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18 of 18 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
The Greatest Music Never Heard!, September 18, 2004
Rolling Stone magazine called this South Jersey quartet the Best New Artist of 1986...this anthology is an audio confirmation of that recognition.
The Smithereens combine Rock, Blues & Surf music into their own unique style & the influences of The Beatles, The Beach Boys & The Who, among others, can be heard throughout this 2 CD set.
Lead vocalist Pat DiNizio, guitarist Jim Babjak, bassist Mike Mesaros & drummer Dennis Diken are as an explosive musical combination as there has been in Rock & Roll history.
This well rounded collection includes live recordings & unreleased demos. Includes the song that introduced most of us to the band, Blood & Roses, as well as such AOR classics as Strangers When We Meet, Behind the Wall of Sleep, Only A Memory, Drown In My Own Tears, House We Used To Live In, A Girl Like You & Too Much Passion.
An absolute must for all fans of the band & all those hungry to explore what typical mid to late 1980s R&R was all about. Includes an excellent & informative 28 page booklet giving musical history & the stories behind each song on the anthology.
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11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A superior career summary of a great unsung band!, November 10, 2004
Expanding their previous single disc best-of, this "anthology" thoroughly covers the band from it's inception to it's finale...if in fact they have really stopped recording.
The Smithereens are one of those bands that you just love. Especially if you're an aficionado of rock and roll. These guys should have been all over the charts, but their often-cheerful, sometimes melancholy retro sound doesn't really have a place on today's radio.
These tunes would simply embarrass the glut of faux R&B, chirpy teen hip-hop that is normally played at Top 40-style radio. The quality would prove how slight and wan those newer songs really are.
However, there DOES appear to be room on the radio today for groups like Maroon 5, Fountains of Wayne and the 80's-ish sounds of The Killers and Franz Ferdinand. If you like THOSE groups, then by all means give these guys a try. Crashing guitars, back-to-basics rock beats, and simple but memorable melodies compete with sweet ballads complete with strings and acoustic guitars.
The duet with Belinda Carlisle ("Blue Period"), and some of the intentionally mid-60's lounge-ish stuff ("In A Lonely Place") have not and will not age at all. They're "pre-aged", and nicely done at that, so their timelessness is assured.
There is absolutely nothing to dislike about this collection, these songs and this group...
...it's not that you'll pleasantly surprised, you'll be floored.
I wish I was just discovering this band right now...
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6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Superior Power Pop with Heart & Soul, September 22, 2004
The Smithereens have to be one of the most criminally underated bands of the 20th century. It's nice that here in the 21st we can remember them with this nice collection.
It's rare when power pop chords combine with insightful lyric writing and is presented with such fine melodic music. Pat D. and crew get my vote for one of the finest examples of this type music since The Beatles set the standard. Great chiming guitars with power chords and hooks abound all around Pat's singing the great songs he writes.
If this music hits a chord with the listener I also recommend Big Star, Marshall Crenshaw, The Gin Blossoms, XTC, Rem, The dB's/Peter Holsapple/Chris Stamey, Swag, The Poisies, and The Hoodoo Gurus.
Perhaps, like a previous reviewer said, this stuff is yet again and again repackaged...However, this one is so good many folks will welcome it, if one doesn't have a knowledge it is more than just a great introduction. Personally, I love the songs, never get tired of them and welcome the few I've never heard before with open arms.
Fans of melodic pop with intelligence and power just shouldn't miss this one. If you do it is definitely your loss. I just wish they were together now and actively recording and touring because without The Smithereens the music scene is lacking a very important band in a field that doesn't have enough exposure.
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