GENIUS
STEALS (CD) Front Scan Back Scan |
The Queen Is Dead, Panic, I Want The One I Can't Have, Vicar In A Tutu, There Is A Light That Never Goes Out, Ask, Rusholme Ruffians/(Marie's The Name) His Latest Flame (Medley), Shakespeare's Sister, Frankly Mr. Shankly, The Boy With The Thorn In His Side, What She Said/Rubber Ring (Medley), Is It Really So Strange?, London, Meat Is Murder, I Know It's Over, The Draize Train, How Soon Is Now?, Still Ill, Bigmouth Strikes Again. |
| A
fair quality audience recording of The Smiths at the Brixton Academy on
October 24, 1986. This is not exactly the quintessential Smiths live performance,
as Johnny Marr makes numerous guitar miscues (especially noticeable during
"What She Said," where he misses the opening chord badly, and
the sloppy opening of "Meat Is Murder"). He also inserts a bit
of the intro to the Doors' "The End" at the beginning of "Meat
Is Murder" which makes me wonder - was this man on drugs that night??
Morrissey also seems rather unenthusiastic throughout the show. (TM) See also: Brixton Academy Friday 20/10/86. |
GIRL
AFRAID(CD ) Front Scan Back Scan |
Hand In Glove, Heaven Knows I'm Miserable Now, Girl Afraid, This Charming Man, Pretty Girls Make Graves, Still Ill, Barbarism Begins At Home, This Night Has Opened My Eyes, Miserable Lie, You've Got Everything Now, Handsome Devil, What Difference Does It Make?, These Things Take Time, This Charming Man, Hand In Glove, Barbarism Begins At Home (Markthalle, Hamburg 5/4/84). |
| An
excellent quality recording of the Smiths' upbeat and enthusiastic appearance
on the German television program Rockpalast (also available on
the bootleg video Live Misery). (TM/SD) See also: The Smiths. |
THE
GLC JOBS FOR A CHANGE FESTIVAL (LP) Front Scan |
Nowhere Fast, Girl Afraid, This Charming Man, William, It Was Really Nothing, Heaven Knows I'm Miserable Now, I Don't Owe You Anything, Still Ill, Jeane, Barbarism Begins At Home, Hand In Glove, What Difference Does It Make?, You've Got Everything Now, Pretty Girls Make Graves, Miserable Lie. |
| A good quality audience recording of The Smiths' gig at the Jubilee Gardens, London, June 10, 1984, which is sullied somewhat by crowd conversation (as per usual). This show is most notable for the premiere of "Nowhere Fast", which became The Smiths' opening number of choice in subsequent shows. This early version features dramatic instrumental pauses which were not featured in the polished studio cut. After playing the track, Morrissey acknowledges the crowd's unfamiliarity with it by introducing the next song ("Girl Afraid") with, "Okay, you know this one, I think, probably..." Morrissey later engages the crowd in a chant of "Smiths! Smiths! Smiths!" that is quite endearing. "Miserable Lie" is unfortunately cut off half-way through.(TM)(Image: BG) |
GOODBYE
TO ELVIS (7" EP) Front Scan Back Scan |
Still Ill, Rusholme Ruffians, What She Said, What's The World. |
| Fine
quality. Taken from the Capital Theatre, Aberdeen (9/30/85). The audience
sound is okay and the packaging is an amateurish pink sleeve with a poor
photocopied picture of Elvis on the front. Supposedly limited to 300 copies.
(JR/SA) See also: The Playbox. |
| HACIENDA
(LP) |
These Things Take Time, What Difference Does It Make?, The Hand That Rocks The Cradle, Handsome Devil, Jeane, What Do You See In Him? (Wonderful Woman), Hand In Glove, Miserable Lie. |
| Inferior
version of the Hacienda concert. (JR) See also: The Butterfly Collector (full review), Morrissey 1959-1986, A Nice Bit Of Meat, Reel Around The Fountain, The Smiths, Wilde About Morrissey. |
HAMMERSMITH
(2LP)  |
Miserable Lie, Heaven Knows I'm Miserable Now, This Charming Man, Girl Afraid, Pretty Girls Make Graves, Still Ill, This Night Has Opened My Eyes, Barbarism Begins At Home, Back To The Old House, What Difference Does It Make?, I Don't Owe You Anything (featuring Sandie Shaw), Reel Around The Fountain, Hand In Glove, You've Got Everything Now, Handsome Devil, These Things Take Time. |
| A
double album of very good quality, capturing the entire performance from
the Hammersmith Palais (3/12/84). (JR) See also: Last Of The English Roses, Merry Xmas, Misery Loves Company (full review), Wilde About Morrissey. |
THE
HANDSOME DEVILS (CD) Front Scan Back Scan |
Handsome Devil, Still Ill, This Charming Man, Pretty Girls Make Graves, Reel Around The Fountain, What Difference Does It Make?, Miserable Lie, These Things Take Time, You've Got Everything Now (Derby 12/7/83); Heaven Knows I'm Miserable Now, Barbarism Begins At Home, Miserable Lie, I Don't Owe You Anything, What Difference Does It Make?, Handsome Devil, You've Got Everything Now (Meerward, Amsterdam 4/21/84). |
| This
CD consists of soundboard recordings of the Old Grey Whistle Test
concert from December 7, 1983 and selections from the Amsterdam Vinyl Party
of April 21, 1984. The sound quality is fair on the Derby tracks and good
on the Amsterdam tracks. The Whistle Test tracks are interesting,
as they feature Morrissey-As-Disciplinarian, chastising an overly-boisterous
crowd with a variety of gruff "shushes". This appearance was made
famous by the "stage invasion to end all stage invasions" during
the middle of "You've Got Everything Now". Morrissey's strained
vocals during this song are evidence of the havoc being wreaked onstage.
He is eventually forced to abandon the song prematurely. Similar difficulties
faced him during "Miserable Lie", as he only manages to get the
first few lines out before his mic is heard crashing to the floor. (A glance
at the video from the event makes it apparent that he was hit in the face
by an object thrown from the crowd and he goes backstage to recover.) Mike,
Andy, and Johnny carry on without him, turning it into a wild instrumental,
until Morrissey eventually returns to voice the shrill cry of "I need
advice, I need advice!" At the end of the song he shouts to the audience,
"And so do you!!" perhaps in reference to the rudeness of forcing
him to abandon ship midsong. On the whole, this is a very entertaining and
fun concert, with Morrissey in good, playful spirits despite his misfortune.
The Amsterdam tracks are of very good quality and show the band in sparkling
form in mid-84. The packaging of this Italian-made CD (from Red Line) is
also quite professional, and - amazingly for a boot - features in track
listing and only one itty bitty error in song titles ("Real Around
The Fountain"). (TM) See also: Devils Charm, Live In Derby Dec. 7th 1983 & Meerward, Amsterdam 1984, Sorrow's Son (Derby); The Butterfly Collector (full review), Live At Amsterdam, Meervaart 1984, Live In Derby Dec. 7th 1983 & Meerward, Amsterdam 1984, Wonderful Woman (Amsterdam). |
|
THE
HAND THAT ROCKS THE CRADLE (LP)
|
Reel Around The Fountain, You've Got Everything Now, Miserable Lie, These Things Take Time, Wonderful Woman, Handsome Devil, Hand In Glove, What Difference Does It Make?, I Don't Owe You Anything, Suffer Little Children, Pretty Girls Make Graves. |
| This
could have been the first Smiths album - an excellent quality selection
from the scrapped Troy Tate recordings. It's interesting to compare these
versions to the ones eventually released on The Smiths and Hatful
Of Hollow. (TM) See the CD release below for a full review. |
THE
HAND THAT ROCKS THE CRADLE (CD) Front Scan Back Scan |
Reel Around The Fountain, You've Got Everything Now, Miserable Lie, These Things Take Time, Wonderful Woman, Handsome Devil, Suffer Little Children, Pretty Girls Make Graves, Hand In Glove, What Difference Does It Make?, I Don't Owe You Anything, Jeane (Troy Tate Sessions); Miserable Lie, I Don't Owe You Anything, Reel Around The Fountain, Pretty Girls Make Graves, William, It Was Really Nothing, Rusholme Ruffians, Nowhere Fast (BBC radio sessions). |
| A
good quality CD re-release of the Troy Tate recordings, fleshed out by several
BBC radio session tracks. The Tate sessions are especially interesting as
a historical curio, as they present The Smiths as a young and very unpolished
studio group. These recordings were intended to be the makings of the first
Smiths LP but were rejected because they were not "good enough"
and, on this evidence, it's easy to see why. The Smiths have never sounded
so stiff and unenthusiastic. Some of the songs seem to have just been written,
such is the underwhelming nature of the performance and most of the tempos
are slower than on the re-recorded versions. There are a few intriguing
differences in these early recordings which will fascinate Smiths obsessives.
For instance, the high-octane, super-charged drumming that opens this hard-rocking
version of "These Things Take Time"; the less pastoral and more
basic pop version of "Suffer Little Children" which ends weakly
with a few strums of a guitar, followed by a lovely, simple little piano
figure and the tinkling of a music box, an interesting ending which was
subsequently rejected for the more straightforward fade-out on the LP; and
an unbelievably jaunty version of "Pretty Girls Make Graves" which
features an extremely lovely cello counterpart to Morrissey's melodramatic
vocalizations (played by bassist Andy Rourke). (The version of "Jeane"
included here was released as the b-side of "Hand In Glove".)
The packaging is good on this Italian-made CD (from "Strangled Records"),
although the sleeve erroneously lists "Shakespeare's Sister" instead
of "Rusholme Ruffians". On the whole, a fascinating must-have
for anyone interested in the early recorded history of The Smiths. (TM)(Terence
Stamp Image: BG) See also: Asleep, Before Love, May We Have A Record Contract Please, A Nice Bit Of Meat 2, Original Demos, Smithsessions, Unloveable (BBC sessions); The Cradle Snatchers, May We Have A Record Contract Please, Original Demos, Reel Around The Fountain, Wonderful Woman (Troy Tate sessions). |
HEADMASTERS
(LP)  |
Meat Is Murder, Hand In Glove, I Want The One I Can't Have, Nowhere Fast, Shakespeare's Sister, That Joke Isn't Funny Anymore, Stretch Out And Wait, Heaven Knows I'm Miserable Now, What She Said, Still Ill, How Soon Is Now?, Jeane, The Headmaster Ritual, Reel Around The Fountain, William, It Was Really Nothing, This Charming Man, Miserable Lie, Barbarism Begins At Home. |
| It
seems that, since Rogan published Severed Alliance, it has passed into popular
mythology that Headmasters is an excellent quality boot. I doubt very much
whether Rogan actually heard it. It is actually quite a scratchy audience
recording (and yes I do have the original 2LP pressing) of a gig dogged
by technical problems. Only notable for the 13 minute version of Barbarism.
Every time Andy goes into his final riff Johnny kicks the song back into
another verse, a fanastic moment, if you are prepared to put up with the
dismal sound quality. (Mark Bettis) Brian Gemborys adds an opposing view: "I disagree with Mark Bettis. One has to compare Johnny Rogan's description of this bootleg as excellent with that on his other ratings, and compared to those ratings this could easily qualify as excellent. I'd call it a good quality recording. Whether or not it is an audience recording or a soundboard recording I think is debately. The version of Reel Around The Fountain on it is awesome. Unfortunately only half of Jeane is on the LPs. " |
HEAVY
HORSES (LP)  |
Bigmouth Strikes Again, Panic, Vicar In A Tutu, Frankly Mr Shankly, There Is A Light That Never Goes Out, Ask, I Want The One I Can't Have, Cemetry Gates, Shakespeare's Sister, Stretch Out And Wait, That Joke Isn't Funny Anymore, The Queen Is Dead, I Know It's Over, Hand In Glove. |
| Inferior
quality recording taken from the G-Mex Festival, Manchester (7/19/86). (JR) See also: Royal Command Performance. |
HELP!
I NEED SOMEBODY (7" EP)
 |
Hand In Glove, Still Ill, There Is A Light That Never Goes Out, Panic. |
| A fair quality selection of songs from various sources, credited to "The Patels" and featuring the titles, "Hand In Hand," "Still Unwell," "Don't Lie There," and "Picnic". (SD) |
|
HOW
SOON IS NOW REISSUES (CD) |
What She Said, Hand In Glove, How Soon Is Now?, Stretch Out And Wait, That Joke Isn't Funny Anymore, Shakespeare's Sister, Rusholme Ruffians, The Headmaster Ritual, Still Ill, Meat Is Murder, Heaven Knows I'm Miserable Now. |
|
This CD features
highlights from the Palace, Manchester (March 31, 1985). (JR) |
|
I
SUFFER (CD) |
Meat Is Murder, The Headmaster Ritual, Reel Around The Fountain, Shakespeare's Sister, Nowhere Fast, I Want The One I Can't Have, This Charming Man, That Joke Isn't Funny Anymore, Stretch Out And Wait, Heaven Knows I'm Miserable Now, Still Ill, How Soon Is Now?, William, It Was Really Nothing, Hand In Glove, Please Please Please Let Me Get What I Want, Rusholme Ruffians, Miserable Lie, Jeane. (Beacon Theatre, New York, 6/18/85) |
|
Sullied by a cover image of a Your Arsenal-era Morrissey (does anyone else find it incredibly annoying when Smiths releases feature solo-era images of Morrissey?), this is otherwise a well-packaged and entertaining record of The Smiths' American Meat Is Murder tour (Beacon Theater, New York, June 18, 1985). The quality is good and Morrissey gets in some funny commentary, highlighted by "Apparently last night it was the tomboys and tonight it's the poetic librarians but you're a... nice crowd..." Gets extra points for no errors in the track listing or song titles.(TM)(Image: BG) |
| William, It Was Really Nothing, Nowhere Fast, What She Said, Hand In Glove, How Soon Is Now?, Stretch Out And Wait, That Joke Isn't Funny Anymore, Shakespeare's Sister, Meat Is Murder, Miserable Lie, Barbarism Begins At Home | |
|
Although
wrongly credited on the sleeve as "Live Manchester 1985", this
is actually a trimmed-down release of the Oxford Apollo show on March
18, 1985.(JR) |
| William, It Was Really Nothing, Nowhere Fast, Hand In Glove, How Soon Is Now?, Stretch Out And Wait, That Joke Isn't Funny Anymore, Shakespeare's Sister, The Headmaster Ritual, What She Said, Still Ill, Meat Is Murder, Miserable Lie, You've Got Everything Now. | |
|
An excellent
quality recording of the oft-bootlegged Oxford Apollo show on March 18,
1985.(JR) "Barbarism Begins At Home" is listed on the LP sleeve,
but is not on the LP, thus reinforcing the theory that Stealers is a re-release
of this LP. (BG) |
|
LAST
OF THE ENGLISH ROSES (CD) |
Miserable Lie, Heaven Knows I'm Miserable Now, This Charming Man, Girl Afraid, Pretty Girls Make Graves, Still Ill, This Night Has Opened My Eyes, Barbarism Begins At Home, Back To The Old House, What Difference Does It Make?, I Don't Owe You Anything, Reel Around The Fountain, Hand In Glove, You've Got Everything Now, Handsome Devil, These Things Take Time. |
|
A CD reissue
of Misery Loves Company, with typically excellent packaging by
the Italian Big Music label. The soundboard recording of the Hammersmith
Palais show on March 12, 1984 is of very good quality, although there
is some trouble with the treble and it sounds slightly sped up. The only
other faults with this production are the mistitling of "Girl Afraid"
as "I'll Never Make That Mistake Again" (the same error was
seen on Misery Loves Company), the misidentification of the source
(the sleeve says "recorded live in Europe 1985"), and the inner
sleeve's inappropriate Kill Uncle-era Morrissey picture. Despite
these misgivings, this is a fine CD and the best way to hear the wonderful
Hammersmith show. (TM) |
| This Charming Man, Still Ill, Miserable Lie, What Difference Does It Make? | |
|
This three
inch CD, featuring tracks from the the Amsterdam Vinyl party
on April 21, 1984, accompanied the Italian songbook, The Smiths.
The quality is very good (soundboard). (JR) |
| Hand In Glove, Still Ill, Barbarism Begins At Home, This Night Has Opened My Eyes, You've Got Everything Now, What Difference Does It Make?, Miserable Lie, This Charming Man, Back To The Old House, Reel Around The Fountain, Handsome Devil, Accept Yourself, This Charming Man. | |
|
A re-release
of "Live At The Electric Ballroom, 19 December 1983".(JR) |
|
LIVE
AT THE ELECTRIC BALLROOM, 19 DECEMBER 1983 (LP) |
Hand In Glove, Still Ill, Barbarism Begins At Home, This Night Has Opened My Eyes, Pretty Girls Make Graves, You've Got Everything Now, This Charming Man, Back To The Old House, Reel Around The Fountain, Handsome Devil, Accept Yourself. |
|
Excellent
quality recording.(JR)(Image: BG) |
|
LIVE
IN DERBY DEC. 7TH 1983 & MEERWARD, AMSTERDAM 1984 (CD) |
Handsome Devil, Still Ill, This Charming Man, Pretty Girls Make Graves, Reel Around The Fountain, What Difference Does It Make?, Miserable Lie, This Night Has Opened My Eyes, Hand In Glove, These Things Take Time, You've Got Everything Now (Derby, 12/7/83); Heaven Knows I'm Miserable Now, Barbarism Begins At Home, Miserable Lie, I Don't Owe You Anything, What Difference Does It Make?, Handsome Devil, You've Got Everything Now (Amsterdam, 4/21/84). |
|
A track by
track repackaging of The Handsome Devils, with an obnoxious cover
to boot! (TM) |
|
LIVE
IN MADRID (CD) |
William, It Was Really Nothing, Nowhere Fast, I Want The One I Can't Have, What She Said, How Soon Is Now?, Handsome Devil, That Joke Isn't Funny Anymore, Shakespeare's Sister, Rusholme Ruffians, The Headmaster Ritual, Hand In Glove, Still Ill, Meat Is Murder, Heaven Knows I'm Miserable Now, Miserable Lie, Barbarism Begins At Home, This Charming Man, You've Got Everything Now. |
|
This CD features
the complete concert from Paseo De Camoens, Madrid on May 18, 1985. The
soundboard quality is excellent, with some songs sounding speedy. The
Smiths played well throughout the basic 18 song set. This CD was made
by "Swinging Pig Records" which put together some very professional
graphics that included a color promotional picture of the Smiths. (PB)(Image:
BG) |
|
LIVE
IN ROME 1985 (LP) |
Introduction, William, It Was Really Nothing, Nowhere Fast, I Want The One I Can't Have, How Soon Is Now?, Stretch Out And Wait, Rusholme Ruffians, Hand In Glove, Still Ill, Heaven Knows I'm Miserable Now, Handsome Devil, This Charming Man, You've Got Everything Now (Tendetrisce, Rome - 5/14/85). |
|
A fair quality audience recording taken from Tendetrisce, Rome (5/14/85) which features some annoyingly abrupt editing and dead air between songs, and some equally annoying mid-song fade-outs. The sleeve does not make mention of "Nowhere Fast" and "Rusholme Ruffians" is mistitled "Headmaster Ritual". The performance itself is one of the poorest on record by The Smiths, and it includes such low-lights as a completely horrible intro to "Rusholme Ruffians" (Marr's guitar rhythm is totally off) and a misplaced bass note at the beginning of "Heaven Knows I'm Miserable Now". "Still Ill" is even more horrible - with the music completely disintegrating into guitarless drumming towards the end, accompanied by a loud groan of frustration by Morrissey. The first verse and chorus of "Handsome Devil" are almost completely instrumental - Morrissey must have been dealing with the stage invaders again. A bouncy version of "This Charming Man" is one of the solitary highlights. (TM) |
|
LIVE
IN THE USA (CD?) |
How Soon Is Now?, Hand In Glove, I Want The One I Can't Have, Still Ill, Frankly Mr. Shankly, Panic, Never Had No One Ever, Stretch Out And Wait, The Boy With The Thorn In His Side, Cemetry Gates, What She Said/Rubber Ring (Medley), Is It Really So Strange?, There Is A Light That Never Goes Out, That Joke Isn't Funny Anymore, The Queen Is Dead, Money Changes Everything, I Know It's Over, Heaven Knows I'm Miserable Now, Bigmouth Strikes Again. |
|
A reissue
of So This Is America which features The Smiths' performance
Great Woods Performing Arts Center, Mansfield, Massachusetts on August
5, 1986. (JR) |
|
LIVE
PANIC (CD) |
How Soon Is Now?, Nowhere Fast, I Want The One I Can't Have, Bigmouth Strikes Again, Panic, Meat Is Murder, The Queen Is Dead, I Know It's Over, Hand In Glove, The Headmaster Ritual, You've Got Everything Now. |
|
This is, quite possibly, the worst Smiths bootleg ever made. Really, it's that bad. The atrocities are endless. To begin with, the tracks are a mish-mash from various shows and there are no liner notes to explain the origins of any of them. In fact, the only information provided on the shoddy packaging states, "Recorded live somewhere in the U.K. 1984" which seems unlikely considering some of the tracks weren't even written until 1985. Additionally, the track listing is grossly erroneous and the song titles are hideously deformed ("I Want To Go Home" instead of "The Headmaster Ritual," "You Got Every Now," "It's Over," etc.). As bad as these errors are, they could be forgiven if the quality of the recording was up to par, but here lies the greatest fault of all: "How Soon Is Now?," "Nowhere Fast," "I Want The One I Can't Have," "Meat Is Murder," "The Headmaster Ritual," and "You've Got Everything Now" are all recorded at hyper-speed, so that The Smiths sound like Morrissey was replaced by Alvin the Chipmunk. On an LP, this annoyance can be fixed by adjusting the speed on the turntable; however, on CD, this is an offense that should be punishable by death! "Remember censorship is unAmerican" say the liner notes - sadly, it would appear that ripping people off is not. Avoid at all costs! (TM) |
