The World Won't Listen

The World Won't Listen
Compilation album by The Smiths
Released	February 23, 1987
Recorded	1984–1986
Genre	Alternative rock, indie pop
Length	59:26
Label	Rough Trade
Producer	Various (see main text)
The Smiths compilations chronology
Hatful of Hollow (1984) The World Won't Listen (1987) Louder Than Bombs (1987)
Alternate cover
CD reissue cover

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic
Blender
Pitchfork	(7.1/10)

The World Won't Listen is a compilation album by The Smiths. It was released in February 1987 by their record company, Rough Trade Records, and reached #2 on the British charts, staying on the charts for 15 weeks.

About the album

The album was conceived as a collection of the singles and their B-sides from 1985 and 1986. Additionally, the scrapped single "You Just Haven't Earned It Yet, Baby" (which was passed over for "Shoplifters of the World Unite") and the near-single "There Is a Light That Never Goes Out" (a single candidate from The Queen Is Dead that was passed over in favour of "Bigmouth Strikes Again") were included.

The title reflects Morrissey's frustration with the fact that mainstream radio and record buyers still weren't paying attention to the band. As the album included many non-album cuts and single versions, it remains a fan favourite. The music press was critical, however, labelling the album "inessential".

The compilation was rendered largely superfluous only three months after its release when Rough Trade decided to release the similar but extended US-intended compilation Louder Than Bombs domestically. This was primarily done to save the consumer from paying high import prices. However, The World Won't Listen has some songs (or different versions of songs) that do not appear on Louder Than Bombs: "Money Changes Everything", "The Boy with the Thorn in His Side", "Stretch Out and Wait" (different version), "That Joke Isn't Funny Anymore", and "You Just Haven't Earned It Yet, Baby" (different version).

The last line is the title of the only song on The World Won't Listen which was previously unreleased, the word 'maybe' being used because the song had appeared on bootlegs and test pressings prior to its official release, and thus some more attentive fans would have had it.

After WEA acquired the Smiths' back catalogue in 1992, all Smiths albums were re-released at mid price, including The World Won't Listen, which was expanded to include a cover of "Golden Lights" and the original Rough Trade cassette edition bonus track "Money Changes Everything" (the "Bigmouth Strikes Again" B-side, also later released on the deluxe edition of The Sound of The Smiths).

British, Turner Prize artist Phil Collins produced an artwork inspired by The World Won't Listen, called Smiths Karaoke which was filmed in Turkey, Indonesia and Columbia.

Cover

The CD sleeve for The World Won't Listen is based on the cassette version of the sleeve layout; the original album featured a larger picture of a Fifties fairground scene, of which this is a crop. The sleeve was designed by Morrissey, using a photo by Jürgen Vollmer from the book Rock 'N' Roll Times: The Style and Spirit of the Early Beatles and Their First Fans.

Track listing

All songs written and composed by Morrissey/Marr. 

No.	Title	Length
1.	"Panic" (single A-side)	2:21
2.	"Ask" (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 version)" (single A-side)	3:16
9.	"Money Changes Everything" (B-side of "Bigmouth Strikes Again" 12-inch)	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)" (B-side of "Shakespeare's Sister")	2:45
14.	"That Joke Isn't Funny Anymore (single version)" (single A-side)	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)" (Remix of aborted single A-side)	3:32
17.	"Rubber Ring" (B-side of "The Boy with the Thorn in His Side")	3:48

WEA re-issue CD bonus track
No.	Title	Length
18.	"Golden Lights" (B-side of "Ask")	2:40

Personnel

Band

• Morrissey – vocals
• Johnny Marr – guitars, keyboard instruments, bass guitar on "Golden Lights"
• Andy Rourke – bass guitar, cello on "Shakespeare's Sister" and "Oscillate Wildly"
• Mike Joyce – drums
• Craig Gannon – guitar on "Panic", "Ask", "London", "Half a Person", "You Just Haven't Earned It Yet, Baby" and "Golden Lights"

Additional musicians

• Kirsty MacColl – backing vocals on "Ask" and "Golden Lights"
• John Porter – drum machine on "Golden Lights"
• Stephen Street – additional drum machine programming on "London"

Technical staff

• Johnny Marr – producer (A7)
• Johnny Marr, Morrissey and Stephen Street – producers (A3, B3)
• Morrissey and Marr – producers (A4, A6, B1-2, B8)
• John Porter – producer (A1-2, A9, B7, B9)
• The Smiths – producers (A5, A8, B4-6)

Charts

Album

Year	Chart	Position
1987	UK Albums Chart	2