Say Something Nice or Interesting about: Smash Mouth (or possibly Sugar Ray)

RIP Steve Harwell
https://www.nytimes.com/2023/09/04/arts/music/steve-harwell-smash-mouth-all-star-dead.html

damn, RIP

It’s sad that he had a son who died at 6 months.

https://banhmiverlag.bandcamp.com/album/all-star-mixtape

xpost yeah I'd drink myself to death too if that happened to me

the prospect of losing my daughter terrifies me. I’d probably drink myself to death too. Wasn’t aware of any of this prior to his death and now I feel depressed about the whole situation.

RIP steve. he deserves better than that nytimes obit imo

Music wise “staring at the sun” one of my favorite songs to hear on the radio when I was like 12. Wish that one was more popular with the new generations.

“All star” one of the most fun songs adopted by meme culture, I still see it used and it’s still funny for me. I’m not sure if I’ll be able to listen to it without feeling a bit sad now.

RIP

I definitely dug Walking on the Sun at the time, i liked the retro vibe

RIP

I always thought 'Walking on the Sun' sounds like what the Animals would have sounded like in 1997. Always dug that tune.

yeah that feels kinda otm, i like that

I always assumed it was built around a Doors sample.

now that you mention it, it does sound a lot like "Soul Kitchen"

As mentioned upthread they used a Vox Continental for that 60’s organ sound.

it’s groovy, man

Always loved the way the chorus mimicked an infomercial

and yea "All Star" had some real legs, can't really think of another 90s tune that's been memed/mashed up so much. wonder how much Neil Cicierega had to do with that. still speaks to what a well-written hit that was, just full of memorable parts to the point where you could quote any of it and people would instantly know what you were talking about.

The NYT "harder-driving guitars" is not a description I would think of for "All Star." (Perhaps accurate but the guitar is the most forgettable part.)

Like every other millennial the chorus plays in my head when I read the name and I chalk the longevity up to being a perfect kind of kid's song. "And all that glitters is go-ooh-ld/only shooting stars break the mo-ooh-ld" is tailor-made for a group of 7-10 year olds to sing along to.

"Walkin On The Sun" reminds me of Fastball's "The Way" - more energetic but both doing a '70s lounge thing.

Astro Lounge actually quite a bit more entertaining than I expected it to be. "All Star" doesn't really fit at all on it