The Smiths - Complete box set coming from Rhino in October (part2)

And yet the QID film is part of the download package - as low-quality MP4!

 

I used [email protected]

 

Some more observations

The World Won't Listen sounds pretty good as a double LP. I don't get a "digital" vibe off it like I did with the Louder Than Bombs vinyl.

Meat Is Murder vinyl is clear and sharp - like my original.

That Joke Isn't Funny Anymore 7" label says "From the album Hatful of Hollow". Oops.

The Reel Around The Fountain 7" is a quiet pressing. Not as beefy as the other 45s.

 

Sorry if this has already been discussed, but how does the sound of vinyl in the new box compares to the reissues from a couple of years ago?
And does anybody know if they intend to release "louder" and "the World" seperatley ?

Thanks

 

This should be VERY interesting indeed.

 

I compared the two QID LPs and I couldn't hear any difference. Half expected to given the differing matrices but no.

 

Thanks

 

Well I dug into to the box set this winter day (snow falling on october day means time to listen to some Smiths) and started at the beginning with the self titled. Compared the box set LP, cd and the original Rough Trade cd. Here is what I found on my system so far :

I actually may prefer the new remastered cd the best I'm in complete shock as this is the last thing I expected to find. It is indeed the loudest of the bunch. However, the LP seems to lack enough "air" which is a shame because otherwise it's pretty stellar. The Rough Trade cd comes up short with the punch and immediacy that the new version manages to reveal and I find appropriate. Dialed in at the right volume (because you can't keep turning up the remastered cd unfortunately) I think the new compact disc does a pretty wonderful job presenting this music. Could it be better....of course. But I was really enjoying what I heard this afternoon. Not sure why the vinyl dialed back on the high fequencies so much? Often this is a good thing but I think they took it too far into the murk on this one. If they hadn't I would be giving it the nod as it doesn't seem to suffer from the loudness factor the cd was subjected to.

One down and seven albums to go.....this should be some good fun.

 

I agree with Carl's comments on the debut. The new CD version is excellent, the vinyl somewhat lackluster (i.e similar to the original Rough Trade LP).

Rank vinyl benefits from the double spread but still has traces of murk.

Strangeways LP = amazing. Beautiful sounding.

 

This is welcome news......looking forward to the spin.

 

I notice that the distortion noted on the LTB "Back to the Old House" LP is also present on the 45. There's no distortion on the new CD though.

I have to say that overall I LOVE this set. 99% of it is redundant for me, but it is a joy to revisit it all and have so much material to dig into. In terms of packaging and presentation there is nothing else like it in my collection. The great music doesn't hurt either.

 

Technical note : I have decided to pretty much empty the contents of the box and store all lp's and 7"s in an upright manner to avoid warping issues. Otherwise the box is too heavy and due to the box hinging flap oriented at the bottom of the artwork would require lying horizontal for storage and easy content access. Emptying it allows me to better display the trunk box bit easier without worry of capsizing the whole thing. Just curious if others have taken than same approach?

 

I seriously had that very concern and was going to make a post about it. I imagine it is the safer route to store them upright. How about just standing the box up vertically instead of flat? That would alleviate some of the pressure when the box isn't being opened for use.

 

Re: the mp3 downloads

For those of you that didn't get the download card, would you check the sticker that was on the shrinkwrap of the box set? I noticed (on an eBay auction) that the sticker that showed all the sleeve covers also had a box that read "High Quality Catalogue Download".

However, the sticker on my copy does NOT have anything about the downloads.

Maybe, in fact, they chose not to include the downloads with the boxes sold in North America?

 

I'm kind of surprised about all the concern for the mp3 downloads at a site like this. I'd rather rip it myself unless the mp3's are something that didn't come in the boxed set (it's possible I guess--I'll admit i don't know everything about this set beyond the CD set).

 

Personally, I would only use the download card for the tracks that are only on the 7 inch singles and not found elsewhere in the box.

Just listened to The Queen Is Dead LP and all I can say is that I am very impressed with both the mastering and the pressing quality. Very nice bottom end that I don't recall hearing on the CD. The bits of The World Won't Listen LP that I heard were equally impressive.

 

The MP3 are mainly useful for the 45s, and those are mostly lower quality 192 kbps. But nice to have for completeness sake.

 

The Boy With the Thorn in his Side, Single?

I always thought the version of "The Boy With The Thorn In His Side" off the World Won't Listen CD was the early single version without the strings.

I just got the CD only box set and it appears to be the same version on The Queen is Dead?

Did I have this wrong? Are there any experts out there who can weigh in?
Thanks

 

It's a screw-up. The used the LP version on the 45 in the box as well.

They also used the same mix of "You Just Haven't Earned It Yet, Baby" on both LTB and TWWL (they were different mixes on the originals).

 

As stated above... there are many tunes featured in the set that are on vinyl-only, so the download gets you digital versions of those songs at least (even though in piss-poor 192 quality and all that). So that's why the concern -- if you aren't equipped to needledrop, that's the only way to get the whole box content in digital format.

 

Haven't compared everything yet, but I agree with the posters above that this new CD of the debut album is probably my new go-to version. I compared it to the RT vinyl and RT CD and found that I prefer the new version best.

And I also agree that it was totally unexpected -- I thought for sure I would prefer the vinyl. It does still bug me that they stuck "This Charming Man" in there though, but I do understand why they did it... but that just calls out the need for an "odds and ends" collection that should have been added to this set anyway to round up all the missing tracks (or at least the majority of them!)

Hopefully I'll get to comparing Meat Is Murder in the next few days too... RT vinyl is my preferred mode without hearing this new CD...

 

Digital Downloads

I agree with the above. There seem to be about 14 songs available in the digital downloads on Itunes and Amazon that are not in the box set, like Jeane, the live Handsome Devil and some single edits. Would love to have them all instead of spending another $14 to buy them online

 

That's too bad but I guess not unexpected. I didn't spring for the bigger boxed set (too much $$, too muc duplication, etc.). I'd expect better download quality for at least the mp3's rather than 192.

Honestly how hard would it have been to throw it on 1 more CD?

I guess I'll have to check itunes for these. I'd rather spent the $14 bucks (particularly if the itunes versions are at a higher bit rate) rather than go for the more expensive set. I knew it was missing the single edits and some other tracks but didn't realize it was missing quite THAT many.

I never purchased The Smiths on the RT vinyl (I only had the domestic release) and no longer have any of the Sire domestic vinyl but did compare it to the CDs and it compared favorably. I'll be curious to hear how it compares to the RT vinyl so let us know hutlock.

 

I only have the Sire vinyl to compare it to (mine is allegedly on the truck, so crossing my fingers that it arrives today). I'm probably going to play TQID first as the Sire vinyl I've heard was a little on the treble, if memory serves.

 

Oh, and Happy Birthday to Johnny Marr!