Track listing
Show track credits
- A1 Only a Memory 3:43
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vocals
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- A2 House We Used to Live In 4:03
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piano
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- A3 Something New 1:56
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accordion
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- A4 The World We Know 3:48
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vocals
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- A5 Especially for You 3:07
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writer
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piano
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saxophone
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- B1 Drown in My Own Tears 3:12
- B2 Deep Black 2:57
- B3 Elaine 2:33
- B4 Spellbound 4:12
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piano
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- B5 If the Sun Doesn't Shine 3:32
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harpsichord
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- B6 Green Thoughts 2:28
- Total length: 35:31
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14 Issues
- Release view [combined information for all issues]
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Green Thoughts [p] 33 rpm
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Green Thoughts 33 rpm
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Green Thoughts 33 rpm
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Green Thoughts 33 rpm
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Green Thoughts 33 rpm
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Green Thoughts Digital file, Streaming2023 Lossless Digital
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Green Thoughts 33 rpm
14 Reviews
Green Thoughts is one of the best record's of the 80's,this takes the basic sounds of rock n roll from the 50's and 60's
and takes it to great heights,their sound is quite similar to R.E.M.,but they manage to bring a unique twist to the basic College rock format of the decade.The record doesn't have one bad song,it's songs are catchy often melodic rock tunes that are never boring.This and their debut are definetely underrated gems,highly recommend getting this!
and takes it to great heights,their sound is quite similar to R.E.M.,but they manage to bring a unique twist to the basic College rock format of the decade.The record doesn't have one bad song,it's songs are catchy often melodic rock tunes that are never boring.This and their debut are definetely underrated gems,highly recommend getting this!
Published
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This was the first Smithereens album I bought, actually it was a gift and it came with two tickets to their show. ‘Green Thoughts’ was the song I was in love with, or was it the melodic ‘Spellbound,’ no, I’m sure it was ‘House We Used to Live In.’ No matter, the whole album is exceptionally wonderful.
There is no one like the Smithereens, they are a breed unto themselves, capturing the essence of true rock and roll. They draw from the 50’s in style and verse, but they’ve updated the sound, with the quality and elegance of their instruments. Just check out the guitars they use, these things were made during a day when each guitar was unique, when each guitar had its own sound and pitch. Perhaps I should give a little history here...during the early days of guitar manufacturing, the pickup coils [magnets] were wrapped by hand. Each pickup, depending on the manufacturer had a certain number of wraps per unit, but factories, large or small, have break times, lunches, times when the workmen just need to go catch a smoke. And when they came back from lunch or a break or a smoke, most of the time, they’d forgotten how many wraps they’d done. Sure, they were supposed to write this down, to maintain consistency, but they didn’t, and when they returned, they just guessed. Sometimes a pickup might have been wrapped 300 times, or maybe 500 times, or perhaps 250. This is what made the early instruments unique and gave each its special quality. Today this is all done by machines and computers and the first guitar off the line sounds the same as the last one off the line. So when you get some guys who are willing to lay down some serious bucks for a guitar that produces certain sounds, has a neck that bends just right, they grab it. And if that musician is good, the guitar will make his sound even better, but more then that, it will make that sound unique to him and his band.
The music of The Smithereens can be dark or it can be bright, either way, it’s pure magic. These guys are the real thing, they won’t let you down. If it’s basic, laid bare, great rock and roll you’re looking for, then these are your guys, “do not except substations.” They are so tight, bouncing off each other, playing to the audience, just giving it all they’ve got one hundred percent of the time. There is nothing they do in the studio that they can not do on stage, there are no tricks or gimmicks. Thats why, when others have come and gone, the Smithereens are still out there doing their brand of Rock N’ Roll.
Turn this one up loud, it’s best that way.
There is no one like the Smithereens, they are a breed unto themselves, capturing the essence of true rock and roll. They draw from the 50’s in style and verse, but they’ve updated the sound, with the quality and elegance of their instruments. Just check out the guitars they use, these things were made during a day when each guitar was unique, when each guitar had its own sound and pitch. Perhaps I should give a little history here...during the early days of guitar manufacturing, the pickup coils [magnets] were wrapped by hand. Each pickup, depending on the manufacturer had a certain number of wraps per unit, but factories, large or small, have break times, lunches, times when the workmen just need to go catch a smoke. And when they came back from lunch or a break or a smoke, most of the time, they’d forgotten how many wraps they’d done. Sure, they were supposed to write this down, to maintain consistency, but they didn’t, and when they returned, they just guessed. Sometimes a pickup might have been wrapped 300 times, or maybe 500 times, or perhaps 250. This is what made the early instruments unique and gave each its special quality. Today this is all done by machines and computers and the first guitar off the line sounds the same as the last one off the line. So when you get some guys who are willing to lay down some serious bucks for a guitar that produces certain sounds, has a neck that bends just right, they grab it. And if that musician is good, the guitar will make his sound even better, but more then that, it will make that sound unique to him and his band.
The music of The Smithereens can be dark or it can be bright, either way, it’s pure magic. These guys are the real thing, they won’t let you down. If it’s basic, laid bare, great rock and roll you’re looking for, then these are your guys, “do not except substations.” They are so tight, bouncing off each other, playing to the audience, just giving it all they’ve got one hundred percent of the time. There is nothing they do in the studio that they can not do on stage, there are no tricks or gimmicks. Thats why, when others have come and gone, the Smithereens are still out there doing their brand of Rock N’ Roll.
Turn this one up loud, it’s best that way.
Published
The influence of R.E.M.’s cheer jangle pop is evident. It lacks originality, therefore. And the music is often maudlin and squishy.
Sometimes, The Housemartins have also come to mind, specially due to the vocalist's nasalized kind of voice.
Totally disposable.
Sometimes, The Housemartins have also come to mind, specially due to the vocalist's nasalized kind of voice.
Totally disposable.
Published
This is one of those records that basically just fails to move me. I understand that it's all very competent and I do not dislike the aesthetic, really, but something here is missing for me.
The songs are generally fine - they are catchy enough though they aren't the strongest melodies. The lyrics didn't make much of an impression on me, but that means I didn't notice if they're not the greatest. They seem fine.
The aesthetic is good, for the most part. It's not as polished as it could be though it's not quite as frayed as I might like. (A few more rough edges might have made a bigger impression, perhaps.)
But I think my issue is that there's just not enough here to distinguish this from countless other late '80s alternative/jangle bands. It's not that these guys sound all that much like too many other bands, but it's more that there's nothing here, to my ears, that elevates them above the pack of bands like this that existed then. When the record stops, I don't really remember any of the songs and I certainly don't feel like I was impressed enough about other aspects of the record that I would want to listen to more of their records. I just think "meh."
That being said, I'd still rather listen to this than much of what was on the radio in 1988.
The songs are generally fine - they are catchy enough though they aren't the strongest melodies. The lyrics didn't make much of an impression on me, but that means I didn't notice if they're not the greatest. They seem fine.
The aesthetic is good, for the most part. It's not as polished as it could be though it's not quite as frayed as I might like. (A few more rough edges might have made a bigger impression, perhaps.)
But I think my issue is that there's just not enough here to distinguish this from countless other late '80s alternative/jangle bands. It's not that these guys sound all that much like too many other bands, but it's more that there's nothing here, to my ears, that elevates them above the pack of bands like this that existed then. When the record stops, I don't really remember any of the songs and I certainly don't feel like I was impressed enough about other aspects of the record that I would want to listen to more of their records. I just think "meh."
That being said, I'd still rather listen to this than much of what was on the radio in 1988.
Published
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When I was a kid I can remember a conversation with my Grandma about the passage of time. About how, the older you get, the faster time appears to go. I can remember thinking, so this is what senility must sound like. However, as I get older the phenomena is becoming more of a reality. Someone offered up the explanation that when you're, say, twenty each year you've lived represents five per cent of your life up to that point. When you reach fifty that's been reduced down to only two per cent. Hence the years themselves seem shorter. Interesting theory – which sounds almost plausible after a few beers.
The reason I raise this here is because I can't believe nearly six years have passed since I wrote a review for The Smithereens debut album Especially For You. Six years!! I can remember buying Green Thoughts immediately after penning that review which means it's taken me six years to get around to writing anything about it. That can't be right. My watch must have stopped.
In the liner notes to this 2003 issue of Green Thoughts, guitarist Jim Babjak describes how his disillusionment with the music scene of the mid-seventies led to him casting his net farther back in time when contemplating the makeup of his own band. That net obviously had a wide reach drawing in elements of Buddy Holly, Elvis and a touch of Bo Diddley from the fifties (Del Shannon pops up on backing vocals for "The World We Know"), The Byrds, The Kinks and The Beatles from the sixties, all the way through to Nick Lowe and Elvis Costello in the seventies. Given the lopsided nature of those influences it's perhaps unsurprising The Smithereens found favour in the UK with both Especially For You and Green Thoughts breaking into the top ten of the indie album charts.
The Smithereens music is often described as timeless, a label which has proven to be a double-edged sword. Either this is pop music without a sell-by date or it's mired in a time-warp with no place in the contemporary music scene. Guess from my rating which camp I sit in? From the most soft-hearted of ballads ("Especially For You"), to a country strum ("Something New"), to beat rock ("The World We Know"), to a track which could have been stolen, together with the vocal, straight from Nick Lowe's songbook ("Elaine").
Green Thoughts is as good a pop rock album as you're ever likely to hear and, off the back of it, I've just ordered 11, The Smithereens' follow-up. On the strength of the mathematical equation above I'll get around to listening to it in 2022 which, apparently, is only six weeks away.
The reason I raise this here is because I can't believe nearly six years have passed since I wrote a review for The Smithereens debut album Especially For You. Six years!! I can remember buying Green Thoughts immediately after penning that review which means it's taken me six years to get around to writing anything about it. That can't be right. My watch must have stopped.
In the liner notes to this 2003 issue of Green Thoughts, guitarist Jim Babjak describes how his disillusionment with the music scene of the mid-seventies led to him casting his net farther back in time when contemplating the makeup of his own band. That net obviously had a wide reach drawing in elements of Buddy Holly, Elvis and a touch of Bo Diddley from the fifties (Del Shannon pops up on backing vocals for "The World We Know"), The Byrds, The Kinks and The Beatles from the sixties, all the way through to Nick Lowe and Elvis Costello in the seventies. Given the lopsided nature of those influences it's perhaps unsurprising The Smithereens found favour in the UK with both Especially For You and Green Thoughts breaking into the top ten of the indie album charts.
The Smithereens music is often described as timeless, a label which has proven to be a double-edged sword. Either this is pop music without a sell-by date or it's mired in a time-warp with no place in the contemporary music scene. Guess from my rating which camp I sit in? From the most soft-hearted of ballads ("Especially For You"), to a country strum ("Something New"), to beat rock ("The World We Know"), to a track which could have been stolen, together with the vocal, straight from Nick Lowe's songbook ("Elaine").
Green Thoughts is as good a pop rock album as you're ever likely to hear and, off the back of it, I've just ordered 11, The Smithereens' follow-up. On the strength of the mathematical equation above I'll get around to listening to it in 2022 which, apparently, is only six weeks away.
Published
CD LEM 9 CD (2003)
After finally acting upon a recommendation to listen to the album 11 I dismissed it with a 1.5 star rating and the succinct, but totally apt review which merely cited 'Piffle'...and I stand by that.
Almost as soon as the final 'e' fell onto my review I was literally bombarded (well two of my RYM friends anyway) with pm's informing me it would be worth my while to check out this album. So convinced that a 3.66 rating might mean that I was going to be rewarded with something infinitely better than the previous tripe I downloaded a copy as fast as my South African 3G bundle would allow me.
Three days later when it had finally finsided downloading (I feel as though I have might as well have purchased it such was the electricity used!) I listened to it...
I was right this band are total shit...tracks 1/2/4 are just the most god damn awful examples of pop/rock anyone could wish to hear, in fact the entire album, with the exception of one tiny ray shining through the crevices of turd in the quaint Something New is just extremely poor.
That's me done with this lot...regardless of any further impassioned pleas for reconsideration !
Almost as soon as the final 'e' fell onto my review I was literally bombarded (well two of my RYM friends anyway) with pm's informing me it would be worth my while to check out this album. So convinced that a 3.66 rating might mean that I was going to be rewarded with something infinitely better than the previous tripe I downloaded a copy as fast as my South African 3G bundle would allow me.
Three days later when it had finally finsided downloading (I feel as though I have might as well have purchased it such was the electricity used!) I listened to it...
I was right this band are total shit...tracks 1/2/4 are just the most god damn awful examples of pop/rock anyone could wish to hear, in fact the entire album, with the exception of one tiny ray shining through the crevices of turd in the quaint Something New is just extremely poor.
That's me done with this lot...regardless of any further impassioned pleas for reconsideration !
Published
1988's Green Thoughts is easily the second greatest album in The Smithereens discography. In some ways this may even be a better representation of The Smithereens "AC/DC riffs meet Beatles Melodies" sound that their masterpiece Especially For You (Though the songwriting is mildly weaker here) because there are some really ungodly riffs here, and outstanding Guitar work. The highlights are Only A Memory, which kicks. And The World We Know, which is just stunning. If your a fan of Rock Music, heavy riffs or beautiful melodies, you need Green Thoughts in your collection.
Published
Green Thoughts is my favourite Smithereens album, even more than the first one (which is good, good). Beyond the usual highlighted songs, I must mention "The World We Know", my Smithereens favourite ever.
Published
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Catalog
19 Apr 2024
15 Apr 2024
22 Mar 2024
21 Mar 2024
8 Mar 2024
27 Feb 2024
26 Jan 2024
28 Dec 2023
26 Dec 2023
16 Dec 2023
24 Nov 2023
21 Oct 2023
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A1
Only a Memory
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A2
House We Used to Live In
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A3
Something New
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A4
The World We Know
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A5
Especially for You
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B1
Drown in My Own Tears
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B2
Deep Black
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B3
Elaine
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B4
Spellbound
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B5
If the Sun Doesn't Shine
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B6
Green Thoughts
9 Oct 2023
7 Oct 2023
22 Sep 2023
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