This release by the Smoking Popes was looking to make them
popular among the college crowd. The first single, "Need You
Around," interested me because of the sound - a combination of an
early '80's rock'n'roll sound with that lounge lizard voice of the
lead singer. I was looking forward to hear the rest but was very
disappointed. The songs sounded so much alike that I wasn't sure
when one ended and the next began, unless the tempo changed
significantly. "Need You Around" was the best song off of that
album. There are some quirky lyrics, but the originality of the
first single quickly became conformity as the album played on and
on. Maybe it is time for them to "quit", but I hope that someday
they will persist and make an interesting album.
