Said' and that was about all I could bring myself to like on that album. Hard to believe that 'Meat' actually went to #1 in the UK album charts!

With the exception of 'The Boy With The Thorn In His Side' I think that all in all it's a brilliant album. Morrissey & Marr favour 'Strangeways, Here We Come'.

The album has had a lot of praise heaped on it over the years since its release and in 2006 the NME named as the 2nd Greatest British Album of All - Time! That's a bit of a stretch but it still sounds good today.  

Singles from The Queen is Dead

    01. "The Boy with the Thorn in His Side (alternate mix)"
    Released: 23 September 1985

UK Chart # 23

    02. "Bigmouth Strikes Again"
    Released: 19 May 1986

 UK Chart #26

    03."There Is a Light That Never Goes Out"
    Released: 12 October 1992

 UK Chart #25*

 *Was released as a single from ...Best II Compilation Album

 

Let The Day Begin...Let The Day Start!