The World of Morrissey in Bloomington, MN

Released to coincide with
Morrissey
's brief winter tour of England in 1995,
World of Morrissey
follows none of the accepted rules for compilations. It's not a hits collection, nor is it a best-of -- the disc is filled with album cuts, live tracks, a couple of B-sides and a new single, all of which dedicated
fans already own. However, the choice of songs does mean something -- the choice of the vaguely threatening
"Spring-Heeled Jim"
over "Now My Heart Is Full" and the sad "Billy Budd" over "The More You Ignore Me, the Closer I Get" makes the calm
Vauxhall and I
seem darker than it is. But that melancholy is cut by the sly taunt of "Have-a-Go Merchant" and the perennial "Last of the Famous International Playboys," as well as a long, bizarre crawl through "Moon River." Only hardcore fans will notice such subtle matters as running orders; for them,
is a mix tape. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine