Let's travel back in time, shall we? The year: 2000. The scene: Mom's Dodge Caravan.
Fact 1: Sisqo's hit track, "The Thong Song," can be heard bumping from the speakers.
Fact 2: You're just about to rock out to the chorus when Mom changes the station scoffing, "Ugh, I don't like that song. It's too vulgar."
Fact 3: Seconds later, "The Bad Touch" graces the radio airwaves and Mom can be heard by passing cars belting out, "You and me baby ain't nothin' but mammals / Let's do it like they do on the Discovery Channel."
True story.
Slightly wrong, yet strangely funny … such is the story of the Bloodhound Gang. And the good news is, this week, King of Prussia, PA's dirtiest little monkeys: Jimmy Pop, Evil Jared Hasselhoff, D.J. Q-Ball, Lupus and Willie The New Guy are back and lewder than ever on their newest release from Geffen Records, Hefty Fine.
Even at first glance, the album is like a car-wreck — one sees it and wants to look away, but can't, due to the large, naked hairy man on the cover, looking you in the face and inviting you to take a look inside; begging you to see what the CD has to offer.
Simply put, this time around the boys of the Bloodhound Gang have come up with plenty of new ways to imply the art of "mammal loving." Fans can, of course, expect nothing less from the group that skyrocketed into the limelight with the 2000 album Hooray for Boobies.
Five years later and the group still hasn't outgrown its fascination with female anatomy, sexual innuendo and bodily functions, but that's part of what makes this album interesting.
The album's first single, "Foxtrot Uniform Charlie Kilo," already banned from the airwaves of many U.S. radio stations because of its highly suggestive content; plays out something like the Saturday Night Live skit "Jingleheimer Junction." Jingleheimer Joe was all smiles when his friends Katie Kindness, Carla Caring, Umberto Unity and Fred Friendship showed up. That is until "letter call out." F! U! C! — OK, you get the point.
Similarly, on the surface, "Foxtrot Uniform Charlie Kilo" sounds like an up-tempo, sugary pop song, but upon closer inspection, the song contains enough sexual innuendo to make a porn star blush. It's almost impressive that the group comes up with more than ten ways to say sex in a three-minute span, arriving at the final chorus that simply repeats "Put the you know what/ In the you know where." Clever.
Another track worth special attention is "Pennsylvania," a song that the Bloodhound Gang, along with their friend and "campaign manager" Bam Margera, is campaigning to have adopted as Pennsylvania's new state song. The group has even developed a Web site at PennsylvaniaStateSong.com, where they encourage fans to sign a petition in honor of a state anthem that truly represents the finer points of Pennsylvania living. Of course, what state wouldn't want a song that references Wawa convenience stores and Zima?
The Gang also pays homage to "The Simpsons" resident idiot Ralph Wiggum, in a track of the same name. Among catchy guitar riffs, lead singer Jimmy Pop Ali belts out a series of classic Ralphisms including, "there's a dog in the vent" and "this snowflake tastes like fish sticks."
The album takes a mock-techno turn on the track appropriately dubbed "Uhn Tiss Uhn Tiss Uhn Tiss," yet another song oozing with sexual innuendo. The band keeps the momentum going with "I'm the Least You Could do," a track whose bass line is slightly reminiscent of "The Bad Touch."
Hefty Fine's cover art may creepily lure you in, but do not be fooled, the Bloodhound Gang's latest work is pretty much Hooray for Boobies with new lyrics and gimmicks. While this album is not recommended for the deep, intellectual music fan, it is mildly entertaining. There's never a dull moment — rest assured you'll laugh, you'll cry, and the skit tracks may cause you to throw up in your mouth a little bit.
Grade: C
