Live (The Smithereens EP)
1988 EP (live) by The Smithereens
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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]
| Live | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| EP (live) by | ||||
| Released | January 1988[1] | |||
| Recorded | October 1986 | |||
| Venues | The Ritz, New York City | |||
| Genre | Rock | |||
| Length | 24:39 | |||
| Label | Restless Records | |||
| The Smithereens chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [2] |
| The Rolling Stone Album Guide | [3] |
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. | Title | Writer(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 Townshend | 3:19 |
Personnel
- The Smithereens
- Pat DiNizio – vocals, guitar
- Jim Babjak – guitar, vocals
- Dennis Diken – drums, vocals
- Mike Mesaros – bass, vocals
- Technical
- Susan Myers – front cover photography
- Dennis Diken – liner notes (November 1987)