If you own all four of the Smiths albums..."The Smiths", "Meat Is Murder", "The Queen Is Dead" and "Strangeways, Here We Come"...the album "Louder Than Bombs" is like the Beatles "Past Masters 1 & 2" collection but not as complete. This album does collect a nice piece of The Smiths songs not released on the four albums though. With "Louder Than Bombs", you have all of The Smiths non-album singles along with most of the B-Sides but not all of them...

"Louder Than Bombs" scrapes up the following songs...

Non-Album Singles:

Heaven Knows I'm Miserable Now - 3:34 (1984 non-Album UK Single)

William, It Was Really Nothing - 2:11 (1984 non-Album UK Single)

Shakespeare's Sister 2:08 (1985 non-Album UK Single)

Panic - 2:20 (1986 non-Album UK Single)

Ask - 3:12 (1986 non-Album UK Single)

Shoplifters Of The World Unite - 2:58 (1987 non-Album UK Single)

Sheila Take A Bow - 3:02 (1987 non-Album UK Single)

B-Sides:

Back To The Old House - 3:04 (1984 B-Side of "What Difference Does It Make")

These Things Take Time - 2:23 (1984 B-Side of "What Difference Does It Make")

Girl Afraid - 2:49 (1984 B-Side of "Heaven Knows I'm Miserable Now")

Please Please Please Let Me Get What I Want - 1:52 (1984 B-Side of "William, It Was Really Nothing")

Oscillate Wildly - 3:25 (1985 B-Side of "How Soon Is Now")

Stretch Out And Wait - 2:46 (1985 B-Side of "Shakespeare's Sister")

Asleep - 4:11 (1985 B-Side of "The Boy With The Thorn In His Side")

Rubber Ring - 3:48 (1985 B-Side of "The Boy With The Thorn In His Side")

Unloveable - 3:56 (1986 B-Side of "Bigmouth Strikes Again")

Golden Lights - 2:43 (1986 B-Side of "Ask")

London - 2:08 (1987 B-Side of "Shoplifters Of The World Unite")

Half A Person - 3:36 (1987 B-Side of "Shoplifters Of The World Unite")

Is It Really So Strange? - 2:42 (John Peel Session) (1987 B-Side of "Sheila Take A Bow")

Sweet And Tender Hooligan (John Peel Session) - 3:33 (1987 B-Side of "Sheila Take A Bow")

The other 3 songs on the album are:

Hand In Glove - 3:15 (Single Version)

You Just Haven't Earned It Yet, Baby - 3:33 (Taken from mispressings of the "Shoplifters Of The World Unite" single)

This Night Has Opened My Eyes (John Peel Session) - 3:40 (Also can be found on "Hateful Of Hollow")

The CD booklet that comes with the album has the lyrics to all 24 songs featured across 10 pages with about 2 or 3 songs per page.

On another note, there are only a handful of songs you don't have with this collection and the four albums released by the band. Below are the remaining 9 songs and where you can get them on CD...

"The World Won't Listen" album:

Money Changes Everything

"Hateful Of Hollow" album:

Accept Yourself

Handsome Devil

"Rank" Live album:

The Draize Train (Live)

"Sweet And Tender Hooligan" single:

I Keep Mine Hidden

Work Is A Four Letter Word

What's The World

and now the last and hardest of the songs to get...

"This Charming Man" Single:

Jeane

Wonderful Woman

...Not all releases of "This Charming Man" has "Jeane" & "Wonderful Woman". You have to find a copy made before the 1992 re-release. There are many different versions but just make sure it has the two songs above on it. There are also two CD Maxi-Singles of "This Charming Man" that are easy to get that were released in 1990...You have to buy both of these to get the two songs "Jeane" and "Wonderful Woman"...

The first CD Maxi-Single features:

1.This Charming Man (Manchester)

2.Jeane

3.Accept Yourself

The second CD Maxi-Single features

1.This Charming Man (Manchester)

2.This Charming Man (London)

3.This Charming Man (New York Vocal)

4.This Charming Man (New York Instrumental)

5.This Charming Man (Peel Session)

6.This Charming Man (Single Version)

7.This Charming Man (Original Single Version)

8.Wonderful Woman

This is the Smiths album I would give a friend if they wanted to know what the Smiths sounded like. There are 24 amazing tracks on here full of the MOZ wit and the MARR guitar sound. This album reads almost like a greatest hits series. I can't think of one song on here that lacks that Wilde wit and bittersweet feeling that Moz delivers in his songs. I must admit my favorite tracks here are "Half a Person", "This Night Has Opened My Eyes", "Heaven Knows Im Miserable Now", and the always fun "ASK". This album makes me want to pull my black turtle neck out of the closet and go spend the afternoon in the park sketching or having a pic-nic with a close friend who can recite Shelly and Poe. If you know the Smiths, you know what I mean. If you don't know the Smiths, here's your chance!

i'm a very seasoned classic rock and jazz listener. i just do not know how this fantastic band escaped my eye for such a long time. this is simply the apex of pop music and when you listen to them you know there's something special here - it is just magic. morrissey's vocals, poetry and idealism are so rare in the music industry where talent and originality have become a byline. he catches your imagination with his art, wit, openness and compassion. johnny marr's shimmering fret work provides the able foil to his band leader's genius. if you fall in love with this album but still don't want to buy the other individual albums, check out the other great collection - singles (with the legendary jacket cover). there're only seven overlaps between the two and you'd get another 11 extra songs there. great great great stuff!

A friend recommended the "Singles" album to me but after hearing the raves for this one, I decided to get Louder Than Bombs. I have to say that this is on its way on becoming a classic amongst my collection. I would classify it (if I could) as jangly guitar brit pop-rock with a touch of punk here and there. With the nonsense being peddled as music nowadays (Ms. Spears, anyone?) I have to go back about 20 years to find something that is just musically satisfying.

The collection of songs are quite wide, from slow and melancholy to rocking beats. As a 'lyric' person, I adore the dark, morbid, self deprecating, and yet witty poetry - especially when contrasted with almost cheerful melody and insistent beat. A lot of the songs are the illustration for youthful restlessness and inner chaos - sometimes I feel as if Morrisey was speaking to me. The lyrics are straightforward, yet thoughtful. Pissed, and yet resigned. Especially terrific during grey cloudy days, when one is in a pensive mood. It is terrific to hear songs that actually say something.

"Sixteen, clumsy and shy.... The story of my life." Sheer genius and insight into the mind of youths! I only wished I had found this album when I was in my angst-ridden teenagehood, I think I could use this one. I found this gem a little late, but better late than never....

I'm way into extreme metal, grindcore, death metal, black metal, industrial, noise rock, and super tough-guy hardcore, but I turn into a weepy little fangirl every time I throw on the Smiths. They're just too good!!

Morrissey's gorgeous voice and Wildean wit are the real stars here. Johnny Marr's great and all, but you don't see him with an excellent solo career, do you? Morrissey's croon is nearly overwhelmingly powerful and beautiful, and his lyrics complement his voice perfectly. While it's true that the lyrics generally revolve around depression, isolation, and a generally bleak view on life, they (as well as his voice) are really not as consistently whiny as some naysayers claim; he certainly has a dramatic flair, which many foolishly mistake for melodrama.

The melodies of the songs...positively tickle me pink! You honestly can't help but shiver in amazement when you hear pop songs as good as "Is it really so strange?" and "Half a person." You will savor every second of the songs like you were enjoying time with a lover or an old friend. God, all of this sounds absolutely ridiculous, but hey, the Smiths are really that good!

I'm really horrible at expressing exactly how I feel about this band because they are simply too good for words. That, and I chose to review a singles collection instead of a proper album, but this has 24 tracks! 24 glorious tracks! That's 74 minutes of pure, unfettered bliss!! You NEEED!!!!