What I've been listening to lately, #2

You just can not go wrong with the Smiths. The best, and hence the most unique, British musical foundation in my opinion, The Smiths, a Manchester band, existed for five chaotic years. Their rapid rise in 80's dynamic Brit music scene was as phenomenal as their break up. Although followed by nearly all Smiths fans, Morrissey's solo journey had never been an epic one. Guitarist Johnny Marr produced music with numerous different bands/artists including the Modest Mouse - and most recently with The Cribs- but failed to establish a stable career. And after the Smiths, Andy Rourke and Mike Joyce, the bassist and drummer respectively, two specially talented rock stars back in the day, have turned into two ordinary people whom fans don't even care if they live or die. The bottom line: Smiths was an exclusive mixture, but without each other, components were too ordinary alone. Of course Morrissey's ego will never let him accept this fact, and it's quite impossible to see a Smiths reunion in the future. But I personally still admire Morrissey.

These being said, this 1995 release is one of the few good Smiths compilation albums. Definitely recommended to those who are anticipating a way to introduce themselves to the magic of the Smiths. It's a fair selection of top-notch Smiths songs, leaving some of the important yet controversial songs such as 'The Headmaster Ritual', or 'Suffer Little Children' out of the tracklist. Oh speaking of it, here is the tracklist:

1. "Hand in Glove" (album version) - 3:25
2. "This Charming Man" - 2:41
3. "What Difference Does It Make?" (album version) - 3:51
4. "Heaven Knows I'm Miserable Now" - 3:35
5. "William, It Was Really Nothing" - 2:09
6. "How Soon Is Now?" (album version) - 6:46
7. "Shakespeare's Sister" - 2:09
8. "That Joke Isn't Funny Anymore" (album version) - 4:59
9. "The Boy with the Thorn in His Side" (album version) - 3:18
10. "Bigmouth Strikes Again" - 3:14
11. "Panic" - 2:20
12. "Ask" (album version) - 3:14
13. "Shoplifters of the World Unite" - 2:58
14. "Sheila Take a Bow" - 2:41
15. "Girlfriend in a Coma" - 2:02
16. "I Started Something I Couldn't Finish" - 3:46
17. "Last Night I Dreamt That Somebody Loved Me" (album version) - 5:02
18. "There Is a Light That Never Goes Out" - 4:02

Mind blowing 18 songs. I would only add two more to this list; 'Half a Person' and 'Pretty Girls Make Graves', two songs you have to hear next to these. All in all, a nice compilation I've been listening to for the past few days.