Strangeways, Here We Come

Infobox Album | Name = Strangeways, Here We Come
Type = Album
Artist = The Smiths


Released = September 28, 1987
Recorded = Spring 1987
Genre = Alternative rock
Length = 36:37
Producer = Johnny Marr, Morrissey and Stephen Street
Label = Rough Trade Records
Reviews =
*Allmusic Rating|4|5 [http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:d9fwxqu5ldke link]
*Robert Christgau (B) [http://robertchristgau.com/get_artist.php?name=the+smiths link]
*"Rolling Stone" (Not Rated) [http://www.rollingstone.com/artists/thesmiths/albums/album/322034/review/5945877/strangeways_here_we_come link]
Last album = "The Queen is Dead"
(1986)
This album = "Strangeways, Here We Come"
(1987)
Next album =

"Strangeways, Here We Come" is the fourth and final studio album by The Smiths, originally released in 1987. The album takes its title from Manchester's notorious (and now renamed) Strangeways Prison, whilst the line "Borstal, here we come" is taken from "Billy Liar". All of the songs on the album were composed by Johnny Marr, with lyrics written and sung by Morrissey. The album was certified Gold by the RIAA on 09/19/1990.

About the album

The Smiths recorded what was to be their final studio album at the Wool Hall studios in Bath, England. Although still firmly an indie record, it finds the band experimenting with overtly synthesized saxophone and string arrangements and drum machine additions.

Between the record's recording in March and its release in September 1987 the band had broken up after Johnny Marr announced in August that he had left the band. The album rose to No. 2 in the British and No. 55 in the American charts.

"Strangeways, Here We Come" may be The Smiths' last album, but it does not feature their last-ever recordings, as a final two songs were recorded in May 1987 to provide B-sides for the album's lead single, "Girlfriend in a Coma" (see the entry on "I Keep Mine Hidden", B-side for this single and the last song The Smiths recorded). Two more singles were taken off "Strangeways, Here We Come"; they were supplemented on their B-sides by archive recordings.

Cover

The sleeve for "Strangeways, Here We Come", which was designed by Morrissey, features a murky shot of "East of Eden" co-star Richard Davalos. Davalos is looking at James Dean, who is cropped from the image. Dean was a hero of Morrissey's, about whom the singer wrote a book called "James Dean Is Not Dead". Five years later, when designing the sleeve for WEA's "Best of" compilations, Morrissey again chose Davalos as a cover star, and Davalos is looking at Dean, who is once again cropped.

As revealed in Jo Slee's collection of Smiths and Morrissey sleeve artwork, "Peepholism", Davalos was not the original choice for cover star. Morrissey wanted to use a still of Harvey Keitel in Martin Scorsese's "I Call First" (also known as "Who's That Knocking At My Door"(1967)), but Keitel declined to allow him to use the image. In 1991 Keitel relented, and the image was used on t-shirts and stage backdrops for Morrissey's 1991 solo tour.

Track listing

All songs written by Morrissey/Marr.

# "A Rush and a Push and the Land Is Ours" - 3:00
# "I Started Something I Couldn't Finish" - 3:47
# "Death of a Disco Dancer" - 5:26
# "Girlfriend in a Coma" - 2:03
# "Stop Me If You Think You've Heard This One Before" - 3:32
# "Last Night I Dreamt That Somebody Loved Me" - 5:03
# "Unhappy Birthday" - 2:46
# "Paint a Vulgar Picture" - 5:35
# "Death at One's Elbow" - 1:58
# "I Won't Share You" - 2:48

Personnel

Band

* Morrissey - vocals, piano on "Death of a Disco Dancer"
* Johnny Marr - guitar, keyboards, harmonica, synthesized strings and saxophone arrangements
* Andy Rourke - bass guitar
* Mike Joyce - drums

Additional musicians

* Stephen Street – additional drum machine programming on "I Started Something I Couldn't Finish", "Paint a Vulgar Picture" and "Death at One's Elbow", and strings arrangement for "Girlfriend in a Coma"The sleeve notes list "Orchestrazia Ardwick" as being responsible for performance of the strings and saxophone arrangements; in reality, this is Johnny Marr and his synthesizer.

Technical staff

* Johnny Marr, Morrissey, and Stephen Street – producers
* Steve Williams – assistant engineer