Album: The Smiths, The Sound of The Smiths - Reissue, (Rhino)

This is the eighth compilation culled from the slim corpus of The Smiths' back catalogue, which is quite some feat given that they only made four studio albums.

What's even more intriguing is that all bar two of the compilations charted in the Top 30, though even the most obsessive Smiths fan must have decided enough was enough by about the third or fourth recycling of the same small hatful of hollow. But here we go again, this time with a package available as either a single album (containing just the hits, augmented by a few non-UK singles), or as a double album, the second disc containing a further 22 tracks drawn from B-sides and live recordings. Amongst the latter are rarities such as a demo version of "Pretty Girls Make Graves", and a live cover of James's "What's The World".

It's the first disc that's pulling this train, however: that unique, piquant combination of Morrissey's blithe aloofness and double-edged, acidly humorous lyrics with Johnny Marr's diverse, precociously African-influenced guitar parts was never better realised than in the likes of "This Charming Man", "Panic", "Girlfriend in a Coma", the iconic "Heaven Knows I'm Miserable Now" and especially "How Soon Is Now", surely the most glaring example of a misjudged B-side in rock history.

Pick of the album:'How Soon is Now', 'Heaven Knows I'm Miserable Now', 'Panic', 'Girlfriend in a Coma', 'This Charming Man'

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