The Smiths: 5x2CD 'Deluxe' set

pronocturn

New Member
Talk about flogging a dead horse (or should I say, an unlikely to be born horse), but here is my attempt to make sense of how you could re-compile The Smiths material once it has been carefully remastered. Here we go:

Unfortunately, reshuffling The Smiths discography in this way requires the jettisoning of the three contemporaneous compilations ’Hatful Of Hollow’, ‘The World Won’t Listen’ and ‘Louder Than Bombs’. However, new artwork will not be required to accompany the second discs of newly presented material as each ‘new’ disc will be packaged with an original album (‘The Smiths’, ‘Meat Is Murder, ‘The Queen Is Dead’, Strangeways, Here We Come’ and ‘Rank’).

What follows is one option of this ‘Deluxe’ template, and others are possible (such as copying the format of the recent Joy Division ‘Deluxe’ editions by packaging each original remastered disc with a live disc of a contemporaneous concert). However, how could non-album material be compiled without the tedious duplication shown in the original compilations? At least 2 new compilations would need to be made (i.e. ‘The Singles’, ‘The B-Sides’, etc.), with new artwork (unless you recycled the original artwork for a disc such as ‘Louder Than Bombs’, but then confusion between this ‘new’ Louder and the ‘original’ Louder would follow).

Of course, this is just an option for re-compiling existing (remastered) material (i.e. officially released stuff, except for the Troy Tate album and Oxford show)– it does not take into account any of the demos, alternative takes or unreleased songs that Johnny Marr has mentioned in interviews (and Simon Goddard in his book). How those would be compiled, I don’t know (packaged as bonus tracks to the original albums perhaps?).


The Smiths: 5x2CD set, available as ‘Deluxe’ 2CD versions or in a complete box-set.

Remastering supervised/approved by Johnny Marr
Artwork, booklets and lyrics supervised/approved by Morrissey


1: ‘The Smiths’

Disc 1: ‘The Smiths’

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 [not on original album, could be jettisoned]
7. Still Ill
8. Hand In Glove
9. What Difference Does It Make?
10. I Don’t Owe You Anything
11. Suffer Little Children

Disc 2: ‘The Hand That Rocks The Cradle’: Troy Tate produced album with original running order.

1. Reel Around The Fountain
2. You’ve Got Everything Now
3. Miserable Lie
4. These Things Take Time
5. Wonderful Woman
6. Handsome Devil
7. Hand In Glove
8. What Difference Does It Make?
9. I Don’t Owe You Anything
10. Suffer Little Children
11. Pretty Girls Make Graves
12. The Hand That Rocks The Cradle [bonus track, not on original album]
13. Accept Yourself [bonus track, not on original album]
14. Jeane [bonus track, not on original album]


2: ‘Meat Is Murder’

Disc 1: ‘Meat Is Murder’

1. The Headmaster Ritual
2. Rusholme Ruffians
3. I Want The One I Can’t Have
4. What She Said
5. That Joke Isn’t Funny Anymore
6. How Soon Is Now? [not on original album, could be jettisoned]
7. Nowhere Fast
8. Well I Wonder
9. Barbarism Begins At Home
10. Meat Is Murder

Disc 2: ‘The BBC Sessions’

1. What Difference Does It Make? [John Peel show, 31/05/03]
2. Miserable Lie [John Peel show, 31/05/03]
3. Reel Around The Fountain [John Peel show, 31/05/03]
4. Handsome Devil [John Peel show, 31/05/03]
5. You’ve Got Everything Now [David Jensen show, 04/07/83]
6. Wonderful Woman [David Jensen show, 04/07/83]
7. These Things Take Time [David Jensen show, 04/07/83]
8. I Don’t Owe You Anything [David Jensen show, 21/09/83]
9. Accept Yourself [David Jensen show, 21/09/83]
10. Pretty Girls Make Graves [David Jensen show, 21/09/83]
11. Reel Around The Fountain [David Jensen show, 21/09/83]
12. This Night Has Opened My Eyes [John Peel show, 21/09/83]
13. Still Ill [John Peel show, 21/09/83]
14. This Charming Man [John Peel show, 21/09/83]
15. Back To The Old House [John Peel show, 21/09/83]
16. William, It Was Really Nothing [[John Peel show, 09/08/84]
17. Nowhere Fast [John Peel show, 09/08/84]
18. Rusholme Ruffians [John Peel show, 09/08/84]
19. How Soon Is Now? [John Peel show, 09/08/84]
20. Is It Really So Strange? [John Peel Show, 17/12/86]
21. London [John Peel Show, 17/12/86]
22. Half A Person [John Peel Show, 17/12/86]
23. Sweet And Tender Hooligan [John Peel Show, 17/12/86]


3: ‘The Queen Is Dead’

Disc 1: ‘The Queen Is Dead’

1. The Queen Is Dead
2. Frankly Mr. Shankly
3. I Know It’s Over
4. Never Had No One Ever
5. Cemetery Gates
6. Bigmouth Strikes Again
7. The Boy With The Thorn In His Side
8. Vicar In A Tutu
9. There Is A Light That Never Goes Out
10. Some Girls Are Bigger Than Others

Disc 2: ‘The Singles’: 12” or album versions unless indicated (some duplication here, but I think it is necessary, as it shows the strengths of The Smiths as a singles band, plus many singles don’t show up on the original 4 studio albums).

1. Hand In Glove [single version] [different from the version found on ‘The Smiths’]
2. This Charming Man
3. What Difference Does It Make? [7” version]
4. Heaven Knows I’m Miserable Now
5. William, It Was Really Nothing
6. How Soon Is Now?
7. Shakespeare’s Sister
8. That Joke Isn’t Funny Anymore [7” version]
9. The Boy With The Thorn In His Side [single version] [different from the version found on ‘The Queen Is Dead’]
10. Bigmouth Strikes Again
11. Panic
12. Ask [single version] [different from the version found on ‘World’ or ‘Listen’]
13. Shoplifters Of The World Unite
14. Sheila Take A Bow
15. Girlfriend In A Coma
16. I Started Something I Couldn’t Finish
17. Last Night I Dreamt That Somebody Loved Me [7” version]
 
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4: ‘Strangeways, Here We Come’

Disc 1: ‘Strangeways, Here We Come’

1. A Rush And A Push And The Land Is Ours
2. I Started Something I Couldn’t Finish
3. Death Of A Disco Dancer
4. Girlfriend In A Coma
5. Stop Me If You Think You’ve Heard This One Before
6. Last Night I Dreamt That Somebody Loved Me
7. Unhappy Birthday
8. Paint A Vulgar Picture Death At One’s Elbow
9. I Won’t Share You

Disc 2: ‘The B-Sides’: B-sides to the 17 original UK 12” singles (b-sides on other formats to be found on ‘The Others’).

1. Handsome Devil [live at the Hacienda, Manchester, 04/02/83] [b-side to Hand In Glove 7”]
2. This Charming Man [London] [b-side to This Charming Man 12”]
3. Accept Yourself [b-side to This Charming Man 12”]
4. Wonderful Woman [b-side to This Charming Man 12”]
5. Back To The Old House [b-side to What Difference Does It Make? 12”]
6. These Things Take Time [b-side to What Difference Does It Make? 12”]
7. Girl Afraid [b-side to Heaven Knows I’m Miserable Now 12”]
8. Suffer Little Children [b-side to Heaven Knows I’m Miserable Now 12”] [could be jettisoned due to duplication]
9. How Soon Is Now? [b-side to William, It Was Really Nothing 12”] [could be jettisoned due to duplication]
10. Please, Please, Please, Let Me Get What I Want [b-side to William, It Was Really Nothing 12”]
11. Well I Wonder [b-side to How Soon Is Now? 12”] [could be jettisoned due to duplication]
12. Oscilate Wildly [b-side to How Soon Is Now? 12”]
13. What She Said [b-side to Shakespeare’s Sister 12”] [could be jettisoned due to duplication]
14. Stretch Out And Wait [b-side to Shakespeare’s Sister 12”]
15. Nowhere Fast [live, Oxford 18/03/85] [b-side to That Joke Isn't Funny Anymore 12”] [could be jettisoned due to duplication, if the Oxford show is included in full later]
16. Stretch Out And Wait [live, Oxford,18/03/85] [b-side to That Joke Isn't Funny Anymore 12”] [could be jettisoned due to duplication, if the Oxford show is included in full later]
17. Shakespeare’s Sister [live, Oxford 18/03/85] [b-side to That Joke Isn't Funny Anymore 12”] [could be jettisoned due to duplication, if the Oxford show is included in full later]
18. Meat Is Murder [live, Oxford 18/03/85] [b-side to That Joke Isn't Funny Anymore 12”] [could be jettisoned due to duplication, if the Oxford show is included in full later]
19. Rubber Ring [b-side to The Boy With The Thorn In His Side 12”]
20. Asleep [b-side to The Boy With The Thorn In His Side 12”]
21. Money Changes Everything [b-side to Bigmouth Strikes Again 12”]
22. Unloveable [b-side to Bigmouth Strikes Again 12”]
23. Vicar In A Tutu [b-side to Panic 12”] [could be jettisoned due to duplication]
24. The Draize Train [b-side to Panic 12”]
25. Cemetry Gates [b-side to Ask 12”] [could be jettisoned due to duplication]
26. Golden Lights [b-side to Ask 12”]
27. London [b-side to Shoplifters Of The World Unite 12”]
28. Half A Person [b-side to Shoplifters Of The World Unite 12”]
29. Is It Really So Strange? [Peel Session, 17/12/86] [b-side to Sheila Take A Bow 12”] [could be jettisoned due to duplication, if the complete BBC Sessions are included earlier]
30. Sweet And Tender Hooligan [Peel Session, 17/12/86] [b-side to Sheila Take A Bow 12”] [could be jettisoned due to duplication, if the complete BBC Sessions are included earlier]
31. Work Is A Four Letter Word [b-side to Girlfriend In A Coma 12”]
32. I Keep Mine Hidden [b-side to Girlfriend In A Coma 12”]
33. Pretty Girls Make Graves [Troy Tate demo] [b-side to I Started Something I Couldn’t Finish 12”] [could be jettisoned due to duplication, if the Troy Tate album is included earlier]
34. Some Girls Are Bigger Than Others [live, London 12/12/86] [b-side to I Started Something I Couldn’t Finish 12”]
35. Rusholme Ruffians [Peel session 09/08/84] [b-side to Last Night I Dreamt That Somebody Loved Me 12”] [could be jettisoned due to duplication, if the complete BBC Sessions are included earlier]
36. Nowhere Fast [Peel session 09/08/84] [b-side to Last Night I Dreamt That Somebody Loved Me 12”] [could be jettisoned due to duplication, if the complete BBC Sessions are included earlier]


5: ‘Rank’

Disc 1: ‘Rank’: live at the National Ballroom, Kilburn, 23/10/86 (complete set with missing songs reinstated).

1. The Queen Is Dead
2. Panic
3. I Want The One I Can’t Have [added]
4. Vicar In A Tutu
5. There Is A Light That Never Goes Out [added]
6. Ask
7. (Marie’s The Name) His Latest Flame/Rusholme Ruffians
8. Frankly, Mr. Shankly [added]
9. The Boy With The Thorn In His Side
10. Rubber Ring/What She Said
11. Is It Really So Strange?
12. Never Had No One Ever [added]
13. Cemetery Gates
14. London
15. Meat Is Murder [added]
16. I Know It’s Over
17. The Draize Train
18. How Soon Is Now? [added]
19. Still Ill
20. Bigmouth Strikes Again

Either: Disc 2: ‘Meat Is Murder Live’: live at the Apollo Theatre, Oxford, 18/03/85 (good enough for the scrapped ‘Meat Is Murder’ Live EP, this would make a nice second official live album).

1. William, It Was Really Nothing
2. Nowhere Fast
3. I Want The One I Cant Have
4. What She Said
5. Hand In Glove
6. How Soon Is Now?
7. Stretch Out And Wait
8. That Joke Isn’t Funny Anymore
9. Shakespeare’s Sister
10. Rusholme Ruffians
11. The Headmaster Ritual
12. Still Ill
13. Meat Is Murder
14. Miserable Lie
15. Barbarism Begins At Home
16. You’ve Got Everything Now
17. Handsome Devil

Or: Disc 2: ‘The Others’: for completists, versions not found on original albums or singles (but officially released nevertheless)

1. Hand In Glove [Sandie Shaw]
2. I Don’t Owe You Anything [Sandie Shaw]
3. Jeane [Sandie Shaw]
4. Jeane [Troy Tate demo] [This Charming Man 7”] [could be jettisoned due to duplication, if the Troy Tate album is included earlier]
5. This Charming Man [New York]
6. This Charming Man [New York Instrumental]
7. Heaven Knows I’m Miserable Now [longer version] [first UK 12” pressings]
8. How Soon Is Now? [Phil Brown edit] [USA 7”/12”]
9. The Headmaster Ritual [Phil Brown edit] [b-side to How Soon Is Now? USA 7”]
10. How Soon Is Now? [7" version]
11. How Soon Is Now? [studio outtake] [Italian 12”]
12. Barbarism Begins At Home [single version] [German 7”]
13. Some Girls Are Bigger Than Others [single version] [German 7”/12”]
14. Ask [‘World’/’Louder’ version]
15. Stretch Out And Wait [‘The World Won’t Listen’ version]
16. You Just Haven’t Earned It Yet Baby [‘The World Won’t Listen’ version]
17. You Just Haven’t Earned It Yet Baby [‘Louder Than Bombs’ version]
18. Work Is A Four Letter Word [shorter version] [b-side to Girlfriend In A Coma 7”]
19. What’s The World? [live, Glasgow 25/9/85] [b-side to I Started Something I Couldn’t Finish cassingle]
22. This Charming Man [1992 single remix] [b-side to This Charming Man 1992 cd reissue]
21. The Queen Is Dead [shorter version] [b-side to How Soon Is Now? 1992 cd reissue]
22. Hand In Glove [live, London 29/06/83] [b-side to There Is A Light That Never Goes Out 1992 cd reissue]
 
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Here is a simpler version, with the dulplicate tracks jettisoned - it dramatically reduces the number of 12" b-sides.


The Smiths: 5x2CD set, available as ‘Deluxe’ 2CD versions or in a complete box-set.

Remastering supervised/approved by Johnny Marr
Artwork, booklets and lyrics supervised/approved by Morrissey


1: ‘The Smiths’

Disc 1: ‘The Smiths’

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. Still Ill
7. Hand In Glove
8. What Difference Does It Make?
9. I Don’t Owe You Anything
10. Suffer Little Children

Disc 2: ‘The Hand That Rocks The Cradle’

1. Reel Around The Fountain
2. You’ve Got Everything Now
3. Miserable Lie
4. These Things Take Time
5. Wonderful Woman
6. Handsome Devil
7. Hand In Glove
8. What Difference Does It Make?
9. I Don’t Owe You Anything
10. Suffer Little Children
11. Pretty Girls Make Graves
12. The Hand That Rocks The Cradle [*]
13. Accept Yourself [*]
14. Jeane [*]


2: ‘Meat Is Murder’

Disc 1: ‘Meat Is Murder’

1. The Headmaster Ritual
2. Rusholme Ruffians
3. I Want The One I Can’t Have
4. What She Said
5. That Joke Isn’t Funny Anymore
6. Nowhere Fast
7. Well I Wonder
8. Barbarism Begins At Home
9. Meat Is Murder

Disc 2: ‘The BBC Sessions’

1. What Difference Does It Make? [John Peel show, 31/05/03]
2. Miserable Lie [John Peel show, 31/05/03]
3. Reel Around The Fountain [John Peel show, 31/05/03]
4. Handsome Devil [John Peel show, 31/05/03]
5. You’ve Got Everything Now [David Jensen show, 04/07/83]
6. Wonderful Woman [David Jensen show, 04/07/83]
7. These Things Take Time [David Jensen show, 04/07/83]
8. I Don’t Owe You Anything [David Jensen show, 21/09/83]
9. Accept Yourself [David Jensen show, 21/09/83]
10. Pretty Girls Make Graves [David Jensen show, 21/09/83]
11. Reel Around The Fountain [David Jensen show, 21/09/83]
12. This Night Has Opened My Eyes [John Peel show, 21/09/83]
13. Still Ill [John Peel show, 21/09/83]
14. This Charming Man [John Peel show, 21/09/83]
15. Back To The Old House [John Peel show, 21/09/83]
16. William, It Was Really Nothing [[John Peel show, 09/08/84]
17. Nowhere Fast [John Peel show, 09/08/84]
18. Rusholme Ruffians [John Peel show, 09/08/84]
19. How Soon Is Now? [John Peel show, 09/08/84]
20. Is It Really So Strange? [John Peel Show, 17/12/86]
21. London [John Peel Show, 17/12/86]
22. Half A Person [John Peel Show, 17/12/86]
23. Sweet And Tender Hooligan [John Peel Show, 17/12/86]


3: ‘The Queen Is Dead’

Disc 1: ‘The Queen Is Dead’

1. The Queen Is Dead
2. Frankly Mr. Shankly
3. I Know It’s Over
4. Never Had No One Ever
5. Cemetery Gates
6. Bigmouth Strikes Again
7. The Boy With The Thorn In His Side
8. Vicar In A Tutu
9. There Is A Light That Never Goes Out
10. Some Girls Are Bigger Than Others

Disc 2: ‘The Singles’

1. Hand In Glove [single version] [different from the version found on ‘The Smiths’]
2. This Charming Man
3. What Difference Does It Make? [7” version]
4. Heaven Knows I’m Miserable Now
5. William, It Was Really Nothing
6. How Soon Is Now? [7” version]
7. Shakespeare’s Sister
8. That Joke Isn’t Funny Anymore [7” version]
9. The Boy With The Thorn In His Side [single version] [different from the version found on ‘The Queen Is Dead’]
10. Bigmouth Strikes Again
11. Panic
12. Ask [single version] [different from the version found on ‘World’ or ‘Listen’]
13. Shoplifters Of The World Unite
14. Sheila Take A Bow
15. Girlfriend In A Coma
16. I Started Something I Couldn’t Finish
17. Last Night I Dreamt That Somebody Loved Me [7” version]


4: ‘Strangeways, Here We Come’

Disc 1: ‘Strangeways, Here We Come’

1. A Rush And A Push And The Land Is Ours
2. I Started Something I Couldn’t Finish
3. Death Of A Disco Dancer
4. Girlfriend In A Coma
5. Stop Me If You Think You’ve Heard This One Before
6. Last Night I Dreamt That Somebody Loved Me
7. Unhappy Birthday
8. Paint A Vulgar Picture Death At One’s Elbow
9. I Won’t Share You

Disc 2: ‘The B-Sides’

1. Handsome Devil [live at the Hacienda, Manchester, 04/02/83] [b-side to Hand In Glove 7”]
2. This Charming Man [London] [b-side to This Charming Man 12”]
3. Accept Yourself [b-side to This Charming Man 12”]
4. Wonderful Woman [b-side to This Charming Man 12”]
5. Back To The Old House [b-side to What Difference Does It Make? 12”]
6. These Things Take Time [b-side to What Difference Does It Make? 12”]
7. Girl Afraid [b-side to Heaven Knows I’m Miserable Now 12”]
8. Please, Please, Please, Let Me Get What I Want [b-side to William, It Was Really Nothing 12”]
9. Oscilate Wildly [b-side to How Soon Is Now? 12”]
10. Stretch Out And Wait [b-side to Shakespeare’s Sister 12”]
11. Rubber Ring [b-side to The Boy With The Thorn In His Side 12”]
12. Asleep [b-side to The Boy With The Thorn In His Side 12”]
13. Money Changes Everything [b-side to Bigmouth Strikes Again 12”]
14. Unloveable [b-side to Bigmouth Strikes Again 12”]
15. The Draize Train [b-side to Panic 12”]
16. Golden Lights [b-side to Ask 12”]
17. London [b-side to Shoplifters Of The World Unite 12”]
18. Half A Person [b-side to Shoplifters Of The World Unite 12”]
19. Work Is A Four Letter Word [b-side to Girlfriend In A Coma 12”]
20. I Keep Mine Hidden [b-side to Girlfriend In A Coma 12”]
21. Some Girls Are Bigger Than Others [live, London 12/12/86] [b-side to I Started Something I Couldn’t Finish 12”]


5: ‘Rank’

Disc 1: ‘Rank’

1. The Queen Is Dead
2. Panic
3. I Want The One I Can’t Have
4. Vicar In A Tutu
5. There Is A Light That Never Goes Out
6. Ask
7. (Marie’s The Name) His Latest Flame/Rusholme Ruffians
8. Frankly, Mr. Shankly
9. The Boy With The Thorn In His Side
10. Rubber Ring/What She Said
11. Is It Really So Strange?
12. Never Had No One Ever
13. Cemetery Gates
14. London
15. Meat Is Murder
16. I Know It’s Over
17. The Draize Train
18. How Soon Is Now?
19. Still Ill
20. Bigmouth Strikes Again

Either: Disc 2: ‘Meat Is Murder Live’

1. William, It Was Really Nothing
2. Nowhere Fast
3. I Want The One I Cant Have
4. What She Said
5. Hand In Glove
6. How Soon Is Now?
7. Stretch Out And Wait
8. That Joke Isn’t Funny Anymore
9. Shakespeare’s Sister
10. Rusholme Ruffians
11. The Headmaster Ritual
12. Still Ill
13. Meat Is Murder
14. Miserable Lie
15. Barbarism Begins At Home
16. You’ve Got Everything Now
17. Handsome Devil

Or: Disc 2: ‘The Others’

1. I Don’t Owe You Anything [Sandie Shaw]
2. Hand In Glove [Sandie Shaw]
3. Jeane [Sandie Shaw]
4. This Charming Man [New York]
5. This Charming Man [New York Instrumental]
6. Heaven Knows I’m Miserable Now [longer version] [first UK 12” pressings]
7. How Soon Is Now? [7” version]
8. How Soon Is Now? [Phil Brown edit] [USA 7”/12”]
9. The Headmaster Ritual [Phil Brown edit] [b-side to How Soon Is Now? USA 7”]
10. How Soon Is Now? [studio outtake] [Italian 12”]
11. Barbarism Begins At Home [single version] [German 7”]
12. Some Girls Are Bigger Than Others [single version] [German 7”/12”]
13. Ask [‘World’/’Louder’ version]
14. Stretch Out And Wait [‘The World Won’t Listen’ version]
15. You Just Haven’t Earned It Yet Baby [‘The World Won’t Listen’ version]
16. You Just Haven’t Earned It Yet Baby [‘Louder Than Bombs’ version]
17. Work Is A Four Letter Word [shorter version] [b-side to Girlfriend In A Coma 7”]
18. What’s The World? [live, Glasgow 25/9/85] [b-side to I Started Something I Couldn’t Finish cassingle]
19. This Charming Man [1992 single remix] [b-side to This Charming Man 1992 cd reissue]
20. The Queen Is Dead [shorter version] [b-side to How Soon Is Now? 1992 cd reissue]
21. Hand In Glove [live, London 29/06/83] [b-side to There Is A Light That Never Goes Out 1992 cd reissue]
 
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Thanks, and very true... without anything new the only incentive would be remastering (and maybe decently reproduced artwork/lyrics etc supervised by Morrissey). The above's really just a way of reorganising my current Smiths stuff (anal, no?), so I thought I'd share. :)

Will
 
you have put a lot of work into that , the back lash would have to be who would buy songs they already have apart from the people who want to own everything

what it needs is the unreleased tracks to be tacked on a disc at the end

I disagree. I've seen it done both ways (e.g. Elvis Costello's Rykodisc reissues tacked them onto the end; his later Rhino ones put them on a separate disc), and I prefer the 2-disc versions. As for a backlash, The Cure's reissues are a great example--the remastered CDs are far, far, superior to the originals, and that's almost reason enough to buy them, even if they didn't also have a bonus disc of rarities. Of course, I'm not at all happy about how these Cure reissues didn't include the b-sides; instead, you have to shell out another $40 for a 4-disc package with most of the (non-live) b-sides.

It's too bad that remastering is seen largely as a marketing gimmick by most fans, because it really makes a difference for albums that were originally issued on CD using the vinyl mix. The Queen Is Dead's mastering is particularly bad on CD, IMHO.
 
Thanks, and very true... without anything new the only incentive would be remastering (and maybe decently reproduced artwork/lyrics etc supervised by Morrissey). The above's really just a way of reorganising my current Smiths stuff (anal, no?), so I thought I'd share. :)

Will

Well, I would buy this if it was available; forget about all the album covers and what-not you'd be missing, I'd buy it!
 
Well, a number of bands have issued "Deluxe Editions" with a lot of great stuff. For example, On The Stooges debut LP, the D.E. has the remaster on disc 1 and John Cale's mix on disc 2. On The Velvet Underground & Nico's D.E., the stereo mix w/ select Nico tracks are on disc 1 and the mono mix (w/ the singles) on disc 2.

I'd rather buy the D.E.'s than box-sets. It seems that more care is put into the product when ONE album is presented at a time. When you are talking about more than a couple CD's, the guys putting boxes together have got to cut corners in order to make an affordable product.
 
I disagree. I've seen it done both ways (e.g. Elvis Costello's Rykodisc reissues tacked them onto the end; his later Rhino ones put them on a separate disc), and I prefer the 2-disc versions. As for a backlash, The Cure's reissues are a great example--the remastered CDs are far, far, superior to the originals, and that's almost reason enough to buy them, even if they didn't also have a bonus disc of rarities. Of course, I'm not at all happy about how these Cure reissues didn't include the b-sides; instead, you have to shell out another $40 for a 4-disc package with most of the (non-live) b-sides.

It's too bad that remastering is seen largely as a marketing gimmick by most fans, because it really makes a difference for albums that were originally issued on CD using the vinyl mix. The Queen Is Dead's mastering is particularly bad on CD, IMHO.
fair point , i think that it isn't a bad idea - and i agree about the queen is dead

but again look at the backlash of the greatest hits album , the lack of sales of best 2 , the pointlessness of the the other two .. perhaps the singles collection wasnt a waste of time as an introduction to people with a passing interest . if you look at the orginal posts though it is not remasters simply bringing the songs together in one format
 
Speaking about -Re-Releases

Are those Smiths re-releases ever going to see the light of day? Also, I'm sure, now that Southpaw is going to be "re-released", we can (hopefully) see the rest of his back catalogue remastered and released @ some point?
 
Re: Speaking about -Re-Releases

This is a very interesting topic given the excellent potential of a new but familiar product... which could also be truly disappointing.

Counting Southpaw, the following Moz albums have been re-released [in the US of A, sorry Earth]:

Viva Hate (Special edition 1997 remaster w/b-sides)
Southpaw (2008 remaster w/unreleased tracks)
You Are the Quarry (Deluxe 2-Disc w/b-sides)

that's it.

Certain remastered songs and b-sides appear in the compilations 1995's World of Morrissey, 1997's Suedehead: The Best of Morrissey, 1998's My Early Burglary Years, 2001's The Best of Morrissey, and 2008's Greatest Hits.

All the other CDs you see around are from their original issue mix. All Smiths CDs from 84-87 have not been remastered, with exceptions being the 2001 comp The Very Best of The Smiths


Moz and The Smiths are being embraced by a new generation of fans young and older, and EMI/WB/Universal should be smarter then they already are by re-issuing a Morrissey or Smiths box set with at least the original UK albums remastered (personally, they could use the work!), and hell, another box set full of extra goodies us fans would pay dearly for.

Of course, EMI/WB/Universal need to realize that Moz/Smiths are still the shit...



P.S. Are Smiths and Morrissey on iTunes?
 
Personally, I would make the bonus discs correspond more to the era of the album on disc one. I'm not comfortable with making the second discs "themed."

Also, some of the bonus discs you devised are too long for an 80 minute CD. I know the BBC one is because I've tried it before. :D However, if you discard the "How Soon Is Now?" BBC version--which, to my ears, is absolutely identical to the studio take--all of the BBC sessions do fit on one disc.

I'm tempted to make the BBC tracks its own stand alone release. Also tempted to devise a complete singles/b-sides two disc set (even if they are added to their respective albums). Or you could make a singles box with miniature picture sleeve replicas. Each single could include ALL b-sides ever released for that single, be they on 7" or 12".

I might jettison all "edits" from these deluxe editions, as they are essentially pointless if you have the full-length versions there...unless you have extra room for them somewhere.

Also, don't forget "There is a Light That Never Goes Out" was a single.

I'll have to think more on this...

And don't feel bad about "flogging a dead horse." I've been devising a Smiths box set! Everything is presented in release order EXCEPT live tracks and BBC tracks, which are arranged by date. It looks like it's going to run seven discs.

Like you, I've devised an "others" disc for my box set. It's a bonus disc consisting of the edits, the band-hated "New York" mixes of "This Charming Man," "Rank" outtakes and unreleased BBC sessions.
 
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