*MY* vote for their masterpiece

While the popular consensus is that The Queen Is Dead was their masterpiece, I tend to find Strangeways their finest studio achievement, which unfortunately was followed by the breakup of the band after the recording was complete (but before the album was released). How daring is it that the opening number, the great A Rush and a Push and the Land is Ours, contains not one bit of guitar? Or the overlooked masterpiece Death of a Disco Dancer, where the band fires on all cylinders and Morrissey delivers some of his wryest and best lyrics to date? Stop Me If You Think You've Heard This One Before is awesome, and if Last Night I Dreamed That Somebody Loved Me doesn't tug at your heart, from the eerie intro to the pleading performances from all 4 band members, then something is wrong with you. Bitterness and sadness drip from Unhappy Birthday, which is often overlooked in The Smiths' canon of work. Even the final track, I won't share you, which is simply Marr on autoharp and Morrissey singing with a little bass from Rourke, is pure perfection. As is the album (with the exception of one song, the lame Death At One's Elbow).

Magnificent in a word

If wrote nearly as well as these songs are composed I'd be able to express better my admiration for this work; this is thoughtful, soulful pop music as it was meant to be.

Oh yeah, and it KICKS.

Not As Obviously Brilliant As "The Queen Is Dead"

"Strangeways, Here We Come" brought an end to what is probably the most remarkable 4½-year, organically whole recording career in the history of popular music. The Smiths were wise to not try to follow up "The Queen Is Dead" with "Our Greatest Masterpiece, Part II". However, since they probably did not know that it was to be their last new album, "Strangeways" has the feel of a transitional record, much like "Meat Is Murder". But while

"Meat Is Murder" would have ended the band's career (not that it threatened to) with something of a whimper, "Strangeways" ends it with a bang.



The cliché of the "sophomore slump" has been too much of a reality for some artists . The Smiths managed to eschew this with "Hatful of Hallow", which, though it was more of a collection than a proper studio album, contained some of the the band's greatest material. Following what might be called a "junior slump", The Smiths delivered their masterpiece, "The Queen Is Dead". Having leap-froged the sophomore slump, they were now back at square two, so to speak. Following up a masterpiece can be as arduous as delivering on the promise of a great debut. Although a masterpiece gives a band some room to maneuver, it also sets a high standard to live up to. This what The Smiths faced as they entered the studio for what was to be their final recording together.



"Strangeways" turned out to be a Janus-faced record. The band tried to move forward with more ornate production, but they generally ended up sounding better when they stuck to what had always worked for them. The longer and shorter songs sit comfortable among one another, even if the longer songs can feel too long at times. "Girlfriend In A Coma" is a truly classic Smiths song, with its two minutes filled to the brim with every ounce of bitterness, love, and irony that Morrissey can muster. (And what better setting for a Smiths song than a hospital?) On the other hand, "Paint A Vulgar Picture", at 5 ½ minutes, is probably the most entertaining song on the CD. A swipe at the record industry's efforts to milk artists for all that they are worth, Moz still manages to splice in verses about how he has lost his true love. The song has also proven to be pretty ironic given the fact that The Smiths' own catalog has gone through extensive re-issuing and re-packaging, including several best of's and most of's. (Another swipe on the CD, "Death of a Disco Dancer", - featuring Moz on piano - is less effective than "Panic", the band's other swipe at the same subject.)



Among the other songs are the guitar-less "A Rush and a Push and the Land is Ours", which kicks of the disc with energy and aplomb, and expresses Morrissey's typical sentiments without crashing into caricature. (Note Morrissey's wonderful growling as well.) "I Started Something..." - in which Moz ruins a perfectly good friendship by saying "I love you" - "Stop Me..." - in which he gets beat up on the way to meet someone he loves - and the string-laden "Last Night I Dreamt..." are also bona fide Smiths classics. Meanwhile, "Unhappy Birthday" and "I Won't Share You" are smaller but equally valuable gems, and "Death At One's Elbow" is a nice slice of Smiths-style rockabilly.



On the whole, The Smiths may have slipped a bit from "The Queen Is Dead" on their final album, but they had plenty of room to do so. They still ended up with a brilliant record. It was wise and brave of the band to challenge themselves, even if the best songs on "Strangeways" are not necessarily the result of this. Moreover, it was clear from this album that the break-up was not due to the creative well running dry, but rather, to the personal and creative differences between Morrissey and Marr. (I have heard one interpretation of "I Won't Share You" to be Morrissey's way of telling Marr that he didn't appreciate Marr's moonlighting on sessions with other artists.) So while this may not be the *very* best Smiths record or the favorite of most fans, it is still worthy of 5 stars.



And just for the record: Johnny Marr, speaking over a decade after "Strangeways" was released, said the following: "I don't think this album is what we're about to most people. They've decided that "The Queen Is Dead" is the better album and I don't agree. All the songs are better, it's better produced and it's got better atmosphere. I might be wrong but I don't think I am....It's the one Smiths record I've actually sat down and listened to since the break-up." Morrissey, when asked how he felt about Marr's opinion that "Strangeways" was their best album, said, "Well, it is. We're in absolute accordance on that. We say it quite often. At the same time. In our sleep. But in different beds." Food for thought, indeed.