Gas Giants - From Beyond the Back Burner

Excellent Pop-Rock

This is Robin and Phil (singer and drummer) from the Gin Blossoms' post-Blossoms effort. This CD came out in '99, and I was a little late getting it, but I'm a huge Gin Blossoms fan, and this does not dissapoint. Pretty similar to the Blossoms last record, perhaps a little more aggressive? Anyways, near perfect pop-rock. Don't player hate, get this. February 25, 2007

It's NOT the Gin Blossoms

This wasn't what I expected coming from 2 of the members of the Gin Blossoms. Actually, I heard that the other member of the Gas Giants was a member of the Gin Blossoms way back in the day. Anyway... the Gin Blossoms put out incredible albums. Generally, there aren't many bad tunes on their cds. But the Gas Giants couldn't pull that off. "I hope my kids like Marylin Manson" and "Quitter" are really good songs. But the rest of the album is average at best. It was sort of a filler during the time when the Gin Blossoms had broken up. Hearing Robin's voice and Phil's beats was great but it lacked Bill's bass lines. But hey, they're not supposed to be the Gin Blossoms so I'll cut them some slack.
As a side note.. what the heck is with the name "Gas Giants" anyway???????????? November 12, 2004

A GREAT CD!

Many of these previous reviews hit it on the nail. ROBIN has a wonderful voice and makes this project, POPPIN' WHEELIES and now recording with the GIN BLOSSOMS again....reason to BUY this and the other ROBIN WILSON CDs! A CLASS act! July 11, 2004

CLASSIC ROBIN!! NOW, DON"T FORGET THE POPPIN WHEELIES!!

Always been a Robin Wilson fan, as it seems he was the focal point of both the much-loved Gin Blossoms and his followup band here, the Gas Giants. His vocal style is just CLASSIC powerpop, and here, Robin is in VERY fine form. I just love the Gin Blossoms records, and their mix of great Big Star-ish powerpop, jangly REM/Byrds riffs, and a drop of alt-country for flavour.

Now, I love harder-edged powerpop too, like Cheap Trick, and here, on this flat-out FANTASTIC Gas Giants record, Robin and his pals seem to merge Robin's trademark vocal stylings of his Gin Blossoms days, with more of a Cheap Trick-ish setting, and it totally works. It's like the Gin Blossoms live attack but in the studio. And the reason it works is cuz of Robin's spot-on powerpop songwriting and pure passionate yet understated vocals, plus their sense of fun. Robin is just great and he seems to not be able to do any wrong moves, classic!!

There are at LEAST 3 classic tunes here: "In Between Two Worlds", "Quitter" and "Tonight Won't Let Me Wander", and all the others are almost in the same excellent realm. I also rally dig "Circus Of Stars" and the way it changes form mid-song without losing any melody or momentum, quite inventive really, even genius.

Now, here's a tip: there IS a SECOND Gas Giants record out, but not under that name, but the POPPIN WHEELIES!! They sell it here on Amazon.com, but no one seems to know about it here, and that's a shame, because it's CLASSIC ROBIN (Dan and Phil AND Scotty Johnson are on there too)!! It's Robin + his pals doing a Gorillaz-like project, aka a CARTOON, but it's still the same voice and style, like classic Gin Blossoms, the Gas Giants edge, just more powerpop sugar piled on, a VERY good thing. It was produced by Robin, most of the tunes WRITTEN by Robin, along with 3 Tommy Keene covers (attention powerpop enthusiasts), including a killer "Places That Are Gone"!! Imagine ROBIN WILSON SINGING "PLACES THAT ARE GONE" (with Scotty Johnson on lead guitar), and believe me, it's as drop-dead amazing as you would imagine. TOTALLY cool!! Sooo, order this Gas Giants record AND the Poppin Wheelies CD (and Jesse's solo record, "Tunes Young People Will Enjoy"), and you are set!!

Robin rules, what can I say?? Helluva nice guy too... September 19, 2003

FBTBB Rocks! 5 Stars!!

As a longtime fan of Gin Blossoms and Robin Wilson, I bought the CD as soon as it came out. I LOVE it! I think it has a great diversity of styles; a cool mix. Great rockers, classic pop tunes, everything a music lover can want. Robin's impeccible vocal style is in fine form. I give FBTBB 5 stars! February 21, 2001

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