The Smithereens Appreciation Thread

[The Golden Boy]

With all the relatively recent "appreciation" threads, I thought I'd start my own. Last week I had the iPod on shuffle and came across some Smithereens stuff- every once in a while I rediscover those 3 1980s records and remember just how awesome they were.

When I first heard of them- the Especially For You album, it was a great "alternative" to the "jangle-pop" college-y stuff I knew of and I loved that sound. At the time I heard a real big resemblance to REM.

I still love Mike Mesaros' bass playing. He had a great sound and a great way of making things move. I still try to play like that and if more bass players were able to play like that- it would be a good thing.

I like the overall feel of the songs, and that 60's poppy type thing they had going on. I got Blow Up when it came out and it was too poppy for me- and I saw them in 94 or so, they seemed to be more of a parody of a rock band by that point and I really had no inclination to hear any new stuff. But I also got to see them around 2003 or so- and that was a great kick-ass rock show. Last year I went on a Smithereens kick after loading the records into the iPod, and I've been on another one for the past week or so.

Anyone else a fan?

 

[Gas-man]

I had, what was it called Blood and Roses (?) in high school (circa 1986) and loved it.

I haven't kept up much with them, but I love the band.

 

['70 RS]

Rickenbackers, Marshalls, big hooks, 3 1/2 minute songs.
What's not to love? :AOK

 

[carbz]

It's kind of funny you brought this up as I recently uploaded "Girl like You" to my ipod and in short that's just an all around "Incredible" song I just can't enough of!

 

[Phil M]

I dig it.

 

[?&!]

"Behind the Wall of Sleep" and "Blood and Roses" slay me. My friend Kerry Tucker writes with Pat DiNizio pretty frequently. Great stuff!!!

 

[sqadan]

Big Smithereens fan here!!!

 

[loudboy]

Possibly my fave from that era.

 

[decay-o-caster]

I'm in. Mos def a top-10 (maybe 5?) band for me. Doom and gloom lyrics over jangle-pop - gotta love it. I'd love to meet DiNizio sometime.

 

[LittleWiggler]

 

[rickmebe]

Vintage Smithereens:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hERot7SrVYo

 

['70 RS]

Absolutely love those two songs. Smithereens are one of those bands that I honestly cant think of a single song of theirs that I don't like.

Well she held a bass guitar and
She was playing in a band and
She stood just like Bill Wyman
Now I am her biggest fan

Jade

You left out the best line:

She had hair like Jeanie Shrimpton back in 1965.....

 

[Release]

Big fan back in the 80's but I lost track of them after that. They played at an outdoor fair near us last year and I was blown away at how great the show was. I'll definitely see them again. They have a new bass player but he's just as good. Great band.

 

[jmecale72]

I had a buddy of mine who introduced me to the Smithereens in high school. After all these years, they STILL rock!

 

[DEMENTED]

I really liked that album "11" when it came out, killer guitar tone on that song "Girl Like You". Lost track of them after that though.

 

[Joe Robinson]

I saw them at the Hollywood Palladium in August of 1990. It was 5000 degrees inside and they rocked hard. I mean rocked hard as in Judas Priest hard. Just an ass kicking rock n'roll show. I loved it.

There was nothing new wave in thier approach in any way, other than the short songs and short solos.

At that point they had ditched the Rickenbackers for a Gibson SG (J. Babchak) and a Strat (Dinizio) But the Marshalls were in full utilization.

 

[Loop-Master]

"Girl Like You" was my first homework assignment in the first band I was ever in. Took the cassette home and learned it note-for-note. Fun to play!

 

[rickmebe]

You left out the best line:

She had hair like Jeanie Shrimpton back in 1965.....

She had legs that never ended, I was halfway paralyzed...

 

[?&!]

DiNizio told my friend Kerry that Black Sabbath was the biggest musical influence on the Smithereens. I love the fact that I never would have noticed unless he mentioned it, but it's plain as day once you know.

 

[Scott57]

Count me in as a fan.