Bigmouth strikes again (The Smiths) (LP 4569 - 4571)

The Smiths  Hatful of Hollow (Vinyl, Rough Trade Records, 1984) *****  

The Smiths  The World Won't Listen (Vinyl, Rough Trade Records, 1986) *****  

The Smiths  The Very Best of The Smiths (CD, Warner Music, 2001) *****  

Genre: Alt pop, alt rock

Places I remember: Marbecks Records

Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles: Please Please Please Let Me Get What I Want

Gear costume: There Is A Light That Never Goes Out

They loom large in his legend (The Album Collection playlists): Part 1; Part 2; Part 3; Part 4; Part 5; Part 6; Part 7

Active compensatory factors: The Smiths must be unique in my collection as I only own three of their albums and they are all compilations. And all are 5-star albums.

Hatful of Hollow features tracks from BBC Radio 1 sessions, their first single Hand in Glove (a different mix of which had been included on the band's debut album) and two new singles with their B-sides. 

This repackaging effort sounds like a mess right? Very wrong! It's a coherent masterpiece! It's also where you'll find my favourite song by The Smiths. Please Please Please... was B side to a single. A B side!

Same with follow up collection The World Won't Listen. The album is again a collection of the band's awesome singles and select B-sides from 1985 to 1987.

The Very Best of The Smiths is a one-stop shop for all the band's best moments, that I bought for using in the car back in the day.

All of the band's strengths are visible across these albums - Morrissey's vocals and lyrics, Johnny Marr's extraordinary guitar work and the supple rhythm section of Andy Rourke (bass) and Mike Joyce (drums).

Where do they all belong? I don't feel the need to own any of the studio albums, or Rank, the live one, because I feel I have the best view of The Smiths via these three albums.