Sloan release ‘Smeared’ deluxe box set ++ ‘Peppermint’ EP reissue

Canadian rock greats Sloan have announced a deluxe box set edition of their 1992 debut album, Smeared, which is out now via their own Murderecords. (Order it here.) The original album, which came out on DGC (home to Nirvana, Sonic Youth and Teenage Fanclub) in the US, has been remastered and the box also includes an album of demos and outtakes, a live album recorded at Montreal’s McGill University in 1993, plus a 7″ featuring live versions of “Autobiography” and “Easily Fooled” recorded at The Grawood, Dalhousie in 1992.

There’s also a 12” x 12” 44-page full colour book featuring commentary from the band, rare photos and more, and a full color poster. It’s available now and limited to 1200 copies.

Meanwhile, Sloan have also reissued their debut EP, Peppermint, which also came out in 1992, on vinyl. Order that here.

Says the band’s Jay Ferguson: “The whole story of Smeared (as recounted in the enclosed 44-page book) was quite a Cinderella story in our city, and even in the Canadian music landscape at the time. The recordings that became Smeared and the Peppermint EP began in the fall of 1991 in a (pre-computer) home studio on Agricola Street, wound up getting the attention of not just Canadian major labels, but Los Angeles’ DGC Records and by the start of 1993 were released not just here at home, but in the USA and everywhere from Japan to Europe. It’s hard not to over-emphasize just how outrageous this was at the time. Everything moved so fast. We were given an opportunity that no other band from our scene had been afforded before. It really was the cannon shot that enabled us to still be here and for me to be writing this 32 years later. This Smeared box set does its best to chronicle that story as well as offer a dig through the songs that were left behind and the evolution of some that carried forward.”

Says bassist Chris Murphy: “I had a dismissive attitude toward this album for years. After we made Twice Removed and One Chord to Another, Smeared seemed like it was already late to the grunge/shoegaze party. Bands were still trying to keep this party going (if you follow my metaphor) and in 1993 I feel like was already time to go home… from the party. Am I overexplaining this? Perhaps I am. Looking back, I am much more fond of the record. It was a miracle that this got made in a guy’s (Terry Pulliam’s) bedroom in Halifax and was remixed by a guy (Dave Ogilvie) at a studio in LA. These Smeared years 1991-1993 were the most exciting years of my life.

As to the bonus content in the Smeared box, Murphy says, “The book is longer because the time frame is longer. We go from the very beginning and a bit of pre-history so 1990 up until the end of 1993 when we were looking ahead to Twice Removed. So, a good three years go by and we did more touring for this record than any other. LP 2 consists of demos and out takes. LP 3 is a live recording from McGill University in Montreal, which was generously sent to us by Howard Bilerman. We considered putting the Peppermint EP in this set but opted to leave it outside this limited edition box set and keep it evergreen. There are two more live songs on a bonus 7” featuring yet another version of “Autobiography”!!! and a song of Patrick’s none of us can remember called “Easily Fooled”. There is a poster of our first ever out of town show in Moncton, NB with the amazing Eric;s Trip. Rick White made the artwork for the poster.”

Check out the artwork and tracklist below.

We talked to Jay Ferguson recently about his love of vinyl and his time as a 13-year-old record store clerk.

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Sloan – Smeared Deluxe Vinyl Box Set
LP 1 – Smeared

Side A
1. Underwhelmed
2. Raspberry
3. I Am The Cancer
4. Median Strip
5. Take It In
6. 500 Up

Side B
1. Marcus Said
2. Sugartune
3. Left Of Centre
4. Lemonzinger
5. Two Seater
6. What’s There To Decide?

LP 2 – The Demos and Outtakes
Side A
1. Kool Aid (March 1990 Chris demo)
2. Left Of Centre (February 1991 demo)
3. In Her Place (February 1991 demo)
4. Pretty Voice (1991 Jay demo)
5. Caroline (1991 demo)

Side B
1. Underwhelmed (1991 demo)
2. Marcus Said (1991 demo)
3. 500 Up (October 1991 demo)
4. Raspberry (October 1991 demo)
5. Median Strip (Andrew vocal)

LP 3 – Live at McGill University June 17, 1993
Side A
1. Median Strip (live at McGill 06/17/93)
2. Take It In (live at McGill 06/17/93)
3. Sugartune (live at McGill 06/17/93)
4. Pillow Fight (live at McGill 06/17/93)
5. Coax Me (live at McGill 06/17/93)

Side B
1. Underwhelmed (live at McGill 06/17/93)
2. Penpals (live at McGill 06/17/93)
3. I Am The Cancer (live at McGill 06/17/93)
4. Rag Doll (live at McGill 06/17/93)
5. Left Of Centre (live at McGill 06/17/93)

7″ single
1. Autobiography (live at The Grawood, Dalhousie 03/20/92)
2. Easily Fooled (live at The Grawood, Dalhousie 03/20/92)