Smeared

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title: "Smeared" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["sloan-(band)-albums", "1992-debut-albums", "murderecords-albums"] topic_path: "arts/music" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smeared" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::data[format=table title="Infobox album"]

Field	Value
name	Smeared
type	studio
artist	Sloan
cover	Sloan_Smeared.jpg
released	October 1, 1992 (CAN)
January 13, 1993 (US)
February 24, 1993 (JPN)
May 25, 2024 (Deluxe Reissue)
recorded	1992
studio	SoundMarket Studio, Halifax, Nova Scotia
genre	Alternative rock, indie rock
length	46:19
label	Geffen, murderecords
producer	Terry Pulliam, Sloan
prev_title	Peppermint EP
prev_year	1992
next_title	Twice Removed
next_year	1994
::

Smeared is the debut studio album by Canadian rock 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. 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. 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 Beatles. 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.

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.

Music videos 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. 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. This version of the video, was the winner of the Moonsnail Award, in the Music Video category, at the Atlantic Film Festival, in 1992. Both "Underwhelmed" and "500 Up" received moderate rotation on MuchMusic in the early 1990s. Jennifer Pierce, of fellow Halifax 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. The album was certified Gold in Canada on July 12, 1995. By February 1997, the album had sold 60,000 units in Canada.

Track listing

All songs credited to Sloan. | title1 = Underwhelmed | writer1 = 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/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 | 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 | title13 = Laying Blame | writer13 = Murphy | length13 = 3:42 | title14 = Rag Doll | writer14 = Pentland | length14 = 3:11 | 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/Murphy |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 |}} | 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 |}} | 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 – guitar, vocals
Chris Murphy – bass, vocals, erased guitar
Patrick Pentland – guitar, vocals, bass
Andrew Scott – drums, vocals, guitar
Jennifer Pierce – backing vocals ("I Am the Cancer" & "Marcus Said")

References

Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Smeared – Sloan".
Arnold, Gina. (February 19, 1993). "Smeared".
(February 6, 1993). "Sloan: Smeared". [[NME]].
Robbins, Ira. (April 15, 1993). "Sloan: Smeared".
Christgau, Robert. (June 1, 1993). "Consumer Guide". [[The Village Voice]].
(February 1997). "SLOAN REUNITES FOR ENCLAVE SET". [[Billboard (magazine).
Adams, Gregory. (2022-12-20). "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".
(April 27, 2012). "Sloan 1994 Public Access TV interview".
(April 28, 2018). "The Power Popaholic Interview: Sloan".
"Sloan - Sugartune OFFICIAL VIDEO HD REMASTERED".
Smeared Deluxe booklet, 2024
(November 25, 2016). "Collection search - Underwhelmed".
"Smeared campaign". [[Maclean's]].

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