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Especially for You

The Smithereens

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Album Review

The Smithereens' superb full-length debut Especially for You marries an unapologetically nostalgic affection for the melodic crunch of the British Invasion era with an equally unapologetic helping of postmodern melancholia. In tandem with Don Dixon's moodily atmospheric production, Pat DiNizio's lovelorn lyrics and world-weary vocals reveal the dark underbelly of his otherwise crisply infectious songs, lending standout tracks like "Strangers When We Meet," "Behind the Wall of Sleep," and the minor hit "Blood and Roses," both a unique flavor and an immediate familiarity.

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Rock and roll - pure, no frills

The first time I heard the opening bass line to "Blood and Roses" my senior year of high school, I was hooked. The Smithereens had brought rock and roll back to its purest basics: two guitars, a bass and drums, with an occasional "guest appearance" by a piano or Hammond B-3 organ. And that's all you need for a good album. "Especially For You" is the Smithereens' first full-length album. It's not some overproduced studio album; it captures the raw essence of rock and roll in all of the songs, which are mostly about love or heartbreak... but then, aren't most good rock songs about love and/or heartbreak? Some have called the Smithereens the "grandfathers of grunge" or the progenitors of "coffeehouse rock." But their main influences are obvious: the British Invasion and surf rock. The Beatles, The Who, The Kinks, Dick Dale... they're all in there somewhere. Pat DiNizio's voice can be both somber and enthralling at the same time. He makes you believe the words he's singing. Jim Babjak's guitar playing is unmistakable, attacking the notes on his Rickenbacker with reckless abandon. Dennis Diken's steady but powerful drumming provides the solid foundation of the powerful rock and roll attack. Mike Mesaros weaves among them all, fusing them together with his melodic bass lines that really seals the deal as far creating the unique sound that is the Smithereens. There are the "classic" songs on this album, like "Blood and Roses" and "Behind the Wall of Sleep", which received airplay on MTV and most college radio stations at the time. But when you listen to all the songs, you really begin to understand the concept of "album oriented rock." From the first track, "Strangers When We Meet" to the last track, "Alone at Midnight", there isn't a bad one in the bunch. The extra tunes, "White Castle Blues" and "Mr. Eliminator", capture the Smithereens' unique sense of humor and tributes to their roots. I literally played my cassette of this album so much, I wore it out. Even the CD is a little worn out. Thank goodness for digital music... now it will never degrade... and neither will my love for this album. Run, don't walk... get it now!

Maybe The Best Rock Album of the 1980s

Maybe the best rock album of the nineteen-eighties, from one of its most criminally neglected bands. People like to name check the Beatles when reviewing the Smithereens (hell, the Smithereens even went for it with 2007’s “Meet The Smithereens”). But that’s misleading and limiting. Early on, it was clear that The Who were at least equally influential, and good for us that it was so. Adding equal measures of Who crunch to Beatles jangle, the Smithereens were, foremost, the work of poet Pat Dinizio. For someone like me who mainly listened to the beat, the Smithereens crafted lyrics that mattered. So while up-tempo ravers like “I Don’t Want To Lose You” were aimed right at me, change-ups like “Cigarette” chill me too. Trivia bonus: word is that “Behind The Wall Of Sleep” was written about Runaways & Bangles’s bassist Michael Steele. “Well she held a bass guitar and she was playing in a band / And she stood just like Bill Wyman”. You decide. An important album from the 1980’s. Five stars.

Biography

Formed: 1980 in Carteret, NJ

Genre: Rock

Years Active: '80s, '90s, '00s, '10s

Dressed in leather, brandishing heavy guitars, and exhibiting an unabashed fetish for British Invasion pop, the Smithereens were an anomaly in the American college rock scene of the late '80s. Lead singer/songwriter/guitarist Pat DiNizio stood out not only with his strange beatnik goatee, but also because his catchy hooks were haunting, not punchy, and because his lyrics were morose. As time wore on, the group became more straightforward, turning into an excellent bar band, one that attacked pop...
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