...Best II

WEA (now the Warner Music Group) had acquired the entire Smiths back catalogue in early 1992 (sister label Sire Records already had the North American rights). Along with the re-release of the eight original albums (the four studio albums, the Rank live album and the three compilation albums issued while the band were still active), they immediately set to work compiling a 'best of' collection in two volumes. It was the first time a regular best of compilation had ever been made of The Smiths' material and the first volume effortlessly reached the top of the British charts. This, the second volume, fared considerably worse. The British press continued to groan about sell-out and low track selection coherence.

The material is more or less picked and sequenced at random, and consists of both singles and album cuts. As with the first volume, in the UK a spin-off single was released: "There Is a Light That Never Goes Out" (which had originally been earmarked as a single back in 1986 but was ultimately passed over in favour of "Bigmouth Strikes Again"). The single was released ahead of the compilation album and reached No. 25.

Cover

The UK and European release of the record featured the right half of a 1960s biker couple photograph by Dennis Hopper on its sleeve, with Best...I completing the picture; the U.S. sleeve was designed by singer Morrissey and once again features Richard Davalos, co-star of East of Eden (other shots of Davalos grace the covers of Strangeways, Here We Come and the U.S. edition of Best...I).

All tracks written by Morrissey and Johnny Marr (including "Oscillate Wildly").

• Morrissey , vocals
• Johnny Marr , guitars, keyboard instruments, harmonica, mandolins, synthesized string and flute arrangements
• Andy Rourke , bass guitar, cello on "Oscillate Wildly" and "Shakespeare's Sister"
• Mike Joyce , drums
• Craig Gannon , rhythm guitar on "Ask"

Additional musicians

• Kirsty MacColl , backing vocals on "Ask"
• Paul Carrack , piano and organ on "Reel Around the Fountain".

Production

• John Porter , producer (A2, A5-A6, B2-B3)
• The Smiths , producers (A3-A4, A7, B4-B5)
• Morrissey and Marr , producers (A1, B1, B7)
• Johnny Marr, Morrissey and Stephen Street , producers (B6)