Reviews (page 3 of 7)
funky hiphop, still quite nice: 7/10 and no need to listen to any other FLC album.
Pretty good
I was pleasantly surprised, this was actually pretty good. I was worried when they started shouting at me in the first song but it was way more mellow than the beastie boys. Kinda bizarre how all the songs are about various crimes but I guess that’s their thing. 7.5/10
This is a nice album. This music is so groovy :)
Fun loving criminals did a really good job of layering many different sounds into their album. And no point did I think it sounded overwhelming, rather they weave in and out so many different instruments and samples that it always was kept interesting. The band came off as pretty Charismatic to the extent that they were criminals who rob banks. They did a good job of balancing between sympathetic in songs like "Bombin' the L" , charming outlaws in "Scooby Snacks", and still spending the block on "Bearhug". This might just be me personally, but they did include a lot allusions in the raps and many to celebrities that I do not know very well. There would be about a dozen in each song, and some of them were just lost on me. I did have the thought that this sounded like G-Love with a gun at sometimes, and I think they even hinted at that and one of the earlier songs. Standouts: "Running around robbing banks all whacked off of Scooby Snacks." Passive/Aggressive had a cool gimmick with the relaxed and then fast. "See I got more gumbas than Bobby De Niro and if I was you I'd. Act like Nixon and Spiro."
I thought the album was pretty good overall. This is some good windows down, summertime cruising music.
Impressed by the way they combined rock, hip-hop, and jazzy vibes together. I enjoyed almost every song!
Surprising, inventive, band was rapping on top of very unique backing tracks
This is a pretty unique album. It’s a softer rap rock with moments of country twang, funk, and maybe ska with the horn parts? While not outright mindblowing or revolutionary, this album has a commendable quality to it. It is very interesting that, despite hailing from New York City, they never charted or had air time in America; instead they are popular and are still touring in Northwest Europe and Australia.
Santana meets Sublime with a hint of Beastie Boys. I dig it.
Surprisingly enjoyable. Thought this would be scooby snacks and filler but it’s really quite good.
Eclectic and vibrant album full of so many samples its hard to keep track. Scooby Snacks is a fun track, but it's superseded by Smoke 'Em, Bombin' the L and a few other tracks IMO.
Before today the only Fun Lovin' Criminals song I was familiar with was Scooby Snacks. It was literally everywhere in the 90's. I was interested to find out if they were just a one hit wonder, or if there was some more gems on this record. Turns out it was the latter. These guys are like Beastie Boys Lite.... Kinda that hip hop/rock stuff that was big in the 90's. Overall, a pretty enjoyable record. Definately one I will revisit in the future! Favourite songs: Scooby Snacks, The Fun Lovin' Criminal, Bear Hug, Passive/Aggressive, Bombin' the L, Crime and Punishment Least favourite songs: Methadonia, We Have All The Time In The World 4/5
Surprisly good album! 90s hip-hop with some interesting guitar/music.
Fun album. Like their style.
Very good - and also very sly. Not samples, but songs written around othe bad's riffs, but then only using snippets of that rii - like about half the 'Smoke on the water' riff in 'Bombin the L' and the start of the riff from 'Sunshine of your love' in 'Crime and punishment', the bass line from Carole King's 'Too late baby' in 'I can't get with that'. I'm pretty sure there's some Led Zeppelin knocking around, too. Everything sounds vaguely familiar, I just can't quite call all the the sources to mind. I assume the title of the album is intended as a challenge to the original artists to find their music. But nevertheless I really enjoyed this. Listened to it several times. As rap goes, this is great.
Great Album brings back memories of where I was in 1996.
The suave combination of rock, hiphop, soul, jazz, funk and humour makes for a cool and smooth listen. Colourful stories with lots of samples (that have been replayed by themselves it seems as to not have to pay too many royalties) make that this album doesn't sound dated. Just 3 friends making music and having a lot of fun.
This album is very emblematic of the genre of mid-90s rock hip-hop. It's fun with pop and funk elements along with the distorted guitar and prototypical hip-hop vocalization.
a good one!
better than expected
One thing that has been really interesting about this list are the U.S. groups that never really made it at home but developed a following abroad. I thought this was very good actually, I'm surprised by the lukewarm reviews it got in its time and it's failure to chart to any significant degree in the U.S.
I really liked this album! Surprised it was their debut, they came onto the scene with some strong songs and a nice variety of music that still tied together quite well in terms of tone.
Fun indeed
Very cool album, a lot of quirky samples and lyrics so it's fun to listen to all the way through. I could definitely see myself coming back to it if I wanted to just chill and listen to goofy music.
goofy men bra
Very interesting album. Instrumentally it's a mix of jazz and lounge rock but then throwing rap on top of it really makes for a weird combination that works way better than it should. Sounds very New York for sure.
Great fun, with a handful of classics and a fair bit of (still pretty enjoyable) filler. Huey has such an engaging presence that it elevates any mediocre tracks, and the music moves between genres with great fluidity.
I really liked "The Fun Lovin' Criminal", and "Bombin' the L" plus 2-3 other standouts. Overall, I found this a pretty good listen. For a genre that I generally avoid, I prefer this to any of the crap put out by the Beastie Boys.
4/5. I'm a sucker for rock-rap. There is not really a bad song on here but the hit singles are the weaker tracks for sure. The guitar work is just as impressive as the rapping. It's hard to give perfect but it is really fun to listen to.
It's cool, it's goofy, and it's a hip-hop album using retro rock and R&B rhythms.
This had lots of good elements and some kinda eh ones. Scooby snacks was a gem to find. I like finding something I know sometimes. Good beats when they aren't too honky and even those are interesting at least. I love the keys all over this though. Some remind me of the doors who I love and some have a persona 5 thing. Ik jazzy music does not equal p5 but still. It brings me back to a really good time in life. High 3 star but I'll round up this time. Quality
That was fun! I can't remember the last time I listened to these guys and then proceeded to play through their discography. I remember a record rep describe them as a smooth hoodlums which they are. Even without the Tarantino samples Scooby Snacks is as catchy as f### but it is remembered as a novelty song. Anyway it is a solid album
I was not familiar with this before. I'm not a fan of hip hop at all, but this is a really nice blend of hip hop and bluesy rock. I dug it. 4 stars.
Awe yeah runnin around robbin banks all whacked on scooby snacks! That's really the only song of theirs I could recognized, so I'm curious to see how the album holds up to that. I dig it. rap-like lyrics, slight Beastie Boys vibe. Nice blues lick on Passive/Aggressive. I like the hip-hop vibe mixed with metal guitars on this one. I keep getting Faith No More vibes too.
Great fun
I enjoyed this album. It was a fun mix of styles of rock and rap. The mixing on the second song was awful, the music completely drowned out the rapper, who I already had trouble understanding because he mumbled a lot. I don’t think I would listen to this regularly but I’m glad that I experienced it. I had fun but I am not a criminal.
Super fun! Unexpected!
Very nice sound. Sounds like Заточка. -1 because I can’t understand the lyrics but anyway it’s much understandable than nowadays rap.
Loved this one. It was ahead of its time when I first listened to it in the 90s. I’ve occasionally put this on over the years. To me, it holds up and doesn’t sound dated. It’s a vibe. 4/5
really fun and criminal. 4 stars.
Running around robbing banks All whacked on Scooby Snacks I actually like this album a lot. I'm not saying that its "good" or that it "belongs on a 1001 best albums list", but I do like it. 4/5
really fun album, lots of musicianship
"Fun" is right - this album was a blast! The only criminal activity here, however, was how these lads stole my heart. ..and the copious drug use.
I really enjoyed "Come Find Yourself". Fun Lovin' Criminals managed to smash multiple genres together and still make it groove and that's no mean feat. The grooves are solid, the hooks are catchy, the flow is clean, the lyrics have substance without ever taking themselves too seriously. I don't know. I really liked it. It's its own, unique thing and I happen to be here for it.
Good album
Wild and diverse and super fun!
I enjoyed the album. It was mostly soothing and chill, even when it picked up.
Better than expected, bit surprised to see it hear tbh, but was a fun if slightly silly ride.
Beastie boys but they rebranded as a 90’s garage band. Neat
Muchos chill
Aggressively Noo Yawk, in the same way Ohio transplants on social media get when talking about a chopped cheese from their local bodega. But the FLC was the first gig I went to without my parents, and as such I have a soft spot a mile wide for these guys. A friend and I wore leather jackets and essentially slow-cooked ourselves. And the music on 'Come Find Yourself'? Surprisingly good! A genuine relic of the 1990s, it manages the quite unique feat of sounding dumb and classy at the same time. At one point the boys even anchor a track with an ersatz 'Smoke on the Water' riff. Mainly it sounds like lounge-lizard soul played by petty hoodlums. I can get with that.
Very fun combination of hip hop, humor, and rock guitars. Less music samples than is typical of the genre. Has a definite Cypress Hill/Sublime/mid 90s vibe to it. Will give this album another spin in the future for sure.
I have a massive soft spot for this album. In 96, it got me into hip hop. Then I went off it because it wasn't great hip hop. Then I loved it again as my tastes broadened and I loved it's mix of hip hop, funk, lounge and rock. It's just such grand, silly fun.
It was a surprisingly fun album. Would listen to again.
Surprisingly fun listen.
Epsikt
One to play loud! Tunes galore. They never really bettered this, but what a debut.
This was a fun listen. Strangely, the guy rapped about joining the Marines vs going to jail and that's definitely a thing from when this came out.
What fun
Chill and vibey music making for good calcs. 8/10
All of their songs in that album was so exciting, mellow, and romantic. 古さを感じさせない、洒落た音色とノリ。メロウな感じも、ポップな感じも、色々感じられた。多面的な楽しみ方ができる 音楽だと思う。
Nice blast from the past
Huey's languid rap-singing is quite seductive. The hip hop drums and rock, funk, soul guitar hits my eclectic taste buds. About 5 very enjoyable tracks and the rest are fine and listenable. Good grooves. I've a lot of time for Huey after his excellent Saturday BBC 6music program.
When I saw "Hip-Hop/Rap" as the genre of this album on Apple Music, I wasn't expecting that my previous experience with this group would be from my 1997 Lounge-A-Palooza compilation CD, on which they sang 10cc's "I'm Not in Love." But not knowing that until after I listened, I found myself joyfully surprised through most of this album that they did seem to be serious about the "fun lovin'" part. Interesting instrumentations (I love a rap with an easy-listening background), clever tongue-in-cheek lyrics, and a pretty straightforward rendition of a James Bond movie theme. I really enjoyed this and I will be listening to their compilation Mimosa shortly.
Half rap, half rock, full awesome
Super fun record and interesting blending of genres. A little on the silly side at times, but I enjoyed it.
Liked it, made me happy, no idea what it was about though
a little cringy in places, can see this as the precursor to nu metal which is a huge drawback. Ha a real fake swagger to it using Tarantino samples etc. But overall it's just fun music with a couple of real stand outs.
It turns out I have heard more of their songs than I thought. I liked the album a ton.
Is this a classic album? Probably not. Is it a touch derivative and trying a little too hard? Probably. Does it feel a little unvarnished and stoned? Yes. Did I play this album on heavy rotation and nod my head along in the car in my early twenties? I most certainly did! Nostalgia gets the rating. It’s a little fun rock rap blues funk New York thing - don’t think too hard, just enjoy it.
Way better than I thought it was going to be. I was very surprised to see this one pop up as I never gave a 2nd thought to this band past Scooby Snacks. But this was a pretty diverse sounding record with lots of smooth grooves and jazz inflections.
Entertaining set from a band that borrows vibe from (and extends considerably) the music of G. Love and Special Sauce, pushing the grooves deeper into rap and hard rock. A little uneven, but never drifts too low. The stark, exemplary single Scoobie Snacks is the brightest star here, but the firmament shines from others, too. A solid listen that encourages me to research the band further.
Pretty good! At some points, really great. I loved "Scooby Snacks" and "Passive/Aggressive". Overall, it was just a bit too long though. A couple songs could have been cut, and some songs went on too long. Still pretty good though, definitely glad I heard it.
not my favorite but the variety was nice. 7/10
7/10. Had this on in the background, but seemed pretty good based on that, and I liked how it mixed genres.
Really enjoyed this. Wide range of styles, great for driving. Nothing skipped. Added.
Cool hip-hop rock fusion sounds. Scooby Snacks is a great single. We Have All The Time In The World is a really refreshing mid album break.
Perfect name for this group. I had heard several of these songs but forgotten all about them. I have nothing bad to say about this album, really. It's a fun combination of a lot of my favorite kinds of music.
Scooby Snacks is a banger, the rest was fine, but I love that track so I'm giving a 4 anyway lol
Love the eclectic mash-up of styles on this album. I'm hearing hip hop, rock, rap, jazz, R&B, blues, funk, and even a bit of punk. Had not heard of these guys or their music before. Glad I have now!
production is so…🤌🏼
Love the flows, love the instrument diversity. Based on the name, I was expecting some 80s new wave and was pleasantly surprised. Lot of sticky hooks on this record. Little long. Favorite tracks: "Scooby Snacks" ,"Crime and Punishment"
I really enjoyed listening it this !4*
interesting
Kinda like a mix of ska and rap? Reminded me a little of like Atmosphere or 311? Enjoyed it.
I enjoyed this album. For me the music hit the right chords, the raps though mostly lightweight are fun and sometimes quite humorous. But it's the music that pulled me in and made for an enjoyable listening experience. 3.75 🌟
Actually pretty good
Chill raps, helemaal niet verkeerd. gwn goeie man. niks op aan te merken voor de rest.
Funky album should be listened to more
Feels like a mix of ATCQ and Beastie Boys, nice
And they say it's better than crack, plus It keeps them mellow and passive... I guess... Methadonia
It's a bop. Not a go to album, but perfectly listenable.
Surprisingly, I like this album. Musically it's diverse, well performed. Not all rap, some melody, lots of variety. I listened to it twice. Well done!
Vette plaat! Flow van Huey vind ik echt cool en Scooby Snacks is terecht een hit geweest.
Ik kende alleen de 2 hitjes, maar de rest van deze plaat bevalt me ook prima.
Leuke plaat, zeg!
Thoroughly enjoyable album, forgot how good the FLC were. 4/5
Different
Escuché este disco y el siguiente de este grupo casi sin descanso en los 90 y luego me olvidé de ellos. Lo siento, sigue sonando bien y tiene temazos como The Fun Lovin' Criminal, Scooby Snacks, King of New York o Bear Hug.
I generally enjoyed this album. I found them to have personality and a cool sound in an area of rock/hip hop mix that I don’t tend to often like.
Thankyou for finally giving me a rap album! My god. It’s okay too! I didn’t finish it so I’ll try and get it all done tomorrow but yeah, happy with this. Not 5/5, reaching into a 4 mayyyybe but I’ll see
Top e daora; hip e hop bem ~eclético
Eclectic and fun, horns and blues guitar and rap. Lyrics kinda meh.
I never really listened to them but I enjoyed this album.
Really really dope mix of smooth Rap / Rock and R&b tracks. Album art is accurate, great for cruisin'. Standout Tracks: Smoke Em', We Have All the Time in the World, Come Find Yourself, Crime and Punishment, Methadonia
Smooth as!!! Forgot how cool this album was… extremely New York!
It gets a 3 for its variety
Almost 3.5
3.4
The scooby snacks song is really good whole thing was pretty decent.
Not for me. 5/10
Probably not as good as I remember it. Still to be fair, some fun moments though when hearing again. Was a big cross over hit in the U.K. ( hence why probably a surprise on this list) and they have always since been a bit of a cult in U.K., with Huey having his own radio shows. It is like a Tarantino take on what the U.K. thinks rap from New York would be, and at least they are from there and not brits acting. So as a non American yeah still like it, it’s got a nice groove though tails off at the end, 3 Star
Remember G-Love and Special Sauce “Cold Beverage”… that was a great song. This is like an album of that but not as good and lyrics like a law & order episode. My friends loved this album when it came out and I could never quite work out why they loved it and I still can’t… there’s nothing wrong with, and some tracks like “the fun loving criminal” are great but ultimately it’s decent rapping over a fine groove.
Great listen!
I always end up surprising myself when listening to this genre. I never expect to enjoy it, but I always end up having fun every time. This one is a slightly weaker album than others of this style that I've enjoyed, but it was still good nonetheless. I think that the instrumentals are always really good, and the rhythm functions as such a crucial part of each and every track. The vocals themselves suit each song really well, delivering some creative lyricism. I think that the album is maybe slightly long for my liking, but not too long. There is a good number of tracks, and I like how they don't all sound too similar; it's easy to fall into that trap sometimes when you are sticking with one genre for an album. In all, I liked the album, and don't really have much else to say about it. Favourites: Scooby Snacks Smoke 'Em Passive / Aggressive
63/100. It reminds me of how House of Pain sounded in a way. Is that a lazy comparison? Well yeah, but it was the first thing that came to my head. It was the sound of the vocals and hip-hop and rock fusion that just made that visualization in my head. The funky beats with electric guitars really works well. Such heavy beats, if you want to blast some nasty bass through your speakers, this album would be a contender. For me it's describing life through a lens of movie fiction, often crime movies, often New York related. It's an interesting concept, such a chill vibe. A true genre-hybrid. I might have underrated this a bit, I ended up really enjoying this album in the end. Cities exist in many forms, the place and the story people tell about it.
Honestly I really like the tracks, But their flow is tired. I can see why "Scooby Snacks" was the hit with it's kinetic energy. Personally I'd rather listen to the more rock grooves like the opening track and "I Can't Get With That". But their rap flow sounded like like late 80s early 90s pop rap with kind of a slacker rock twist to it, which quite frankly left me a bit underwhelmed. Props for covering the OHMSS closing credit theme. That was an unexpected left turn. Doesn't touch Satchmo, but it wasn't bad. (6.33) ★★★
Ok mix of alt-rock and hiphop. 3 stars
My expectations were low for this, since I don't really love "Scooby Snacks", but I think it's actually a pretty fun album overall. Kind of reminds me of Everlast/House of Pain -- hip-hop combined with a stoner/slacker blues vibe. Favorite tracks were "The Fun Lovin' Criminal", "King of New York", and "Bear Hug". 3.5 stars.
Nothing particularly exceptional but I enjoyed the full run through this album. The Freebird sample on Bombin’ the L was fun.
Cool blend of a few different genres. Nice example of something I likely never would have heard otherwise that I enjoyed.
3/5 Interesting blend of rap and rock and roll. The lyricism or flow wasn’t anything special but I enjoyed listening to it. I liked “The Fun Lovin’ Criminal” the most. I almost gave this a 4 star but the two tracks without rap that were singing I really didn’t like.
I'm in the mystery machine
C'était intéressant. Je ne m'attendais pas vraiment à un album de rap, mais le fait est que c'était ça, avec des influences très diverses et surtout, souvent, un côté rock pas dégueu. Alors, c'était souvent très entraînant (surtout le premier titre), mais ça perd assez vite de son intérêt, selon moi. Il faut dire qu'hier, je suis tombé sur Kendrick Lamar, donc la comparaison pique un peu. Le truc avec Fun Lovin' Criminals, c'est que c'est effectivement plutôt fun, mais que ça manque un peu de fond et de substance. Très fun et sympathique, mais c'est pas non plus incroyable.
Kind of fun
Not bad
Not really my type of thing but it has its moments. Better than I expected based on the other reviews.
Entre le blues et le rap, chelou mais why not
Sympa
7/10 - Its a fun album. They have some charm Fav Tracks: Passive / Agressive, Scooby Snacks Heard before? ---–- ❌ Saved a Song? ----- ❌ Saved Album? --–-- ❌ Will Listen Again? -- ❌ Album Cover -------Its a good album cover. From everyone's facial expression to the cards behind them. Fills the picture nicely, the font at the top screams 90s
Ok. What. I like this more than I thought I would. Yeah I'm really enjoying this. Maybe not playlist music but I'm happy to listen to this. I really like their sampling and mixing. I just also don't really care about New York. It does not call to me. I'm pretty happy in berta. Pretty good though. Favourite: Bombin' the L Least favourite: Scooby Snacks
fun kinda jazzy hiphop rap?
Linkin Park or Limp Bizkit, but for middle aged white people, kind of meh
Decent album but didn’t leave much of an impression on me
Interesting samples on this album. Feels like they strayed a but form what people usually use and tried something new, which is commendable. Songs are mostly fun. 2.5/5 Might listen again
w porządku, buja
This was a funny one and it was fun l
Alright, this was fine. Almost hilariously turn-of-the-milennium white boy rap, but I would have thoroughly enjoyed it if the lyrics were a little less repetitive. Shrug.
It was alright. Scooby Snacks is a song that always has me jamming along.
Jeg havde en enkelt "arh det er dem" oplevelse. ellers var det er ret meh album.
Funky rap n’ roll. Det er faktisk meget sjovt selv om det er lidt pølsemandens Beastie Boys
It was a fine album, some 90s hip hop tinged with a little blues. I'm not really sure it deserved a spot on the list, but it was listenable. I thought The Fun Lovin' Criminal was probably the best track on the album, and I don't think I had ever heard Scooby Snacks, but that song was alright too.
It’s an ok listen but am unsure of what specific songs I would come back to. 6/10
It’s a pretty tame hip hop album. Pretty average I guess. Nothing really made me feel strongly about anything.
First I thought I'm "too nice" for this music, I didn't really feel any connection, but it grew on me with time, I like the 2nd half more.
It had some highs and then some mids
Very enjoyable listen. Sort of got PTSD on the first track expecting it was going to be a Kid Rock inspired album, but it didn't disappoint. Very good, very chill rap album. 7/10
This was okay. But I am reminded of a Dutch band: Urban Dance Squad. Look it up: Mental Floss For The Globe, 1989. Sort of a one-trick pony, but if these guys are original...okay, the Urban Dance Squad was there first.
Idk why all the hate I liked this. The guys are having fun, the music is interesting with the blues and rock and hip hop fusion. Yes a little confusing at times but I like the spirit.
Not to bad really, but nothing grabbed me.
My brother once tried to convince me that A-ha weren’t really Norwegian - it was just a marketing gimmick to make them seem more exotic. He should have told me the Fun Lovin’ Criminals were Brits pretending to be from New York instead, as I might have believed that. There are some fun tracks here, but it’s not just the Tarantino samples that make it feel like they cobbled their whole schtick together from gangster movies and lad mags.
Temu Ill Communication
So, the rapping and songwriting, maybe hasn't aged that well. A couple risks were taken that don't pay off. But, the music part of it is not that bad. Real instruments, who woulda thunk? I saw this band open for U2(!) in a football stadium. The 90s were a weird time.
Whenever I get a Hip hop album, my immediate response is ugh, but I found this one to be enjoyable and to have enough experimentation of genre blending to keep it interesting. I won't be rushing to relisten, but it was not a bad experience. Favorite Track - I Can't Get With That Least Favorite Track - Bear Hug ⭐️⭐️⭐️
This was a nostalgic one from my childhood when my dad would play it, actually a decent record beyond the singles
Decent tunes, nice grooves, it’s all just good fun as long as you don’t take it too seriously.
Not too familiar with them, but good to hear new things.
not my usual
Čak bi reka da ovo nije tako loše ostvarilo ko šta sam na prvu promislio
Hip hop isn't music! But for me, this is pretty much the first album in the genre that I actually enjoyed. It was fun. Cool rhythm and sound. Maybe I'll actually listen to it again. 3/5
не зашло, сори.
Not bad. Not good. 3.0 2 o 3 rolas buenas. Nada sorprendente, a veces menos es más.
Interesting
Much to think on, very interesting
Not my cup of tea
Buenos temas. Nunca había escuchado rap and roll
Mildly fun. But I feel the legacy of this band is just Scooby Snacks. 3/5
This album was heading straight towards a 5 and then it fell off hard after King of New York. Still a fun listen overall.
Liked this more than I expected to. Scooby Snacks I have definitely heard before, and the rest of the album didn't quite measure up to this one but was still pretty good. Reminds me of the beastie boys a little bit
Hard to rate. I wanted to give this less stars but found it somewhat entertaining.
This record hasn’t aged very well and that’s probably why you haven’t heard it for twenty years unless you’ve happened to hear “Scooby Snacks” during a ‘way back’ radio block along the way. But here’s my thesis: it wasn’t all that outlandish in 1996. Some of the top reviews reference Beck, Everlast (House Of Pain), and Beastie Boys, and I hear those elements in addition to things like Sublime, Cypress Hill, TLC (compare the guitars on “Passive/Aggressive” to TLC’s “Waterfalls), Kris Kross, and plenty others. My main thought during the album opener, “The Fun Lovin’ Criminal”, was about Sheryl Crow and how much pop music was dabbling in country crossovers in the mid-90s. My point is, this isn’t/wasn’t super weird if you consider the broader music landscape of the time. Sadly, a lot of the mid-90s experimentation feels a little cringy now.
Brought back memories of going to a festival and seeing them, they were the height of cool but and this is unusual with substance
7/10
fun indeed Favorite track: Scooby Snacks other picks: passive/aggressive, i can't get with that
Solid album really great mixture of genres unexpectedly liked it
Not the biggest fan of early hip-hop but I liked that they had several unique sounds throughout the album both with singing and instrumental changes
Nice
What a pleasant surprise that was.
It's awkward but it's novel and I didn't mind listening to it, a serving of rebellious '90s rap with any edge or grit out the window
I enjoyed this more than I thought I would. Just a nice, fun album.
Fun, but didn't sweep me away
I was so ready and prepared to give this album a two. Not because it was bad, I liked the level of production on this album from the first moments. But I was sort of put off cause I found like the tone and delivery to be really cringey and embarrassing. But this album really has a way of rubbing off on you cause it’s really endearing and it just wants you to have a good time. At times it feels alittle desperate for me to be having a good time. But it really is pretty chill and fun. It has som guitar solo moments that are fun for this vibe, I just didn’t think it was mind blowing, just sort of fun and endearing.
jts all
Not my jam. Very 90’s. A little soul coughing, a little beastie boys. Which sounds great but did not really do it for me.
Bought it when it came out and liked it a lot, I still do though not an album on regular rotation.
Absolute vibes
Enjoyed it, easy listen.
Eh it was alright. King of New York might've moved it up a whole star for me.
A new one for me. I think I heard a track or two but didn't know who the band was. Not something I'd reach for but didn't want to turn it off. Glad to fill a cultural gap.
Well, I had fun.
Imagine Sublime relocated from Long Beach to a Manhattan dive and swapping reggae-ska for a crate of ’70s soul and jazz records—same slacker charm, different neighborhood bar. Not exactly innovators, but they sound like they’re enjoying themselves, which already puts them a step ahead of fellow lounge-rap hobbyist G. Love. “The Fun Lovin’ Criminal” coasts on a sticky horn riff and a shruggingly catchy chorus, while “Scooby Snacks” turns a gangsta-movie monologue into a hooky novelty rap. “I Can’t Get with That” reaches for enlightened sentiments but mostly succeeds as a pretty convincing ’70s soul pastiche—right up until a stray guitar solo wanders in. Elsewhere, “Bombin’ the L” tries its hand at Beastie Boys-style braggadocio with drive-by nods to "Smoke on the Water" and "Free Bird", “We Have All the Time in the World” suggests Lou Reed on Prozac with a horn section in Honolulu, and “Bear Hug” thumps along like a lost House of Pain outtake. Minor-league cool, but amiable enough.
This is one of those opportunities that this project provides where I'm introduced to a band I know nothing about as well as their little slice of music that's unique to me. Like there's kind of a Sublime vibe to this but it is not Sublime. You can tell the dudes love the music they're making and that adds a layer of fun to the album. A few decent songs here and there and overall a decent album
The production is really polished and the way they integrated all those samples is technically impressive for a 90s crossover record. It is a decent listen overall but it did not leave a lasting impression since the genre just does not click with my personal taste.
Accessible rap sticking it to.the man
I enjoyed the instrumentation, but it's very rap heavy.
No ohhoh. Tämähän oli aika jees. Instrumentaaliosuudet olivat hyviä, eikä tässä ollut sketsejä ja uhmakas gangstailu pysyy välillä aisoissa. Ihan neljään tähteen ei kuitenkaan päästä, sillä loppupuolella taso laski. Yhdessä biisissä sämplättiin Pulp Fictionin kahvilaryöstöä.
Beetje rare combi, soms ook wel vervelend dat 1 zinnetje 100 keer werd herhaald. Wel origineel, net voldoende
It wasn't bad.
In 1997, my beloved FM station WDRE-FM went off the air, closing out their last night with a live concert headlined by Philly legends G. Love and Special Sauce, with support from Fun Lovin' Criminals. I taped this concert off the radio and would revisit it periodically until such time as I no longer owned a cassette player. Anyways, I don't like this band all that much and this album is, in most spots, incredibly corny. But here's the thing, these guys can actually play. I don't need to hear the "hits" from this record ever again, but I really liked the cool funk of "I Can't Get With That" (complete with a solo that pretty directly evokes Ernie Isley), as well as the cover of "We Have All the Time in the World." Most of this isn't really my thing, but I enjoyed learning that these guys have had a really long and prolific career. Good for them.
Some of the most high school bars I've ever heard in my life, but the naive blues rap charmed me with its simplicity
Absolutely fine.
nome della band e dell’album abbastanza azzeccati, non mi dispiace
Immature but alright
Pretty decent
Great name for a band, decent album
This was great cleaning music! I liked it.
We could acknowledge that this isn't really all that good. Or we could lean into the groove, and decide it doesn't really matter. Huey, presenting on 6 Music, hadn't changed: he still thought he was an absolute dude. Maybe he is? But, even if he isn't, he found rock and hip hop a cool and fun combination, and wanted to share it. I was in quite a benevolent mood listening to this. It's dated, but I didn't hate it. It really isn't, objectively, very good though. (I definitely would have liked it when I was about 19, and going through a frankly questionable music phase.)
A nice little fusion of a bunch of genres: mellow hiphop, funk, rap, blues and rock. It starts off as kind of cool without really engaging me too much. And that’s the biggest problem with this album: It’s not very bad or a tough listen, but it is not very interesting. They have one hit, and a bunch of medium songs. Best song: Scooby Snacks
not what I expected but also another whatever album
Maybe it's not aged well, but I can't hate this, it's just too funky and, occasionally, funny. There are a few genuine bangers here, in truth mixed up with a regrettable amount of filler, but bangers nevertheless. A thought for those asking, quite reasonably, why this solidly mediocre album is on the list: it may be representitive of a certain cool-comedy-crime cultural zeitgeist that was prominent in the mid-90s. It came from Quentin Tarantino and Guy Ritchie and had fingerprints all over the film & TV of the era but this is perhaps the only real musical spin-off. Maybe that's why.
This is the last album I expected to see on this list. It would most definitely qualify for my other list. Don't get me wrong, I love this album. I was all in from day one when we got the promo copy at the record store where I worked. I then proceeded to grab the Scooby Snacks CD single and the Original Soundtrack For Hi-Fi Living. Plus they were opening for U2? Oh hell yeah! This was my 96. But to add it to the 1K1 Albums yadda yadda list? Ehhh that's kinda pushing it. It's a good album. But that feels more like a personal thing to me. It didn't make huge waves when it was released. It really didn't move the needle, culturally.
Knew the big singles, never had listened to the album. It's not revolutionary, but it's not bad. The tracks are all mostly pretty decent, yeah the rap type verses are of a time, but it was a time. People moaning about the gangsta type lyrics, yeah they are possibly a little cringe and definitely don't relate to me as a very white, middle class male, but that doesn't mean they are shit. For all the people slagging them I hope you're not championing the mediaeval dungeons and dragons lyrics that seem to dominate a lot of prog and metal. Perfectly fine album, does it belongs in the list.... Definitely not the worst I've heard in the list and not anywhere near the top, but 1001 albums is quite a few and there does deserve to be a mix across as many genres as possible.
I liked this quite a lot when it came out, and it’s still ok for lounge hip-hop. I’m unlikely to reach for it, but I won’t throw it across the garden either, and Scooby Snacks is a tune.
Tries to be very smooth and sometimes succeeds, but other times alternates between goofy and dry. Highlights: "Smoke 'Em", "Methadonia"
Never listened. Expectations: None - Verdict: Good - Feel like I've heard of these guys but might be confused with Fine Young Cannibals. Opening couple tracks are great then it calms down a bit. Definitely fun loving! Really good album.
It's a pleasant chilled funky listen.
Sounds a little dated now. But that was a thing back then. Incorporating some movie quotes into the music… It’s got a vibe.
3.5
ravi ra
Decent
Maybe a half-star increase for including Dostoevsky, Spiro Agnew, Phil Esposito, Yngwie Malmsteen, and others into the lyrics.
“Scooby Snacks” was pretty fun, but the rest of the album was middling and the slow songs were absolutely dreadful.
I was a bit dismissive of them at first, because I saw three guys, black and white picture, urban background, and thought Beastie Boys rip off, but no no no, it's not that at all. It has this nice unhurried-focused rapping. There are some weird moments on this album, such as the song "Smoke 'Em" where the guy threatens to break into my house and SMELL my bed, which feels really violating. Another would be "Bombing the L" which has a riff in it that sounds like the "Smoke on the Water" guitar riff with vocals that sound like Ronnie Van Zant (Lynyrd Skynyrd) but pitched-up. In conclusion it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be, though the last quarter of the album did start to drag. Highlight Song/s: "The Fun Lovin' Criminal", "Scooby Snacks" and "I Can't Get With That"
Nostalgically fun and a slice of mindless enjoyment
Very surprising fun album. Rap is not my genre, but this is pretty good - great beats and approachable.
Meh
Good album, fun, quirky for the age, but I probably just didn't understand some references. Another listen with a focus on the lyrics would probably help.
Fun cool dude shit at first but I got bored by the halfway point.
This was fine. Got better as I listened to it longer. Not my usual vibe. Probably wouldn’t revisit.
Rap rock before nu metal?
I liked We Have All The Time In The World and Methadonia. Half of the rest was kinda nice. The rest would have been fine but was ruined by the vocals.
First listen
Genuinely surprised by this. Had no real expectations.
Not my bag The Fun Lovin’ Criminal ★★★☆☆ Passive/Aggressive ★★★☆☆ The Grave and the Constant ★★★☆☆ Scooby Snacks ★★★☆☆ Smoke ’em ★★★☆☆ Bombin’ the L ★★☆☆☆ I Can’t Get With That ★★☆☆☆ King of New York ★★★☆☆ We Have All the Time in the World ★★★☆☆ Bear Hug ★★★☆☆ Come Find Yourself ★★☆☆☆ Crime and Punishment ★★★☆☆ Methadonia ★★★☆☆ Average Album Rating: 2.8/5.0 ★★★☆☆
Kids, just say no to scooby snacks.
hell yeah scooby snacks. i appreciate (though did not enjoy) the rap rock fusion weird guys trying out a ballad. pretty fun listen
This genre isn’t for me because I have a ton of trouble focusing on the lyrics — and without catching the lyrics, I don’t think I can judge the music fully. I did like the quality of the music here, but not enough to spend more time here.
I love the tune Scooby snacks. The rest of the album was mellow and chill. Not bad
Finally a band that loves fun
8 albums to go. Man this list throws up some curious selections.
I liked scooby snacks, the rest of the album was decent, just not my favorite style of music.
Good album
Scoobie snacks!
There is something fun about it. 3
fun album that only started to drag toward the end. minus one point for the song where he whispered at me
3 - decent album
chill. vibes. message.
Not a fan of hip hop but this record goes a long way towards changing that attitude.
cruise in your car, avoid highways type music
This was one of the more enjoyable hip hop albums on this list. Didn't mind this one.
3.3 2x catch up 2/25, liked it but prefer cypress hill
I was not expecting that Louis Armstrong cover from On Her Majesty's Secret Service
It was fine.
No business being on the list of “1001 albums to hear before you die” but fun nonetheless. Very late 90s sounding. Reminded me of everlast. Heard comps to beastie boys, gorillaz, and RHCP and agree.
That was certainly… unexpected. I love the album cover with the mischievous grin. I was surprised that this was like gangsta rap rock. The guitars are tuff. The sound is really groovy and funky. The socially conscious, well-read, philosophical gangsta rock rappers. Huh. I think this album deserves a better mixing though. And We Have All The Time in the World was certainly the low point of this record.
Cool and cruisy. A great soundtrack to a summer afternoon.
Not bad
cool ig. i heard shit similar to this thats way better
***An ok album, many tracks sound alike.
the fun loving criminal- 6 or 7 passive / aggressive- 5 or 6 the grave and the constant- 5 scooby snacks- 5 smoke em- 5 bombing the L- 5 i cant get with that- 5 king of new york- 5 we have all the time in the world- 5 bear hug- 5 come and find yourself- 5 crime and punishment- 5 methadonia- 5
Pretty funky and interesting album. I appreciate that these guys don't take themselves too seriously and seem to be having fun with their music. Also a cool blend of rock, rap and other influences that felt very original. All that being said the music didn't resonate with my personally very strongly and probably won't put this on again any time soon.
At times it feels like they're trying to emulate Beck, other times it feels like they're trying to emulate the Beastie Boys, and they have some underlying attempts at being gangster and hard. There were elements of this album I enjoyed like the solid production and the smooth and funky band/backing tracks, but not enough of them to ever want to hear this again.
This is really cool on some levels. A hip hop group that plays its own instruments. On the other hand, I find “Scooby Snacks” to be……stupid. I’m also a bit confused. The songs have these laid back grooves, and then the lyrics are trying to be very gangster. It is hard to believe what they’re saying. It’s also getting pretty repetitive. The backing tracks all sound the same, 7 songs into this thing. THREE STARS
Favorite Track: King of New York
Not for me
Smoke 'em if you got 'em
I am wondering why I should have listen to this before I die. Don’t get me wrong, it has cool songs, but a big chunk of it is pretty derivative. If it was me, I’d stay with half of the songs and gone with an EP.
Anyone remember when making a reference to Tarantino was cool? Its kind of hard to imagine now, because those movies are overplayed as shit in 2025. Well, what I can say is that the wordplay is notably more clever than other shitass "hillbilly hiphop" groups/artists. The percussion is tight and the musical hooks aren't bad. Unfortunately, I can't help but compare this to Kid Rock and that's an insanely low bar. I expected it to irritate me, but this album was best when it was mostly clever rhymes over repetitive piano/guitar riffs and some light percussion. Glad to be exposed to these guys, but I cannot imagine spinning this to relax at home, sparking a J. That's a shame, because that's clearly what this music was made for. The last thing I'll say is that there's not a lot of discernible reasons why this is an album you have to listen to before you die, at least not in the book that you nerds wrote. The 2018 copy I own claims that the success of this album was due to the chemistry between the 3 members, it was popular in the UK and that this LP was one of the author of the blurb's favorite LP. Okay, but it being your favorite isn't a reason for others to listen. The members of a band having chemistry is not remarkable, that's a prerequisite of an band that is remarkable enough to stand out from the countless other albums ever made. Past that, being popular in the UK is a mark against it in my book (kidding, calm down.) On this list? 3/5 is fair I think. Only because there are a plethora of other unremarkable albums on this list as well.
Easy listening hip hop. Fun album
The band’s name tells the entire story. I see this group’s origin story being a handful of guys who realized they were (slightly) better musicians than the other guys playing Joe’s Bar & Grill and decided to take this full time; all because it was fun to do. The music is average, the lyrics leave something to be desired, but all along it’s intentionally not that serious and leaves you with a half-grin. You’ll forget you listened to this a day later, but it was good while you were in the moment.
I remember Scooby Snacks and The Fun Loving Criminal, but this was my first listen to the entire album. I like it. Smooth flow, laid back vocals, and overall chill vibe are all very cool and enjoyable. Unfortunately most songs sound pretty much the same. They rely on samples and quirky lyrics to keep things interesting, which I suppose kinda works. I wouldn't go so far as calling the album good, but I like it.
This was a solid 3. Some good songs and easy to listen to.
Surprisingly not bad, but I would not revisit
There was a lot more variety in this album than I expected. Generally I enjoyed the second half more than the first (We Have All The Time in the World was a high point, Scooby Snacks was the low point). Nothing mind blowing, but all around, a decent album.
What if we take all the genres of music we know about and put them on one album?! Not what I was expecting at all. I quite liked it but nothing really grabbed me.
No idea what to expect here. The Fun Lovin' Criminal - 8/10. Fun and lighter hip-hop. Good lyrics, well crafted track. Passive/Aggressive - 7/10. Smooth and well-crafted. The Grave and the Constant - 7/10. Solid and slick. Scooby Snacks - 7/10. Pretty slick. Smoke 'Em - 5/10. Not as good as what's come before this. Bombin' The L - 6/10. Slick. I Can't Get With That - 7/10. I like it. King of New York - 7/10. Smooth and slick hip-hop. We Have All the Time in the World - 8/10. Pretty sweet track. Bear Hug - 5/10. A jarring change from the previous track. Not bad, but would be better in a different slot on the album. Come Find Yourself - 7/10. Smooth and well crafted. Crime and Punishment - 6/10. Decent track. Methadonia - 7/10. Relaxed and smooth track. Overall Rating - 3.12/5 (6.23/10). Not my usual taste. Very smooth and slick, well crafted and well produced.
Ok. ★★★
Seemed like a mid 90's Beastie Boys wanna be. It is not awful, there is just better.
I worry: is this another 90s group that glorifies crime and violence? You know what, even if their lyrics are horrible (they might be; I didn't pay attention), I don't care. Because the sound is so refreshingly soulful and acoustic compared to other hip-hop from the same era. The drumming is either entirely analog or a very convincing electronic impression of it, and in terms of quality and "human-ness", it runs laps around the lo-fi-electro loops that dominated the charts in the 90s. The guitar and bass are also much heavier than you tend to find in 90s hip-hop, hearkening back to the grunge movement and beyond. The song Passive / Aggressive almost sounds like a Marvin Gaye instrumental, with passable but largely ignorable spoken vocals on top. That song has the added advantage of a sort of group-semi-singing in the chorus that catches you off-guard if you aren't prepared, and it's really fun. Over and over, I kept discovering new tracks that blew my initial expectations out of the water. The Grave and the Constant has a repeated keyboard that smells suspiciously of sampling, but then the great horns come in for the chorus and you forget you ever suspected anything. If the Fun Lovin' Criminals are sampling, they're doing a good job at hiding it. Scooby Snacks is pretty goofy, and not that interesting in the first half... But once that main chorus hits, it hits hard. Smoke 'Em has some excellent horns in the outro that immediately call for a relisten of the entire track. I Can't Get with That has its great guitar jam in the latter half. Unfortunately, the tail end of the album really drops the ball in quality, with nonsensical throwaways like Bear Hug and Methadonia (the singing is stupid and low-effort) taking up unnecessary runtime. 3/5 Key tracks: Passive / Aggressive, The Grave and the Constant, We Have All the Time in the World
Good beats. 3.5/5
A nice hip-hop album.. My favorite song on this album is not even hip-hop Fav song - We Have All the Time in the World 3/5
Cyprus Hill meets Sublime
This is an example of a brief moment of white guy coolness that happened in the mid 1990s -- a brief return of masculinity defined by movies like Swingers and Pulp Fiction.
I almost fuck with this at a few points, but they're unfortunately kinda sparse. Fun time, though!
A solid slice of 90s rap rock. Nothing special for the most part, following along with the general funky & chilled-out sound of that genre. A highlight, though, is the guitar solo on I Can't Get With That - what a gnarly tour de force!
Rap with an actual band behind it was kinda cool. Not enough for me to regularly listen to, but kinda cool. A lot of the reviews mention lyrics that are less than stellar buuuut I suck at hearing lyrics anyway so it gets a 3 from me!
It IS fun, I'll give them that! There's a lot of misses though, and even at its best it fails to leave much of an impression, which is a shame when on paper this album should be right up my alley. Standouts: Passive / Aggressive • Smoke 'Em • I Can't Get with That • Methadonia
Enjoyable as a whole, felt like I didn't take a whole lot out of it in the end. The diversity on what is brought here is a lot of fun.
I dunno. Not my jam. It’s a low 3. Maybe a 2. I really wouldn’t want to listen to this again. I don’t get “Scooby Snacks” and I really want to. This is more Massive Attack than Beastie Boys or ATCQ. “King of New York” was kind of a vibe but not really killing it for me.
Not bad - good “fun” - bit of its time
The had one hit and it they had to share credit with Quentin Tarantino on the writing they used so many of his lines. the rest of the album was pretty one note.
Fine. It was fine.
3 Stars (8/15)
Silly lyrics wrapped in a hiphop-rock shell. Me likey. Listened before? N Saved to library? N Favorite track(s): Scooby Snacks, Passive Aggressive ⭐⭐⭐: Liked it
As soon as I started listening, I though, hmm, this voice sounds familiar. Oh, yeah. Fun Lovin' Criminals had a song on the Titan A.E. soundtrack, Everything Under the Stars. That song isn't on this album, but several of the songs reminded me a lot of it. Listened before? N Saved to library? N Favorite track(s): The Fun Lovin' Criminal, Passive/Aggressive, Scooby Snacks, King of New York ⭐⭐⭐: Liked it. Saved some tracks.
fun album, some good tracks, not too bad
It was ok. Shouldn’t be on the list
Fun music, the first track is a classic. Definitely a unique sound.
Not something I had heard before. Scooby snacks was kinda fun. Album felt a bit repetitive.