Published on Apr 27, 1997
Long-time readers of “The Daily Vault” know I often wax
nostalgic about the times I discovered some bands, most often in my
time in radio, a period of time I call Alcatraz without the guards.
The baskets of mail that arrived every day each held some new
treasure that would be ambrosia to my ears after listening to so
much other dreck.
It was that way when, in 1989, the station I worked at received
the latest album at the time from The Smithereens,
11. Though the vinyl copy we received was warped to the
point of it being unplayable, the few songs I was able to listen to
were absolutely incredible. Within a matter of days, I was at the
local record store picking up a CD copy of
11, and adding it to the Pierce Memorial Archives.
Pat DiNizio and crew merge the sensibility of ’60s power pop
with the recklessness of ’80s alternative, creating one very
pleasant mix. If there was an album that defined The Smithereens,
11 is the one.
The first single off the album, “A Girl Like You,” is proof of
the talents these four young musicians have. The staccato guitar
lines of Jim Babjak, rhythmic bass lines by Mike Mesaros and the
marching backbeat provided by Dennis Diken all serve as the perfect
foil for DiNizio’s vocal delivery. The song is an upbeat love song
that seems almost impossible to get tired of hearing.
Other tracks like “Blues Before And After” and “William Wilson”
occasionally take some time to really get into, but by the time you
do, you’ve picked up on most of their nuances. But when The
Smithereens were on target, they were on fire – check out
“Yesterday Girl” and “Room Without A View” for proof of this.
One of the most poignant tracks on
11 is the song “Cut Flowers,” a song about a lost love and
the recognition – all too late – of what the storyteller wishes he
had again. The surprising twist on the loss at the end of the song
makes it all the more emotional.
Another proof of the power this band has is in yet another love
song, “Kiss Your Tears Away.” A gentle song about the desire the
singer has to be with the person he loves, DiNizio and crew capture
the mood and the longing so well. The only negative on this one is
the final chord of the song, which to my ears doesn’t resolve
itself in the best way possible. However, this is nit-picking.
The Smithereens deserve much more acclaim and success than
they’ve had in their distinguished career, and the recent side
projects the members have been doing I hope isn’t a sign of the
band’s disintegration. (I have been assured by the Webmaster of one
Smithereens page that the band is still together and is planning to
work together again later this year.)
Even if it is, they’ve at least left their legacy in ten songs –
and their best album of their career – on
11.