Why Do They Rock So Hard? is the third full-length studio album by the ska punk band Reel Big Fish.
| Why Do They Rock So Hard? | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | October 20, 1998 | |||
| Studio | Sunset Sound Recorders and Music Grinder Studios - Hollywood, CA. | |||
| Genre | Ska punk | |||
| Length | 73:52 | |||
| Label | ||||
| Producer | ||||
| Reel Big Fish chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [1] |
| Punktastic | [2] |
This is the only Reel Big Fish studio album where the band line-up has not changed from the previous album.
Aaron Barrett has said in two interviews that this was his favorite album until the release of Our Live Album Is Better than Your Live Album. The album was mixed at Scream Studios by Tim Palmer.
Track listing
edit| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Somebody Hates Me" | Aaron Barrett, Dan Regan | 3:28 |
| 2. | "Brand New Song" (see notes 2a) | Barrett, Regan, Grant Barry | 3:04 |
| 3. | "She's Famous Now" | Barrett | 3:05 |
| 4. | "You Don't Know" | Barrett, Scott Klopfenstein | 3:26 |
| 5. | "The Set Up (You Need This)" | Barrett, Klopfenstein, Tavis Werts | 4:22 |
| 6. | "Thank You for Not Moshing" (see notes 6a) | Barrett, Adam Polakoff, Robert Quimby | 2:41 |
| 7. | "I'm Cool" | Barrett | 3:20 |
| 8. | "I Want Your Girlfriend to Be My Girlfriend Too" | Barrett | 2:53 |
| 9. | "Everything Is Cool" | Barrett, Regan | 3:07 |
| 10. | "Song #3" (see notes 10a) | Barrett | 3:28 |
| 11. | "Scott's a Dork" | Barrett, Obiajula Ugbomah | 3:04 |
| 12. | "Big Star" | Barrett | 3:34 |
| 13. | "The Kids Don't Like It" | Barrett, Clifton Chase, Cheryl Cook, Guy O'Brien, Sylvia Robinson, Michael Wright | 3:20 |
| 14. | "Down in Flames" | Barrett, Regan, Werts | 4:49 |
| 15. | "We Care" | Barrett, Werts | 3:55 |
| 16. | "Victory Over Peter Bones" | Barrett | 5:25 |
| 17. | "The Legend of Alan Guile Versus Peter Bones" (see notes 17a) | Barrett | 16:51 |
- Notes
- ^(2a) A cover of the A-ha song "Take On Me" (2:54) appears on some international releases in between "Somebody Hates Me" and "Brand New Song".
- ^(6a) Titled "In the Pit" on subsequent albums.
- ^(10a) On the clean version of this album, "Song #3" is stripped of its vocal track and called "Sleep All Day".
- Hidden track; begins with 5:20 silence. On the Japanese release, a cover of the Duran Duran song "Hungry Like the Wolf" (3:39) appears in place of this track.
Personnel
editReel Big Fish
- Aaron Barrett – guitar, lead vocals, synthesizer, celesta
- Grant Barry – trombone
- Andrew Gonzales – drums
- Scott Klopfenstein – trumpet, vocals, keyboards, Celesta
- Dan Regan – trombone, screams
- Tavis Werts – trumpet, flügelhorn
- Matt Wong – bass guitar, vocals
Additional musicians
- Coolie Ranx (Pilfers) – vocals on tracks 6 & 10
- Brandon Werts – percussion
- Sam Avila – organ
- John Avila – piano
- True: 129 – scratching
- Jay Gordon – backing vocals
Production
- Tim Palmer – mixing
- Joe Zook – mixing
- Jay Rifkin – executive producer
- Steve Baughman – engineer
- Jay Gordon – engineer
- Steve Gamberoni – engineer
- Jenny O. – art direction
- Dave Holdredge – digital editing
- David Holdrege – digital editing
- John Avila – producer, mixing
- Donnell Cameron – engineer, mixing
- Kevin Dean – engineer
- Lisa Johnson – photography
Charts
edit| Chart (1999) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australian Albums (ARIA)[3] | 54 |
| US Billboard 200[4] | 67 |
References
edit- ^ Greene, Jo-Ann. "Reel Big Fish - Why Do They Rock So Hard? Album Reviews, Songs & More". AllMusic. Retrieved August 6, 2022.
- ^ Punktastic review
- ^ Ryan, Gavin (2011). Australia's Music Charts 1988–2010 (PDF ed.). Mt Martha, Victoria, Australia: Moonlight Publishing. p. 232.
- ^ "Reel Big Fish Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved September 9, 2022.
External links
edit- Why Do They Rock So Hard? at YouTube (streamed copy where licensed)
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