Smash Mouth: Greg Camp (vocals, guitar); Paul DeLisle (vocals, bass); Steve Harwell (vocals); Kevin Coleman (drums).
Additional personnel: D.J. Homicide; John Gove (trombone); Eric Valentine (keyboards, vibraphone); Michael Klooster (keyboards); Dana Pfeifer (xylophone).
Recorded at HOS, Redwood City, California.
"All Star" was nominated for the 2000 Grammy Award for Best Pop Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocal.
When Smash Mouth hit with the impossibly catchy "Walking on the Sun," many dismissed them as a one-hit wonder, but ASTRO LOUNGE finds the band bidding for a longevity that belies flash-in-the-pan accusations. Raspy, Richard Butler-ish vocals ride roughshod over carefully arranged but driving alt-rock. The fuzzed-out riff, syncopated beat, and '60s organ of "Diggin' Your Scene" are slightly reminiscent of the aforementioned monster hit, but that's just because those are some of the most significant weapons in the band's arsenal. '90s electronic touches, loops and samples brush up against those '60s influences with surprising success, and there's even a bit of late-'70s/early-'80s new wave thrown into the mix for good measure. It's all held together by inventive production and consistently solid, catchy songwriting.
What the critics say…
Rolling Stone (6/24/99, p.67) - 3 out of 5 - "…Smash Mouth roll their big, goofy Cali jock pop into high gear….the boys borrow and bluff their way into a pleasant mix that's as inspired by the Cars as it is my the Beatles….ASTRO LOUNGE is easy listening in the truest sense."
Spin (7/99, p.134) - 7 (out of 10) - "…ASTRO LOUNGE is a fresh mix of attitude and ingenuousness…."
Entertainment Weekly (6/11/99, p.69) - "…the epitome of mindless, good-timey frat-boy groups- and more power to them….yields 15 swell slices of goofy, post-psychedelic pop-rock…" - Rating: B
Q (9/99, pp.114,116) - 4 stars (out of 5) - "…melodies for groovy, hook-laden singalongs….reveals Smash Mouth to be much more than one-dimensional, one-hit wonders."
Alternative Press (8/99, pp.89,92) - 4 (out of 5) - "…Tastefully layered…features more cohesive and compelling eclecticism…ASTRO LOUNGE exceeds expectations."
CMJ (7/5/99, p.26) - "…A handful of ASTRO LOUNGE's 15 tunes - from the jangly opener "Who's There" to the hooky "All Star" - have the words "instant hit" written all over them….it's mellow grooves won't impede the stampede of teenyboppers from enjoying it…"
