Greatest hits (with 2 new songs) out in Feb...

[Maurice E]

think this is news. apols if not...

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/7124463.stm

The first release under this contract will be in February - a greatest hits compilation of the musician's solo material, along with two new songs.

It will follow a six-night run of sold-out shows at London's Roundhouse in January.

The ex-Smiths frontman, who is recording a new studio album in Los Angeles for release next autumn, said he was "very excited" about the deal.

'Stellar year'

Bogdan Roscic, who is the managing director of Decca, described Morrissey's career as "unique".

"Not so many artists can look back on more than 25 years at the top of their game, staying as credible, creative and relevant as on the first day.

"From the recent performances and the new material, I know 2008 is going to be a stellar year for Morrissey, and we are very proud he is now a Decca artist."

Morrissey first found fame with indie group The Smiths, whose acclaimed albums, including The Queen is Dead, regularly feature in critics' all-time best lists.

They split up in 1987, after which Morrissey launched a successful solo career, with hits such as Suedehead, We Hate It When Our Friends Become Successful and Irish Blood, English Heart.

His most recent album, The Ringleader of the Tormentors, reached number one in the UK last year on the Attack record label.

 

[fastpulseboy]

hmmm, we don't need another "greatest hits"......
just release the two singles (as non album tracks) on various formats and with sublime b-sides. Followed by a new brilliant album later and loads of mozzerfans will be very happy.

 

[Maurice E]

hmmm, we don't need another "greatest hits"......
just release the two singles (as non album tracks) on various formats and with sublime b-sides. Followed by a new brilliant album later and loads of mozzerfans will be very happy.

Hmm, I actually have to disagree.
It's true that there were way too many compilations in the 90's but there hasn't been a new one since Morrissey's enormous "You are the Quarry" success when loads of new fans jumped on board.
He's released over 50 new songs since the last compilation so I reckon now is a pretty good time to release a new one...

 

[Chad]

Hmm, I actually have to disagree.

He's released over 50 new songs since the last compilation so I reckon now is a pretty good time to release a new one...

Pardon my ignorance, but he released 50 songs since his last compilation? His wikipedia discography page shows YATQ, ROTT, and the Redondo Beach single...

So what am I missing in my collection???

eta: well also Live At Earl's Court, but that's only a couple songs that hadn't been released otherwise...

edited again: ok, b-sides... jeez, it's late, excuse me... i should just edit everything out of this post.

 

[Black_Eyed_Sioux]

He actually hasn't released a compilation since Maladjusted, so perhaps 50 songs is nearly accurate

 

[Claudia2006]

I'm just really happy to see a story about him on the BBC covering the new label, the greatest hits album, (which is coming out sooner than I expected - YAY!), the other new album, the new tour dates, and doesn't even mention the NME interview. All the good news is being lost in the NME garbage.

 

[Mozzy1]

Morrissey's new label

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/7124463.stm

 

[Maurice E]

Pardon my ignorance, but he released 50 songs since his last compilation? His wikipedia discography page shows YATQ, ROTT, and the Redondo Beach single...

So what am I missing in my collection???

eta: well also Live At Earl's Court, but that's only a couple songs that hadn't been released otherwise...

edited again: ok, b-sides... jeez, it's late, excuse me... i should just edit everything out of this post.

None of the compilations has included ROTT or YRTQ material. The total number of songs from these sessions (i.e. including b-sides to singles) is around 50.

 

[Chartres]

In my dreams he'll release something like this under the title "Greatest Hits".

All You Need Is Me (Studio recording)
I’m Playing Easy To Get (Studio recording)
Noise Is The Best Revenge (Studio recording)
Children In Pieces (Instrumental studio recording)
That’s How People Grow Up (Studio recording)
First Of The Gang To Die (2002 version studio recording)
Get Back To The Ghetto (Instrumental studio recording)
I’m Throwing My Arms Around Paris (Studio recording)
No One Can Hold A Candle To You (Studio recording)
I Will See You In Far-Off Places (Acoustic)
One Day Goodbye Will Be Farewell (Studio recording)
You Know I Couldn’t Last (12 minute studio version)

 

[Vauxhall95]

In my dreams he'll release something like this under the title "Greatest Hits".

All You Need Is Me (Studio recording)
I’m Playing Easy To Get (Studio recording)
Noise Is The Best Revenge (Studio recording)
Children In Pieces (Instrumental studio recording)
That’s How People Grow Up (Studio recording)
First Of The Gang To Die (2002 version studio recording)
Get Back To The Ghetto (Instrumental studio recording)
I’m Throwing My Arms Around Paris (Studio recording)
No One Can Hold A Candle To You (Studio recording)
I Will See You In Far-Off Places (Acoustic)
One Day Goodbye Will Be Farewell (Studio recording)
You Know I Couldn’t Last (12 minute studio version)

THANK YOU!!! Finally someone agrees with me! We don't need another Greatest Hits, instead clean out the cupboards.

I'd add a new studio recording of Everyday is Like Sunday with the banjo, a studio Redondo Beach, and Honey You Know Where To Find Me. Also, there is a studio version of Noise is the Best Revenge already available, no?

 

[Jones]

I wish hardcore Morrissey fans would realise they are not the only people who like Morrissey.

This release is not for hardcore fans. It is for casual and prospective fans. It is about expanding his fanbase.

The album proper afterwards is for us.

 

[PregnantForTheLastTime]

I think the greatest hits may be necessary to "refresh" the appeal of the back catalog to newer listeners. The previous "best of" is good, but it doesn't cover Quarry, of course, and it's a Rhino release and it's value-priced at most stores. A new edition will not only be more up to date, it will be shelved and displayed as a new release and priced accordingly. There is some retail psychology involved here, I think.

"First of the Gang to Die" and "Irish Blood, English Heart" will almost certainly be on there, as they're two songs newer listeners are likely to know. But I do think there is room, if this new edition is meant to bring the newbies up to speed, to feature Morrissey's best songs, not just his most successful singles. We've all commented on how he's buried some of his best songs as b-sides over the years, and some of these are his best work of all in my opinion.

The only way to make me happier would be for them to hire me to shoot Morrissey for the sleeves and do the layouts for him... but that's not likely. So I'll just be very, very happy for him and the new deal, instead of off-my-head ecstatic.

 

[Maurice E]

I think the greatest hits may be necessary to "refresh" the appeal of the back catalog to newer listeners. The previous "best of" is good, but it doesn't cover Quarry, of course, and it's a Rhino release and it's value-priced at most stores. A new edition will not only be more up to date, it will be shelved and displayed as a new release and priced accordingly. There is some retail psychology involved here, I think.

"First of the Gang to Die" and "Irish Blood, English Heart" will almost certainly be on there, as they're two songs newer listeners are likely to know. But I do think there is room, if this new edition is meant to bring the newbies up to speed, to feature Morrissey's best songs, not just his most successful singles. We've all commented on how he's buried some of his best songs as b-sides over the years, and some of these are his best work of all in my opinion.

The only way to make me happier would be for them to hire me to shoot Morrissey for the sleeves and do the layouts for him... but that's not likely. So I'll just be very, very happy for him and the new deal, instead of off-my-head ecstatic.

Someone put up a tracklisting for this a few weeks back. You never know how accurate these things are but they got the 'two new songs' aspect correct. It was gonna be two CDs, they said. Looked pretty good. Quite a few of the rubbish singles (Roy, Dagenham, Pregnant etc) had been removed with some brilliant album songs included (Pigsty, Trouble etc). Fingers crossed, that tracklisting will turn out to be correct...

 

[Johan de Witt]

Someone put up a tracklisting for this a few weeks back. You never know how accurate these things are but they got the 'two new songs' aspect correct. It was gonna be two CDs, they said. Looked pretty good. Quite a few of the rubbish singles (Roy, Dagenham, Pregnant etc) had been removed with some brilliant album songs included (Pigsty, Trouble etc). Fingers crossed, that tracklisting will turn out to be correct...

Well, if the album rellay is a greatest hits-one, as the BBC article claims once again, then there is no room for Pigsty, Trouble or Speedway, as they were never even singles, let alone hits.

If it is a greatest hits then surely the tracklisting could only be something like this:

Suedehead
Everyday Is Like Sunday
Last Of The Famous International Playboys
Interesting Drug
Ouija Board Ouija Board
November Spawned A Monster
Piccadilly Palare
We Hate It When Our Friends Become Successful
You're The One For Me Fatty
The More You Ignore Me The Closer I Get
Alma Matters
Irish Blood English Heart
First Of The Gang To Die
Let Me Kiss You
I Have Forgiven Jesus
You Have Killed Me
The Youngest Was The Most Loved
In The Future When All's Well
I Just Want To See The Boy Happy
plus 2 new songs.

 

[Not Right in the Head]

Well, if the album rellay is a greatest hits-one, as the BBC article claims once again, then there is no room for Pigsty, Trouble or Speedway, as they were never even singles, let alone hits.

If it is a greatest hits then surely the tracklisting could only be something like this:

Isn't there some sort of cultural difference between how UK & US acts package up their compilations? The former calls them "Best of"s, which gives them some wriggle room when it comes to song selections, while the latter focuses on the best-sellers by calling them "greatest hits." Maybe Moz will imitate his idol, Joni Mitchell, and call them Hits and Misses.

 

[King Leer]

So true. Every time there's mention of a compilation, many posters on here complain and wheel out the Panic lyrics -- such a hoary cliche.

It'll be a good way for casual fans or rabid fans who dropped out long ago to catch up with Moz' output post '97. And us nutcases will be able to buy studio recordings of the two new tracks on iTunes or some other site to sate us until the new record. Everybody's happy, shaddap you face.

I wish hardcore Morrissey fans would realise they are not the only people who like Morrissey.

This release is not for hardcore fans. It is for casual and prospective fans. It is about expanding his fanbase.

The album proper afterwards is for us.

 

[Disappointed]

Isn't there some sort of cultural difference between how UK & US acts package up their compilations? The former calls them "Best of"s, which gives them some wriggle room when it comes to song selections, while the latter focuses on the best-sellers by calling them "greatest hits." Maybe Moz will imitate his idol, Joni Mitchell, and call them Hits and Misses.

Peter Gabriel did the exact same thing a couple of years ago...the two-disc package is called "Hit", but one of the CDs has the word "Hit" on it, and the other the word "Miss". It's a good idea, and, I believe, benefits the "casual fans" greatly, because it allows them to hear the radio hits as well as the other (and often better) material.

 

[Chartres]

THANK YOU!!! Finally someone agrees with me! We don't need another Greatest Hits, instead clean out the cupboards.

I'd add a new studio recording of Everyday is Like Sunday with the banjo, a studio Redondo Beach, and Honey You Know Where To Find Me. Also, there is a studio version of Noise is the Best Revenge already available, no?

No, it's "just a" Janice Long session on the "Redondo Beach/There's A Light..." live single.

Great ideas.

 

[Vauxhall95]

I wish hardcore Morrissey fans would realise they are not the only people who like Morrissey.

This release is not for hardcore fans. It is for casual and prospective fans. It is about expanding his fanbase.

The album proper afterwards is for us.

I need only look to Billy Bragg's album "Reaching to the Converted" as an example of an artist catering a release to his fans. Do you honestly believe that Morrissey at 48 years old, with no radio airplay, and scarcely a video is going to market to 18 year olds? I maybe wrong but I just don't see it happening. Does he have enough Best Of, World Of, Greatest Hits to cater to the casual fan already?

 

[2-J]

As people have commented elsewhere, a 'Best Of' the Quarry / ROTT era would be as good as one that looked back over his whole career. Considering the number of hits he's had in that time, (10 A-Sides, which would leave room for the 2 new tracks and a further 8 tracks maybe a mix of a few album tracks and Bsides) and the existence of The Best Of! Morrissey.

Seems that this Feb 2008 compilation will be a 'whole career' deal though.