Pitchfork

A Smiths best-of compilation? Stop me if you've heard this one before!

Yes indeed, the master compilers at Rhino will bring out The Sound of the Smiths, a retrospective of the late, great, sad rockers, on November 11. It will be available as both a single disc and a double disc set. The 23-track single disc gathers all of the band's singles and lines them up chronologically, while the second disc mixes B-sides, alternate versions, and live takes.

The Sound of the Smiths was crafted with the help of Morrissey, who provided the title, and Johnny Marr, who supervised the mastering. Both men also assisted in the track selection as well.

But wait... back in August, didn't the reliable Morrissey fan site True to You posted a message that said, "It is understood that Warner Music in London are releasing a Smiths Greatest Hits album in the final quarter of 2008. This release is without Morrissey's approval or involvement"? According to Rhino, that statement was made before Morrissey became involved in the project.

The cover art for the single-disc set is above, but here's what you'll get if you opt for the big fella:



In other news from this lot, according to Billboard.biz, last month, Morrissey split with his management company ie: music after just three months. One wonders if the recent fuss surrounding the release of a live DVD and the delay of the release of his forthcoming studio LP Years of Refusal had anything to do with it. Then again, this guy and discontentment are pretty tight, so it's always a little hard to say.

Meanwhile, Johnny Marr has taken a break from his duties with Modest Mouse to link up with British brother act the Cribs. He's currently working on a new album with them.

The Sound of the Smiths:

Disc One:

01 Hand in Glove [single version]
02 This Charming Man [single version]
03 What Difference Does It Make [Peel session]
04 Still Ill
05 Heaven Knows I'm Miserable Now [single version]
06 William, It Was Really Nothing [single version]
07 How Soon Is Now?
08 Nowhere Fast
09 Shakespeare's Sister [single version]
10 Barbarism Begins at Home [7" version]
11 That Joke Isn't Funny Anymore [single version]
12 The Headmaster Ritual
13 The Boy With the Thorn in His Side [single version]
14 Bigmouth Strikes Again [single version]
15 There Is a Light That Never Goes Out
16 Panic [single version]
17 Ask [single version]
18 You Just Haven't Earned It Yet Baby [single version]
19 Shoplifters of the World Unite [single version]
20 Sheila Take a Bow [single version]
21 Girlfriend in a Coma [single version]
22 I Started Something I Couldn't Finish [single version]
23 Last Night I Dreamt That Somebody Loved Me [single version]

Disc Two:

01 Jeane [B-side]
02 Handsome Devil [B-side, live 1983]
03 This Charming Man [New York vocal]
04 Wonderful Woman
05  Back to the Old House [B-side]
06 These Things Take Time [B-side]
07 Girl Afraid [B-side]
08 Please, Please, Please Let Me Get What I Want [B-side]
09 Stretch Out and Wait [B-side]
10 Oscillate Wildly [B-side]
11 Meat Is Murder [B-side, live in Oxford]
12 Asleep [B-side]
13 Money Changes Everything [B-side]
14 The Queen Is Dead / Take Me Back To Dear Old Blighty [medley]
15 Vicar in a Tutu [B-side]
16 Cemetry Gates [B-side]
17 Half a Person [B-side]
18 Sweet and Tender Hooligan [B-side]
19 Pretty Girls Make Graves [B-side, Trot Tate version]
20 Stop Me If You Think You've Heard This One Before
21 What's the World [live in Glasgow]
22 London [live in London]