Editing Smeared

{{Use mdy dates|date=November 2011}}
{{See Wiktionary}}
{{Infobox album
| name       = Smeared
| type       = studio
| artist     = [[Sloan (band)|Sloan]]
| cover      = Sloan_Smeared.jpg
| alt        =
| released   = October 1, 1992 (CAN) <br /> January 13, 1993 (US) <br /> February 24, 1993 (JPN) <br />May 25, 2024 (Deluxe Reissue)
| recorded   = 1992
| venue      =
| studio     = SoundMarket Studio, [[Halifax, Nova Scotia]]
| genre      = [[Alternative rock]], [[indie rock]]
| length     = 46:19
| label      = [[Geffen Records|Geffen]], [[murderecords]]
| producer   = Terry Pulliam, [[Sloan (band)|Sloan]]
| prev_title = [[Peppermint EP]]
| prev_year  = 1992
| next_title = [[Twice Removed]]
| next_year  = 1994
}}
{{Music ratings
|rev1 = [[AllMusic]]
|rev1score = {{Rating|3|5}}<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/smeared-mw0000088782|title=Smeared – Sloan|website=[[AllMusic]]|accessdate=March 24, 2018|last=Erlewine|first=Stephen Thomas|author-link=Stephen Thomas Erlewine}}</ref>
|rev2 = ''[[Entertainment Weekly]]''
|rev2score = B+<ref>{{cite magazine|url=http://www.ew.com/article/1993/02/19/smeared/|title=Smeared|magazine=[[Entertainment Weekly]]|date=February 19, 1993|accessdate=March 24, 2018|last=Arnold|first=Gina|author-link=Gina Arnold}}</ref>
|rev3 = ''[[NME]]''
|rev3score = 7/10<ref>{{cite journal|title=Sloan: Smeared|journal=[[NME]]|date=February 6, 1993|page=30}}</ref>
|rev4 = ''[[Rolling Stone]]''
|rev4score = {{Rating|4|5}}<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://www.rollingstone.com:80/reviews/cd/review.asp?aid=57167&cf=1270|title=Sloan: Smeared|magazine=[[Rolling Stone]]|date=April 15, 1993|access-date=March 24, 2018|last=Robbins|first=Ira|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20030630173639/http://www.rollingstone.com/reviews/cd/review.asp?aid=57167&cf=1270|archive-date=June 30, 2003|url-status=dead|df=mdy-all}}</ref>
|rev5 = ''[[The Village Voice]]''
|rev5score = B+<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.robertchristgau.com/xg/cg/cgv593-93.php|title=Consumer Guide|work=[[The Village Voice]]|date=June 1, 1993|accessdate=March 24, 2018|last=Christgau|first=Robert|author-link=Robert Christgau}}</ref>
}}

'''''Smeared''''' is the debut studio album by [[Canadian rock]] band [[Sloan (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.<ref name="Billboard">{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=zA4EAAAAMBAJ&dq=Sloan+billboard&pg=PA16|title=SLOAN REUNITES FOR ENCLAVE SET|date=February 1997|publisher=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]|accessdate=2014-05-25}}</ref> 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.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Adams |first=Gregory |date=2022-12-20 |title=Sloan's Patrick Pentland on the art of democratic songwriting, channeling Ace Frehley through a 5150 and why he prefers a wah that looks like a car to a Cry Baby |url=https://www.guitarworld.com/features/sloan-patrick-pentland-steady |access-date=2024-03-26 |website=guitarworld |language=en}}</ref> 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.

==Overview==
Like their first release, the ''[[Peppermint EP]]'', ''Smeared'' received comparisons to [[Sonic Youth]] and [[The Beatles|Beatles]].{{Citation needed|date=December 2013}}  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''.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xmvnAyymbwM  |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211212/xmvnAyymbwM| archive-date=2021-12-12 |url-status=live|title=Sloan 1994 Public Access TV interview |website=[[YouTube]] |date=April 27, 2012 |accessdate=September 27, 2019}}{{cbignore}}</ref>

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.<ref name="powerpopaholic.com">{{cite web | url=https://www.powerpopaholic.com/2018/04/the-power-popaholic-interview-sloan.html | title=The Power Popaholic Interview: Sloan | date=April 28, 2018 }}</ref>

[[Music video]]s 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.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RHKyV62w-8A | title=Sloan - Sugartune OFFICIAL VIDEO HD REMASTERED | website=[[YouTube]] }}</ref> 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.<ref>Smeared Deluxe booklet, 2024</ref> This version of the video, was the winner of the Moonsnail Award, in the Music Video category, at the [[Atlantic International Film Festival|Atlantic Film Festival]], in 1992.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://recherche-collection-search.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/home/record?idnumber=244305&app=filvidandsou | title=Collection search - Underwhelmed | date=November 25, 2016 }}</ref> Both "Underwhelmed" and "500 Up" received moderate rotation on [[MuchMusic]] in the early 1990s. Jennifer Pierce, of fellow [[Halifax, Nova Scotia|Halifax]] band [[Jale (band)|Jale]], sang backing vocals on "I Am the Cancer".

==Commercial performance==
By September 1993, the album had sold more than 150,000 copies worldwide.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://archive.macleans.ca/issue/19930906#!&pid=50|title=Smeared campaign|work=[[Maclean's]]|accessdate=March 6, 2019}}</ref> The album was [[Music Canada#Certification awards|certified Gold]] in Canada on July 12, 1995. By February 1997, the album had sold 60,000 units in Canada.<ref name="Billboard"/>

==Track listing==
All songs credited to Sloan.
{{track listing
| title1   = [[Underwhelmed]]
| writer1  = [[Chris Murphy (Canadian musician)|Chris Murphy]] 
| length1  = 4:41
| title2   = Raspberry
| writer2  = Murphy
| length2  = 4:02
| title3   = I Am the Cancer
| writer3  = Murphy
| length3  = 3:39
| title4   = Median Strip
| writer4  = [[Andrew Scott (drummer)|Andrew Scott]]<ref name="powerpopaholic.com">{{cite web | url=https://www.powerpopaholic.com/2018/04/the-power-popaholic-interview-sloan.html | title=The Power Popaholic Interview: Sloan | date=April 28, 2018 }}</ref>/Murphy
| length4  = 3:34
| title5   = Take It In
| writer5  = Murphy
| length5  = 3:56
| title6   = 500 Up
| writer6  = Scott/[[Patrick Pentland]]
| length6  = 4:21
| title7   = Marcus Said
| writer7  = Murphy
| length7  = 4:32
| title8   = Sugartune
| writer8  = Pentland
| length8  = 3:27
| title9   = Left of Centre
| writer9  = Murphy/Scott
| length9  = 2:34
| title10  = Lemonzinger
| writer10 = [[Jay Ferguson (Canadian musician)|Jay Ferguson]]
| length10 = 4:10
| title11  = Two Seater
| writer11 = Murphy
| length11 = 3:04
| title12  = What's There to Decide?
| writer12 = Ferguson
| length12 = 4:19
}}
'''Japanese Bonus Tracks on 1998 CD Reissue'''
{{track listing
| title13  = Laying Blame
| writer13 = Murphy
| length13 = 3:42
| title14  = Rag Doll
| writer14 = Pentland
| length14 = 3:11
}}
{{track listing
| headline = LP2: The Demos And Outtakes (2024 3LP Deluxe Expanded Reissue)
| title15         = Kool Aid
| note15         = March 1990 Chris demo
| writer15 = Murphy
|length15 = 3:49
| title16         =  Left Of Centre
| note16         = February 1991 demo
| writer16 = Scott
|length16 = 1:59
| title17         = In Her Place
| note17         = February 1991 demo
| writer17 = Murphy
|length17 = 3:33
| title18         = Pretty Voice
| note18         = 1991 Jay demo
| writer18 = Ferguson
|length18 = 4:09
| title19         = Caroline
| note19         = 1991 demo
| writer19 = Murphy
|length19 = 7:05
| title20         = Underwhelmed
| note20         = 1991 demo
| writer20 = Murphy
|length20 = 5:21
| title21         = 500 Up
| note21         = 1991 demo
| writer21 = Scott/Pentland
|length21 = 4:53
| title22         = Marcus Said
| note22         = October 28, 1991 demo
| writer22 = Murphy
|length22 = 4:25
| title23         = Raspberry
| note23         = October 28, 1991 demo
| writer23 = Murphy
|length23 = 3:47
| title24         = Median Strip
| note24         = Andrew vocal
| writer24 = Scott/Murphy
|length24 = 3:58
|}}
{{track listing
| headline = LP 3: Live at McGill University, June 17, 1993 (2024 Deluxe Expanded Reissue)
| title25         = Median Strip
| writer25 = Scott/Murphy
|length25 = 4:40
| title26         = Take It In
| writer26 = Murphy
|length26 = 4:44
| title27         = Sugartune
| writer27 = Pentland
|length27 = 3:56
| title28         = Pillow Fight
| writer28 = Ferguson
|length28 = 3:21
| title29         = Coax Me
| writer29 = Murphy
|length29 = 3:11
| title30         = Underwhelmed
| writer30 = Murphy
|length30 = 4:40
| title31         = Penpals
| writer31 = Murphy
|length31 = 3:30
| title32         = I Am The Cancer
| writer32 = Murphy
|length32 = 3:45
| title33         = Rag Doll
| writer33 = Pentland
|length33 = 5:39
| title34         = Left Of Centre
| writer34 = Scott/Murphy
|length34 = 4:01
|}}
{{track listing
| collapsed = 
| headline = 7” single (2024 Deluxe Expanded Reissue)
| title35         = Autobiography
| note35          =  Previously unreleased. Live from The Grawood, Halifax, March 20, 1992.
| writer35 = Murphy
|length35 = 3:35
| title36         = Easily Fooled
| note36          = Previously unreleased. Live from The Grawood, Halifax, March 20, 1992.
| writer36 = Pentland
|length36 = 3:01
}}

==Credits==
*[[Jay Ferguson (Canadian musician)|Jay Ferguson]] – guitar, vocals
*[[Chris Murphy (Canadian musician)|Chris Murphy]] – bass, vocals, erased guitar
*[[Patrick Pentland]] – guitar, vocals, bass
*[[Andrew Scott (drummer)|Andrew Scott]] – drums, vocals, guitar
*Jennifer Pierce – backing vocals ("I Am the Cancer" & "Marcus Said")

==References==
{{Reflist}}

{{Sloan}}

{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Sloan (band) albums]]
[[Category:1992 debut albums]]
[[Category:Murderecords albums]]