A
Ann Coates
Guest
On BBC Radio 6, they'll be featuring songs from the Queen is Dead all day, as it is their album of the day:
The Smiths: The Queen is Dead
All this week on 6 Music we're examining the impact that music has on our moods with featured artists talking about the emotional power of music, or the most-emotional songs they've ever written or heard. As part of Songs That Saved Your Life, this week's Albums of the Day are highlighting the artists who have struggled with mental health whilst making great music:
Although widely regarded as the finest album The Smiths ever made, The Queen is Dead had to overcome various obstacles on its passage to greatness. Record company politics, management troubles and the temporary loss of bassist Andy Rourke had all played their part in upsetting the band’s fragile balance prior to release. In addition, guitarist Johnny Marr was beginning to buckle under the self imposed strain of creating the band's definitive statement.But in this case, adversity was the mother of invention. Morrissey and Marr cemented their position as one of British pop's definitive duos, displaying an astonishing breadth of vision. Morrissey's lyrics showed a wider satirical sweep than ever - the title track in particular perfectly encapsulated the bleak nuclear winter that was 80s Britain for many listeners. But Morrissey also found humour amongst the despair - on Frankly Mr Shankly and Some Girls Are Bigger Than Others, he settles into his role as music's greatest wit and raconteur. Johnny Marr's guitar work is also truly startling, whether building complex webs of chords, jazzy textures or bouncing rockabilly. He also wrote the string arrangements, heard to best effect on There Is A Light That Never Goes Out, Morrissey's greatest evocation of doomed romance. Of course, the chemistry between Marr and Morrissey wasn't to last. The weight of expectations and the complex dynamics between the mercurial frontman and his guitar foil would finish The Smiths after Strangeways Here We Come. But they would cast a long shadow over subsequent British guitar pop, it’s songs winning a place in the hearts of millions of listeners.
BBC 6
The Smiths: The Queen is Dead
All this week on 6 Music we're examining the impact that music has on our moods with featured artists talking about the emotional power of music, or the most-emotional songs they've ever written or heard. As part of Songs That Saved Your Life, this week's Albums of the Day are highlighting the artists who have struggled with mental health whilst making great music:
Although widely regarded as the finest album The Smiths ever made, The Queen is Dead had to overcome various obstacles on its passage to greatness. Record company politics, management troubles and the temporary loss of bassist Andy Rourke had all played their part in upsetting the band’s fragile balance prior to release. In addition, guitarist Johnny Marr was beginning to buckle under the self imposed strain of creating the band's definitive statement.But in this case, adversity was the mother of invention. Morrissey and Marr cemented their position as one of British pop's definitive duos, displaying an astonishing breadth of vision. Morrissey's lyrics showed a wider satirical sweep than ever - the title track in particular perfectly encapsulated the bleak nuclear winter that was 80s Britain for many listeners. But Morrissey also found humour amongst the despair - on Frankly Mr Shankly and Some Girls Are Bigger Than Others, he settles into his role as music's greatest wit and raconteur. Johnny Marr's guitar work is also truly startling, whether building complex webs of chords, jazzy textures or bouncing rockabilly. He also wrote the string arrangements, heard to best effect on There Is A Light That Never Goes Out, Morrissey's greatest evocation of doomed romance. Of course, the chemistry between Marr and Morrissey wasn't to last. The weight of expectations and the complex dynamics between the mercurial frontman and his guitar foil would finish The Smiths after Strangeways Here We Come. But they would cast a long shadow over subsequent British guitar pop, it’s songs winning a place in the hearts of millions of listeners.
BBC 6
