CD Review: The Smiths, “The Sound of The Smiths”

The release of a compilation by The Smiths is nothing new, which most likely means that once again many fans will be fostering the idea of the band’s reunion. It would be advised that no one should hold their breath at the notion; still, The Smiths are a fine example at how hitting the figurative jackpot doesn’t equal to complete and outright commercial success. Who would have known that actually wielding talent at a receptive audience might have resulted in a lasting impression?

The Smiths first struck a chord within the disenchanted youth of the UK indie rock scene in the early 80′s, and having garnered the attention of generations since, there seems to be no end in sight. It is rather ironic in that  – despite the fact that they didn’t break charts as hoped during their existence – thanks to a relentless cult following, The Smiths have become, shall we say, iconic. Enter “The Sound of The Smiths”, likely with the aim to gratify unwavering fans, and to leave enough room to rope in a newer generation of listeners. It lets up on the usual restrictions placed upon listeners with choice picks of alt-rock mastery instead of the standard short-stack of songs – a total of 45 tracks including demos, singles, and extended versions.

It will be too easy to skip forward to the 12″ version of “How Soon Is Now”, but with gems such as “Shakespeare’s Sister”, “Panic”, “Cemetery Gates”, “Ask”, and “Please, Please, Please Let Me Get What I Want”, it would truly be a disservice (however slight). And for those of us who were learning to walk  two decades ago, a scattering of  live recordings capped with fervid cheer from respective audiences serve as a veritable, audible punctuation mark upon the finest of The Smiths’ cohesive years. Thank goodness for sharp, timeless work cemented with dexterity. It has never sounded better.

Buy now for $24.95

Photo via amazon.com