Hootie & The Blowfish - Cracked Rear View (1994)

I was given this CD 2 or 3 years ago but haven't played it until today. To be fair, it isn't a difficult album to obtain as it sold over 22 million copies. I'm familiar with the singles from radio play, but today marks the first time I've heard the entire album. Here we go...

...

As I suspected. If you've heard the singles, you've heard the rest - it's all the same jangly, folky, pop with almost a retro-'70s country rock feel. A solid album filled with hooks; I'm surprised that it took 30 years before I heard the whole thing.

At the 38th Annual Grammy Awards, Let Her Cry won the award for Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals while the band was given the nod for Best New Artist over Brandy, Alanis Morissette, Joan Osborne, and Shania Twain.

Press of the time:

• Rolling Stone (★★★½): "their absolute lack of irony is as refreshing as their sing-along hooks"
• Billboard: "proves a pleasing major-label debut"
• Robert Christgau (B): "Rucker's gruff grit adds an extra layer of substance to a music already deeply comforting in its formal certainties."

Album chart peaks:

• US Billboard 200: #1 (8 non-consecutive weeks)
• CashBox: #1

Tracks: As I said, I recognize the five singles and here's how I'd rank them:

1. Only Wanna Be With You (#6 pop, #2 rock, #3 AC)
2. Time (#14 pop, #26 rock, #4 AC)
3. Hold My Hand (#10 pop, #4 rock, #6 AC)
4. Drowning (#21 rock)
5. Let Her Cry (#9 pop, #9 rock, #6 AC)

Of the other six tracks, my picks are Hannah Jane and I'm Goin' Home. I lost interest after 8 tracks. And since this is a mid-'90s release, this disc includes the annoying, seemingly obligatory hidden track at the end.

Personal Memory Associated with this CD: None, which is odd considering how huge these guys were in the mid-'90s.