I just listened to Strangeways last night...I think it's a lovely Lp.

You know what they say about opinions...They're like ********, everybody's got one. His just stinks more than others.

Oops - sorry for being blunt and offensive.

As ugly and insipid as the first article is, the second by Ruvi is beautiful and insightful.

How can one take seriously anything said by someone calling themselves Fitchett?
I think Strangeways is one of the brightest albums. It's so radiant and full of humour.

You see, what that emotionally blind little rat Alistair Fitchett is doing is something that many Smiths fans also seem to do; Slate something artistic and meaningful to people in an (quite transparent) effort to appear clever or ‘discerning’.

This has really ****ed me off. Something must be done! I revoke the basic human right of freedom of speech in order that we may burn this foul heretic! To the stakes, everybody!

side A of strangeways is brilliant.
but, you must admit, side B truly does smell.
or do you revel in truly great songs such as "death at ones elbow"
"i wont share you"
and "unhappy birthday".

Ruvi,Your article was wonderful absolutely brilliant.You`ve totally captured what Morrissey`s lyrics mean to us.The complete honesty and sincerity in them.And that`s why they mean so much to me.Because Morrissey does write about feelings I can relate to and that`s why this beautiful music is so precious to me.

As for the other article.Well let me just say you couldn`t be more wrong!First of all "Strangeways" was a great album.I mean come on "Last Night I Dreamt That Somebody Loved Me Was Absolutely Brilliant"."As was Death Of A Disco Dancer"and "Paint A Vulgar Picture".And "Viva Hate" was excellent.I absolutley love" Late Night, Maudlin Street "it`s absolutely beautiful.Not to mention the other wonderful tracks on this album.~Tibby

...should not be listened to. The worst kind of Englishman-who-thinks-his-journalism-rates-abroad imaginable.

jp
xooxxo

Who doesn't think the Smiths got even better with each LP is a fool. Strangeways is their BEST one and thats one of the many reasons The Smiths have left us the cleanest , best looking corpse in pop music.

The thing that shocks me here is that you will only accept "positive criticism", and that you insult anyone who does not like the smiths. doesnt that seem slightly one-sided to you?

Bombard the guestbook at this miserable site. If everyone lets this Alistair Fitchett know what they think of this he may think twice before writing such rubbish again. I found out he used to do some DJing which could explain a lot!

indeed. it's a good title for this article. it's quite funny when you think of it: you mention The Smiths in your article, and you'll be read. you'll be forgotten when you write good stuff, and for ever remembered when you write bad stuff. for some people it might be the only way to be remembered. like the johnstons. "oh I remembered you"

to embrace you with open arms!
Don't worry, you're still the apple of my eye.

Three cheers to Alistiar Fitchett for providing us with an example of the general populace's inability to understand brilliance. Musical enlightenment remains only for a selected few.Think of how dull your life would be if Aunt Trudy actually quoted lyrics from "I Started Something".Ho hum. As for Mr. Fidget, I assume his mean-spirited criticism is merely his own way of coping with the fact that he will never write anything that touches even the smallest fragment of individuals as a single line of Morrissey's verse. Now if you don't mind I'm off to listen to the terribly relevant Go-Go's.

Strangeways is a controversial record. I read someone stating that "Girlfriend in a Coma" has a carousel-like ring to it, that it's a good thing the Smiths departed after it etc etc. I think it's an extraordinary album, lush, well-recorded and quite focused. It chimes with a beautiful, golden spark (like the cover itself), and Morrissey's voice is particularly good on it. And, of course, it features the sublime, flawless, wonderful "Paint a Vulgar Picture".

Something people like Fitchett seem to forget, that after lyrics, imagery, record sleeves and all the rest is that these are SONGS. Brilliant ones, for the most part--melodies that are stamped on your heart, sung by a voice that never goes out of fashion. It isn't all about "the message", you know--it's music, timeless pop. Relax and let it be so.

Alistair,
  Just a word of advice in the words of my dear Mother: If you can't say something nice, keep your damned mouth shut!
          ~DWGT

Firstly this viewpoint is nothing new - it was however put across better last time i heard it.
Some people, have in the past said that the smiths took a wrong turn after the first album. The naiveity was somehow lost - however i have always thought that this elusive naiveity was simply the poor production of the record.
I feel that critics have sadly deluded themselves (amusingly) - have any actually lost sleep over this? After they live and breathe music, thats why they are critics!!! And yet too dumb to realise my above explaination.
As for some other guy's (i did'nt remember his name - i did'nt want to) assumption that Morrissey liked the british cinema for all the wrong reasons. Films like a taste of honey did challenge the establishment, and they are saying that Morrissey liked them for the wrong reasons???
Crap!
A taste of honey and the "carry on" films FOLLOWED the british tradition by being gritty and though self parady- respectively.
At a time when Hollywood produced musicals and gloss, british cinema was and still is producing drama/ comedy that is challenging. Lets face it , british films are not commecially viable(yes there are exceptions)
To Morrissey growing up with these films these were the tradition, they had challenged and replaced the previous generations traditions.
So for some - "clever" journalist to point out Morrisseys' "misunderstanding" of these films- is merely pointing out their own lack of knowledge.
If you are stupid you should really stay quiet. Mr Filtchit has obviously grasped little bits of people's arguements and reconstructed them to appear like his own and he looks rather silly.

I sent the editors at Tangents a ( admitidtly sophmoric ) piece of my mind. Here is their response...talk about backtracking. Read for yourself....

Okay, for a start, since when was I personally abusive to you?
When
did I call you a moron for still liking Morrissey? Exactly what parts
of
the article were 'ridiculous'? Was it just because I went against the
grain that says that the Smiths are to be treated as sacred cows that
we
must not critically re-appraise? I'd like to point out to you that the
article in fact made the point that certainly between 1983 and 1984 The
Smiths were making a truly unique and important noise, were making
people around the world but specifically in the UK tremble with delight
and in case you missed that bit, maybe you should go back and read it
again. I saw the Smiths for the first time in 1983 and they fucking
changed my life, and I've written words in previous articles on
Tangents
that say as much. That's not to say that I was so stupid as to think
that either they or I wouldn't change over the following years and that
I would continue to buy all of Morrissey's records regardless, or would
fail to consider those records critically. I said in the article too
that they still made some astonishing singles, and that even though I
consider the Queen is Dead to be seriously flawed, it still had some
awesome moments, the title track and Big Mouth being notable. I think
it's important that people question received wisdom, about records,
about anything, and think for themselves. I have read so many reviews
of
the Queen is Dead in particular that make it out to be something it's
not. It's like reading all those stupid reviews of Sgt Pepper, which in
truth is a particularly patchy album if you like the Beatles, and truly
awful if you don't, but there you go. I'm just trying to suggest that
there are other ways of thinking about things, other possibilities out
there, but if you want to keep your head buried and just fling hatred
at
people who dare to make those suggestions, then so be it. You are
welcome to your Morrissey idolatry and you can knee-jerk, knee-jerk,
knee-jerk away.

Alistair

...what a miserable man...

people people...
are we sensitive, caring human beings or ravenous dogs ready to tear a bloke limb from bloody limb just because he thought Strangeways sucked? C'mon!!! The truth is, a ton of great freelance music journalism goes down at the Tangents site. Want proof... read Ravi's article. I find it quite touching, and think the best of us can relate to his words. Mr. Fitchett is entitled to his opinion... so the Queen is Dead is flowed... well, i think his "poetry" on the sleeve of the Aislers Set's "Last Match" album is beyond flawed. As a matter of fact, that's the only bad thing about that album, because the music is the best bloody stuff i've heard in ages!!! I guess the point is, don't burn the book because you hate the cover.

Now to the rest of you with blood in your eyes, settle the hell down, do something nice for a change, tell your mother yer sorry...

ideal