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The Very Best of The Smiths is a compilation album by The Smiths. It was released in June, 2001 by WEA in Europe. Its highest British chart position was #31; the album was not released in the United States.
About the album
After Singles (1995), the previous Smiths compilation album that WEA (now the Warner Music Group) had issued, went out of print in Europe, Australia and Taiwan, the record company decided to revamp the package slightly and release it under the name The Very Best of The Smiths. WEA scrambled the running order and added five tracks, and enticed the record buyers with the incentive of digital remastering.
The album was widely criticised by the British music press, who, after stopping to praise the actual music, went on to condemn what they saw as a moneygrabbing exercise. They were quickly joined by singer Morrissey and guitarist Johnny Marr, who distanced themselves from the album, stating they had had no input whatsoever. Both ridiculed the cover design and Marr additionally denounced the sound quality.
In the fine tradition of largely-but-not-quite-overlapping Smiths compilations, this album does contain two versions not available on album elsewhere: the single edits of "Ask" and "Last Night I Dreamt That Somebody Loved Me" (Singles used the album versions).
Cover
The sleeve for The Very Best of The Smiths features Charles Hawtrey of Carry On fame.
Track listing
All songs written by Morrissey/Marr.
- Panic
- The Boy with the Thorn in His Side (album version)
- Heaven Knows I'm Miserable Now
- Ask (single version)
- Bigmouth Strikes Again
- How Soon Is Now? (album version)
- This Charming Man
- What Difference Does It Make?
- William, It Was Really Nothing
- Some Girls Are Bigger Than Others
- Girlfriend in a Coma
- Hand in Glove (album version)
- There Is a Light That Never Goes Out
- Please Please Please Let Me Get What I Want
- That Joke Isn't Funny Anymore (album version)
- I Know It's Over
- Sheila Take a Bow
- I Started Something I Couldn't Finish
- Still Ill
- Shakespeare's Sister
- Shoplifters of the World Unite
- Last Night I Dreamt That Somebody Loved Me (single version)
- Stop Me If You Think You've Heard This One Before
People involved
The band
Additional musicians
Technical staff
- John Porter – producer (1, 3-4, 6-9, 14, 19), remixer (12)
- The Smiths – producers (12, 15, 20)
- Morrissey and Marr – producers (2, 5, 10, 13, 16)
- Johnny Marr – producer (21)
- Johnny Marr, Morrissey and Stephen Street – producers (11, 17-18, 22-23)
- Steve Lillywhite – remixer (4)
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