The Smiths | The World Won’t Listen

February could be officially renamed The Smiths celebratory month. The legendary Manchester four-piece might have existed for a very short time span, but nevertheless, their traces in Indie music can be heard everywhere. starting with their first two studio albums released during the second month on the Gregorian calendar.

The Smiths compilation album The World Won’t Listen was released on February 23rd, 1987, and was one of the last few releases while the band were still together.

The album’s title was chosen by Morrissey as a reaction to the ignorance of the mainstream press and audience towards the band’s output, and ironically enough, it reached no. 2 in the UK charts.

Compiling singles and B-Sides, the LP gave a good insight into the band’s single history, including B-Sides like “Asleep“.

Despite the compilation being a very necessary follow-up to Hatful of Hollow, the record became redundant with the release of the perhaps superior US compilation Louder than Bombs, which was eventually issued in the UK as well.  The World Won’t Listen, despite this, has an impressive track listing, and arguably the better album cover.

Tracklist:

1. “Panic” (Single A-side) 2:21
2. “Ask” (Remix of single A-side) 3:15
3.  “London” (B-side of “Shoplifters of the World Unite”) 2:07
4. “Bigmouth Strikes Again” (From The Queen Is Dead) 3:13
5. “Shakespeare’s Sister” (Single A-side) 2:08
6. “There Is a Light That Never Goes Out” (From The Queen Is Dead) 4:05
7. “Shoplifters of the World Unite” (Single A-side) 2:58
8. “The Boy with the Thorn in His Side” (Single A-side version) 3:16
9. “Money Changes Everything” (B-side of “Bigmouth Strikes Again” – only on CD and cassette versions) 4:43
10. “Asleep” (B-side of “The Boy with the Thorn in His Side”) 4:10
11. “Unloveable” (B-side of “Bigmouth Strikes Again”) 3:56
12. “Half a Person” (B-side of “Shoplifters of the World Unite”) 3:36
13. “Stretch Out and Wait” (Alternate vocal version of B-side of “Shakespeare’s Sister”) 2:45
14. “That Joke Isn’t Funny Anymore” (Single A-side edit) 3:49
15. “Oscillate Wildly” (B-side of “How Soon Is Now?”) 3:26
16. “You Just Haven’t Earned It Yet, Baby” (UK mix of aborted single A-side) 3:32
17. “Rubber Ring” (B-side of “The Boy with the Thorn in His Side”)