Blow Up is the fourth full-length studio album by the Smithereens, released in September 1991 by Capitol Records.[3] The album charted at #120 in the U.S. in October 1991.[4] The album's second single, "Too Much Passion", became the group's second top-40 single, peaking at #37.[5]Top of the Pops was released as the first single of the album.
The Smithereens followed their previous album, the relatively successful 11 (1989), with what Allmusic's Jason Damas called "their most straightforward and mainstream-ready release yet." Produced, like its predecessor, by Ed Stasium, Blow Up features songwriting collaborations with Diane Warren ("Nothing's Gonna Stop Us Now", "I Don't Want to Miss a Thing") and Julian Lennon on two of the album's most accessible tracks. Blow Up was released the same month as Nirvana's Nevermind, an album that would quickly have a huge impact on alternative radio formats, "squeezing out largely pop-oriented bands like the Smithereens," according to Damas. "If there was ever a time for an alternative band to opt for a slicker sound," he said, "1991 wasn't it."[1]
Songwriter Pat DiNizio was quoted on the band's website as saying, "It's an eclectic album in that it showcases every one of our musical influences." Described as an "edgy riff rocker" on the website, "Top of the Pops" has an analogy "that English rock fans should pick up on," referring to the British TV programme with the same name.[3] "Too Much Passion", with its full string section and Motown-style backing vocals,[6] is a result of DiNizio's desire to "write the sort of song Smokey Robinson might have written in 1966." The ballad "Evening Dress" is lyrically inspired by a short story by the Japanese author Yukio Mishima, and "Indigo Blues" is a R&B song on which Los Lobos's Steve Berlin guests as a "one-man sax section." Co-written with Dianne Warren, "Get a Hold of My Heart" features harmony vocals by Carlene Carter, and, according to DiNizio, "Tell Me When Did Things Go So Wrong" is the band's first overtly political song about "what I feel society has turned into." DiNizio described the Julian Lennon co-write "If You Want the Sun to Shine" as a thing between the Beatles' "I Am the Walrus" and Led Zeppelin's "Kashmir". DiNizio called the album "the ultimate pop sampler."[3]
When Blow Up failed to match the success of the band's previous album, they were dropped by Capitol and moved to RCA for 1994's A Date with the Smithereens.[7][8]
Critical reviewsedit
Dubois Daniels, writing for OffBeat magazine, wrote that the Smithereens "retain their combination of pop vocal melodies over big crunchy guitars, but add keyboards and strings on most of the cuts." He felt that the album is much softer than their previous albums, and that the band "seems to have traded some of their edge for a more pop sound ... but the pop sound has not taken over completely."[6]Rolling Stone's Wayne King wrote, "For those who'd shrug [the Smithereens] off as hopelessly retro, the group makes moves like inviting the Cowsills to sing backup on one song from Blow Up, a gesture either so warped it's cool or just plain pathetic. ... But to dismiss the Smithereens as mere revivalists would be wrong." King felt that, compared to the band's previous album, 11, where producer Ed Stasium "enlarged the group's sound", the band and their producer have made a more versatile and fluid album with Blow Up. He noted that Pat DiNizio "still examines romance as the distance sets in; almost every song deals with loss, resignation, regret."[2]
Among retrospective reviews, Jason Damas of AllMusic said that the Smithereens never released a bad album, and that Blow Up is "in fact a quite good one." He described it as a collection of "catchy, blue-collar power pop distinguished by DiNizio's often moody outlook."[1] Ira Robbins of Trouser Press wrote that the album gets off to a good start with "Top of the Pops" and "Too Much Passion," but then runs out of gas during the third track. Robbins felt that the material was "tired" and "unimproved by restrained playing and arrangements that cover the band's assets in guest keyboards, vocals, strings and saxophone."[9]
^ abcDamas, Jason. "Blow Up review". AllMusic. Retrieved June 29, 2021.
^ abKing, Wayne (October 31, 1991). . Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on 2008-07-26. Retrieved June 29, 2021.
^ abcde"Blow Up". officialsmithereens.com. The Official Smithereens Website. Retrieved 2014-10-15.
^"The Smithereens - Chart History". Billboard. Retrieved February 17, 2018.
^"The Smithereens Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved June 29, 2021.
^ abDaniels, Dubois (November 1, 1991). "Blow Up review". OffBeat. Retrieved June 29, 2021.
^Prince, Patrick. "The Smithereens are still rocking after 30 years". Goldmine. Retrieved June 29, 2021.
^Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Artist Biography". AllMusic. Retrieved June 29, 2021.
^Robbins, Ira. "TrouserPress.com :: Smithereens". TrouserPress.com. Retrieved June 29, 2021.
^"Saul Bass album covers". feuilleton.com. WordPress. Retrieved 2014-10-15.
^Willman, Chris (1991-11-03). "In Brief". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2014-10-15.
^Jacobs, Jay S. (September 12, 2010). "Meet the Smithereens... Again!". PopEntertainment.com. Retrieved June 29, 2021.
^ abThe Smithereens - Blow Up (CD liner notes). Capitol Records. 7777-94963-2
^Ryan, Gavin (2011). Australia's Music Charts 1988–2010 (PDF ed.). Mt Martha, Victoria, Australia: Moonlight Publishing. p. 257.
^"The Smithereens Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved January 6, 2022.
April 11, 2024
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Blow Up is the fourth full length studio album by the Smithereens released in September 1991 by Capitol Records 3 The album charted at 120 in the U S in October 1991 4 The album s second single Too Much Passion became the group s second top 40 single peaking at 37 5 Top of the Pops was released as the first single of the album Blow UpStudio album by The SmithereensReleasedSeptember 10 1991RecordedA amp M Studios Los Angeles CA Brooklyn Recording Los Angeles Mixed at A amp M Studios One On One Recording The Grey Room Los Angeles CAGenreRock alternative rock power popLength47 58LabelCapitolProducerEd StasiumThe Smithereens chronology11 1989 Blow Up 1991 A Date with The Smithereens 1994 Singles from Blow Up Top of the Pops Released August 1991 Too Much Passion Released December 1991Professional ratingsReview scoresSourceRatingAllmusic 1 Rolling Stone 2 Contents 1 Background 2 Critical reviews 3 Album cover and title 4 Track listing 5 Personnel 6 Charts 7 ReferencesBackground editThe Smithereens followed their previous album the relatively successful 11 1989 with what Allmusic s Jason Damas called their most straightforward and mainstream ready release yet Produced like its predecessor by Ed Stasium Blow Up features songwriting collaborations with Diane Warren Nothing s Gonna Stop Us Now I Don t Want to Miss a Thing and Julian Lennon on two of the album s most accessible tracks Blow Up was released the same month as Nirvana s Nevermind an album that would quickly have a huge impact on alternative radio formats squeezing out largely pop oriented bands like the Smithereens according to Damas If there was ever a time for an alternative band to opt for a slicker sound he said 1991 wasn t it 1 Songwriter Pat DiNizio was quoted on the band s website as saying It s an eclectic album in that it showcases every one of our musical influences Described as an edgy riff rocker on the website Top of the Pops has an analogy that English rock fans should pick up on referring to the British TV programme with the same name 3 Too Much Passion with its full string section and Motown style backing vocals 6 is a result of DiNizio s desire to write the sort of song Smokey Robinson might have written in 1966 The ballad Evening Dress is lyrically inspired by a short story by the Japanese author Yukio Mishima and Indigo Blues is a R amp B song on which Los Lobos s Steve Berlin guests as a one man sax section Co written with Dianne Warren Get a Hold of My Heart features harmony vocals by Carlene Carter and according to DiNizio Tell Me When Did Things Go So Wrong is the band s first overtly political song about what I feel society has turned into DiNizio described the Julian Lennon co write If You Want the Sun to Shine as a thing between the Beatles I Am the Walrus and Led Zeppelin s Kashmir DiNizio called the album the ultimate pop sampler 3 When Blow Up failed to match the success of the band s previous album they were dropped by Capitol and moved to RCA for 1994 s A Date with the Smithereens 7 8 Critical reviews editDubois Daniels writing for OffBeat magazine wrote that the Smithereens retain their combination of pop vocal melodies over big crunchy guitars but add keyboards and strings on most of the cuts He felt that the album is much softer than their previous albums and that the band seems to have traded some of their edge for a more pop sound but the pop sound has not taken over completely 6 Rolling Stone s Wayne King wrote For those who d shrug the Smithereens off as hopelessly retro the group makes moves like inviting the Cowsills to sing backup on one song from Blow Up a gesture either so warped it s cool or just plain pathetic But to dismiss the Smithereens as mere revivalists would be wrong King felt that compared to the band s previous album 11 where producer Ed Stasium enlarged the group s sound the band and their producer have made a more versatile and fluid album with Blow Up He noted that Pat DiNizio still examines romance as the distance sets in almost every song deals with loss resignation regret 2 Among retrospective reviews Jason Damas of AllMusic said that the Smithereens never released a bad album and that Blow Up is in fact a quite good one He described it as a collection of catchy blue collar power pop distinguished by DiNizio s often moody outlook 1 Ira Robbins of Trouser Press wrote that the album gets off to a good start with Top of the Pops and Too Much Passion but then runs out of gas during the third track Robbins felt that the material was tired and unimproved by restrained playing and arrangements that cover the band s assets in guest keyboards vocals strings and saxophone 9 Album cover and title editBlow Up s cover design is by movie poster title sequence artist Saul Bass Vertigo West Side Story North by Northwest Psycho 10 3 11 Being dedicated film fans the Smithereens managed to convince Bass that Blow Up should be his first album cover work 3 The album is named after Michelangelo Antonioni s 1966 art house film Blowup 12 Track listing editAll tracks are written by Pat DiNizio except where noted 13 No TitleWriter s Length1 Top of the Pops 4 322 Too Much Passion 4 353 Tell Me When Did Things Go So Wrong 2 224 Evening Dress 3 125 Get a Hold of My Heart DiNizio Diane Warren4 226 Indigo Blues 4 587 Now and Then Jim Babjak3 508 Girl in Room 12 3 229 Anywhere You Are 3 4410 Over and Over Again 3 1711 It s Alright 3 4512 If You Want the Sun to Shine DiNizio Julian Lennon5 58Personnel editThe SmithereensPat DiNizio vocals guitar harmonica Jim Babjak guitar vocals Dennis Diken drums percussion vocals Mike Mesaros bass vocalsAdditional musiciansKenny Margolis Hammond organ piano keyboards Michael Hamilton additional guitar keyboards Mellotron Ed Stasium percussion backing vocals Kevin Savigar keyboards on Get a Hold of My Heart and If You Want the Sun to Shine Steve Berlin saxophone on Indigo Blues Diana Graselli backing vocals on Top of the Pops and Too Much Passion Maria Vidal backing vocals on Top of the Pops Carlene Carter backing vocals on Get a Hold of My Heart Max Babjak backing vocals on Indigo Blues The Cowsills backing vocals on Now and Then Alex Acuna percussion on Too Much Passion Sid Paige violin Joel Derouin violin Berj Garabedian violin Michele Richards violin Larry Corbett cello Suzie Katayama cello Melissa Hasin cello David Campbell String arrangements on Too Much Passion Get a Hold of My Heart and If You Want the Sun to Shine Production personnelEd Stasium producer mixing Paul Hamingson engineer mixing assistant Randy Wine assistant engineer at A amp M John Aguto assistant engineer at A amp M Scott Stillman assistant engineer at Brooklyn Lori Fumar assistant engineer at One On One Dave Collins digital editing Greg Calbi mastering Saul Bass cover art The Smithereens art direction Tommy Steele art direction Pietro Alfieri design Dewey Nicks photography 13 Charts editChart performance for Blow Up Chart 1991 PeakpositionAustralian Albums ARIA 14 68US Billboard 200 15 120References edit a b c Damas Jason Blow Up review AllMusic Retrieved June 29 2021 a b King Wayne October 31 1991 Blow Up review Rolling Stone Archived from the original on 2008 07 26 Retrieved June 29 2021 a b c d e Blow Up officialsmithereens com The Official Smithereens Website Retrieved 2014 10 15 The Smithereens Chart History Billboard Retrieved February 17 2018 The Smithereens Chart History Hot 100 Billboard Retrieved June 29 2021 a b Daniels Dubois November 1 1991 Blow Up review OffBeat Retrieved June 29 2021 Prince Patrick The Smithereens are still rocking after 30 years Goldmine Retrieved June 29 2021 Erlewine Stephen Thomas Artist Biography AllMusic Retrieved June 29 2021 Robbins Ira TrouserPress com Smithereens TrouserPress com Retrieved June 29 2021 Saul Bass album covers feuilleton com WordPress Retrieved 2014 10 15 Willman Chris 1991 11 03 In Brief Los Angeles Times Retrieved 2014 10 15 Jacobs Jay S September 12 2010 Meet the Smithereens Again PopEntertainment com Retrieved June 29 2021 a b The Smithereens Blow Up CD liner notes Capitol Records 7777 94963 2 Ryan Gavin 2011 Australia s Music Charts 1988 2010 PDF ed Mt Martha Victoria Australia Moonlight Publishing p 257 The Smithereens Chart History Billboard 200 Billboard Retrieved January 6 2022 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Blow Up The Smithereens album amp oldid 1210479768, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
