4 out of 5

Label: Interscope Records

Produced by: Dave McNair (remastered by)

Toadies’ classic album, remastered by Dave McNair.

I don’t own the original album on wax, but it… sounds like a master intended for CD. The 90s were prime CD times – which has since made albums from that era prime for vinyl rereleases – but Rubberneck’s very familiar 11 tracks have a kind of muddy, punchy recording that fits perfectly with the grunge that was intended for our discmans and car stereos. I love the sound of the original record, and recognize that I have some nostalgia bias in play, but it feels “right” for compact disc, and I don’t know that I’m stressed to own the original master as an LP.

Dave McNair’s remaster, meanwhile, while having gotten a CD rerelease as well, feels much more intended for some of the depth and warmth of wax, which makes this an incredibly compelling listen (and nuanced in ways that bring out some guitar and bass interplay that’s more buried in the ’94 mix / master)… though subjectively, I’d again say that the punch and comparative shallowness from the original takes helps give the album some of that crunchyness that’s true to its era. Setting that aside, I equally love the way McNair’s approach softens the songs ever so slightly and helps to forefront the intense melodies that really set the band apart; it highlights how skilled the band was from the outset at crafting songs beyond hooks – perhaps suggestive of their longevity for albums and years on from here.

So the recording does the duty of offering a new listen without betraying the “intention” of the material – this is still Toadies, arguably optimized for wax.

A point gets knocked off for the reissue’s lack of liner notes, however. While I’m looking at an Interscope edition from 2025, sifting back through the Discogs versions to Kirkland’s first reissue / remaster from 2014 (this was the same McNair remaster) suggests none of them came with the original’s insert. I’m sure there are reasons, but it’s a bummer that you just get the cover.