Limp Bizkit is still angry at everything

"Chocolate Starfish and The Hot Dog Flavored Water"; Limp Bizkit; Interscope.

In an interview with MTV radio, Limp Bizkit vocalist Fred Durst credits The Beatles with influencing the band`s third album, "Chocolate Starfish and The Hot Dog Flavored Water." However, it`s not The Beatles with which Limp Bizkit warrants comparisons. Instead, Durst`s much maligned hip-hop/metal hybrid band is more like a modern-day Led Zeppelin. Just like Zeppelin, Limp Bizkit isn`t taken too seriously by music critics but nevertheless maintains a huge fan base that thinks the band rocks.

And Limp Bizkit definitely does rock: "Chocolate Starfish" is a powerhouse of an album filled with the kind of loud, angry songs you`ve come to expect from this band.

But there`s one thing that should be clarified. Limp Bizkit isn`t about intellectual prowess or smart lyrics. The combination of Durst`s distinctive voice, Wes Borland`s power guitar, and the hip-hop mixing of DJ Lethal add up to a lot of rage, but it`s never clear why the band is so angry. When Durst sings about "My Generation," he rants that "we don`t give a f--- and we won`t ever give a f--- until you give a f--- about me and my generation." He seems issueless, and the song comes across as an empty plea for attention - a musical pout.

Most of these tracks stick to the band`s signature hard sound, though the band is mellowing out a little bit. "Hold On" is Limp Bizkit`s first attempt at a rock ballad. The song is a duet between Scott Weiland of the Stone Temple Pilots and Durst. And it`s a success. Laid-back guitar by Borland and some low thunderous drums provide a nice showcase for the vocals. The song builds, builds and builds in the Limp Bizkit tradition, but against tradition, the song never quite kicks in to build a perfect bridge of momentous anticipation to the hip-hop remix of "Rollin`" it precedes.

Probably the best songs on the album are the singles "Take a Look Around," from the "Mission Impossible 2" soundtrack, and "Rollin,`" with vocals from Weiland. Both contain an explosive energy guaranteed to get the blood flowing. Other songs on this album are a bit more forgettable, especially the overly profane "Hot Dog."

"Chocolate Starfish and The Hot Dog Flavored Water" relies heavily on help from several artists (in addition to Weiland). Method Man, Redman, and DMX all make guest rap appearances. In "Hot Dog," the band retools Nine Inch Nails` hit "Closer." And in "Livin` it Up," the band samples The Eagles` "Life in the Fast Lane." In this song, Durst`s tiresome rants about his fast-paced rock `n` roll life are saved by the musical interplay between the hip-hop breaks and rock samples. The members of Limp Bizkit just don`t seem to be having that much fun as rock stars, unlike the members of the band`s contemporary, Kid Rock. Instead, their party-boy personas seems to come wrapped in a shell of defensiveness.

The album closes with sarcastic banter between Fred Durst and Ben Stiller, who puts Limp Bizkit in its place with a healthy dose of sarcasm. Stiller simultaneously praises the band and takes it down a peg. As he says, he appreciates the band`s basic message. Durst asks what message that is. Stiller`s answer: "Watch out, Mom, big bad rock star."

"Abandoned Shopping Trolley Hotline"; Gomez; Virgin

With two critically acclaimed albums under its belt and a fan base wanting more, "Abandoned Shopping Trolley Hotline" is Gomez`s attempt to hold interest steady while taking a year-long hiatus. And this album of outtakes, B sides, and live cuts - 13 of which were previously unreleased - should do the trick.

Perhaps best known for its remake of The Beatles` "Getting Better" (included on this compilation) featured in a Phillips commercial, Gomez is much more than a one-hit wonder. "Abandoned Shopping Trolley Hotline" is a collection of blues and psychedelic rock that`s rich with a tightly coordinated acoustic sound.

Though the band - vocalist/guitarist/keyboardist Tom Gray, vocalist/guitarist Ian Ball, vocalist/guitarist Ben Ottewell, bassist Paul Blackburn and drummer Olly Peacock - got its start in Liverpool, England, its sound is strictly American.

"Bring Your Lovin` Back Here" delivers a punch of Elvis Presley-like rock `n` roll. The lilting guitars and sweet melodic refrain on "Flavors" (the chorus: "you are the only fool I ever wanted to make love to ") is reminiscent of the quiet elegance of Elliot Smith. And the band brings a Tom Waits-like rasp to "78 Stone Shuffle." If that`s not enough genre switching for you, there`s some slow and creepy surfer-rock guitar on "We Haven`t Turned Around (X-Ray)."

Throughout it all, though, Gomez sticks to a hippie jam-band sound, probably most aptly heard on "Buena Vista," in which psychedelic electric guitars lend mellifluousness to the consistent bass line. If these 13 songs don`t satisfy Gomez fans, then perhaps they should get ahold of the limited-edition extended-play track "Machismo," which comes as a bonus with a limited number of "Abandoned Trolley Hotline" CDs. The title track has a Beck-style electronica flare - another stylistic addition to Gomez`s bag of tricks.

(c) Copley News Service

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Author: Emily Friedlander