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I must admit that I was greatly impressed by Smash Mouth's first single, "Walkin' on the Sun." It was a catchy tune with rapid-fire lyrics centered around a fantastically funky guitar line. I was certain that whoever wrote this song and in particular whoever created the guitar line knew what they were doing.

Now I only wish that person were actually a member of the band.

Fush Yu Mang is an album that succeeds at being incredibly bad. So bad, in fact, that there are not enough negative words in the English language to describe exactly how bad it is. How bad is it?

Bad.

The scandal surrounding the hit single involves the idea that the members of Smash Mouth stole the central guitar lick from a classic lounge album. Listening to Fush Yu Mang, it becomes obvious to anybody that they definitely stole the line. Considering how unoriginal, coarse, and altogether boring the album manages to be, it is beyond imagination that any single member of the band could conceivably have had the moment of genius required to pen that funky, resounding riff.

This album is a testament to the fact that nobody actually listens to demos any more. It's all right to have one stand out song on an album, but at least try to write a few more that are halfway-interesting. Okay, guys?

The opinions expressed in the above reviews are those of Glen Williams and may not represent the views of slac.com or any of its members. Compliments, complaints, and comments should be addressed to gandalf@tricon.net

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