Advertisement

Life's a hoot for clean boys of rock

Reading Time:5 minutes
Why you can trust SCMP
SCMP Reporter

Keeping your feet on the ground in the face of untold wealth and notoriety is no simple task, but it is a feat that roots rock phenomena, Hootie and the Blowfish, are managing admirably.

Their legion of critics would like nothing more than for this four-piece from South Carolina to fall prey to the 'Peter Frampton syndrome'.

The 1970s megastar Frampton stands like a cautionary tale to the dangers of overnight success and mega sales. His 1976 double set, Frampton Comes Alive, shifted more than eight million units in a twinkling.

Advertisement

But almost as quickly as Frampton arrived, he was gone. His next three albums bombed miserably as he churned out some of the nastiest rock 'niceties' ever perpetrated.

Was he a victim of his own success, or just too eager to please? The parallel with Hootie and the Blowfish, appearing in Hong Kong tonight and tomorrow, is not that far-fetched.

Advertisement

Their breakthrough Cracked Rear View is easily the most successful debut album of all time - racking up sales of 15 million in the United States alone - and, like Frampton, they are an unflashy, wholesome act for whom the 'live' aspect is bread and butter.

Advertisement
Select Voice
Choose your listening speed
Get through articles 2x faster
1.25x
250 WPM
Slow
Average
Fast
1.25x