There must be quite a few things The Smiths won’t cure, but I don’t know many of them. Their final album, Strangeways, Here We Come, is not only an example of what The Smiths sound like (it’s great to listen to if you’re a first-timer), but also what their lyrics are like. It’s as if they thought: ‘We’ve got all this experience now and should do something with it: how about we sum up what we’ve done over the years in music?’ And what that is: an alternative rock sound, every now and then safely lying under a blanket of dreamy softness. This album was made in 1978, right before the Smiths broke up: but on Strangeways, Here We Come they’re legendary as always.

Band members at the time:

Morrissey – vocals, piano
Johnny Marr – guitar, keyboards, harmonica, synthesized strings and saxophone arrangements
Andy Rourke – bass guitar
Mike Joyce – drums

They manage to create a very ominous mood to start the album off with in A Rush, A Push And The Land Is Ours. Morrisseys sparse vocals seems to echo somewhere in the distance, telling you he ‘travelled to a mystical time zone.’ Well, obviously, that’s where we’re in. Long drum rolls built tension as they yearn to break into song. I love this song for it’s creepiness but wouldn’t say this is a great opener.

What would have been a champion opener is track number two: I Started Something I Couldn’t Finish. Marr is on fire with his intro: playing a few chords in five seconds. Five, and he turns it into the best five seconds ever played – he continues that awesomeness throughout the song: especially dominant during the bridge, where after Morrissey starts grunting to synthesizer sounds. I Started Something I Couldn’t Finish carries that characteristic Smiths-feeling that is best described as: I-want-to-sing-along-and-dance-even-though-the-lyrics-are-depressing-LALALA. Yes, thát.

You would expect something called Death Of A Disco Dancer to have a disco sound but it doesn’t. It’s actually a sad song with a guitar riff slowly stumbling up at the start, it will make your eyes water. Morrissey does the in-your-face thing by singing: ‘If you think peace is a common goal, that goes to show how little you know.’ Not afraid to tell it how it is. Death Of A Disco Dancer is a welcome, quiet follow-up to I Started Something and a song definitely worth listening to the lyrics to.

Ah, Girlfriend In A Coma. It’s two note bass intro sets the mood for the entire album. The sparkling guitar picking and cloudless drum beat are balancing on the edge of inappropriateness, that’s how little they have in common with the lyrics: ‘Girlfriend in a coma, I know it’s really serious. There are times where I could have murdered her.’ I could see the part where the synthesizer is shooting out backing a hospital scene in a film. According to Wikipedia, Girlfriend In A Coma replaced the main theme of The Drew Carey Show in an episode where Drew ended up in a coma.

Energizing again in Stop Me If You Think You’ve Heard This One Before. Bent drums kick in to support the finger bleeding guitar service, right before vocals come leaping in out of nowhere. The lyrics paint a perfect portrait of Morriseys simple but confounding songwriting: ‘I still love you, only slightly less than I used to.’ The chorus is so catchy, you do not want to stop Moz, even if you have heard this one before.

And now, for something completely different: Last Night I Dreamt That Somebody Loved Me is a magical five minute world of complete and utter darkness. For the first two minutes, it’s only a few sullen, scattered piano chords played out over a background of war like screaming, after which a very heavy, crestfallen musical arrangement comes crashing in. This is the kind of atmosphere that would have fit the lyrics of Girlfriend In A Coma, it will leave you welled up for sure.

Unhappy Birthday is a true delight to listen to. Of course, the lyrics go: ‘I’ve come to wish you an unhappy birthday because you’re evil and you lied,’ but it’s the catchiest song in the world, which, honestly, is refreshing after the freeway of immense unhappiness Last Night I Dreamt was. Silky guitar strumming is caressing the faster-paced bass line. The only bad thing I can say about this song is that it’s under three minutes long so you’ll have to put it on repeat.

Paint A Vulgar Picture is a six minute slice of Smithy divineness. Like Girlfriend In A Coma, it has that sunlit feeling that will radiate on your love of music, thanks to the colourful, driving guitar embracing the deep drum pattern. The guitar solo that sets in halfway through the song is as memorable as sunset at the beach with the love of your life. ‘Sadly, this is your life. But you could have said no, if you wanted to. You could have walked away, couldn’t you?’ The Smiths have the straightforwardness of a one way street.

Death At Ones Elbow is what I’d say rock ‘n roll - it makes me want to dance immediately. For a few seconds, it’s only clapping, but then it unfolds into a layered, dynamic arrangement where all the instruments play an equally important role in. Still, the steadily walking guitar seems to take the lead, but Morrisey makes a close second. This song should have it’s own dance.

I Won’t Share You provides the moment of rest needed after Death At Ones Elbow. Marrs acoustic guitar work is honey on a sugar pile of sweets and basically leads the song by itself. Meanwhile, Morrisey poars his heart out over the difficulty of wanting things he can’t have: ‘I won’t share you with your drive and ambintion, this is my time.’ You’d expect it to burst out into a snappy, loud chorus but it keeps calm and quiet and that’s exactly what gives I Won’t Share You that I-can-relax-at-last feeling. Outstanding ending.

Every track on this album is equally exceptionally excellent, that’s what I’ll say about Strangeways, Here We Come. I would recommend this to anyone, regardless of their taste in music. It’s an album you absolutely can’t miss, I can’t wrap my mind around how in love I am with The Smiths and this album in particular.

P.s. Yes, the first sentence of this review is an altered Sylvia Plath quote, indeed. And yes, ‘and now for something completely different’ I took from Monthy Python. Stating the obvious here, but don’t plagiarise or take on loan: so say The Smiths – in Cemetery Gates.

Song list and rating:

1. A Rush and a Push and the Land Is Ours 3:00 ****
2. I Started Something I Couldn't Finish 3:47 *****
3. Death of a Disco Dancer 5:26 ****
4. Girlfriend in a Coma 2:03 *****
5. Stop Me If You Think You've Heard This One Before 3:32 *****
6. Last Night I Dreamt That Somebody Loved Me 5:03 *****
7. Unhappy Birthday 2:46 *****
8. Paint a Vulgar Picture 5:35 *****
9. Death at One's Elbow 2:01 *****
10. I Won't Share You 2:48 *****

Total time: 36:02
Overall rating: 4,8

 

Recommended: Yes

Great Music to Play While: Reading or Studying