The Smithereens' second album release, Green Thoughts, is another great album and ranks just a shade below their debut Especially for You as their best. Pat DiNizio constructs another batch of songs with memorable melodies and personal lyrics. Green Thoughts doesn't rock as hard as Especially for You or their next album, 11, but the craftsmanship is still there. "Only A Memory" would be a huge hit on college radio and even crossover to the lower reaches of the pop charts while the energetic "House We Used to Live In" and the melancholy "Drown in My Own Tears" are two gems that would get some airplay as well. Like their first album did with "A Lonely Place", Green Thoughts has a stylistic detour, this time in the jazzy and beautiful love song "Especially for You". The atmospheric "Deep Black" and the sunny "Elaine" are reminiscent of the Byrds with their jangly guitars while the melodies of "If The Sun Doesn't Shine" and "Something New" also bring back a `60s feel without sounding like a blatant ripoff. Other strong tracks include the mid-tempo rocker "The World We Know" and the title song. All told, Green Thoughts is another excellent album from the very underrated rock n' roll band that this is the Smithereens.(By John Alapick)
The Smithereens were one of the top forgotten band of the 1980s & Green Thoughts was a top notch album.
Spearheaded by the top 40 hit Only A Memory there were no weak tracks on this collection. AOR favorites House We Used To Live In, World We Know & Drown In My Own Tears made this a must have for fans of the band. Toss in concert favorites Something New, Deep Black & the title song & you have one of the most underrated albums of that entire decade!
Recommended for fans & for those who want to explore a really great album.(John Crotty)
Track listing
01 "Only a Memory" – 3:42
02 "House We Used to Live In" – 4:00
03 "Something New" – 1:55
04 "The World We Know" – 3:47
05 "Especially for You" – 3:09
06 "Drown in My Own Tears" – 3:09
07 "Deep Black" – 2:55
08 "Elaine" – 2:31
09 "Spellbound" – 4:09
10 "If the Sun Doesn't Shine" – 3:31
11 "Green Thoughts" – 2:28
Personnel
Pat DiNizio – vocals, guitar
Jim Babjak – guitar, vocals
Dennis Diken – drums, vocals
Mike Mesaros – bass
Additional personnel
Steve Berlin – saxophone on 5
Don Dixon – guitar, piano, vocals
Marti Jones – vocal on 1
Kenny Margolis – piano on 2, 5, 9, harpsichord on 10, accordion on 3
Del Shannon – vocals on 4
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