The Smiths - The Sound of the Smiths: The Very Best of the Smiths
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Free Music Notes for The Sound of the Smiths: The Very Best of the Smiths
Free Music Review: (another) note about the sound ...
Hit: 4 Stars
for those who don't notice much difference compared to the earlier releases, i beg to differ. to my two ears, the bottom end has been brought to the fore. Andy Rourke's bass has never sounded so clear or present in the mix. now I can truly appreciate his amazing talent.
as for the songs? most fans will already have most (if not all) of them. but there are a few omissions which bug me, most specifically the lack of inclusion of 'the draize train'. regardless, i'm pretty happy with my purchase. just wish they had used a more interesting photo for the sleeve. putting the band on there front and center is just wrong!
Free Music Review: Great listen, repackage but has all the singles.
Hit: 4 Stars
I want to thank the people who put in comments for this CD. I elected to buy the one disc collection as I have heard all the songs on that one.Free Music Review: Truly disappointed...
Hit: 3 Stars
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!
Free Music Review: What distinguishes them also detracts from them
Hit: 3 Stars
A Smith's song is great;
A block party of Smith's material is good;
A cd of the Smith's may get a bit tiresome;
A double cd is simply too much!
The tone... Morrisey's dreary, yet romantic, crooning is so unique yet, like anything else that is different and exotic, can be too much of a good thing. The arrangements are good and musicianship is quite competent (Johnny Marr's guitar playing is great) yet the overdramatic vocals and ironic song titles make these songs start to sound too alike.
"How soon is now" has a powerful distorted-guitar repeating a riff along with a simple yet pounding drum. It rocks and it's very danceable.
"Hand in Glove" is jangly guitar power pop.
"Heavens knows I'm miserable now" is proto type Smiths...an upbeat song with dreary lyrics. This song showcases Johnny Marrs' simple yet very noticeable style. He is a vital component to their sound.
Similarly, the brief "Girlfriend in a Coma" has a sugary sweet melody with the ironic title being exactly what the song is about.
"Please, please please let me get what I want" is the highlight of the collection. This song is stunningly beautiful (The song really hit me when it was used as a tribute song in the movie "New York Doll". That song acts as a perfect tearjerker when heard in the context of a memorial).
Catch one of these songs as they pop up on the radio or as a soundtrack to a movie and the Smith's are amazing. Listen to this stuff for 60-90 minutes and it can lead to "Smith" overkill.
Free Music Review: Stretch Out and Wait for Another One
Hit: 3 Stars
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.