Hootie & The Blowfish Fairweather Johnson CD

Hootie & The Blowfish: Darius Rucker (vocals, guitar, dobro); Mark Bryan (guitar, mandolin, piano, background vocals); Jim "Soni" Sonefeld (piano, drums, percussion, background vocals); Dean Felber (bass, background vocals).
Additional personnel includes: Lili Haydn (violin, viola); Michael Severens (cello); Peter Holsapple (accordion, piano, Hammond organ); John Nau (piano, Fender Rhodes piano, Hammond B-3 organ); Randy Guss (tambourine); Nanci Griffith & Band, Dean Dinning, Glen Phillips & Band (background vocals); Cary.
Recorded at The Site, Marin County, California. Includes liner notes by Mark Bryan, Dean Felber, Darius Rucker, Jim "Soni" Sonefeld & Paul Graham.
Personnel: Darius Rucker (vocals, guitar, dobro); Mark Bryan (guitar, mandolin, piano, background vocals); Lili Haydn (viola); Michael Severens (cello); Peter Holsapple (accordion); Jim Sonefeld (piano, drums, percussion, background vocals); John Nau (piano); Randy Guss (tambourine); Dean Felber (background vocals).
Audio Mixer: Don Gehman.
Recording information: Site, Marin County, CA.
Photographers: John Clark ; Ethan Hill.
Following up a debut as successful as Cracked Rear View would be intimidating for most groups, but it had to be especially daunting for such a direct, straightforward combo as Hootie & the Blowfish. What made Cracked Rear View such a success was its very unpretentiousness; how each song sounded like it was the crowd-pleaser from the local bar band. Hootie & the Blowfish haven't lost that universal appeal on their second album, Fairweather Johnson, but they have been able to add more weight to their music. While the essential formula of Hootie's music hasn't changed -- Darius Rucker still belts out anthemic choruses over interweaving acoustic guitars -- the band is stronger and more muscular, giving their simple, direct melodies powerful support. They also have learned how to shade their music with varying dynamics and subtle arrangements, which also adds depth to the band. And behind the bright, singalong melodies, Rucker has hidden some surprisingly introspective and searching lyrics, tackling everything from racism to heartbreak. Hootie & the Blowfish still have a bit of trouble coming up with a set of consistently engaging songs, but the weakest moments on Fairweather Johnson resonate more than those on Cracked Rear View, while the best moments eclipse those on the debut. It's a surprisingly assured and effective second album. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine
An air of melancholy and isolation hangs over Hootie & The Blowfish's second major-label album. A similar air hangs over many follow-ups to whopping commercial succeses like Hootie's CRACKED REAR VIEW. But this South Carolina foursome is both too smart to follow that tired path in which stardom begets ennui, and a few miles on the road beget resentment and resignation. The darkness in their existential-pop love songs derives not from the world without, but from souls within. Meanwhile, they craft R&B-soaked folk-rock with the confidence of a band that's as popular as they wanna be. Propelled both inward and onward by their fame, they continue to cast for sad fish with happyish hooks.
The prevalent sound of FAIRWEATHER JOHNSON is dark folk-rock, with jangly guitars and melodies rooted in '60s rock. The country-gospel swing of "So Strange," awash in the sound of a Hammond organ, sounds like vintage Rolling Stones; "Silly Little Pop Song," which isn't silly at all, is Beatlesque down to an ooh-la-la-la backing chorus. The song structures themselves are also dizzyingly '60s-ish, many clocking in at three and a half minutes or less. But the band's tangle of Southern roots separates this from any other classic-rock homage. On the gorgeous "Earth Stopped Cold At Dawn," they invite country singer Nanci Griffith to join them in a country-rock ballad that could pass for acoustic R.E.M.; "Fool" is nearly Cajun (with an accordion played by former R.E.M. sideman Peter HolsappleRolling Stone (5/16/96, p.63) - 3 Stars - Good - "...In addition to hooks and chops, great pop music needs a sense of tension and release; it also must have subtlety and nuance....Fortunately these are lessons that Hootie seems to be learning..."
Entertainment Weekly (4/26/96, pp.55-57) - "...FAIRWEATHER JOHNSON expands Hootie & the Blowfish's medium but builds a wall around their message."
- Rating: B