Bruce riffs on Hootie and the Blowfish’s debut studio album “Cracked Rear View” from July of 1994 (I Only Wanna Be With You / I'm Goin' Home / Time / Let Her Cry). ENTERTAINMENT TRACK: “Rebel Rouser” by Duane Eddy (from the motion picture “Forrest Gump.” STAFF PICKS: “Cruisin' for a Bruisin'” by The Reverend Horton Heat— Wayne. “Prayer for the Dying” by Seal — Rob. “You Better Wait” by Steve Perry — Brian. “Come Out and Play” by The Offspring — Bruce. INSTRUMENTAL TRACK: “Big Sky” by The Reverend Horton Heat. **(NOTE: What the Riff?!? does not own the rights to any of these songs and we neither sell, nor profit from them. We share them so you can learn about them and purchase them for your own collections.)
While Cracked Rear View is the debut studio album for the band, Hootie and the Blowfish had been a fixture of the Columbia, South Carolina college scene since the mid 80's. Guitarist Mark Bryan was attending the University of South Carolina, and heard Darius Rucker singing in the dorm room showers. They started a band called the Wolf Brothers, playing cover songs. Bassist Dean Felber went to high school with Bryan, and original drummer Brantley Smith completed the group. Smith would later leave the group to go into music ministry, and was replaced by Jim Sonefeld on percussion. The group got their name from two college friends' nicknames.
Cracked Rear View is the 19th best selling album of all time in the United States, and would reach its first platinum status by January 1995, a feat that would become 21-times platinum by 2019. The group self-published a couple of cassette demos in the early 90's, and self-released a small batch of EP's called Kootchypop in 1993.
It is difficult to pigeonhole the genre of the band. Some call it roots rock, some alternative rock. It has been called jangle pop, folk rock, heartland rock, and even country. Perhaps that last reference alludes to Darius Rucker's decision to go solo in country music later (because it was not the sound of the band). Whatever you call it, the sound was incredibly popular in the mid-90's. As a result, Hootie and the Blowfish won "Best New Artist" in the 1996 Grammy Awards.
There's really not a bad track on this album, folks. The songs are tight, melodic, and well-produced, almost “anti-grunge” in comparison to another popular genre at the time. We hope you enjoy this exploration of South Carolina's finest - Hootie and the Blowfish!
I Only Wanna Be With You
This is the third single from the album, and the biggest hit, peaking at number 6 on the US charts. All of the band members are credited as songwriters. Bob Dylan is also credited. The song references several Dylan songs and in fact includes the lyrics, “putting on a little Dylan.” Apparently after the song became a hit, Dylan's publishing company pushed legal action and settled out of court — even though they had been made aware of the lyrics beforehand and had no issues.
I'm Goin' Home
This is a deeper cut about a boy losing his mother. "And the angel sing, sha la la la, sha la la la, I'm going home." There's a wistfulness in a lot of these songs despite the sound being rather upbeat.
Time
The fourth single off the album peaked at number 14 in February 1996, showing how long this album remained relevant on the charts! The lyrics are about time not being a friend. “Can you teach me 'bout tomorrow and all the pain and sorrow running free. 'Cause tomorrow's just another day and I don't believe in time.”
Let Her Cry
Darius Rucker described writing this song to KDFI Studios. After listening to “She Talks to Angels” by The Black Crowes for the first time, and listening to a record by Bonnie Raitt, the lyrics to the song came to him in one stream of consciousness.
ENTERTAINMENT TRACK:
Rebel Rouser by Duane Eddy (from the motion picture “Forrest Gump”)
Tom Hanks would solidify his status as A-list and celebrity talent with his second Best Actor Oscar in a row for his role in this film.
STAFF PICKS:
Cruisin' for a Bruisin' by The Reverend Horton Heat
Wayne's staff pick showcases the rockabilly style of this group who is still out touring. The lyrics are about a couple of guys about to fight over a girl. There's a little bit of a surfing music and a little blues style to this as well.
Prayer for the Dying by Seal
Rob brings us the haunting sound of Henry Olusegun Adeola Samuel, better known as Seal. His song “Kiss from a Rose” would appear on the soundtrack to Batman Forever. Producer Trevor Horn handled both this second album and Seal's debut album.
You Better Wait by Steve Perry
Brian's staff pick is a solo effort from Journey's iconic front man. This is from his second solo album “For the Love of Strange Medicine.” The song is about a girl who runs away and loses herself in the city.
Come Out And Play by The Offspring
Bruce finishes our staff picks with this breakout hit from Smash, the third album by The Offspring. "Gotta keep 'em separated" came from when front man Dexter Holland was in med school experimenting with bacteria in a cooling flask. The phrase came to him when the samples were interacting with each other.
INSTRUMENTAL TRACK:
Big Sky by The Reverend Horton Heat
We go back to the rockabilly genre for this instrumental number from “the Right Reverend” to finish off this week's episode.