I have never been much of a fan of Five Iron Frenzy, it's always seemed to me that they are a bunch of talented musicians who COULD be a very, very good band, but never quite hit the mark. This, like the other FIF stuff I've heard, has some really good serious material, and some totally silly stuff. I call it silly, and not humor, because none of it even got a chuckle out of me. I guess I am just really turned off by people trying to be goofy without actually having amusing lyrics. Listen to some Weird Al if you want to laugh. I would personally skip about half the tracks just because, for instance, I can't enjoy a song about mullets unless it's cracking me up.
News Flash: Ska can be good and happy at the same time without being dumb as well. If you like Five Iron, or just enjoy that goofy-jump-around-for-no-good-reason kind of ska, I'm sure this will be stuck in your CD player and your head for quite some time. If that's not you but you still like ska and melodic punk, it's definitely worth listening to at least once, just to see what you think. Great musicianship, good melodies and harmonies, just not terribly entertaining.
B-
Other coverage for this album
The Rebel Base 2001Reviewed by Mark BakerHave you ever had one of those days where everything seems to be going against you, and the world has teamed up to make you miserable? I know I have. One day recently for me was like this. I happened to pop in Five Iron's CD, All the Hype That Money Can Buy. It cracked right though that bad mood and made me sing along! Everybody now: "Cuttin' it short in the front, I want that for me! Growing it…ReAL Magazine 2000Reviewed by Kevin D. Hendricks"This album is the first step towards world peace," says bass player Keith Hoerig. And with typical Five Iron Frenzy style comes their third full length studio release, All The Hype That Money Can Buy. It's being billed as more rock, but the band stays true to their ska roots and manages to stray stylistically--enough to keep things interesting. Five Iron has earned the reputation for being…Bandoppler 2000Reviewed by Earl CampbellIt has been billed as a "more rock" record, but while there are instances of basic rock nuance to be found on FIF's latest offering, All The Hype That Money Can Buy, they are mostly there for sardonic effect—especially on "The Phantom Mullet," a brilliant piece of stadium satire. Other than that and a few other minor samples, this album unapologetically rebukes the popular notion that "Ska is…Decapolis 2000Reviewed by Tom BastianI found this album kind of hard to review. Some of the songs sound similar to their older stuff (rock/ska/punk), yet other songs are just different (reggae, rasta, rap). The songs I enjoyed on this release were the songs that sounded similar to their other stuff. Songs such as, "The Greatest Story Ever Told", "Me Oh My", "The Phantom Mullet", and "Fahrenheit". Some of the other songs such as…Decapolis 2000Reviewed by Jim ShadyI have been a fan of FIF for about 4 years now. Actually, it would be more correct to say that I am a sideline fan, meaning that I am anxious to hear what they come up with next but I am not about to go see them in concert. Ever since their first album Upbeats on the Beat Downs, I have not been overly impressed. Sure they put out one or two good songs per album but I can compare them to any of…The Phantom Tollbooth 2000Reviewed by Michial FarmerIt takes an awful lot of guts to release a song against homophobia on a Christian label: I was in eighth grade I said he was a queer I thought he had it coming He died of AIDS that year My liberty As if Christ's death meant nothing to me (From "Fahrenheit") It takes even more to follow that up with a song condemning Christian escapism and isolationism: The radio is preaching the candy coated goo…Similar sounding releases
1999The O.C. SupertonesChase the Sun
Bunch of BelieversIt's a Ska Ska Ska Ska World
2001The DingeesThe Crucial Conspiracy
2004PepperIn With The Old
1999The ChinkeesPeace Through Music
2002ApologetiXGrace PeriodMore from Five Iron Frenzy
1997Our Newest Album Ever!
2001Five Iron Frenzy 2: Electric Boogaloo
1998Quantity Is Job 1
1996Upbeats and Beatdowns
1999Proof That the Youth are Revolting
1996It's Funny... but not very creative.
