Fastball
All the Pain Money Can Buy

(Hollywood)

First Appeared at The Music Box, July 1998, Volume 5, #7

Written by John Metzger

All the Pain Money Can Buy is incredibly derivative, but Fastball is remarkably effective at mixing up the sounds of The Beatles, The Byrds, The Hollies, The Who, and Elvis Costello into an incredibly infectious and enjoyable pop-rock stew. Teenage Fanclub and Dada also borrow from many of these same groups, and many of the songs on this disc are sure to excite fans of the latter's American Highway Flower. All of the tracks contained here will sound familiar from the first listen, yet they stand up quite well and don't lose their edge over the long haul. Whether it's the driving beat and thunderous bass of Sooner or Later, the pompous but contagious Warm Fuzzy Feeling, or the Latin-influenced hit single The Way, it's next to impossible not to like this band. Indeed, Fastball knows how to blend sounds and styles together to come up with material that is undeniably enjoyable. ½

All the Pain Money Can Buy is available from Barnes & Noble.
To order, Click Here!

Ratings

1 Star: Pitiful
2 Stars: Listenable
3 Stars: Respectable
4 Stars: Excellent
5 Stars: Can't Live Without It!!

Copyright © 1998 The Music Box