Smeared | ||||
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Studio album by | ||||
Released | October 1, 1992 (CAN) January 13, 1993 (US) February 24, 1993 (JPN) May 25, 2024 (Deluxe Reissue) | |||
Recorded | 1992 | |||
Studio | SoundMarket Studio, Halifax, Nova Scotia | |||
Genre | Alternative rock, indie rock | |||
Length | 46:19 | |||
Label | Geffen, murderecords | |||
Producer | Terry Pulliam, Sloan | |||
Sloan chronology | ||||
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Review scores | |
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Source | Rating |
AllMusic | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Entertainment Weekly | B+ [2] |
NME | 7/10 [3] |
Rolling Stone | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
The Village Voice | B+ [5] |
Smeared is the debut studio album by Canadian rock band Sloan. It was released in Canada on October 1, 1992, and in the United States in January, 1993, on Geffen Records. The album was recorded at a low cost of $1,200. [6] The album is ranked 86th in the 2007 book The Top 100 Canadian Albums by music journalist Bob Mersereau and is widely considered a seminal album of Canada's 1990s alternative rock scene. In an interview with GuitarWorld, in December 2022, Patrick Pentland stated that a Smeared 30th Anniversary reissue is in the works, slated for 2023. [7] The deluxe edition reissue was eventually released in May 2024, which featured a 44-page book, concert poster, unreleased demos & outtakes from the Smeared sessions, as well as a previously unreleased live concert from June 1993 at McGill University, in Montreal.
Like their first release, the Peppermint EP , Smeared received comparisons to Sonic Youth and Beatles.[ citation needed ] Three songs from Peppermint re-appear on Smeared; one of these ("Underwhelmed") was entirely re-recorded, while the other two ("Marcus Said" and "Sugartune") are the same recordings with new mixing. The band had originally intended to name the album Gluegun. [8]
The track Median Strip, despite being principally written by Andrew Scott, was sung by Chris Murphy. An alternate version featuring Scott's vocals was included on the 2024 deluxe reissue. [9]
Music videos were produced for the tracks "Underwhelmed", "500 Up", and "Sugar Tune". The music video for "Sugar Tune" was shot in the Spring of 1993, in Iowa, while the band were on their United States tour of Smeared, and was shot by Super Friendz' Matt Murphy. This video went unreleased until December 2024. [10] Two videos were shot for "Underwhelmed". The first version of the video, shot by Colin MacKenzie, was shot in Clayton Park, in Halifax, NS, in June of 1992, at Chris' parents house. [11] This version of the video, was the winner of the Moonsnail Award, in the Music Video category, at the Atlantic Film Festival, in 1992. [12] Both "Underwhelmed" and "500 Up" received moderate rotation on MuchMusic in the early 1990s. Jennifer Pierce, of fellow Halifax band Jale, sang backing vocals on "I Am the Cancer".
By September 1993, the album had sold more than 150,000 copies worldwide. [13] The album was certified Gold in Canada on July 12, 1995. By February 1997, the album had sold 60,000 units in Canada. [6]
All songs credited to Sloan.
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|
1. | "Underwhelmed" | Chris Murphy | 4:41 |
2. | "Raspberry" | Murphy | 4:02 |
3. | "I Am the Cancer" | Murphy | 3:39 |
4. | "Median Strip" | Andrew Scott [9] /Murphy | 3:34 |
5. | "Take It In" | Murphy | 3:56 |
6. | "500 Up" | Scott/Patrick Pentland | 4:21 |
7. | "Marcus Said" | Murphy | 4:32 |
8. | "Sugartune" | Pentland | 3:27 |
9. | "Left of Centre" | Murphy/Scott | 2:34 |
10. | "Lemonzinger" | Jay Ferguson | 4:10 |
11. | "Two Seater" | Murphy | 3:04 |
12. | "What's There to Decide?" | Ferguson | 4:19 |
Japanese Bonus Tracks on 1998 CD Reissue
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|
13. | "Laying Blame" | Murphy | 3:42 |
14. | "Rag Doll" | Pentland | 3:11 |
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|
15. | "Kool Aid" (March 1990 Chris demo) | Murphy | 3:49 |
16. | "Left Of Centre" (February 1991 demo) | Scott | 1:59 |
17. | "In Her Place" (February 1991 demo) | Murphy | 3:33 |
18. | "Pretty Voice" (1991 Jay demo) | Ferguson | 4:09 |
19. | "Caroline" (1991 demo) | Murphy | 7:05 |
20. | "Underwhelmed" (1991 demo) | Murphy | 5:21 |
21. | "500 Up" (1991 demo) | Scott/Pentland | 4:53 |
22. | "Marcus Said" (October 28, 1991 demo) | Murphy | 4:25 |
23. | "Raspberry" (October 28, 1991 demo) | Murphy | 3:47 |
24. | "Median Strip" (Andrew vocal) | Scott/Murphy | 3:58 |
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|
25. | "Median Strip" | Scott/Murphy | 4:40 |
26. | "Take It In" | Murphy | 4:44 |
27. | "Sugartune" | Pentland | 3:56 |
28. | "Pillow Fight" | Ferguson | 3:21 |
29. | "Coax Me" | Murphy | 3:11 |
30. | "Underwhelmed" | Murphy | 4:40 |
31. | "Penpals" | Murphy | 3:30 |
32. | "I Am The Cancer" | Murphy | 3:45 |
33. | "Rag Doll" | Pentland | 5:39 |
34. | "Left Of Centre" | Scott/Murphy | 4:01 |
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|
35. | "Autobiography" (Previously unreleased. Live from The Grawood, Halifax, March 20, 1992.) | Murphy | 3:35 |
36. | "Easily Fooled" (Previously unreleased. Live from The Grawood, Halifax, March 20, 1992.) | Pentland | 3:01 |
Sloan is a Canadian rock band formed in Halifax, Nova Scotia in 1991. Sloan has released thirteen full-length albums and has received nine Juno Award nominations, winning one. Between 1996 and 2016, Sloan was among the top 75 best-selling Canadian artists in Canada and among the top 25 best-selling Canadian bands in Canada. The band is known for their sharing of songwriting and lead vocals from each member of the group and their unaltered line-up throughout their career. Although formed in Halifax, the band is now based out of Toronto.
Peppermint EP is the debut EP released by Canadian rock band Sloan. It was released on their own label, Murderecords, in 1992.
One Chord to Another is the third studio album by the Canadian rock band Sloan. The album was released in Canada through Murderecords in 1996 and in the United States through The Enclave in 1997. Like their previous album, One Chord to Another is a Beatles-influenced power pop record.
Navy Blues is the fourth studio album by Canadian rock band Sloan. Released on Murderecords in 1998, the album is slightly heavier than their two previous albums, showing an influence from 1970s rock mixed with their usual catchy, melodic, Beatles-esque sound. The album contains arguably their most popular song, "Money City Maniacs," which went on to be used in a beer commercial at the time. The song also became a top 10 hit in the band's native Canada and received heavy radio airplay. Navy Blues was certified Gold in Canada on June 12, 1998. By October 1998, the album had sold more than 70,000 copies. The album was nominated for Best Rock Album at the 1999 Juno Awards.
4 Nights at the Palais Royale is a live album released by the Canadian rock band Sloan in 1999. It was mostly recorded from four live shows performed at the Palais Royale in Toronto, Ontario in 1998, although some of the songs were taken from other concerts on their 1998 Navy Blues tour. The band and fans alike consider it a fairly accurate representation of a typical Sloan concert, with a mix of old and new songs and plenty of audience participation.
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Murderecords is an independent record label that releases the music of the Canadian rock band Sloan. Originally formed in 1992 to produce just the records of that band, it later released work of other bands including Eric's Trip, The Hardship Post, Al Tuck, Stinkin' Rich, Hip Club Groove, The Inbreds, Thrush Hermit, and The Super Friendz, and was Canada's best-known indie label in the 1990s. Later, the roster was stripped bare, and released Sloan albums exclusively for nearly a decade. In 2008, however, albums by Will Currie and the Country French and Pony Da Look were released by the label.
Christopher Michael Murphy is a Canadian musician and a member of the rock band Sloan.
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