暗黑色的唱片封套印照着一种冷峻、严肃的气质,乐队的照片也是黑白的,透着英国人特有的感觉。如果你注意的话,唱片的扉页里写着一句话“take me back to dear old blighty”,回家,回什么家呢?
进行曲式的音乐响起,Morrissey冷漠地在节奏中起舞,标题曲显得辉煌而又幻灭, the Queen不是英国女王,而是撒切尔夫人,一个铁女统治的英伦时代,世界是变化的或还是一陈不变,而强人统治和偶像能带给世界什么呢。歌的结尾处, Morrissey吟唱着,“life is very long / when you're lonely”。在专辑的其它地方,也可以感受到The Smiths对历史对生命的疑惑和忧虑,只是The Smiths 没有直白地言论,而是用象征或隐喻将景象无限放大,你仿佛看见在缓慢的律动中,生活给予你的残酷“Oh mother,I can feel the soil falling over my head”“I had a really bad dream / it lasted 20 years,7 months,and 27days / Never had no one ever”,当在Never had no one ever中的口哨声响起时,生命和历史在不停的抖动中呈现了残酷的美。
而在像Frankly, MR Shankly、Big mouth Strikes Again、Some Girls Are Bigger Than Others这样的曲子中,The Smiths则用诙谐幽默的笔触诉说着一个个夸张的喜剧小品。专辑中的其它曲子也大多用叙事的方式在轻快的节奏中让你体验生命的短暂欢乐和由此发出的质问。
在那首著名的There is a light, That Never Goes out中,那种罗曼蒂克的、英雄主义的氛围盘旋着,一种无望之后的希望,那一点亮光,是绝望里的一个美好象征。“Oh God / my chance has come at last”“take me anywhere,I don't care / just driving in your car / I never never want to go home / because I haven't got one / I haven't got one”。联想起唱片扉页里的那句题说,The Smiths的追问也就是,有物化的家园,却无精神家园可归。The Smiths没有给我们答案,他们在冰冷的节奏里欢快而麻木地舞动着,The Queen Is Dead,Punk is dead,在The Smiths那里,已经听不到咆哮和直白的愤怒,他们轻轻地把自己包裹好,在冰冷的美好里用节奏和旋律涂抹着灰白的画卷,掩饰青春和历史的症侯。这张专辑可以让你忧伤地起舞,也可以笑着哭泣。
专辑曲目:
1.The Queen Is Dead - 6:23
2.Frankly, Mr. Shankly - 2:17
3.I Know It's Over - 5:48
4.Never Had No One Ever - 3:36
5.Cemetry Gates - 2:39
6.Bigmouth Strikes Again - 3:12
7.The Boy With the Thorn in His Side - 3:15
8.Vicar in a Tutu - 2:21
9.There Is a Light That Never Goes Out - 4:02
10.Some Girls Are Bigger Than Others - 3:14