Reviews (page 3 of 7)
I like cold beverages!
I went in with admittedly low expectations. Roomy snare
Sure 'Baby's Got Sauce' is iconic if you grew up in the 90s and early aughts, but the rest of this album is just...pretty average.
Ganske kult
My first thought was that it reminded me of early Beck. I really like the vibe. It's not profound in any way — "Cold Beverage" just seems like a good song for a summer afternoon.
Very fun. His voice is very punchy and I like that. Not very memorable in my eyes though. I remember the first three songs or so being good, and Shooting Hoops was another standout. 5.6/10
G Love is a sort of fusion of hippy jam band music, jazz, funk, hip hop and more. My girlfriend really likes My Baby Got Sauce so it has a soft spot for me. This album is a bit all over the place, and I'd probably rate it a 2. But I saw G Love a few summers ago open for OAR and Dispatch. It was a ton of fun, and he was good live.
G. Love was interesting. A groovy, boppy record, that felt silly and fun. I don't get how I slept on this band in the 90s...
I enjoyed this. Worth another listen and will check out other albums in their catalog. Some of the songs did seem to run together and feel like more of the same, but overall, it was good.
Me gustó. Por momentos bluesero, en otros momentos con una onda de rap o hip hop extraña, pero en general una mezcla sólida. No me haría fan, pero no me la pasé mal.
I don't really know what this is but it carries a ratio of about 60:40 of cool to cringe, and it's absolutely the sort of thing Beck, Fun Lovin' Criminals and others were getting away with in the later 90s, so I guess this is part of that same subgenre. The bass work is frequently excellent and while I think the vocals haven't aged amazingly well, the whole thing works, for the most part. Could've definitely been a few tracks shorter, but that's been easily half of the albums on the list at this point.
Never heard of this before, actually some really fire stuff
The music was relaxing but the vocals were pretty amateur. I felt it got worse as it went on. Rating: Low 3
Du rap, mais jazzy, en vrai ça change c'est pas mal
Sympa!
I like the vibe of the songs but it's a bit too similar
honnêtement cool, je sais pas pourquoi tout le monde hate 3/5
they don't make white boys like this anymore.
Not bad. Not good. I appreciate the vibe. I like that he didn’t take himself too seriously. He could’ve stood to take himself a bit more seriously though.
Very 90s garage vibe. Done well
A band from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Been a while since I listened, can't recall much.
Geeft me "my Sister = My Clock" vibes...
I’ve always liked a number of his songs but I never sat down with a full album. After this, I understand better why. His vocal style is like someone gasping for breath. That works on some tracks, but leaves me gasping after a near hour’s worth. He plays the blues far better than he raps.
Nice beats, weirdly mellow. I didn't hate it.
Chill
Is this a good album? Nope. But I like this album. Very reminiscent of Beck but not as good. The bass is the instrumental highlight here. Favorites are Baby’s Got Sauce, Blues Music, and Cold Beverage.
I’ve heard this before, but I don’t believe I’ve listened to it since college. I forgot how minimal this is compared to their later records, and it’s entirely hip hop based without the rock and soul influences from the later albums. It’s a solid album, although his voice kinda irritates me. That’s forgivable because he’s from Philadelphia and they all got weird accents there. None of the songs are amazing but none are bad either. I like it just fine.
It was okay! A fun way to spend an hour, but not itching to return to it. Happy to have given it a go and to know a band I didn't before though! :)
Funky white boy music is what the 90s were all about.
Three all beef patties
Fine
Kinda fun for a while but does drag on. At least it's something else from britpop. 3/5
Highlights: Blues Music, The Things That I Used To Do, Baby’s Got Sauce and Cold Beverage. 3.0
Theoretically great music, terrible execution
Rv
This is such a bizarre fusion of sounds. You've got honky-tonk, blues, jazz, jam band explorations and...hip-hop vocals. This is like Tuesday Night Music Club's evil cousin. I'll give it this, I don't know if I've ever heard anything that sounds quite like this before, not with this exact fusion of genres. I can see why this is on the list, honestly. But if I want laid back jazzy hip-hop, I'll take A Tribe Called Quest instead. If I want vaguely hip-hop white guy 90s rock, I'll go for Spin Doctors.
It’s a fun listen. Reminds me of a blues band covering sublime. Other than a few songs, I found it a bit samey but it would be good background music for a summer party.
alright
Not my type of music, but I would not be mad if this was playing in the background of a party or at a balcony or roof top bar. Music is tight. Do not know one song on this album.
I remember when this album came out - feeling like it *seemed* like something I could like, but I didn't. Listening again it's still just "fine".
Wow, this one was very specific. Some of it was stuff that I've enjoyed and some is not.
Þetta er voða hassað en skemmtilegt. Svona discount Beck fílingur.
I wanted to like this more than I did. It started strong but kinda meanders near the end.
It was certainly a unique mix of songs. I didn't hate it but it also wasn't very memorable.
3/5
So close to really good. So close to not.
Ok
La formule de base est fun, mais au bout de 3 chansons tu comprends que c'est du copier/coller et ça perd son charme.
Look, I love G. love. Been a fan for 20 years. I think their music is fun, but that doesn’t mean it’s good. Definitely not list worthy, but that’s not the only album I’ve gotten so far that I would say this about. You should know who G. Love is, but you only really need to listen to “Milk and Cereal”
якесь гаражне музло🤙
Sauce of glove meng
Relaxed to a fault. The slacker charm is real and the blend of blues and hip-hop is fun, but the low-key tone rarely shifts. Nice background record, rarely gripping.
Some real haters of this album it seems but I thought it was very enjoyable. Tailed off a little at the end, but solid 3 stars for me.
Most of it feels like RHCP@0.75speed apart from Town to Town which is like a random Tom Waits track just thrown in there.
Enjoyable.
It was ok in the background
This goes from being genuinely charming and interesting to downright annoying and boring at the same time. This Ain't Living is the best song by a mile, but it's a bit too long at the same time. 1001 albums? why?
It is odd enough to almost be good. 3 stars or C-.
3 sterne
7.3
Drum'n'Bass, is that you? Almost. A heavy helping of blues and speaky-style vocals and you have this album. Apple Music compared them to Beastie Boys which I think is pretty apt. Overall listenable.
I am a huge Beck fan (I just listened to Mellow Gold yesterday) and I saw a lot of people comparing this to Beck, so I went in with high hopes. But man... this is like if Beck was sleepwalking. Every song here is soooooo boring. All the songs are a 4 bar loop stretched out to 5 minutes with no melody. I am a sucker for 90's production though and this album sounds great, especially the drums. I can picture a version of this album being really good, but instead we got an hour of nothing. Low 3.
I had never heard of this band before, reminds me a bit of Beck. Was alright.
Record Exec circa 1993: “This Beck loser is really climbing up the charts. It’s nonsense to me and the wife, but our kids love it. We need an answer to this, maybe something a little friendlier for the whole family. Find it!” *one week later* Talent scout: “I found the perfect band, and they even sing a song about basketball for the urban audience.” Record exec: “Sign them yesterday.” Seriously though, as much fun as it will be to shit on this album by just quoting it or its Wikipedia page directly (the album “nearly went gold”), I enjoyed it despite myself.
It was okay
begon leuk daarna beetje kut
I didn’t hate this as much as I thought I would!
Cool and relentless blues beats to a modern almost Beck like vocals.
literally an odd little fusion of rap and blues music. can't tell you if i've actually listened to these two genres mash together, but here it is in this album. it's something listening to this for the first time and studying it out... like... huh. okay. i'm not sure if i'm feeling the vibe too much. i like some of the lyrics and the instrumentals are really really nice, but i just cannot get used to this guy's voice. at all. i can definitely see the potential in this kind of musical style, but this hasn't really convinced me that much i'm afraid.
Das Debütalbum der US-amerikanischen Band G. Love & Special Sauce wurde überwiegend in Studio 4 Recording, Philadelphia aufgenommen. Garrett „G. Love“ Dutton (Gesang, Gitarre), Jeffrey Clemens (Schlagzeug) und Jim „Jimi Jazz“ Prescott (Bass) verbinden Blues, Hip-Hop, Soul und Rock zu einem entspannten Groove. Bekannte Songs wie „Cold Beverage“, „Baby’s Got Sauce“ und „This Ain’t Living“ zeigen die Mischung aus lockeren Rap-Rhythmen und bluesigen Gitarrenlinien. Die Produktion bleibt reduziert und organisch, wodurch der charakteristische, leicht improvisierte Stil der Band spürbar wird. Das Album wirkt durchgängig stimmig und vermittelt den frühen Sound der Gruppe überzeugend.
cool sound - kinda Beck Mellow Gold, kinda Sublime... not my cup of tea any more but a cool sound nonetheless
The vibe is similar to early Beck, but it's not as good as early Beck. Pretty good 6/10
It’s cool but the vocals grate on me sometimes
Местами нудно и затянуто. Можно поставить фоном.
I wnjoyed this
Very forgettable. There are some nice grooves here and there and the production style is neat (they play in your room). Snare sound is great
mal no pero meh no he acsbado de escucharlo por algo será
Too long.
Very interesting blend of music. Especially with this being 30 years old. To my untrained rap ear this sounded like a mac miller npr session from time to time. Enjoyed babys got sauce, cold beverage and this aint living the most. and hey, a basketball song also scores some points with me. :)
chill vibes
Warm, roomy, groovy, human - it sounds like it was recorded with one microphone, in a garage. That's a Good Thing.
Better than expected.
You ever have a memory except you don't actually remember any of it? Your memory only exists because someone else told you what happened? I got my wisdom teeth pulled when I was 17. Apparently, when I got into the car all drugged up from the surgery, I told my dad, "You HAVE to hear this album." What I played for him was G. Love's Philadelphonic. To this day, he still loves G. Love and never fails to bring up this story of hearing him for the first time. Now, I share no delusions that G. Love is some sort of revolutionary artist. Yeah his blues, rock, rap fusion is pretty unique, but it's not like mind blowing or anything... it's just fun. But I was definitely surprised to see this album getting lambasted in the review section. Surely it's not *that* bad? Am I going to listen to this with fresh ears or with nostalgia glasses on? Well, I didn't love it like I thought I would. It was fine, but I also get a lot of the hate. "I remember liking Philadelphonic so much better," I thought as I listened to this. So, I immediately played Philadelphonic after this and, nostalgia be damned, I do think it was significantly better. It's just more of a fun, upbeat sound and it's catchier and more rhythmic. Maybe that album is on this list too, maybe it's not (I sure don't think this list needs two G. Love albums), but I promise you it's better. This one? It's an OK experimental blues rock album but even I, as a fan, am left scratching my head as to why this is a must-listen album before I die.
Almost an hour long. This was peak 90s "OMG WE GOTTA FILL THE CD" era. There's some great tracks on here. Cold Beverages will never not be a great song. But I think this release could have used a bit of editing.
Eh
Pretty groovy, however I grew tired of buddy's vocal stylings about halfway through. 50/50, maybe you need to hear half of this before you die. 3/5 then.
This was a basic 90s album but it wasn't terrible! And it had some good songs I wasn't over the moon for it, but it wasn't terrible
Alright
Decent blues but just noise at certain times
Hey! I remember really liked that one song of theirs!
Jovial and jaunty. This was right on the cusp of four stars, but it was just not quite enough, but the music and vocals were pretty simple and the lyrics were also basic. Comparing to Sublime, for instance, it's no contest.
Chill, happy flow.
okay i paused my journey for months because i just wasn't in the mood for this but it was simply fine? blues was not what i expected. a little long but again it was fine.
I like some of G. Love & Special Sauce's music. I have never loved their first album quite as much as I like some of their later work. Some of this is too close to the Fun Lovin' Criminals for my taste, though G. Love isn't nearly as corny, stupid or useless as that shitty band. Shooting Hoops is a song that feels like an outtake but it's the only really bad song on here. I think this album has a place in the book, because it does combine blues, rap, funk and chill rock into a combination that was somewhat unique at the time, though it doesn't mean people enjoy the sound. As a sound of full disclosure, the rapping over an acoustic/electric guitar is not necessarily my favorite thing to listen to. It's a bit too much liquor store blues on a college campus for my tastes. There are some good songs on here. My favorites are: Things I Used to Do Baby's Got Sauce Cold Beverage This Ain't Living Some Peoples Like That I Love You
++: The Things That I Used To Do, Blues Music, Baby's Got Sauce, Shooting Hoops, Town To Town, I Love You +: Rhyme for the Summertime, Walk To Slide, Some Peoples Like That +-: Cold Beverage, Fatman, This Ain't Living - Official Audio -: Garbage Man 6,0/10
I'm going to be honest, I would never have put this on if not for this website. Now that I have, it's not that bad? I mean, this kind of white-boy blues-speak rapping can go very, very bad. Like, the worst thing you ever heard bad. This is not that, thankfully. As for the music itself, it's pleasantly chill and vibey enough.
Mystified why this has been included. Not terrible but achingly average
I feel like this reminded me of something else but I couldn't remember what. I quite enjoyed it without anything really standing out as excellent.
Not my typical music but was entertaining. Some country vibes which was surprising but made for a more interesting listen.
Weird as hell. I feel like that's owed mostly to the name and that it's labelled R&B/Soul on Apple Music but features three white guys on the cover. Surprisingly good. I enjoyed the riffs and some of the drum fills. Curious to hear the justification for this one in the list.
Gillar som fan! Riktigt fint, tungt groove och kul, fritt jammande. Slapp stämning på ett bra sätt. Plus för ståbasen. Kritiken skulle ju kunna lyda ungefär: alla låtar låter väldigt snarlikt. Och det är ju sant. Men spelar det någon roll? I det här fallet tycker jag inte det.
Not sure what to expect, never heard of album or band. First song starts off weird. Not neccasarily bad but weird. Harmonica solo is cool. For how choppy this is it’s actually pretty catchy. Blues music reminds of beck in a good way. This is another good song. Love the guitar on garbage man. Relatively simple but works so well. It’s another good song. Best one so far I think. The drums on all of these are very interesting, it not just your generic drum beats. Have to appreciate that. Eyed have miles as a whole is just fine, nothing special really. Not a fan of baby’s got sauce. Just a little too cheesy. Really good lyrics on rhyme for summertime. Good song. Cold beverage is fine. I like fatman. Great title and fun song. I like this ain’t living a lot. Classic 90s song. Definitely have heard on the radio before. Walk to slide is fine. Nothing special. Shooting hoops is goofy but also really well written. Don’t feel like it fits on the album. Back in track with some people’s like that, pretty good. Town to town was just fine. I would’ve liked a better ender. I live you is just fine. Overall the album was good not great. 2.8 stars
Someone’s gotta stop these white boys. Okay, actually, I had fun with this album in spite of how cheesy it is. White boy soul/rap? I should have detested this, but they’re so sincere, I kinda laughed along with it after a while? Harmless! Wild that this album is over 60 minutes when each song is essentially the same, no need for that. But overall, fun!
Better in theory than in practice. Grew tiresome at about 4 songs in. But it's not completely shite. I could imagine listening to this in an inattentive way: back ground dabs and I'm doing something way more interesting. But the vibes might be needed. 3 solid balls of fire.
Need to hear it again.
This is the first I hear of G. Love and the first couple if minutes were creating a cringe response, but as the tracks progressed I was able to appreciate the talent needed to execute this. It's also not just another band attempting this combination of rap and blues-rock, it's the beginning of the sound. My mind went back to Flobots, but this project precedes that by a lot. This is from 1994, mentally I was allocating this about 10 years ahead of its actual release. So overall it feels gritty in a silly way, the blues influence is strong and works pretty well with the lineup, mostly bass and drums. G. Love's vocal execution isn't my favorite, but I don't hate it. Kind of got this slick white guy vibe, open mic jazz poetry kind of thing. It's a mood and it's a solid project for the mood. I'm impressed with the sound. I still wonder if, when I ~am~ in the mood for something like this, I'll reach for this or Flobots, Bluezeum, or even a more refined approach like Gorillaz. 3.3/5
This record got some pretty scathing reviews on this site. I’m not really sure why considering how many of the records on this site are just pure dross. And this really isn't one of those. Granted, this is not the record I’m going to listen to with a whole lot of intentionality or revisit often. But it’s enjoyable. It’s kind of great as background music, with the occasional track that demands some of my attention. 3.7/5
I was kind of expecting a bit more chill easy going vibes but this felt like G. Love had a spicier attitude with these songs than other work of his I heard. 3.5 and goin.
Keeping those white boy blues alive.
Probably an artist I would have liked more if I had listened to more albums beyond the singles that got radio.
I always liked “Cold Beverages”, but never really got into them more than that. After listening to this album in its entirety I’ve discovered that it is actually really good all the way through and I was missing out for a long time. It’s funky, bluesy… very not typical for 1994, but I love that about them. Overall this was a great experience.
Really enjoyed the blues and hip hop collaboration and the album was really chilled , much better than anticipated
Not bad.
Not bad have never heard it before intriguing worth a second listen.
Soort rock- hip hop hybride. Goed maar wat langdradig. 3.5/5
Never heard this, but so many bands when I was in a band in the mid nineties adopted a sound like this. I have to acknowledge it's ingenuity while admitting it's not my thing. Probably 2.5 for me, but bumping.
Well this one is surprising to see on the list. If you were listening with broken headphones, you might think you were hearing early Beck (before he hit his stride) outtakes with his characteristic blend of blues, 90s indie rock and hip hop. This is one of those albums that's sort of cringeworthy, but also a bit infectuous. For every song I was looking to get over with, I found myself tapping my feet to the next one. It has redeemable elements, mostly with the music. The vocals are a bit rough, though intentionally so. G Love strikes me as the kind of guy you'd find on a college campus who seems very cool at first, but increasingly self-centered and obnoxious. Put another way, I see the appeal but in a limited sense. I can tolerate him long enough to enjoy a handful of tracks, but I can't really justify the inclusion on the list.
Good music. Lyrics didn’t grab me.
Just barely > the Beatles I haven't heard the words G. Love and Special Sauce in forever. Was pleasantly surprised. It's fine. It's unique. There's something there, it's not fully for me but I respect it. If they were English, there would be 3 albums on this list.
I enjoyed it way back when it was released. But presently it’s meh. However, I loved one review that loved this album because of the great memories it invoked. So extra point for bringing joy to someone.
They were fun to see at a summer festival, but seem a little ephemeral for this list.
Not my typical style but can see why it may be influential. 3/5
**In-Depth Review: *G. Love and Special Sauce* (1994)** *G. Love and Special Sauce*, the 1994 self-titled debut from Philadelphia’s G. Love & Special Sauce, is a genre-defying album that fused hip-hop, blues, funk, and rock into a laid-back, groove-heavy sound that was both fresh and retro. Frontman Garrett Dutton (aka G. Love), along with bassist Jim “Jimi Jazz” Prescott and drummer Jeffrey “Houseman” Clemens, created a raw, minimalist record that captured the spirit of street performance and blues tradition, while injecting the rhythm and flow of early ‘90s hip-hop. --- ### 🎼 **Musical Style & Production** The album’s sound is built on a foundation of **lo-fi blues riffs**, **boom-bap hip-hop beats**, and **acoustic instrumentation**. The production, intentionally minimal and organic, was designed to replicate the band’s live street performances. Most tracks were recorded with little isolation, allowing for a natural “bleed” that gives the album a vintage, almost analog warmth. - **“Cold Beverage”** is a standout, built on a simple blues riff and a hypnotic beat, with G. Love’s half-sung, half-rapped delivery making it an instant summer anthem. - **“Blues Music”** is a slow-burning, hypnotic groove that pays homage to the Delta blues tradition. - **“This Ain’t Living”** is a six-minute spoken-word jazz-rap meditation on poverty and systemic struggle, featuring piano by a then-unknown Scott Storch and guest verses from rapper Jasper. The trio’s instrumentation—guitar, upright bass, and drums—is refreshingly sparse, allowing each element to breathe. G. Love’s harmonica work adds a bluesy texture that ties the sound together. --- ### 🖋️ **Lyrics & Themes** Lyrically, the album is a mix of **carefree braggadocio**, **social commentary**, and **street poetry**. G. Love’s delivery is casual yet clever, often walking the line between rap and spoken word. Themes range from **urban life**, **love**, and **partying** to **deeper reflections on hardship** and **identity**. - **“Baby’s Got Sauce”** is playful and flirtatious, showcasing G. Love’s knack for catchy, colloquial phrasing. - **“This Ain’t Living”** dives into the struggles of the working class and the disillusionment with government systems, offering a rare moment of political clarity on the album. - **“Garbage Man”** and **“Some Peoples Like That”** explore outsider identity and social alienation with a bluesy grit. G. Love’s lyrics often reflect his **Philadelphia upbringing**, his **love for hip-hop culture**, and his **respect for blues traditions**, all while navigating the complexities of being a white artist in predominantly Black musical spaces. --- ### 🎤 **Vocal Performance & Delivery** G. Love’s vocal style is **nonchalant, rhythmic, and melodic**. He doesn’t so much rap as **talk rhythmically**, often slipping into a bluesy croon. His voice is not polished, but that’s part of the charm—it’s authentic, unfiltered, and fits the raw aesthetic of the music. --- ### 🌍 **Influence & Legacy** The album was **ahead of its time**, predating the genre-blending trends that would become more common in the 2000s. It helped pave the way for artists like **Jack Johnson**, **Donavon Frankenreiter**, and **Ben Harper**, all of whom G. Love would later collaborate with. The album’s **“hip-hop blues”** fusion was unique in 1994 and remains a defining hallmark of G. Love’s career. It also **resonated with the alternative rock and college radio crowd**, thanks to its quirky charm and DIY ethos. Tracks like “Cold Beverage” became cult favorites, and the band’s relentless touring helped build a loyal grassroots fanbase. --- ### ✅ **Pros** - **Innovative genre fusion**: Seamlessly blends hip-hop, blues, funk, and rock. - **Raw, organic production**: Captures the energy of live performance. - **Strong lyrical personality**: G. Love’s voice is distinct and relatable. - **Timeless summer vibes**: Tracks like “Cold Beverage” still feel fresh. - **Cultural authenticity**: Rooted in real experiences and musical traditions. --- ### ❌ **Cons** - **Repetitive structure**: The album’s laid-back groove can feel monotonous over the course of an hour. - **Limited dynamic range**: Most tracks stick to a similar tempo and mood, which may wear on some listeners. - **Underdeveloped themes**: While “This Ain’t Living” is a lyrical high point, much of the album leans on playful but shallow content. - **Lack of sonic evolution**: The album doesn’t build much beyond its initial sound palette, making the second half feel less impactful. --- ### 🧠 **Final Thoughts** *G. Love and Special Sauce* is a **bold, original debut** that introduced a new sound to the ‘90s music landscape. While it suffers from **repetition and a lack of sonic variety**, its **authenticity, groove, and genre-blending innovation** make it a **cult classic** worth revisiting. It’s not a perfect album, but it’s a **snapshot of a moment** when musical boundaries were beginning to blur—and G. Love was right there at the crossroads, harmonica in hand, laying down the blueprint for a new kind of cool.
nice album, probably won't ever listen to it again
Is this Tracy Jordan?
90's college kid aesthetic. Some cool sounding stuff here but it largely sounds directionless which I suppose may be the point. Not a bad listen, just a little more quirky than it needs to be.
Definitely not my kind of music!
A mix of Fun Loving Criminals and Beck but severely lacking the cool of both artists. Held my interest and had its moments but far better music from that time beats this. Minus points for the ridiculous name.
Now there’s ‘laid back’, but one surely has to draw a line at not being able to get words out of your mouth properly. His vocal delivery really grated me. Which is a shame as while it’s got a very familiar 90s slacker vibe, it definitely has its own more blusier style against the obvious comparitors. I really am no pedant but, elocution young man, elocution!
got pretty samey but quite liked the vibe..
It was giving me strong Beck vibes
Fun, loose, bluesy and jazzy music with a laidback rap flow. A real pleasure to put on and groove to. And as much as this is a chill, weekend vibes album, the performances are really strong. There are a lot of musical ideas squeezed into the songs. The band is great — funky and relaxed but able to kick into high gear when needed. They blend hip-hop and blues seamlessly. And I love that funky bass! “Baby’s Got Sauce” was particularly fun. Very catchy.
Cool drum beat to start; I really love all the grace notes and looseness to it. This is really how I love drums. Oh wow, a great voice on the singer too! Damn I am really grooving to this. I really enjoyed this, will definitely check out more of their stuff as this was a really nice and cohesive style. It's a solid 3/5 for me.
A tricky blend of genres.
Unique sound. Bluesy hip hop, free-flowing funny lyrics or spoken words that seem to tumble out of G.Love's mouth. Funky bass. Hollow sound like sitting in on a jam session. Authentic day-in-the-life Philly references.
I liked this! It was fun and energetic.
Never heard of them but quite like it. Shades of Jurassic 5 and FLC
Buena instrumentación para cantar rap. No los conocía.
Music's good, but lyrics are lazy. There's several times you can tell he gets stuck and just repeats himself.
I can see why people like it but not for me
Funky
248/1089 - This is stupid and it sucks. I kinda like it. It loosely reminds me of Sublime and I'd much rather listen to Sublime. I'm rating this a 3 but it's really a 2 and 4 at the same time.
I hated this at first but it grew on me. It’s not great but it’s fun. Cold Beverages a good tune.
Interesting mashup of Rap and Blues. I love one genre and dislike the other and of course I ended up right in the middle with this album at a 3 star. Standouts were “Garage Man”, “Baby’s Got Sauce”, “Shooting Hoops”, but some of the others were not something I'd listen to again.
58/1089 I don’t have super in-depth thoughts on how to critique this album but it was a pretty enjoyable rock/jazz/souls fusion album and a had a good time listening to it. It scratched the same itch that a lot of Haim songs (like ‘Summer Girl’) do. faves: This Ain’t Living, Walk To Slide 3 stars or 64/100
Interesting style.
9/1/2025. To me, this is very similar to Soul Coughing! Instead of jazz, it feels more of an offshoot of blues with spoken word style rapping over it, and minimalist instrumentation. Cool discovery.
Goofy new genre of rapping over the blues. Points for trying something different and while fun, it's not amazing or anything. Standout is the nostalgic "Baby's Got Sauce".
ok
It was enjoyable. The last five songs were a bit of a dud.
It has its place and made some noise back in the day… but a must listen? No. Nostalgia rating alone.
Nice funk. Good stuff.
I like this album more than I should. It reminds me of a job and friends from 1995-96.
A very cool album for cool people who enjoy hanging out and being different in a cool way. Without the special suace this album would be a flop. Wanted to like it more, but outside if a few super groovy tunes (garbage man/ walk to slide) it sorta blended together. It does however have high relistenablitly, particularly when the sun in shining.
In college I had one friend who loved G. Love and Special Sauce and another friend who hated them. I kinda get both sides now. The beats are good and funky, but G. Love isn’t a good enough rapper to give them the energy they need. Another album that would be improved by incorporating at least one black person.
Rage against the machines's disabled cousin
First time hearing of this group. I enjoyed the laidback feel of the songs, however I felt the album went a bit too long. I can see a lot of these tunes growing on me.
In my imagination, I don't think I would have ever conceived of a garage hip hop band that uses actual instruments and sounds great. It is a weird cross between gimmickry and serendipity. And they do impress.
Not really for me but ok.
you know it's bad when the wiki blurb calls them "sloppy," lol. i didn't dislike this as much as some other people but it essentially made no impact on me. sorry boys!
i didn't hate this as much as it seems everyone else did, but it's definitely a perplexing inclusion on this list. this album feels like the soundtrack to a straight-to-VHS kids movie from the early 90s about a boy who comes from a crappy small town in the midwest but wants to play basketball more than anything, oh, and there's a twist... he's actually AN ALIEN!!!!!! naturally, roger and ebert despised it. favorites: blues music, baby's got sauce, cold beverage
rodzynek na liscie, bo jesli rapowania troche sie mozna nasluchac, to jego romanse z bluesem to zazwyczaj samplowanie, czy jakis kolab typu orkiestra plus raper a tutaj jest aktualnie caly album bedacy debiutanckim krazkiem trio ktore rokuje po bluesowemu z elementami soulowymi, a liryke wypluwa na hip hopowa modle, jako instrumenty to dominuje gitarki akustykowe i elektryki, kontrabas, drumsy, perkusja i harmonijka, wokal rapowy jest jeden plus zdarzaja sie chorki od innego drugiego pana, lata 90 byly naprawde zltota era jak takie cuda sie dzialy w hip hopie takie rzeczy, slychac mocne inspiracje beastie boysami czy dmckami w tym rapowaniu, na plejke dodam babys got sauce i blues music, jak na album prawie godzinny, to nie czuc tutaj zeby sie dluzyl i bardzo siadl moodowo na niebieski wieczor, instrumentale swietnie pasuja do dzwieku deszczu za oknem, a rapowanie jest tutaj bardziej dodatkiem niz glownym daniem plyty
Good album, great for a background listen in the pool. Just not earth shattering
Fun and sleazy and catchy.
At first I thought there were some cool ideas, but by the end of this I was really sick of it. Sounded very tacky and cheesey. 2.6/5
A nice little groove, with some catchy hooks.
Not bad! 3.5/5
sound encompasses blues, hip hop, rock, and soul.
Cool, chill rap-rock with twangy bluesy guitar. Nothing too special about it, but it was solid and fairly well-executed, so I'll give a 3
This sounds like the Fun Loving Criminals! Given that their first album came out two years after this, I guess they were “influenced” by it. A low key Jazz Funk guitar trio vibe with rapping. Kind of funky. Kind of chilled. Kind of annoying. I can imagine enjoying this at the time. Not really my sort of thing now. But okay!
I like G Love, but even I think a full album of G Love is a little too much.
Fun listen. I remember a guy who was a year older than me when I was a teenager who liked this band a lot and I thought he was really cool. It's funny how I can recall him emulating this in his mannerisms. Life is weird.
I remember listening to some of these songs in college
Grappig album. Het is een soort oude hiphop, maar dan ook nog met een randje jazz. Niet iets dat ik echt vaker zou luisteren, maar ook niet slecht
I saw a review that said it sounds a bit like Beck without the weirdnesses, Fun Lovin' Criminals without the cringe and Beastie Boys without the boyish aggression. That sounds about right but it also means it lacks a bit of personality.
Nice mellow bluesy hip hoppyish niceness.
Fun and I liked the style. Reminds me of Cage the Elephant in a good way (but is probably the other way around)
Really like this genre
White boys trying too hard to be cool but actually sounds decent
Love the percussion!
I liked this album until I punched a barista for handing me a hot coffee. I asked for it hot, but G. Love told me I wanted a cold beverage and my barista wanted a knuckle sandwich. Not very chill white boy of me.
Laid back to the point of rabid somnambulism. Nodding, yes, but not nodding off, no never--nodding on. I am totally along for the local (Philly!) new to me ride.
This would probably benefit from a couple of listens. I had never heard of this album and when it started, I felt really into it and excited to hear something new to me. It sounded a bit fun lovin’ criminals. The lustre wore off a bit towards the latter half of the album. It would’ve been better, shorter. But it was fun for a bit.
I'm pleasantly surprised - I was not expecting anything good from this and I found myself enjoying this at times. It's not cutting edge or anything but I like the sort of intimate feeling.
I haven’t thought about G. Love and Special Sauce since hanging with my stoner hippie friends in college. That’s really the right crowd and environment for this. Listening to it now while at work doesn’t quite hit the same way. Overall pretty decent but too long
Didn’t hate it
Like Beck before Beck. Aggressively 90s.
It's funky but nothing crazy.
Did not expect this. Thought it would be some unc shit but it was pretty ok
Loose and sloppy, but in an enjoyable way.
Interesting stuff
Philadelphia natives! Id heard a lot of their hits before. Nice mellow music with a variety of genres/influences.
Never heard of this so completely blind to it and i really enjoyed it. Liked the vibe, liked the base, liked the blues, liked the vocal delivery. It sounded like a fore runner to Primus or the Fun Loving Criminals. It was overly long and obviously isnt shakespeare, but a worthwhile album to discover
3 star, I missed too much to give it an accurate review but I liked it overall
A jazzy, bluesy rap album with good drums and other stuff. The vocalist sounds like a dickhead though.
G. Love isn’t the most talented guy out there, but he’s got an energy some people really latch onto. If you’re into him, you’ll love it and listen all the time, if not, he’s gonna sound really annoying and repetitive. I get both sides. I enjoy his music, but understand an entire album may be a bit daunting for people just meeting him for the first time. I fucking love “Cold Beverage”, though. Classic. 3/5
Dad- 7 Mom- 3 Mike- 7 Lori- 7 Michael- 7 Miles- NA Cole- 6 Avg- 5
Only the middle of the album was good imo. Favorite songs were Baby’s Got Sauce, Cold Beverage, This Ain’t Living, and Shooting Hoops. These songs give off a really chill laid back carefree vibe and are a joy to listen to. However; the rest of the album is either too heavily distorted for me to like any of it or just too repetitive in nature. There was a lot of potential here but it definitely wasn’t used to its fullest extend. Overall, high highs and low lows.
Like Beck and Sublime combined. Not the best, but it seems like a window into the 90s
2,5
Didn’t really stand out for me
G. Love and Special Sauce is a rare band who play hip hop. They actually play it and they goes along way. The album has an incredible summertime vibe, a smoother, chiller Sublime. Bluesy even funky at times, Baby Got Sauce and Cold Beverage are obvious highlights, but as hip hop does, it runs long 7.7/10
This is one that was playing constantly for about 6 months in 1994 then I completely forgot it existed. It holds up better than I thought it would, at least in the first half. The back half of the album starts to get pretty repetitive.
Fun, but not close-to-60-minutes-runtime fun.
I had to revisit this one a few times over several days. It's definitely unique, and I enjoy the distinct rapping over the nice jazz instrumentals and stand up bass. I wish there was a bit more variety in the track list, and the run time was pretty bloated at about an hour (should have been 40, 45min tops). 3.4/5 -> 3/5
The was unexpectedly pleasant. I really liked the vibe. Never heard of these guys or any of the songs. Good daydrinking background music I may listen again. Not 4 stars tough.
"Glove" I had a lot of vitriol for this back in the day when it was seemingly everywhere - I suppose when all you want to hear is art rock or mysterious mood time-shifting space bombast a bluesy/mumbly rap (?) combo is *definitely* gonna irritate and did. Laughing as I get to "Cold Beverages" - holy hell I hated and mocked this song incessantly... Eh honestly the music is kind of cool - chill fun blues vibe. GLOVE gets annoying real quick with his (intentionally?) stupid voice. Real. Quick. I can enjoy this when I'm focusing on the groove and a lot of unexpected turns on guitar (most interesting: chords on "Walk to Slide"). I could be fine with a few of these cuts or just instrumental interludes; overall a bit better than I'd remembered. 6/10 3 stars.
This was a fun one to listen to. I like G. Love’s special intonation in his voice. Especially in Blue’s Music
Enough variety to maintain a 3
Thought I would like it more. I love their groove and I love all of the songs that I already knew by them. Just not in the mood at time of listening.
I like Cold Beverage and a couple of the others off this album, but for the most part I got a big, "Best Friend's band plays at a house party" vibe. Not really awful but nothing great. Seems I say that a lot with a bunch of these albums on the list. Not sure why this one was chosen to be an album that I had to hear before I die. It's nothing groundbreaking or amazing. It's just... there. By my calculations, I came up with a 2.6/5, which puts it at a 3 on this scale.
I love the jazzy bass, the bluesy guitar, and the occasional harmonica - all the instruments on this album are great. But the singer's voice is really grating. It's like a combination of drunk slurring, an affected accent that makes it difficult to take seriously, and a weird croakiness that makes it sound unpleasant even when you can tell what he's saying. This Ain't Living is by far the best song on this album, and it's largely because someone else does most of the vocals
piacevole
If every white band that used funk and soul and hybridized the sound to be edgy and cool had a slot on this list, the list would be much, much longer. I never heard of G. Love & Special Sauce and this sound and time period are in my wheel house. This album sounds like just about all of the edgy early 90s grindy albums and does no better than the popular or successful ones? so why is it here? I don't know, but it's okay. doesn't belong on this list though… 2.5/5
3.1 2x
For me this is ok in small doses. I quite like the schtick but it's just too much all in one go. I can see the appeal to the college crowd for Cold Beverage (and they also mention ice cream!) but for me the standouts were Garbage Man, Shooting Hoops.
Hmmmm, not sure how I feel about this, tbh. Saw another review describe them as "Beck without the weirdness, or Fun Lovin' Criminals without the cringe, or Beastie Boys without the boyish aggression" and yeah, a lot of that rings true. Thing is, though, I loved "Mellow Gold" era Beck, but the weirdness was very much the draw. And I actually found this a bit more cringe than Fun Lovin' Criminals at points - some of his vocal affectations felt way too try hard, whereas FLC are so over the top that kinda thing is more forgivable. Part of the gag. I guess if I'd have been introduced to this in the late 90s I might have been into it, but in 2025 it was a bit of a chore to get through. Didn't actively piss me off, though. Fave tracks - uh, let's say "Blues Music"
Good album, just a little too long
Enjoyed this but had never heard of it. Reminds me of Beck
I enjoyed this album for never hearing the band before.
Not what I expected. Fun music, but it also strikes me as frat boy music. Not that that's awful, but... 3 stars.
Takes me back to my early 20s. Silly. But good summertime music back then.
This got old a out halfway through.
This one was kind of boring, honestly. Not bad and competently made, but just boring.
I liked the groove, starting from the beginning. I do wish the lyrics were better. It felt like Beastie Boys, but drunker. Lost interest about 2/3 of the way through, which is never good. It felt very same-y to me, so they could have trimmed a few songs off of this. Top tracks: "The Thing That I Used To Do," "Baby's Got Sauce," "Rhyme For The Summertime," "Fatman"
Bluesey chill grungy vibe with distinct vocal style. Reminds me of "Ain't No Rest for the Wicked" by Cage the Elephant. Not bad in isolation but I got tired of one song after the other.
Pretty good marriage of hip hop and indie feel makes for a likeable album that's worthy of investigation. From what I understand this, their debut album is not their best so I will exploring further. 3 stars
Completely ridiculous, maybe one of the worst artist names ever. I enjoyed it….. I’m sorry
i was gonna keep this album to be my 1001st album but it was getting confusing so i listened to it ... and had 0 thoughts but it really wasnt that bad, kinda fun but also the kinda thing you see at the transac on a wednesday night at 9pm and not usually the kind of music i would expect to be recorded, listened to and considered hahahaha
didnt listen all the way so idek
3/14, 21%
3.0 - Ok
Never heard of these guys so I read the Wikipedia summary. I wasn't sure I would dig rapping over blues but somehow they make it work. Good album.
An amazing sound for the summer, I can't believe G Love has been playing my whole life. I expected there to be more harmonica and twang, but this was a nice balance for a debut. Absolutely stuck around college crowds at the period and brought the new blues back at a time of grunge and pop
They define themselves as "sloppy" and I can see that. This album wasn't anything special, but I don't agree with all the hate. The lyrics are mediocre and pretty juvenile. It feels like he was high in a basement and just started writing random things (I feel like there is a pattern with a lot of famous musicians!) and then his friends, who are mildly talented put the beat and guitar to it, and poof it became decent! I like the guitar and drums, I enjoy the blues, jazzy, rock sounds they create. Musically it almost makes me think of Phish, they blended different sounds to make a very unique 90's sound. I won't be buying the album but I am not embarrassed to say I danced along to many of the songs (only to laugh out loud at the lyrics).
I've known of G. Love & Special Sauce for a long time, but I've never sought them out to see what they're all about. I kind of recognized Cold Beverage, but all else was new. Cool vibes for sure, but it's mildly annoying when it sounds too sloppy. It sometimes gives an air of not trying very hard. Not hating on it though, it was still fun.
The main thing that hurts this album is its length. If it was 10-15 minutes shorter, I think it would be much easier to digest and not wear out its welcome quite so much. This is the type of album that I like to come up on this list, because it's not really something I may revisit but is just a nice change from my normal stuff.
Took me two listens to decide that I didn’t hate it. It’s got that 90s hip hop feel to it, but it feels very improv and the singer just keeps repeating a lyric cuz he can’t think of anything else to say. You really get the idea after the first few songs. Snare sounds like shit.
Probably 3ish? I'm torn. It's too long but I don't hate any of it.
Rap-rock but not done as well as the Fun Lovin’ Criminals album I had earlier. It was ok.
Reasonably good
I hadn’t heard of G Love before, not had I heard of his Special Sauce. To me, this sounded quite a lot like Fun Lovin’ Criminals, like a sort of apathetic alt rock fused together with hip hop. To be fair, I didn’t know that there were other bands that sounded like that. I didn’t quite enjoy this, but it would be a stretch to say that it captivated me. I think I’ll probably remember the band name better than the music itself, but it was still a fairly fun listen.
Varsin passelia musisointia ja kappaleita. Pari rallia jäänee soittoon, muuten sopii taustalle soimaan mainiosti.
I am going a 3, but would say more like 3.5. Could have been 4, if had limited the album to the 9-10 good songs on the long album. The basketball song was solid.
Preferably a couple less songs but overall 👍🏼
I really waffled between a 2 and a 3 but I'll be generous I suppose. I really liked the overall vibe and the instruments. The guitar sounded great, drums and bass sounded very jazzy and laidback. But the dude's vocals. Holy cow they were awful. If you gave this below a 3 I would understand and would not argue I'm just in a good mood cause I'm about to leave for spring break 😁.
it started out interesting-was enjoying the stripped down, unpolished, garage sound. then after 5 or 6 tracks, they all kinda blended together. lot of the same beat & mumbling vocals. like "Cold Beverage"-do we need a whole song repeating you like cold beverages??
Great tunes, very enjoyable album.
Is this album a joke? The grooves are fantastic but the put on accent is ridiculous.
Quite enjoyable but didn’t really get hooked in at any stage. Might listen again sometime.
Never heard of these guys. Initially I was enjoying the sloppy vibe and Joe Strummer style singing but after about 6 or 7 tracks in I thought I was listening to the same song over and over again! I also used to play the drums back in the day and although I wasn’t very good I knew more than one beat! This ain’t living isn’t bad though.
It’s cool that somebody tried this sound but I dont like the execution too much
interesting album, i really liked the first song but it went down hill from there, still not bad
not my cup of tea. Like a jazzy light rock jam
Some songs are cool. Never heard of this band sounds like a modern indie band. but 1994 is awesome
neatminta
Will be cooler music without the rap
relaxed, und genau in der einfachheit der instrumentierung interessant...
Thoughts before listening: I'm pretty surprised that G Love is on here. He has just always seemed like fun party music without a ton of substance. I like G Love well enough, having seen him live a few times, but I never thought of him as being someone that would make a list like this one. Review: Bluesy backing music with white boy rapping that comes off as a frat band version of Beck. It's a pretty silly premise, but also one that was very popular at parties when I was in college. I don't hate this album, but it probably doesn't need to be on this list. "Baby's Got Sauce" and "Cold Beverage" are pure nostalgia. 3-stars
All the genres should point to a greatly enjoyable record here, but all I can come away with is a general sense of... mundanity. It’s the sort of thing you’d see in a charity shop and say “hey, this is a pretty good album”, before setting it back down again, with clearly no intention of owning it. Who cares if you own G. Love and Special Sauce’s self-titled debut, anyway? Who even are those guys? Those guys, it turns out, can manufacture a nice sound throughout the hour that they give themselves. And that’s just about all. It’s a nice enough record. Something that’d be used as a donor for sampling something more impressive.
Enjoyed this! Can totally hear why it was a hit on college radio, love that vibe.
I kinda dug this.
Brzmi to jak gość, który wbił na jam session. W najlepszym i najgorszym tego zwrotu znaczeniu. Czułam dym i alkohol. 6.5/10 równane w dół.
It’s actually not as bad as I was expecting. The type of music they played on repeat in What Everyone Wants. Wouldn’t listen again but feeling reasonably generous.
Good 90s music. Reminds me of Beck's music also from the 90s. Never heard of this band before. I think is kinda ok now. My teenager self in the 90s would have hated this.
Here is the self-titled debut album for G. Love and Special Sauce, a group known for its laid-back fusion of blues, hip-hop, rock, and soul. These guys seemed like they achieved their dream of working the Massachusetts clubs and bars to the point where they got a record deal and found success. Decades later though, I can't help but feel like this still has the problems typical with a debut. For sure, I had fun with a fair amount of these tracks, but my enjoyment was primarily from track five "Baby's Got Sauce" through track eleven "Shooting Hoops" when the tempo is faster and frontman Garrett Dutton aka G. Love has to rap at the same speed. It's not that these guys don't play well on their instruments, but the lyrical content is more in focus when the compositions are slow and loose. This brings me to the feeling that G. Love thinks he's cooler and smarter than how he raps, whether it's the name check of notable blues musicians on "Blues Music", the blasé attempts at wooing a girl on "Garbage Man", or the basic observations made on "Some Peoples Like That". These lyrics read more like first drafts. Even when it's more energetic, they can bring someone else in like Jasper in the second verse of "This Ain't Living" and the guy will have a more commanding flow than G. Love does on his own song. Also throughout my listen to this album, I couldn't help but be reminded of another laid-back 90s rap-rock group with a similar cadence - Sublime. The fact that these guys made it onto the list and not Sublime is a strikingly odd choice, given the latter group's lasting longevity in popular culture stemming from their more vibrant incorporations of ska and reggae. I could tune to an FM classic rock radio station and have a better chance of hearing "Santeria", "Wrong Way" or "What I Got" than I would for "Baby's Got Sauce" or "Cold Beverage" even if they're good singles. Again, this is a debut album from a group that showed potential, and I'm sure they've refined their rap/blues fusion over the following decades. But as far as a "list of albums to listen to before you die" goes, I would have chosen a different one.
Favorite track: Rhyme for the Summertime
I gotta say this is a better than average record. I'm biased as I'm from Philly and this guy is kind of a 90s Philly legend. Cold Beverages was a banger here and he has a song about the 76ers NBA team that fans of both love.
Good album
Interesting music. Gets a little repetitve, I wish they'd have tried different meloidies and styles, but still fun to listen to.
Interesting
like a lazy Beck
i just like the 90s man idk
peak 90s
Oddly satisfying.
Good but turns into the same song over and over
I liked some aspects of this album, but the sloppy singing/ playing style began to grate before the end was reached. I feel like it might be worth 3 stars, but only barely.
Decent - became very beckesque which was a good thing
90s Philly vibing.
A successful blend of blues rock and hip hop.
Interesting album, though I’m not be a huge fan of the rapping style, I liked some other aspects like the use of the double bass and jazzy bass lines.
At first I was pretty into this. Thought it was funky and fun but by the end I felt it got a bit samey and lost steam. Thought the singer sounded like Jack Johnson.
I know these two because they are friends with Jack Johnson and appear on a few of his things and visa versa. I generally liked the album. I think it's a style that you either like or loath to be honest and I quite like it.
L’album le plus 90s que j’ai entendu depuis un moment
Not my fave G.Love album but it’s still a fun one. Nice and dancey but the lyrics get a little goofy at times.
My dad listened to a lot of G Love and similar artists when I was growing up, so I was excited to see this one come up. While it lacks the depth of some other artists/projects that come from the same vein as G Love, I really loved the way he infused elements of jazz into this album. If you even somewhat enjoyed this album/were intrigued by it, then you should check out artists like OAR, Dispatch, and JJ Grey/Mofro. 3/5.
A couple of good songs, but a bit mediocre overall. I quite liked their collaborations with Jack Johnson. On their own, they're missing something.
Pretty varied, one or two hits
I liked the instrumentals here, but the vocal really turned me off. It was the accent/delivery rather than the voice. It's somewhat reminiscent of Beck, but Beck managed it without being annoying.
Sparsely played blues rock A janky, posturing flow That works, but barely
Some decent parts but pretty pedestrian as a whole
Did not expect to see G Love on this list.
Surprised but pleased to find this on the list. Not heard it for years. Awesome, distinctive sound. Maybe a bit less varied in scope than some of their later albums.
I've always thought this band was just OK. Probably would be cool to hear in a small venue, listening at home, it gets very samey-samey.
6.5/10
I liked this. Decent songs and general vibe, reminded me at times of Beck or Arrested Development. 3.5 rounded down to 3 so Joe will keep me on his Xmas card list.
A good album, I liked Blues Music.
Sounds like a German group. Laid back or overbored?
g. love and special sauce is the name of a college radio duo who got stuck with the 4AM timeslot, which is probably where this belongs