Here we have the reissue of Hoss, the third record from 20+ year pop-punk veterans Lagwagon (originally released in 1995). If you were to tell me that you were a member of the punk rock music scene and you had never heard of Lagwagon, I would not only be astonished... but I also would flat out just feel bad for you. You would have been missing out on some stellar pop punk records... including this one.
While I don't consider my self to be an expert on Lagwagon, I do acknowledge their overwhelming importance to the punk rock scene... especially during the 1990's. They are a mainstay and supporting pillar of Fat Mike's (NOFX) Fat Wreck Chords stable and without that label, pop punk wouldn't be what it is today. Growing up, I couldn't wait for the the release of Fat Wreck compilations (all with clever titles involving the world "fat"). Along with other labels like Revelation, Victory, Epitaph and Nitro... compilations were how I was able to check out new bands in an age that predates the convenience of the internet. To be honest, the release of 1996's Survival of the Fattest comp changed my life. It was one of the first tastes of bands like Good Riddance, No Use For A Name, Propagandhi and Lagwagon that I had. These are all bands that have stuck with me through over 15 years of my life and I can still count on their records to pull me up by my bootstraps when I need them to. The reason I mention that particular compilation is because it contains the Lagwagon song "Sleep", which was part of the original release of Hoss. It also gave fans a rare previously unreleased track titled "Laymen's Terms" (ironically, one of my favorites of theirs and is included on this reissue). Without this comp, I probably would have never heard this record.
For those of you completely unfamiliar with this album, it is very much a "90's" sounding pop punk record. The production lacks the gloss that modern bands slather all over their product but I honestly think that is part of the charm. The songs are all fast and they are all incredibly catchy. I would have to say that if you are new to Lagwagon, this or their previous record Trashed would be an excellent starting point for you.
Now... for those of you who already own this record, you're probably asking "why should I buy it again?". There are 12 bonus tracks included with this reissue, 7 of which have never seen the light of day prior to this release. Being a fan of the band, I thought this was an incredible offering as an added bonus. In order to verify that my feelings were aligned with other fans, I listened to all of the bonus material with a close friend who is a much bigger fan than I... and he was beyond stoked on the extra material.
The bottom line is that if you are a casual Lagwagon fan and already own this record, you might not be that inclined to purchase it again... however I would strongly suggest that you do so. If you don't own this record and are a fan of pop punk... you're really screwing up because this is truly one of the classics.
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