The Smiths - Louder Than Bombs (Compilation) Vinyl

Louder Than Bombs is the double record Goliath of remastered editions from four studio records, three compilations of the singles and one-offs, live cuts from The Smiths.

“Morrissey is modern pop’s most creative masochist. From the start, the Smiths’ singer and lyricist knew how to turn self-loathing into a virtue — by redeeming it with humor. Now after three U.S. albums establishing that M.O., this double package picks up the loose ends of the Smiths’ career and gives Morrissey’s character new depth. Only seven of the twenty-four songs are new. The rest are singles, B sides and castoffs. But Morrissey’s sharply defined character, the flowing melodies of guitarist-songwriter Johnny Marr and the precise production ties them all into a finely detailed whole.” says Jim Farber in a 1987 issue of Rolling Stone.

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 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