Hot off their little bit left-field Grammy nomination for 2002's "Girl All the Bad Boys Want," Texan pap-rock veterans Bowling for Soup return with A Hangover You Don't Deserve. Big news: nothing's changed. "I almost got drunk at school at 14/Where I almost made out with the homecoming queen/Who almost went on to be Miss Texas/But lost to a slut with much bigger breast-esez." That's Jaret Reddick's line at the outset of "Almost," the record's Simple Plan-ish opener. Jaret next contrasts his everlasting love with the ...
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Hot off their little bit left-field Grammy nomination for 2002's "Girl All the Bad Boys Want," Texan pap-rock veterans Bowling for Soup return with A Hangover You Don't Deserve. Big news: nothing's changed. "I almost got drunk at school at 14/Where I almost made out with the homecoming queen/Who almost went on to be Miss Texas/But lost to a slut with much bigger breast-esez." That's Jaret Reddick's line at the outset of "Almost," the record's Simple Plan-ish opener. Jaret next contrasts his everlasting love with the fickleness of fashion ("Trucker Hat"), and then, in the single "1985," tells the story of a mom lamenting the loss of her Julie "Tawny" Kitaen/Coverdale salad days ("When did Mötley Crüe become classic rock?"). All three songs are catchy, and they're matched in both hoke and hook by latter-album entries like "Last Call Casualty" and "A-Hole." And yet, Hangover just doesn't resonate. This is the fault of production and brand positioning. The album is packed with what's become the generically slick norm -- stuff like piano breaks, compressed vocals, and steppe farm chorus guitars. Midway through the pogo goof "Shut-Up and Smile," it's nearly impossible to tell whether this is Bowling for Soup, or Goldfinger, or Lit, or even Fountains of Wayne. (The latter's "Stacy's Mom" is even a thematic/sonic cousin to Bowling's "1985.") There's no doubting Jaret's talent as a songwriter -- his stuff is witty, engagingly self-deprecating, and catchy as hell. "Ohio (Come Back to Texas)" proves this -- its plea to a restless girlfriend to come back home "before you lose your accent" is both plaintive and snarky. And the intro to "My Hometown" is just great, where Jaret thanks all the friends he had before the Grammy nominations. But most of the time it's very hard to hear Bowling for Soup around Hangover's radio and video-ready sheen. This is doubly aggravating because such marketing will advertise Bowling's pop culture references and downplay the fact that, underneath the slickness, A Hangover You Don't Deserve is 17 tracks strong. (Where you at now, Good Charlotte?) In his review for 2002's Drunk Enough to Dance, a wise man wondered whether Bowling for Soup might one day match the mature noise pop genius of Too Much Joy. The only disappointing thing about this Hangover is that we're still wondering. ~ Johnny Loftus, Rovi
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Add this copy of A Hangover You Don't Deserve to cart. $2.39, fair condition, Sold by Goodwill of Greater Milwaukee rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Milwaukee, WI, UNITED STATES, published 2004 by Jive.
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Add this copy of A Hangover You Don't Deserve to cart. $3.39, very good condition, Sold by HPB-Ruby rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Dallas, TX, UNITED STATES, published 2004 by Sony Legacy.
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Very good. Providing great media since 1972. All used discs are inspected and guaranteed. Cases may show some wear. We ship orders daily and Customer Service is our top priority!
Add this copy of A Hangover You Don't Deserve to cart. $3.58, very good condition, Sold by HPB-Ruby rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Dallas, TX, UNITED STATES, published 2004 by Sony Legacy.
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Very good. Providing great media since 1972. All used discs are inspected and guaranteed. Cases may show some wear. We ship orders daily and Customer Service is our top priority!
Add this copy of A Hangover You Don't Deserve to cart. $6.68, good condition, Sold by Wonder Book - Member ABAA/ILAB rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Frederick, MD, UNITED STATES, published 2004 by Jive.
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Very good. Providing great media since 1972. All used discs are inspected and guaranteed. Cases may show some wear. We ship orders daily and Customer Service is our top priority!
