In some circles,
Fun Lovin' Criminals were touted as the heir apparent to
the Beastie Boys. There were two problems, however, with this contention:
the Beastie Boys weren't going away, and
Fun Lovin' Criminals certainly weren't pushing anybody with this major-label debut. Aside from the radio hit "Scooby Snacks," nothing on the album had anywhere near enough staying power to distinguish
the Criminals as anything more than a run-of-the-mill one-hit wonder. While the music of
the Beastie Boys is eclectic, dynamic, and laden with amusing pop culture references, the music of
Fun Lovin' Criminals is predictable, unimaginative, and downright boring for the most part. While the band attempted to mix in some elements of
the Beastie Boys and also tried to cash in on the same fusion of rock, rap, and punk, the results were decidedly inferior. ~ David M. Childers