You Can't Stop the Bum Rush
Studio album by
Len
ReleasedMay 25, 1999 (1999-05-25)
Recorded1998–1999
StudioFour Ways Studios, Metalworks Studios, & Adinsound
Genre
Length44:07
LabelWork
Producer
Len chronology
Get Your Legs Broke
(1997)		 You Can't Stop the Bum Rush
(1999)		 The Diary of the Madmen
(2005)
Singles from You Can't Stop the Bum Rush
  1. "Steal My Sunshine"
    Released: July 22, 1999
  2. "Feelin' Alright"
    Released: October 19, 1999
  3. "Cryptik Souls Crew"
    Released: 2000

You Can't Stop the Bum Rush is the third studio album by Canadian alternative rock band Len, released on May 25, 1999, through Work Records. The album featured the top ten hit "Steal My Sunshine", which was previously featured on the soundtrack to the 1999 comedy thriller Go. It also managed to peak at No. 46 on the Billboard 200 albums chart and go Gold in the U.S. The album had a mostly positive response from critics. "The Hard Disk Approach" features lyrics entirely in German and uses a motorik beat to emulate the style of krautrock bands. The album also featured Buck 65 on the cover of the album, although he reportedly declined an offer to join the band. Despite this, he provides record scratches on the track "Cold Chillin'".

Background

Prior to the release of You Can't Stop the Bum Rush, Len solely consisted of siblings Marc and Sharon Costanzo, who predominately made alternative rock music. The duo independently released two studio albums, Superstar (1995) and Get Your Legs Broke (1997), on their own record label, Funtrip Records.[1] Following these releases, the duo became tired of producing rock music and considered disbandment.[2] Marc explained: "I was writing, then I thought, ‘This is bullshit; I can't write this shit.' I hated playing guitar."[2] The duo, however, became inspired again after experimenting with hip hop music, opting to move in this direction after receiving positive reception from music industry officials.[2] This reception resulted in Len signing with a major record label, the Work Group, and branching outside of being a duo, with the addition of group members Derek "D Rock" MacKenzie, Brian "DJ Moves" Higgins, Philip "Planet Pea" Rae, and Drunkness Monster.[1]

Music and lyrics

The standard edition of You Can't Stop the Bum Rush includes 12 tracks; the Japanese edition includes one additional track. Len intended to create a sonically diverse album, with Marc Costanzo commenting: "We didn't want people to be mad at us when they bought the album and expected 13 'Sunshines.' There's something [on the album] for the ravers, the Adidas-wearing old-school hip-hop heads, and 14-year-old-girls."[3] The album includes a variety of styles, including rap, rock, and pop.[1] The album makes a heavy use of samples, with band member D Rock commenting that "[we] don't take ourselves too seriously."[3] Guest appearances include Biz Markie, Kurtis Blow, and C.C. DeVille of Poison.[1]

Title and artwork

The title, You Can't Stop the Bum Rush, refers to the breaking down of barricades, with D Rock commenting that the idea behind it is that "[Len is] coming, you can't stop us."[4] However, the group maintains that the title was created as a joke, with D Rock further adding: "[Len is the] first Canadian band with no talent whatsoever to actually make it to Letterman."[4]

Len was responsible for the album's art direction, whilst Drazen helmed the cartoon art.[5] The cover features cartoon versions of the Len group members, in addition to alternative hip hop musician Buck 65, lined up on a city sidewalk.[6] The idea for the cover stemmed from a conversation between Marc and Sharon where Marc discussed "how funny it would be if we [became] cartoon characters."[7] Outside of the cover, Drazen drew a city—referred to by Marc as "Len land"—containing other eccentric characters, which is placed throughout the CD booklet.[7] The cover was originally a picture that Marc took of himself and Sharon, although this cover was scrapped as Marc believed it would fail to grab the attention of consumers.[7] The Work Group was strongly against the decision to release the album using Drazen's cartoon art.[7]

Release and promotion

To promote the album, Len headlined the Canadian Edgefest tour in 1999, replacing Eve 6 after they dropped out due to illness.[8] The tour lasted two weeks, from July 1 to 14.[8] In the United States, Len embarked on a tour consisting of 22 shows in the fall of 1999.[9] The tour commenced on October 7 in Chicago, Illinois and concluded on November 6 in Dallas, Texas, with most appearances being at clubs and music festivals.[9] The tour was initially scheduled to begin on July 27 in Washington D.C., although the Len group members had faced difficulty in securing the proper visa paperwork in time for the tour date.[1][10] To further promote the album, Len made a variety of radio and television appearances, including an August 6 appearance on the Late Show with David Letterman.[1]

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[11]
The New York Times(positive)[12]
Q[13]
Robert Christgau(1-star Honorable Mention)[14]
Rolling Stone[15]

You Can't Stop the Bum Rush received a mildly positive reception from music critics who praised the genre-hopping in the tracks and the light-hearted delivery used for them. John Bush of AllMusic found the rapping offbeat and the album a lesser version of the Beastie Boys' Hello Nasty but said that the production was "excellent" and the tracks "enjoyable", concluding that "the album's few derivative qualities never really get in the way of an enjoyable listen."[11] Tony Scherman of The New York Times credited the album for offering more than just "Steal My Sunshine" by dabbling into different genres, highlighting the four hip-hop songs for being injected with a sunny demeanor, concluding that: "Any unheralded group that cuts an album with at least a half-dozen memorable songs, and two addictive ones, deserves special attention."[12] Karen Schoemer of Rolling Stone praised Marc Costanzo for his versatile production on the album and for being an alternative to Fred Durst by being goofy and less serious, concluding that: "Twelve years ago, these guys might have been Camper Van Beethoven, taking the piss out of college rock. Today, another genre needs them more."[15]

Track listing

You Can't Stop the Bum Rush – Standard edition
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
1."Steal My Sunshine"
Mumble C4:25
2."Cryptik Souls Crew"
Mumble C4:24
3."Man of the Year"
  • M. Costanzo
  • Brian Higgins
  • Derek Mackenzie
Mumble C5:07
4."Beautiful Day"
  • Fisher
  • Big King
2:46
5."The Hard Disk Approach"
Mumble C3:04
6."Hot Rod Monster Jam"
Mumble C4:07
7."Cold Chillin'"
Mumble C3:26
8."Feelin' Alright"
  • M. Costanzo
  • Mackenzie
  • Sharon Costanzo
  • Michael Bruce
  • Spencer Lynn Kirkpatrick
Mumble C3:59
9."Cheekybugger"M. CostanzoMumble C1:44
10."Big Meanie"
Mumble C4:07
11."Junebug"M. CostanzoMumble C4:00
12."Crazy 'Cause I Believe (Early Morning Sunshine)"
  • M. Costanzo
  • David Wilson
  • Fred Werner
Mumble C3:00
Total length:44:09
You Can't Stop the Bum Rush – Japanese edition (bonus track)
No.TitleWriter(s)ProducersLength
13."Drunc'n Moves"
  • M. Costanzo
  • Mark Mackay
  • Higgins
Mumble C2:55
Total length:47:04

Notes

Personnel

Adapted from the You Can't Stop the Bum Rush inlay notes.[5]

Charts

Certifications and sales

Certifications for You Can't Stop the Bum Rush
Region CertificationCertified units/sales
Canada (Music Canada)[19] Gold 50,000^
United States (RIAA)[20] Gold 500,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

Release history

Release formats for You Can't Stop the Bum Rush
Region Date Edition(s) Format(s) Label Ref.
United States May 25, 1999 Standard CD Work Group [1]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Hay, Carla (July 31, 1999). "Work's Len 'Bum Rushes' charts". Billboard. Vol. 111, no. 31. p. 9.
  2. 1 2 3 "Len". Pollstar. November 8, 1999. Retrieved March 4, 2022.
  3. 1 2 Bell, Carrie (November 13, 1999). "The Modern Age". Billboard. Vol. 111, no. 46. p. 97.
  4. 1 2 Costanzo, Marc; Len (1999). "An Interview with Len". MuchMusic (Interview). Interviewed by Rick Campanelli. Toronto: CHUM Limited.
  5. 1 2 You Can't Stop the Bum Rush (CD liner notes). Len. Work. 1999.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  6. ↑ Weiss, Dan (July 23, 2019). "A Million Miles of Fun: Listening To Len's "Steal My Sunshine" 20 Years L-A-T-E-R". Grammys. Retrieved March 9, 2022.
  7. 1 2 3 4 "Marc Costanzo (Len) – Sound In The Signals Interview". Sound In The Signals. May 16, 2014. Retrieved March 9, 2022.
  8. 1 2 "Len Replacing Eve 6 on Canadian Edgefest". MTV News. June 17, 1999. Retrieved March 9, 2022.
  9. 1 2 "Len Announce First Tour of the U.S." MTV News. September 8, 1999. Retrieved March 9, 2022.
  10. ↑ "Len Postpones U.S. Club Tour; Festival Dates Still On". MTV News. July 22, 1999. Retrieved January 7, 2022.
  11. 1 2 Bush, John. "You Can't Stop the Bum Rush – Len". AllMusic. Retrieved August 15, 2011.
  12. 1 2 Scherman, Tony (August 8, 1999). "RECORDINGS; High-Quality Bubble Gum". The New York Times. Retrieved June 17, 2013.
  13. ↑ "LEN – You Can't Stop The Bum Rush CD Album". CD Universe. Retrieved June 17, 2013.
  14. ↑ Christgau, Robert. "CG: Len". RobertChristgau.com. Retrieved June 17, 2013.
  15. 1 2 Schoemer, Karen (September 2, 1999). "Recordings: Len, You Can't Stop the Bum Rush, 3 Stars". Rolling Stone. p. 110. Archived from the original on November 12, 2003. Retrieved June 17, 2013.
  16. ↑ "Top RPM Albums: Issue 5896". RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved March 14, 2022.
  17. ↑ "Len Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved March 14, 2022.
  18. ↑ "Top Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 1999". Billboard. Retrieved February 16, 2021.
  19. ↑ "Canadian album certifications – Len – You Can't Stop the Bum Rush". Music Canada. Retrieved March 6, 2022.
  20. ↑ "American album certifications – Len – You Can't Stop the Bum Rush". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved March 6, 2022.
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