Louder Than Bombs is the third compilation album by English rock band The S… Read Full Bio ↴Louder Than Bombs is the third compilation album by English rock band The Smiths, released as a double album on March 30, 1987 by their American record company, Sire Records.
It peaked at number 62 on the US Billboard 200 album chart. Popular demand prompted their British record company, Rough Trade, to issue the album domestically as well. Upon its release in the UK in May 1987, it reached No. 38 on the British charts. In 2003, the album was ranked No. 365 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time, and ranked No. 369 on a 2012 revised list. The album was certified Gold by the RIAA in 1990.
The album was released as the American counterpart to their recent British compilation The World Won't Listen and consisted of all singles and nearly all B-sides that had not at that point been available in the United States, either on single or album, with a few other tracks added. The title is borrowed from a line in Elizabeth Smart's extended prose poem By Grand Central Station I Sat Down and Wept.
The album was intended to be a substitute for both The World Won't Listen and their 1984 compilation Hatful of Hollow, as these had not been released in the United States. This is why the non-single track "This Night Has Opened My Eyes" from Hatful of Hollow was included. Single A-sides "This Charming Man" and "How Soon Is Now?" had already been released in the US as bonus cuts on the LPs The Smiths and Meat Is Murder, respectively.
As with The World Won't Listen, this compilation includes the scrapped single "You Just Haven't Earned It Yet, Baby" (passed over in favour of "Shoplifters of the World Unite"), albeit in a different, shorter mix. However, this shorter version of the song was replaced when Bombs was reissued in 2011. Additionally, the Louder Than Bombs version of "Stretch Out and Wait" is the version from the B-side of "Shakespeare's Sister", which features slightly different lyrics. Also of note is the fact that "Ask" appears on both Louder Than Bombs and The World Won't Listen in a slightly different and longer mix than its single version.
Due to the album offering many B-sides (and the "Sheila Take a Bow" single) that had never been collected onto an album before, Louder Than Bombs became very popular on import with fans in the UK. To avoid high import prices being paid, the Smiths' domestic record company, Rough Trade, decided to release the compilation as well, provoking cries of outrage by fans who only three months previously had purchased the slimmer single album UK counterpart. The blow was somewhat softened by the fact that the double album retailed at single album price.
After WEA acquired the Smiths' back catalogue in 1992, all Smiths albums were re-released at mid price, including Louder Than Bombs.
The cover art for Louder Than Bombs, designed by Morrissey, features British playwright Shelagh Delaney of Salford, Greater Manchester. The photograph was originally published in the Saturday Evening Post after Delaney, at the age of 19, made her literary debut with the play A Taste of Honey. The play inspired many early lyrics written by Morrissey, and the song "This Night Has Opened My Eyes" (included here) is based on the plight of the play's heroine, Jo, an unwed mother.
It peaked at number 62 on the US Billboard 200 album chart. Popular demand prompted their British record company, Rough Trade, to issue the album domestically as well. Upon its release in the UK in May 1987, it reached No. 38 on the British charts. In 2003, the album was ranked No. 365 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time, and ranked No. 369 on a 2012 revised list. The album was certified Gold by the RIAA in 1990.
The album was released as the American counterpart to their recent British compilation The World Won't Listen and consisted of all singles and nearly all B-sides that had not at that point been available in the United States, either on single or album, with a few other tracks added. The title is borrowed from a line in Elizabeth Smart's extended prose poem By Grand Central Station I Sat Down and Wept.
The album was intended to be a substitute for both The World Won't Listen and their 1984 compilation Hatful of Hollow, as these had not been released in the United States. This is why the non-single track "This Night Has Opened My Eyes" from Hatful of Hollow was included. Single A-sides "This Charming Man" and "How Soon Is Now?" had already been released in the US as bonus cuts on the LPs The Smiths and Meat Is Murder, respectively.
As with The World Won't Listen, this compilation includes the scrapped single "You Just Haven't Earned It Yet, Baby" (passed over in favour of "Shoplifters of the World Unite"), albeit in a different, shorter mix. However, this shorter version of the song was replaced when Bombs was reissued in 2011. Additionally, the Louder Than Bombs version of "Stretch Out and Wait" is the version from the B-side of "Shakespeare's Sister", which features slightly different lyrics. Also of note is the fact that "Ask" appears on both Louder Than Bombs and The World Won't Listen in a slightly different and longer mix than its single version.
Due to the album offering many B-sides (and the "Sheila Take a Bow" single) that had never been collected onto an album before, Louder Than Bombs became very popular on import with fans in the UK. To avoid high import prices being paid, the Smiths' domestic record company, Rough Trade, decided to release the compilation as well, provoking cries of outrage by fans who only three months previously had purchased the slimmer single album UK counterpart. The blow was somewhat softened by the fact that the double album retailed at single album price.
After WEA acquired the Smiths' back catalogue in 1992, all Smiths albums were re-released at mid price, including Louder Than Bombs.
The cover art for Louder Than Bombs, designed by Morrissey, features British playwright Shelagh Delaney of Salford, Greater Manchester. The photograph was originally published in the Saturday Evening Post after Delaney, at the age of 19, made her literary debut with the play A Taste of Honey. The play inspired many early lyrics written by Morrissey, and the song "This Night Has Opened My Eyes" (included here) is based on the plight of the play's heroine, Jo, an unwed mother.
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Louder Than Bombs
The Smiths Lyrics
Ask Shyness is nice, and Shyness can stop you From doing all the…
Asleep Sing me to sleep Sing me to sleep I'm tired and I I…
Back To The Old House I would rather not go Back to the old house I would…
Girl Afraid Girl afraid Where do his intentions lay ? Or does…
Golden Lights Golden lights displaying your name Golden lights it's a ter…
Half a Person Call me morbid, call me pale I've spent six years…
Hand in Glove Hand in glove The sun shines out of our behinds No, it's…
Heaven Knows I'm Miserable Now I was happy in the haze of a drunken hour But…
Is It Really So Strange? I left the North I traveled South I found a tiny house And…
London Wondering What’s really going on In this city london Trapped…
Oscillate Wildly instrumental…
Panic Silence in the rooftops of my eye lids Where there's nothing…
Please, Please, Please, Let Me Get What I Want Good times for a change See, the luck Ive had Can make…
Rubber Ring A sad fact widely known The most impassionate song To…
Shakespeare's Sister Young bones groan, and the rocks below say "Throw your skinn…
Sheila Take a Bow Is it wrong to want to live on your own? No,…
Shoplifters of the World Unite Learn to love me Assemble the ways Now, today, tomorrow and …
Stretch Out and Wait All the lies that you make up What's at the back…
Sweet and Tender Hooligan He was a sweet and tender hooligan, hooligan He said…
These Things Take Time Mine eyes have seen the glory of the sacred wunderkind…
This Night Has Opened My Eyes In a river the color of lead Immerse the baby's head Wrap…
Unloveable Oh... I know I'm unloveable You don't have to tell…
William, It Was Really Nothing The rain falls hard on a humdrum town This town has…
You Just Haven't Earned It Yet, Baby If you're wondering why All of the love that you long…