Recently celebrating twenty-five years since its 1986 release, “The Queen is Dead” has become renowned as one of the greatest albums to be released within the past quarter of a century.
Opening with the title track, purveying Johnny Marr’s wah-wah driven guitar, beside Mike Joyce’s brutal backbeat, topped off with Morrissey’s politically incorrect, witty lyricism. Manifesting itself into a crescendo of alternative bliss, and a fundamental brick within the proverbial path towards the dawning of Britpop.
Also withholding classic singles such as the aptly titled “Bigmouth Strikes Again” still relevant today, regarding Morrissey’s recent antics. As well as the absolute classic; “There Is A Light That Never Goes Out,” sure to bring about intense feelings of emotion as to the band’s exceptional song-writing skills and the way that Morrissey’s baritone vocals are accentuated marvellously by Marr’s jangly guitars as well as the track’s string ensemble.
Yet not to forget gems such as “I Know It’s Over” and “Never Had No One Ever,” telling autobiographical tales of a life of sorrow and celibacy. However, not all tracks on the album are low-tempo, despair inducing numbers. Taking for instance; the frankly ridiculous “Vicar in a Tutu” and witty, vocally led; “Frankly Mr. Shankly,” allegedly directed at Geoff Travis, the founder of Rough Trade Records.
It is unsurprising that “The Queen is Dead” is regarded as The Smiths’ masterpiece and should, without any doubt, be an essential addition to any music fan’s record collection.
Jonathan Hatchman.
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