Critical reception
Smash Mouth received generally favorable reviews from music critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album received an average score of 67, based on 7 reviews. [1]
Entertainment Weekly writer Tom Sinclair praised the album for Steve Harwell's "real Zen wisdom" vocals and the band's "sunny, goofball approach" to creating "hooks, humor, and high jinks" throughout the track listing. [6] J. D. Considine of Blender wrote that "even though there's nothing new, the album offers enough in the way of big-beat guitar and sing-along choruses to keep Smash Mouth on the charts (and MTV) for another two years." [3] AllMusic's Stephen Thomas Erlewine also found "no new tricks" on the record but felt it was done "sharply, melodically, and happily", especially on the album cuts, concluding that: "If you've grooved on Smash Mouth's singles and want more of the same, this delivers reliably, which may be an unadorned pleasure for some and a guilty one for others." [2]
Sean Richardson of the Boston Phoenix wrote that: "Underneath all the bells and whistles, Harwell shows more lyrical depth than your average family-themed rocker — Smash Mouth aren't meant to be taken too seriously, but they're not easily written off, either." [4] A writer for E! Online critiqued that the record's "Xeroxed batch of overproduced, hyperactive pop songs" was prepared for backyard parties and mass media consumption, but highlighted "Out of Sight" and "Sister Psychic" for hinting that there's "some substance" admist the "light-as-air pop flightiness". [5] The A.V. Club 's Stephen Thompson felt the album lacked the "overdriven polish" of Astro Lounge and noted that the addition of the Monkees' cover smacked of "chart-hungry desperation", but commended the band for being able to "offset[ting] its bald-faced mercenary intentions with a refreshing lack of pretension." [11] David Peisner of Maxim was dumbfounded by the band's ability to make their songs sound "more disposable than the one before it", criticizing the "bouncy melodies and cheery demeanor" for overshadowing the "inconsequential" lyrics. [7]
Rock Steady is the fifth studio album by American rock band No Doubt, released on December 11, 2001, by Interscope Records. The band began writing the album with initial recording sessions in Los Angeles and San Francisco, then traveled to London and Jamaica to work with various performers, songwriters, and producers. Sly & Robbie, the Neptunes, and William Orbit were among the many artists the band collaborated with on the album.
Smash Mouth is an American rock band from San Jose, California. The band was formed in 1994 and was originally composed of Steve Harwell, Kevin Coleman (drums), Greg Camp (guitar), and Paul De Lisle (bass). With Harwell's departure in 2021, De Lisle is now the only original member. They are known for their songs "Walkin' on the Sun" (1997), "All Star" (1999), and "Then The Morning Comes" (1999), as well as a cover of The Monkees' "I'm a Believer" (2001).
Muswell Hillbillies is the tenth studio album by the English rock group the Kinks. Released in November 1971, it was the band's first album for RCA Records. The album is named after the Muswell Hill area of North London, where band leader Ray Davies and guitarist Dave Davies grew up and the band formed in the early 1960s.
Fush Yu Mang is the debut studio album by American rock band Smash Mouth, released on July 8, 1997, by Interscope Records. It includes their first major hit, "Walkin' on the Sun", which was the last song to be added onto the album. The title of the album was taken from a line slurred by Al Pacino in Scarface. On the cover of the album is the band in guitarist Greg Camp's 1962 Ford Falcon Squire wagon flying through space with an outstretched arm giving the finger. The title is written in a stylized, pseudo-Asian font. The album also features a cover version of War's "Why Can't We Be Friends?". The initial release was given a Parental Advisory label, while later releases were not. Fush Yu Mang has been certified double-platinum by the RIAA in the U.S. for sales in excess of 2 million.
Astro Lounge is the second studio album by American rock band Smash Mouth, released on June 8, 1999 by Interscope Records. It includes the single "All Star", which is widely considered as the group's signature song and topped the US Billboard Hot 100. Three other singles were also released from the album, including "Waste", "Then the Morning Comes", and a cover version of The Four Seasons's "Can't Get Enough of You Baby".
Get the Picture? is the fourth studio album by American rock band Smash Mouth. It was released on August 5, 2003 by Interscope Records. The first released single was "You Are My Number One", which was written by Neil Diamond, and featured guest vocals by Ranking Roger.
"I'm a Believer" is a song written by Neil Diamond and recorded by American band the Monkees in 1966 with the lead vocals by Micky Dolenz. The single, produced by Jeff Barry, hit the number-one spot on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart for the week ending December 31, 1966, and remained there for seven weeks becoming the last number-one hit of 1966 and the biggest-selling single for all of 1967. Billboard ranked the record as the number-five song for 1967. While originally published by Screen Gems-Columbia Music (BMI), it is now published by Stonebridge Music/EMI Foray Music (SESAC), with administration passed to Sony Music Publishing and Universal Music Publishing Group.
Van Lear Rose is the forty-second solo studio album by American country music singer-songwriter Loretta Lynn. It was released on April 27, 2004, by Interscope Records. The album was produced by Jack White. The album was widely praised by critics, peaking at No. 2 on the US Billboard Top Country Albums chart and at No. 24 on the Billboard 200, the most successful crossover album of Lynn's 60-year career at that point. The track "Portland Oregon" was listed as the 305th best song of the 2000s by Pitchfork Media.
Gregory Dean Camp is an American guitarist, songwriter, and vocalist. He is best known as a founding member of the rock band Smash Mouth and served as a guitarist and songwriter across several stints. Camp is credited as the primary songwriter, whose songs catapulted the band to acclaim with hits, awards, and multi-platinum albums. Camp left Smash Mouth after 16 years and has remained an active songwriter and music producer, though he has rejoined Smash Mouth periodically. Camp is currently a member of The Defiant.
Absolutely is the second studio album from the British ska band Madness. The album reached number 2 in the UK album charts.
7 is the third studio album by the English ska and pop band Madness. Released in October 1981, it peaked at No. 5 on the UK Albums Chart. All but one track was recorded at Compass Point Studios in Nassau, Bahamas in the summer of 1981, the exception being "Grey Day" which was recorded in London earlier in the year. Although in 2011 co-producer Alan Winstanley stated in the Guided Tour of Madness boxed-set that much of the album was re-recorded in London when they returned from Nassau.
Double Platinum is the first greatest hits album by the American hard rock band Kiss, released in 1978. Many of the songs on Double Platinum were remixed and differed from their original versions: in the case of "Strutter," it was re-recorded with a slight disco beat and dubbed "Strutter '78." Other songs had sections completely removed, while the beginning of "Black Diamond" was repeated at the end, fading out at the start of the first verse and giving the song a "wrap around" feel.
Ringleader of the Tormentors is the eighth studio album by English alternative rock singer Morrissey. It was released on 3 April 2006 by record label Attack. The album was described as showcasing "a thicker, more rock-driven sound", which Morrissey attributed to new guitarist Jesse Tobias.
"All Star" is a song by the American rock band Smash Mouth from their second studio album, Astro Lounge (1999). Written by Greg Camp and produced by Eric Valentine, the song was released on May 4, 1999, as the first single from Astro Lounge. The song was one of the last tracks to be written for Astro Lounge, after the band's record label Interscope requested more songs that could be released as singles. In writing it, Camp drew musical influence from contemporary music by artists like Sugar Ray and Third Eye Blind, and sought out to create an "anthem" for outcasts. In contrast to the more ska punk style of Smash Mouth's debut album Fush Yu Mang (1997), the song features a more radio-friendly style.
"Walkin' on the Sun" is a song by American rock band Smash Mouth from their first album, Fush Yu Mang (1997). Released as their debut single in June 1997, the song was Smash Mouth's first major single, reaching No. 1 on the US Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart and No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 Airplay chart. It was also a success abroad, peaking at No. 3 in Canada and Iceland, No. 5 in Italy and Spain, and No. 7 in Australia, where it is certified platinum for shipments exceeding 70,000 units.
Word of Mouth is the twenty-first studio album by the English rock group the Kinks. It was released November 1984. "Do It Again" was released as a single from the album in 1985.
The Gift of Rock is the fifth studio album by American rock band Smash Mouth. Released in 2005 through Beautiful Bomb Records, the album contains mostly covers of Christmas songs by various artists including Louis Armstrong, Ringo Starr, the Kinks, and the Ramones. It was reissued in 2012 by 429 Records, replacing the original song "Baggage Claim" with the Pretenders' "2000 Miles".
Family is the ninth studio album by American singer LeAnn Rimes, released October 9, 2007, by Curb Records in the United States. It was produced primarily by musician and record producer Dann Huff, with additional production by Tony Brown and guest vocalist Reba McEntire.
Magic is the seventh studio album by American rock band Smash Mouth, released on September 4, 2012 through 429 Records. It is their first album in six years since the release of Summer Girl in 2006. It is also the first album without original guitarist and primary songwriter Greg Camp since his departure from the band, and the last album to feature lead vocalist Steve Harwell before his retirement in 2021 and his death in 2023.
Old Habits was planned to be Smash Mouth's fifth studio album and was expected to be released in the summer of 2005. According to the band's official website at the time, the album was going to sound much more like ska punk, similar to Fush Yu Mang and The East Bay Sessions. In September 2005, the band performed what was tentatively going to be the album's first single, "Getaway Car", on Last Call with Carson Daly. The album was delayed many times, in the hope of gaining publicity with Steve Harwell's appearance on the reality show The Surreal Life. Smash Mouth returned to the studio intent on making their new record better; however, Old Habits was eventually shelved and most tracks were remixed and released on Summer Girl. One track also ended up on Greg Camp's solo album Defektor, while another ended up on Paul DeLisle's self-titled EP, released under the name Sub Daylights.
