So why is L7’s Hungry For Stink on this best 1,000 albums ever thing?
I’ll get into a mood sometimes where I’ll lock in on a song and just play it over and over again.
I’m not exaggerating, I’m being literal: I’ll hit repeat on that sucker and just run it into the ground.
Speaking of running, “Can I Run” off of Hungry For Stink is one of those songs. There’s something deliciously dirty and grungy and wonderful about it, with that guitar riff that will stick in my head for days at a time. While L7 can play at a fast and furious tempo (see, not coincidentally, “Fast and Frightening,” off of Smell the Magic, #337 of best 1,000 albums ever), with “Can I Run,” they’re not in a rush. On this one, L7 is going to slowly and methodically kick your ass with their ferocious and glorious brand of grungy alt metal.
“Questioning My Sanity” is in the same mode, yet even slower and grungier (somehow!).
At the moment though, “She Has Eyes” is my favorite track on Hungry For Stink. It has a Nirvana-ish quality akin to “About A Girl,” where pop and grunge mesh into compelling and catchy perfection.
A very close second place: the relatively quiet and even (dare I say it?) chill song by L7 standards, “Stuck Here Again.” This one even has a blues rock vibe to it that works, while still retaining an essentially L7 sound.
“Andres,” which is credited to L7 and Michael Barbiero, is an apology song to someone named Andres. I’ve always wondered what the deal is with the background on this one, but most importantly it’s a great song that sits on a very nice edge between dark pop and grunge.
Down in North Hollywood
There’s a guy with long hair
He’s really, really nice
But we had a problem
Andres I’m sorry
“Riding with a Movie Star” is a much lighter and breezier affair, and it’s really fun to see that L7 can play in this mode when they want to.
And I fully dig how heavy “Baggage” goes.
L7 is a band that does not mess around, and I’m here for it.
Some stats & info about L7 – Hungry For Stink
- What kind of musical stylings does this album represent? SoCal Bands, Rock Music, Grunge, Alternative Rock, Alternative Metal
- Rolling Stone’s greatest 500 albums ranking – not ranked!
- All Music’s rating – 3 out of 5 stars
- When was Hungry For Stink released? 1994
- My ranking, the one you’re reading right now – #135 out of 1,000
L7’s Hungry For Stink on Spotify
A lyrical snippet from L7’s Hungry For Stink that’s evocative of the album in some way, maybe
I’m questioning my sanity.
What does the “best 1,000 albums ever” mean and why are you doing this?
Yeah, I know it’s audacious, a little crazy (okay, maybe a lot cray cray), bordering on criminal nerdery.
But here’s what it’s NOT: a definitive list of the Greatest Albums of All-Time. This is 100% my own personal super biased, incredibly subjective review of what my top 1,000 albums are, ranked in painstaking order over the course of doing research for nearly a year, Rob from High Fidelity style. Find out more about why I embarked on a best 1,000 albums ever project.