The third full-length album from the Smithereens, 11 (a title that refers to the classic 1960 Frank Sinatra film Ocean's Eleven), was something of a letdown after the solid, tough-pop perfection of their first two albums, Especially for You and Green Thoughts. While their previous sets boasted strong material from front to back, 11
is dotted with filler. And while "A Girl Like You," "Blue Period," and
"William Wilson" are all great songs, many of the others sound like
by-the-numbers pop tunes cranked out to pad the set to full length.
Producer Don Dixon made the most of the dark and mysterious undercurrents of Pat DiNizio's songs and Jim Babjak's guitar, but Ed Stasium
gives the band a solid, professional sound that is sadly lacking in
personality; there's nothing wrong with the way the album sounds, but
there isn't anything terribly engaging about it, either. As a band, the Smithereens
still sound rock-solid here, but as an album it was sadly indicative of
the creative ups and downs that would mark their recording career from
this point forward.(Mark Deming, allmusic.com)
And this said Jeff Rosenberg:
I couldn't disagree more with Mr. Deming's assessment. I actually prefer
11 to the first two Smithereens albums. The sound is fuller, thanks to
producer Ed Stasium, and the songwriting is top-notch. To dismiss such
tunes as "Maria Elena" - an ode to Buddy Holly's widow - and the
beautiful "Cut Flowers" as mere filler suggests a cursory listen to the
album, at best. Singling out "William Wilson" as a highlight is
similarly bizarre; it doesn't suck, but it's not a standout song,
either. Yes, "Baby Be Good" is something of a trifle, but in that, it
recalls second-tier Beatles songs like "You Like Me Too Much" - not one
for a best-of comp, perhaps, but tuneful and fun.
I second that what Jeff Rosenberg said.
Enjoy
SB1
Flac part1 &
Flac part2 -
mp3@320
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