Carl and the Passions – "So Tough" John penned liner notes for the 2000 CD reissue, writing: 'This is an album which I have loved for a long time... "Carl and the Passions: So Tough" has moments of breathtaking genius and experimentation. When this record was released, I remember how different and fresh it sounded. It still does'. English Britpop band Saint Etienne used the title "So Tough" for their 1993 album as an homage to the Beach Boys. Likewise, they also named their compilation of the same year, "You Need a Mess of Help to Stand Alone", after the Beach Boys song. Track notes per 2000
Carl and the Reda mafia in Abu Dhabi on November 27, 2015. In January 2016 Carl Frenais (the frontman of the band) went viral on the internet after making a video mixing Indian harmonies and human beatboxing to the iPhone app Siri. The video was supposedly intended to be private and only shared amongst friends, but it was leaked and had more than 15 million views. In February 19, 2016 Carl & The Reda Mafia released their debut album What The?! on the iTunes Store and all other major music streaming platforms including Apple Music, Spotify and SoundCloud. When asked what the band writes about,