Recorded over the course of four nights at The Court in New Brunswick, New Jersey, Live in Concert! Greatest Hits and More by The Smithereens was a great return to the band’s home state and a familiar venue to a raucous crowd.
The album captures the band’s raw, rock sound well. Consider yourself lucky if you got to see them live in their heyday. They were one of the best touring bands in the United States (and a new iteration of them still tours with Marshall Crenshaw on lead vocals, no less).
Opening track “Behind the Wall of Sleep” still punches hard, and “Drown in My Tears” somehow hits even harder. Jim Babjak and Pat Dinizio‘s guitars are a tremendous one-two punch throughout it (and the whole album, really). “Miles from Nowhere” builds like a strong, chugging engine in a hot rod warming up before a drag race down a long stretch of highway. Dennis Diken‘s drumming propels the track, and he sneaks some jazz swing into the mix.
“Room without a View” slows things down just enough for you to catch a breath, but not by much. “Only a Memory” keeps your toes tapping, and Severo Jornacion‘s bass work on it is a solid groove that keeps the band locked in tight. “House We Used to Live In” rocks as well as you remember. It’s always better live, and this captured version doesn’t disappoint. It drifts into a bit of psychedelic territory about halfway through the track (which is almost an eleven-minute version) and gives everyone ample opportunity to stretch their muscles and show off their chops (especially Diken).
The slow, lovely “Spellbound” is almost shocking after the previous track, but it soon wraps you in its warm blanket and has you swaying like a reed in the wind. The album contains two new (for the time) tracks, and the first is the haunting, strong “Since You Went Away” – a great example of Smithereens songs about lost love. “She’s Got a Way” is a great example of another type of Smitheerens song – power pop.
“Yesterday Girl” is another power pop gem, with Diken and Jornacion combining their rhythmic powers for all of your benefit. “Well Alright” is nearly a Dinizio solo effort with his acoustic guitar and strong vocals, until the drum fill kicks the song up a couple notches. The version of “Especially for You” on the album has a bit of a bluesy swagger to it that I like. “Any Other Way” is the second new track on the album, and it’s a hip tune about (you guessed it) Dinizio finding and losing love.
“Top of the Pops,” one of their biggest hits, sounds a little extra grungy here, which I don’t mind at all. Their cover of “Time and Time Again” is a blast and always a wonderful salute to one of their biggest influences – Paul McCartney. The album ends with three classics: “Blood and Roses” (with a downright furious solo from Babjak), an eight-minute version of “A Girl Like You,” and – a welcome addition and a salute to their old school fans – the theme to the Batman TV show from the 1960s (which was a staple of their early live sets).
It’s a fun album and a great reminder of why The Smithereens are one of the best American rock bands of their era (or any other, really).
Keep your mind open.
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