Released in 2000, ‘Chocolate Starfish and the Hotdog Flavored Water’ is the third studio album by American rap rockers Limp Bizkit, who, having gained mainstream recognition with their previous outing, really stepped up the ante on this one, and produced an album that totally defined an era. Not just in music, but in pop culture.
It’s crazy to think how big this band was back in 2000, but Limp Bizkit were literally one of, if not THE, biggest band on the planet. ‘Chocolate Starfish’ produced five chart-topping singles, a memorable soundtrack to a huge, Hollywood blockbuster, the music to one of the most highly revered Wrestlemania events of all time, and had mainstream appeal thanks to cameos by hip hop superstars DMX, Xzibit and Method Man.
And in all seriousness, it holds up well to this day. I know it’s cool to hate this band, and it’s cool to hate this album… but whatever, I love it! It’s just pure energy and attitude throughout, whilst never taking itself too seriously, nor coming across as a parody. The band have a sound and style that they stick to, and don’t care what anyone thinks. Fred Durst’s lyrics are often daft, but always memorable, and Wes Borland’s unique guitar playing is taken to a whole new level here. The production is fantastic too, and this sounds as fresh and exciting as it did way back at the turn of the century.
Need proof of how awesome this is? ‘Rollin’’, ‘Take a Look Around’, ‘Boiler’, ‘My Generation’ and ‘My Way’ are all the massive anthems that everyone knows, but in their shadows are some fantastic tracks such as ‘Hotdog’, ‘The One’, ‘Getcha Groove On’ and ‘I’ll Be Ok’. This is an incredibly well put-together album. If you’re looking for something deep and introspective, this isn’t for you. Neither too serious nor too daft, this album hits all the right spots if you just want to rock without a care in the world.
