Search - Hootie & The Blowfish :: Scattered Smothered & Covered

Looking back in a Cracked Rear View

William Carroll | Indianapolis, IN USA | 10/26/2000

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Let's face it: Cracked Rear View was a fluke, a cultural phenomenon that swept up a fun bar band and turned them into the next big thing. When it turned out that they only had one GREAT album in them, everyone turned away from two good ones. I may be in the minority, but I think Fairweather Johnson and Musical Chairs were fine albums that showed growth and maturity. The new album, named for hash browns of all things, the cheap kind you find on the road and consists of mostly grease, is a fun album, the kind you seldom see any more in this "serious rock star" world. If you went into any bar in America, had a nice cold beer, and the band played a set like the songs you hear on this album, you'd tell everyone you knew. Hootie and the Blowfish are just that - one of the best bar bands around. They take this opportunity to show off their influences and solidly place themselves as a halfway point between the dreamy jangle of R.E.M and the pop of countless groups like Matchbox 20. "I Go Blind" has been a concert staple for years and "Araby" is growing into a favorite of mine over my full 24 hours of listening - no, not non-stop. They make me work! While I can't pretend this is great, it is exactly what you would expect from a band named Hootie and the Blowfish - fun pop that sometimes makes you think, sometimes makes you smile, and a great addition to their collection."

A tribute of sorts

c-looch | Charlotte, NC USA | 11/02/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I think I enjoy this album more than any other by Hootie and the Blowfish, partly because it sounds more like the band I used to see in tiny bars than any of their three studio albums. Some of these tunes have been concert staples, and some are songs I never thought Hootie would play. But the album works well because the band places interesting interpretations on just about every track. All of these songs sound as if they could be original Blowfish compositions - I'm sure many fans have heard "Fine Line" and "I Go Blind" through the years and never even knew they were covers. Beautiful female backing vocals are everywhere, including the incredible Nanci Griffith. The band's take on "Driver 8" is hauntingly intense and the rocking version of "Use Me" is far superior to the old b-side live cut from way back when.I think this album appeals not just to the die-hard Hootie fans, but also to anyone who likes rock and roll. I also think it is a more accesible album than anything since _Cracked Rear View_. As long as they are putting out albums, I will buy them, but I can guarantee this one will spend much more time in my cd player than _Musical Chairs_ did. In fact, it's been hard to take out all week long!"

The many faces of Hootie

irishman77 | Lexington, MA United States | 11/06/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Hootie & the Blowfish began as a kick@ss bar cover b and, and that reappears here with some great covers, along with awesome B-Sides. The diversity on this album is amazing. Fine Line is bluesy, I Go Blind explodes with trademark Hootie rock, then Almost Home shows off their more bluegrass side, before a Led Zeppelin cover rocks you, then Darius lets loose with one of most soulful, incredible vocal performances I've ever heard (Renaissance Eyes). And that's just the first five songs, a taste of what this album brings. There's an REM cover, original Hootie stuff, it's all different and it's all great. Forget what you may have heard about this band, if you love MUSIC get this and their other albums and you will not be disappointed"