THE SMITHS - The Smiths (1984) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Arriving in an era dominated by synth pop and gloomy post-punk, the Smiths' eponymous debut was the bracing beginning of a new era. On the surface, the Smiths' sound wasn't radically different from traditional British guitar pop -- Johnny Marr's ringing, layered guitars were catchy and melodic -- but it was actually an astonishing subversion of the form, turning the structure inside out. Very few of the songs followed conventional verse-chorus structure, yet they were quite melodic within their own right. Marr's inventive songwriting was made all the more original and innovative by Morrissey's crooning and lyrics. Writing about unconventional topics, from homosexuality ("Hand in Glove") to child molestation and murder, Morrissey had a distinctively ironic, witty, and literate viewpoint whose strangeness was accentuated by his off-kilter voice, which would move from a croon to a yelp in a matter of seconds. While the production of The Smiths is a little pristine, the songs are vital and alive, developing a new, unique voice within pop music. Though the Smiths continued to improve over the course of their career, their debut remains startling and exciting. by Stephen Thomas Erlewine  
Tracklist :
1    Reel Around The Fountain 5:57
 Johnny Marr / Morrissey
2    You've Got Everything Now 4:00
 Johnny Marr / Morrissey
3    Miserable Lie 4:28
 Johnny Marr / Morrissey
4    Pretty Girls Make Graves 3:43
 Johnny Marr / Morrissey
Voice [Female] – Annalisa Jablonska
5    The Hand That Rocks The Cradle    4:37
 Johnny Marr / Morrissey
6    Still Ill    3:20
 Johnny Marr / Morrissey
7    Hand In Glove    3:22
 Johnny Marr / Morrissey
8    What Difference Does It Make?    3:50
 Johnny Marr / Morrissey
9    I Don't Owe You Anything 4:04
 Johnny Marr / Morrissey
10    Suffer Little Children 5:29
 Johnny Marr / Morrissey
Voice [Female] – Annalisa Jablonska
Credits :
Bass Guitar – Andy Rourke
Drums – Mike Joyce
Guitar, Harmonica, Music By – Johnny Marr
Piano, Organ – Paul Carrack (faixas: 1, 2, 9)
Sleeve, Voice, Words By – Morrissey

THE SMITHS - Meat Is Murder (1985) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

With their second proper album Meat Is Murder, the Smiths begin to branch out and diversify, while refining the jangling guitar pop of their debut. In other words, it catches the group at a crossroads, unsure quite how to proceed. Taking the epic, layered "How Soon Is Now?" as a starting point (the single, which is darker and more dance-oriented than the remainder of the album, was haphazardly inserted into the middle of the album for its American release), the group crafts more sweeping, mid-tempo numbers, whether it's the melancholy "That Joke Isn't Funny Anymore" or the failed, self-absorbed protest of the title track. While the production is more detailed than before, the Smiths are at their best when they stick to their strengths -- "The Headmaster Ritual" and "I Want the One I Can't Have" are fine elaborations of the formula they laid out on the debut, while "Rusholme Ruffians" is an infectious stab at rockabilly. However, the rest of Meat Is Murder is muddled, repeating lyrical and musical ideas of before without significantly expanding them or offering enough hooks or melodies to make it the equal of The Smiths or Hatful of Hollow. by Stephen Thomas Erlewine  
Tracklist :
1. The Headmaster Ritual     4:52
2. Rusholme Ruffians     4:19
3. I Want The One I Can't Have     3:13
4. What She Said     2:40
5. That Joke Isn't Funny Anymore     4:57
6. Nowhere Fast     2:35
7. Well I Wonder     4:00
8. Barbarism Begins At Home     7:00
9. Meat Is Murder     6:05
Credits :
Bass Guitar – Andy Rourke
Drums – Mike Joyce
Guitar [Guitars], Piano, Music By – Johnny Marr
 – Johnny Marr
Producer – The Smiths
Voice, Words By  – Morrissey

THE SMITHS – The Queen Is Dead (1986/2011) RM | FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Meat Is Murder may have been a holding pattern, but The Queen Is Dead is the Smiths' great leap forward, taking the band to new musical and lyrical heights. Opening with the storming title track, The Queen Is Dead is a harder-rocking record than anything the Smiths had attempted before, but that's only on a relative scale -- although the backbeat is more pronounced, the group certainly doesn't rock in a conventional sense. Instead, Johnny Marr has created a dense web of guitars, alternating from the minor-key rush of "Bigmouth Strikes Again" and the faux rockabilly of "Vicar in a Tutu" to the bouncy acoustic pop of "Cemetry Gates" and "The Boy With the Thorn in His Side," as well as the lovely melancholy of "I Know It's Over" and "There Is a Light That Never Goes Out." And the rich musical bed provides Morrissey with the support for his finest set of lyrics. Shattering the myth that he is a self-pitying sap, Morrissey delivers a devastating set of clever, witty satires of British social mores, intellectualism, class, and even himself. He also crafts some of his finest, most affecting songs, particularly in the wistful "The Boy With the Thorn in His Side" and the epic "There Is a Light That Never Goes Out," two masterpieces that provide the foundation for a remarkable album. Stephen Thomas Erlewine
Tracklist :
1    The Queen Is Dead (Take Me Back To Dear Old Blighty (Medley)    6:25
 Johnny Marr / Morrissey
2    Frankly, Mr. Shankly    2:19
 Johnny Marr / Morrissey
3    I Know It's Over    5:50
 Johnny Marr / Morrissey
4    Never Had No One Ever    3:38
 Johnny Marr / Morrissey
5    Cemetry Gates    2:41
 Johnny Marr / Morrissey
6    Bigmouth Strikes Again    3:14
 Johnny Marr / Morrissey
7    The Boy With The Thorn In His Side    3:17
 Johnny Marr / Morrissey
8    Vicar In A Tutu    2:23
 Johnny Marr / Morrissey
9    There Is A Light That Never Goes Out    4:04
 Johnny Marr / Morrissey
10    Some Girls Are Bigger Than Others    3:18
 Johnny Marr / Morrissey
Credits :
Mastered By [Remastered By] – Johnny Marr
Music By – Johnny Marr (faixas: 2 to 10)
Words By – Morrissey (faixas: 2 to 10)
Written-By – Mills (faixas: 1), Scott (faixas: 1), Godfrey (faixas: 1)

THE SMITH - Strangeways, Here We Come (1987) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Recorded as the relationship between Morrissey and Johnny Marr was beginning to splinter, Strangeways, Here We Come is the most carefully considered and elaborately produced album in the group's catalog. Though it aspires greatly to better The Queen Is Dead, it falls just short of its goals. With producer Stephen Street, the Smiths created a subtly shaded and skilled album, one boasting a fuller production than before. Morrissey and Marr also labored hard over the songs, working to expand the Smiths' sound within their very real boundaries. For the most part, they succeed. "I Started Something I Couldn't Finish," "Girlfriend in a Coma," "Stop Me if You Think You've Heard This One Before," and "I Won't Share You" are classics, while "A Rush and a Push and the Land Is Ours," "Death of a Disco Dancer," and "Last Night I Dreamt That Somebody Loved Me" aren't far behind. However, the songs also have a tendency to be glib and forced, particularly on "Unhappy Birthday" and the anti-record company "Paint a Vulgar Picture," which has grown increasingly ironic in the wake of the Smiths' and Morrissey's love of repackaging the same material in new compilations. Still, Strangeways is a graceful way to bow out. While it doesn't match The Queen Is Dead or The Smiths, it is far from embarrassing and offers a summation of the group's considerable strengths. by Stephen Thomas Erlewine  
Tracklist :
1    A Rush And A Push And The Land Is Ours    3:00
 Johnny Marr / Morrissey
2    I Started Something I Couldn't Finish    3:45
 Johnny Marr / Morrissey
3    Death Of A Disco Dancer 5:25
 Johnny Marr / Morrissey
Piano – Morrissey
4    Girlfriend In A Coma    2:02
 Johnny Marr / Morrissey
5    Stop Me If You Think You've Heard This One Before    3:32
 Johnny Marr / Morrissey
6    Last Night I Dreamt That Somebody Loved Me    5:02
 Johnny Marr / Morrissey
7    Unhappy Birthday    2:45
 Johnny Marr / Morrissey
8    Paint A Vulgar Picture    5:35
 Johnny Marr / Morrissey
9    Death At One's Elbow    1:58
 Johnny Marr / Morrissey
10    I Won't Share You    2:49
 Johnny Marr / Morrissey
Credits :
Bass Guitar – Andy Rourke
Drums – Mike Joyce
Guitar, Piano, Arranged By [Strings and Saxophone] – Johnny Marr
Strings – Orchestrazia Ardwick
Voice, Artwork [Sleeve] – Morrissey