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April 7 - 14, 2000

[Music Reviews]

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** Bloodhound Gang

HOORAY FOR BOOBIES

(Geffen)

In the two-plus years since the release of their last album, the hilarious One Fierce Beer Coaster, Philly's Bloodhound Gang have watched their style of Licensed to Ill-derived white rap become ubiquitous. On Hooray for Boobies, Gang svengali Jimmy Pop Ali proves he's still hammier and more irreverent than Eminem and Kid Rock put together. And with "The Bad Touch," a blatant New Order ripoff about doing it "like they do on the Discovery Channel," he shows he's got what it takes to compete with the competition in the hit-singles sweepstakes -- at least in theory.

Ali also scores with "Mope," where Pac Man shows up high on crack and dueling samples of prime-era Metallica and Wham! mesh into a chorus of sublime absurdity. He does kitsch at the highest level, but he mistakes misogyny for humor a little too often, especially on the not-quite-parodic rape fantasy "A Lap Dance Is So Much Better When the Stripper Is Crying." His shtick is designed to be as resistant to criticism as that of his friend and role model Howard Stern. And if he keeps on shocking just for the sake of it, he risks following Stern's career path from feisty little brat to bitter old bore.

-- Sean Richardson

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