"The first ten singles including 12" bonus tracks in original picture sleeves plus 2 exclusive rarities & a poster. Remastered from the original tapes" it says here on the CD issue of the vinyl boxset released last year. But is it worth it? Yes, for 3 reasons.

The music: it's Marmite and I'm in the loving it category. I bought all the original vinyl 12" when issued but in a complete moment of madness which I regret more than my first marriage (yep, that badly folks) sold it in 1990 when I moved to London. From 'Hand in Glove' to 'Bigmouth Strikes Again' via the (rather dire) extra CDs of the 'This Charming Man' dance mix and 'Barbarism Begins at Home' Eurozone only single, there's not a duff A side here and some of the B sides are even better than their flip sides (just check out the sublime 'Rubber Ring' segue into 'Asleep' and not forgetting that 'How Soon is Now' was originally a 12"only B side). But I've got most of this stuff already. The hook on the musical side was 4 live tracks which were originally B sides and never before issued on CD but the second hook was......

The sleeves: I can't think of a single other band who had such quality artwork for their singles. Mostly mini-masterpieces and actually mainly superior to their album sleeves. Okay, they lose something in their reduction to CD card sleeves but still.... :P which brings me to my third and final hook.....

The remastering: The Smiths have been badly served by record companies. No proper remastering or additional tracks in any semblance of a comprehensive reissuing programme since the originals were transfered to CD. This catalogue is crying out for a makeover as the remastering on this set proves. To my ears it is clearer and has better audio balance than the versions of these tracks on available CDs ('Stretch Out and Wait' in particular where you can hear every word Mozzer says unlike on 'Louder than Bombs').

The only nagging question is have is when are Rhino going to issue the remaining singles from 'Panic' onwards? Will there be a part 2 boxset or are Rhino going to be complete bastards and issue all the singles togegher in one set? This could keep me awake at night with worry... :(

Probably most of you folks will think me a sad case (I've also thought so myself and have been wrestling with my conscious over this package given the "reissue, repackage, repackage" thing but....would you pass up a similar Fall singles boxset so charmingly packaged?

I can't believe they didn't include a "tacky badge"! I mean, if you're gonna do it, *do it*

Once *loved* the Smiths, now I can't listen to them really - they say nothing to me about my life, etc.

So I wouldn't buy this thing but I certainly wouldn't let yourself be put off because of the "reissue, repackage" bit.

I'm sure there's room for improvement, but I thought the Smiths CDs sound reasonably good - far better than the Beggars Fall CDs of the same period.

Well, that's like comparing the 8th level of hell to the 9th.

The Smiths catalog is in *desperate* need of remastering. Last year we finally got a remastered comp called The Sound of The Smiths and it's a total revelation. I've never been more in love with these tracks than I am now. Just hearing -- oh, wait, you mean there's bass in this song -- and the ringing jangle of the guitar.... wow. :wub:

Even better - they packed 45 songs onto the sucker so you kind of get about 4 albums' worth. Supposedly real remasters of the albums are coming.

I bought the 7" boxset a while back so I would be mad to buy the cd set as well, but I may do.

There is not a lot on there that is rare though, I think the next box set (if they make one) will be more value for money.

Which version of Stretch Out And Wait do they use btw?

There's nothing that wouldn't be covered on Louder Than Bombs really. Unless you're deperate to hear Work is a Four Letter Word.

I think I read that Marr essentially remastered all the catalogue when he was preparing tracks for Sound of The Smiths, so it's all ready really. Makes sense, as there were quite a few album tracks included and he wouldn't just remaster a few tracks from an album, he would want a consistent sound for the whole thing.

It's almost a shame the Smiths were so good that they released literally everything they recorded, so there is very little in the cupboard to come out. Albums with radio sessions and relevant singles and b-sides on a disc 2 would be brilliant though.

The real goldmine is the TV footage that is about. We only have that very old compilation on Warners, but there is sufficient footage for probably a treble DVD set, with the concerts they did for the BBC, that Spanish TV show, and all the Tube, Whistle Test, ORS etc appearances.

I tried to track down, on youtube, that Whistle Test thing with the recording of 'Meat is Murder'. An amazing 'Keef' impression from Johnny on 'Nowhere Fast'!

Also the 'Bigmouth../Vicar in a Tutu' form a Whistle Test the year after is probably their best TV appearance.

I'd agree with that.

The best they ever 'looked' was on the ORS when they did Shakespears Sister and The Headmaster Ritual, but they were miming, but still brilliant.

The Tube appearances are good as well, and there was something called Euro Tube that they were on and did There Is A Light and Panic, where a little kid got onstage to sing backing vocals, which is very good.

Also the South Bank Show special, and all those TOTP appearances which were kinda iconic.

I'm sure I remember a "Rock Goes To College" type show c.1984 which featured an entire concert (Leeds?) complete with stage invasion.

Assembly Rooms Derby - Whistle Test Live.

I think it's about half an hour. That's pretty good, although a little basic.

The version which begins "All the lies that you make up"

Gaaah!!! Wrong one! :banghead:

I got the 7" box too, and I particularly love the Smiths 12"s and only have a few, but I've never seen the point of "vinyl replica" cds, so I'll be skipping this one. There must be very few tracks on this that weren't on The Sound of the Smiths even. Hard to know what they're going to do about the remaining singles too. Bit of a disaster really.

The "proper" albums are being reissued on vinyl with mp3 downloads (but why not a lossless format?).

The studio version of "The draize train" is still a vinyl-only track, I think.

That's true.

Allegedly Morrissey included it on 'Rank' as an olive branch to Marr (slightly more royalties).

I ordered this yesterday on your recommendation.

£1.34 second hand!

God, I'm such a cheapskate.

I KNOW!!!! That really annoys me as well. :banghead:

Last Night I Dreamt That Somebody Loved Me had:

Rusholme Ruffians (John Peel session 9/8/84)
Nowhere Fast (John Peel session 9/8/84)
William, It Was Really Nothing (Peel session 9/8/84)

Stop Me If You Think You've Heard This One Before:

I Keep Mine Hidden

I Started Something I Couldn't Finish:

Pretty Girls Make Graves (Troy Tate demo)
Some Girls Are Bigger Than Others (live London 12/12/86)
What's The World? (live Glasgow 25/9/85) (that's on Sound of I think)

Sheila Take A Bow:

s It Really So Strange? (Peel session 17/12/86)
Sweet And Tender Hooligan (Peel session 17/12/86)

I just found out that my local library has it (the 2-disc version).

You call yourself a cheapskate? -_-

But that's the 2-disc one, yes?

Isn't this the one that became that track on Bryan Ferry's next record? ("The Right Stuff"?)

Oh, nope, that was "Money Changes Everything." :ohdear:

Isn't that on Girlfriend in a Coma, along with Work is a Four Letter Word?!

No, I didn't like the look of the 2CD version. The second disc seems a bit of a mess.

Sorry to Morrissey bash, again; but this is another reason I'm going off of Morrissey's recent solo output. How can the man who was responsible for sleeves like this:



... and this:



... end up releasing sleeves like this:



--------------------------

Anyway, I didn't know about that Sound of the Smiths release. I'm definitely getting that. :beer:

It wasn't the 2-disc version, actually. They had labelled it wrongly. <_<

That was on the Girlfriend 12"

According to a reply just received from Rhino there are 'no plans at the present time' to do a Singles #2 boxset and package the remaining official singles from 'Panic' to 'Last Night I Dreamt that Somebody Loved Me'. No doubt they're waiting to see how the bean counting goes of the first boxset from sales to gullible folk like me....

i keep mine hidden was the perfect ending for that legacy, i think. :cry2:

Then they'll pounce with another demand for £35 for stuff you already own. <_<

Amazing song.

Blimey, I've never heard this before!!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3OEJCq_F_ic :wub: :wub: :wub:

Thnx!!!

Fucking hell, that is such a great song!!!

What the fuck happened to Johnny Marr!? :cry2: :cry2: :cry2:

you can't have enough whistling, or a better ending to a musical career than writing a song where you come out as a closet case... :wacko:

Shut yer cake'ole, it's beautiful. :cry2:

Also!
I've never seen the Southbank show special before and I just found it on both YouTube and Google video. :thumbsup:

I haven't watched it yet, but I saw Nick Kent waffling on while off his tits on something. :wacko:

no, i concur, it is most beautiful, but also telling.

I think it's about talent more than sexuality.

That's what they kept hidden post-89. <_<

i have no idea what you mean.

You say this as though I should care. :unsure:

:cry2: