A Terrible Year In Music Gets Worse
By Mitch Berg
Pat DiNizio of the Smitherens is dead at 66.
“The who?”
Siddown, kid.
The Smithereens, from Carteret, NJ, need no introduction to anyone who was listening to the radio in the mid-eighties. Crisp, taut melodic power-pop with just enough garage to make it fun and just enough polish to make it memorable,
And against the stereotype backdrop of eighties music – glossy stylied synth-pop, slick hair metal, and of course the golden age of the Big Arena Rock Anthem, it was defiantly retro, not as a stylistic statement, but for the sheer love of the sound.
“Blood and Roses” was first:
“Only a Memory” was probably my favorite:
“A Girl Like You” was, if memory serves, their biggest hit:
But I’ve learned the hard way; never ask if it could get worse.
December 14th, 2017 at 12:13 pm
Nice. Thanks. Didn’t know they were from NJ. I was into another band from NJ from that time as well, The Feelies.
December 14th, 2017 at 12:18 pm
Sad news — they were a consistently good band in what became an inconsistent era of music. And by all accounts, DiNizio was a mensch. RIP.
December 14th, 2017 at 2:51 pm
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L1M1NQfv9p0
Great cover of Springsteen’s Downbound Train
December 14th, 2017 at 2:51 pm
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L1M1NQfv9p0
Great cover of Springsteen’s Downbound Train
December 14th, 2017 at 3:07 pm
Definitely sad news! Loved all their music.
December 14th, 2017 at 3:42 pm
Good music. The video of Only A Memory reminds me of James Bond opening credits. Need I say Sean Connery Bond. Forget the others
December 14th, 2017 at 10:16 pm
Not one of rock’s “pretty boys”, was he?
December 15th, 2017 at 6:29 am
All those sound like the same song, with different words. Honestly never heard of em.