I’d put Strangeways as my third favourite Smiths album after their first self-titled and The Queen is Dead. I really love some of the Strangeways tracks but over-all as an album it doesn’t necessary gel together, there isn’t a particular coherency that I feel would be evident with the aforementioned albums. Especially with TQID I feel like the order of the track listing is pretty important as to how the songs are understood and appreciated. I had The Smiths greatest hits before I bought any of the proper albums and it really wasn’t until I enjoyed them in their original context that I really got them and felt the feelings and emotions behind them. For example, I never particularly liked Some Girls until I’d been through the emotionally draining experience of listening to the whole album and then allowing this final soothing beautiful melody drift over me with Morrissey’s strange detached voice, it was like the remedy to allow you to face the world again. If that makes sense!
With Strangeways however, the songs seem very individual and can stand alone on their own right, it’s not necessary to know what precedes/ proceeds them on the album. I particularly love Girlfriend, Last Night I Dreamt, Unhappy Birthday and I Won’t Share You. Morrissey’s voice is beautiful on this album it has to be said, I love his vocals on Death of a Disco Dancer, I think he said he was pleased with how his voice sounded because all the touring they’d been doing had warmed it up, or whatever the technical term is, and you can definitely appreciate that.
