Britská skupina The Smiths z Manchesteru, založená v roku 1982, patrí medzi najvplyvnejšie formácie nezávislej scény osemdesiatych rokov. Stála na opačnom póle než syntézatorový mainstream a inšpirovala celú generáciu následovníkov od Stone Roses až po Oasis. Jadro kapely tvorila dvojica Morrissey (spev) a Johnny Marr (gitara), ktorá skupine vtlačila charakteristický výraz.
Album The Queen Is Dead vyšiel 16. júna 1986 na vydavateľstve Rough Trade Records a stalo sa vyvrcholením tvorby kapely. Nahrávalo sa medzi júlom a decembrom 1985 v štúdiách v Londýne, Farnhame a Manchesteri, produkciu mali na starosti sami Morrissey a Marr, engineering Stephen Street. V britskej hitparáde album dosiahol druhú priečku, v USA sa umiestnila na 70. priečke Billboard 200. Časopis NME neskôr označil nahrávku za najdôležitejší album histórie. Toto dvojdiskové vydanie na CD obsahuje celkovo 23 skladieb – remasterovanú pôvodnú nahrávku doplnenú o demosnímky (vrátane I Know It's Over a There Is a Light That Never Goes Out) a B-strany singlov ako Rubber Ring alebo Asleep.
V čase vydania tvorili The Smiths päťčlennú zostavu: Morrissey (spev), Johnny Marr (gitara), Andy Rourke (basa), Mike Joyce (bicie) a Craig Gannon (sprievodná gitara).
Skladby
CD1
1. The Queen Is Dead (2017 Master) [6:24]
2. Frankly, Mr. Shankly (2017 Master) [2:17]
3. I Know It's Over (2017 Master) [5:47]
4. Never Had No One Ever (2017 Master) [3:36]
5. Cemetry Gates (2017 Master) [2:38]
6. Bigmouth Strikes Again (2017 Master) [3:11]
7. The Boy With the Thorn In His Side (2017 Master) [3:15]
8. Vicar In a Tutu (2017 Master) [2:22]
9. There Is a Light That Never Goes Out (2017 Master) [4:02]
10. Some Girls Are Bigger Than Others (2017 Master) [3:16]
CD2
1. The Queen Is Dead (Full Version) [7:14]
2. Frankly, Mr. Shankly (Demo) [2:18]
3. I Know It's Over (Demo) [5:48]
4. Never Had No One Ever (Demo) [4:40]
5. Cemetry Gates (Demo) [3:01]
6. Bigmouth Strikes Again (Demo) [3:06]
7. Some Girls Are Bigger Than Others (Demo) [3:57]
8. The Boy With the Thorn In His Side (Demo Mix) [3:18]
9. There Is a Light That Never Goes Out (Take 1) [4:25]
10. Rubber Ring (Single B-Side) [2017 Master] [3:54]
11. Asleep (Single B-Side) [2017 Master] [4:02]
12. Money Changes Everything (Single B-Side) [2017 Master] [4:41]
13. Unloveable (Single B-Side) [2017 Master] [3:55]
