Search - Bloodhound Gang :: Hefty Fine

So Very Disappointing

Sir Charles Panther | Alexandria, Virginny, USandA | 12/04/2005

(3 out of 5 stars)

"BHG can't decide if they want to grow up and be real, no-sh*t rap-rockers, stars, and be serious artistes n' all, or if they want to just keep being the self-proclaimed slacker knuckleheads that everyone loves, sitting back and making fun of everything they encounter. This CD is the result of that conflict, and it's clear here that it's not yet been resolved.



I was looking forward to this release, and I've been let down. I was looking forward to more of that gonzo teen-testosterone punk-rap, appropriately vulgar and stupid, but with that hard edge of observation and cynicism braided in some really great samples and beats that made the last two releases so good. But this is not to be. This is all original material, no sampling and riffing, all more or less straightforward rap. It appears that BHG is moving forward, or at least attempting to.



There are none of the slams on Falco and pop culture, none of the Sanford and Son theme samples, none of the truly dumbass and fantastically enjoyable musical mix that made "Hooray For Boobies" and "Use Your Fingers" so much fun to listen to, both for the music and the lyrics. But all growed up, no, that's not the right wording either. Not with a tune like "Farting With a Walkman On" which I can only characterize as just plain stupid.



Musically, "Uhn-Tiss" is interesting, reminiscent of "The Bad Touch." I've already found this to be a good one to slip into a mix playlist or CD for a buddy, and it's weeks before they actually listen to the words and figure out what's going on. I very much enjoy the overall concept of "Ralph Wiggum," although the music for the tune doesn't support its communication too well. The "Balls Out" chords and beat sound an awful lot like "Yummy Down On This," but the latter has still got the upper hand on this pairing, most definitely.



The opening is straightforward enough, a rude rap goof with the Fresh Prince, and then it shifts right into the angry, uber-rapper glop of "Balls Out," about sex and penis size and all that garbage. Okay, who hasn't heard this junk before, and the, ahem, hardness of the rap might just indicate that BHG is trying to take their game a little higher. Then comes the sorry and out of place reference to the pungency of a "jalapeno popper fart." Sorry, guys, but you can't have it both ways, hard and serious, and then hopping on back to the 9th grade locker room goofs that got you to where you're at. Pick one and stay with it.



I also enjoy the lyrics to "Foxtrot Uniform Charlie Kilo." It's not quite the raw misogyny of past BHG albums, but the various euphemisms used are fantastic.



The best writing on the album comes in "Pennsylvania," an excellent-even if the music is massively overpowered by the lyrics-exploration of the screaming stupidity and vapidity of America. I especially enjoy, "...We are Munsoned (a great sneak ref to "Kingpin)...We are flashing twelve o'clock..."



The two little, ah, interludes at tracks 6 and 9 I guess are supposed to be comical, but neither work. "Diarrhea Runs In The Family" at track 6 isn't funny or creative, just a raw, hollow scatological recording with no humorous content whatsoever. "Overheard in a Wawa Parking Lot" at track 9 is just some more of the blatantly racist crap we had in the previous two BHG releases. If BHG is attempting to grow up, they've still got a long way to go.



Bottom line: if you loved the past two BHG releases and want more of the same, this won't scratch that itch. If you're so into BHG that you'll forgive their misguided attempt at art or mainstream or adult or whatever it is they are attempting here, then this CD is for you.

"

Don't use a Fierce Hooray.

Tom Two | Portland, OR | 11/13/2005

(3 out of 5 stars)

"Some of the other people that commented on this album talked about some of the "techno" on it, and how "techno" sucks. These people have obviously never listened to a BHG album before. And if this is the first BHG album you are going to buy I highly reccomend you listen to another one of their CD's first.



BHG in general are known for their blend of techno style beats, Immaturity, Punk rock riffs, their occasional casio keyboard style beat and of course their many refrences to pop-culture.



Everytime I have purchased a Blood Hound gang Cd I will give it one listen and immediately appreciate it, and begin to praize them and tell the entire world how under rated this band is. In fact BHG has been a favorite of mine for a long time ever since "Use your fingers was released". I have always bragged that they were going to be huge and maybe even the next Beastie Boys for a different generation. Instant happines surrounds me whenever I put one of their records in.



This album however was not that way. Upon a first listen in fact, I hated it. If you are a true BHG fan I reccomend listening to it at least three times before shelving it. The third time I began to appreciate it more but still did not think it was as great as the last three albums (Use your Fingers, One fierce Beer Coaster and Hooray for Boobies)



This album seems dated, like it came out three years ago.

The first thing you hear when the album comes on is a skit refrencing an Eminem song that was released about two albums ago and around five years ago.



Then "Balls Out" begins to play and thats when I got worried. The rap seemes pushed and contrived and like they are going more for a rock sound then their usual mixture. He even sing slash/screams the chorus which caught me off guard.



The single that has been released "Foxtrot Uniform Charlie Kilo" is catchy and you will catch yourself singing along but you don't really know what you are singing along too. The song seems non-sensical (which in most cases I like but not here)and seems like he was just trying to find words that rhymed and are refrencing sex in some way. And of course each letter in the title of the song spells out everyones faviorite past time, but it's not as funny as it could be and it doesn't really stand out like their past singles.



One of the songs they should have chose to release should have been either "Uhn Tiss Uhn Tiss Uhn Tiss" or "No Hard Feelings" They are easily the strongest songs on the record and are most like their past singles. I also liked "Farting with a walkman on" which is pretty solid and typical of their past albums. I could actually just take these three songs and disreguard the rest of the album altogether.



None of the other songs really standout except for maybe "Ralph Wiggum" which is a good song if you happen to know the Simpsons and have seen the main episode the song is refrencing to. It's just really basic and only really noticable because of all the ralph quotes.



Don't get me wrong I don't hate the album, it's decent it just is no where as good as their past albums, so I hold them to that standard and was mildly disapointed because there hasn't really ever been a song on an album yet that I didn't like until now.



If you are a fan of this band I would definitly buy it just don't count on it being as good as their past albums.

"

Losing the Wit & Finding the Bland

Kman6 | Land of Milk & Honey | 01/03/2006

(3 out of 5 stars)

"The Bloodhound Gang has always been a secret love of mine. Yes, their stuff is a whole lot of juvenile, but the wordplay tends to be quick and their slicing and dicing of pop-culture usually lands on point. Hefty Fine, unfortunately, seems like a lost bit of meandering. It's like they had to come out with a new album to satisfy their contract, so they phoned one in. There are no really tight rhyme schemes working through the tracks with the exception of 3. Foxtrot Uniform Charlie Kilo, which very obviously is set for their hit on this record and overall it's the closest they come to putting together a song worthy of their previous efforts. The rest of the album tends to favor them trying to put together pop songs with more traditional arrangements. Maybe if we are all lucky the BHG will listen to their own album and turn out something better next time around.



Hefty Find is a schlocky piece of work and should be avoided in favor of listening to One Fierce Beer Coaster a hundred more times."