Smiths - Complete

by Anthony Strutt

published: 10 / 10 / 2011

Label: Rhino
Format: CD Box

intro

Excellent eight album box set which compiles together the Smiths' complete works

Lovingly remastered by Johnny Marr himself, 'Complete’ is a beautifully repackaged version of what indie rock fans were listening to between 1984 and 1987. It 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); their sole live album 'Rank' (1988 and also the compilations 'Hatful of Hollow'(1984),'The World Won’t Listen'(1987) and 'Louder than Bombs'(1987). All the albums come in cardboard sleeves with replica covers and inner sleeves, and copies of the original labels. ‘The Smiths’ is actually the US version as it includes ‘This Charming Man’, which was not on the UK release. Do we really need this? Does it sound any different? Well, to my ears, it doesn't really. Maybe if you had a thousand pound stereo, then it might, but at the price of £35 for the standard issue it isn't any more than when fans bought them on vinyl originally. If you have more money you can buy the limited CD, LP, singles and DVD remastered box set at £229 instead. This is, however, a good introduction to the band and has pretty much everything that both old and new fans will need them. Embrace them, and you won't ever be lonely again.

Track Listing:-

1 Reel Around The Fountain
2 You've Got Everything Now
3 Miserable Lie
4 Pretty Girls Make Graves
5 The Hand That Rocks The Cradle
6 This Charming Man
7 Still Ill
8 Hand In Glove
9 What Difference Does It Make?
10 I Don't Owe You Anything
11 Suffer Little Children
12 The Headmaster Ritual
13 Rusholme Ruffians
14 I Want The One I Can't Have
15 What She Said
16 That Joke Isn't Funny Anymore
17 Nowhere Fast
18 Well I Wonder
19 Barbarism Begins At Home
20 Meat Is Murder
21 The Queen Is Dead
22 Frankly, Mr. Shankly
23 I Know It's Over
24 Never Had No One Ever
25 Cemetry Gates
26 Bigmouth Strikes Again
27 The Boy With The Thorn In His Side
28 Vicar In A Tutu
29 There Is A Light That Never Goes Out
30 Some Girls Are Bigger Than Others
31 A Rush And A Push And The Land Is Ours
32 I Started Something I Couldn't Finish
33 Death Of A Disco Dancer
34 Girlfriend In A Coma
35 Stop Me If You Think You've Heard This One Before
36 Last Night I Dreamt That Somebody Loved Me
37 Unhappy Birthday
38 Paint A Vulgar Picture
39 Death At One's Elbow
40 I Won't Share You
41 The Queen Is Dead
42 Panic
43 Vicar In A Tutu
44 Ask
45 His Latest Flame / Rusholme Ruffians (Medley)
46 The Boy With The Thorn In His Side
47 Rubber Ring / What She Said
48 Is It Really So Strange?
49 Cemetry Gates
50 London

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