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Playmate of the Year

 
Album Review: Playmate of the Year

  • Artist: Zebrahead
  • Rating: StarStarHalf Star
  • Release Date: August 22, 2000
  • Type: Lyrics are included with the album
  • Genre: Rock

Review

Having failed to score commercially with their debut album Waste of Mind, Zebrahead returns two years later with more of the same, which is to say fast-paced hard rock on which Justin Mauriello's male adolescent musings are augmented by Ali Tabatabaee's aggressive raps. At their best, on the title song (sort of a musical version of a Farrelly Brothers movie in under three minutes), the group approaches the sound of Cheap Trick, with their shimmering guitar lines, furious rhythm playing, and Mauriello's self-deprecating, humorous lyrics. A few other songs, notably "The Hell That Is My Life" and "Wasted," are almost as effective, but much of Zebrahead's music is too busy for its own good, and when they attempt social commentary on "What's Goin' On?" (where have we seen that title before?) the results are embarrassing, while as a change of pace like "Livin' Libido Loco" is more reminiscent of Barry Manilow than Ricky Martin. The hidden track at the end of the album is a prank call made by Mauriello to Sony Music in which he impersonates his mother and demands to know when he is going to start seeing some money from his record contract. It may indicate the band will pack it in unless Playmate of the Year breaks through, but even with a tie-in to Playboy magazine that still seems like a long shot. ~ William Ruhlmann, All Music Guide

Tracks

Track TitleComposersPerformersTime
I Am Ed Udhus, Ali Tabatabaee, Greg Bergdorf, Justin Mauriello, Ben Osmundson Zebrahead (3:01)
Playmate of the Year (Lyrics) Ed Udhus, Ali Tabatabaee, Greg Bergdorf, Justin Mauriello, Ben Osmundson Zebrahead (2:58)
Now or Never Ed Udhus, Ali Tabatabaee, Greg Bergdorf, Justin Mauriello, Ben Osmundson Zebrahead (3:00)
Wasted (Lyrics) Ed Udhus, Ali Tabatabaee, Greg Bergdorf, Justin Mauriello, Ben Osmundson, Randy Cash Zebrahead (3:28)
I'm Money Ed Udhus, Ali Tabatabaee, Greg Bergdorf, Justin Mauriello, Ben Osmundson Zebrahead (3:52)
Go Ed Udhus, Ali Tabatabaee, Greg Bergdorf, Justin Mauriello, Ben Osmundson Zebrahead (3:23)
What's Goin' On? Ed Udhus, Ali Tabatabaee, Greg Bergdorf, Justin Mauriello, Ben Osmundson Zebrahead (4:40)
Subtract You (Lyrics) Ed Udhus, Ali Tabatabaee, Greg Bergdorf, Justin Mauriello, Ben Osmundson Zebrahead (2:58)
The Hell That Is My Life Ed Udhus, Ali Tabatabaee, Greg Bergdorf, Justin Mauriello, Ben Osmundson Zebrahead (3:33)
E Generation Ed Udhus, Ali Tabatabaee, Greg Bergdorf, Justin Mauriello, Ben Osmundson Zebrahead (2:44)
Livin' Libido Loco (Lyrics) Ed Udhus, Ali Tabatabaee, Greg Bergdorf, Justin Mauriello, Ben Osmundson Zebrahead (4:45)
In My Room (Lyrics) Ed Udhus, Ali Tabatabaee, Greg Bergdorf, Justin Mauriello, Ben Osmundson Zebrahead (4:19)

Credits

Ed Udhus (Drums), Ali Tabatabaee (Vocals), Jodi Ann Paterson (Model), Gavin Lurssen (Mastering), Tavis Werts (Didjeridu), Jennifer Rovero (Model), Greg Bergdorf (Group Member), Brandy Flower (Art Direction), Brandy Flower (Design), Lisa Gray Sall (Product Manager), Matt Silva (Mixing Assistant), Justin Mauriello (Vocals), Kerissa Fare (Model), Howard Benson (Keyboards), Ali Tabatabaee (Group Member), Chris Lord (Mixing), F. Scott Schafer (Photography), Matt Silva (Assistant Engineer), Tavis Werts (Horn), Tim Devine (A&R), Bobby Brooks (Loops), Bobby Brooks (Loop), Matt Silva (Mixing Engineer), Ed Udhus (Group Member), Tavis Werts (Vocals (Background)), Ernie Vigil (Engineer), Ben Osmundson (Bass), Bobby Brooks (Engineer), A. Jay Popoff (Vocals (Background)), Gabrial McNair (Keyboards), Woody Pornpitaksuk (Authoring), Howard Benson (Producer), Justin Mauriello (Group Member), Justin Mauriello (Guitar), Dana Pilson (Production Coordination), Chris Lord-Alge (Mixing), Greg Bergdorf (Guitar), Howard Benson (Programming)
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Wikipedia: Playmate of the Year (album)
Top
Playmate of the Year
Studio album by Zebrahead
Released August 22, 2000
Recorded 1999-2000 at The Gallery, Sherman Oaks, California; Sparky Dark, Calabasas, California
Genre Pop punk, Rapcore, Punk funk
Length 50:21
Label Columbia
Producer Howard Benson
Professional reviews
Zebrahead chronology
Waste of Mind
(1998)
Playmate of the Year
(2000)
Stupid Fat Americans
(2001)
Singles from Playmate of the Year
  1. "Playmate of the Year"
    Released: 2000
  2. "Now or Never"
    Released: 2001

Playmate of the Year is Zebrahead's third studio album, and their last on Columbia Records. Both of the album's released singles were used in movies. More specifically "Now or Never" in the movie Little Nicky and "Playmate of the Year" in the movie Dude, Where's My Car?.

The music video for the title track exists in censored and uncensored versions. The uncensored version has been shown on Playboy TV and is available on DVD as a bonus segment of the Playboy 2001 Video Playmate Calendar. It features Playboy founder Hugh Hefner along with a considerable complement of centerfolds such as Jodi Ann Paterson (The 2000 Playmate of the Year that the title refers to) and was filmed at the Playboy Mansion.

Contents

Track listing

  1. "I Am" – 3:02
  2. "Playmate of the Year" – 2:58
  3. "Now or Never" – 3:00
  4. "Wasted" – 3:54
  5. "I'm Money" – 3:53
  6. "Go" – 3:23
  7. "What's Goin' On?" – 4:01
  8. "Subtract You" – 2:59
  9. "The Hell That Is My Life" – 4:00
  10. "E Generation" – 2:44
  11. "Livin' Libido Loco" – 4:47
  12. "In My Room" – 11:35
  13. "Get Back (Japanese Bonus Track)" - 3:32

Secrets

  • "Wasted" contains a secret song during the last 30 seconds of the track and "The Hell That is My Life" contains a demo of the unreleased song "Wookie".
  • The song "In My Room" is 3:32 long, followed by about a minute of digeridoo playing, followed by about five minutes of silence. When there is two minutes and fifty-four seconds left in the track, a prank call to Sony BMG is played. The call is made by member Ali Tabatabaee impersonating then-fellow member Justin Mauriello's mother, demanding to know when the band is going to start seeing some money for their record label.

Personnel

Charting Positions

Charts Peak
position
Top Heatseekers 4
US Charts 127
Japan Charts 20

 
 

 

Copyrights:

Album Review. Copyright © 2009 All Media Guide, LLC. Content provided by All Music Guide ®, a trademark of All Media Guide, LLC. All rights reserved.  Read more
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