Outstanding cuts: Only A Memory, A girl Like You, Blood and Roses, Houser We Used to Live In, Time Won't Let Me. The rest of the songs are very good also.


The last true rock & roll band   September 22, 2004
 7 out of 8 found this review helpful

It's incredible that so many people have never heard of The Smithereens. These guys are so much better than several other bands in the rock & roll genre that get noticed. I first heard about The Smithereens about a year ago: my dad was getting rid of some old CDs at a garage sale, and among those CDs was "Blown To Smithereens". I had never heard of them before, so I decided to play it on my CD player. I was completely blown away! Why would anyone ever want to sell this? So I bought it for $3 from my dad, and it's been one of my favorite albums ever since.

"Blown To Smithereens" is one of the only CDs in my collection that I can listen to from start to finish and not skip past anything. I used to dislike "Blue Period," but it's started to grow on me. "Time Won't Let Me" is an odd selection for a greatest hits CD, but it's enjoyable nonetheless. My favorite tracks are "Blood and Roses," "House We Used To Live In," "A Girl Like You," "Blues Before and After," and "Miles From Nowhere". But every track is wonderful, and different in its own way.

If you are a Beatles fan (like I am), you won't be disappointed. These guys are like the Beatles of today (in fact, if you listen to the harpsicord part in "Blue Period," it is almost identical to the harpsicord part in The Beatles' song "In My Life"). The Smithereens are probably the only band that was both ahead of its time as well as after, using the old rock & roll sound to create new music. Let this CD take you away. A splendid time is guaranteed for all.

-Matt, age 16


Outstanding!   March 9, 2004
 6 out of 8 found this review helpful

A tragically ignored pop-rock group with a classic pop sensibility and rock chops, The Smithereens here prove they SHOULD be a band on the tip of most pop fans'
tongues.
Song after song on this compilation offers sterling pop hooks, killer power chords, nifty harmonies...this is just flat-out great music. They're timeless...their sound is ageless.
The catchy verse-chorus-verse of "Only A Memory", "Too Much Passion" and "A Girl Like You" will enable you to sing along after a single listen.
"Blue Period" is a swaying ballad with a sweet string section and beautiful back-up vocals by Belinda Carlisle.
"Yesterday Girl" sounds terrific coming from your car stereo on a summer day with the convertible top down. It's "sunny".
The "weak" songs, like the cover of "Time Won't Let Me", are only so in comparison. On any other artists' album, they'd be highlights. The quality here is most impressive.
I have yet to play this record for anyone who has not immediately asked me where they could get a copy.
I could not recommend this more.


A good anthology   December 13, 2000
 5 out of 5 found this review helpful

"Blown to Smithereens" is a decent anthology album that collects all of the band's music that the casual fan will ever need to hear. It is also fairly conventional, collecting three songs or so from each of the band's original studio albums. Fortunately, it manages to hit the highlights without leaving out anything truly essential. The best songs include "Blood & Roses," "A Girl Like You," "Only a Memory" and "Yesterday Girl." Each are three and a half minute blasts of pure guitar pop pleasure. The Smithereens' music is nothing fancy. The guitars are straight forward, the vocals are solid and the lyrics focus on love both won and lost.

Overall, this is a fine collection of their singles and should satisfy all but the most ardent fans.


Excellent Compilation   December 26, 2000
 4 out of 5 found this review helpful

The Smithereens had only a few minor Top-40 hits, but they played a very straight-ahead, appealing style of rock 'n' roll. This collection has most of their best songs, including "Blood & Roses", "House We Used to Live In," "Only a Memory," "A Girl Like You," and "Blues Before & After." However, a couple of my favorites--"Especially For You" from the "Green Thoughts" album and "Room Without a View" from the "11" album--are, to me, glaring omissions. (On the other hand, I could live without mediocre tunes like "Blue Period" and the cover of "Time Won't Let Me.") Nonetheless, "Best Of..." collections are always subjectively compiled, and, within that limitation at least, fans of hook-laced, guitar-based rock can't go wrong adding this CD to their collections.