Bowling For Soup
The Great Burrito Extortion Case
4/5
Many people wouldn't know that "The Great Burrito Extortion Case" is
Bowling For Soup's ninth album. Although this Texas based band have
been active in the music scene since 1994, they seem to have stayed
below the radar. Bowling For Soup have a quirky sense of humor, which
is reflected in most of their songs.
In "High School Never Ends" the band compares High School
superficiality to society's obsession with celebrity culture. "Check
out the popular kids/ you'll never guess what Jessica did/ and how did
Mary-Kate lose all that weight?/ And Katie had a baby so I guess Tom's
straight." Funny song with a painfully true message, but I'll always
be a celebrity gossip junkie!
"I'm Gay" is about Bowling For Soup's need to be happy, and not
writing overly angry and sad songs like other rock bands. "It sells
records to be sad these days/ It's super cool to be mad these days/ I
think Rock and Roll is really funny when it's serious." Bowling For
Soup then tells listeners that we don't have to be sad or mad anymore,
we can all join hands and play Ring Around the "freakin" Rosie - I'd
prefer Red Rover but whatever.
Regardless of the fun and happy label Bowling For Soup may have,
there's a couple of songs that take a more serious tone. "Much More
Beautiful Person" features singer Leslie Ray and discusses being
deceived by external appearances. "Judy has a Dad that might as well
be dead/ a case they may have in every other kid/ she hates the world/
at least the one outside/ she's a MySpace kid/ living a virtual lie/
but she's a much more beautiful person/ than you'll ever know."
"99 Biker Friends" touches on domestic violence. "It takes a tough man
to slap her around/ such a bad guy to keep such a good girl down/
she's wearing shades/ but we all see/ behind the tinted glass/ and
I've got 99 Biker friends/ that wanna kick your ass."
I thought this album was going to be corny and annoying. But you will
find yourself laughing while listening to "The Great Burrito Extortion
Case." One of those albums you don't take too seriously, these guys
wouldn't want you to anyway.
Key Tracks: High School Never Ends, I'm Gay, Much More Beautiful
Person, 99 Biker Friends.
+Alawna
December 16, 2006
