Tag: Compilation

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Vinyl

Vinyl love: The Smiths “The world won’t listen”

(Vinyl Love is a series of posts that quite simply lists, describes, and displays the pieces in my growing vinyl collection. You can bet that each record was given a spin during the drafting of each corresponding post.)

Artist: The Smiths
Album Title: The world won’t listen
Year released: 1987
Year reissued: 2011
Details: Remastered, double LP, part of box set that includes booklet and poster

The skinny: Happy Sunday! Are you getting tired of seeing pictures of the pieces from this box set yet? Patience. Just a couple installments to go. This compilation, whose title is an expression of Morrissey’s frustration at the band’s lack of exposure, gathers together a bunch of the band’s singles and their b-sides, released between 1985 and 1987. As a record, it’s one that doesn’t see the platter often because of the compilation that was originally released a mere months after this one and that one will be featured next week. That other one is a big favourite of mine and the song featured below is one of only two songs from this one not available there.

Standout track: “The boy with the thorn in his side”

Categories
Vinyl

Vinyl love: The Smiths “Hatful of hollow”

(Vinyl Love is a series of posts that quite simply lists, describes, and displays the pieces in my growing vinyl collection. You can bet that each record was given a spin during the drafting of each corresponding post.)

Artist: The Smiths
Album Title: Hatful of hollow
Year released: 1984
Year reissued: 2011
Details: Remastered, gatefold sleeve, part of box set that includes booklet and poster

The skinny: Now that I’ve gotten through the four studio LPs, it’s time to start in on the multiple compilation albums that were released by The Smiths, starting with “Hatful of hollow”. I’ve mentioned in replies to comments on a previous post in this series that I actually prefer their singles, many of which don’t appear on the albums, over their proper studio albums. So for me, these compilations are where the meat of The Smiths best work resides. Released in 1984, “Hatful of hollow” gathers together recordings of the multiple live performances by the band on the BBC, all made prior to the release of their debut, as well as a few A-sides and B-sides of singles released around the time. This compilation is a compelling listen because those BBC versions are often quite different from those found elsewhere. Finally, of all the great tunes on this record, I’ve chosen the song below because this is the only disc in the box that includes “This charming man”. And well, it is a great tune!

Standout track: “This charming man”

Categories
Vinyl

Vinyl love: The Decemberists “The Tain / 5 songs”

(Vinyl Love is a series of posts that quite simply lists, describes, and displays the pieces in my growing vinyl collection. You can bet that each record was given a spin during the drafting of each corresponding post.)

Artist: The Decemberists
Album Title: The tain / 5 songs
Year released: 2004
Year reissued: 2008
Details: 180 gram, black vinyl

The skinny: …And speaking of The Decemberists… In 2004, a year before releasing their final indie album, “Picaresque”, The Decemberists released an EP that was just one long 18 minute song, albeit in five parts, that took for its subject a Celtic myth. A few years later this EP was coupled with their first ever EP, 2001’s “Five songs”, and released on 12” vinyl, an EP on each side. I found a copy of this compilation pressed to 180 gram vinyl on one of my many trips to Vertigo records and couldn’t not buy it. If you’ve got twenty minutes to burn, have a listen and watch of the video below. It’s good stuff.

Standout track: “The tain”