THE SMITHS : HATFUL OF HOLLOW |
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Label : Rough Trade Release Date : November 2, 1984 Length : 56:20 Review (Wikipedia) : Hatful of Hollow is a compilation album by the English rock band the Smiths, released on 2 November 1984 in the United Kingdom, by Rough Trade Records. The album features tracks from BBC Radio 1 sessions, their first single "Hand in Glove" (a different mix of which had been included on the band's debut album released earlier in the year) and two new singles and their B-sides. It was eventually released in the United States on 9 November 1993 by Sire Records, which had initially declined to release the album in the country. Sire instead released Louder Than Bombs in the US in 1987, which is effectively a hybrid of Hatful of Hollow and a subsequent UK compilation album The World Won't Listen, along with additional songs that do not appear on either. Hatful of Hollow reached No. 7 on the UK Albums Chart, remaining on the chart for 46 weeks. In 2000, Q placed the album at No. 44 on its list of the "100 Greatest British Albums Ever". Review (AllMusic) : Several months after releasing their first album, the Smiths issued the singles and rarities collection Hatful of Hollow, establishing a tradition of repackaging their material as many times and as quickly as possible. While several cuts on Hatful of Hollow are BBC versions of songs from The Smiths, the versions on the compilation are nervy and raw -- and they're also not the selling point of the record. The Smiths treated singles as individual entities, not just ways to promote an album, and many of their finest songs were never issued on their studio albums. Hatful of Hollow contains many of these classics, including the sweet rush of "William, It Was Really Nothing," and the sardonic "Heaven Knows I'm Miserable Now," the tongue-in-cheek lament of "Please, Please, Please Let Me Get What I Want," the wistful "Back to the Old House," "Girl Afraid," and the pulsating, tremolo-laced masterpiece "How Soon Is Now?" With such strong material forming the core of the album, it's little wonder that Hatful of Hollow is as consistent as The Smiths and arguably captures the excitement surrounding the band even better. |
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