Formed in Texas in 1994,
Bowling for Soup unexpectedly became one of the more popular bands to emerge from the pop-punk boom of the '90s; if they never rose to the level of
Green Day or
blink-182, they scored a handful of hits and developed a passionate following for their sharp, poppy tunes which were full of humor and boasted more heart and intelligence than their goofball image might suggest. To celebrate the group's 20th anniversary,
Bowling for Soup decided to cut a new album of their best and best-known songs, partly in response to a "Best Of" anthology released by their former record label that was created without their input or their knowledge, and partly to improve on low-budget recordings the band bashed out in their early scrambling days.
Songs People Actually Liked, Vol. 1: The First Ten Years (1994-2003) includes freshly recorded interpretations of
Bowling for Soup's best and best-remembered songs, as well as one new song, "20 Years (That's a Lot of Beers)." Other selections include "The Girl All the Bad Guys Want," "Life After Lisa," "Punk Rock 101," "The Bitch Song," "Cody," "Last Rock Show," and 11 others. ~ Mark Deming