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The Smithereens - 11 Audio CD

A fair review of the The Smithereens "11" Audio CD. Please note that the below review is the views of the authors, and authors only. You can get a complete list of all The Smithereens reviews here, or go back to the The Smithereens tabs.

The Smithereens Band: The Smithereens
Title: 11
Rating:
Release Date: 1989-10-05
Media: Audio CD

Tracks: 1: Girl Like You 2: Blues Before and After 3: Blue Period 4: Baby Be Good 5: Room Without a View 6: Yesterday Girl 7: Cut Flowers 8: William Wilson 9: Maria Eleena 10: Kiss Your Tears Away

From the Vault
I forgot how good music was back in the late 80's early 90's. With the ipod/mp3 craze, I finally started to load up my 1000+ cd's into my Sony Viao Sonic Stage to have all digital versions. You usually only current rock or classic rock. There are few radio stations that play the classic early Alt music. .


great album
It has a great mix of rock and soft tunes. My brother got me into the Smithereens years ago, and this is still my favorite album. exellent even 15 years later.


Classic Rock Gem
This is such a great album. I don't like to bore people with long monologues for reviews, so I'll cut to the chase. Great songs, great production, confessional lyrics; Dinizio and gang turned out a great album here. This will always be one of my all-time faves. Although some may beg to differ and side with the earlier stuff, this disc epitomizes all that and cranks up the volume. Check it out. .


Turn it up to "11".
The sound is 1989 alt-pop-rock, and it's some of the best I've heard. I admit I did get this for only 2 songs, but the whole thing is much better than I expected, and I'm suprised they weren't better known. This includes the huge hit "A Girl Like You", and the minor ones "Blues Before And After", and the catchy "Yesterday Girl". "Blue Period" with "Belinda Carlisle" is also pretty good. If you enjoy the sounds of "Elvis Costello" or "Urge Overkill", check this album out. They also have a "Best Of".


Rockin' attitude from the early 90s
While I had shunned rock in the past, certain artists were gaining my interest with their awesome orchestrations and lyrics. By 1990, my musical tastes were finally evolving beyond light rock and euro-synth-pop. One such group was The Smithereens. Songs from their 1989 release 11 were hitting MTV in late '89 and early '90, and I was immediately hooked. Growing tired of my first-year college angst, The Smithereens provided a dose of reality and attitude I was needing. Still today, these songs are powerful and full of positive energy and attitude that give me a cold splash of water in the face and make me take back control of my life.

The release starts off on a rockin' note with their first single from 11, "A Girl Like You. " The guitar and drum driven tune combined with awesome lyrics and harmonies make this a great rock attitude anthem. Another single, "Blues Before and After" is another awesome drum and guitar drivin' rock anthem. Slowing down to a simple strum on the guitar, "Blue Period" is a bit more solemn and reflective, though it does has a slight upbeat 60s feel to it. And, hey, there's Belinda Carlisle singing the harmony! Back to the rock theme, "Baby Be Good" begs one's lover to be good while one is away. The harmonies and minor harmonics in the orchestration are very cool, and the chorus vocal hooks are addictive. "Room Without a View" focuses on worthlessness of focussing and reflecting so intently on the past. Again, one of the big fun features is the vocal harmonies in the refrain that are great to sing along with. Kind of along the same beat as "A Girl Like You" but a tad more mellow with a swayin' 60s feel, "Yesterday Girl" is a fun romp, though the lyrics are more about standing still. "Cut Flowers" takes a more plaintive turn, pleading to give those simple things to the one you love before they're gone. Unfortunately, I'm completely lost on the reference, so I'm not sure exactly what "William Wilson" is about, though the lyrics do touch on how life used to be simple before meeting this person. "Maria Elena" is a bit more simple in it's profession of love for Maria Elena. The tune takes a slight country turn orchestrally, however it is only very slight. However, the closing tune, "Kiss Your Tears Away" takes a stronger country rock turn, however the harmonies in the refrain pull it back to an almost Toad the Wet Sprocket sound.

Overall, I give 11 a strong 5 star rating and place it in my top 50 releases of all time. The attitude and rockin' feel (especially in the first 6 songs) really do my attitude some good any time I listen. This is one of those releases where the songs were so good and stuck with me and meant so much to me personally, I haven't been able to bring myself to purchase any other Smithereens releases. For me, this release is perfect, and I don't want to have anything else that might mar my love and appreciation for this release and artist.

As a recommendation, you really have to like well-produced guitar and drum driven pop tunes. The vocals are serious and reflective, however the tunes are definite fun and attitude driven. I'm not quite sure who to compare them to, since this style is a bit divergent in my average music listening style and taste. Let's just say that if you liked upbeat and positive late 80s and early 90s music, get 11 - it's a definite classic that will be sure to satisfy, especially for those who need a good old-fashioned attitude adjustment.

At one time I knew what the title 11 referred to, but I have long since forgotten. However, I will not soon forget the music and attitude the Smithereens introduced to me with this release. Most definitely, this "Baby Be Good. ".


You can see a complete list of all The Smithereens discography, or go back to the The Smithereens tabs. There is also a good guide on how to read guitar tabs here.

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