Stop me if you've heard this one before... and let's face it most of you will have. This is the umpteenth in a long line of Smiths retrospectives. It's safe to assume regular OMH readers will probably already have a space on their CD shelves dedicated to Manchester's finest. But for those of you to whom the phrase "I would go out tonight, but I haven't got a stitch to wear" means nothing, then allow us to educate you.

It's impossible to fathom how song writing worked before The Smiths came along: People lived in the dark ages of inconsequential pop, where music said nothing to anyone about their lives when suddenly Morrissey appeared to shake things up like a slap in the face from a wet daffodil.

The Smiths' songs are actually about something: dealing with everyday people's highs and lows with a unique mixture of empathy and wit. Morrissey is the archetypal boy with a thorn in his side, and despite being elevated to god-like status as soon as he began, he never lost the knack of articulating everyday experience in the most effective terms - mix in several flashes of Wildean wit and you're in a fascinating world of comatose girlfriends and unrequited love, presided over by belligerent headmasters and transvestite clergy.

But poetry alone cannot cement such a reputation and it's important not to forget The Smiths' other musical deity - Johnny Marr. Together they were a real force to be reckoned with and much more than the Lennon and McCartney of maudlin.

Despite being together for a relatively short period, the band's prolific output provide many highlights which more than justify this 2 disc package. It's not surprising to see why compilations like this come along more often than buses. These 45 tracks are set apart from the rest of the herd by being awarded the seal of approval from Marr and Moz. Disc 1 is the complete singles, while Disc 2 contains a heady mix of memorable album tracks and the odd rarity curated by Marr himself.

Their back catalogue is a stunning body of work and arguably each track deserves its own review- It may be only two minutes long but Please, Please, Please Let Me Get What I Want is one of the most perfect songs ever recorded, and the often overlooked Last Night I Dreamt That Somebody Loved Me still hits like a medicine ball to the stomach.

But it's not all gloom: The anthems There Is A Light The Never Goes Out and Ask make the prospect of imminent death sound bizarrely uplifting, we have squabbling poets in Cemetery Gates and a Vicar In A Tutu puts in an unexpected appearance.

In an era of soulless pop idols, The Smiths still provide an antidote for those marching in the streets chanting "Hang the DJ" in exasperation. If you're unfamiliar with them then we suggest you find a copy straight away. We guarantee you'll like them. If not, you've got no right to take your place with the human race.

  share:  Facebook | Digg | del.icio.us | more