Another classic gets smashed by The Smithereens. The New Jersey foursome might impress in concert when they fashion facsimiles of entire albums, but why play them at home in preference to the originals? After two Beatles 'tributes', they now Xerox The Who, much of it similarly slavish: 'Amazing Journey', 'Christmas' and, natch, 'Pinball Wizard'. The variations deliver more pleasure - there's marvellous energy in the electrification of Townshend's acoustic 'Sparks' instrumental. Elsewhere divergence is forced: the phaselicious Mellotron in 'Overture' is authentic, but replaces the original's dreamy and difficult multipart harmonies. 'Eyesight To The Blind' and the bridges of 'Pinball' are sung an octave below Daltry, less for effect than to avoid his height. It's well recorded, and an achievement, but pales next to the original, also available from HDtracks.com.
展开▼
