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Ugly Kid Joe - America's Least Wanted Audio CD

A fair review of the Ugly Kid Joe "America's Least Wanted" Audio CD. Please note that the below review is the views of the authors, and authors only. You can get a complete list of all Ugly Kid Joe reviews here, or go back to the Ugly Kid Joe tabs.

Ugly Kid Joe Band: Ugly Kid Joe
Title: America's Least Wanted
Rating:
Release Date: 1994-06-14
Media: Audio CD

Tracks: 1: Neighbor 2: Goddamn Devil 3: Come Tomorrow 4: Panhandlin' Prince 5: Busy Bee 6: Don't Go 7: So Damn Cool 8: Same Side 9: Cat's in the Cradle 10: I'll Keep Tryin' 11: Everything About You 12: Madman ['92 Remix][Version] 13: Mr. Recordman

A couple of good songs, but not a very strong album overall
They weren't as image conscious as the Hollywood bands, had a goofy, joke-y vibe that made it hard to take them seriously, and seemed to change styles from hair metal to funk rock to rap rock with every song. Emerging just as the hair metal scene was winding down, Ugly Kid Joe was something of a wild card in the scene. The band enjoyed a brief period of popularity from the success of their hit single "Everything About You" (from the As Ugly as They Wanna Be EP). That popularity was extended (again, briefly) by their first full-length album America's Least Wanted, which featured a major hit in the mellow cover of Harry Chapin's "Cat's In the Cradle".

Unfortunately, "Cat's In the Cradle" is really the only noteworthy song on America's Least Wanted. Sure, they tacked on "Everything About You" again (for those that didn't bother with the EP, I suppose) and scored a minor hit with the obnoxious "Neighbor" (thanks more to the Twisted Sister-style video than the actual song), but the rest of the album is pretty forgettable. The band never really establishes their sound, and songwriting is just not their main strength.

Ugly Kid Joe was another casualty of the grunge era, and it's not too hard to see why. If you run across America's Least Wanted in a dollar bin - and believe me, you will - by all means give it a spin. "Cat's In the Cradle" is worth adding to your MP3 library, as is "G*ddamn Devil" since it boasts backing vocals by Judas Priest's Rob Halford. Other than that (and maybe "Everything About You" as a guilty pleasure), you probably won't get much out of this one.


One of the many forgotten metal gems of the early-mid 90's
Ugly Kid Joe doesn't fit any of those descriptions! This album is simply a batch of fun for metalheads who may sometimes tire of the metallica's and slayer's of the world. There were some bands who were innovative, There were some bands who were ahead of their time, and there were some bands whose legacy will last forever. Released at the height of the grunge explosion, This album has become somewhat of a guilty pleasure due to the bad things that most metal fans say about Ugly Kid Joe nowadays. ''Everything About You'' doesn't sound bad at all for a song that ranked on VH1's worst metal songs ever. ''G--damn Devil'' is a cool, upbeat rocker that should get any party started. Of all the cool songs on this album, ''Madman'' is the highlight of the album. With silly lyrics and mostly upbeat tempos, This album should cheer any metal fan up if they're having a bad day. If released today, This album would be instantly forgotten. But, I reccomend this album if you want cool music with a sharp sense of humor. .


Actually these chaps were very wanted at the time
The whole schtick of appealing to normal middle class kids desperate to think the world is against them. UKJ come into town on their one trick pony. . . . Well the packaging sets that trick up nicely along with the title choice. Not to mention the song Neighbour as lead song.

But darn it all this pretty much works. Sure it's based on nothin' but air, a few squared off riffs and Whitfield Cranes engaging vocals but most of the time when you reach for the skip button something stops your hand. Tracks such as Come Tomorrow and Panhandlin' Prince work their witless charm though when the delve too deeply into whimsical territory things fall over (see Busy Bee).

Madman and Everything About You are regurgitated from the debut EP and everyone at the time became familiar with the bands take on Cats in the Cradle. This tune split many at the time - dunno 'bout you but I always felt the original spoke louder to parents, while UKJ's version with it's more youthful attack spoke more clearly to those not yet dads.

In summation a totally non essential release but definitely a good party album full of irreverent lyrics and simple cartoon style songs - some of which have some surprising heft such as Goddam Devil. Not to mention the closer, the track Mr Recordman which has a spark of maturity about it.


I Liked It
Good lyrics, good rhymes, funny, catchy tunes, it's got everything. This album is highly entertaining. Everytime I listen to it, the world feels like a better place. A real mood uplifter.


Average
I'd say it has two down falls lyrics and variety. This album I would say is average maybe a little above. All the songs kinda sound the same and are about the same thing. Basically the singer tries to hard to be "Metal". I'd say that if your looking for something very simular go for Skid Row or Motley Crue who do sound much like this band. The worst idea of all was however to cover the song "Cats In The Cradle". Heres why, the song is basically about a son and father who don't have enough time for each other. When the son is young he wants to spend time with his dad but he is too busy and when the dad gets older he wants to spend time with his son but he's too busy. Than to the to singing "And the cats in the cradle and the sliver spoon little jimmy. . . and the man on the moon" what is that supposed to mean. On the postive even though the songs sound a lot alike the instrumentals and singing got a different sound from typical metal. Plus with a name like that you'd think they would just be extremely terrible which they are not. In the end if you want a real metal cd stay away but if you like poppy music you may like this.


You can see a complete list of all Ugly Kid Joe discography, or go back to the Ugly Kid Joe tabs. There is also a good guide on how to read guitar tabs here.

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