The Smiths “Louder Than Bombs” released 35 years ago (yesterday) on March 30th, 1987. Rough Trade/Sire Records. Louder Than Bombs is a comp of Smiths singles and b-sides released for the US market on Sire; Rough Trade released it in the UK in May ’87. It hit #62 in the US and went to #38 in the UK. In ‘87 the UK singles compilations Hatful of Hollow and The World Won’t Listen were only available on pricey imports so this US release has much of that same material, plus cuts from The Smiths.

So many of my favorite Smiths songs! From Record 1, Side A: “Sheila Take a Bow” (1987, #10 UK; its video a Top of the Pops performance because Morrissey didn’t show at the scheduled video taping), “Shoplifters of the World Unite” (’87, #12 UK) and one of its b-sides “London.” From Record 1, Side B: “Panic” (1986, #11 UK) and its anthemic chorus “hang the dj,” “Shakespeare’s Sister” (1985, #26 UK), the perfect Johnny Marr jangled “William, It Was Really Nothing” (1984, #17 UK), “Heaven Knows I’m Miserable Now” (1984, #10 UK), and “You Just Haven’t Earned It Yet, Baby” an unreleased single that supposedly was inspired by a record exec’s answer to Morrissey’s question about why the Smiths hadn’t been made a larger priority at their label. From Record 2, Side C: “Ask” (1986, #14), “These Things Take Time” (b-side to “What Difference Does it Make?”) and “Rubber Ring” (b-side to “The Boy With the Thorn in His Side”). From Record 2, Side D: The Smiths’ first ever single “Hand in Glove” (1983, #3 UK), “Stretch Out and Wait” (b-side to “Shakespeare’s Sister”) and “Please Please Please Let Me Get What I Want” (b-side to “William, It Was Really Nothing”). The only bummer track on the double album set is “Golden Lights” (b-side to “Ask”), a sappy and saccharine little swinger that really could have been left off. However, its appearance (and the ensuing eye-rolling) on The Simpsons makes it all worth it.