Hello Rockview

I took one of my occasional visits to Greenwich on Sunday to attend Up The Creek's Sunday Special. I very rarely decline the opportunity to visit the Music and Video Exchange just around the corner, where I have on occasion picked up a curio from the world of music. On this occasion they appeared to have picked up the entire back catalogue of maligned pop-punk's Bowling For Soup. But something else caught my eye on this occasion.

Behind a cabinet was the limited edition long out of print 7x7 inch collection of Less Than Jake's "Hello Rockview". Yes, I have the CD. I have the 12 inch vinyl. It's dawned on me mid blog that I also own the 12 inch picture disc. But I had to have it, for fortunately a price that was not completely outrageous.

It is probably (despite great admiration for the follow up Borders and Boundaries) my favourite Less Than Jake record and is generally considered to be their best work. It contains "All My Best Friends Are Metalheads", one of my favourite songs full stop and one can set a live crowd on fire. I first heard it on the soundtrack of Tony Hawk Pro Skater 4 for the PS2 and altered the settings so it was the only song that would play.

HR is an "all killer, no filler" selection of ska punk bangers. More than anything else, it brilliantly articulates the suffocating nature of life in a small town as a young man. For some reason, that resonates with me.

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