Customer Reviews

The Sound of the Smiths: The Very Best of the Smiths

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(7)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

As a Smiths addict in the 80's, I bought their first few albums and all their import 12" singles on vinyl, then bought the CD versions of their albums, including "Louder Than Bombs" which includes many of the songs on this release. I stayed away from the Smiths-Best of collections because what was the point when I had all the proper releases anyway.

The biggest difference I noticed is that the mix has been recorded MUCH louder with a fuller sound, a recent trend for pop/rock recorded music. I compared What Difference Does It Make? version from Hatful of Hallow to this release -- and it is MUCH louder with the vocals/guitars pumped up in the mix. Personally, I like the Hatful of Hollow version better as Morrissey's voice sounded somewhat distant (and cavalier) and not competing head to head with the guitars. Then I compared "Big Mouth Strikes Again" version from Queen is Dead, and heard the vocals/guitars pumped up. But I couldn't hear any difference in drums/cymbals (not any crisper) which is what I would have expected in a remixed track.

This 45-track CD probably makes sense for those who do not have the proper releases or prior collections. Or completists. There are a couple of live tracks on here, which were previously available only as B-sides to singles. But still, some B-sides left off "Louder Than Bombs" are still not on this release so it is not comprehensive. So here is a quick summary of the less common tracks on this release which aren't found on many other Smiths compilations:

How Soon Is Now? (12" version)- this is the same version as found on "Hatful of Hollow" and "Meat Is Murder", not anything new.

Barbarism Begins at Home (7" version) - this edited version is 3 minutes shorter than the album version found on "Meat Is Murder".

This Charming Man (New York 12" version) - this was once rare to find, but since been released as CD single with 7 versions of the song.

Jeane - originally issued as B-side to "This Charming Man" single.

Wonderful Woman - originally appeared as B-side to "This Charming Man" single.

Handsome Devil (Live) - originally issued as B-side to "Hand In Glove" single.

Meat Is Murder (live) - originally issued as B-side to "That Joke Isn't Funny Anymore" single.

Pretty Girls Make Graves (Troy Tate Demo) - originally issued as B-side to "I Started Something I Couldn't Finish" single.

What's The World?(Live) - originally issued on cassette single "I Started Something I Couldn't Finish" single. I actually had not heard this before.

London (Live) - this was included on the posthumous live album, "Rank".

The 2-CD package also comes with 4-color glossy insert of pics of the Smiths in their prime plus a listing showing each song's release date, UK chart position and what release it originally appeared on. But alas, there is no tacky badge.

To SMITHS fans: PLEASE STOP with the "Best of, most of, satiate the need, re-issue, re-package..." references! Enough!

We've all heard "Paint a Vulgar Picture". It's not rare. It's not obscure. It doesn't make you more of a fan for knowing it. We've all heard what Morrissey said more than 21 years ago... Get over it now... Let it Go!

With that being said, what true Smiths fan doesn't want "Wonderful Woman" remastered??? And what about "Jeane"?? Seriously?! The Troy Tate sessions version of "Pretty Girls Make Graves"?? Superb! I know it was available on the "Stop Me" EP (Japan and Germany), but this sounds MUCH better.

By the way, Johnny Marr himself worked on the remastering with Frank Arkwright (who Marr hand-picked to remaster it with him). "They just made it louder", right? Wrong. They remastered it. They removed the lame equalizers, they removed the tape hiss, they restored it as closely to the original studio sound as Marr could get. If it just sounds louder, then stop listening to it on your computer and try a Real stereo.

This collection finally gives us rarities and things a bit tougher to find. I think it has a few obvious omissions (UNLOVEABLE, RUBBER RING, etc), but overall it's fantastic!

People whine about "Yet another Smiths collection", but let's understand that just because something has come first, it doesn't mean that it's better. This collection SHOULD have been made. What SHOULDN'T HAVE been made was "Best 1" and "Best 2" - which featured songs chosen by some old Warner Brothers record company exec, and "The Very Best of" (with the shockingly bad cover art) was a bit weak as well. THIS collection should have been the one made! Not the others. Somehow, this gets a bad wrap because the other discs were released first. Tell me, is your girlfriend's Ex better than you are? Well, he was first, so...??

Smiths fans: Grab this, you'll love it! People dismissing this as a money-making scheme are exhausting. EVERYTHING on the planet is a money-making scheme. Food is a money-making scheme. Clothing is a money-making scheme. Healthcare is a money-making scheme. If it's that tough to buy a 2CD set of one of the best, most influential bands of all time, perhaps you should get a new job, or change your work ethic so you can make more money. Perhaps trade in your "Best 1" and "Best 2" at your favorite used record shop to get this collection instead.

Don't miss out on the first proper Smiths collection for a true Smiths fan, or someone who already owns all of the albums. You know you'll love it. How could you not?

Most likely if youre looking at this product page, you know exactly who The Smiths are, and what they sound like. So what you really want to know is how to the "remastered" disc sound? Much like you I was eager to own this CD only for the fact to hear The Smiths in all the aural goodness that modern technology can bring. I have to admit, I spend far too much money on music. Music CDs, music equipment, musical instruments, etc. so with my ridiculously overpriced headphones and a nice brand name CD player I plopped this disc in expecting magic. I have to say that the expectations vs. the reality let me down a bit, but that could be my own fault for having too many expectations. Honestly, how much magic could the studio create with 25+ year old masters? On the first through fifth tracks, I really didn't notice any difference in the sound over my "Hatful of Hollow" compilation. Actually most of the tracks sound exactly the same to me. The first track that I really noticed a difference on was "Heaven Knows I'm Miserable Now" because of the guitar intro.
About 10 years ago I used to DJ, and I had this piece of equipment called the "Aural Exciter", and it really enhanced the tracks in some clubs. It gave the music a wider and brighter feel. I think some modern stereos have a 3D effect, and thats what this track sounded like it had going on. On all of the tracks that I could tell had some enhancements, thats what they sounded like - wider and brighter - but not artificially so. There really isnt much going on in the low end. Andy Rourkes bass lines sound the same as they did on all previous issues, as do the vocals.

The one exception to all of the above is found on disc 2. I have a bootleg CD called "The Troy Tate Sessions", and it sounds terrible. One song from these sessions makes this compilation, "Pretty Girls Make Pretty Graves", and this track sounds FANTASTIC compared to my old version... Its difficult to comment on this however, because Im not sure if I have the best copy of the TTS as it was never an official release as far as I know.

I suppose in closing that this is a must-have for the uninitiated..

..However for the rest of us, if youre like me, we already have these tracks from various other collections, and the remastering just isnt that amazing enough to recommend on that point alone. If youre a completionist, pick this up used, or at least when it goes on sale as you'll save a few dollars. Honestly, keep listening to your old CD/records.

I'll skip the track-by-track, in-depth analysis and just make my points. Firstly, to my ears anyway, this definitely sounds MUCH different than the tracks on the original LPs (or CDs). And I hate to say it, but not for the better. I was excited that the somewhat muddled sound of the earlier albums might have been cleaned up with taste and subtlety, and mostly the tracks would be left alone except for the odd tweak here and there, but what greeted me in my headphones was a bit of a shock. Overly spacious and loud, yet also compressed in the ranges which matter, as if they were mastering it for FM radio. I wanted more true dynamic range; all this offers is that faux "roominess" (boominess is the better word) that some liberally applied digital reverb and spatialising offers. These were gee-whiz items in the early 90s when all of pop music was jumping on the effect for its ability to resonate even from cheap speakers, such as those on a computer or in a car, or where there was lots of ambient noise, such as in a club. But when *I* listen to music on headphones, or on a good system in an acoustically neutral room, I don't want all that bassy reverb - I'd go listen to the CDs in a big cave if I did. I want an intimate, upfront sound with a proper soundstage. To quote Mozzer, "Is that too much to ask?"

Sadly, I can't recommend this repackaging of songs from my favourite band. It's ok to have if you're a completist or just want to hear some spacy effects on your most cherished tracks (a bit like the way Depeche Mode or Bjork release tonnes of remixes of most of their songs)... it gives you another option, and options are a good thing. The songs themselves of course remain brilliant, I just personally don't like the new mastering. Fortunately it's not as though the original versions are being discontinued, otherwise I'd have to be even harsher on this set. Go ahead and try it out or even purchase it if you're keen - but don't say I didn't warn you if you find yourself shelving it very soon for the original John Porter / Stephen Street sound that was good enough for the majority of us in the 80s, and still sounds great to my ears in 2009. Although having said that, I'd *still* buy a "correctly" cleaned up remastering, something akin to the new Beatles releases... Thanks for reading my review!

Rhino is usually VERY careful with sound, which is why it's so disappointing to discover that this release is hot mastered, just like everything else these days. Open any of the tracks in an audio editor and you'll see what I mean. Heck, "The Headmaster Ritual" is as loud and clipped as anything off the new Smashing Pumpkins album!

Truly a disappointment. Rhino, you should've known better.

Yeah, so you all knew it was coming. So here we have yet another Smiths hits release and yet again this collection is not a perfect fit for either newcomers, casual fans, or hardcore completists.

Newcomers and casual fans are simply seeking the bands biggest hits in their original versions. You're not going to be able to appreciate the subtle changes present in the Peel Sessions unless you're wholly familiar with the originals. The superiority of those and the originals are entirely subjective anyway, and the inclusion of these seeming randomly selected rare cuts here are confusing at best.

This newest collection is roughly half originals and half live/peel session/alternate takes etc. Some of which is labeled here, some isn't (for instance, the version of "Stretch Out and Wait" here is an alternate take with different lyrics than the one found on LOUDER THAN BOMBS).

The completists, such as myself, find it awfully irritating to have to sift through the material we already have to get to the rare tracks. Most of which are already available by other means, but never so nicely restored in sound quality.

A more logical release would entail a two-pronged approach in which one version featured all The Smiths hits as they originally appeared on their studio albums and singles. The other release would only contain the rarities, live cuts, demos, and all the related miscellany.

As it stands, this is a collection that tries vainly to be everything to everyone and succeeds at nothing. I'll pass.

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.

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.

I had to get this. There are some great rarities, and as a career retrospective, I don't think the track-listing could be better. In my opinion, nothing is missing here. Also, every track is completely remixed and remastered, but therein lies a problem. They sound different.

I heard Marr "supervised" the production (i.e. - remixing and remastering), but when hearing this one wonders what happened to the magic from the original mixes. It is nice to hear a more modern sounding version of the songs, but I often find myself missing the original treatments. A lot of effects have been removed, leaving the old Mozzah out on a limb in some cases, and the instruments are more distinguishable, but not always as bright as you may be used to.

Unfortunately, nearly every track suffers from this problem and cannot be considered a definitive version. Where was Stephen Street?

Anyway, apart from all that, the discs contain some wonderful treasures like the live cut of "Meat Is Murder", interestingly in a different key, and "Jeane" which is hard to come by anymore and oddly sounds better than some of the other songs. I had never heard the instrumental, "Money Changes Everything" either so I'm pleased to have acquired some great new cuts. Never mind "What's The World". It still sounds like crap.

If you are trying to get into The Smiths, I recommend "The Queen is Dead" and "Louder Than Bombs" for starters and branching out from there, as you can't really go wrong, although the self-titled album and some of the tracks on "Hatful of Hollow" sound a bit raw to one who prefers their more polished work.

I picked this up with the sole intention of deciding for myself if they truly lived up to their reputation as one of the premier British bands of the 80s, having miraculously missed them on the airwaves completely back when they were still active in the music scene.

Being a huge EBTG fan, my interest was stoked by constant references from critics to the Smiths' influence on Thorn and Watt's flirtation with New Wave on the 1985 album, 'Love Not Money'.

From the first song on 'The Sound of...' I began to hear for myself the distinct sonic quality of the jangly guitars and Morissey's plaintive yet emotive vocals that EBTG aimed for in those early days, with all due respect to both bands. I was also elated to find 'Shakespeare's Sister' in the mix, having learnt that the name of Siobhan Fahey's power group (expertly spelled as 'Shakespears Sister') was inspired by that song.

Along the way, I also heard that familiar 'Charmed' tune, 'How Soon Is Now?" (arguably popularised again by Russian girlgroup Tatu in the noughties), as well as 'Last Night I Dreamt That Somebody Loved Me' (which I first heard on the single by Eddi Reader, Boo Hewerdine and Clive Gregson in the 90s), and all that was only on Disc 1. How did I miss this superb music growing up?

Am so spooked by this release I'm gonna check out New Order's reissues and finally get acquainted with Joy Division's 'Love Will Tear Us Apart' as part of my re-education of the 80s music that I missed.

Combine an introverted bedroom wordsmith (Morrissey) with an extroverted understated guitar genius (johnny Marr) and you have arguably England's best musical marriage since Lennon and McCartney. The Smiths live on in the hearts and minds of those who survived the eighties and those naive youngsters who wish they had been there. Hopeful romantics may want to pick up this latest greatest collection from England's Kings of Melancholy. The Sounds of The Smiths is a wonderful compilation for Smiths completists and newbies alike.

The great tunes are all here (How Soon is Now, This Charming Man, Panic) along with b-sides from their import singles (Jeane, Handsome Devil). We're told they've been remastered but this it is hardly noticable to these concert worn ears. What you're really getting here is a generous sampling of some of the finest music and lyrics written and recorded in the last 25 years.

If you've never heard Morrissey's mournful croon, I'd suggest checking out a sample before buying this CD (his unique voice is a deal breaker for some.) But if you appreciate cruel irony and wicked wit mixed with shimmering melodic guitar in an indie-rock supermodel package then The Sound of The Smiths should be your next purchase. With apologies to Natalie Portman and The Shins, this is the music that could change your life...