Louder Than Bombs by Smiths (The) (CD, Jul-1987, Sire Records USA)

Stemming from 2 separate UK imports, Louder Than Bombs is a compilation album of sorts....Containing tracks from both "The World Won't Listen" and "Hatful Of Hollow", Louder Than Bombs presents some of the best Smiths works ever made.....This was the hey-day of the Morrissey-Marr magic, a magic that worked well until The Smiths demise shortly after the release of "Strangeways, Here We Come".....A Smiths/Morrissey/Marr masterpiece of politically and socially stirring 3-minute songs which basically gave The Smiths their style and brand and their own nitch in the Euro-Post-Modern age of the 1980's......

If you already own Hatful of Hollow and The World Won't Listen, you also want this album....It contains different outtakes of several songs, including a different version of Stretch Out & Wait, Please Please Please Let Me Get What I Want (made famous by the Brat Pack movie, 16 Candles....), and many others.


A MUST HAVE for any true Smiths fan......I would HIGHLY recommend this album, particularily if you enjoy Morrissey's angst-filled lyrics or Marr's guitar which reminds us all of Oscar Wilde's trains in so many ways....


5 Out Of 5 Stars!!!!!!


MOZ MOZ MOZ! :)

24 Amazing tracks and a must own for any Smiths fan. This was my first introduction to Morrissey and co. and I was hooked immediately. I don't know if this is the best place to start if you are looking to buy your first Smiths album but it certainly worked for me. 5 Stars.

A combination of The World Won't Listen and Hatful of Hollow, Louder Than Bombs
proves to be a seminal release that fans and newcomers alike will love. Highlights are the vocally melodic Shoplifters of the World Unite, the rocking Sweet and Tender Hooligan and London, the sentimental Ask and the awesome Hand in Glove, amongst others.

As far as Smiths' albums go, this compilation is average. Anyone who owns the greatest hits or a number of the band's actual albums will see that "Louder than Bombs" is simply more of the same. In addition I essentially bought this album so as to hear the original version of "Back to the Old House". I first heard the song as a cover performed by Billy Bragg. Bragg's rendition is found on a bonus disc to his 1984 album "Brewing with Bragg". I am surprised to say this, but I prefer Bragg's version. I feel that The Smiths' version is over produced. The song would have been more evocative had they produced it more like "I know it's over" a very sad song off of the album "The Queen is Dead". Oh well, why dwell on production decisions that were made over twenty years go?