by
The Smiths
- Record Label: Rhino / Warner Bros.
- Release Date: Oct 20, 2017
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Nov 3, 2017There's not much left to say about The Queen is Dead, arguably the high point of The Smiths' formidable catalog, that hasn't been written before. Nevertheless, the notable thing about this reissue is the previously unreleased material on the bonus discs, which is enough to entice the interest of long-time fans who thought they'd heard everything there is to hear.
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Oct 27, 2017In their short time together and in their subsequent careers as solo artists, Morrissey and Marr have yet to equal or surpass what they accomplished here. This one belongs to the ages.
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Oct 23, 2017Morrissey’s words and delivery were never more deftly idiosyncratic or grandly moving; Johnny Marr’s guitar overflows with sparkling melody while his arrangements sustain a balance between spareness and intricacy. Rhythm section Andy Rourke and Mike Joyce supply foundation and frolic, proving once again how indispensable they were to the group’s magic. ... The demos contain differences that will interest the diehards.
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MagnetOct 19, 2017At the remove of three decades, this album remains as fresh and unconventional as the day the songs were first committed to tape. [No. 147, p.60]
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MojoOct 19, 2017The whole thing only underline what a ferocious rock band they had become. [Nov 2017, p.106]
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Q MagazineOct 19, 2017Everything you love about the band is here, along with anything you don't. ... The demos drive home just how beautifully The Smiths played together. [Nov 2017, p.116]
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Oct 19, 2017Decisively unmodern yet not quite retro, The Queen Is Dead sounds every bit as ineffably marvelous now as it must have in 1986, and this reissue is as good an excuse as any to let it charm us all over again.
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Oct 19, 2017This 1986 Morrissey-Marr career peak proves enduringly rich and rewarding in its punchy, remastered, expanded form.
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UncutOct 19, 2017Not as generous with its outtakes as a leaked CD-R suggested Rhino's 20th-anniversary edition in 2006 would have been, the inevitable round-up of B-sides does at least--and this is a big plus--reuinite "Rubber Ring" and "Asleep" in an unbroken segue. ... The Mansfield gig is a worthwhile addition to the official catalogue, though collectors will notice six of the 19 songs played that night are not included. [Nov 2017, p.40]
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Oct 19, 2017The demos and live tracks will be intrigue enough--while the as-yet unconvinced may be surprised to find an album that remains relevant; as resonant, daring and evocative as it ever was.
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Oct 19, 2017The piquant combination of Morrissey’s blithe aloofness and double-edged, acidly humorous lyrics with Johnny Marr’s endlessly inventive, precociously African-influenced guitar parts was rarely more effective than here.
User score distribution:
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Positive: 102 out of 117
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Mixed: 4 out of 117
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Negative: 11 out of 117
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Oct 22, 2017
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Jan 11, 2018
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Jan 7, 2018