Live (The Smithereens EP)

Live
EP (live) by
The Smithereens
ReleasedJanuary 1988[1]
RecordedOctober 1986
VenueThe Ritz, New York City
GenreRock
Length24:39
LabelRestless Records
The Smithereens chronology
Especially for You
(1986) 		Live
(1988) 		Green Thoughts
(1988)
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[2]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide[3]

Live is a live EP by the Smithereens, released in 1988 by Restless Records.[4][5] It was the first release in the Restless Performance Series, which was initiated in January 1988, releasing CD-only live recordings.[1] The EP contains six songs from a show recorded in October 1986 for MTV's "Live from The Ritz" concert series.[2]

The EP was reissued for digital download in September 2011 as New York City 1986 with the same track listing.[6]

Critical reception

Trouser Press wrote that "the six selections (a perfect cover of the Who’s "The Seeker" joins the group’s own tunes) [are] flawless, the performance crisp and exciting."[4] AllMusic felt that the EP "preserves the band in top form, with Pat DiNizio's vocals boasting a tougher edge than he displays in the studio and Jim Babjak's guitar gaining some additional on-stage crunch." They commented that the EP is likely to be appreciated by fans only, but also shows why the Smithereens were "a potent live attraction."[2]

Track listing

All tracks are written by Pat DiNizio, except where noted

No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Blood and Roses" 5:42
2."Behind the Wall of Sleep" 3:20
3."Beauty and Sadness" 4:12
4."Alone at Midnight" 3:56
5."Strangers When We Meet" 4:10
6."The Seeker"Pete Townshend3:19

Personnel

The Smithereens
Technical
  • Susan Myers – front cover photography
  • Dennis Diken – liner notes (November 1987)

References

  1. ^ a b De Savia, Tom (30 July 1988). "Coast to Coast". Cash Box. p. 6. Retrieved 29 June 2021. The series was initiated in January with a Smithereen's live E.P., which made impressive noise within the industry. All "Performance Series" discs are C.D. only, all are live recordings.
  2. ^ a b c Deming, Mark. "The Smithereens live - review on AllMusic". Allmusic.com. Retrieved 11 February 2018.
  3. ^ The Rolling Stone Album Guide. Random House. 1992. p. 650.
  4. ^ a b "Smithereens". Trouser Press. Retrieved 20 July 2020.
  5. ^ Goldstein, Patrick (19 June 1988). "Wild Style: While we're rappin', the good..." Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 29 June 2021. Our candidate is Restless Records' unique live CD-only series, which the local label inaugurated earlier this year with "Live" by the Smithereens.
  6. ^ "New York City 1986 (Live) - EP". iTunes.apple.com. Retrieved on 11 February 2018.