They Did It All For The Nookie (Significant Other - Limp Bizkit)

Member Name: rleigh

Product:	Significant Other - Limp Bizkit
Date:	22/01/08 (66 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Great guitar work, some fantastic drumming.

Disadvantages: Fred Durst rapping is slightly embarrassing to say the least.

'Significant Other' is the second studio album from Floridian Nu-Metallers Limp Bizkit and was released back in 1999. Containing hit singles such as 'Break Stuff', and 'Nookie', 'Significant Other' I feel is to date the best album in the Limp Bizkit back catalogue (although some will perhaps fairly argue that this is no great difficulty). The album is by no means perfect, however nonetheless is still one that I hold in extremely high regard having been one of the first albums I ever really heavily listened to.

Whilst Limp Bizkit may not be the most intelligent of music makers, the thing I have always loved about them is their use of guitars in the music. For me this is the strongest point of their sound and has been the making of some of their best material (the guitar riff for 'Take A Look Around' which was used as the 'Mission Impossible' theme springs to mind). There is no denying that Wes Borland is a fantastic guitarist, and he has always been a key figure in Limp Bizkit I feel. Listening back to this album having not done so for quite a long time, the one thing that strikes me about the music is that the lyrics spat out by Fred Durst are at times exceptionally bad. I'd forgotten just how low lyrical intelligence is in the music of Limp Bizkit, it's quite amusing really and strangely enough only seems to further add to the charm and appeal of the band. Not many bands can get away with lyrics such as 'I did it all for the Nookie, So you can take that cookie', or even 'If my day keeps going this way I just might break something tonight' and still have a worldwide fan base of millions.

The album flows well, and each of the tracks here impress to varying degrees. There are some tracks that really stand out, whilst others although not bad are quite unmemorable. Even the most unmemorable of tracks here however have strong guitars, a feature of the band that is present from start to finish in this 'Significant Other' album. 'Break Stuff' has always been a favourite of mine from this album, and even now when I listen to it I air guitar along and thoroughly enjoy listening to it. The vocals of Fred Durst work incredibly well in this one, the guitar work is of course amazing, and the drums also are outstanding. Whilst many often praise Limp Bizkit for their excellent guitar work, the drumming for the most part tends to go unnoticed and I feel that this is a little unfair. Limp Bizkit drummer John Otto is clearly a master of his trade, and his drum work is never short of exceptional.

Although 'Nookie' is perhaps one of the best known tracks from the album having been released as the lead single from the album, it is probably one of my least favourite Limp Bizkit tracks of all time. It is just too repetitive, more so than any other track on the album I feel. In contrast to this, the album track '9 Teen 90 Nine' is incredibly strong and although not released as a single I believe it could easily have been. The track is probably one of the heaviest on the album and works extremely well. The drums are powerful, and the guitars tower above all in terms of quality here. Everything about the track is thoroughly enjoyable, making '9 Teen 90 Nine' for me at least a definite highlight.

Whilst it may not be one of my favourites any more as it was back in 1999, 'Significant Other' is still a pretty decent album if you can overlook the awful lyrics and focus on the real plus points of the music; the guitars and the drums. The vocals of Fred Durst are fairly decent throughout the album and although when he tries to rap it just doesn't work; the vocals are an overall success I feel (although there will no doubt be a lot of people out there that disagree with me about that). If you were once a fan of Limp Bizkit, then why not dig this album out and give it a listen. Even if only for nostalgic value, the album is sure to provide you with a smile or two.

Summary: Perhaps not the great album I once thought it was, but a good one nonetheless.