Ugly Kid Joe Albums (3)
What The Critics Say
Motel California is Ugly Kid Joe return to their roots, bashing out grungy metal in their garage and recording it for posterity. Of course, there's a couple problems in this concept. Ugly Kid Joe never wanted to play in the garage, they always lusted after the arenas -- they were just forced into the garage after being dropped by their major label. Surprisingly, Motel California works a lot better than it should, sounding fiercer and more committed. The group still has problems with writing hooks, but they sound better than ever. Ironically, fewer people than ever will hear them now. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
On their second full-length album, California's rattiest pop-metal scuzzbags let their dim light shine. When they made it big with "Everything About You," everything about Ugly Kid Joe screamed "one-hit wonder," but on Menace to Sobriety the bandmembers prove they're not going to let their 15 minutes go quietly. Forget the pop, Menace is UKJ's metal offering. Out come the Sabbath references, the monster grooves, and the snarly vocals: This is as ugly as they got. The band's schoolyard sense of humor is still intact, and here the Joe backs it up with the ability to bring the noise, big time. Add grunge maven GGGarth's spanking tight production, and Menace is by far the UKJ album with the most bang for your buck. Highlights include the funk-addled punch of "C.U.S.T.," the coiled surge of "Jesus Rode a Harley," and Whitfield Crane's venomous vocal turn on "God." Ironically though, Menace to Sobriety turned out to be Ugly Kid Joe's poorest seller, and the band was dropped by its label, Mercury, soon after. America's Least Wanted, indeed. ~ Leslie Mathew, All Music Guide
'America's Least Wanted'
Release Date 1/1/1992
Tracks 13
Label Stardog
See Album Tracklist and Review
What The Critics Say
Ugly Kid Joe's first full-length album reprises the hit "Everything About You" from their debut EP As Ugly as They Wanna Be and delivers a set of similar rockers and a handful of power ballads, including a revamped version of Harry Chapin's "Cats in the Cradle." Listeners who are too far removed from their adolescence to remember the joys of spitballs and Saturday schools won't find America's Least Wanted engaging in the least, but it wasn't designed for them. Ugly Kid Joe rocks for the average high school kid, the one that doesn't think about anything except girls, partying, and metal. On the whole, the band's mixture of fizzy, fuzzy riffs, sing-song melodies, and calculated obnoxiousness isn't that offensive, but it will certainly try the patience of anyone who doesn't find their cutesy vulgarity fun. For fans of the band, America's Least Wanted delivers the thrills. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide
