Coachella Names A Great Line-Up

The Coachella Festival is one of the great music festivals of the world. Held in Indio, California which is about 150 miles out of Los Angeles Coachella has always set the standard when it comes to combining hot new acts with some well selected old timers.

The 2009 instalment is no exception. Its held over three days April 17-19.

Some of the older acts in this years line-up include Leonard Cohen, Paul McCartney, Morrissey, Henry Rollins, Bob Mould, Perry Farrell, The Cure, X, Booker T and Michael Franti & Spearhead. They are joined by a host of younger acts including a couple that this website really likes The Hold Steady and The Gaslight Anthem.

The Smiths Collection Released

If too much of The Smiths is still not enough for you  The Sound Of The Smiths, scheduled for release recently should make you happy (not that Smiths fans are genetically able to be happy – only kidding!) This brand new compilation was done with the full co-operation of Morrissey and Johnny Marr. Morrissey provided the title (that must have worn him out) and Johnny Marr personally supervised the mastering.

The Smiths were nothing if not memorable, releasing a remarkable series of singles and albums between 1983 and 1987 that was both commercially and critically successful. Seen as the British counterparts of America’s REM or Australia’s The Church they were an inspiration for the guitar driven pop rock that dominated the nineties and for any number of bad college poets.

The Sound Of The Smiths will be available as either a single disc or two disc collection. Disc one comprises 23 tracks and presents all the Smiths’ memorable single releases, reinstating singles that were scheduled though eventually unreleased in that form (“Still Ill” and “You Just Haven’t Earned It Yet Baby“) plus European only singles including “Barbarism Begins At Home” and “The Headmaster Ritual”. The core of disc one, however, is that matchless run of singles from their first Rough Trade 7 inch “Hand In Glove” to the posthumous “Last Night I Dreamt That Somebody Loved Me”. The collection includes genuine classic hits such as “Heaven Knows I’m Miserable Now”, “How Soon Is Now”, “Panic” and “Girlfriend in A Coma” which marked the pinnacle of that unique creative collaboration between vocalist Morrissey and guitarist Johnny Marr. Indeed, Morrissey’s eloquence and proselytising was always matched by the compelling musicianship of Marr, bassist Andy Rourke and drummer Mike Joyce.

At their best they were sublime and although they weren’t always at their best they peaked often enough to make this definitive collection a worthwhile addition to any music collection.

The two disc format adds a further 22 tracks including rare b-sides, tracks that were exclusive to 12 inch releases and selected live recordings. Among the rarities are the Troy Tate produced “Pretty Girls Make Graves”, “What’s The World”, a cover of a track from the fellow Manchester band James, recorded live at Barrowlands, Glasgow, originally released only on a cassette single and the live “Meat Is Murder” from the vinyl 12 inch single version of “That Joke Isn’t Funny Anymore”.

Both discs will be available digitally, many of the titles being made available for the very first time as downloads.

TRACKLISTING The Sound Of The Smiths

Disc One

1. Hand in Glove (3:17)

2. This Charming Man (2:41)

3. What Difference Does It Make ? (Peel Session version) (3:12)

4. Still Ill (3:20)

5. Heaven Knows I’m Miserable Now (3:34)

6. William, It Was Really Nothing (2:10)

7. How Soon Is Now? (12” version)(6:45)

8. Nowhere Fast (2:36)

9. Shakespeare’s Sister (2:08)

10. Barbarism Begins At Home (7” version) (3:49)

11. That Joke Isn’t Funny Anymore (4:58)

12. The Headmaster Ritual (4:51)

13. The Boy With The Thorn In His Side (3:15)

14. Bigmouth Strikes Again (3:12)

15. There Is A Light That Never Goes Out (4:03)

16. Panic (2:19)

17. Ask (3:14)

18. You Just Haven’t Earned It Yet, Baby (4:03)

19. Shoplifters of the World Unite (2:56)

20. Sheila Take a Bow (2:41)

21. Girlfriend in a Coma (2:02)

22. I Started Something I Couldn’t Finish (3:47)

23. Last Night I Dreamt That Somebody Loved Me (3:09)

Disc Two

1. Jeane (3:02)

2. Handsome Devil (Live) (2:53)

3. This Charming Man (New York Vocal) (5:33)

4. Wonderful Woman

5. Back To The Old House (3:04)

6. These Things Take Time (2:22)

7. Girl Afraid (2:44)

8. Please, Please, Please Let Me Get What I Want (1:50)

9. Stretch Out And Wait (2:37)

10. Oscillate Wildly (3:26)

11. Meat Is Murder (Live) (5:34)

12. Asleep (4:10)

13. Money Changes Everything (4:40)

14. The Queen Is Dead (6:23)

15. Vicar in a Tutu (2:21)

16. Cemetery Gates (3:35)

17. Half a Person (3:35)

18. Sweet And Tender Hooligan (3:34)

19. Pretty Girls Make Graves [Troy Tate Demo] (3:42)

20. Stop me If you Think You’ve Heard This One Before (3.31)

21. What’s The World? (Live) (2:06)

22. London (Live) (2:36)