Especially for You (The Smithereens album)
| Especially for You | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by The Smithereens | ||||
| Released | March 1, 1986 | |||
| Recorded | The Record Plant, New York City | |||
| Genre | Rock | |||
| Length | 44:14 | |||
| Label | Enigma | |||
| Producer | Don Dixon | |||
| The Smithereens chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Professional ratings | |
|---|---|
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic |   |
| Robert Christgau | B−[2] |
| Rolling Stone |  |
Especially for You is the first full-length album from New Jersey-based rock band The Smithereens.
The album is notable for the hit "Blood and Roses", which has been featured in multiple movie and TV productions. Producer Don Dixon's co-production work on R.E.M.'s Murmur and Reckoning albums added attention to the record's initial release. The album today is highly regarded by most critics, and was one of Kurt Cobain's favorite albums, as noted in his journal. The album was certified platinum in the US for sales over 1,000,000 copies.[4]
"Blood and Roses" was used:
- as the theme song from the 1986 movie Dangerously Close
- in "Duty and Honor", a 1987 episode of the TV series Miami Vice
- in the 1997 movie Romy and Michele's High School Reunion
The title and lyrics to the song "In A Lonely Place" were inspired by and adapted from the 1950 film In A Lonely Place," starring Humphrey Bogart and directed by Nicholas Ray. In particular, the line "I was born the day I met you/Lived a while when you loved me/Died a little when we broke apart" is a paraphrase of a key passage in the movie. In addition, the line "Yesterday it would have mattered/Now today it doesn't mean a thing" is a paraphrase of the last line in the movie.
Track listing
All tracks written by Pat DiNizio, except where noted..
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Strangers When We Meet" | 3:47 | |
| 2. | "Listen to Me Girl" | 3:01 | |
| 3. | "Groovy Tuesday" | Pat DiNizio, Steve Forbert, Mark Johnson | 2:40 |
| 4. | "Cigarette" | 2:30 | |
| 5. | "I Don't Want to Lose You" | 3:21 | |
| 6. | "Time and Time Again" | 3:10 | |
| 7. | "Behind the Wall of Sleep" | 3:24 | |
| 8. | "In a Lonely Place" | 4:11 | |
| 9. | "Blood and Roses" | 3:36 | |
| 10. | "Crazy Mixed-Up Kid" | 2:07 | |
| 11. | "Hand of Glory" | Jimmy Silva | 2:46 |
| 12. | "Alone at Midnight" | 3:41 | |
| 13. | "White Castle Blues" | Jim Babjak, Robert Banta | 3:58 |
| CD Re-issue Bonus Track | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
| 14. | "Mr. Eliminator" | Dick Dale | 2:02 |
|
|
Charts
| Charts (1986) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| US Billboard 200[5] | 51 |
| Charts (1987) | Peak position |
| UK Indie Chart[6] | 5 |
References
- ↑ Ankeny, Jason. "Especially for You". AllMusic. Retrieved September 18, 2014.
- ↑ Christgau, Robert. "The Smithereens: Especially for You". Robert Christgau.com. Retrieved September 18, 2014.
- ↑ "Album Reviews". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 9 October 2017.
- ↑ Desler, Madison (21 April 2016). "The Smithereens Play Songs Especially For You". Concert Guide Live. Retrieved 17 February 2018.
- ↑ "The Smithereens - Chart History". Billboard. Retrieved September 18, 2014.
- ↑ Lazell, Barry (1997). Indie Hits 1980-1989. Cherry Red Books. Archived from the original on June 6, 2011. Retrieved September 18, 2014.
External links
- "Especially for You" at Discogs (list of releases)