Product Description

A composite of radio sessions and sundry early singles, HATFUL OF HOLLOW provides an alternative snapshot of the Smiths' early career. Compiled in the wake of their debut album, it exhibited all of their considerable strengths, in particular Johnny Marr's ringing, expressive guitarwork. The riff hecreates on 'How Soon Is Now' is thoroughly captivating. Vocalist Morrissey's distinctive croon and solipsistic lyrics are already unique and give the group its originality. At times ironic, at others wistful (as on 'Back To The Old House'), he takes the Smiths into new areas of expression and his contrasting visions are fully expressed herein.

Track Listing

1. William It Was Really Nothing
2. What Difference Does It Make
3. These Things Take Time
4. This Charming Man
5. How Soon Is Now
6. Handsome Devil
7. Hand In Glove
8. Still Ill
9. Heaven Knows I'm Miserable Now
10. This Night Has Opened My Eyes
11. You've Got Everything Now
12. Accept Yourself
13. Girl Afraid
14. Back To The Old House
15. Reel Around The Fountain
16. Please Please Please Let Me Get What I Want

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #1867 in Music
• Released on: 1993-11-15
• Number of discs: 1

Amazon.co.uk Review
Hatful Of Hollow presents the raw and yearning performances of the early Smiths at their best, with Morrissey singing "'the sun shines out of our behinds" on the iconic "Hand In Glove", his tongue firmly in his cheek. For many Smiths devotees, this is the band's alternative debut album, containing vital Smiths recordings like the John Porter produced "How Soon is Now?". Other less well-known delights include a beautifully mordant acoustic rendition of "Back to the Old House" and the kitchen sink melancholy of "This Night Has Opened My Eyes". Hatful Of Hollow is a sixteen track collection that is taken in the main from BBC Radio 1's cutting edge John Peel and David Jensen evening shows in 1984. Like The Beatles at The BBC, The Smiths radio sessions sound both timeless and epoch defining, and there is no better introduction to the band's beguiling talent than on Hatful Of Hollow. --James Littlewood

Customer Reviews

'Slap Me On The Patio...'
'Hatful of Hollow' is one of those releases brought about by an opportunistic record company (in this case deservedly) milking the cash cow 'til it's udders sting.
Rough Trade is far and away the most important UK record label. It's roster of vitally important acts is massive and unsurpassed anywhere music's made, so when it finally hit big with Salford's finest, not many begrudged the necessary avarice.
On the surface; shameful bleeding, just a few short months after the Smiths' fine debut - but underneath, far and away the best album that ever displayed their name.
Simply, it's a collection of singles, b-sides and sessions for BBC radio, but this superfluously hideous product information masks what it really is; sheer unadulterated brilliance.
The list of important songs on 'HoH' is very long indeed. 'Accept Yourself',(my very favourite Smiths song) 'Back to the Old House', 'This Night Has Opened My Eyes', 'William It Was Really Nothing', 'Girl Afraid', each and every one a unique, igneous classic. Not a falter, not one second of filler, 'HoH' is magnificently consistent. The Morrissey/Marr symmetric is ablaze, the Rourke/Joyce auxiliary is pyretic. We are talking about rock music which is high up the rungs of the evolutionary ladder, and there isn't much above it. Funny, moving, passionate, and not without it's fair share of dash and glisten, this THRASHES a Cure, New Order, U2, or whoever else were making big noises at the time.
Political as hell, with an unholy amount of jocular cynicism, 'HoH' is frighteningly perceptive. Morrissey spoke to a ready and waiting sub-generation, eddying up the fun-factor, while deceiving others into thinking he was moping and depressed.
Yes, people actually think his lyrics are depressing; a reassuring thought as 'HoH' once again rips through your speakers. We know something they don`t. This, aligned to the ubiquitous gang thing, were what the Smiths were all about.
All Smiths albums have good stuff on 'em, but this is the only one that's unequivocally brilliant from first note to last.

One of the finest Albums of all time....maybe
While getting a lift of a mate of mine some twenty odd years ago I was persuaded to give this album a listen. Although being a tad too pretentious to be willingly listening to, what I saw then as, mainstream chart music, I though I'd give it a shot....and I never looked back....until of course dear Morrissey started banging on about 'Bengali's in platforms' and telling us who does, and who doesn't 'belong here'. I tried my hardest to see some irony in his words and forgive him for being too clever maybe for his boots....but I couldn't....although, I've not let it effect my view of this work of genius....and thank Johnny Marr for that!

Still Ill After all These Years
The Smiths debut album `The Smiths' was not popular with the critics, this was down to the quality of their early singles and the sessions they had recorded for radio sessions being so high that expectations were running high, they could only fail. Their record company, Rough Trade, had a solution, they hastily collected the singles, some b-sides and some choice session versions of the album tracks and put it on sale as `Hatful of Hollow'. Genius.

The songs collected here are fantastic and picking any out as highlights is virtually impossible, however I'm going to go single out `Still Ill' which still sounds as fresh as it did over twenty five years ago.

Most song writers on being compared to Lennon-McCartney get all embarrassed but Morrissey and Marr just got on and lived up to it.