Strangeways, Here We Come (1987)

Strangeways, Here We Come is the fourth and final studio album by the English rock band the Smiths. It was released on 28 September 1987 by Rough Trade Records, a few months after the band had broken up. As with their other albums, all of the songs were composed by Johnny Marr, with lyrics written and sung by Morrissey. The record marked a stylistic shift for the band, incorporating a broader range of instrumentation and a more experimental sound than their previous releases. It achieved commercial success and has since been regarded by all four band members as their finest work.

Following the critical acclaim of their 1986 album The Queen Is Dead, the Smiths experienced increasing public attention and media presence. Despite internal tensions and the departure of temporary rhythm guitarist Craig Gannon, the band returned to the studio in early 1987 to fulfill their final contractual obligation to Rough Trade. During the recording sessions at the Wool Hall recording studio in Bath, Somerset, relations within the band remained relatively stable. However, Johnny Marr left the band shortly after the sessions were completed, effectively breaking up the band before the album's release.

The album reached number two on the UK Albums Chart, staying on the chart for 17 weeks. It was also an international success, peaking at number 16 on the European Albums Chart from sales covering 18 major European countries, staying on that chart for nine weeks. It rose to number 55 on the US Billboard 200. The album was certified gold by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI) on 1 October 1987 and also by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) on 19 September 1990.

Background

Following the release of The Queen Is Dead on 16 June 1986, the Smiths experienced a significant rise in public impact, peer recognition, and media attention. A legal dispute with their label, Rough Trade Records, delayed the album's release; the record had been completed by the end of 1985 but was withheld for months due to contractual and financial tensions with the label. Johnny Marr described the touring and media attention as exhausting. Although The Queen Is Dead is often considered the band's strongest by critics, neither band members Morrissey nor Marr viewed it as their definitive album.

Bassist Andy Rourke was briefly dismissed from the band in early 1986 amid struggles with heroin addiction, but was soon reinstated. Guitarist Craig Gannon had joined temporarily as a rhythm guitarist, expanding the band to a five-piece. In the months after The Queen Is Dead, the Smiths returned to the UK singles chart with two Top 20 hits, "Panic" and "Ask". The accompanying tour provoked intense scenes of fan hysteria, particularly in North America and England. During this period, "I Know It's Over" emerged as a centrepiece of their live performances, often serving as the final song before the encore, as heard on the live album Rank.

Gannon left the band by the end of 1986, and the Smiths played their final concert at a benefit event at Brixton Academy on 12 December. By 1987, the band had grown frustrated with the "jingly-jangly" label that had followed them throughout their career. That autumn, they announced their departure from Rough Trade and signed with EMI, at which point, according to biographer Simon Goddard, "their position among the big league on the global pop stage seemed more feasible than ever". The deal required them to deliver one final album to Rough Trade before transitioning to EMI.

Recording and production

The Smiths recorded what was to be their final studio album at the Wool Hall studios in Bath, Somerset, England, in March 1987. The sessions began with some friction; on the first night, Marr, after drinking, confronted producer Stephen Street, voicing frustration over the expectations that the Smiths would continue their familiar "jingly-jangly" guitar sound. Marr approached the sessions with a deliberate intention to reduce the use of overdubs and to avoid filling all available sonic space. He described entering the studio with a "new confidence" and a desire to explore different textures and arrangements. Despite underlying tensions, the recording sessions had been notably cohesive. Although the band would dissolve before the album's release, internal relations during the sessions were relatively stable, with the principal source of stress stemming from their situation with Rough Trade.