The Great Burrito Extortion Case is the sixth studio album by American rock band Bowling for Soup, released on November 7, 2006.

Background

According to the band on their official website "there are at least 12 verses' worth of total joy for every sort-of-sad chorus about an ex-girlfriend on this record."

Release

In June and July, the band went on tour with Flashlight Brown. This album's first single to be released was "High School Never Ends", which is available on iTunes. It was released on November 7, 2006, through Jive Records. It was originally set to be titled All My Rowdy Friends Are Still Intoxicated or We're Not Fat, We Just Have Small Heads. The album's title originated from the news ticker on the bottom of a TV screen that the group saw when in a hotel bar. The headline said "Burrito Extortion Case," which intrigued the band members. In July and August 2007, the group went on tour with Mêlée, Quietdrive and Army of Freshmen. They toured Australia in April 2008 with Pennywise, Sum 41, and the Vandals.

Reception

AllMusic senior editor Stephen Thomas Erlewine said that the record was "still proudly goofy, poppy punk, stuff that's fun without quite being memorable", but found the band's humor outdated with its '80s pop culture references, saying their "pandering a little bit, trying to deliver what they believe today's teens want," concluding that "even when they're coming across like Gen-X cranks, they're still nimble and melodic, so it's easy enough to listen to The Great Burrito Extortion Case and enjoy it – it sure is hard to get worked up about it, though." Gary Susman from Entertainment Weekly said the album "starts out fun but turns self-indulgent", concluding with, "Still, at least two tunes will lodge forever in your skull. One day, you’ll recall them fondly, and BFS, trafficking in insta-nostalgia, will be there to write a catchy number about that feeling." Rolling Stone's Christian Hoard said that "between the we're-happy-to-be-happy "I'm Gay" and the laudatory "Val Kilmer," the dozens of not really clever jokes about crazy girls and John Mellencamp, and whined harmonies and chug-a-chug guitars that blend together, the songs wear out their charm with a quickness." The album got an 'Honorable Mention' on Ultimate-Guitar's top ten albums of 2006, and debuted at number 88 on the Billboard 200.

Track listing

Many of the bonus tracks were released in 2008 on the Japanese 2008 Re-Issue of Bowling for Soup Goes to the Movies.

B-sides

Credits

Additional musicians/backing vocals and all around swell dudes: Greg Lobdell, Neal Tiemann, BRANDO, Bryan Jewett, Andy Skib, Alexis "Lyndsay" Skib, Josh Center, Davey Danger Nikki Messing, Niki Smith, Kira Von Sutra, Lindsey Campbell, April Farmer Bowling for Soup crew:

Release history