Smithereens

[sockittome]

Just so happens I rediscovered this great band just a few weeks ago while doing some "YouTube research" of tracks that are featured on the ACE Here Today! collection.  I came across a link for the Smithereens' cover of Girl Don't Tell Me (off of their first EP), and was really impressed.  As more links to Smithereens music came up, I became severely side-tracked, and I have yet to get back to that ACE release!

I had no clue that the Smithereens have been active all these years.  How did I miss that???  I remember when Girl Like You came out in the late 80s and I thought it was a pretty cool song with its classic sounding guitar riffs.  I also remember not being so impressed with their follow up, Blues Before and After, thinking it was pretty bland and a bit of a letdown.  I did not know that they had a number of releases out before their 11 album, and certainly knew nothing of their many albums after.

So in the past few weeks I've been playing catch-up, purchasing a number of their cds from over the past several years.  I started with their Tommy cover album, which is excellent in so many ways, then got their very, very underrated A Date With the Smithereens cd (great bluesy, somewhat grungy sound, should have been a better seller), and I've even acquired a very minty used cd of Attack of the Smithereens at a decent price.

What I like the most about these guys is that they represent my two favorite genres:  60s classic rock and blues.  I feel that, like many of my other favorite bands, they blend the two very well without becoming repetitious. 

Interesting thing, I notice that on a few songs Pat Dinizio sounds a little like Darian Sahanaja.  No surprise that some of their music (particularly their covers) reminds me of Wondermints.

Any other Smithereens fans here?  Please chime in! 

[guitarfool2002]

Very cool! I'm a fan from the 80's too and in need of a rediscovery listening session soon. I remember very well hearing "A Girl Like You" on MTV and a few other appearances and thinking that was the kind of rock band I'd like to be in. What really drew me in was at that time especially I loved Rickenbacker guitars, still do, but in that era of metal-leaning Kramer, Ibanez, BC Rich, all of the other pointy-headstock guitars, here was some heavy riffing being played on Rickenbackers through Marshall stacks, loud as hell. I loved it. Most Rickenbacker bands were doing the classic jangle sound, actually the early Smithereens had plenty of that too, but Girl Like You just rocked out like there was no tomorrow. The cool thing is that they really knew their music history, and could quote and cite any number of classic 60's sounds and tones and even melodies while making really solid original rock music. It's no wonder Dennis Diken does what he does when he's not drumming.

Check out the early stuff - I hear plenty of the more obscure Beatles circa 63-64 sounds happening. Songs like Any Time At All, not many people knew them back then in my age group but here were the Smithereens nailing that vibe and getting all the sounds right, on songs like "Strangers When We Meet". Really cool.

Here's a neat story: I met them in April '94 when I was going to school in Boston. They were there for a show, and the night before they did an in-store appearance at a shop called Strawberries on Boylston. It was only Pat, Jim, and Dennis, but they said they'd perform a set for the people who came out to the in-store event, then they'd meet-and-greet and sign albums, etc. This was when "A Date With..." had come out. So a few of us get there early, get up to the front, and there was no gear! Oh sh*t, was it cancelled, etc... But we looked closer and they were setting up those tiny little Marshall "micro amps", they're battery powered and stand about 4 inches high, like a mini half stack. So there's two of them on a shelf or something against the back wall, and they actually mic'ed up the damned things! Classic. I think Dennis had a tambourine with a skin on it that he played with brushes, or maybe he had a snare or a box, I really don't remember. But sure enough, the three of them come out and do a full set of songs plus, leaning heavy on the new stuff but putting in all their familiar tunes and some obscurities too. All for free, with all of us jammed into this one floor of a Strawberries shop. They rocked out, and actually talked and told stories too. Jim was complaining that he went to a nearby bar before the event, and asked for a beer and a shot. The bartender told him sorry, we can't put them both on the bar at the same time. I think Jim's line was "sorry, I didn't know I left the US when I walked in"...there was some crazy regulation in Boston about serving drinks at that time. Anyway, everyone cheered and laughed, and they played more tunes. It was really cool to see a band who was going to play a large venue for a lot of money come in and do something like that, and micro-amps and missing bassist aside, they kicked ass.

It was a cool blend of 60's pop and rock and solid melodic songwriting with heavier guitar tones, and I think the quality of the writing is what really put them above the pack. And they wore influences on their sleeve, which is why I thought they were the perfect band if anyone was going to tackle it to cover the classic "Time Won't Let Me" by the Outsiders. Their originals sounded so close and had the same energy as that record, and tunes like Any Time At All, they were very cool.

I know Dennis is the resident historian, archivist, music history consultant and expert, etc, Pat ran for political office in Jersey, not sure about Jim and Mike...are they still together or is the band done? That's how out of the loop I've been with the Smithereens even though a few decades ago they were a big favorite of mine.

[Aum Bop Diddit]

Dennis is a huge Brian Wilson/Beach Boys guy I know -- maybe they all are.  I sat behind him at the premiere of "I Just Wasn't Made for These Times" in NYC.  I felt honored!

[sockittome]

Guitarfool2002, that's a great story regarding the in-store appearance!  From my online research on the band I've learned that they did quite a few of those.  Some pretty down to earth fellas from the sound of it.

Time Won't Let Me is an excellent cover, but I like their cover of It Don't Come Easy even more.  There are no saxes like in the original, but that part is actually played on the bass.  How cool is that?  Just about every one of their covers is a winner: Shakin' All Over, The Seeker, their Beatles covers, and as I mentioned earlier their Tommy album.

They released an album of originals in 2011 (called 2011, sort of a sequel to 11 with a similar themed cover).  From everything I've read online, it looks like they are still active to this day.  I certainly hope they will continue to put out albums.

[Alan Smith]

I'm a self taught/play by ear guitarist (and drummer) (of no great acclaim) and the first solo I got down, from playing the LP non-stop, was that from "Only a Memory"!  Classic!

Fell in love with these guys when "Behind the Wall of Sleep" started getting rotation at some of the indie clubs during Uni days.  I was a bit of an REM nut back then as well, and the musical style had some similarities.

Loved Tommy, btw.  Great band.

[Bill M]

As noted, drummer Dennis Diken is a huge BB fan / historian / archivest. He recently co hosted a radio show on WFMU with Irwen Chusid on BW's birthday, where they played & talked about many BB rarities.

The band still does live shows. I saw them in November & they were amazing.