The Smiths - The Queen Is Dead Super Deluxe Edition 3CD+DVD

My understanding is it’s instrumental only. It’s not my favorite on the album so it doesn’t bother me

 

Listened to the demos on Spotify and was pleasantly surprised to be honest. Especially liked Never Had No one and Some Girls are Bigger. Will give the live set a listen, was never convinced The Smiths were a great live act, at least as heard (I never saw them back then).

 

I emailed "Dr. Rhino" about my dish-warped and off-center disc 2 of the Live in Boston set and they are apparently going to send out a replacement. Yay! Hoping the replacement will at least be better.

 

I'm sure this is answered earlier in the thread, but does the 2CD version contain liner notes of any kind? Just the b/w booklet of lyrics like the box set version? Or nothing?

 

I should really let someone who actually has the 2CD version answer this, but I don't believe any of the versions have liner notes of any kind (the LP box certainly doesn't). I think a few of us found the complete absence of any liner notes a bit odd, but maybe not surprising.

 

Lots of pics at the discogs entry page here:
The Smiths - The Queen Is Dead

 

Thanks! It looks like exactly the same booklet as the box version.

 

Been on heavy listen via Spotify.

Love the transition they did with "rubber Ring" fading into "Asleep"

is this new?

 

No and yes. The transition isn’t new, but it wasn’t widely available. The mastering is new, and has improved it (in my opinion)

 

Actually they are early mixes of the final tracks not demos as per the box.

No. Just lyric booklet with a picture of big Ben that gradually fades from one pic to the next.

Curious that this doesn't say "remaster" on it but, rather mastered by Dan Hersch and Bill Inglot. Evidently there is a bit of controversy of what "remaster" truly means according to Super Deluxe.

 

What is it now with compressing the lossless files on DVD? It's just lazy--including the same files as the CD (which, I still don't understand making that artistic choice either as it's not like these are competing with other songs on the radio). Disappointing to say the least. I am happy that we have the lossless files mind you, I just don't get the thinking here.

 

Yes and no. I think the smiths in general started with instrumental demos recorded by Johnny, Andy and Mike. Moz would come in with the lyrics. The instrumentals apparently were recorded really well. Sometimes if they felt it was pretty good, they would use that as the basis of the final song, for example Boy with a Thorn is pretty much finished. The single mix added a little to this demo, the album mix a little more (mostly the keyboard string parts). Bigmouth and Some Girls are definitely not early mixes of the final track, completely different performances.

 

That's how the two songs were originally presented as the b-sides on the "Boy with the Thorn in His Side" 12". When the tracks were separated on subsequent compilations, some fans were a little unhappy about that, so I reckon some folks are happy to see the songs "reunited" as they were originally intended to be.

 

I was just quoting producer Steven Street from the Superdeluxe website.

It's mentioned in the video unboxing.

SDEtv / The Smiths: The Queen Is Dead 3CD+DVD unboxing video | superdeluxeedition

 

I think that when you hear anyone else sing a Smiths songs it reminds you of how great Morrissey was as no-one is bale to match or improve on him. You just want to put the original on listening to a cover. I think people take the Smiths for granted now, but at the time it was obvious they were on another level than anyone else releasing records at the time.

 

I like Jeff Buckleys version of I Know It's Over better than The Smiths. Who else has tried to cover them?

 

Tried and succeeded
Dream Academy-Please, Please, Please, 1985

 

Also covered by Clayhill and used on the soundtrack of This Is England, the great Shane Meadows film. Clayhill - Please Please Please Let Me Get What I Want.

 

It,S sound is awfull. Loud and compressed I brought it Back to the music store. I Will keep the original album

 

Stephen Wright, the official photographer for the Smiths at this time informed me today (popped into my HiFi store) that this new release on all formats has for the first time removed his work; inside cover shot. Scandalous I'd say!

Not only does he receive no royalties but the album artwork becomes unfamiliar to us fans. Cultural vandalism I call it.

Photographs of The Smiths , Salford Lads Club photos By Stephen Wright , Queen is dead album sleeve photos, Salford lads club, The Smiths at the Salford Lads club

Simon

 

Yeah, I mentioned this earlier in the thread. I think it's criminal that such an iconic photograph, which was such an important part of the original artwork, was completely scrapped for this release. My guess is that Morrissey's hatred of Mike Joyce runs so deep that he preferred to nix the photo entirely rather than have anything with Joyce's mug in it. But ultimately, who knows? Morrissey had the exterior of the cover changed too, so maybe he felt that gave him free reign to alter the whole thing. And he's known for making radical (and often ill-advised) changes to the cover art of his solo albums. But yeah, it's unfortunate, especially when the insides of the gatefolds for the demos and the Live in Boston records offer nothing special visually.

 

What little I've heard of this release doesn't compell me to invest so I shall stick with my original whilst admiring my limited edition hand dodged and burned print from Stephen which has pride of place in our sitting room. Ironically my wife hates The Smiths but loves the photo )

 

Smells very much of Moz. The missing photo with Joyce and the failure to credit Craig Gannon on the live set can't both be an oversight seeing as both sued Morrissey/Marr and El Moz was none too pleased, to say the least.

 

Ouch!

 

The packaging looks awful. They once took such care over these things.