question about "the world won't listen"

[hmm...interesting]

my friend bought a copy of this and it was missing "money changes everything," which is just about the only reason anyone who already owns "louder than bombs" would want this (unless they are a completist, which i am and my friend isn't). can someone please tell me if there was a special pressing that left that song out or something? what's the dilly yo?

 

[An observer]

The original pressing only had 16 songs, omitting "Money Changes Everything" and "Golden Lights". 'Money' may have been an extra track on the cassette, although I forget right now.

In any case, later releases of the album contained those songs, making 18. I don't know why exactly they were added, since the extra songs ruin the symmetry with "Hatful of Hollow", but the cynical answer is that they added 'Money' for the very reason you suggested-- it gives the collector a reason to buy "The World Won't Listen" and "Louder Than Bombs."

Your friend probably bought an older copy. Personally, given the quality of the two songs in question and the fact that they were not part of the original release, your friend should consider herself lucky for not being saddled with what must be considered, in the end, a tainted, apocryphal product.

 

[hmm...interesting]

thanks for the info

i was not aware of this. i have to say though, that i am fond of "money changes everything." "golden lights" is another story. you're probably right about the "paint a vulgar picture" type scenario, but i think most hard-core completists would just buy the damn thing anyway! i mean, people buy the best ofs and the very best ofs and they have no cool extras whatsoever. thanks again.

 

[An observer]

Re: thanks for the info

You're welcome.

Just as an added note, for me (and I'm not at all a hardcore collector), the problem with including the songs isn't so much the songs themselves as it is the disruption of the album's flow.

In the case of "The World Won't Listen", I don't think it's good to have two instrumentals on one compilation album (unless you're Mozart or 808 State), and I think most would agree that "Oscillate Wildly" is better than 'Money'. Also, if you listen to TWWL straight through, in sequence, the last part of the LP is very moody, especially closing with "Rubber Ring". That final fadeout is devastating (at least it was the first 1,003 times I played it). But when you hear it and then have "Golden Lights" flutter in the window like some cooing fairy, well, for me it ruins things.

That song works well on the B-side of "Ask", though, where it fits the mood a bit better.

In the case of the U.S. releases of "The Smiths" and "Meat Is Murder", they included extra tracks ("This Charming Man" and "How Soon Is Now?") that were unobtrusively included in good spots, and both worked within the context of their respective LPs. So it's not always bad. But I don't like what they did with TWWL.

 

[Kass Ette]

Money Changes Nothing

Indeed, "MCE" appeared as an extra track on end of Side 1 on the original Rough Trade cassette release of The World Won't Listen (Golden Lights wasn't on it at all) but when WEA came to the CD reissues in 1993 they changed some of running orders (eg How Soon on MIM, TCM on first album) which is why.

But a vinyl version of TWWL is still to be cherished as the full sleeve is much better than the crap CD cropped version.

And - to throw my hat into the ring - Golden Lights is absolute shit but the original by Twinkle (on RPM505 CD, also called Golden Lights) is stunning.

 

[lesbian chique]

Re: Money Changes Nothing

> Indeed, "MCE" appeared as an extra track on end of Side 1 on the
> original Rough Trade cassette release of The World Won't Listen (Golden
> Lights wasn't on it at all) but when WEA came to the CD reissues in 1993
> they changed some of running orders (eg How Soon on MIM, TCM on first
> album) which is why.

> But a vinyl version of TWWL is still to be cherished as the full sleeve is
> much better than the crap CD cropped version.

Right on. I love all those vinyl Smiths versions. Not only are the sleeves a craft of timeless art, on (my) vinyl there's no Money changes everything, nor Golden Lights. And I like it that way.

I really do.

 

[sdavenport]

please make it stop...

tainted and apocryphal...could you be a little more pretentious? they're just extra tracks, fool.

 

[pillow]

what does apocryphal mean?

 

[Rafel]

TWWL also includes single version of "The boy..."

The version of "The Boy with the thorn in his side" that you find in TWWL (single version) is different from the one you find in TQID (album version), which is also a good reason to buy the album. I don't own either "The Singles" or "Very Best of" so I don't know which of the two versions of "The boy..." is included in those compilations. Anybody knows that?

 

[An observer]

Re: TWWL also includes single version of "The boy..."

I'm not aware of any existing single version of "The Boy With The Thorn In His Side." The length of the song is 3.15 on TQID, 3.15 on TWWL, and 3.17 on the CD single. Is there really a difference?

Perhaps you're thinking of "That Joke Isn't Funny Anymore", which is the single version. The song fades out once and ends, whereas the album track fades out, in, and out again.

As far as I know the only other different versions on TWWL are that track and "Stretch Out And Wait", an alternate version which begins "All the lies that you make up..." instead of "Off the high-rise estates...". In my opinion neither alteration improves the original.

 

[Hey nonny ninny]

The MIXES are different!

> I'm not aware of any existing single version of "The Boy With The
> Thorn In His Side." The length of the song is 3.15 on TQID, 3.15 on
> TWWL, and 3.17 on the CD single. Is there really a difference?

> Perhaps you're thinking of "That Joke Isn't Funny Anymore",
> which is the single version. The song fades out once and ends, whereas the
> album track fades out, in, and out again.

> As far as I know the only other different versions on TWWL are that track
> and "Stretch Out And Wait", an alternate version which begins
> "All the lies that you make up..." instead of "Off the
> high-rise estates...". In my opinion neither alteration improves the
> original.

FYI:
"Boy ..."is the single mix(different guitars) on the" Very Best of" which also includes the Single mix of "Ask".Also the whole CD sounds amazing. Which no one ever seems to notice or mention.

 

[david]

The boy with a thorn in his Side on "Rank"

anyone else agree the live version of this on RANK totally WANKS over the queen is dead version?

 

[Spring-Heeled Fish]

Re: The boy with a thorn in his Side on "Rank"

Yeh, it's so much better on "Rank", the lead guitar gets a bit muffled in the rytham guitars on the studio version.
Also TWWL version of the song is slightly different from TQID version, just listen to the percussion.