Search - Hooters :: Hooterization: Retrospective

Better than a Philly Cheesesteak

Tim Brough | Springfield, PA United States | 09/17/2005

(4 out of 5 stars)

"To this day, when I hear the Hooters sing the line "The town that rocked the nation, Philadelphia, PA," I get goose bumps. Through the course of their three Columbia albums in the 80's, this Philadelphia five piece consistently wrote and recorded fine music, yet their debut was the only album that harvested massive sales and airplay.



Starting with the breakthrough singles "Hanging On A Heartbeat" (not included here) and "All You Zombies," The Hooters brought an impressive mix of styles to the table. Acoustic folk instruments were combined with reggae rhythms and new wave energy, and that was what brought them to the attention of Columbia. The result was the energetic and brash "Nervous Night," and the accompanying hits "Day By Day" and "And We Danced." They saw their stars soar so quickly that they were pegged to open the Philly segment of Live Aid.



But it was more than the energy of the band and their albums; Rob Hyman and Eric Brazilian were crack songwriters. It was Hyamn's composition with Cyndi Lauper, "Time After Time," that cemented her stardom after "Girls Just Want To Have Fun" (coincidentally written by another Philadelphian, Robert Hazard). "Time After Time" appears here in a live version, along with a Hooterized version of "Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds."



The Hooters' second album was the even more acoustically flavored "One Way Home," which found the band attempting social commentary with the sing-along of "Satellite." But they didn't give up their rocking, as "Fighting On The Same Side" shows. But if "One Way Home" was a progression, then "Zig Zag" was the final maturation of the band. From the melancholy of "Heaven Laughs" to the Hooterization of "500 Miles" (complete with back-up vocals from Peter, Paul and Mary and a lyrical reference to Tienamen Square) to the hometown cheer of "Beat Up Guitar," this was their finest hour.



Sadly, the maturity came at a price. Minus the giddy enthusiasm of the debut, "Zig Zag" failed to connect at the same level as "Nervous Night." As an album though, it maintains the same integrity as albums of the period from John Mellencamp and Don Henley. There was another album released after "Zig Zag," it is not represented here (due to being on a different label, one surmises). The Hooters still gig, and they still put on one heck of a show. Seeing as only "Nervous Night" remains in print from those first three CD's, "Hooterization" is a terrific place to get the best of this band. But if you feel like splurging on the many used Hooters titles available on Amazon, I recommend them all.



After all, if "you can't get to Heaven on the Frankford El," (even if I take to Second Street every day), you can at least get some of Philly's finest band without laying out a bundle of dough."

Retrospective and worth looking back at

E-Train | NJ, USA | 09/21/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Hooterization includes some of this band's best hits from their early recordings. It also has a few hard-to-find live recordings. The live rendition of "Time after Time" alone is worth getting this CD. Rob Hyman wrote this song for Cyndi Lauper and the Hooters deserve to do this song as a group.



There is a good mix of some of their hits and best-known songs on here, as well. I would have also included "Engine 999" from One way Home, as well as "Hangin' On a Heartbeat" from Nervous Night. But I guess it's impossible to include everyone's favorites when so many of their songs are worthy.



This is a great way to get a feel for the unique sound that is The Hooters if you are not so familiar with who they are. It is also good to have this if one would like to have some of the best from their early years. Either way, it is highly recommended."

A Solid, Easy-to-Listen to Greatest Hit's Package!

Archie Mercer | Yorba Linda, CA | 12/28/2008

(4 out of 5 stars)

"I could never call myself a Hooters fanatic. I heard their top 40 hits, of course, and found them to be a musically talented band. But was never quite inspired to go out and buy their albums. However, every now and then the song "All You Zombies" would pop into my head for no reason. So I finally broke down and bought "Hootersization" and discovered a list of absolutely great songs. It's become one of my favorites when I'm driving long distances.



Of course, this has the three "hits" that I previously had heard: "And We Danced", "Day By Day", and the aforementioned "All You Zombies." Other great songs include "Satellite", "Karla with a K", "Where Do The Children Go", and their cover of the Beatles "Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds." But my personal favorite has become their version of "500 Miles", which was written by American folksinger Hedy West and made famous by Peter, Paul, & Mary. This version includes PP&M singing background vocals as well. This is one of the best covers I've heard of the song, which is saying a lot considering that besides PP&M the Kingston Trio, Peter & Gordon, and the Highwaymen all recorded it as well.



Highly recommended to anyone looking for a musically solid and above average "Greatest Hits" package.

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