Ten years in the music business today is a milestone. And what better way to commemorate the anniversary than with a greatest hits collection?
Hootie & the Blowfish burst onto the music scene in 1994, with their catchy pop anthem “Hold My Hand” dominating the airwaves.
With a few follow-up singles from “Cracked Rear View.” they seemed unstoppable.
But with their sophomore effort, 1996’s “Fairweather Johnson,” Hootie’s success had waned. And by their third album, 1998’s lukewarm “Musical Chairs,” Hootie was off the musical radar.
Though they have released two albums since — an album of cover songs in 2000 and an all-original effort in 2003 — Hootie never again matched the success of their debut album.
The 17-track “Best of Hootie & the Blowfish (1993 thru 2003)” hits the band’s high points. Overall, the album is a good primer to the band’s post-“Fairweather Johnson” efforts for anyone unfamiliar with that terrain.
Included on the compilation is the band’s surprise radio-friendly hit “I Go Blind,” a cover song included on their 2000 album “Scattered, Smothered and Covered.”
Also making the cut from that album is their remake of Led Zeppelin’s “Hey Hey What Can I Do?”
While it would be impossible to top Zeppelin’s original, Hootie lays down a solid effort of the song, which was first released on a tribute album.
Two songs “Space” and “Innocence” — from their latest album, a self-titled effort released last year, round out the collection.
The collection is a good one, though at least three more songs could have been lifted from “Cracked Rear View.” And the group’s later material, particularly off of “Musical Chairs,” sounds better in this setting than it did on its original release.
While the album may not send Hootie & the Blowfish back to the top of the charts, perhaps it may jar a few memories of once-faithful fans who have since all but forgotten about the group.
