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In praise of... the Smiths

Leader
Friday June 16, 2006
The Guardian

Joan of Arc, a vicar in a tutu, Oscar Wilde and Cleopatra - the parade of characters comes thick and fast. Twenty years ago today the album that brought them together was released in the Smiths' finest hour: The Queen is Dead. Recent adulation from surprising quarters, including the leader of the Conservative party, should not distract from our appreciation.

Morrissey's lyrics and Johnny Marr's guitar and synthetic textures combine to create a complex, troubled atmosphere that give cohesion to a hugely varied collection of songs. Pop anthems (Bigmouth Strikes Again), literary ditties (Cemetry Gates) and haunting ballads such as I Know It's Over are all part of the mix in an essentially British blend. The title track - dubbed Morrissey's state-of-the-nation address - gave a wry but grim portrait of an atomised 1980s Britain still limbering under imperial delusions.

It reached No 2, a rare success at the time for an indie album, and so helped pave the way for the Manchester music scene of the late 80s, and the subsequent Britpop explosion that rescued mainstream pop from its doldrums.

Morrissey's direct influence can be seen in the lyrics of Pulp and, more recently, Belle and Sebastian, while Marr has been cited as an influence by Noel Gallagher and the Stone Roses. That legacy ensures the album's place amongst the all-time greats. But whatever the afterglow, the sheer beauty of the album's defining track will remain for fans a light that never goes out.