With the release of
Jerry Reed's ninth RCA album,
Smell the Flowers, his material was beginning to suffer and sound forced. For someone who had previously shown a talent for a variety of different, yet appropriate, material for his audience, it lacked
Reed's personal touch. The only thread here is the overall good-natured "isn't it great to be alive!" theme that dominated the album with songs like "Don't Get Heavy," "Smell the Flowers," "Don't Let the Good Life Pass You By," and "Pave Your Way into Tomorrow." While no hit singles were generated from this 1972 album, it is interesting that the following year
Mac Davis had the chart-topping "Stop and Smell the Roses," which sounded an awful lot like "Smell the Flowers." ~ Al Campbell