The end of the line (Strangeways Here We Come - The Smiths)

Member Name: ronniec

Product:	Strangeways Here We Come - The Smiths
Date:	09/10/02 (296 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Lyrically strong, Some rarer songs

Disadvantages: Musically mediocre, Lyrically introverted

The last of the Smiths albums, Strangeways Here We Come is probably the band's weakest offering and paints a very different picture of the group than that of the previous three. Recorded around the time of their split, the album oozes the resigned tones of a swansong. Much like the dying swan, the Smiths' final words were beautifully tragic.

Whereas the first three Smiths albums were aggressive both musically and lyrically, Strangeways seems comfortable sat back with a much calmer sound and Morrissey's lyrics seem to reflect his personal life at the time. A mix of romantic confusion and resignation, combined with the growing divisions within the group, produced an album which does not have the musical greatness of earlier EPs or lyrical wit which makes the first album, The Smiths, a classic. Describing a Smiths album as depressing is akin to pointing out the Pope is Catholic, but Strangeways runs an extra mile with rare hint of anything brighter on the horizon.

In some ways this is disappointing. What should have been a glorious end to their life as the greatest pop band of the time, instead finishes as an introverted bemoaning of the world around Morrissey. Every song concerns Morrissey's ills, from his rejection of love in the opening track through to his cry that 'this is my time' in the ending song.

Strangeways also marks a clear move towards Morrissey's sound, the slower and more relaxed sound which he used throughout his solo career. Johnny Marr's guitars, for once, do not really grab the attention. They serve more as a platform for Morrissey, the backing sound never really shining and in some places being quite poor - the tackiness of Death At One's Elbow, for example, which barely resembles a Smiths song at all. At this time Marr was becoming disillusioned with the band and this perhaps reflects in his work on this album. It seems half-hearted, unoriginal, going through the motions.

Deat
h Of A Disco Dancer is probably the highlight of the album, its melancholic sound beating the late 90s indie rush by ten years. Again, this is a cynical, sad song in which Morrissey seems to have abandoned all hope and is resigned to his fate. The well-known Girlfriend In A Coma and Stop Me If You Think.. are the only recognised hits from this album, both included on the greatest hits albums. With previous Smiths albums it can be taken for granted that the best tracks will not be the popular ones, but those hidden away filling the album. With Strangeways, this is not the case. Those two tracks are among the best on the album, with the remainder struggling to shine.

Lyrically, Morrissey is as sharp as ever yet doesn't help himself by being so introverted. The lines of the opening track, in which he wonders why those beneath him find love so easy to come by, are as wonderfully tragic as anything from the Smiths' past. From there on, however, the album seems to descend into self-pity. I Started Something... has Morrissey bemoaning his own inadequacy and lack of confidence, Unhappy Birthday is a bitter journey through Morrissey's past, Paint A Vulgar Picture is a cry for help by Morrissey... the theme should be obvious by now. Of course, Morrissey was always centre-stage in the earlier albums, but here he seems to dominate and control the entire album.

For a Smiths fan, regardless of all the above, Strangeways is an essential purchase. The album fillers may not be classics but for those who adore Morrissey's words, they are gems nonetheless. Strangeways is not a good starting point for those new to The Smiths, their debut album and The Queen Is Dead being much more accessible and lively. Strangeways is an odd finale to The Smiths' career, but deserves attention despite. Even an introverted, self-obsessed Morrissey is worth ten of today's stars.

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