Disco de Hootie & The Blowfish: “Cracked Rear View”

Over the last several years, it seems that people make fun of those who still like Hootie & the Blowfish. No matter what they say, this album is still a classic. The massive amount of hits ("Hold My Hand," "Let Her Cry," "Only Wanna Be With You," and "Time")are great, but the lesser-known songs are even better. "Hannah Jane" and "Running from an Angel" are awesome, while the albums final two tracks, "Not Even the Trees" and "Goodbye" are probably the best songs the band has ever put out. The weaker material ("I'm Goin' Home," "Drowning") is pretty good, but the excellence of the rest of the songs makes the few decent ones forgivable. The album as a whole flows well and, while not groundbreaking or complex, it's still a really good album.

A couple of days ago I was watching a television program where Hootie and the Blowfish were compared to REM. REM being one of my favorite bands, I thought, "Well, maybe I should look into Hootie." That is when it hit me! A gift someone had given a couple of years ago, "Cracked Rear View". While blowing the dust off of the CD and taking "Automatic for the People" out of my CD player, I looked at the track listing and realized I had heard less then half of them. So I set my stereo to shuffle and the first thing I hear is the inspirational bonus track, "Motherless Child." I was truly amazed! So once he had blown me away with some of the tracks that I heard with the shuffle function, I flipped to the only track I hadn't heard yet, a song called "Not Even the Trees". I really had no idea what to expect- but i realized after the song had started that I had saved the best for last! The one recurring thought I had through the whole album was how much Darious Rucker's guitar sounded like the guitar in "Walkaways" off "Recovering the Satellites" by the Counting Crows. I guess if I had to say "If you like Hootie, you will love..." I would finish that sentance with the Counting Crows and REM. This is a truly amazing debut!

This album is full of strong vocals, hard hitting guitar chords, and upbeat lyrics. This pop/rock band creates a great sound. This album does not have a rating. It has eleven tracks and a run time of 46 minutes and 43 seconds. The album, under Atlantic Records label, was released on July 5, 1994. "Cracked Rear View" is currently available for under ten dollars. The subtle mix of upbeat songs and slower ballads makes for a great album. The lead vocals, performed by Darius Rucker, are very baritone with a little raspy sound. The harmonies are perfectly placed within each song. This album sold over 12 million copies when it was first released and will always be a great album to have in your collection. Hootie and the Blowfish acommplished exactly waht they had set out to and they did it well.

If you can get into Hootie's vocals you'll find that "Cracked Rear View" is actually a very very good album. Not only does it have 4 "classic" 90's songs ("Hold My Hand", "Only Wanna Be With You", "Let Her Cry" and "Time"), but the rest of the songs are just as great (the ones that aren't highlights are still very admirable). As for what it sounds like, think of a slightly blues-influenced bar band. I personally find Hootie's voice pretty pleasant, but I can see why some people don't like it that much. He does seem to sing with genuine emotion and passion though. Not every track is good, but if you're looking for a great just-have-a-good-time bar band album then this is a very worthwhile purchase. Highly recommended for Hootie fans and fans of the genre.

Highlights include:

"Hannah Jane"

"Hold My Hand"

"Let Her Cry"

"Only Wanna Be With You"

"I'm Goin' Home"

"Time"

"Look Away" (sort of)

"Not Even The Trees"

Well, it seems either you hate it or you love it, but the fact remains Hootie is doing what they love, and it sounds like they had a fun time making this album. Yes, some of the songs were overplayed (ie: "Time"), but after popping in this CD tonight, I just had to get movin' to the groove of "Only Wanna Be With You", probably my favorite here. Other fave's of mine include "Going Home" and "Drowning", but the one that still makes me take notice after all these years is "Goodbye". This is a great CD to drive to... especially in the middle of the night!