Reel Big Fish- Favorite Noise

Yes...more ska-punk... at least this isn't some obscure Australian band that performed once in their uncle's garage! Because here we have one of the bands that defined the style: Reel Big Fish. The band had produced 3 albums before this mid-career compilation was released in 2002. This compilation is a mix of the two later albums Why Do They Rock So Hard and Turn The Radio Off (and I guess also Everything Sucks, but all the songs from it on Favourite Noise were also re-recorded for the other two albums).

Across their first 3 albums, self-deprecating humour was a major theme. The tales are all quite depressive, but instead of writing emo poetry, the bands' outlet for their misery was poking fun at everyone (themselves included) and bouncing around! Most of the songs erratically jump all over the place, such as random falsetto singing, strange cameo appearances and tongue-in-cheek overblown stadium rock.

The recording quality is both awful and good. Songs from Turn the Radio Off are awful: the horns are plastic and over-processed, the distortion guitar lacks any resemblance of size/power, the snare drum is tinny sounding and the cymbals are an incoherent mess. There was a big improvement made for the next album, Why Do They Rock So Hard, which sounds gool.

Even considering the variations in audio quality, I am surprised that for a collection of quite similar songs, some of them I really enjoy yet others don't appeal at all. Hmmm...strange. Case in point are the first two songs, which both have a similar style of catchy chorus, fast-paced transitions between disjointed sections, similar lyrical themes and great bridges. However, I really like The Kids Don't Like It, yet Everything Sucks leaves me completely cold.

The silliness is delivered at all intensities, with the calmer Suburban Rhythm, A Little Doubt Goes A Long Way, Snoop Dog Baby and She Has a Girlfriend Now providing some good variety to their repertoire. You Don't Know sits somewhere between: a smoothly flowing pop ditty with a brilliantly inappropriate over-the-top bridge. Fantastic! Tongue-in-cheek stadium rock is also pulled off superbly in Somebody Hates Me and The Set Up. Both are a bit disjointed in my opinion, but the horn line is The Set Up is a treat.

The song Beer somehow evokes very strong reactions from many people, myself included. Any time I hear those opening chords, it makes me tingle with excitement at the perfect combination of intricate bassline, great horn lines, singalong chorus and a great funky breakdown. Not to mention the whimsical notion of drinking oneself into a stupor to solve relationship problems!

She's Famous Now combines similar ingredients: catchy guitars, punchy horns, humorous self-deprecating lyrics, big chorus, cheesy faux-stadium-rock guitars and a big punk-rock style ending. It is my favourite Reel Big Fish song.

The compilation finishes with their upbeat cover of Take On Me. Fans of A-ha will probably be disgusted to hear their song stripped of its dignity, but it's like this song was made for this punk-ska cover! Again, their parody of stadium rock while bouncing around like 5 year old on red cordial works a treat.

As a final thought, I'll leave you with some wise words of relationship advice, courtesy of Beer:
And if I get drunk,

Then I'll pass out on the floor now baby.
And you won't bother me no more.

She said, "It's okay, boy, cause you know
we'll be good friends" and I say
"I think I'll have myself a beer.
I think I'll have myself a beer."

Favourite songs

The Kids Don't Like It, Sell Out, I Want Your Girlfriend to be My Girlfriend Too, S.R., You Don't Know, A Little Doubt Goes a Long Way, The Set Up, She's Famous Now, Beer, She Has a Girlfriend Now, Take On Me

Worthwhile?

Reel Big Fish is compulsory for anyone claiming to have an interest in third-wave ska. While I'm not really a fan of their "plastic" horn sound, nonetheless there is much fun present on this compilation.