Smell the Magic
| Smell the Magic | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | September 1, 1990 | |||
| Recorded | 1989 | |||
| Studio |
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| Genre | ||||
| Length | 29:36 | |||
| Label | Sub Pop[1] | |||
| Producer | Jack Endino[2] | |||
| L7 chronology | ||||
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Smell the Magic is the second studio album by American rock band L7, released in 1990 by Sub Pop.[9] Originally issued as a 12" EP containing only the first six songs, it was reissued on CD in July 1991, expanded to album length with three more tracks: "Packin' a Rod," "Just Like Me," and "American Society." The opening track "Shove" was released as the band's first single.
Critical reception
The Encyclopedia of Popular Music called the album "a raucous, grunge-flavored blast."[6] Trouser Press wrote that "L7 still brings the noise, but with a melodicism that isn’t as evident on the first album."[10]
Rolling Stone placed Smell the Magic at #37 in their list of the 50 Greatest Grunge Albums, noting that "they were one of the few non-Seattle bands signed to Sub Pop," and the album "was an electric shock in a sea of grey." Likewise, the article mentions L7's formation out of Los Angeles' metal scene, then acting as a crossover act, and states conclusively that Smell the Magic is one of the "most widely cited as an inspiration by the next wave of punk and riot grrrl bands".[11]
Track listing
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Shove" | Suzi Gardner, Donita Sparks | 3:10 |
| 2. | "Fast and Frightening" | Gardner, Sparks | 2:37 |
| 3. | "(Right On) Thru" | Jennifer Finch | 3:13 |
| 4. | "Deathwish" | Sparks, Finch, Demetra Plakas | 3:45 |
| 5. | "Till the Wheels Fall Off" | Gardner, Sparks | 3:43 |
| 6. | "Broomstick" | Gardner, Sparks, Finch | 3:49 |
| 7. | "Packin' a Rod" | Scott Morrow | 2:08 |
| 8. | "Just Like Me" | Gardner, Sparks, Finch, Plakas, Dusty | 3:32 |
| 9. | "American Society (Eddie and the Subtitles cover)" | Eddie Joseph, Mike Patton | 3:53 |
| Total length: | 29:36 | ||
Personnel
- L7
- Donita Sparks - guitar, vocals, lead vocals on tracks 2,4,5,7,9
- Suzi Gardner - guitar, lead vocals on tracks 1,5,6,9
- Jennifer Finch - bass guitar, lead vocals on tracks 3,8,9
- Demetra Plakas - drums
- Guest
- Mike Patton - guest vocals
- Production
- Jack Endino - producer
- Michael James - engineer
- Daniel Rey - engineer
- Randall Martin - logo
- Charles Peterson - photography
- Howard Rosenberg - photography
- Jeff Price - art director
References
- ^ "L7's Smell the Magic: 30th Anniversary Edition featuring all 9 songs remastered & available together on vinyl for the first time". Sub Pop Records.
- ^ a b MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide. Visible Ink Press. 1999. p. 698.
- ^ Rivadavia, Eduardo. "Smell the Magic - L7". Allmusic. Retrieved March 17, 2010.
- ^ Christgau, Robert (2000). "L7: Smell the Magic". Christgau's Consumer Guide: Albums of the '90s. Macmillan. p. 185. ISBN 0-312-24560-2. Retrieved 2017-02-05.
- ^ Popoff, Martin (2007). The Collector's Guide to Heavy Metal: Volume 3: The Nineties. Burlington, Ontario, Canada: Collector's Guide Publishing. p. 252. ISBN 978-1-894959-62-9.
- ^ a b Larkin, Colin (2006). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music. Vol. 5. MUZE. p. 48.
- ^ Brackett, Nathan; Christian Hoard (2004). The Rolling Stone Album Guide. New York City, New York: Simon and Schuster. p. 500. ISBN 0-7432-0169-8.
rolling stone l7 album guide.
- ^ Spin Alternative Record Guide. Vintage Books. 1995. p. 231.
- ^ "The Rough Guide to Rock". Rough Guides. November 8, 2003 – via Google Books.
- ^ "L7". Trouser Press. Retrieved 8 November 2020.
- ^ Grant, Sarah. "50 Greatest Grunge Albums". Rolling Stone. Penske Media Corporation. Retrieved 20 October 2023.
