Less Than Jake remain something of an enigma in the world of punk. Their latest release, Borders and Boundaries, came out on Fat. Without doubt that was a good move for the band, appeasing many who have accused them of selling out. (What is it about people who can’t accept a punk band having more than ten fans?) But how did they follow this up? By going on tour with Bon Jovi, that’s how! How many other punk bands would go on tour with Bon Jovi! However, despite some of their dubious actions, LTJ have released a number of great albums. Their 1998 release, Hello Rockview, however, stands alone as an absolute classic, and is one of the best ska-punk releases for many a year.
What is instantly noticeable form the album is that it contains all the energy that you would associate with one of their live shows. This is shown by the pace of the album, the total length clocking in at under 40 minutes. Hello Rockview is essentially 38 minutes of ska-punk perfection. I’m not going to go through the merits of every song on the album, as I don’t have the space, but trust me when I say there is not a bad song on it.
The first three songs open the album in fine style. ‘Last One Out of Liberty City‘ and ‘Help Save the Youth of America From Exploding’ are both great tunes, and are refreshingly different in style. This is one of the main pluses of the album, no two songs sound similar, and thus stand alone as classic songs on a classic album. These two are followed by ‘All My Best Friends Are Metalheads’ and if you need me to tell you about that particular song I don’t think you’re on the right website!
Other highlights of the album include ‘Nervous In the Ally’ and ‘Great American Sharpshooter.’ Both feature superb brass riffs and good use of vocal harmonies. ‘History of a Boring Town‘ takes the album to another level, and is incredibly melodic. If the chorus doesn’t have you bouncing up and down you may not actually have a soul!
In true fashion, the best is saved to last. The album is closed by ‘Al’s War’ a superb slice of music that combines the best elements of the band, and is in my opinion the best track on the album.
With Hello Rockview, the old-school metal loving LTJ have created their Dookie or Smash. It is an album that defines who they are as a band and it deserves a place in everyone’s record collection. So if you don’t already own it, get down to your local record shop now. Hello Rockview is an absolute classic, and is one of the top albums in the genre. If the band ever produces a better album than this I will personally eat all the hats in the world!
Mark