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Rarely does an act so flatteringly curate its own brilliance.
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That's a lot of repetition but whether it's taken in either its single-disc or double-disc deluxe editions, The Sound of the Smiths is the best of these posthumous overviews.
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Mancunian greats turn out definitive two-CD hits collection of live recordings, alternative takes and hard-to-find tracks.
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It proves that with the same attention, wit, grace and intellect that these musicians gave to their songwriting, they can indeed construct a retrospective that not only reflects the brilliance of their band but heightens and intensifies it as well.
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Their back catalogue is a stunning body of work and arguably each track deserves its own review.
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BlenderThey've been compiled to death, but this two-disc set is the most comprehensive survey yet of the Mancunians' brief, tear-stained blaze through the mid-'80s indie-pop firmament. [Feb 2009, p.67]
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This is no treasure trove, but it works well as a definitive overview.
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If nothing can quite replicate the excitement of hearing these songs for the first time, the first disc of this double-CD set makes a good job of restating the importance of The Smiths as a singles band.
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MojoIts such an embarrassment of riches it actually seems preposterous that everything here was produced in just four years. [Dec 2008, p.118]
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Q MagazineThe lasting impression os of music full of a magic and panache that a mere compilation album can't quite reflect. [dec 2008, p.136]
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The first disc is fine, containing most of the band's singles and a few key album tracks. The second is messier.
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Under The RadarThis marks a well-done if not entirely necessary Smiths overview, good for newbies and a big maybe for fans, depending on your collection. [Year End 2008]
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So yadda yadda yadda, a best of isn't as worthwhile as a group's actual albums, what a shocker.
User score distribution:
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Positive: 47 out of 51
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Mixed: 0 out of 51
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Negative: 4 out of 51
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Jun 10, 2015
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Oct 20, 2013
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Mar 27, 2011