| Love Stinks | |
| Cover: | Love Stinks single cover.jpg |
| Type: | single |
| Artist: | The J. Geils Band |
| Album: | Love Stinks |
| B-Side: | Till the Walls Come Tumblin' Down |
| Released: | April 1980 |
| Recorded: | 1979 |
| Studio: | Long View Farm, North Brookfield, Massachusetts |
| Genre: | Rock,[1] hard rock, glam metal, new wave |
| Length: | 3:44 |
| Label: | EMI Records |
| Producer: | Seth Justman |
| Prev Title: | Come Back |
| Prev Year: | 1980 |
| Next Title: | Just Can't Wait |
| Next Year: | 1980 |
"Love Stinks" is a song written by Peter Wolf and Seth Justman that was the title track of the J. Geils Band's 1980 album Love Stinks. The song was released as a single and peaked in the US at #38, spending three weeks in the Top 40.[2] [3] [4] In Canada, the song reached number 15,[5] as it did on WLS-AM in Chicago.[6]
The lyrics describe a love triangle in which two participants experience unrequited love, before segueing into a description of love gone sour in general. The lyrics may have been inspired by J. Geils Band lead singer Peter Wolf's marriage to actress Faye Dunaway, which ended in a 1979 divorce.[3] Author Maury Dean describes the opening of the song as "ponderous Power Metal."[3] Dean describes the band's playing in the refrain as generating "wild waves of flame," the guitars as "fire-breathing" and Wolf's vocals in the "yeah yeah" portion of the chorus as snarling with "heavy metal glee."[3] Justman provides extensive keyboards, which Associated Press critic James Simon feels gives the song "a little extra zing."[7] Viglione describes the riff as "Lou Reed's 'Vicious' as performed by his Rock & Roll Animal band on Lou Reed Live at half-speed," also noting that it is a hard rock version of the riff from "Louie Louie".[1] Rolling Stone critic Rob Sheffield notes that the riff was later used by Nirvana in the song "Smells Like Teen Spirit".[8]
Viglione finds such a "simple riff rocker" a departure for the J. Geils Band who were then known for blues and R&B, but admits the results are fun to listen to and acknowledges that it and other songs from the Love Stinks album pointed the way toward their pop-oriented 1981 platinum hit album Freeze Frame.[1] AllMusic critic John Franck describes the song as "infectious", noting that it was "one of the band's most recognizable FM songs ever."[9] Music critic Robert Christgau describes the song as "broad" and "uproarious".[10] Rolling Stone critic Dave Marsh considers it one of the J. Geils Band's greatest songs, considering its lyrics to be "a hilarious spoof on new-wave nihilism as well as soul cliche."[11] Rolling Stone critic Rob Sheffield calls it "one of the great trash-rock singles of the '80's."[8] Cash Box said that the "playfully virulent lyric...mixed with Seth Justman’s whirling keyboards, creates an exciting march-like rhythm."[12] Ultimate Classic Rock critic Michael Gallucci rated it to be the band's 3rd greatest song, saying that it incorporates "'60s garage-rock guitar," "late-'70s New Wave synths," and "a singalong chorus straight outta the era's arena rock" that "meet for a glorious collision that results in one of the group's heaviest, and best-loved, songs."[13] The song is mentioned in an episode of Full House where Jesse (John Stamos) and his best friend Pete (Scott Baio) reminisce about once taking over a cantina in Mexico and performing a mariachi version of the song.
The B-side of "Love Stinks" was "Till the Walls Come Tumblin' Down", also a track from Love Stinks. Rolling Stone critic Rob Sheffield praised the song, describing it as "rollicking".[8]
