Smell the Magic
Smell the Magic is the second studio album by the American band L7, following their 1988 self-titled debut. It came out in 1990 on Sub Pop, the Seattle label that became the home of grunge, and it sits between that debut and 1992's Bricks Are Heavy in the band's run of records.
It began life as a 12" EP with just six songs, led by the opening track "Shove", which was the band's first single. A CD reissue in July 1991 stretched it to album length with three extra tracks: "Packin' a Rod", "Just Like Me" and "American Society". If you want to hear L7 in their early, gritty grunge-and-rock form before the records that followed, the expanded edition is the fullest way to take it in.
Smell the Magic: tracklist and credits
6 tracks · 20:30Tracklist
- 1ShoveSuzi Gardner and Donita Sparks3:13
- 2Fast and FrighteningSuzi Gardner and Donita Sparks2:37
- 3(Right On) ThruJennifer Finch3:15
- 4DeathwishFinch, Plakas, Sparks3:48
- 5'Till the Wheels Fall OffSuzi Gardner and Donita Sparks3:46
- 6BroomstickFinch, Gardner, Sparks3:51
- Produced by
- Jack Endino, Jack Endino
- Recorded at
- Reciprocal (Seattle, Washington), Radio Tokyo (Venice, California), Paramount (Hollywood, California)
- Engineered by
- Jack Endino, Michael James
- Labels
- Sub Pop Records, Sub Pop
- Length
- 20:30
Singles
- “Shove” · 1990
From MusicBrainz and Wikipedia. Only what the sources record is shown.
More from L7
Full discography →
The best of 1990
All of 1990 →
More on Sub Pop Records
The label →
Releases and pressings
How we know the release date only month precision available
| Source | Date | Note |
|---|---|---|
| MusicBrainz | September 1990 | |
| Wikipedia infobox | 1990 | |
| Wikidata | 1990 | |
| US release | 1990 | earliest US date |
9 editions
| Date | Country | Label | Barcode | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990 | US | Sub Pop Records | 098787007916 | other |
| 1990 | AU | Waterfront Records | other | |
| September 1990 | US | Sub Pop Records | original | |
| 1991 | DE | Sub Pop Records | other | |
| 1991 | DE | Sub Pop Records | other | |
| 12 July 1991 | US | Sub Pop Records | 098787007923 | other |
| 18 September 2020 | — | Sub Pop Records | 098787137965 | other |
| 18 September 2020 | US | Sub Pop Records | 098787137927 | other |
| 18 September 2020 | US | — | remaster |
Cover art sources
fanarttv · upscaled: major: best source 1000x1000, upscaled to 1500 (x1.50)
| Source | Size | Verdict |
|---|---|---|
| fanarttv ✓ | 1000×1000 | upscaled: major: best source 1000x1000, upscaled to 1500 (x1.50) |
| coverartarchive | 400×399 | upscaled |