MAY WE HAVE A RECORD CONTRACT PLEASE (CD)

 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, Shakespeare's Sister, Nowhere Fast (BBC radio sessions).

This release is identical to The Hand That Rocks The Cradle, featuring the early Troy Tate demos and several BBC radio session tracks. (TM/SD)
See also: Asleep, Before Love, The Hand That Rocks The Cradle, A Nice Bit Of Meat 2, Original Demos, SmithSessions, Unloveable (BBC sessions); The Cradle Snatchers, The Hand That Rocks The Cradle (full review), Original Demos, Reel Around The Fountain, Wonderful Woman (Troy Tate sessions).

MERRY CHRISTMAS (LP)

Front Scan
Back Scan

I Don't Owe You Anything, Reel Around The Fountain, Hand In Glove, You've Got Everything Now, Handsome Devil, These Things Take Time, This Charming Man, Girl Afraid, Pretty Girls Make Graves, Still Ill, This Night Has Opened My Eyes.

Very good quality recording of the Hammersmith Palais gig (March 12, 1984).(JR)
See also: Hammersmith, Last Of The English Roses, Misery Loves Company (full review), Wilde About Morrissey

MISERABLE LIES (LP)

 Girl Afraid, This Charming Man, Barbarism Begins At Home, This Night Has Opened My Eyes, Still Ill, These Things Take Time, Miserable Lie, I Don't Owe You Anything, What Difference Does It Make?, Handsome Devil.

MISERY LOVES COMPANY (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 very good quality recording of the Hammersmith Palais show on March 12, 1984. This was one of the best early Smiths shows with several funny between-track comments from Morrissey, including the proudly-stated "This song is number 86 in the National 100" before "This Charming Man". The performance is excellent, the sound quality is good (soundboard) and the show is further immortalized by the appearance of Sixties-Songstress Sandie Shaw, who delights the crowd with a performance of "I Don't Owe You Anything" which made Morrissey proud, judging by his comments afterwards ("I knew I'd get dethroned eventually..."). The only complaints that can seriously be made against this Italian-made boot is the rather sacrilegious editing of "Hand In Glove", which is missing its first verse and chorus, the slightly speeded-up recording, and the erroneous titling of "Girl Afraid" as "I'll Never Make That Mistake Again".(TM)
See also: Hammersmith, Last Of The English Roses, Merry Xmas, Wilde About Morrissey.

MORRISSEY 1959-1986 (CD)


 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 (Hacienda, 2/4/83); There Is A Light That Never Goes Out, Frankly Mr. Shankly, How Soon Is Now? (National Ballroom, Kilburn 10/23/86); London, Half A Person (Peel sessions); Sheila Take A Bow, Shoplifters Of The World Unite (The Tube, 4/10/87).

A fairly good CD bootleg featuring the early performance at the Hacienda on February 4, 1983, three songs from the National Kilburn on October 23, 1986 that were excluded from Rank (included Morrissey's best quip of the night, "Could I please ask the journalists to stop throwing things"), "London" and "Half A Person" from the final Peel Sessions, and "Sheila Take A Bow" and "Shoplifters..." from the final appearance on The Tube in April, 1987. (JR)
See also: The Butterfly Collector (full review), Hacienda, A Nice Bit Of Meat, Reel Around The Fountain, The Smiths, Wilde About Morrissey(Hacienda); ...The Bad Boy From A Good Family, Dance Of The Octopuses, Flowers, A Nice Bit Of Meat 2 (Kilburn); Acid Head, The Final Radio Sessions, Wonderful Woman (Peel sessions); A Nice Bit Of Meat (The Tube).

MUSIC IS MAGNIFICENT (LP)


 The Headmaster Ritual, Rusholme Ruffians, I Want The One I Can't Have, What She Said, That Joke Isn't Funny Anymore, Nowhere Fast, Shakespeare's Sister, Barbarism Begins At Home, Meat Is Murder.

Inferior quality recording of The Smiths at the Ipswich Gaumont (3/11/85).(JR)

NEVER HAD NO ONE EVER (2LP)


 Ask, Bigmouth Strikes Again, London, Miserable Lie, Some Girls Are Bigger Than Others, The Boy With The Thorn In His Side, Shoplifters Of The World Unite, There Is A Light That Never Goes Out, Is It Really So Strange?, Cemetry Gates, This Night Has Opened My Eyes, Still Ill, Panic, The Queen Is Dead, William, It Was Really Nothing, Hand In Glove (Brixton Academy 12/12/86); Handsome Devil, That Joke Isn't Funny Anymore, Shakespeare's Sister, Rusholme Ruffians, Meat Is Murder, Heaven Knows I'm Miserable Now, This Charming Man, You've Got Everything Now (Madrid 5/18/85).

An excellent quality double album taken from the Brixton Academy (12/12/86) and Paseo De Camoens, Madrid (5/18/85). (JR)
See also: The Final Gig, Never Had No One Ever (CD), A Nice Bit Of Meat, Royal Command Performance (Brixton Academy); Live In Madrid, Never Had No One Ever CD, Spanish Sun Live Madrid 18 May 1985, Unruly Boys (Paseo De Camoens).

NEVER HAD NO ONE EVER (CD)


 Take Me Back To Dear Old Blighty, Ask, Bigmouth Strikes Again, London/Miserable Lie (Medley), Some Girls Are Bigger Than Others, The Boy With The Thorn In His Side, Shoplifters Of The World Unite, There Is A Light That Never Goes Out, Is It Really So Strange?, Cemetry Gates, This Night Has Opened My Eyes, Still Ill, Panic, The Queen Is Dead, William, It Was Really Nothing, Hand In Glove (Brixton Academy 12/12/86); Handsome Devil (Madrid 3/18/85).

Billed as "Live In Belgium in 1986" but ignoring the fact that The Smiths never played Belgium that year, this is actually a recording from the Brixton Academy, London (December 12, 1986), the final British appearance by The Smiths. "Handsome Devil," not listed on the CD, is taken from the performance in Madrid on March 18, 1985. (JR)
See also: The Final Gig, Never Had No One Ever (LP), A Nice Bit Of Meat, Royal Command Performance (Brixton Academy); Live In Madrid, Never Had No One Ever LP, Spanish Sun Live Madrid 18 May 1985 (Madrid).

A NICE BIT OF MEAT (LP)


 Panic (The Tube, 7/5/86), Sheila Take A Bow (The Tube, 4/10/86), Purple Haze (Glasgow, 7/16/86), How Soon Is Now? (studio outtake), Barbarism Begins At Home (Royal Albert Hall, 4/6/85), Please Please Please Let Me Get What I Want (Dublin, 1984), Asleep (Inverness, 10/1/85), Unloveable (Inverness, 10/1/85), What Do You See In Him? (Wonderful Woman) (Hacienda, 2/4/83), Reel Around The Fountain (studio outtake), This Night Has Opened My Eyes (Brixton Academy, 12/12/86).

This is an excellent mish-mash of songs from various sources which includes two songs from The Tube ("Panic" and "Sheila Take A Bow"), two previously unreleased studio mixes ("How Soon Is Now?" and "Reel Around The Fountain"), live performances ("Barbarism Begins At Home," "Please Please Please Let Me Get What I Want," "What Do You See In Her?" - an early version of "Wonderful Woman" - and "This Night Has Opened My Eyes") and rare soundcheck material ("Purple Haze," "Asleep," and "Unloveable"). Although the sound quality varies from poor to very good, the album is well-worth the price due to the rarity of the material. The highlights are definitely the soundcheck songs, which The Smiths never performed in concert; also, Pete Burns guesting on the Royal Albert Hall version of "Barbarism Begins At Home"; and the poignant version of "This Night Has Opened My Eyes," culled from the Brixton concert on December 12, 1986 - the last British concert The Smiths ever played. (TM)
See also: The Butterfly Collector (full review), Hacienda, Morrissey 1959-1986, Reel Around The Fountain, The Smiths, Wilde About Morrissey (Hacienda); The Final Gig, Never Had No One Ever (LP/CD), Royal Command Performance (Brixton Academy);Asleep, Before Love - Live In Oxford March 18, 1985, The Cradle Snatchers, Unloveable (soundcheck); Morrissey 1959-1986, Rest In Peace, Unloveable (The Tube); Asleep ("How Soon Is Now?").

A NICE BIT OF MEAT 2 (LP)


 There Is A Light That Never Goes Out, Frankly Mr. Shankly (The National Kilburn, 10/29/86); This Charming Man (Peel Session); Jeane; Rusholme Ruffians (Peel Session); What's The World; Instrumental, How Soon Is Now? (soundcheck instrumentals); William, It Was Really Nothing (Peel Session); Stop Me If You Think You've Heard This One Before, Disappointed, Interesting Drug, Suedehead, The Last Of The Famous International Playboys, Sister I'm A Poet, Death At One's Elbow, Sweet And Tender Hooligan (Wolverhamption Civic, 12/22/88).

Like it's predecessor, this is another mish-mash which includes selections from the National Kilburn (10/29/86), a couple of John Peel sessions, and, most interestingly, two soundcheck instrumentals, including "How Soon Is Now?" Side two is a fair quality recording of Morrissey's first solo performance at Wolverhampton (12/22/88). (JR)
See also: Acid Head, ...The Bad Boy From A Good Family, Dance Of The Octopuses, Flowers, Morrissey 1959-1986, (National Kilburn); Asleep, The Hand That Rocks The Cradle CD, May We Have A Record Contract Please, Smithsessions (Peel Sessions).

ORIGINAL DEMOS (CD)

 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 demos); 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 (Peel Sessions).

Another release of The Hand That Rocks The Cradle, featuring the Troy Tate tracks and BBC radio sessions. (TM/SD)
See also: Asleep, Before Love, The Hand That Rocks The Cradle (CD), May We Have A Record Contract Please, A Nice Bit Of Meat 2, SmithSessions, Unloveable (Peel Sessions); The Cradle Snatchers, The Hand That Rocks The Cradle (full review), May We Have A Record Contract Please, Reel Around The Fountain, Wonderful Woman (Troy Tate Sessions).

OXFORD APOLLO (LP)


 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.

An excellent quality BBC radio recording (originally broadcast on May 9, 1985) of the Oxford Apollo show on March 18, 1985. An exceptional "Meat Is Murder"-era concert, with beautiful guitar from Johnny Marr and excellent vocals from a very upbeat and playful Morrissey. The highlights are a quintessential version of "William, It Was Really Nothing" and the lovely "Miserable Lie" which features a sparkling new guitar intro by Johnny. The packaging (by Burning Bush records) is adequate but is sullied by many typos in the track listing ("No where Fast", "How Soon Is It Now?", "Shakespears Sister", "Bar barism Beging At Home", etc.) (TM)
See also: Before Love - Live In Oxford March 18, 1985, Better Live Than Dead, Flowers, James Dean Is Dead, A Kind Of Loving, Same Day Again, Stealers.

THE PLAYBOX (7" EP)

Front
Back

Heaven Knows I'm Miserable Now, Jeane, This Charming Man, Hand In Glove.

Allegedly, only 200 copies of this rare bootleg were pressed. The concert selections are taken from the Capital Theatre, Aberdeen (9/30/85). (JR)
See also: Goodbye To Elvis.

REEL AROUND THE FOUNTAIN (CD)


Front
Inside
Back

How Soon Is Now? (Peel Session); What Do You See In Him? (Wonderful Woman) (Hacienda 2/4/83); Reel Around The Fountain, Miserable Lie, The Hand That Rocks The Cradle (Troy Tate Sessions); You've Got Everything Now, Handsome Devil, Accept Yourself, What Difference Does It Make?, Reel Around The Fountain, Wonderful Woman, These Things Take Time, I Don't Owe You Anything, Hand In Glove (Fighting Cocks, Birmingham 6/3/83); I Don't Owe You Anything, Jeane (Saturday Live Radio One Session, 4/14/84).

A very good quality collection which is highlighted by the June, 1983 show at the Fighting Cocks in Birmingham. Various session tracks and "What Do You See In Him?" from the Hacienda show in February, 1983 flesh out the CD. (TM/SD)
See also: The Butterfly Collector (full review), Hacienda, Morrissey 1959-1986, A Nice Bit Of Meat, The Smiths, Wilde About Morrissey (Hacienda); The Cradle Snatchers, The Hand That Rocks The Cradle, May We Have A Record Contract Please, Original Demos (Troy Tate sessions).

REST IN PEACE - THE SMITHS LIVE (7")

Front
Back

Sheila Take A Bow, Shoplifters Of The World Unite, This Charming Man, Girl Afraid.

This 7-inch single provides no details of song sources but they would appear to have been culled from television broadcasts. (JR)
See also: A Nice Bit Of Meat, Unloveable.

ROYAL COMMAND PERFORMANCE (2LP)


 Some Girls Are Bigger Than Others, Shoplifters Of The World Unite, Cemetry Gates, This Night Has Opened My Eyes, Still Ill, Panic, The Queen Is Dead, William, It Was Really Nothing, Hand In Glove (Brixton Academy 12/12/86); Bigmouth Strikes Again, Vicar In A Tutu, Frankly Mr Shankly, There Is A Light That Never Goes Out, Ask, I Want The One I Can't Have, Is It Really So Strange?, Shakespeare's Sister, Stretch Out And Wait, That Joke Isn't Funny Anymore (G-Mex 7/19/86); Jeane (featuring Sandie Shaw) (unknown origin); I Know It's Over, Rusholme Ruffians/(Marie's The Name) His Latest Flame (Medley), London, Miserable Lie, The Boy With The Thorn In His Side (G-Mex, 7/19/86); Girl Don't Come (featuring Sandie Shaw).

A double album humorously credited to The Vegetarians, this above average quality recording was taken from the G-Mex Festival, Manchester (7/19/86) and the Brixton Academy, London (12/12/86).(JR)
See also: Heavy Horses (G-Mex Festival); The Final Gig, Never Had No One Ever (LP/CD), A Nice Bit Of Meat (Brixton Academy).

THE RUSHOLME RUFFIANS (LP)

 What She Said, Hand In Glove, How Soon Is Now?, Stretch Out And Wait, Shakespeare's Sister, Still Ill, Meat Is Murder, Heaven Knows I'm Miserable Now, Handsome Devil, Miserable Lie, You've Got Everything Now.

Fair quality recording taken from the Manchester Palace (3/31/85).(JR)
See also: How Soon Is Now Reissues, Rusholme Ruffians Play At Home.


RUSHOLME RUFFIANS PLAY AT HOME (CD)

Front
Inside
Back

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, Handsome Devil, Miserable Lie, You've Got Everything Now.

A well-packaged CD bootleg featuring the performance at the Manchester Palace (March 31, 1985), minus the three opening songs ("William, It Was Really Nothing", "Nowhere Fast", and "I Want The One I Can't Have"). "Barbarism Begins At Home" is erroneously listed among the tracks. The sound quality is very good for an audience recording. Morrissey seems very unimpressed with the crowd's apparent lack of enthusiasm, saying at one point, "We hope you're just shy and not bored..." Morrissey's best quip of the evening comes before the performance of "That Joke Isn't Funny Anymore": "This is a song off our LP 'Breathing Is Murder'..."(JR/TM)
See also: How Soon Is Now Reissues, The Rusholme Ruffians.