Album
Foxboro Hot Tubs
Stop, Drop And Roll
[Warners]
Artist: Foxboro Hot Tubs
Released: 19 May 2008
Catalogue number: 9362498647
Review
by Chris Jones
16 May 2008
With its faux-battered sleeve and go-go dancing logo you'd be right in thinking that Stop, Drop And Roll owes something to the 60s. As all fans now undoubtedly know, Foxboro Hot Tubs are, in reality, Green Day having a little retro fun on the side with their touring band along for the ride. Twenty-odd years on, the boys are as busy as ever, following a stamp-of-approval appearance in the Simpsons Movie in 2007. Much of this material was previously available free from the band's website but now, with an actual live tour in the offing, the album gets a proper physical release. Fans will go crazy, the rest of us may be a little less keen.
The problem with an album of pastiches is a question of authenticity. A comparable project would be the Dukes Of Stratosphear; in reality XTC on a mission to recreate the best psychedelic sounds from their youth. Their two albums really did sound like they'd fallen through a hole in the space/time continuum. But Green Day, arch proponents of the three-minute punk pop outburst, while attempting various stylistic variations here, only really convince on the tracks that, well, sound like Green Day (albeit Green Day with the bass turned down). These include the title track, Mother Mary and Pieces Of Truth. It makes the whole album something of an oddity. Was it intended as a full-on recreation of an era, or are we just meant to take it as a GD album with many nods to the past? On either score it doesn't quite work. Stop, Drop And Roll is the 60s filtered through 80s punk.
Elsewhere the obvious nods are the Kinks (Alligator), The Doors (Red Tide), The Yardbirds (Dark Side Of Night) and a whole slew of garage punk (in the Nuggets sense of the word) bands like the Standells, Shadows Of Knight (Ruby Room, 27th Ave Shuffle). It's the latter type of songs that best suit the band's dynamic: all blusterung chords, minimal guitar lead lines and a touch of wiggly organ thrown in for good measure. The writing is tight, the playing suitably spry and the hooks are plentiful. Certainly plentiful enough to keep the faithful happy for now. Yet, not unlike the Beastie Boys' recent foray into lacklustre psych funk, the majority of us will just wish that they'd get back to what they do best.
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Will Robey - York, North Yorkshire. UK
This album is awesome. Yes it's true that some of the tracks sound familiar especially Alligator and Red Tide wich definetly carry a heavy kinks influence .However any body slating this album as boring need a kick up the ass. Green Day are great and have done the right thing by taking there time over a new album release to follow American idiot. However Stop Drop and Roll should definetley wet all the hungry appetites out there. Keep up the good work lads.
josie, england
tre is hot!
Mel, stoke on trent
Luvin da new stuff-ded catchy!:-) + billie joe rox my sox 4eva- legend!
matt, London
glad to see almost everyone on here disagrees with this stupid review. FBHT is a rocking band and this is a rocking album.
Lee, Birmingham
Green Day are a very big band, in all fairness. I suppose the amount of pressure that's beginning to build on them with the new album, they'd probably want to do something they had'nt done since their first gigs back in 88-89. I would'nt blame them for the fact that they had a break from big venues like the Milton Keynes Bowl and arena's, but im glad the band is continuing to create good music and entertain the world.
mim, bucks
love it, love it. They can do no wrong !Dance,anyone ?
Pikee, isle of wight
to be honest, i think this is one of the best decisions they could of made after having such a commercial based album. they wanted to go bak to where they started, playin small venues where the music really mattered.
David, Brighton
Just have to say FBHT are bloody good and Green Day has done a good job here
natalie, workington, cumbria
I think this album is class in its own right... doesnt matter that it happens to be a green day side project... i think tht should have been kept quiet, and see if anyone actually noticed! i love green day tho.. amazing live band. cant wait to see what they bring out as green day next. been waiting for a new album for 3 years now.. billie joe....GOD!!!!
Robbie, East Yorkshire
Been into green day for well over a decade now and love them but this is just too wide of the mark for me. Sure it well sell loads as most green day fans will buy a copy but in all honesty if it wasn't 'green day' it probably wouldn't get very far. As mentioned in the above review it's 12 songs that all sound a bit familiar without being direct covers and unfortunately I can't say any of them stand out.I think green day were due another release but they knew it would have to be awesome to match the success they achieved with American Idiot so did this to take a bit of preesure off and buy some more time.Give it a bash, you might like it, just don't expect any of that green day magic to jump out of your stereo.
Adrienne,Cardiff
they are greenday stupid!i want them to tour,Billie joe armstrong(L)(L)i love him,my hero.the album is AMAZING!
sian,london
i love them and greenday lol