21 for 21—#19: Toad the Wet Sprocket, "Fear"

Name chosen by Eric Idle

Number 19 on my "Countdown to June 21" list of my 21 favorite CDs in my collection is by a group that made a big splash in the early nineties thanks to a strange name and a collection of folk-inspired pop tunes: "Fear" by Toad the Wet Sprocket.

Inspired by a Monty Python skit, the band's name attracted as much attention as their music. "Fear" was their third studio album, released in 1991, and the album that made them nationally famous for the requisite 15 minutes. The biggest hit was "All I Want," which made it as high as #15 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart.

Their music was really out of time for the era of their fame. It's certainly not grunge, and it's definitely not late-eighties hair metal. You could call it college alternative, but it doesn't really fit the bill there, either. They were ideally suited for a decade later with radio-friendly bands like Matchbox 20 or the Goo Goo Dolls.

"Fear" was one of my most-played discs back in the era before MP3s and satellite radio. Favorite tracks include "All I Want," (of course!), "Walk on the Ocean," and "Is It For Me." They really remind me the most of the contemporary Christian band Jars of Clay, and their music has a similar feel to it.

The band played several shows in Columbia, MO, at the Blue Note on their way to the commercial success of "Fear." Unfortunately for me, their live shows in my college town were before I had heard any of their music, so their concert posters stapled around campus made no more impression on me than causing me to think, "That's a strange name for a band." I'm still sorry I missed them.

Here's their biggest hit—enjoy!