Chad Williams

Favourite track: 'There Is A Light That Never Goes Out'

Happy 30th Anniversary to The Smiths' The Queen Is Dead. What does this album mean to me? Well that's very easily answered, and nearly impossible too. It's quite simply the best example of a perfect studio album--a pinnacle, the template for other indie/alt rock bands, and the standard for which all other (like-minded bands') albums should be measured. The lyrical content fashioned by Morrissey, interwoven with Marr's musical genius, along with stellar bass and percussion respectively contributed by Rourke & Joyce, meld into the quintessential listening experience. The flow of the songs from one to the next is as sound as each individual song, providing the listener a flawless aural trip through nearly every emotional avenue. It's probably the album that (musically) defined most of my adolescence and early college years, and continues to define my life (every time I play my guitar). An immense thank you to each band member, and everyone else who helped make this album possible.