The World Won't Listen

The World Won't Listen is a compilation album by the English rock band the Smiths, released on 23 February 1987 by Rough Trade Records. The album is the second of three compilation albums—the others being Hatful of Hollow and Louder Than Bombs—released by the Smiths while they were still an active band. It reached No. 2 on the UK Albums Chart, staying on the charts for 15 weeks. In the United States Louder Than Bombs was released in place of The World Won't Listen.

Background

The album is a collection of the band's singles and select B-sides from 1985 to 1987. Additionally, the scrapped single "You Just Haven't Earned It Yet, Baby" and the near-single "There Is a Light That Never Goes Out" were included.
The title reflects Smiths singer Morrissey's belief that mainstream radio and record buyers weren't paying attention to the band. The compilation was succeeded three months later by Louder Than Bombs. Originally intended solely for US release, Rough Trade chose to also release Louder Than Bombs in the UK. It featured a similar, but extended track listing to The World Won't Listen. The World Won't Listen contains two versions of songs that do not appear on Louder Than Bombs: the single version of "The Boy with the Thorn in His Side" and the single edit of "That Joke Isn't Funny Anymore". Additionally, The World Won't Listen contains different versions of two songs that would appear on Louder Than Bombs: "Stretch Out and Wait" features an alternate vocal, and "You Just Haven't Earned It Yet, Baby" appears in a slightly different and longer mix. In Australia and New Zealand, a double LP second edition was released with an additional 12 tracks on the extra disc. The 12 extra tracks are mostly sourced from Louder than Bombs as well as "Panic" B-side "The Draize Train", which doesn't otherwise appear on either. The 2011 reissue replaced the single version of "The Boy With the Thorn in His Side" with the album version. Also of note is the fact that "Ask" appears on both The World Won't Listen and Louder Than Bombs in a slightly different and longer mix than its single version.
After WEA acquired the Smiths' back catalogue in 1992, all Smiths albums were re-released in the UK in 1993 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". In the US, the albums were also re-released in 1993, although The World Won't Listen was not included among them.

Artwork and packaging

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 1960s 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.

Release

The album was released on 23 February 1987. It first charted on 3 March 1987, remaining in the top 100 for 15 weeks and peaking at No. 2. The World Won't Listen returned to the UK top 100 for two weeks in 1995, following its re-release by WEA. In 2011, The World Won't Listen was included in the Smiths' compilation box set Complete. This marked the first time the album was officially released in the US.

Personnel

Morrissey – vocals
Johnny Marr – guitars, keyboard instruments, slide guitar on "Panic" and "That Joke Isn't Funny Anymore", harmonica on "Ask", mandolin on "Golden Lights", marimba on "The Boy with the Thorn in His Side"
Andy Rourke – bass guitar, cello on "Shakespeare's Sister" and "Oscillate Wildly"
Mike Joyce – drums, tambourine on "Stretch Out and Wait"
Craig Gannon – rhythm guitar on "Panic", "Ask", "London", "Half a Person", "You Just Haven't Earned It Yet, Baby" and "Golden Lights", lead guitar on coda of "London", mandolin on "Golden Lights"

Additional musicians

Kirsty MacColl – backing vocals on "Ask" and "Golden Lights"
John Porter – sound effects on "Ask", drum machine and bass on "Golden Lights"
Stephen Street – additional drum machine programming on "London", sound effects on "Asleep", sampling on "Rubber Ring"

Production

Johnny Marr – producer
Johnny Marr, Morrissey and Stephen Street – producers
Morrissey and Marr – producers
John Porter – producer
The Smiths – producers

Charts

Chart	Peak position
Croatian International Albums	36

Tribute

British artist Phil Collins produced an exhibition at the Dallas Museum of Art that included a three-part video project titled The World Won't Listen, which was filmed in Turkey, Indonesia and Colombia. The video features young people performing karaoke versions of songs by The Smiths.