Hoobastank

Hoobastank

Product Details

• Audio CD (November 20, 2001)
• Original Release Date: November 20, 2001
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Island
• ASIN: B00005RIN4
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (230 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #37,856 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

The XXX-rated quartet Hoobastank arrives on this self-titled major-label debut as a nu-metal Weezer, though without anything as cheekily subversive as "Hash Pipe." The similarities lie more in Hoobastank's tight playing and vocal harmonies than in the overblown post-teen lyrics. In track after track, singer Douglas Robb is in crisis; whether he's intoning or yelp-rapping his words, they are never as articulate as the emergency-siren guitar of the punkish "Pieces." Even the grateful love song "Let You Know" is weighed down by an expectation of times "when I'm feeling like everything and -one is hurting me for something or other." Dude, get yourself a Popsicle. The album's 12-song sequence moves inexorably toward clichéd Limp Bizkit guitar riffs and one true change of pace, the spacy, Deftones-like "To Be with You." Unfortunately, its lyric is nothing more than a sensitive-guy attempt to convince a girl to "give in." Sweet. --Rickey Wright

Product Description

Asian edition of 2001 debut album from the California bred alternative rock outfit includes one bonus track, 'The Critic'. 13 tracks. Mercury. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

15 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Finally out of Incubus Shadow., January 29, 2002

By	Glen Russell "Mr. Sound" (Los Angeles, CA) - See all my reviews

Despite that the lead singer looks and sounds like Brandon Boyd, and the other guy looks like Mark McGrath from Sugar Ray, These guys can rack out some tunes. I ran across Hoobastank while downloading to my MP3 player, The first song I downloaded was Up and Gone. That song was great so I kept downloading thier songs until I bought thier CD. They're great and has very little similarities to Incubus. Now time to dissect the CD.

1. Crawling in the Dark- the first single from the band, the song switches tempo on the chorus part. Pretty good.
2.Remember Me- arguably one of the best songs on the CD, little metal influence.
3.Running Away- one of the Incubus sounding songs, starts off with an acoustic guitar and kicks with soaring vocals.
4. Pieces- a fast paced song, one of the weaker songs cuz' no intellectual lyrics.
5. Let You Know- another one of Incubus sounds, rocking with bass all through the song. very good lyrics on this song.
6.Better- Apperently he found out what better was, He finds himself asking all of these rethorical questions.
7. Ready for You. A strong point on this CD, Soaring guitars, vocals and outstanding lyrics. What more could you ask for?
8. Up and Gone- My personal fave, I bump this song in my truck all of the time, It has BASS whew!
9. Too little too late-on this song I found that they were just finding out where they stand music wise. This may very well be the second single, and this may very well be the Hooba sound. I like it three layers of vocals layed on this song. Good catchy hook.
10. Hello Again- Pretty tight knit song. A fun to listen to song.
11.To be with you- a slower paced song but solid somewhat emotional. I dont know why, but everytime I hear this song I think of Radioheads "Knives Out", maybe because of the sad sounding guitars.
12. Give it back- Rock and Roll intro and different sounding vocals.
As you can see, If you really have an ear for music, You can distinguish the difference between Incubus and Hoobastank. They are soooo worth a chance.

13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars The Person Who Reviewed This Should Be Fired, November 7, 2005

By	Jonathan J. Arguello "Jawknee" (Fremont, CA United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

It's not that I'm angry that he doesn't like Hoobastank, it's that he lacks professionalism. You don't rip an album to shreads -- you list good and both bad things and let the reader decide whether or not it's worth the purchase -- especially for a debut CD, you moron. Get a new job. This album is a colossal major debut with strong vocals and simple music to back it up -- simplicity can be good -- why should you have to go all out and technical when you can produce something just as great [if not greater] by keeping it minimal? Hoobastank is one of those bands that proves it. See them live when you can, they will make you respect them even more.

15 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars 3.5 Stars--Good Debut from a Promising Young Band, March 27, 2002

By	Robert J. Schneider (Tacoma, WA USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Hoobastank--despite the rather unappealing name--has a good chance of being very big. They are hard, heavy, fast, but also quite melodic, with excellent singing (and occasional screaming) by lead vocalist Douglas Robb. He and guitarist Dan Estrin are the primary songwriters, but bassist Marku Lappalainen does contribute to some songs. The drumming of Chris Hesse is tight, and even funky at times. Hoobastank are both accessible and heavy, and those are good ingredients right there. They just need to start branching out a bit further on their second album.

This is a band that is young, hungry, and things are really beginning to happen for them. Already their self-titled debut has gone platinum plus, largely on the popularity of the extremely catchy first single "Crawling In The Dark." I love this song! Its lyrics are fresh and honest, and the music alternates between mid-tempo and fast. So, after buying this CD as part of a package deal, I've finally gotten the chance to sit down & listen to the rest of it. The Verdict: It is a solidly good CD that packs a strong punch on several tunes, but offers very few surprises.

One of these surpises is the CD's length--or lack of it. Although it sports 12 tracks, HOOBASTANK is only about 39 1/2 minutes long. This means that the songs get to the point real quick, so the CD doesn't become boring; it's just that many of the songs do sound kind of the same after a while. "Crawling In The Dark" is still the best and most distinctive song on here, but I don't think that Hoobastank will join the ranks of one-hit wonders. I like "Let You Know" with its funky vibe and solid harmonies. The real surprise is "Ready For You" which sounds very much like Blink-182 on the verses. It's real catchy, and I suspect that this will be released as the second single. The band storms right into the heavy, thrashy "Up And Gone" which reminds me of early Incubus. "To Be With You" is the one slow, mellow song, and it's sensitive without being too sappy. But then the 'stank roar back with their closer, "Give It Back." This is a fast, furious, heavy track in which lead singer Douglas Robb alternates between singing, screaming, and even rapping a la Fred Durst. It's really cool, except for the weirdness at the very end, which sounds like the band's either making fun of potential critics, or themselves. Whatever the case, this CD is a good start from which to build Hoobastank's career.

Just a final note: Hoobastank may be compared with certain bands (probably the closest comparison is with Incubus, although there's definitely no plagiarism here), but they sure don't look like other bands. I like the band's diversity: Douglas Robb is half-Japanese, Marku Lappalainen is Finnish, and Chris Hesse is German. Hoobastank can't be accused of being a cookie-cutter rock band; instead, they sure are a talented one--and they do rock hard! RECOMMENDED