It's Been a Long Day

by Smoking Popes

Overview

The Smoking Popes have been banging out their peculiar brand of poppy punk (distinct from the official, claustrophobically codified pop-punk designation) since the start of the '90s, with some time off in the first half of the 2000s. They've become something of a punk institution over the years, and It's Been a Long Day offers a look back at their beginnings, with a track list consisting mostly of songs from their early-'90s EPs, which were cranked out before their first full-length took them one step closer to cult hero status. Admittedly, it shares many tunes in common with the earlier Popes anthology, 1991-1998, but where that collection spent much of its time on tracks from the debut album, this one concentrates on pre-album material. Popes singer Josh Caterer -- and he truly is a singer, not just a shouter -- has become known for his clear, melodic vocal style, sharply at odds with the raw rock frenzy of the rest of the band. Along with an antipathy toward punk cliche that puts them in the company of iconoclasts like the Minutemen -- though their styles are completely dissimilar -- this was one of the key elements setting the band apart from the hard-charging hordes blending pop and punk in the '90s. While this chronologically arranged collection ends on a couple of tunes ("Do Something," "Pasted") that feature Caterer crooning in the style listeners have come to know and love, earlier cuts like the quirky ode to Sandra Bernhard, "Sandra," find him (and the rest of the band) in a more unpolished mode. Even for hardcore Popes collectors who already have all the old EPs, It's Been a Long Day has something to offer -- the title track, "Long Day," is a previously unreleased tune that adds one more log to the fire of these unpredictable punk stalwarts' legacy. ~ J. Allen

Product Details

Release Date:	02/16/2010
Label:	Asian Man Records
UPC:	0612851019225

Tracks

1. Sandra
2. Brand New Hairstyle
3. No Time for Your Lies
4. Missing Out
5. Theme from "Cheerleader"
6. Wanted Love
7. Run Away
8. Waiting Around
9. Down the Street
10. Never Coming Back
11. Breaking
12. Long Day
13. Writing a Letter
14. Stars
15. Under the Blanket
16. First Time
17. Hang
18. Leather and Lace
19. Do Something
20. Pasted

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Smoking Popes   Primary Artist
Mike Felumlee   Drums
Dave Martens   Drums
Eric Pertl   Vocals,Guest Artist
Matt Caterer   Bass
Eli Caterer   Guitar
Josh Caterer   Guitar,Vocals

Technical Credits

Phil Bonnet   Mixing,Engineer
Carl Saff   Mastering
Stevie Nicks   Composer
Dan Glomski   Mixing,Engineer
Michael Halsband   Band Photo
Alan Purvey   Mixing,Engineer
Matt Caterer   Composer
Don Henley   Composer
Josh Caterer   Composer,Liner Notes