G. Love And Special Sauce

Didn't enjoy this at all

**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.

A unique sound, for sure, but it annoyed me more than it wowed me.

i don't know what's in this sauce but I think i could live my life without, from the first song I knew that I was in for a treat. Buddy sounds like he is physically incapable of being louder than the instrumental, which mind you is so repetitive 4/10

20

Nothing special about this sauce.

I guess I’ve never actually heard them?

I wish someone had warned me just how much white-boy half-rapping was gonna be foisted upon me with this one.

Rhythms were great, vocals were whatever. Can't with this "rap". It got worse and worse as it went along. 1*

I liked it.

why

nice album, probably won't ever listen to it again

Was ok

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.

Fun for about 15 minutes and then it just keeps going

Who? It's Rap, Jim, but not as we know it - instead of the usual music that you would associate with Rap, this Rap overlays uses a laid-back Blues with a Jazz vibe. Quirky vocal style which I find slightly annoying. A bit boring after a while.

Achei que era algo como um the black keys mas é uma porra de hip hop em cima de um funky/blues, toma no cu que desperdiço de instrumental para cantar esse monte de merda em cima. I thought it was something like, The Black Keys but is fucking hip hop over a funky/blues beat, what a waste of instrumental to sing this pile of crap over it.

Man, this was something. I'm not usually one to hear a man croak for 58 mins but here I am. The way these dudes meshed together hip-hop, jazz, rock, soul and turned this into heaping pile of mediocrity is impressive. Man on the mic sounds constipated and off Xanax. Production was good at times but it was just bland most of the album. It wasn't horrible but it was still quite rubbish. 2.25/5

This was the first concert I ever went to as a teenager, just after this album came out. I probably have an irrational love for this album based on that, but I don’t really care - this is my list. Five stars.

interesting annoying singing style überhoupt ni miis teilwiis bitzli catchy gege schluss wirds besser/ chli cooler

Definitely not my kind of music!

Missed these guys in the 90s. They’re Beastie Boys meets Jon Spencer Blues Explosion meets Smashmouth meets a couple of guys in their garage with new amps and guitars. Production too thin, lyrics too thin, musicality too thin.

Make it stop.

All together, a good listen. At times, sounds like beatnik poetry slams. Not dance music, but there’s some rhythm and rhyme a happenin.

i don’t know how to feel about this - kind of like sublime but doesn’t hit the same

No sauce

It’s like a Fun Loving Criminals cover band, for some unfathomable reason, decided it was a good idea to try and make their own 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!

This made my eyes roll to the back of my head in pleasure. I like it not only because it mixes hip hop with soul and rock, but because the rap lyrics are more than what usually puts me off hip hop. Instead of the vapid lyrics about money and fame and women and getting your cock sucked and how rough your life has been and how great you are for surviving it and all that crap, it’s more from the heart, it’s passionate but in a cool way. And I bloody love it.

Not so special. What was that?

I don’t get the hype

2 1/2 It’s okay

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.

It was good, though I'm not sure what about it is so great? I don't really ever want to listen to it again, really.

Not a fan.

I’d never heard of G. Love and Special Sauce before, and to be honest, I probably won’t be revisiting them—or this album—again. I really struggled to find anything I liked here and genuinely don’t understand how it made the 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die list. It just didn’t click with me at all. Favourite track: Couldn’t pick one. Least favourite track: Pretty much every song. Album artwork: At least the cover is decent.

2 out of 5. First time hearing of this band and their music. Hate to say it but these songs all kind of sounded the same.

A tricky blend of genres.

Kinda fun but a bit annoying

Remember when things like this were a thing? Funky white guy indie rock with *just* enough hip-hop and break-beat influence to get the frat boys moving? Yeah, me too.

Truly forgettable

01) The Things That I Used to Do - 6,5 02) Blues Music - 6,5 03) Garbage Man - 6,0 04) Eyes Have Miles - 6,0 05) Baby's Got Sauce - 7,0 06) Rhyme for the Summertime - 6,0 07) Cold Beverage - 6,0 08) Fatman - 5,5 09) This Ain't Living - 6,0 10) Walk to Slide - 5,5 11) Shooting Hoops - 5,0 12) Some Peoples Like That - 5,0 13) Town to Town - 5,0 14) I Love You - 5,0 TOTAL: 5,79 (58/100) Current ranking: 575/696

bland rap music for people that like Phish. Hard Pass.

Nostalgia probably bumps this from a 3 to 4 stars. Honestly had no idea this came out in ‘94. All the kids from “outside Philly” would play this all the time when I was in college in the late aughts.

I didn't get it

Very cool day driving album

Best Song: Cold Beverage. If this were playing in the background of an outdoor beer festival, I would consider it apropos. Worst Song: Fatman. There are some segments on this one where the singer (G. Love?) seems outright determined to demonstrate that he doesn't have the vocal chops to pull off the song. Overall: The vocals aren't great for either blues or rap, which is really unfortunate for a Blues-Rap fusion album.

WTF is that voice? Is he eating food while recording his vocals? Completely ruined by that ”singer”. Also, why on earth do I need to hear this before I die? Was going to add a star because the music was pretty cool, but I had to switch off after 4 tracks. Couldn’t stand it. So no extra stars for you, G. Love & Special Sauce. 1/5

Is this a five star album? Who knows. It's it one of my personal favorite albums of all time? Yes. I can remember the first time in college. Blew my mind. Many incredible nights were spent watching G and the boys. All started with this. A seminal 90s, slacker sound that was unique then and now. The first couple G albums were a revelation. Still play great.

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

How is this on this list.? I feel like the 90s are more than covered already, but my fear is that there is more and more irrelevant ones coming. Albums that came, had zero impact and left. Its fine Incredibly long, far too long.

Horrible just horrible. No other words

Started out liking the album, but as it went on I liked it less and less. Ended up being just okay to me.

What the hell is this name ? In tandem why the hell is it the only interesting thing about this album? G. love and special sauce has unironically made me want to listen to “Man of the Woods” by Justin Timberlake. That’s horrifying. Also I didn’t know that lack of swagger could be used as a murder weapon but apparently it can be and it killed me.

This dude wants to be black sooooo bad.

New jack swing white boy style. They are still kicking today and good for them. 2/ 5

Okay, but just not really my vibe.

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

Snooze

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.

1. thingz - 1.5 2. bluez - 1.5 3. garbage - 1.5 4. milez - 1.5 5. zauce -1 6. rhyme - 2 7. Cold - 1.5 8. Fat - 1 9. Living - 1.5 10. Slide - 1.5 11. Hoops - 1 12. Some - 1.5 13. Town- 1.5 14. Love - 1.5

I'd never heard that before. I really enjoyed it.

Gloves?

Definitiv eine Entdeckung. Auffällige aber nahbare Gitarrenarbeit!

This isn't for me

All the songs sound more or less the same. Try-hard-white-guy-who-thinks-he’s-cooler-than-he-is vibes. My high school boyfriend really like g love and special sauce. He didn’t have the best taste in music.

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

God this is boring. Nothing but a guitar and an hour of singing by one of the least engaging singers of this entire list. One or two songs on here were maybe fine, but the rest of it was all a borefest to get through. Headache and boredom inducing, couldn't wait for it to be over. Can't imagine the album had any real influence.

This album sounds like the theme music to a 90s sitcom

Sublime at home.

Not it. 2.

How does Josh love this band? Personal enjoyment: 2/5 Relevance to this list: 1/5

Might be the most obnoxious rapping I've ever heard. The same staccato, slurred flow on every track. Illustrative because it shows not every album here is redeemable and that the early 90s had some hot garbage music amidst an excellent string of years in music history. Plus it's nearly an hour long?! Why?

Just the thing to fill that space on my shelf between Beck, Cage The Elephant and the Fun loving criminals. Of it's time, and I know I've been played, but had me hooked. Enjoyed that and will go back to listen again

Kind of a wild album. Is this rap? Scatting? Something in between? I can't picture the guy singing this. Gonna have to find a music video. He sounds like he's blazed out of his mind on every track freestyling stuff that doesn't even make sense. The songs are groovy as hell though. Mostly jam tracks. I never heard of these guys back in the day. Might listen to this again though, it's cool, even if a little weird. 4/5

I guess you had to be there? This is fucking terrible and I’m 90s pilled.

Rubbish

Banger

Interesting style.

I know of this artist, have an idea of what they sound like but never truly listened to their stuff. Interested to check this out. Not really what I was expecting so far. This is better than I initially had an idea of. Very cool stuff.

Not a fan

Oh, you're telling me this ISN'T Beck? I mean, it's fun

A mixed bag for me. Some songs are great and right up my alley whilst others just don't fit my vibe at all. The album as a whole has some great highs but a lot is not for me.

Houmous & Chutneys original name when they were a garage band back in 1948 was G Sauce and Special Love. 2.2 3/14 Garage Man

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.

When they were big in Philly in the 90s I called them G Love and Special Suck. I still call them that.

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".

I deserved this. It's my just punishment for ranting about how this challenge needed to feature more obscure artists and less Radiohead. Well played, Karma. Well played.

So I don’t really have anything bad to say, but I certainly don’t have anything good to say either. This was a fucking waste of an entry.

ok

Þetta er ástæðan fyrir að ég er að gera þessa snilld! Hefði aldrei hlustað á þessa weird ass töff plötu annars

This is album #110 for me, and it’s my least favorite so far. I sort of dug the bluesy riffs at first, but the vocals in every song just made me annoyed and irritated. I thought I liked the song “This Ain’t Living” but even that got on my nerves after a couple of minutes. If I could give a 0 I would.

It was enjoyable. The last five songs were a bit of a dud.

sounds very 90s cliche, probs wouldnt listen again

Blues and Hip-Hop sounds like a neat combination but I think this one is less than the sum of its parts. Does not really work for me :( I'm between 1 and 2 stars but feeling generous; since it wasn't completely unlistenable, and at least it’s not generic rock album #452

I'm going to put as much effort into this review as G. Love put into these songs..............................................................

Sounding like a cut rate Sublime, has some decent beats and hooks, but I can't shake the open mic nature of it all

It has its place and made some noise back in the day… but a must listen? No. Nostalgia rating alone.

This album should have been left in the 90's. I remember this album and wasn't much of a fan. Just not what I want.

it was stripped down Beck

Great grooves fun ablum

Nice funk. Good stuff.

I like this album more than I should. It reminds me of a job and friends from 1995-96.

Got better in the latter half once it got more upbeat.

Do something different!

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

I have a soft spot for this album. It was there in late high-school / early college, and a bunch of my friends were into it. I think it has a really good groove and kind of a unique mix of bluesy-rap over live instruments. It's more about the general sound than about specific hooks. I'm teetering between 3 and 4, but feeling generous today.

My rating is largely a by product of nostalgia for a time period and a friend now long gone. But, I do think that early-20s me liked this more than late-40s me. What once seemed like a novel blending of genres now feels like a fusion restaurant where the dishes aren't as good as their inspiration and influences.

I remain confused as to why my sophomore year roommate listened to this album on repeat.

Great album! Loved it since it came out.

Really quite shite

Did not like this at all. Found it super tedious and wanted it to be over. I almost liked Cold beverages, but the real highlight is This Ain't Living, which almost made me forget how much I hated everything else. 1

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.

Würgereiz auslösend!

Not my cup of tea, at all. I gave it a chance, listened to the entire album, yech, but then again, how boring would it be if we all liked the same things.

eh, 50/100

i don’t even know what genre this would be called but it’s not very good. i guess it’s kinda sublime-y and like early dispatch. but every song sounds like a failed attempt to make What I Got. pretty rough to get through

Annoying

Rather sloppy and ill produced for me.

Is this album "notable" enough to warrant inclusion on the list? I don't know, but I really dig the sound and the interesting mix of blues with the more hip-hop/soul feel.

Back in the day I thought some of this stuff was good. Maybe some of the later stuff. s far as this album goes, it’s funky, but annoying. Blah.

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.

I can imagine in a certain type of sweaty small venue this stuff would absolutely work live. On record it's too long, each song sounds similar to the last, and the sloppy sound and vocals get progressively more irritating. Then again, I'm not a big Red Hot Chilli Peppers fan or Fun Loving Criminals and this is pretty much the missing link between them.

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

Very interesting album something I haven’t heard before. A mix of blues, rock and hip hop I do appreciate BUT the execution was not all that. I’m not a big fan of their accents in the songs which is a reason that makes it so unique tho. It could’ve been good but it just wasn’t allat for me. Very few takeaways with most songs sounding the same or just bad. 4.3/10 2.1/5

The backing beats and instrumental was actually not bad. It was like if sublime forgot how to make a clean sound. Too bad the vocalist here ruined the whole thing top to bottom. 2/10

Eh. Some good sounds but idk about this one.

I didn't really get this. It's not really singing and not really rapping, and isn't particularly great at either The instrumental elements are ok, quite nice bluesy/jazzy backing with a decent groove in some songs. But overall this is a pretty forgettable album, I'm not sure which tracks would be the standouts. I might have given this 2* if it was shorter but it's way too boring for an album that goes on nearly an hour.

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

So chill, love bopping along to this stuff. All day long.. very good vibe.

Good album, great for a background listen in the pool. Just not earth shattering

I didn't like this at all. I appreciate I had to listen to it to understand which genre combinations to avoid. 1 Star.

Fun and sleazy and catchy.

Is this guy from Burger King because his special sauce sucks

In no way, shape or form, did I need to listen to this album before I died.

Once you hear once song, you heard them all. Pretty boring unfortunately

Really funky, catchy and had me bopping away the whole time. Glad to hear jimmy jazz prescott on the bass won't be doing those things anymore too

This was not good. Seems like it might be slightly responsible for so much bad white rap music. What a mess.

4.5 - Okay this one really took me by surprise. No idea who they are but going to come back to for sure

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

Mostly kind of reminded me of RHCP who I famously don’t enjoy. Other parts were almost Lin Manuel Miranda rap-ish (not really a good thing here either). I didn’t hate it overall. But just not my vibe. (1.5 stars)

A nice little groove, with some catchy hooks.

Reallllly bad

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

It knew history would forget it faster if it wasn't at least a bit annoying.

Repeti-ti-ti-ti-tivo.

Why was this included? It's really boring and definitely not a must listen.

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!

Really enjoyed this!

This one came out of nowhere for me, a lovely fusion of blues, rock and hip-hop. Great stuff!

An all time fave that stands up! An easy 5.

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.

The instruments and the songs not bad just hard to listen to the vocals.

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.

Sounds like the mid-90s, though not i Necessarily in a good way. Generic, unmemorable, & bland though at least it's not unpleasant

Pre-trip hop blues meets hip hop at a family BBQ. I loved the summer vibes and the absence of hos, violence and dollar dollar bills y'all.

I'd started to enjoy this until that damned harmonica kicks in, fml!

The idea behind this album is genuinely good: blending blues, laid-back grooves, and hip-hop elements with the tight playing of a solid band. The musicianship is there, and the vibe feels fresh at first. But for me, the delivery falls flat. G. Love comes across like a laid-back, cool white guy trying to rap, and after a few songs, his vocal style becomes more grating than charming. What starts as an interesting fusion ends up feeling repetitive and, frankly, annoying. Great concept, good band — but the execution doesn’t hold up.

Fun and I liked the style. Reminds me of Cage the Elephant in a good way (but is probably the other way around)

Not for me.

head bobbing and groovy! reminded me soo much of soul coughing they must know about each other

Another curiosity. How does this warrant inclusion? It isn’t original, compelling or even competent

Really like this genre

It’s like when you buy a package of chicken at the grocery store, but when you get home and open it, it has a funny smell, so you end up throwing it away.

very bizarre both lyrically and stylistically but quickly gets boring because all 53 minutes of it sound exactly the same to me. the sauce was not that special i can’t lie

White boys trying too hard to be cool but actually sounds decent

Yeah, quite laid back. I like that about them

this sucks. *queues beastie boys*

Who gave this man studio time

Not my....

Love the percussion!

SHUT THESE WHITE BOYS UP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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.

If I was at a restaurant and my pasta came out with this sauce on it, I’d send it back to the kitchen

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.

Funny, I forget that folks outside of Philly even heard of this guy. I felt like as a Philly musician in the '90s, you were obligated to think highly of G. Love, but I always found his affect very... affected. The son of a banking lawyer in Society Hill, G. Love's schtick was hard to swallow back then. He sounded like he was trying hard to be something he wasn't. The drumming is great, the vibe is cool, but I wasn't buying it. I have his first two records on CD, and never listen to them. I wondered if I'd have found a place for Garret Dutton after all these years. Maybe I was being snobbish and dude was channeling his authentic soul. Maybe he is, but I still ain't buying it. Sounds like a put-on to me.

yeah, i kind of hate this. not even sure I can article or rationalize why. I mean, G's just livin' his life, not hurting anyone. But damn do I want to smack him upside the head with a cold beverage. On paper, these guys are covering the same territory as Soul Coughing, but SC is so much better. Seems like an easy swap: ditch this in favor of Ruby Vroom.

Still love this!

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.

Reminds me of all the half-assed hippies in college. The only time I'd agree to listening to any of this again is if a track popped up on Sublime radio.

Bit too one note

hope i could give it 0 stars

Why appropriate just one piece of Black culture (blues) poorly, when you can add a second (hip hop)?

Very bad vocals. Very bad. I couldn't listen to more than 2 songs. Hated it. The instrumental is not that good either. I don't get why this is included in the list.

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

Desperately trying to sound cool but failing miserably. How did this make the book but Check Your Head was ignored. This project frustrates me sometimes.

Första intrycket: En blek kopia av Beck. Andra intrycket: Enformigt och stelt. Inte särskilt roligt. Efter 5 låtar är jag på väg att ge upp. Talanglöst jammande, ändlösa, humorlösa texter. Påminner om bandet i David Lynch:s Fire walk with me

Let's 86 that special sauce

Didn’t hate it

Why have I missed this band? What a great sound, and that drummer brings it all together

I was not at all excited about a blues/hip hop hybrid, but I quite liked the vibe. However, vibe alone isn't enough, and a lot of the album sounded like rough demos, and the singles weren't all that.

Unlike his baby, this album has no sauce. I am just having no connection to it, I mean I like Cold Beverages too but, I ain't writing a song about them and then recording it. I will give it 2 stars because it has decent instrumentals.

When you're a terrible singer so you try rapping instead, but you're an even worse rapper.

Like Beck before Beck. Aggressively 90s.

Blues Explosion light

Definitely one to listen to one time only.

- ganz coole Sachen dabei und meist entspannt, lief aber mal wieder vor allem im Hintergrund, ohne groß aufzufallen 2-3/5

I saw G Love at a festival; it was the late afternoon of the last day and they were on before a band I was there to see on a secondary stage. It was hot as hell and even muggier. They were the perfect band to listen to while we sprawled out exhausted on the floor desperate for shade, drank as much cold anything as we could, chatted at the back of the crowd, and waited for something better to come on. They are a perfect band for exactly this scenario. Philadelphia's answer to sublime, bluesy singer songer writer acoustic guitar funk with a bit of hip hop style and bit of 90s lo-fi slacker rock attitude. Laid back low key unobtrusive good time party music.

I truly like this album. I dig it

Laos back bluesrock, et drys hiphop, ved sgu ikke rigtig om det er så specielt

really liked this, super chilled with interesting instrumental work, will give it another listen

It's funky but nothing crazy.

parts of it are fine but then others are just strange

Cold beverage stands out to me for being exceptionally weird and not great… it’s kinda a funky album. I like the singers voice. Beyond that, it’s kinda slow and boring. Sounds a lot older than it really is.

Some of it is awful and some of it is pretty listenable. More awful

Did not expect this. Thought it would be some unc shit but it was pretty ok

A lo-fi blend of blues, hip-hop, and college slacker vibes that tries to be charming and laid-back , but mostly feels empty and irrelevant. It’s technically competent, but lacks soul or depth. For me, it never rises above background noise with attitude. Not my cup of tea. 1/5

I remember this album when Jack Johnson was getting a lot of airtime during my skate/surf teenage years. I wasn't much good at skating and definitely not at surfing. This album is hit and miss at being good at music. It's the musical equivalent to doing a kick flip in the skating world. Kids with little greater knowledge of music will think it's great but anybody with any expertise know that it's barely scratching the surface.

Loose and sloppy, but in an enjoyable way.

Not a fan of this

think I want to come back to this. Love the grooves, had to warm up to the vocals but they grew on me i think

Not a fan of the singing, but there’s a few good tracks on here

Phil Melillo

Ça ressemble à plein de choses vraiment pas bonnes. Mais en meilleur!

Je mets 4 étoiles afin de garder les 5 étoiles pour Coast to Coast Motel. ;) Pour moi, ce gars-là est un p'tit génie. Il chante, rappe et joue de la guitare, tout ça en même temps, et d'une façon assez personnelle, avec qqch. de virtuose. Plus brute (moins propre) que Jack Johnson, plus cool aussi (à mon goût). Et la colle dans le trio est vraiment présente. Les trois vont dans la même direction et servent le même but: de l'ostik de bonne musique. C'est du blues, c'est du jazz, c'est du rap, c'est d'la pop, tout ça bien blendé. (Mention particulière au son du drum, comme si vous y étiez, et au jeu du drummeur pleinement investi.)

Dépouillé avec assurance. Y'a un genre de 4-5 tounes de trop. 3.75 étoiles.

This is what white privilege sounds like. There are so many worthy albums even in these overrepresented countries that this inclusion is both baffling and totally predictable. I mean, you can do lazy, and lazy is not easy to fake. Producing an album that sounds laid back, relaxed, easy, or even barely trying is hard work. And perhaps "g love" worked his ass off on this one, but, you know, put some good songs in it while you're at it.

own

Interesting stuff

I can only imagine myself on my deathbed reaching for just a little bit more of that special sauce…. Nope. This is one of these albums that could make me buy the book eventually to try and understand the reasoning behind its inclusion.

Philadelphia natives! Id heard a lot of their hits before. Nice mellow music with a variety of genres/influences.

A product of the early 90s which was a fun if yet forgettable relisten.

Interesting. 3.5/5

Garbage, man

boring

Shit the intro to the first track is fire. Very jazzy. Ha! diggin this album. It's funky! That was fun. 4 stars.

Was an interesting album with a style that is different from what I’ve listened to before. Probably won’t listen again but I didn’t turn the album off.

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

..

Fun style. Feels like some guys with blues foundations wanted to follow the Beastie Boys

3 star, I missed too much to give it an accurate review but I liked it overall

90s white hip-hop nonsense which is almost an hour long. The talk-singing was rather annoying and after the second or third song, all songs sounded the same. I'm not quite sure why this album is included on the list when so many great albums didn't make it.

Loved it! I really enjoyed it. 4

Even though he's a Philly guy I just simply don't love G. Love's weird ska adjacent style, sorry, Go Birds though

Nah

Listens: 2 (with more on the way.) Standout tracks: Blues Music, probably others Added to Library: TRUE I have never heard of this band before, though maybe I have heard at least one of their tracks on the radio before (without ever having known who I was listening to), but I digress... Anyways, judging a book by its (album) cover (and the artist name too), I thought I was in for a seriously awful Saturday music listening session. You could hear my eyes rolling into the back of my skull. Visceral-like reaction to a band named G. Love & Special Sauce. I thought I was going to be hearing some electronica music even worse than Fat Boy Slim or J Cole. So imagine my surprise when not only are these guys palatable, but I actually seriously enjoy what they're putting out for a debut album! I hear Beck. I hear Sublime, I hear proto-Cage The Elephant. I hear good bass lines, good drums, good lyrics and good rhyming. I am exceptionally happy I had the opportunity to discover these guys.

A jazzy, bluesy rap album with good drums and other stuff. The vocalist sounds like a dickhead though.

vier bis fünf

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

Uhm, very mid. Like a lot of it was just bad. I liked the forwardness of the drums tho, and like one song. Just wasn’t a fan of his talk-singing

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.

Pretty good solid album. Don't have much to say honestly except for that.

Like Beck and Sublime combined. Not the best, but it seems like a window into the 90s

Listening to this album is like listening to a Frankenstein's monster of a bunch of other artists, and its much lesser than the sum of its parts. I will say, most of the comparisons I have are to artists who came after this record was released, so props for likely being very influential, its just if it is influential, those artists just do it better. It's like the weird slacker vibes of Beck mixed with the blues of The White Stripes (and Beck), with the flow of Kool Keith/Dr. Octagon, with the alt rock/hip hop experimentation of Gorillaz, with some early Red Hot Chili Peppers funk. But again, all those artists are just so much better. I will say I quite enjoy the weird, bluesy, laid back/loose/sloppy vibe and instrumentation. The drums particularly are great. But what does this album in are the vocals/lyrics. G. Love's vocals are basically the same vibe as the instrumentation. Loose and sloppy, but they don't work for me. And he's giving us some absolutely deep and thoughtful lyrics such as "I like cold beverage, yeah/Uh, 'cause I'm feelin' kinda thirsty". Truly a lyrical genius, haha. Not that lyrics necessarily matter, I listen to plenty of bands where I don't care at all about the lyrics, but the lyrics here just seem so noticeably dumb that I can't ignore them. Naming his backing band "Special Sauce" tracks. Special Sauce has the special sauce, but G. Love does not.

2,5

I think we can all agree that every single aspect of this album—every song, and even down to the cover art—deserves to be remembered as a timeless classic, the truest shining example of this art form. (yes this is sarcasm)

It took me a minute to really understand what I was listening to. It has rock/blues musical elements, but this is very much a hip hop album. It's fine. It has some moments, but it's not particularly special. There aren't really any hits on the album either. Like it's just meh/solid throughout. I liked one song more than the others, but that's more a taste thing. Favorite Song(s): Garbage Man

The Talk sing really works here. Wonderful listen

Didn’t really stand out for me

no

This thing is bad 90's middling nonsense at it's worst. I am sure it inspired a lot of people, but chances are I hate that shit too.

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

Känns som ett skämt att detta är med i nån sorts topplista.

Hade väntat mig sämre baserat på Swebrawl-snacket, men inte alls oljud

Obegripligt.

Soul rap?

Best way I can describe this is - I bet Ted Mosby listened to it a lot in college. Vocals were annoying, lyrics immature, no particular standout tracks. Not for me.

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.

Give it a 2/5, not the best, doubt I would add it to any playlists. Not really my style of music, but I at least appreciate the effort.

This really should not work for almost a full hour, but it really does! Fun record where it's easy to get lost in the beats and the overall slacker vibe.

Fun, but not close-to-60-minutes-runtime fun.

This is the worst kind of white boy college music.

Pretty flat. Non-offensive almost to a fault. It’s not bad music, it just doesn’t inspire at all. 2/5 Won’t listen again

White people shit

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.

I feel disgust listening to this. I feel like I am listening to a high school “band” practicing in their mom’s garage and the neighbours are throwing cans and everything in their way to get them to stop singing. Fire this singer, and start over completely.

"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.

fell asleep half way through the album - loved it that much. Love how easy it is to just vibe to

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

I guess it was ok but it got boring after song 3, never mind 14. 2 stars

This one just didn’t do it for me. Mellow Gold by Beck did this so much better.

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