Room 101 post: ah House of Pain, how you live up to your name

There are many reasons to dislike this song, but credit where credit's due - at least it starts with the good bit: the brass sample from Harlem Shuffle.

At student discos in the 90's that BAAAAA! BA BA BAAAAA! was the signal for a sudden rush to the dance floor for some, but also for an expeditious retreat by yours truly. 

Why? First and foremost, it's The Screech. Wikipedia kindly informs me it's a saxophone - yet another example that of how that instrument can be used to commit great wrongs. The screech is right up there with brushing paving slabs - my own personal 'fingers on blackboard' sound - as one of the most annoying things I've ever listened to.

The only thing that would make it worse it would be sticking The Screech over a lumpen lopsided piano riff. Oh wait...

There's also something about how Jump Around translated onto the UK dancefloor I never liked. The repeated direction to jump around became something mandatory, almost coercive instead of inspirational. It turned the mood hyper-masculine and the battle rhyme threats - removed from their context thousands of miles away - left a sour taste in the mouth.

So, yeah. I discard it utterly.