The Queen Is Dead (Remastered By Johnny Marr)

iTunes Review

For their third studio album, The Smiths subtly expanded their sound for the title track's epic structure. While still at their best as a singles act, the band could also pull off a cohesive, flowing album, and The Queen Is Dead remains the band’s most dramatic record, addressing Morrissey’s concerns with everything from stardom (“Frankly, Mr. Shankly”) to celibacy (“Never Had No One Ever”) to his usual arsenal of limitless self-pity (“Bigmouth Strikes Again”). He even knows "how Joan of Arc felt.” This self-parodic approach pays humorous dividends and works best on the thrilling tingle of the incredibly romantic “There Is a Light That Never Goes Out,” where he offers “If a double-decker bus crashes into us/To die by your side/Such a heavenly way to die.” There simply was never another band as openly confessional and conversational, so willfully sincere and cheeky. The forlorn hangover that haunts “The Boy with the Thorn in His Side,” the goofy empathy of "Some Girls Are Bigger Than Others,” and the inevitable “I Know It’s Over” make The Queen Is Dead among the era’s most fascinating releases.