“It’s hard to recommend a compilation album from The Smiths when there have been quite a number of them. But ‘The Sound of the Smiths’ is the best one out there because not only are you getting the popular hits but you’re getting the B-sides, live tracks and rare versions of other songs on the Deluxe Edition. So, if you don’t own the previous works, then this version is definitely worth it!”
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ARTIST: The Smiths
ALBUM: The Sound of the Smiths: Deluxe Edition (Digital Version)
LABEL: Rhino/Warner Bros.
DURATION: 153:14
RELEASE DATE: November 10, 2008
DISK 1:
1. “Hand In Glove”
2. “This Charming Man”
3. “What Difference Does It Make? (Peel Session)”
4. “Still Ill”
5. “Heaven Knows I’m Miserable Now”
6. “William, It Was Really Nothing”
7. “How Soon Is Now?”
8. “Nowhere Fast”
9. “Shakespeare’s Sister”
10. “Barbarism Begins At Home (7″ Version)”
11. “That Joke Isn’t Funny Anymore (Edit)”
12. “The Headmaster Ritual”
13. “The Boy with the Thorn In His Side”
14. “Bigmouth Strikes Again”
15. “There Is a Light That Never Goes Out”
16. “Panic”
17. “Ask”
18. “You Just Haven’t Earned It Yet, Baby”
19. “Shoplifters of the World Unite”
20. “Sheila Take a Bow”
21. “Girlfriend In a Coma”
22. “I Started Something I Couldn’t Finish”
23. “Last Night I Dreamt That Somebody Loved Me (Single Edit)”
DISK 2:
1. “Jeane”
2. “Handsome Devil (Live at The Haçienda, Manchester 4/2/83)”
3. “This Charming Man (New York Vocal)”
4. “Wonderful Woman”
5. “Back to the Old House”
6. “These Things Take Time”
7. “Girl Afraid”
8. “Please, Please, Please, Let Me Get What I Want”
9. “Stretch Out and Wait”
10. “Oscillate Wildly”
11. “Meat Is Murder (Live at Oxford Apollo 18/3/85)”
12. “Asleep”
13. “Money Changes Everything”
14. “The Queen Is Dead”
15. “Vicar In a Tutu”
16. “Cemetry Gates”
17. “Half a Person”
18. “Sweet and Tender Hooligan (Peel Session 17/12/86)”
19. “I Keep Mine Hidden”
20. “Pretty Girls Make Graves”
21. “Stop Me If You Think You’ve Heard This One Before”
22. “What’s the World? (Live at The Barrowlands, Glasgow 25/9/85)”
23. “London (Live at National Ballroom, Kilburn)
As a big fan of the Smiths, their music has been a big part of my life and even to this day, I have not grown tired of any of the songs.
My first exposure of the group was through the “Pretty in Pink” Soundtrack with the song “Please, Please, Please Let Me Get What I want” back in 1985 and from that point in time, I’ve been a big fan of the Smiths and Morrisey, owning a lot of the albums and videos.
What I loved about the band’s music is their self-depricating humor. For example, a brilliant song such as “There is a Light that Never Goes Out” with lyrics for its chorus is a prime example of the kind of humor within their music:
And if a double-decker bus
Crashes into us
To die by your side
Is such a heavenly way to die
And if a ten-ton truck
Kills the both of us
To die by your side
Well, the pleasure – the privilege is mine
Or the classic song “Panic”:
Burn down the disco
Hang the blessed DJ
Because the music that they constantly play
IT SAYS NOTHING TO ME ABOUT MY LIFE
Hang the blessed DJ
Because the music they constantly play
There is something about the music of the Smiths that is just special. I could go on and on of how well-thought out the lyrics are for a lot of their songs were and just shows you why the Smiths were so influential.
Within that 20+ years, outside of the full-length albums, fans have had the opportunity to listen to a lot of the awesome hits from the band via various compilation and best albums.
With the 1992 release of “The Best of the Smiths, Vol. 1” and then the second volume following not long after, a new best release would come out in 2001 titled “The Very Best of the Smiths” which was another awesome compilation and for those who bought the “The Best of…” on audio cassette, what better time was it to upgrade to all the hits songs on CD.
And seven years later, we now have “The Sound of the Smiths”. Before one would scream “record label trying to milk my hard earned money”, I will say that this latest compilation includes much more extra music.
People have the choice of either the regular edition (with the first disc) or the deluxe edition which includes a second disc with b-sides, rare material and live tracks. Also, if there is any consolation for fans, this album had involvement by lead vocalist Morrisey and guitarist Johnny Marr.
Now, if you were planning to just buy the regular edition, then I suggest going for “The Very Best of The Smiths”, because you get all of their major hits on one album. But if you want The Smiths experience of owning some really cool rare music now finally made available, then I highly recommend the Deluxe Edition.
As mentioned, the second disc comes with some rarities such as the Troy Tate version of “Pretty Girls Make Graves”. Troy Tate being the producer of the band’s first album but he was replaced with another producer, so a lot of the original music produced by Troy Tate is rare or featured on some underground bootleg cassette or disc’s.
Then you get a few live tracks such as “Handsome Devil”, “Meat is Murder” and “What’s the World”. Heck, it was my first time listening to the New York vocal of “This Charming Man”. So, even for someone like myself who owns a lot of the band’s releases, there are some tracks that I have never heard until now.
For those that are purchasing digital versions of this album, the iTunes for the regular version has two additional tracks with “Hand In Glove (Live At Brixton Ace 29/6/83)” and “What She Said”, while the second disc comes with the additional tracks “Rubber Ring” and “The Draize Train.” Also, some online music stores do not have the the following two tracks included on the second disc: “I Keep Mine Hidden” and “London (Live at National Ballroom, Kilburn)”.
I know that a band like “The Smiths” will continually have compilations and best albums but it’s great to see this album come with so much more music. Again, if you just want the popular tracks that every loves, you can get by with any of their best albums released previously.
But you can’t go wrong with this release because of its sheer content. So, I definitely recommend checking out the deluxe edition of “The Sound of the Smiths”. If you are a fan of the Smiths, Morrisey or Johnny Marr, you won’t be disappointed.
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