3 out of 5

Produced by: Rob Schnapf, Tom Rothrock

Label: Interscope

When I finally bought Toadies’ Rubberneck, a billion years after the fact, I was pretty damn blown away.  These weren’t the grunge also-rans who chanced into some good singles; this was a legit rock band – granted, one with a major Pixies obsession – capable of delivering killer riffage with a pretty hefty emotional punch.  The creepy context of tracks like Away or the ferocity of Tyler had me reevaluating the band song by song, listen by listen, and suddenly, I was a Toadies convert.

Though I would claim, even then, some eye-rolling awareness of singer Todd Lewis a bit too on-the-nose lyrics – lots of angsty youth stuff in there – I likely would have given this album a superior review.  And it’s still, absolutely, a great disc, one that I revisit often.  At a time when I was starved for bands who could do this rock thing full steam ahead, no quirks attached, re/discovering Toadies was a blessing.  However, after years of subsequent awesome releases, Rubberneck is… clearly pretty basic, and derivative.  Catchy as all get out, and given a perfect gutsy sheen by Rob Schnapf’s and Tom Rothrock’s production, but even as soon as their next album (Hell Below / Stars Above), Toadies were hitting a stronger stride, digesting and repurposing their influences as opposed to somewhat aping them as they did on Rubberneck.  So, sorry guys: You outdid yourselves.  The album clearly has all the ingredients that would lead to later magic, and, as highlighted, certain tracks nail a particular sense of zing, but this is just Template Toadies.  Much better stuff was around the corner.