The Smiths ‎– Strangeways, Here We Come Vinyl LP

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The Smiths

The Smiths were an English rock band formed in Manchester in 1982. The group consisted of vocalist Morrissey, guitarist Johnny Marr, bassist Andy Rourke, and drummer Mike Joyce. Critics have called them one of the most important bands to emerge from the British independent music scene of the 1980s. In 2002, the NME named the Smiths “the artist to have had the most influence on the NME”. In 2003, all four of their albums appeared on Rolling Stone’s list of the “500 Greatest Albums of All Time”.

The band broke up in 1987 due to internal tensions and have turned down several offers to reunite.

The Smiths ‎– Strangeways, Here We Come 10 Track LP

LP Tracklist

SIDE 1

01 A Rush and a Push and the Land Is Ours
02 I Started Something I Couldn’t Finish
03 Death of a Disco Dancer
04 Girlfriend in a Coma
05 Stop Me If You Think You’ve Heard This One Before

SIDE 2

06 Last Night I Dreamt That Somebody Loved Me
07 Unhappy Birthday
08 Paint a Vulgar Picture
09 Death at One’s Elbow
10  I Won’t Share You

Sadly, the Smiths could not stay together. One of the distinct highlights of the 1980s post-punk landscape, the Smiths as a group conjoined the power of adolescent angst with gorgeous pop melodies. The marriage of Johnny Marr’s music to Morrissey’s lyrics came together for one last push with this, the Smiths’ fourth and final studio album. With Stephen Street as co-producer, the British quartet achieved a fuller sound that made Marr’s guitar colourings particularly bright with strings and horns added in strategic spots. Morrissey matched the production’s additional hues by writing another batch of punchy, pithy musings, including “Girlfriend In a Coma,” in which solemn horror is eased by an indelible melody. “Stop Me If You Think You’ve Heard This One Before,” “Last Night I Dreamt That Somebody Loved Me” and “Unhappy Birthday” encapsulate and extend Morrissey’s heartfelt self-pity. He’s clearly aware of the impression he’s making and reveling in his own cheekiness. This playful demeanor balances the desperate anger that lurks underneath (“Paint a Vulgar Picture,” “I Won’t Share You’).