The Smiths - Complete (2011) {8CD Boxset, Remastered}

Album Review:

Often imitated, rarely matched, The Smiths have grown to be one of Britain’s most influential groups. No band since has truly captured the incredible dynamic of Johnny Marr’s musical genius and Morrissey’s lyricism. Completed by Andy Rourke on bass and Mike Joyce on drums, the band is often cited as the key precursor to the Britpop movement.

Rhino Records UK Presents… The Smiths: Complete. The Ultimate Smiths Collection. Fully Remastered by Johnny Marr.
All eight albums by The Smiths lovingly reworked from original tape sources and packaged together for the first time - The Ultimate The Smiths Collection. Presented here on CD in Vinyl Replica sleeves the collection includes all four of the band's studio albums, their solo live album as well as their three compilation albums.

The collection includes all four of the band's studio albums – ‘The Smiths’ (1984), ‘Meat Is Murder’ (1985), ‘The Queen Is Dead’ (1986), ‘Strangeways, Here We Come’ (1987) and their sole live album ‘Rank’ (1988) as well as firm fan favourite compilations ‘Hatful Of Hollow’ (1984), ‘The World Won’t Listen’ (1987) and ‘Louder Than Bombs’ (1987).

Each album has been taken back to original tape sources and remastered by master-engineer Frank Arkwright, assisted by Johnny Marr at the world famous Metropolis Studios in London.

CD boxed set version features each album packaged in a mini-LP replica sleeve complete with the original artwork, including gatefolds and inner sleeves where relevant. Eight albums by The Smiths lovingly reworked by Johnny Marr and Rhino UK and packaged together for the first time - the ultimate The Smiths remasters collection.


Album Details:

Artist: The Smiths
Album: Complete
Label: Rhino Records UK
Catalog#: 2564665907
Format: 8 x CD albums (Mini vinyl LP replicas), Boxset, Housed in a clamshell box, Remastered
Released: September 29, 2011
Country: EU (UK)
Packaging: 8CD Wallet
Barcode: 0825646659074
Item ID: 2564665907_1 - 4447992
Genre: Rock
Style: Indie Rock, College Rock, Indie Pop


Line-up:

Morrissey – vocals / Johnny Marr – guitars, piano / Andy Rourke – bass guitar / Mike Joyce – drums







Arriving in an era dominated by synth pop and gloomy post-punk, the Smiths' eponymous debut was the bracing beginning of a new era. On the surface, the Smiths' sound wasn't radically different from traditional British guitar pop – Johnny Marr's ringing, layered guitars were catchy and melodic – but it was actually an astonishing subversion of the form, turning the structure inside out. Very few of the songs followed conventional verse-chorus structure, yet they were quite melodic within their own right. Marr's inventive songwriting was made all the more original and innovative by Morrissey's crooning and lyrics. Writing about unconventional topics, from homosexuality ("Hand in Glove") to child molestation and murder, Morrissey had a distinctively ironic, witty, and literate viewpoint whose strangeness was accentuated by his off-kilter voice, which would move from a croon to a yelp in a matter of seconds. While the production of The Smiths is a little pristine, the songs are vital and alive, developing a new, unique voice within pop music. Though the Smiths continued to improve over the course of their career, their debut remains startling and exciting. ~Review by Stephen Thomas Erlewine.

Tracklist:

01. Reel Around The Fountain [5:57]
02. You’ve Got Everything Now [4:00]
03. Miserable Lie [4:27]
04. Pretty Girls Make Graves [3:43]
05. The Hand That Rocks The Cradle [4:38]
06. This Charming Man [2:43]
07. Still Ill [3:20]
08. Hand In Glove [3:22]
09. What Difference Does It Make? [3:49]
10. I Don’t Owe You Anything [4:04]
11. Suffer Little Children [5:31]

Playing Time………: 45:39






With their second proper album Meat Is Murder, the Smiths begin to branch out and diversify, while refining the jangling guitar pop of their debut. In other words, it catches the group at a crossroads, unsure quite how to proceed. Taking the epic, layered "How Soon Is Now?" as a starting point (the single, which is darker and more dance-oriented than the remainder of the album, was haphazardly inserted into the middle of the album for its American release), the group crafts more sweeping, mid-tempo numbers, whether it's the melancholy "That Joke Isn't Funny Anymore" or the failed, self-absorbed protest of the title track. While the production is more detailed than before, the Smiths are at their best when they stick to their strengths – "The Headmaster Ritual" and "I Want the One I Can't Have" are fine elaborations of the formula they laid out on the debut, while "Rusholme Ruffians" is an infectious stab at rockabilly. However, the rest of Meat Is Murder is muddled, repeating lyrical and musical ideas of before without significantly expanding them or offering enough hooks or melodies to make it the equal of The Smiths or Hatful of Hollow. ~Review by Stephen Thomas Erlewine.

Tracklist:

01. The Headmaster Ritual [4:53]
02. Rusholme Ruffians [4:20]
03. I Want The One I Can’t Have [3:13]
04. What She Said [2:42]
05. That Joke Isn’t Funny Anymore [4:38]
06. Nowhere Fast [2:36]
07. Well I Wonder [4:00]
08. Barbarism Begins At Home [6:53]
09. Meat Is Murder [6:12]

Playing Time………: 39:51






Meat Is Murder may have been a holding pattern, but The Queen Is Dead is the Smiths' great leap forward, taking the band to new musical and lyrical heights. Opening with the storming title track, The Queen Is Dead is a harder-rocking record than anything the Smiths had attempted before, but that's only on a relative scale – although the backbeat is more pronounced, the group certainly doesn't rock in a conventional sense. Instead, Johnny Marr has created a dense web of guitars, alternating from the minor-key rush of "Bigmouth Strikes Again" and the faux rockabilly of "Vicar in a Tutu" to the bouncy acoustic pop of "Cemetry Gates" and "The Boy With the Thorn in His Side," as well as the lovely melancholy of "I Know It's Over" and "There Is a Light That Never Goes Out." And the rich musical bed provides Morrissey with the support for his finest set of lyrics. Shattering the myth that he is a self-pitying sap, Morrissey delivers a devastating set of clever, witty satires of British social mores, intellectualism, class, and even himself. He also crafts some of his finest, most affecting songs, particularly in the wistful "The Boy With the Thorn in His Side" and the epic "There Is a Light That Never Goes Out," two masterpieces that provide the foundation for a remarkable album. ~Review by Stephen Thomas Erlewine.

Tracklist:

01. The Queen Is Dead (Take Me Back To Dear Old Blighty Medley) [4:53]
02. Frankly, Mr. Shankly [2:19]
03. I Know It’s Over [5:49]
04. Never Had No One Ever [3:37]
05. Cemetry Gates [2:41]
06. Bigmouth Strikes Again [3:13]
07. The Boy With The Thorn In His Side [3:17]
08. Vicar In a Tutu [2:23]
09. There Is A Light That Never Goes Out [6:12]
10. Some Girls Are Bigger Than Others [3:17]

Playing Time………: 37:09






Recorded as the relationship between Morrissey and Johnny Marr was beginning to splinter, Strangeways, Here We Come is the most carefully considered and elaborately produced album in the group's catalog. Though it aspires greatly to better The Queen Is Dead, it falls just short of its goals. With producer Stephen Street, the Smiths created a subtly shaded and skilled album, one boasting a fuller production than before. Morrissey and Marr also labored hard over the songs, working to expand the Smiths' sound within their very real boundaries. For the most part, they succeed. "I Started Something I Couldn't Finish," "Girlfriend in a Coma," "Stop Me if You Think You've Heard This One Before," and "I Won't Share You" are classics, while "A Rush and a Push and the Land Is Ours," "Death of a Disco Dancer," and "Last Night I Dreamt That Somebody Loved Me" aren't far behind. However, the songs also have a tendency to be glib and forced, particularly on "Unhappy Birthday" and the anti-record company "Paint a Vulgar Picture," which has grown increasingly ironic in the wake of the Smiths' and Morrissey's love of repackaging the same material in new compilations. Still, Strangeways is a graceful way to bow out. While it doesn't match The Queen Is Dead or The Smiths, it is far from embarrassing and offers a summation of the group's considerable strengths. ~Review by Stephen Thomas Erlewine.

Tracklist:

01. A Rush and a Push and the Land Is Ours [3:01]
02. I Started Something I Couldn’t Finish [3:47]
03. Death Of a Disco Dancer [5:26]
04. Girlfriend In a Coma [2:02]
05. Stop Me If You Think You’ve Heard This One Before [2:41]
06. Last Night I Dreamt That Somebody Loved Me [5:06]
07. Unhappy Birthday [2:45]
08. Paint a Vulgar Picture [5:35]
09. Death At One’s Elbow [2:02]
10. I Won’t Share You [2:51]

Playing Time………: 36:14






For many Smiths fans, Rank is as close as they will get to a live performance from Morrissey, Johnny Marr, and company. Recorded live at The National Ballroom in London in October of 1986, roughly six months before they disbanded altogether, these 14 songs capture the Smiths performing in full-on rock-star mode. Though Grant Showbiz's production and engineering work consistently places Morrissey's voice too loud in respect to the rest of the band, the performance is suitably epic, hit-packed, and engrossing. Morrissey is in fine form, randomly trilling and squawking throughout, providing enough cocky banter and personality that the fact that he's nearly out of breath for half the performance doesn't put a damper on the festivities. Highlights abound: the opening shot of "The Queen Is Dead" bristles with emotion and post-punk fury; "Vicar in a Tutu" sees an energized Morrissey employing interesting, bizarre vocal inflections and a series of endearing growls; "I Know It's Over" is perhaps more harrowing and brittle here than anywhere else in the band's discography, as Morrissey surrenders to emotion while the soil falls over his head. It's hard to tell if Mike Joyce and Andy Rourke were having their best nights, since their contributions are buried deeper in the mix than would seem appropriate. Somehow, Johnny Marr's distinctive, manic jangle manages to escape the production and demand attention, especially on his solo creation "The Draize Train." Still, one has to wonder why "The Draize Train" was included over such staples as "How Soon Is Now," "I Want the One I Can't Have," and the eight other songs that were recorded during the concert but not included on the album. Perhaps they weren't seen as worthy representations, but there is certainly additional time left available on the CD edition, where at least two or three more songs could have been added. It really would be interesting to see how the band tackled "Meat Is Murder," "How Soon Is Now," and "There Is a Light That Never Goes Out" that night. Absolute completists might want to track down the bootleg recording …The Bad Boy From a Good Family, which presents the National Ballroom concert in a more complete light. Rank is an essential part of any Smiths fan's collection, and it's an enlightening live peek at a foursome who many deem the greatest band of the 1980s, and more than a few others deem the last great band period. ~Review by Tim DiGravina.

Tracklist:

01. The Queen Is Dead [4:15]
02. Panic [3:13]
03. Vicar In A Tutu [2:32]
04. Ask [3:22]
05. Rusholme Ruffians – His Latest Flame (Medley) [3:55]
06. The Boy With The Thorn In His Side [3:48]
07. What She Said [3:49]
08. Is It Really So Strange? [3:37]
09. Cemetry Gates [2:51]
10. London [2:38]
11. I Know It’s Over [7:46]
12. The Draize Train [4:27]
13. Still Ill [4:10]
14. Bigmouth Strikes Again [3:03]

Playing Time………: 56:16






Several months after releasing their first album, the Smiths issued the singles and rarities collection Hatful of Hollow, establishing a tradition of repackaging their material as many times and as quickly as possible. While several cuts on Hatful of Hollow are BBC versions of songs from The Smiths, the versions on the compilation are nervy and raw – and they're also not the selling point of the record. The Smiths treated singles as individual entities, not just ways to promote an album, and many of their finest songs were never issued on their studio albums. Hatful of Hollow contains many of these classics, including the sweet rush of "William, It Was Really Nothing," and the sardonic "Heaven Knows I'm Miserable Now," the tongue-in-cheek lament of "Please, Please, Please Let Me Get What I Want," the wistful "Back to the Old House," "Girl Afraid," and the pulsating, tremolo-laced masterpiece "How Soon Is Now?" With such strong material forming the core of the album, it's little wonder that Hatful of Hollow is as consistent as The Smiths and arguably captures the excitement surrounding the band even better. ~Review by Stephen Thomas Erlewine.

Tracklist:

01. William, It Was Really Nothing [2:10]
02. What Difference Does It Make? [3:13]
03. These Things Take Time [2:33]
04. This Charming Man [2:45]
05. How Soon Is Now? [6:47]
06. Handsome Devil [2:44]
07. Hand In Glove [3:17]
08. Still Ill [3:34]
09. Heaven Knows I’m Miserable Now [3:35]
10. This Night Has Opened My Eyes [3:43]
11. You’ve Got Everything Now [4:13]
12. Accept Yourself [4:03]
13. Girl Afraid [2:48]
14. Back To The Old House [3:03]
15. Reel Around The Fountain [5:51]
16. Please, Please, Please, Let Me Get What I Want [1:53]

Playing Time………: 56:20






In 1987, Rough Trade released at least two collections of singles and B-sides by the Smiths. The U.S. audience saw the release of Louder Than Bombs, which collected 24 assorted tracks. U.K. fans were handed The World Won't Listen, with 16 tracks. Most ardent fans of the band obviously gobbled up both releases. The 12 shared tracks across the two albums are "Panic," "Ask," "London," "Shakespeare's Sister," "Shoplifters of the World Unite," "Asleep," "Unloveable," "Half a Person," "Stretch Out and Wait," "Oscillate Wildly," "You Just Haven't Earned It Yet, Baby," and "Rubber Ring." That means there are four tracks here that aren't included on Louder Than Bombs, and there are 12 tracks on Louder Than Bombs that aren't included here. Going into the merits of the tracks isn't necessary; there's not a clunker to be found in the Smiths's discography. The funny, annoying, and/or incredible thing about both the Smiths and Morrissey is that so many songs (singles or B-sides) make appearances on so many different albums. Any die-hard fan of the Smiths is going to want or need both albums, just to have a complete collection of releases (not songs). Even then, there's going to be much repetition across the actual full-length albums and best-of collections. If an album called "The Bombs Won't Listen" or "Louder Than the World" was to be released tomorrow, there'd be an audience for it; granted, it would be a smaller audience than in the heyday of the Smiths. Many people consider the Morrissey/Marr duo to be the last great songwriting team; any release by the Smiths is indispensable to this audience. A casual fan in the U.S. might due well to simply pick up Louder Than Bombs, since The World Won't Listen's additional tracks ("Bigmouth Strikes Again," "There Is a Light That Never Goes Out," "The Boy With the Thorn in His Side," and "That Joke Isn't Funny Anymore") are all found on the major, full-length releases of the band, thus paying for the price of the import might not be justified. ~Review by Tim DiGravina.

Tracklist:

01. Panic [2:21]
02. Ask [3:16]
03. London [2:07]
04. Bigmouth Strikes Again [3:13]
05. Shakespeare’s Sister [2:09]
06. There Is A Light That Never Goes Out [3:48]
07. Shoplifters Of The World Unite [2:58]
08. The Boy With The Thorn In His Side [3:18]
09. Money Changes Everything [4:41]
10. Asleep [4:10]
11. Unloveable [3:56]
12. Half a Person [3:36]
13. Stretch Out and Wait [2:44]
14. That Joke Isn’t Funny Anymore [3:48]
15. Oscillate Wildly [3:27]
16. You Just Haven’t Earned It Yet, Baby [3:31]
17. Rubber Ring [3:48]
18. Golden Lights [2:41]

Playing Time………: 59:56






A compilation of singles, B-sides, album tracks, and BBC sessions assembled for the American market, Louder Than Bombs is an overlong and unfocused collection that nevertheless boasts a wealth of brilliant material. Since Hatful of Hollow was unavailable in the U.S. at the time of the release of Louder Than Bombs, this compilation contains large chunks of that album, as well as several cuts from The Smiths, which makes the record a little redundant for most Smiths fans. Also, Louder Than Bombs contains some of the worst material the group ever recorded, including the bland instrumental "Oscillate Wildly" and a cover of Twinkle's "Golden Light." Excluding all of this material, the remainder of the record is brilliant. The singles "Shakespeare's Sister," "Panic," "Ask," "Shoplifters of the World Unite," and "Sheila Take a Bow" are all definitive, as are the elegiac "Unloveable," "Asleep," "Stretch Out and Wait," and "Half a Person," which are all unavailable anywhere else (excluding the British counterpart to Louder Than Bombs, The World Won't Listen). Furthermore, the sneering, bouncing pop of "You Just Haven't Earned It Yet, Baby" and the bizarre travelogue of "Is It Really So Strange?" are two other essential songs not available anywhere else. Though The World Won't Listen is a more concise collection, Louder Than Bombs is a necessary purchase for any Smiths fan. ~Review by Stephen Thomas Erlewine.

Tracklist:

01. Is It Really So Strange? [3:06]
02. Sheila Take a Bow [2:42]
03. Shoplifters of the World Unite [2:59]
04. Sweet and Tender Hooligan [3:36]
05. Half a Person [3:37]
06. London [3:48]
07. Panic [2:21]
08. Girl Afraid [2:46]
09. Shakespeare’s Sister [2:09]
10. William, It Was Really Nothing [2:10]
11. You Just Haven’t Earned It Yet, Baby [3:34]
12. Heaven Knows I’m Miserable Now [3:36]
13. Ask [3:17]
14. Golden Lights [2:41]
15. Oscillate Wildly [3:27]
16. These Things Take Time [2:23]
17. Rubber Ring [3:49]
18. Back To The Old House [3:04]
19. Hand in Glove [3:17]
20. Stretch Out and Wait [2:39]
21. Please Please Please Let Me Get What I Want [1:52]
22. This Night Has Opened My Eyes [3:41]
23. Unloveable [3:56]
24. Asleep [4:12]

Playing Time………: 1:13:11




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Many thanks to original releaser iHDStore