Shag officially cool again!

Okay, that title's a little joke, but here's something interesting: the new Smash Mouth CD is out, and the cover looks like a Shag homage:

[

Smash Mouth: Get the picture](http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B0000A96RA/tikiroomcom)

But it turns out it is a Shag original! At least, according to this google cache of Smash Mouth's web site: "Supersonic Swingers":

Smash Mouth were lucky enough to track down everyone's favorite visual artist to produce the cover art for the new CD. That's right kids - the one and only SHAG has provided our heros with not one, not two, but three paintings to choose from and they all rule.

And, although they're not Tiki, Shash Mouth is a cool band IMO, if not somewhat overplayed.

~Hanford

[ Edited by: hanford_lemoore on 2003-08-06 01:43 ]

Here's an image of the full artwork if you're interested (click to go to a larger version):

I'm a fan of everything Shag so I like everything he does. However, I'm only mildly a fan of SmashMouth. Here's a snippet from a recent interview with Shag where he talks about doing album covers. Of the 3 categories he mentions I would guess that this one falls into the last ($$$).

Q: Your art has been seen on concert flyers and CD covers from artists like Ursula 1000 to the Vandals how do ventures like this usually come about?

A: I get contacted by a lot of bands about doing their album covers. I either have to really like the music (as in the case of Ursula 1000) or respect the band and the band's body of work (like the Vandals). Occasionally, a band will come along and their record label will pay me enough that I don't care about the music or the band's history.

ModMana :drink:

[ Edited by: ModMana on 2003-08-06 01:21 ]

Cool pic.

I really like both Shag and Smash Mouth. On Smash Mouth, I think their music is catchy and becuase of that their hits remind me of the years they were released in. When I hear "all star" it reminds me of waiting 32 hours in line for Star Wars: Episode One (did I just admit that in a public place?)

Plus, there was a minor controversy that they ripped off Swan's Splashdown riff from Perrey & Kingsley's In Sound From Way Out! (also on Essential). Perrey and Kingsley is some of the squarest hep music around. So for them to sound like it is damn cool (whether or not they actually ripped it off is debatable ... they deny they did).

Plus they're from the Bay Area (San Jose). So that's a plus in my book.

~Hanford

PS: The Smashmouth site says "paintings" but that looks like an Illustrator image to me :D

[ Edited by: hanford_lemoore on 2003-08-08 16:31 ]

I might be talking nonsense, but if they were the ones that sang "walking on the sun", the video clip had lots of Tikis, longboards and hotrods. That alone gives them some credit in my book.

Ran

Hey wait a minute...Mariah Carey (or whichever way her name is spelled) had a video clip with hotrods...I was shuddering in disgust as they had put nice street machines and street rods in the same clip with lowrider abominations...not to mention the horrible music.

yeah, "walking on the sun" was the song that got them in hot water with "Swan's Splashdown". I don't remember the video, though.

~Hanford

I don't know what you all think, but even though that is a Shag original, it kind of looks like a Shag knockoff. (Like the school supplies that Target has now, with little hipster girls and black cats)... anyway, it's a funny concept-- Shag imitating Shag. Kind of like how the Damned (current lineup) jokes that they are the best "the Damned" cover band around.

Smash Mouth is one of my guilty pleasures also. But please, please, please don't tell anyone or Spike will kick me out of my own band! (I guess they'd still practice in my garage though.)

I just stumbled on this post. That's it Bong, it's over. I want you out of your garage by noon today.

Actually, Smash Mouth aren't too bad. Not one of my favorites but they kinda throw that 60's vibe in there a little. Okay, you're still in the band.

I picked up the CD today at Frys, on sale for 9 bucks. There's a lot more Shag art inside of it ... the whole design is apparently done by Shag (does that explain the House Industries fonts too?)

~Hanford

In an interview in Keyboard magazine with the band's current keyboardist, he mentioned that the keyboard riff was added by the band's producer to give the track a little something extra. The bulk of that album sounds completely different.

Due to the popularity of Walking On The Sun, the band's direction changed to an all-retro sound and keyboard add to all the tracks from the second album on. Isn't the power of the dollar amazing. :)