The Morrissey Best-of on Rhino: Any Good?

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I've long enjoyed the Smiths, but have never bothered with Morrissey solo, for some reason (I was probably stuck on the idea of Marr as the musicial genius, and figured I wouldn't enjoy the tunes.) I see that Morrissey now has a best-of avaliable on Rhino, and I'm wondering if this is a worthwhile compilation. Could you Morrissey fans tell me if this is a good single-disc collection? If not, what is the best first record? Here is the tracklisting:

1. The More You Ignore Me, The Closer I Get
2. Suedehead
3. Everyday Is Like Sunday
4. Glamorous Glue
5. Do Your Best And Don't Worry
6. November Spawned A Monster
7. The Last Of The Famous International Playboys
8. Sing Your Life
9. Hairdresser On Fire
10. Interesting Drug
11. We Hate It When Our Friends Become Successful
12. Certain People I Know
13. Now My Heart Is Full
14. I Know It's Gonna Happen Someday
15. Sunny
16. Alma Matters
17. Hold On To Your Friends
18. Sister I'm A Poet
19. Disappointed
20. Tomorrow
21. Lost
Thanks.

― Mark, Saturday, 24 November 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Thanks again.

― Mark, Saturday, 24 November 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

It's kind of heavy on songs that were on the Bona Drag compilation already, and the more recent ones aren't what I would call the best off of those albums (excepting "The More You Ignore Me"). However, since I don't know the availability of Bona Drag at this point, so it would probably be worth picking up.

― Nicole, Saturday, 24 November 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

I've never really understood the 'I only listened to the Smiths for Johnny Marr' standpoint. Morrissey so overwhelms the material that I just don't see how it's possible to somehow tune him out. To me to like the Smiths is to like Morrissey, however good Marr is.

As for the 'Best Of'... who buy's best of's anyway? And this isn't strictly the best of Morrissey. Where are 'This is Not Your Country', 'Nobody Loves Us', 'Speedway', 'Maladjusted', 'Boxers', 'Micheal's Bones' and a hundred others?
Best of Morrissey (albums in order of preference): 'Vauxhall & I', 'Your Arsenal', 'Viva Hate', 'Maladjusted'.

― DavidM, Saturday, 24 November 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

What Nicole said. I would change some selections myself -- "Lost" is pleasant but "The Edges Are No Longer Parallel," from the same single, is the real winner, while there should have been room for "Interlude," the Siouxsie duet which still has never been released over here properly. Pretty good otherwise, though.

― Ned Raggett, Saturday, 24 November 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Where's "The Operation"? 'Twas the best post-Viva Hate thing the guy ever did!

― Tadeusz Suchodolski, Sunday, 25 November 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Seems alright to me... It appears pointless to say "this or that song is missing" if you're a Moz fan: of course they are! The selection above gives a good indication or overview of what one will find on Moz solo records, so if you like those tracks, then you can bother getting "YA" or "V&I" or "VH". I certainly would buy said compilation if I did not own it all already.

― Simon, Sunday, 25 November 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Thanks for the input. It looks like a go, then. I'm only a few months away from being able to participate in Morrisey threads.

― Mark, Sunday, 25 November 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Looks kind of OK. I'd just get 'Viva Hate' and 'Bona Drag' if I were you, but then I'm weird like that. Only things I've really liked since then have been 'Pregnant For The Last Time', 'The More You Ignore Me, The Closer I Get', and 'I Can Have Both'

― Nick, Monday, 26 November 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Clearly the record is great and you should buy. 'Lost' is the good surprise here; thought it had been - 'lost', in the depths of old B- sidedom.

― the pinefox, Monday, 26 November 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

i must agreee, this is a specatualr collection. you have to love the classic 'everyday is like sunday'. melancholy in its finest. who else can make you feel worse.

got opinions try earthelemental.dyndns.org

got a synthesizer try earthelemental.dyndns.org/synthesizer

― martin henderson, Tuesday, 27 November 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

six years pass...

Don't suppose anyone knows of any cheapo tickets going for this evening in Hyde Park, do they? I don't know if it's sold out or not, but in any case I can't afford/don't want to pay £40.

Worth asking...

― PJ Miller, Friday, 4 July 2008 09:07 (seventeen years ago)

Oh goddamn you I wish I had a certain 12" right now.

― Bimble Is Still More Goth Than You, Friday, 4 July 2008 09:09 (seventeen years ago)

Michael's Bones!
Lucky Lisp!

― Bimble Is Still More Goth Than You, Friday, 4 July 2008 09:10 (seventeen years ago)

PJM, are you keen to see the support acts?

I am reminded of the time that KENNETH CHU left a memorable FAP so that he could attend SIMON & GARFUNKEL in the park.

― the pinefox, Friday, 4 July 2008 10:02 (seventeen years ago)

I have no chance of seeing the support acts, due to childcare commitments. Well, I suppose I might get there in time for BECK, but I wouldn't take much notice, I don't think. I would have liked to have seen THE NEW YORK DOLLS but they have been disappeared off the bill.

― PJ Miller, Friday, 4 July 2008 12:50 (seventeen years ago)

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