Track Listing

Disc 1:

1. Hand in Glove (3:17)
2. This Charming Man (2:41)
3. What Difference Does It Make ? (Peel Session version) (3:12)
4. Still Ill (3:20)
5. Heaven Knows I'm Miserable Now (3:34)
6. William, It Was Really Nothing (2:10)
7. How Soon Is Now? (12" version)(6:45)
8. Nowhere Fast (2:36)
9. Shakespeare's Sister (2:08)
10. Barbarism Begins At Home (7" version) (3:49)
11. That Joke Isn't Funny Anymore (4:58)
12. The Headmaster Ritual (4:51)
13. The Boy With The Thorn In His Side (3:15)
14. Bigmouth Strikes Again (3:12)
15. There Is A Light That Never Goes Out (4:03)
16. Panic (2:19)
17. Ask (3:14)
18. You Just Haven't Earned It Yet, Baby (4:03)
19. Shoplifters of the World Unite (2:56)
20. Sheila Take a Bow (2:41)
21. Girlfriend in a Coma (2:02)
22. I Started Something I Couldn't Finish (3:47)
23. Last Night I Dreamt That Somebody Loved Me (3:09)

Disc 2:

1. Jeane (3:02)
2. Handsome Devil (Live) (2:53)
3. This Charming Man (New York Vocal) (5:33)
4. Wonderful Woman (3:08)
5. Back To The Old House (3:04)
6. These Things Take Time (2:22)
7. Girl Afraid (2:44)
8. Please, Please, Please Let Me Get What I Want (1:50)
9. Stretch Out And Wait (2:37)
10. Oscillate Wildly (3:26)
11. Meat Is Murder (Live) (5:34)
12. Asleep (4:10)
13. Money Changes Everything (4:40)
14. The Queen Is Dead (6:23)
15. Vicar in a Tutu (2:21)
16. Cemetery Gates (3:35)
17. Half a Person (3:35)
18. Sweet And Tender Hooligan (3:34)
19. Pretty Girls Make Graves [Troy Tate Demo] (3:42)
20. Stop me If you Think You've Heard This One Before (3.31)
21. What's The World? (Live) (2:06)
22. London (Live) (2:36)

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #1142 in Music
• Released on: 2008-11-10
• Number of discs: 2
• Format: Original recording remastered
• Dimensions: .31 pounds

CD Description
Focusing on one of the most influential British guitar groups of all time, this timely deluxe compilation of singles, b-sides, live performances and rarities is a testament to a band that defined an era. From Morrissey's wry and emotional lyrics for the alienated to Johnny Marr's complex and inventive guitar rhythms, the band broke the mould and remain one of the most enduring and intriguing groups of recent history. Includes the singles 'There Is Light That Never Goes Out','This Charming Man' and 'How Soon Is Now'.

Customer Reviews

"I Keep Mine Hidden"
It's really serious. The Smiths probably have the messiest catalogue there is. Around two thirds of their songs appear on the four studio albums while the remaining third are scattered across several compilations and rare CD-singles. Warner, unlikeEMI, have never been interested in milking a catalogue (or creating coherent and necessary reissues).

Looking through the dozen or so titles down your local retailer, the racks are clogged up with no less than four "greatest hits" collections and three rarities sets. These really need to be consigned to the bargain bin so they can be replaced with more streamlined compilations that would supplement the albums with at least some degree of logic: all the non-album songs (with a vocal) would fill a CD. Add to that a second disc of instrumentals, alternative versions, and live b-sides and you have a superlative two-disc set. A CD of BBC sessions is also required.

And so to the Rhino 45-track "The Sound Of The Smiths": judging by the title and cover photo of the group themselves, this was not sanctioned by Morrissey and Marr. The first disc is a chronological run-through their "greatest hits" with a couple of slightly different versions thoughtfully substituted. But the perfectly titled andartworked "Singles" from 1995 was the definitive best-of for all time, comprising every A-side in chronological order.

The second disc presents an alternative view of The Smiths career, digging deeper and throwing up some rarities in the process: the live version of "Handsome Devil" and the Troy Tate produced version of "Pretty Girls Make Graves" appear on CD for the very first time; while "Jeane", "Wonderful Woman" and the live James cover "What's The World?" have at last been compiled. You'll still have to buy the "Panic" CD single if you want to hear the studio version of "The Draize Train". And locate the US CD-single of "Sweet And Tender Hooligan" to find "I Keep Mine Hidden" and "Work Is A Four Letter Word".

The catalogue of what many regard as the greatest musical force since The Beatles remains still ill.

Great compilation & the music sounds better than ever!
Let's just start by addressing some of the gripes in the other reviews:

Morrissey and Marr are NOT "working together"... Marr oversaw the remastering of the original tapes for this compilation - and the tracks really do sound better than ever. Morrissey simply provided a perfunctory title (if Warners press releases are to be believed...). A statement on Morrissey's (semi)official website confirms that he does not endorse this "slapdash" compilation and asks his fans to spend their money elsewhere.

The reason why there is no "proper", "comprehensive", "in depth" (call it what you like) issuing of Smiths out-takes, rarities, etc, whether as stand-alone discs or incorporated into expanded editions of the original studio albums, is really very simple indeed: Morrissey has made it abundantly clear that he will NEVER agree to anything that will financially benefit Mike Joyce, the Smiths' drummer who took Morrissey & Marr to Court. So Warners/Rhino will always be limited to simply reissuing only the material they have and in formats that do not require permissions from Morrissey and Marr. This new compilation is about Warners/Rhino wanting to make more money, not Morrissey being "down to his last eight million" as someone has stupidly commented.

So let's stop reviewing the Smiths legacy and dwelling on all the irrelevant "What if?"s and concentrate on the disc in hand... the sound is phenomenally good. The one-disc edition is a superb introduction to The Smiths for newcomers - the two-disc edition is more for die-hard fans (who will probably resent not being able to buy the second "rarities and extras" disc on its own).

Missed Oppurtunity
Completely agree with most of the above comments - what was needed was a release like The Beatles "Past Masters" discs, mopping up the non-album tracks be they A-sides, B-sides or 12" versions etc.

They really missed a chance to do that here - as well as the aforementioned "Draize Train", "I Keep Mine Hidden" and "Work Is A Four Letter Word" omissions, I'd like to add that it appears that the non-BBC version of "Accept Yourself" is still unavailable on CD except on hard to get "This Charming Man" CD maxi singles. This also had Jeanne and Wonderful Woman (included here at last), but I think the alternative "Manchester" (or was it "London") version of This Charming Man was only ever on 12" vinyl (may be wrong there). And the original B-side of "Stretch Out And Wait" had a couple of different lyrics to the one used later on compilations - has that one ever been on CD? Maybe that's the version included here. Also, a missed chance to put out the original 12" B-side crossfaded segue of Rubber Ring/Asleep. Annoying!

Apparently Morrissey and Johnny Marr had some input - perhaps they've deliberatley missed off some stuff they didn't like? Still, I think that as one of the greatest bands of all times (SECOND best band of the 80's did someone say?!? Yeah, right, like there was anyone better), all their official releases should be available for posterity. Or better still, why didn't someone just go through "The Songs That Saved Your Life" and put every single thing in there into a box set! Including the whole Troy Tate album, please (my copy is rather rubbish quality)!

Still, 4 stars for what IS on it, one withheld for the omissions.