Amazon.com

For all his tattoos and bulked-up frat-boy persona, singer Bradley Nowell had real soul, which made his fatal heroin overdose even more tragic. There's more to this Long Beach, California, trio's debut, released shortly after Nowell's death in 1996, than white suburban punks imitating Jamaican ska music. The band comes up with great songs, notably the catchy MTV hit "What I Got"; spooky dub-reggae undertones, produced by the Butthole Surfers' Paul Leary, to go with the snappy horns; and surprisingly progressive lyrics that attack sexism and other social ills, especially on "Wrong Way." Like the Red Hot Chili Peppers and Fishbone, obvious forebears, Sublime become slightly tiresome after 17 songs, but the band is great in short doses. --Steve Knopper ... Read more

Reviews (366)

ONE OF THE GREATEST CDs OF ALL TIME
If you haven't heard Sublime before, I suggest buying this CD. It's full of ska, reggae, punk, rap, and hip-hop. All of the songs are great, energetic, and they all sound different. This is how I would rate each song:
(1)Garden Grove:A++
(2)What I Got:A+
(3)Wrong Way:A+
(4)Same In The End:A+
(5)April 26, 1992:A+
(6)Santeria:A+
(7)Seed:A+
(8)Jailhouse:A
(9)Pawn Shop:A
(10)Paddle Out:A
(11)Balled Of Johny Butt:A
(12)Burritos:A
(13)Under My Voodoo:A
(14)Get Ready:A
(15)Caress Me Down:A+
(16)What I Got(reprise):A
(17)Doin' Time:A+

This is the last CD that Sublime made before Brad passed away, and it's one of their best. It's to bad he went away at the height of their success, but he new some day he would "lose the war".-Pool Shark

R.I.P. Brad Nowell

RADIO HIITS, WHO CARES, STILL A GREAT CD!!
I don't get why some people will give a cd a lower rating cause it gets radio play. You shouldn't like or dis-like a cd cause some of its songs on the radio. Anyway i'm a huge Sublime and own all there cd's (execpt stand by your van) I think this cd doesn't get enough credit just because excellent songs like what i got, wrong way, santeria and doin time are played on the radio. It also holds some other gems like Garden Grove, April 29, 1992 (Miami) which has a great story line, Same in the end, Burritos, Get Ready and Caress Me Down. The best song has to be what i got (reprise) when you listen to it just makes u feel good. In my oppion this is Sublimes second best album behind 40 oz to freedom, but it is still great.......... mad love out to lou dog and RIP BRAD..........PEACE!!!!!!!!

Bradley Nowell sounds even better now that he's Dead.
"Sublime" is one of my favorite albums of all time and it is by far the best Sublime record. Listening to "Sublime" is like the equivelant to watching an episode of Cops. There are songs about prostitutes, pawn shops, weed, race riots, and guns. All good fun!
Some highlights are:
"Garden Grove"- I like when Bradley goes through the list of reasons why his soul is unsound.
"Same in the End"- Totally rocks.
"Seed"- Totally rocks too.
"Burritos"- Should have been another single.

You'll love this
No matter what type of music you listen to,you WILL like this.Trust me.This is one of the only CD's I can listen to over and over and not get tired of.Some of the best tracks would have to be "What I got","Seed","Santeria",and "Wrong Way" are the best tracks on the cd.There's a serious point in all the songs,but the it's so inresting and catchy,you don't even notice.You'll love it so just buy it.

no band can compare
Sublime is just one of those bands that can't be compared to or imitated by anyone. Brad had a great gift with not only lyrics but amazing vocals. This CD especially shows sublime had true musical talent and wasn't imitating anyone like most rock bands are today. Every song on here is good and each song shows how many different kinds of music sublime could combine into one CD, rock/rap/punk/reggae/ska. This cd and 40 oz to freedom are by far the best 2 sublime cd's out there. RIP brad and your music lives on. ... Read more

Reviews (171)

This band's aging nicely....
Ten years after their debut, surprisingly, No Doubt is still around. Who would have thought? Their original sound was so...early 1990's....I would have figured that they would have died out with the grunge era. Boy, was I mistaken! Gwen and company have learned the secret to success: keep your sound fresh while still containing some of the original elements of your music. What No Doubt has done in the past decade is shown how a band can age gracefully, changing their sound as they go, and having a good time doing it. There are some instant classics on this compilation, namely "Don't Speak". But, don't overlook "I'm Just A Girl", "Spiderwebs", or "Ex-Girlfriend" either. All of these songs are great. Of course, the new hit "It's My Life" makes me think back to the early 80s new wave craze...and who knows...maybe No Doubt is the harbinger of a resurgence in that genre of music! In any case, this CD is a wonderful addition to your collection. Get for your living room...get it for the car...get it for everwhere!

A Good No Doubt "Starter Kit"
No Doubt wisely didn't name this CD "Greatest Hits", because only about 6 of the 15 songs on here were bonafide hits. They also were smart not to call it "Best Of No Doubt", because few of the songs on here are really the best No Doubt has to offer. Most of their finest material can be found on their albums, especially Return of Saturn and Tragic Kingdom. Nevertheless, this album is exactly what it claims to be: a collection of all the singles No Doubt has officially released between 1992 and 2003. The standouts range from the recent: the new single, a quality rock-driven cover of Talk Talk's "It's My Life", and Rock Steady's "Hella Good"; to the obvious: their biggest hits, "Don't Speak", "Just A Girl", and "Spiderwebs" from their most popular album, Tragic Kingdom; to the underrated: "Ex-Girlfriend", "New", and "Simple Kind of Life" from the woefully overlooked Return of Saturn.

Chances are if you are buying this, you are either a No Doubt fanatic who buys everything they release (such as myself), or you are a casual fan, who knows a few of their radio songs and want them on one disc. To the hardcore fans: buy Boombox instead: you get this CD, a b-sides and rarities CD, all their videos on DVD, and Live In The Tragic Kingdom on DVD. All this for less than $50!
If you are a casual fan, don't let your No Doubt collection stop here: buy all 5 of their albums (1992's No Doubt, 1995's Beacon Street Collection, 1995's Tragic Kingom, 2000's Return of Saturn, and 2001's Rock Steady). You will not regret it. Listen to how this great band has evolved over the years--from the ska-driven band they were in in the late 80's and early 90's (as demonstrated on "Trapped In A Box", included here)to the innovative New Wave/Pop-Rock band they are today.

A great way to get into this excellent band.

No Doubt About It
As I was loading the songs of The Singles 1992-2003 onto my computer, I realized something - this was the first CD that I had ever given every song a five-star rating in iTunes. This isn't just a set of singles from over the last 12 years - it's also really, really good music.

Every song here has some of the smartest lyrics you will ever find in music, as well as the most memorable themes. Take "Don't Speak" - in an era when every singer asked their ex-lover what had gone wrong, Gwen Stefani pleaded, "Don't speak, don't tell me because it hurts." My favorite song on this CD (and favorite song, period) is the catchy, unforgettable "Just A Girl". "Trapped In A Box" is the weakest track in the way of singing, but its smart lyrics make up for it. "Simple Kind of Life" channels reflective sadness, while "Hella Good" and "Hey Baby" are party songs to the core. "New" can be only described by the word 'fresh'. "Ex-Girlfriend" is all of it a high-powered bass riff. "Excuse Me Mr." is an even more frantic plea for attention and respect.

If you can buy just one CD, make it this one. If you're not quite sure about investing in a No Doubt album, buy this collection. Listen, and not only will you want ND's other five CDs, you'll know why fans will buy The Singles just for its new track, the '80s remake "It's My Life". It's well worth every one of its 59 minutes and 37 seconds.

amazing album, stupid idiot review!
I was appalled to see one idiots review of this album giving Bathwater and new 0/10 and 4/10 to trapped in a box. I have to say that i think trapped in a box is an amazing song, its one of the most intellegent and unique songs out there. If you don't understand the song you shouldn't bash it in your idiotic review. ( I HAVE ALREADY WRITTEN A REVIEW THIS IS JUST BECAUSE IM ANGRY AT THIS IDIOT) :)

i loved this
No Doubt have such a varied compliation on this album its unbelieveable but brilliantly brilliant! From hard rock, to hip hop pop right through to a little rap, some regee and some show tune! One song I found mesmerising was Trapped in a Box, i felt something about it that was like the songs in rocky horror picture show. Such a unique song. I'm just a girl is a great song, I've always loved Gwens voice its very unique and unlike any other voices. My favourite song on the album is very difficult to say because I adored everything. And They haven't let us down with the most recent, It's my life which is one of my favourite songs of all time. All and all this was one hell of an album. Don't stop there No DOubt keep them coming.
You truely would be in need of medical care if you did not like this. BUY IT. ... Read more

Reviews (9)

4.5 rounded up
Solid disc for any Beat fan, but I would have liked to see the instrumental version of Rotating Heads (from Ferris Bueller's Day Off) thrown on this disc for good measure. In my opinion, one of EB's better songs. Plus it would have spared people from having to buy that soundtrack to get it.

Can't be Beat
In the second coming of ska (c. 1979-1983) the English Beat ruled supreme. The Beat used ska as a foundation on which they used R&B, punk, rock, dub and Afro-beat as material to build three superb albums and a handfull of singles. This collection does a marvelous job of distilling their all too short career highlghts into one disk. Dancable to the extreme, thought-provoking at several levels, and thoroughly enjoyable, this is an excellent addition to any CD collection.

Beat fans you DO need this !
Prior reviews of this collection have missed an important detail. The Stand Down Margaret (track 15) included here IS NOT the Whine & Grine / Stand Down Margaret from the Beat's first album "I Just Can't Stop". It is the rare dub version that I believe was only previously availble in the U.S. as a 12" 45rpm import.

I remeber hearing this on the radio (small community access station) in the early eighties and have searched for it ever since. It KICKS ! Oh and BTW, with their blending of many musical styles and Saxa, the Beat always ruled. Although a very good ska band, Madness wasn't even in the same league !

This is "Beat"
I often rummage through the racks at my favorite record stores or online looking for the 80's bands that I loved. What a suprise to come across this collection. Back in the day the Beat were probably second to Madness as far as new wave ska bands go but I have to say time has probably been kinder to the Beat as these songs sound a lot less dated then some of the Madness efforts. You're gonna love this one. Classic reggae/ska cuts like "Twist and Crawl" and "Mirror in the Bathroom", Pop gems "Save it for Later" and "Best Friend", the funky, smooth, soulful "Too Nice To Talk To" and sophisticated ska influenced soul cuts "Sole Salvation" and "I Confess" and so much more this "Beat" goes on and on and on!

Still The Best Ska Band Ever!
This has just about every track you will ever need by The English Beat.

Starting with the classic "Mirror in the Bathroom" all the way through the later years with "Save it for Later" and "I Confess". The thing I particularly liked about this "best of" was it had many ofthe tracks off of "I Just Can't Stop It", the first American realease in I think about 1982. There's "Hands Off She's Mine", "Twist and Crawl" and the ultra-skankin "Rankin' Full Stop".

You will still need to get "Special Beat Service" for some other incredible tracks, but start with this and SKANK AWAY! ... Read more

Reviews (51)

Quite Good
RBF comes back after three years or so of touring and releases a rock-solid, infectious, bitter, pissy, angry album.There are usually two or three pissed off songs on an RBF album, "We're Not Happy 'til You're Not Happy" has about eight.

'THE FIRE' 4/5- This song starts in a funky, half time beat and is moderately entertaining, then kicks into a full skank and is awesome.Chorus is especially fun.

'Drinkin'' 5/5- A companion of sorts to the song 'Beer' this song has a fun little riff at the beginning and equal amounts of rock and ska throughout.

'Don't Start A Band' 5/5- I wanted to give them all a hug after this song.It amazes me how RBF can take the most depressing lyrics and set them to the happiest music.

'A-W-E-S-O-M-E' 4/5- I laughed my ass off at the beginning of this song.The song itself is ok.The chorus is the best.

'We Hate it When Our Friends Become Successful' 5/5- A Morrissey cover that fits the band quite well lyrically, and I like RBF's version better

'Turn the Radio Off' 5/5- Very angry, very good.The bridge is the best part.

'Talkin' 'Bout a Revolution' 4/5- awesome reggae version of a Tracy Chapman song.It shouldn't have been the first single, but it kicks ass.

'The Bad Guy' 3/5- My least favorite song on the album.It is saved by the brass section in the bridge.

'Story of My Life' 5/5- RBF has made a Social Distortion song sound almost cute, and has gotten away with it quite well.

'The Joke's On Me' 4/5- Starts out kind of new-wavey, is quite sad throughout, and the "never were any good old days" part is downright depressing.

'One Hit Wonderful' 5/5- incredible 3/4 time examination of the success of 'sell out'.the mandolin in the bridge is fun. after the song finishes, you can hear a high school marching band playing an arrangement of 'sell out'.

'The Last Show' 5/5- Makes it sound like RBF is breaking up, but they're not.The lyrics could be seen as Aaron talking to Scott, but i don't know.

'Say Goodbye' 4/5- End of a relationship song.At least it says "feels so good to say goodbye".almost not sad.

'Your Guts (I Hate Em)'10/5- My Favorite song on the album.SO damn funny.

Well, I'm Happy
This cd is honestly, one of my most favorite CDs that I own. They kept the same RBF sound, but somewhat matured a little bit. This is by far better than Cheer Up (mainly because the songs on Cheer Up bring back bad memories), and is my favorite RBF album. With Turn the Radio off in second.

My favorite tracks on this cd are: "Don't start a band", "A-W-E-S-O-M-E", and "Last Show."

Buy this album if you love RBF and want a good CD!

A bit more poppy than the others, but still my RBF
Reel Big Fish seems to be getting more and more pop oriented (melody and tone) as time goes on.Not that this is a negative thing, per se, but it's a step in an unexpected direction.

The opening track starts with a song that reminds me very much of my first listen to "Cheer Up".The song progresses from a lone guitar into a big buildup into more distorted guitar, then the repeating choruses into the big ending.It seems most of the tracks follow this format, though there is some variation.Looking back at "Turn the Radio Off" and "Why Do They Rock So Hard?", I miss the chill groovy tracks that dominated those albums.Most of the songs have a "hit on every beat" feel during choruses.I'm not sure how to describe it, but it feels sort of punk.

They make fun of themselves a bit with "One Hit Wonderful" and throw in their signature hypocricy with "Don't Start a Band".Theme-wise, the album is fairly negative but only lyrically.RBF has a unique talent; they can make the most lyrically negative song into a happy-go-lucky "make me want to skank" smile-fest.Still, I miss the good old days of "Beer" and "Alternative Baby".Maybe they just need more horn melodies, less distorted lead guitar.

All in all, this is about the best I can hope from from this awesome band.I was not disappointed at all, and I can see the songs growing on me.Keep churning it out guys, I look forward to what's ahead.

It was time for this band to grow musically!
While still full of the tongue in cheek, often curt but undoubtedly negative lyrics RBF have become known for, this CD returns the band to its ska roots and mixes in some new production style.The end result is incredible.Every album this band records seems to reflect their state of mind in the industry at any given time.In particular Turn The Radio Off and Why Do They Rock So Hard?This album is no exception. Turn The Radio Off told the story of a small time band that wanted to make it so bad it hurt.Why Do They Rock So Hard dealt with the inevitable backlash from some fans when the band "sold out," though they did nothing of the sort.We're Not Happy Til You're Not Happy has its own theme too, but this is a VERY angry, bitter album.It deals with the competitive and backstabbing industry every signed band finds itself in.That state of the band where the music becomes it's own stress, when playing feels like a job. If you can't deal with that anger, however, I'm not so sure you ever really listened to the lyrics of other Reel Big Fish albums, much less been in a band of your own.One of the reasons I like RBF so much is I empathize with a great number of their songs,.. they capture the experience of being in a band so perfectly, particularly the negative aspects which hardly any other group seems to acknowledge (most bands just want to tell you how much they rock).This album is a welcome addition to my record collection.Easily the best CD I've bought so far this year.

RBF Is back Baby!!!
This CD is so good!I've loved Reel Big Fish since I was a littler kid than I am now.That's like ten years or something, and really, this CD is absolutely amazing.I don't know what all you people lambasting this CD are thinking.Obviously somebody ripped the fun out of your ear drums because you suck if you think CD is not a 5 star worthy purchase!

This CD is awesome."Drinkin" is easily one of the top RBF songs ever.So is "Don't Start A Band,""Say Goodbye," "Your Guts (I Hate 'em)" and, well, basically every song on this CD.This is classic rocking awesome funny rad Reel Big Fish and everyone should buy this CD.It's so much better than Cheer Up, which was still a 5 star CD.So maybe, this is really like a 6 or 7 star CD (on a five star scale) because this CD is just so freakin' sweet.Basically this CD rocks harder than when unicorn's have their horns stuck in the rock that was holding excalibur until King Arthur pulled excalibur out.That's how hard this CD rocks!!!

This CD will not stop rocking until King Arthur comes back and rides that unicorn straight into Heaven to the tunes of "Your Guts (I hate 'em)" which will be playing when everyone who dissed this momentous CD is tossed into firey brimstone for their lack of faith, which I find disturbing. ... Read more

Album Description

What do Ryan Adams, Trey Anastasio, Jeff Beck, Ken Boothe, Marcia Griffiths, Eric Clapton, Bootsy Collins, The Roots, Ben Harper, Terry Hall, The Skatalites, Willie Nelson, No Doubt, Bonnie Raitt, Keith Richards, Shaggy, Rahzel, U-Roy, Bunny Wailer and Rachael Yamagata have in common?

The all-star guests on "true love" range from legends Like Keith Richards, Eric Clapton, and Bonnie Raitt to younger stars including No Doubt, The Roots, and Trey Anastasio. The caliber of these collaborators reveals the impact that Toots has had on several generations of rockers and rappers, while appearances from reggae icons Bunny Wailer and Marcia Griffiths show the respect granted to the man who might be the music’s greatest living vocalist. At the heart of it all is that voice - drenched in soul, rooted in gospel, and still breathtakingly powerful after almost four decades in the spotlight. ... Read more

Reviews (18)

Reggae Jammin'
The greatest voice of all reggae acts (sorry, Bob Marley fans) returns to the limelight with remade versions of his greatest hits alongside an all-star cast.

The good news is that most of the big stars don't get in the way (No Doubt, Trey Anastasio, Eric Clapton). In fact, you have to listen fairly closely to dig Gwen Stefani or Anastasio out of the mix, they're treated basically as background singers.

There are some duets, notably with Bonnie Raitt (on the title tune), original Wailer Bunny Wailer ("Take A Trip") and Willie Nelson on the Nelson-penned "Still Is Still Moving To Me." Unfortunately, Toots also lets Keith Richard sing along on "Careless Ethiopians" and that song isn't quite as successful as the others. And "Funky Kingston," with guest shots from Bootsy Collins and Roots, doesn't have the sweaty intensity as the original, but it's a fun groove anyway.

Guest stars aside, the entire CD rocks with a tuneful, tropical bounce. And surfing on top of it all is the remarkable voice of Toots Hibbert, (I'll say it again) the best singer in all of reggae. This is a great companion for your springtime/summer barbecue and an indispensable soundtrack for drivin' tru da Babylon.

So Excellent It's Embarrassing--Wonderful.
So Excellent It's Embarrassing--Wonderful.

Dusk

A Hoot With Toots
Toots and the Maytals are one of the seminal reggae bands. They appeared on the soundtrack to 'The Harder They Come', perhaps the most important vehicle for the acceptance of reggae music and, in fact, helped coin the term with their 1968 Jamaican dance hit 'Do the Reggay' (not to be confused with the 1965 international dance hit 'Do the Freddie' which helped coin the term 'geek') In a bid to re-establish an audience, Toots and the Maytals have, in the fine tradition of Carlos Santana, resorted to employing (mostly) famous guest stars on virtually every track. Although this may not be quite the commercial success of that multiplatinum Santana disc, which also had the good fortune of having the planets align during its historic sales run, it is easily as good and should, by all rights, provide a shot in the arm to Toots and the Maytals' career. With the exception of the opening track, written by and sung with Willie Nelson (a collaboration so odd and disconcerting that it wasn't until the 4th or 5th listen that we realized how good it was), all the
songs have been written by Frederick "Toots" Hibbert and virtually all of them have been recorded by him before. Nevertheless, each one sounds fresh and exhilarant as new and there is not a clinker among the 15 tracks. Most of the songs are bouncy and buoyant except for Toots' moving duet with newcomer Rachel Yamagata and which makes us wish there had been a few more ballads. The who's-who of guests, including Nelson, Bonnie Raitt, Eric Clapton, Ryan Adams, Shaggy, Jeff Beck, No Doubt, Trey Anastasio, Bootsy Collins, The Roots, Bunny Wailer, Ben Harper and Keith Richards, to name a few, sound like they are having a hoot with Toots. So do the other musicians, especially those marvelous horn players who get to toot with Toots (we have no shame). And well they should, as they get to perform with one of the truly great soul singers of our time. Toots' iconic voice brings to mind those of Otis Redding and David Ruffin (The Temptations). Toots is still here, though, and singing as well as ever on this sensational new
album.

Let's get it straigh - toots rules but not this redone work
Okay - I love Toots, he's a legend and he deserves to get respect, recognition and sales. This Cd has big name artists giving respect. But I'm trying to advise on the CD here, and must say that these redone versiobns are pale imitations of the wicked, grooving originals.

If you haven't heard the originals PLEASE GET THEM as then you will know what Toots sounds like in his prime. Bloody good. If you have the originals, get this and give toots a big up.

oh my
Best album I've heard in years. I'm always a little leery of guest musician albums -- like the recent Los Lobos that seemed so full of promise and was so disappointing and uneven -- but this Toots CD is so good I can't stand it. Just brilliant.

I have so many CDs where I really like a couple of songs and the rest is kind of a tossup, but this is one of those rare CDs where every single song is a gem. ... Read more

Amazon.com

No Doubt's 1995 release, Tragic Kingdom, brought Southern California's ska scene to a national stage while elevating the band to star status. An irresistible mix of reggae, punk, and power pop, Tragic Kingdom scored several hits, among them "Spiderwebs," "Just a Girl," and "Don't Speak." Singer Gwen Stefani's looks made the group MTV shoo-ins, but her soaring voice is the real star, as evidenced by such songs as "Happy Now?"--a classic you'll-regret-you-dumped-me anthem that recalls Blondie--and the bouncy "Sunday Morning." Despite recurring themes of pain and regret, Tragic Kingdom manages to somehow feel sunny throughout. --Courtney Kemp ... Read more

Reviews (238)

At the top of the Kingdom!!!
This is a killer CD from No Doubt- topping Return of Saturn, in my opinion- and I've yet to listen to all of Rock Steady, so, currently, this is my favorite No Doubt CD.
The songs on here are pure ska, funk, reggae, pop, dance mixes that are outstandingly No Doubt. When speaking of No Doubt, I would give someone the CD and then say, "Here. Listen. Learn."
The guys are excellent musicians, and Gwen is a truly talented singer. The guys admire her looks, we girls admire her voice. It's a win-win situation with her.
Some of the best tracks on the album include "Just a Girl" which is oustandingly Female. It's quite the song- as is "Spiderwebs", a really good tune to listen to. However, the best song (in my opinion) has to be "Don't Speak", a tragic breakup story. You can see the lyricist agonizing over what to pen next...up late at night with their head in their hands, thinking over and over again: "Don't Speak/I know what you're thinking......don't tell me cuz it hurts....."
All in all, a truly great effort from No Doubt- really really good!

The album that put No Doubt on the map
Released all the way back in 1995, this album went on to sell over 20 million copies worldwide (over 15 million in the US alone). This CD includes the hits Just a Girl, Spiderwebs, Don't Speak, Excuse Me Mr., and Sunday Morning.

The album opens with 1. Spiderwebs (5/5) This song is pretty much instantly catchy, and if your a person who likes to bang your head around, the chorus is perfect for that. 2. Excuse Me Mr. (4/5) This song is a pretty hardcore, in-your-face kinda song. It's probably the worst of their single releases from this album, but it's still really good. 3. Just a Girl (5/5) Now this is THE song that put No Doubt on the map. It's a girl anthem, but unlike alot of them, it isn't a man hating one! It opens with that famous, catchy guitar riff, and the song just goes from there. 4. Happy Now (4/5) I think it's pretty obvious that this song is about Gwen and Tony's break-up, but, it's not a bad song. It's pretty catchy to. 5. Different People (3/5). Another catchy song, about people being, well... different... It seems like a bit of a filler, but it's still an okay song. 6. Hey You (4/5) Lol, the chorus is kinda weird ("Your just like my Ken and Barbie doll"), but weird in a good way. The song is catchy, and I love the way they use the Sitar. 7. The Climb (4/5) Definitely the longest song on the album, topping the 6 minute mark. The only thing that keeps this song from reaching 5 stars, is the fact it seems to drag. Other than that, it's a great song.

8. Sixteen (5/5) One of my favorite songs not to be released from this album. It's really catchy, and has a great chorus. Great song. 9. Sunday Morning (5/5) I think this is one of No Doubt's most underrated songs. The big long drum roll at the beginning is great. Everything about this song is great. And, it's so damn catchy. 10. Don't Speak (5/5) My favorite song off of this album, and maybe my favorite No Doubt song ever. I mean, who hasn't heard this song. It's one of the most beautiful break-up ballads of all time. This song shot straight to #1, and became No Doubt's biggest single ever. Gwen sounds so heartbroken in this song, it gives me chills. Believe me, if you listen to this song when your sad, you might just cry. 11. You Can Do It (3/5) Another song that seems like a filler, and is probably the worst song off of the album. It's not a terrible song mind you, and is pretty catchy. 12. World Go 'Round (5/5) This is my other favorite song not to be released off of this album. Everything sounds great on this song, and it's so catchy. 14. End It on This (4/5) This is pretty good song. Another song that is most likely about Gwen and Tony's break-up. It seems to drag a bit at the end though. And finally, 15. Tragic Kingdom (4/5) I think this song is the perfect way to end the album. It's a good song, but it can be kind of confusing. It drags a bit at the end to.

All in all, this album is great. I recommend if you're looking to become a fan of No Doubt's music, you start with this album. But, if you only like a few of their songs, I'd recommend buying The Singles 1992-2003.

Not So Tragic
Before No Doubt released Tragic Kingdom they weren't well known. They actually just released this so they could get their songs out, then they would go on with their lives. Luckily their first single "Just A Girl" hit well and they didn't have to do that. Tragic Kingdom in my eyes is No Doubt's best work, filled with all good songs. I don't there are many cd's where I happen to enjoy all hits, but this is definitely one of them.

The cd starts of with "Spider Webs" which is an ingenious song. One of my favorite songs in No Doubt history is "Excuse Me Mr." which is just an awesome song. Next is "Just A Girl" which was their first single and possibly the "star" of the cd. Another one of my favorite songs from no doubt is "Different People" which is just so awesome. Then later comes their other hit from the cd, "Don't Speak" which is still getting radio play today. "You Can Do it" is also a fun song, though it kinda sounds like something the Spice Girls would sing. Then comes my favorite song on the whole cd..."Tragic Kingdom". It's so fun, heavy, deep, imaginative, and basically has a nice flow.

The whole cd is just loads of fun and I would suggest it to anyone who has only heard their new stuff.

I LOVE THEM! NO DOUBT ABOUT IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I LOVE NO DOUBT AND THE CRANBERRIES!
GWEN RULES!
I NEVER REALLY LIKED THIS KIND OF MUSIC UNTIL THEM!
THEY ARE DOPE!!!!!!!
5 STAR STUFF~! *****

This Is Pretty Good, But Tracks At the End Drag It Down
I like this album, even thoguh it's really old (almost 10 years)

1. Spiderwebs- Really good way to start the album, really energetic. 9/10
2. Excuse Me Mr. Not as good as previous song, but still pretty good. 8/10
3. Just A Girl- First single, and I can understand why! It's so good! 10/10
4. Happy Now- Not too good, but stil ok! 7/10
5. Different People- Favorite song! It's not even as fast as the others, it's jsut really good. 10/10
6.Hey You- Um, this song is very interesting. 8/10
7. The Climb- I think this was too long but it's stilkl a decent song. 6/10
8.Sixteen-The guitar is so cool! 10/10
9.Sunday Morning- It starts out really weird but it's still a great song! 8/10
10.Don't Speak- The verses are good, the chorus is awful. 5/10
11.You Can Do It- This song is ridiculous, sorry No Doubt. 3/10
12.World Go Round-This album's second half is proving to be bad. 3/10
13.End It On This- Way better then the 3 songs before. 7/10
14. Tragic Kingdom- YAY! Perfect! 10/10 ... Read more

Album Description

UK 2002 remastered reissue of the British ska revivalist's1979 album. Includes ECD section containing 2 promotionalvideos 'Gangsters' & 'Too Much Too Young'. Produced byElvis Costello. ... Read more

Reviews (32)

A ska free-for-all
Even the absence of "Gangsters" can't deflate my joy in listening to this cd. (I can't say the same for the missing "Tears of a Clown" and "Ranking Full Stop" on the English Beat cd.)

I'll never forget when The Specials appeared on Saturday Night Live in 1981. They performed a searing, blistering "Gangsters" as they slam danced with the air around them. When they were through, the usually savvy New York audience was stunned. Dead silence. And I don't think it was because they were impressed: they just didn't know what they had just heard. But this Brooklyn boy was on his feet at home, jumping, and scrambling for pen and paper to remember this band's name so I could buy the album, which I did the next day.

I was in for more than I'd expected. Half this album's tunes are pure energy, the other half were more subtle reggae tunes. I thought The Specials were a tight, no-holds-barred, musically frenzied band. But there's something else: their songs carry incredibly intelligent, socially aware lyrics. Some songs are of the utmost seriousness. "It Doesn't Make It Alright" is a powerful indictment of racism. On the other hand, "Too Much Too Young" is a more witty, sarcastic look at teen pregnancy. There are strong messages in several songs, and this is an added plus. It is ska that is unafraid to approach any topic. It's fun, it's serious, it's damned good music.

Have you bought this cd yet?

An all time Classic
This is clearly the best Ska record ever made. Their debut album (the BBC had just aired The Specials John Peel Sessions, but it was not yet for sale. Also, their true debut was a 45rpm single of Gangsters whose B-side was titled The Selector and credited to The Selector, but in reality, The Selector was Jerry Dammers, John Bradbury, both from The Specials, and two of their roommates. I think it is the best song The Selector ever did).

If you listen to earlier versions of these songs available elsewhere, you can see how much they honed everything. The Specials had toured the U.K. supporting The Clash, and as a result you can hear more Clash-like-Grit on this album, and you can also see The Specials influence on Clash songs like Pressure Drop, very Ska.

I like everything about this album, every song. I still remember my high school English tutor in the 9th grade (I was really bad in school) who was more interested in shaping my musical tastes, and my sister, English was third on his list. He made me a tape of this album with the This Are Two Tone compilation on the second side. I listened to that tape for years, before they had tape-players that would flip the tape for you. I remember one time I accidentally hit "Record", so to this day I am surprised there is no gap at the beginning of "Concrete Jungle".

Not too long ago, I was invited to several Specials shows. My friend had gone to school with Mark Addams (keyboards) in Coventry and whenever they'd come to San Francisco my friend rob would arrange to have us on the list. They have altered the band since 1980 (when this album came out), a few new members, but they still have Neville Staples(who looks even cooler today), Horace Panter, Roddy Radiation, and Lynval Golding. They preformed these songs in a dizzying frenzy. After each show we'd go backstage with them (once to the Green-Room of the legendary Fillmore Auditorium!) and one time on their tour bus somewhere in Santa Cruz. My friends wife was blind, so she had a seeing-eye-Doberman with her. We were on this crowded bus, with the band, this huge dog and scattered other people. They were playing some old sixties Ska on the bus stereo, and Lynval Golding (guitarist) danced with the seeing-eye-dog, and I cracked a corny joke, which I began to regret as I was saying it. I said to Mr. Golding, "Do The Dog!" (referring to their song by the same name) then my ears began to turn red. He thought it was the funniest thing he'd ever heard and slapped his leg as he laughed. He put his rude-boy hat on my head, which was pathetically loose, and laughed his way to the ice-chest and he fetched two beers and brought one to me as his laughter died down. The joke seemed rather obvious to me. He took his hat back as he gave me the beer. It was all very weird.

Anyway, this is the album to have. I have many Specials albums, and would choose this one over all the rest, or any other Ska band, there is No Doubt about that. If you have never heard this album but are considering it, then trust the instincts that brought you this far and get it, if you remember this album from your youth but haven't gotten around to getting it on CD I suggest you drop everything and get it, and get Led Zeppelin IV another time. This album has aged very well.

awesome just awesome i mean fantastic even
this cd was great it was one of the best things ive heard in my entire life it was awesome just awesome you know the rest i love you specials you changed my life you know jerry dammers is the man with the amazing lyrics it just blew me away there awsome

Rock steady and rock solid
This album is permanently seared into my brain. I listened to this album too many times to even estimate, having discovered it in High School (when it came out - yes, I'm getting old), spun it endlessly in College, and have never really stopped listening to it. Now and then it kind of fades to the back of the old collection, but sounds as strong as ever every time I resurrect it from the stack. This is one of those albums that I've owned on vinyl, tape, CD and now resides in my Ipod. The infectious nature of this album is best related in a ridiculous story: We were on a business trip to make an advertising presentation for a client in Chicago about 5 years ago, My colleague and I both graduated college in the late 80's but we never really discussed music. While we were waiting to pitch our campaign outside the boardroom, we both noticed a framed 2-tone poster inside a nearby office. One by one we both ran through every song, every beat, every freestyle ranking from this album, each picking up seamlessly where the other would leave off. Sounds stupid, I know - but it's that kind of album. Just buy it - buy it now!

fantastic stuff
This is the best 2tone/ska album there is.Although the Specials introduced a raw,punky,English working class aspect to the ska sound, they retained much more of that original Jamican sound than any of the 3rd Wave American bands.The sounds of inner city England at the time were punk and reggae.The likes of Sex Pistols,The Clash along with reggae from the likes of Bob Marley and Dennis Brown were regularly in the top 5 in the UK charts.Unlike in the ghettoised projects in the United States,black and white working class kids in England shared the same housing estates and schools and so there were much greater opportunities for cultural hybrids.When punk appeared in 76 skinheads re emerged after disapearing from the scene for 5 years.The whole Specials idea was partly a calculated response by Jerry Dammers to remind the many skinheads who were flirting with nazism at the time that black cultural influences had been fundamental to the existence of the original skinhead movement.Anyhow it was a clever experiment that proved commercially succesful and this is an excellent album. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Just as Green Day aped the Ramones, their contemporaries in this Southern California punk quartet aspired to be the Clash. But also like Green Day, Rancid's fresh approach and excellent songs (including the ska-punk MTV hit "Time Bomb" and the anthemic "Roots Radicals") rose far above tribute-band level. And poet Jim Carroll (The Basketball Diaries) adds spoken-word stream-of-consciousness to the dour "Junkyman." While 19 songs makes this 1995 CD drag on a bit too long, Wolves is evidence of punk rock's relevance a full two decades after the Sex Pistols. --Steve Knopper ... Read more

Reviews (214)

A VERY , VERY GOOD PUNK ALBUM
Until the first 12 songs , this one was headed for a full 5 stars. But the last pieces somewhat lack the consistency of the first two thirds of the album .

Nevertheless , I will highly recommend this one , particularly for those interested in punk rock , and most particularly those interested in knowing what is punk rock NOW , twenty-some years after the Sex Pistols , Clash , Damned and Ramones first stormed into the musical scene , creating a musical and social earthquake of unimagined and gigantic proportions .

Rancid is , no doubt , a rightful heir to those bands , as a matter of fact their Clash influences show everywhere throughout the album , but this is not something to be ashamed of , on the contrary they pick where the Clash left and follow the same line , but they sound fresh , not just a replica .

Probably most people will only know "Time bomb" since MTV aired the video somewhat frequently a few years ago . A good song indeed , but a few others match this one : particularly "Olympia , WA" , "Junkie man" ,"The 11th. hour" , "Ruby Soho" and the hidden gem "Journey to the end of the East Bay" .

All in all , a good CD , highly recommendable . Rancid is a honest , down-to-earth band with their feet standing firmly in the punk rock foundations , but not limited to nostalgia .

This was my first Rancid experience . I plan to buy one or more CDÂ's from them , since I believe itÂ's well worth it .

Would've been 3 if it wasn't rancid
I give this CD 3.5 stars. I didn't know whether to put 3 or 4, but seeing as it was my beloved Rancid, I decided on 4. I love Rancid, and I love all of their albums, except this one, which I just LIKE. Don't get me wrong . . . I have played this album repeatedly since I got it, but there are a few songs I always skip (particularly the HORRIBLE Maxwell Murder, which doesn't even sound like Rancid), whereas with the other albums, there is not a single bad track. The album in general though, is good - quite fast paced, REAL punk, with some good ska thrown in too. As Wicked, The War's End, and Roots Radicals are probably the best tracks. I can also appreciate Ruby Soho, although it sounds a little bit more commercial (but not poppy) than the usual Rancid. So, you should buy Out Come The Wolves, but buy Rancid's other albums first.

i wont get sick of this for a long time
this is a good album for youger people just getting into rancid.
when i got this album i listened to it so many times and i didnt get sick of it like i normally would. It is melodic and has good choruses.there is some great bass playing also. best songs are junkie man back to olympia and journey to the end.

joe-bob
this cd is so awsome i almost crap my pants i think about listening to it!!!!!!1 when listen to it i feel more sex than before. i want rancid to make 4 or 5 more cds that sound just like it!!!!!11

good but as punk as they can be
rancid is a cool band but this album made them seem like there fading away but we can still listen 2 10 or 11 good songs on this album ... Read more

Reviews (97)

Best ska album ever, and one of the best punk albums ever
I know punk. I'm not a clueless poser who listens to Blink and Good Charolette and all that other crap. I'm into true punk, like Minor Threat, Bad Brains, Dead Kennedys, and Black Flag. I considor Operation Ivy to be punk, and "Energy" is one of the last true punk albums.

1. Knowledge - 10/10
2. Sound System - 10/10
3. Jaded - 10/10
4. Take Warning - 9/10
5. The Crowd - 10/10
6. Bombshell - 9/10
7. Unity - 10/10
8. Vulnerability - 10/10
9. Bankshot - 10/10
10. One of These Days - 8/10
11. Gonna Find You - 10/10
12. Bad Town - 8/10
13. Smiling - 10/10
14. Caution - 10/10
15. Freeze Up - 10/10
16. Artificial Life - 10/10
17. Room Without a Window - 10/10
18. Big City - 8/10
19. Missionary - 10/10
20. Junkie's Runnin' Dry - 10/10
21. Here We Go Again - 10/10
22. Hoboken - 8/10

23. Yellin' in My Ear - 10/10
24. Sleep Long - 10/10
25. Healthy Body - 8/10
26. Officer - 10/10
27. I Got No - 10/10

As you can see there are really no bad songs on this album. As much as I like Rancid, I have to admit Operation Ivy is better and certainly less poppier. There are several albums that every punk rocker needs to own. This is one of them.

Possibly the finest ska/punk out there.
1. Knowledge 5/5
2. Sound System 5/5
3. Jaded 5/5
4. Take Warning 5/5
5. The Crowd 5/5
6. Bombshell 5/5
7. Unity 5/5
8. Vulnerability 5/5
9. Bankshot 5/5
10. One of These Days 5/5
11. Gonna Find You 5/5
12. Bad Town 5/5
13. Smiling 5/5
14. Caution 5/5
15. Freeze Up 5/5
16. Artificial Life 5/5
17. Room Without a Window 5/5
18. Big City 5/5
19. Missionary 5/5
20. Junkie's Runnin' Dry 5/5
21. Here We Go Again 5/5
22. Hoboken 5/5
23. Yellin' in My Ear 5/5
24. Sleep Long 5/5
25. Healthy Body 5/5
26. Officer 5/5
27. I Got No 5/5
You see a perfect CD. Better than Rancid (if that's possible) I just love this CD. The recording quality is okay, could be better, but that's the only draw back. Other than that, there's nothing wrong, so why are you still reading this. If not my review, then previous should have convinced you that this album rocks! Get it now!

Real music, not overproduced crap
This is a great album from one of the greatest and most influential bands of all time. It is bursting with energy and is filled with catchy riffs and politically charged lyrics. This album is real music. You can tell the band had a true passion for the music they played. It is not overproduced, but instead has energy and life that is rarely found in today's lifeless music. This cd is one of the best cds you could ever buy. Every song on the cd is good and you can listen through several times through without ever getting tired of it. Buy this cd now.

3/4 Punk. 1/4 Ska. 100% GREAT.
Operation Ivy takes a lot of heat for spawning Rancid (a pale imitation of The Clash) and a huge crapfest of awful bands who played pop-punk with horns. However, the "ska" label was somewhat overstated for this band, especially since only one or two songs on Energy actually feature horns (Bad Town is the only one I can recall). And these guys were miles ahead of their imitators in every conceivable way.

What Op Ivy really did back in 1988-89 was combine punk, ska, and reggae (with a little hardcore edge thrown in), and record the whole mess nice and lo-fi--original and totally excellent stuff. Blink-182 and Sum41 fans will cringe at the DIY-level sound quality and Jesse Michaels' untrained voice, but I wouldn't trade Energy for any of their Pro Tools-smothered junk. THIS is punk. Overproduction need not apply.

With 27 tracks, each averaging about 2 minutes, Energy has the punk energy down pat. Tim Armstrong ("Lint") lays down great speedy hyper-ska guitar lines all over the place, and Matt McCall is probably one of the few punk bassists who isn't totally incompetent (am I hearing some slap bass?). The album is chock full of melodies, catchy choruses, surprisingly sophisticated lyrics (especially considering that these guys were merely teenagers at the time), and plenty of groove. At least half of these songs are worthy of becoming standards--the opener Knowledge (Green Day covered it early on, but the original is superior), Sound System, Take Warning (my favorite), The Crowd, Bad Town, Freeze Up..I could go on and on.

Forget the "ska-punk" label--ultimately this is excellent non-hyphenated punk rock, and it should be in your collection.

awesome punk album
It's somewhat misleading to call this "ska", as only one song features horns... This is some excellent punk rock with reggae influences. It you're a fan of the Clash or Rancid (which this band eventually became) this is worth checking out. ... Read more

Album Description

Slightly Stoopid possesses a unique dynamic. They have the sort of musical kinship that is clearly the result of years spent growing up together in one of Southern California's premiere surf towns and the relentless pursuit of creating the quintessential soundtrack for the lifestyle that exists there. Miles Doughty and Kyle McDonald are perfect musical counterparts, complementing each other in the realm of elctric and acoustic rock, reggae, dub, blues, hip-hop, punk and metal. Boasting dual front men, Slightly Stoopid yields a rare chemistry. Both are multi-instrumental, often switching effortlessly from bass to guitar in the middle of their shows, continuously balancing their vocal stylings and fresh harmonies and always converging into songs that are good enough to be respected by the very artists who inspire them. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Sick CD
This album is absolutely dope. Buy it. Good to get stoned to. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Reggae's golden age was as bright as the following years have been dim for the once glorious genre. Indeed, it's the work of the pioneers of the '60s and '70s that, more than ever, defines reggae decades after the heydays of Marley, Toots, and Tosh. This four-disc, chronologically arranged box set (in contrast with 2001's similarly expansive but more wide-ranging Reggae Box) maintains its focus on the first decade and a half of reggae and its antecedents, allowing the compilers to delve deeper into the great one-offs that played a vital role in shaping the classic sound. Yes, like countless reggae compilations before it, this Trojan set features "Israelites," "Pressure Drop," "Rivers of Babylon," "Trenchtown Rock," and "Marcus Garvey." In addition to those indisputable touchstones, however, This is Reggae Music generously and expertly plunges into a remarkable archive to highlight the less-celebrated likes of Bongo Man Byfield, the Uniques, and Ken Parker. Colin Escott's pithy but erudite history and track-by-track summary further flesh out this exemplary package. --Steven Stolder ... Read more

Album Description

Kona, Hawaii: think lush natural landscapes, divine inspiration and kids with nothing to do except find the next rage and invent slicker ways to pick up girls. Add metal and rock/dancehall influences to Hawaiian spirit, humor and ridiculously good looks - and you got Pepper. "Give'n It" was originally recorded in late 1997 in the only studio that existed in Kona at the time. Pepper caught the attention of fans from all corners, particularly Volcom Entertainment. After packing up all their belongings and heading to California, Pepper scored dates with established artists like Born Jamericans, Shaggy, Eek-A-Mouse, Burning Spear, Pato Banton & Secret Hate, were featured on XBox and Transworld Surf & Snow games, and played an entire run on the Warped Tour 2001, paying their dues by building the stage and pumping their signature Kona-dub-rock into the hearts of fans from state to state. It is edgy, lush, rocking, melodic, innovative, heart-grabbing and a good ride. It is Pepper. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Brad Nowell may be dead, but his musical influence lives on.
For everyone who was bummed when Sublime ended, your prayers have been answered. This band has a great sound to them and is similar to Sublime and Slightly stoopid. Keep an open mind and you'll find there is alot of music out there to enjoy.
MINT! ... Read more

Amazon.com

Most posthumous albums are shrouded in a sense of morbid nostalgia and grim curiosity. In Sublime's case, there was also some cruel irony to contend with: the California nuevo-punk outfit's promising self-titled major-label debut and commercial breakout was released barely a month after frontman Brad Nowell's death from a heroin overdose--and their de facto demise. But such was the Long Beach band's longtime following that raiding the vaults, however sparse, was inevitable. Released 18 months after Nowell's death, Second Hand Smoke more than lived up to its title, cobbling together a collection of outtakes from their debut and padding them out with (sometimes multiple) remixes of old tracks like "Doin' Time," "April 29," and the Gwen Stefani duet, "Saw Red." There's a standout cover of Bob Marley's "Trenchtown Rock," but a lot of the rest feels like the incomplete discards and second (or third) choices they obviously were. --Jerry McCulley ... Read more

Reviews (65)

Just as good as any other sublime cd if not better
This album is much better than robbin the hood, and i listen to this album more than 40 ounces or the self titled. Their live album is also pretty good. The first 4 tracks are great. I absolutely love the ubtown dub version of doin time (the first track). "Get Out" is really good. "Romeo" is awesome. New Realization is good. I never liked don't push that much and it's on 40 oz. Slow ride is alright. The version of chic on my tip on 40 ounces is better. Had a dat is good, trenchtown rock is very good. Badfish i can never get sick of. Saw red is excellent and so is superstar punani. Basically i like most of the songs. I would pay 40 bucks for just the first four songs. I only give it four stars because i don't like every song and everybody inflates this rating system like mad, most people are pretty dumb.

Experimental and AMAZING!!!
CD is much better than it's cut out to be. A little less professional than the others, but that what's unique about it. Get Stand by your Van, Sublime, and 40oz. first if you don't have them all ready, but you have to get this right after! At first I wasn't impressed, but I listened to it again and I can't put it down. Here's the skinny on the tracks while I'm listening to the songs:

Doin' Time (uptown dub): Cool trumpet! Nice semi-instrumental to start off the cd.

Get Out! (remix): ok, not great

Romeo: Awesome start, nice bass, kinda oldie. I like it!

New Realization: One of the worst songs on the album. Just skip it.

Don't Push: Tha BEST song on the alblum! GREAT remake, as good as the first you might say. I do!

Slow Ride: AMAZING SONG, good drums.

Chick on my Tip: Cool remake, very different from the original. Totally different songs except a little of the background.

Had a Dat: good bass, weird, but cool.

Trenchtown Rock: Great! Nice variation on Bob Marley. Why not? Brad has some great vocals.

Badfish: Classic! same as on 40 oz. Gotta luv it!

Drunk Drivin': Not much of a track, a bit lame, funny, only 16 seconds.

Saw Red: Nice upbeat, faster version than on 40 oz. Gwen is great with Brad

Garbage Grove: Bad one compared to one on self-titled Sublime.

April 29th 1992 (Leary): more upbeat, not so sure about this one.

Superstar Punani: AWESOME!!! pretty cool, good second part after break in the middle of song!

Legal Dub: pretty cool. It's got something to it. Futuristic!Nice bass and drums!

What's Really Goin' Wrong: Another great song!

Doin' Time (eerie splendor remix): ok

Thanx Dub: Fanriffic! Instrumental, awesome ending to CD!

RIP Bradley Nowell

Kicked some Shizziat
This is my favorite of sublime's and i think that its very well composed..too bad there wont be anymore delicious bradley anround...good one, i urge you to buy it

Get this one fourth
When I saw some of the recent rave reviews of this disc on Amazon.com, I finally picked it up, but was pretty disappointed after the big buildup. Few tracks stand out, and the disc is definitely not in the same league as Sublime or 40 Oz...

But of Sublime's 3 posthumous albums, I do think this one is the best. There are some pleasant remixes here for Doin Time, Saw Red (w/ Gwen Stefani), and a couple others. Half of the "new" songs actually date back to the 80s and it is weird to hear what sounds like an 80s version of Sublime if you can imagine. Not as mellow as say UB40 but some laid back, polished stuff to be sure.

But overall it's kind of fun, and worth getting when you need a break from 40 oz. and want some new tunes.

Good
I like this cd, I like basically every Sublime cd except "robin the hood". This has some great songs on it, like "date rape" and "chick on my tip." This cd was under-rated. It's worth buying if you're a fan. ... Read more

Reviews (17)

The Closest Thing to Sublime
So you've listened to all of your Sublime CDs to death. You still love it, but you want something new that gives you the same vibe. That's when you discover Slightly Stoopid, a band that upon first listen sounds like they're a lesser Sublime. You listen to "Longest Barrel Ride" a few more times however, and discover that this music grows on you more and more with each listen. Eventually, you realize that this band is similar to Sublime, but very much brings something new to the table. Sounds range from mellow ("Castles Made of Sand") to straight up punk ("Johnny Law," strangely enough the next track). You'll be amazed by this band the more you listen to this CD. Other great tracks include "Struggler", "Too Little Too Late", "Mr. Music", and "Living Dread." Well, really they're all pretty good. Also worth checking out is "Live and Direct: Acoustic Roots." It would be difficult for me to pick a favorite between the two. The band's latest release "Everything You Need" is also good, but it's a step down from the band's previous work, only because they went in a rappier direction, which frankly doesn't work as well for me. Also that one borders on over-produced, where this one has a raw quality, even if it isn't a live release.

Sublime Fans.. You would be dumb NOT to buy this..
This cd is so easy to reccomend to raggae fans, as well as anyone who enjoys good music. Slightly Stoopid is good chilling music, very easy and pleasent to listen to. It never really gets real loud, though on some of the songs the bass is over powering at times.

Longest Barrel Ride is the best Slightly Stoopid cd there is, and it's the cd to pick up if you want to start listening to this terrific band. I'd say this is close to the quality of Sublime, and maybe even better because it's not well known, and for most of the people when they first hear this music they always ask me who it is. I've spread the word of Slightly Stoopid to many of my freinds, and they all love it.

Stoopid is as Stoopid Duz.....
I found out about Slightly Stoopid, when after being a Sublime fan for years I was yearning for the style that they had started and left open for someone else to finish. Slightly Stoopid steps in and does this with flying colors. Not to be dismissed as a "Sublime ... BAND", Kyle and Miles take the sound of a culture, namely So-Cal Surf & Skate, and lead us into a new legacy of amazing music. With songs like "Castles Made Of Sand", "Struggler", and "Mr. Music" you can see that Bradley left them with the feel for the style. Then takes songs like "Johnny Law", and "Ese Loco" you feel the PUnk roots that get you up and moving. A staple in any fan of good music's collection.

SLIGHTLY STOOPID WILL RULE THE WORLD
The first time I saw slightly stoopid was in 2000 at the Cocodrie in san francisco.
After that night I fell in love with their music
Slightly stoopid filled that empty spot that I had because I was craving a new sound.. but I didn't know how or where to find it. I didn't know anything about venues, clubs, surfing, skateboards or where to see a live band. I didn't know who slightly stoopid was at the time either- but after hearing "Too Little, Too Late" I was hooked. I wanted more. Bad. I remember thinking "God DAMN! This is the sound I've been craving.
Slightly Stoopid was the first band I ever went to see by myself. I was working in san francisco and just happened to pick up the SF Weekly and noticed that SS was playing that night.. I was stoked. ..D'oh.
well long story short - This band rocks. This CD will be a classic. If you ever get the chance- check out this band live... it's crazy, the audience sings along w/ every song and every time i see them in Santa Cruz- they got like 20 little hot chickies diving up on the stage to be close to them..
If you like punk-metal-reggae-rap-surf music style.. buy this cd.

I LOVE YOU KYLE!
;)
he's so sweet... he always throws down water to the fans on most shows..

Darn good CD
This is an awesome CD, as other reviewers have mentioned, they are a dub/reggae/punk band from San Diego. Brad Nowell signed them to the Skunk Label. These guys are awesome, and this CD is great! ... Read more

Amazon.com

Long Beach garage kings Sublime rode the cresting wave of late-'80s/early-'90s Cali punk to a well-received 1996 major-label debut whose success was overshadowed by tragedy: frontman Brad Nowell died of a heroin overdose just a month before its release. This 1994 album was their freshman indie outing and the record that largely secured their ticket to the majors. Instead of building on the energetic, if formulaic,punk-reggae fusion of their 1992 40 Oz. to Freedom (with its sometimes awkward, too-dumb-to-be-ironic lyrical bent), Robbin' displays a Nowell whose slow evolution as a songwriter is more than compensated by an eager plundering of old-school rap influences and ska beats. It's a record that moves the band beyond often-stultifying punk clichés to a true musical adventure whose buoyant sense of discovery is almost palpable, and one that proves that their '96 big-label breakthrough was no accident. --Jerry McCulley ... Read more

Reviews (91)

weird at times, but AWESOME!
a lot of my friends think i'm weird for liking this cd, but there are really some great songs on this...

1.Waiting for Bud. While i never can be sure if its waiting for bud the drummer, or waiting for BUD, this is a great instrumental that is a good start.

2.Steady B loop dub. crazy. a big switch from the first song, but its pretty cool, the only line of lyrics in the song can also be heard on garden grove on self titled...

3. Raleigh part I. raieigh is a pretty crazy guy, im not sure who he is, but i've heard him on other bands cds too.

4.Pool shark original. I like this song, even though its really short. its pretty sad though, as it is about brads drug problems

5.Steppin razor. this is kinda a weird song, but i usually don't skip it because its cool to see the diversity in this cd

6.Greatest hits. awesome song, one of my favorites from any band. sweet bass lines. if you're too cheap to buy the cd, download this song

7.Free loop dub.crazy, weird, dub, cool bass line. yeah.

8.Q-ball. short, quiet, cool basslines if they were louder for more of the song. rap, but not brad rapping.

9.Saw Red. i like this song, its really ska ish and fast. gwen stephani is cool too.

10.work that we do. this was probably one of the songs recorded on a 4 track, its pretty bad quality, but its a pretty decent song.

11.Linclon highway dub. this is an early instrumental version of santeria. its got some cool solo parts that aren't on the self titled version. no words though.

12.pool shark (acoustic). same as the original, but acoustic, and more sad

13.cisco kid. AWESOME! haha, starts out with an old tv show, then goes into this reallllyyy slow song with trumpets, and every once in a while, a really loud smacking noise!! BONUS

14.raleigh 2. if u didn't already know that raleigh was crazy, heres proof, its funny

15.STP!!! this is a sweet song. it has everything from reggae to blues. i wish i played bass so i could play this song, its got awesome bass lines. brad can sing really high as he proves in this song.

16.boss dj. sweet. reel big fish covered this song, although it was nothing compared to this version. it sounds a lot like a marley song that goes "its so nice/wanna do the same thing twice"

17.don't care too much for reggae dub. this is just people talking on the street about being "magicians" and stuff. it actually goes into a song (which i cna't understand the words) and theres some cool guitar. crazy.

18.falling idols. instrumental, crazy guitar and cool bass. thats it

19.all you need. i can't understand half the words, but the bass is really fast, and theres a cool (and easy) slow guitar solo in it.

20.freeway time in la county jail. just brad playing some blues, its cool stuff

21.mary. funny song, really easy chords (C,G,Am,F,Dm are the only ones in the song if i remember right) good message. lol

22.raleigh part 3. just some more raleigh. after a bunch of scilence, theres a version of don't push that has some crazy lyrics that you won't hear on 40 ozs.

it takes a while to warm up to this cd, unless you're hard core sublime fan, u have to listen to it a few times.

the way i did the numbering is right, even on the cd case the numbering is messed up because they call free loop dub and q-ball one song.

A great album for fans of ska, reggae, hip-hop, and the lazy
This album contains many different styles, from rap to ska. All of these styles come together though to create an album great to just sitting back and listening to. Lincoln Highway Dub is my personal favorite on the cd, but there are many great songs which to listen. Most people will just buy the self titled album and claim to be fans of sublime, but those are the posers. If you are a true fan, you will buy this album, smoke a bowl and relax to it many a time ; ). Too bad Brad couldnt enjoy all of the success he so deserves. How long till his son can sing??? Rest in Peace Brad Nowell.

Feeling, history, laughs
This Sublime cd has always been one of my favorites, no matter what. I played this cd so much *was originally purchased in 1996, that four yrs later I had to buy it again. Totally worht it.

The Raleigh interludes between songs are strange, yet hilarious. I think that old man really was crzy.

The songs "Boss DJ" and "Mary" and the accoustic "Pool Shark" are so good, and really show Bradley's songwriting ability. "Saw Red" with Gwen Stefani is a great duet that is so fun to sing along with.

Overall, this cd really brings out the bands personality. There is a great variety of songs, some are on other cd's but not many. It is a great part of the Sublime collection.

If you are a fan, this cd is a definite must have. If you buy, you will enjoy.

Yes brothers and sisters this is great
I love Sublime. It almost seems as if damn near everyone loves Sublime. This album is pretty great and is also a pretty weird one too. There is a lot of experimentation and throw away(but in a sort of good way) tracks on this cd. There are some tracks with speaking and music (the elioquent rambelings of Raeleigh and some dudes talking about Reggae). Then there are some hip hop sounding beats mixed with reggae and ska and just sometimes straight up hip hop (steping razor and some of the instrumental tracks). There are some punk song that feature a straight forward skate era sound of punk (pool shark and I Saw Read which features an early day Gwen Steffani in a day when her band didn't suck). Then there are some great chill back acoustic tracks that soothe the soul (Steel Train and the acoustic version of Pool Shark being prime examples). So with such a diverse sounding collection of songs can this in fact be a favorite among fans? Usually not, though it is warming up on me I still regard 40 oz. to be my favorite. But it's fair that this isn't a fan favorite, it just too mixed up. Though it may be slightly eccletic it is still a great release and any chump that thinks this isn't too great is kinda foolish because it's Sublime, and Sublime is just golden.

Sublime's definitive CD! Very underrated!
How could anyone that calls themself a Sublime fan rate this CD anything less than 5 stars or call it anything worse than their second best album (after 40 oz)?

I'll be honest, I did get into Sublime in '96 with the release of their S/T album and I thought it was a great album back then. After a few listens to 40 oz though, I realized it was a much better CD. People told me that Robbin the Hood was a bad album and that I should stay away from it, so I decided not to buy it. Finally I decided to get this album and listen for myself to see how good it was, and I'm damn glad I did! This CD is now my favorite Sublime CD, with 40 oz as a close second.

Unless you're 15 or something and just getting into Sublime, I might understand why you dont like this CD, because your used to all the crap that's on the radio these days and Sublime's S/T album is their most mainstream one. Get 40 oz though, and once you like that more than the S/T, get this and give it a few spins and you'll see what I mean. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Expounding on the theme from their hit "Walking on the Sun" (from the multiplatinum Fush Yu Mang), the verbose songs on Astro Lounge are filled with examinations of societal ills, personal woes, and other disappointments entailed in this thing known as Humanity. Yes, the album would seem heavy-handed were not the overriding sentiments filtered through Smash Mouth's "Hey, dude, let's party!" brand of musical optimism. Ranging from reggae to lounge to psychedelia to surfer rock to a sort of punk-a-go-go, Smash Mouth's influences have little in common with one another save for one important exception--they all evoke images of personal freedom and defiance of oppression, reminding us that, gee, fighting the Man can actually be raucous good fun! It's been a long time since a band with this much commercial potential could say something thought-provoking and get the party going. On "All Star," Steve Harwell sings, "Only shooting stars break the mold." A fitting prophecy for this outstanding alterna-pop album. --Beth Massa ... Read more

Reviews (500)

Smash Mouth may stray from the first cd, but in a good way
What can I say, except a truly exceptional album. Every song provides a perfect cadence right into the next one. Even the relatively slow, moody songs "Waste" and "Home" do nothing to dampen the "let's get up and party!" vibe that true movers like "All Star", "Radio", "Road Man", and the album's sure pick for best overall "Diggin' Your Scene" create and pull the listener into. Each song has a style all its own and yet somehow doesn't stray far from one very good formula: FUN. If you can't listen to Astro Lounge and feel at least a bit hyped up, you're a real gloom & doomer. Yet again, opinions are only that, buy it and see for yourself, even if you don't find yourself pepped up, it is still a solid collection of songs from a band who deserves to be around for a long time.

WOW!!
Smash Mouth is a very talented band. I bought this CD because of All Star, but the whole CD is great. This is one of the best CDs ever. Song Ratings: Who's There 4/5: Really good song. Diggin' Your Scene 4/5: Cool Song with a really catchy song. I Just Wanna See 4/5: A nice philosphical song, sorta slow. Waste 5/5: A really good song. ALL STAR 6/5: Literally the best song ever. The BEST! A great and catchy bass beat. Listen to it once and you won't be able to stop. I cannot stress enough, this is the BEST song. Satillite 2/5: Wierd, slow song with wierd metaphores. Radio 3/6: A nice, catchy, fast, song. Stoned 3/5: Sound nice, but it doesn't have the best lyrics. Then The Morning Comes 5/5: A cool loungy song. Road Man 4/5: This song shows how diverse Smash Mouth's Music is. It's a nice reggae song. Fallen Horses 3/5: Slow song. Defeat You 4/5: Nice punky song with cool guiter. Come on Come on 5/5: Great Song! Why isn't it a single? Home 3/5: Wierd sounding song, sorta cool though. Can't Get Enough of You Baby 5/5: Fast upbeat song. Sounds like Come on Come on.

Well, Smash Mouth is great. If you like Smash Mouth get Good Charlotte. WOO-HOO!

P.S.:I have their new self titled CD now, its really great. If you like Astro Lounge you should buy it!

There Were Good Back Then
Ah, yes, smashmouth. how i forgot about them. back when i was in middle school, this cd came out and was great. it still is good. its such a mix of rock styles. but then came the next cd, the 1 that showed that the band was heading straight down the crapper. i mean, on their 1st cd they were doing a ska version of war's why can't we be friends, and on they're 3rd they were doing the monkees im a believer? somethings wrong somewhere. fush yu mang's ska sound and astro lounge's rock mix get it right, as the next 2 albums were quite frankly (...) pop.

1)Who's There?- mainstream sounding song about aliens or something like that 7/10
2)Diggin' Your Scene- they best song they ever wrote, such a good beat. of course i seem to love any song about someone who's pussy whipped 10/10
3)I Just Wanna See- kind of sounds like a happy hippie song from the '60s, about changing the world 7/10
4)Waste- depressing rock song about wasting your life. pretty good 9/10
5)All Star- overplayed and a little poppie (showed what was in their future), but a well written song about success 9/10
6)Satellite- nice rock sound on a song about a girl who's wondering a way from her bf 8/10
7)Radio- an awesome song that sounds like a fush yu mang song w/ a cool guitar sound. a song about hollywood. 10/10
8)Stoned- its funny that on this CD they're writing songs about getting stoned and on the new CD they're writing about a 7th grade dance. anyway this song has that longview kind of feel- start off slow then rock hard 9/10
9)Then The Morning Comes- and awesome little song w/ a great guitar sound. its about a hangover. 10/10
10)Road Man- influenced by the ska on fush yu mang, this is a true raggae song about some guy who had road rage and crashed his van 9/10
11)Fallen Horses- a sign of things to come. a pretty crappy pop song that i always skipped 4/10
12)Defeat You- a nice harder rocking song w/ a good message about getting back at someone 9/10
13)Come On, Come On- kind of a 60s rock feel but a good drum beat and ok lyrics 8/10
14)Home- just plain (...) weird. this song sounds like and alien ship has landed or something 5/10
15)Can't Get Enough of You Baby- a cover song w/ a nice rock feel and really horny, lust filled lyrics 9/10

ASTRO LOUNGE IS AWESOME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Smashmouth has done real good rock over the years. This is by far one of theri best albums. The opening song "Who's There" has a real good, atmospheric, eerie background to it with music that sounds like the X-Files. "Diggin' Your Scene, I Just Wanna See, and Waste" are more soft rock than rock {Diggin' Your Scene is alot like pop]. the 5th song, "All Star" is the main reason I bought this Cd. I remember it being on the radio in 2001 and I loved it ever since. After this, the album seems to get slower. songs #6, 7, 8, 10, 11, 12, 13, and 14 are very slow. The other best are "Then The Morning Comes #9, and Can't Get Enough Of You Baby" #15. Overall, despite all the slowness, awesome CD!!!!!

Very Different
This CD was a big hit for Smash Mouth, and it was the first of 3 that I bought so far. I was pretty satisfied with this CD when I first bought it. I still like it alot today, but when I compare it with "Fush Yu Mang" it sounds almost weird. But some songs are still Fush Yu Mang-sounding like "Radio", and "Come On, Come On". Here's my song rating (Songs marked with a * were released as a single):

1) Who's There - 5/5
2) Diggin' Your Scene - 5/5
3) I Just Wanna See - 4/5
4) Waste* - 3/5
5) All Star* - 5/5
6) Satellite - 4/5
7) Radio - 5/5
8) Stoned - 3/5
9) Then The Morning Comes* - 5/5
10) Road Man - 5/5
11)Fallen Horses - 1/5
12) Defeat You - 5/5
13) Come On, Come On - 5/5
14) Home - 2/5
15) Cab't Get Enough Of You Baby* - 5/5 ... Read more

Amazon.com

Toots Hibbert is often compared to Otis Redding, and since Hibbert was greatly influenced by classic American R&B as well as the music of his own Baptist church, that comparison is certainly apt. But while he owes a debt to the intense, high-octane vocal approach of Redding, there is also a great deal of similarity between Toots and the great James Brown. In many ways and at roughly the same time, Hibbert did for Jamaican soul what Brown did for its American cousin--he made it funky and nasty! One listen to the chunky guitar riffs underneath and Hibbert's repetitive vocal chants on top of 1968's "Do the Reggay" and this much is clear: while the energy of ska remains, the deep groove has become supreme ruler. This awesome collection goes back to an early Prince Buster-produced single from 1964 and follows the Maytals--and with them, the history of Jamaican pop--from sweet-harmonizing, horn-driven ska to steadfast rock steady to archetypical roots reggae. And don't forget that Hibbert wrote 18 of these 19 jewels himself (there's one Redding cover here), showing himself to be highly effective with both topical tunes and cheerful rave-ups. --Marc Greilsamer ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Love this CD!
I couldn't wait to listen to the CD when I got home. I had to listen to it. Hearing the samples was enough to make me want to buy it. And listening to it completely had me dancing and shouting. This CD is a good investment if you are an avid collector and listener of reggae music. Artists such as Sister Nancy sample the baseline from him. Toots is great to listen and dance to.

Godfather of Reggae
Bob Marley may be the king but Toots was the originator. He was one of the first musicians to use the word Reggae to describe this popular Jamaican musical style. My only complaint with this compilation is that it omits the song, "Premature" from the LP, Reggae Got Soul. It's a great tune and one of his biggest international hits. Otherwise, this CD is a keeper.

Great Reggae.
This is real reggae music. Every track is jamming, and there are 19 tracks clocking in at 68 minutes on this album. I bought this because I loved "Monkey Man" off of a compilation CD. It took me three listens to the whole CD to like and appreciate all of the songs. I'm not a reggae fan, but I enjoy anything with harmony and/or melody. I play this CD anywhere, and anytime. I think "Never Get Weary" is my favorite track right now. My least favorite track is "Dreams to Remember" because I like Otis' more, but it's still kicking. Toots puts his all in his music. Give this CD a listen to see if you concur.

I know that other guy has that one album and thats it
because if you bought Toots - LIVE,

you'd realize what you're missing by sitting at home listening to that disc, instead of standing in the audience dancing until you are drenched in sweat, and have to drag yourself away from the music to buy another Red Stripe.

Toots makes great music... but there is nothing... NOTHING like seeing and hearing the guy in the flesh. He is a jamaican reggae version of James Brown... and he just makes you want to party and dance. Buy the live album (the white one with black writing... avoid the live in london double disc)... it captures a tiny bit of the energy he creates when he performs.

buy the studio discs at your own risk. He releases a lot of them with old material. The old guy has to make money you know? I Love im.

10/10 That's His Number!
Of course, mention reggae music to nearly every human on the planet and the first name out of their mouths is Bob Marley. But if there's gotta be a #2 slot, then let it go to Frederick "Toots" Hibbert. He's the very embodiment of the word "journeyman". Influenced as much by classic sixties soul as by the bluebeat of his native land, Toots scored a series of funky, soulful, genuinely skanking hits in Jamaica and overseas. Total fans looking for a detailed and loving anthology are directed to TIME TOUGH, a double CD retrospective released in 1997 that touched on all the right bases. Those looking for a more concentrated dosage can line up here without guilt. If you regularly play the heck out of your Bob Marley LEGEND disc, then you'll equally play the heck out of this one, too. All the coolest cuts are here: "Bam Bam" (which was sampled and covered by Chaka Demus & Pliers), "54-46 That's My Number", "Reggae Got Soul" (where Kingston, Jamaica meets up with Atlanta, Georgia!), "Funky Kingston" and his remarkable remake of Otis Redding's "Dreams To Remember" (which, you may recall, was used as the music bed for a series of Club Med TV spots). The ultimate marriage of roots, rock, reggae on a disc that'll quickly become a fave! "54-46" may have been his number, but 10/10 is the number you can assign this set! Recommended! ... Read more

Amazon.com

These Southern California frat rockers have learned what they do best. Gone are the damaged noisefests that recall a more polished Rage Against the Machine and middle-period Stooges. Filling those spots are lighthearted ditties such as "Even Though" and "Falls Apart" that boast tropical guitar flourishes and almost Beatlesque harmonies. On 1997's Floored, the breeziness of "Fly" was the exception; on 14:59, it is the rule. Sugar Ray have cleaned up, sanitized, and civilized themselves, which might not be a bad thing in terms of accessibility and airplay. Some fans, however, might miss the hard-partying, screaming misanthropes of yore. And even the inclusion of old-school rapper KRS-One on "Live & Direct" doesn't make up for Sugar Ray's loss of innocence--although their shimmering cover of Steve Miller's "Abracadabra" inspires affection. Another saving grace is that they haven't lost their sense of humor, dubbing the album 14:59 as a homage to Andy Warhol's 15 fleeting minutes of fame. It would be an error, however, to conclude that Sugar Ray's hourglass is running out. --Jaan Uhelszki ... Read more

Reviews (337)

A Major Change for Sugar Ray, but still as good as Floored.
On Sugar ray's previous CD, Floored, the song "Fly" seemed a bit out of place amonst all those other hard-rocking songs that earned that CD a parental advisor sticker. "Fly" would be much more at home on Sugar Ray's new CD, 14:59, were every song is a pop-reggea song, except for one flash back to their metal-demon days, track #1, New Direction. So far they've had 3 major hits, "Every Morning," "Someday," and my favorite, "Falls Apart." Other songs include "Aim for Me," and "Abracadabra," and the tear-jerker "Ode to the Lonely Hearted." This CD is a great mix of light, pop-reggea tunes. Sugar Ray's 15 minutes of fame might almost be up, but 14:59 earns them a lot of overtime.

One of the better CDs in the world.
We love this album!If you like Smash Mouth's Astro Louge you might like Sugar Ray.Track 1,New Direction is mock death metal with strange words sung in a gruff,uninviting voice.From our point of veiw, Track 2,Every Morning has it's own special sound which we love.It is the best song on the CD.Falls Apart,track 3 is sort of sad and depressing but has some catchy bits.Track 4,Personal Space Invader the best punk rock song on this cd.It's the kind of loud, upbeat song that you find stuck in your head.Track 5, Live and Direct with KRS-ONE has some really dumb rap,yet it is a neat song.Someday, track 6 is not QUITE as good as Every Morning . All the same it has a uniqe, wonderful sound.Track 7,Aim for Me isn't our favorite track but it is still a cool, funny punk rock song.Ode to the Lonely Hearted is very good and pretty slow.It reminds me of a Beatles song.Track 9,Burning Dog is rather funny then gets loud and distructive at the end.It is NOT the kind of song you'd want to hear at a party or anything.Track 10,Even Though is kind of repetative yet has a nice not-too-fast beat.Abracadabra,track 11 is one of the very best songs on the CD.When you first hear this song you'll probably love this neat pop song.Track 12, Glory takes awhile to sink in as a "good song" as it is crazy, heavy punk rock.The last song is called New Direction,too.It's a wierd circus-tent song with no words and the same tune as Every Morning. Don't go on with your life thinking this is a bad CD,because IT'S GREAT!!I hope you love this album just like we do. The

pop songs for your girlfriend
Of course every chick loves this band and especially Sugar Ray, the voice and looks makes a groovy impression. But I saw him in a MuchMusic interview and he seems like a really nice down-to-earth kind of guy, no ego. These are really good catchy tunes for your mom and girlfriend. By the way, they did this hockey song (not on this album) that rocks!! I love the line: Jesus saves, now he shoots and scores

David Rehak
author of "A Young Girl's Crimes"

LAME!!!!
What the hell happened to music? How these no talent fools are popular should be a Nova episode. This guy has to be THE worst singer ever. He sounds like an American Idol throwaway. PEOPLE, this is not good music, don't be brainwashed by these MTV babies. Sugar Ray, Go Away!!!!!!!!!!!

Re-Invented
Madonna reinvents her music and image all the time, and few people give her a lot of static about it. Sugar Ray does it and they lose 'fans'. Welcome to the REAL music world, if you constantly do the same thing with different words, you'll get old fast, look at Boyzone.

This album is completely different that "Lemonade & Brownies" and "Floored". Sugar Ray is much mellower. The heavy rock guitar work is replaced with Mark McGrath's acoustic guitar.

I really think that album marked in a turning point in the guys' lives, particularly Stan Frazier's. His mother died and the album is dedicated to her.

Hearing "Every Morning" on the radio is what originally prompted me to buy this. I listened to it over and over again. Then "Someday" and "Falls Apart" were in the radio line-up. I listened to them all the time. Finally, I put the CD in and just pushed play. When I listened to it, I 'discovered' "Ode To The Lonely Heart," which really describes the feelings you have after a relationship ends. ... Read more

Reviews (231)

their best cd!
i love this cd if ur a fan buy it trust me its worth it!

little things-5/5-its kinda pop/punk but with more pop. if that makes ne since

waldorfworldwide-4/5-still kinda popish

motivation proclamation-5/5-love great song 2 listen 2 if ur in a hopless situation

east coast anthem-5/5-great song sayin u cant change the way ppl think so why change

complicated-3/5-just not my fave

seasons-2/5-dont like it propably cause im single wich sucks!

i dont wanna stop-3/5-2 me its kinda 2 popish

i heard you-5/5-i love this song reminds me of me

the click-5/5-love it its sayin they didnt fit in but they found their own group.wich is like me

walk by-2/5-i just dont like this song

let me go-5/5-nothin much to say bout it

screamer-5/5-love it once again reminds me of me

change-5/5-i love this song its great

thank you mom-5/5-makes me cry when i hear talks bout how much they love care bout their mom.
and joel madden u get a PERFECT 10!
oh and check out yellow cards new cd it rox too!

-nikki a.

Oh, my God, my God...how do they do it?
This is an excellent CD! I am open to any music and this is an incredible CD; not just in the punk rock category. This should have gotten more attention. Here's my rundown:

Little Things- Very nice, all about high school's trials and tribulations. Very real, very cool. 9/10
Waldorf Worldwide- One of my favorites, really funny in some parts, the lyrics are just as catchy as the tune!!! 9/10
Motivation Proclamation- A little overdone, and it's a bit strange. It isn't as hardcore but it's ska and that's the way it is supposed to be. 8/10
East Coast Anthem- Short song, but makes the most of every second. It's about time that the East Coast got some love. I'll give it an extra point 'cause I'm from the East Coast. 10/10
Festival Song- This is really nice! Can someone PLEASE tell me why it is called the Festival Song? Anyhoo, you'll love it no matter what. 9/10
Complicated- I picked up the CD and thought, Avril? But it isn't at all; don't be mislead. It's about the twins' father. Really cool, it lets you look deep in their souls without getting the urge to cry (listen to "Emotionless"). 8/10
Seasons- A band member said that Seasons is about a boy and a girl. It is. Nice song, it's really emo in the beginning but it gets so much better. 10/10
I Don't Wanna Stop- This was on that Toyota (or Ford; can't remember which) commercial a couple years ago. You know...this guy is narrating and at the end you hear "wanna stop". It rocks! 10/10
I Heard You- Punk, punk, punk. It's the kind of song you would hear on Jackass or at a skate park. 10/10
The Click.- This was the Undergrads theme song. It's really nice but it begins to get on your nerves after a looooong time. Still love it. 8/10
Walk By- THIS IS HILARIOUS! Listen to it, oh my gosh. You will be laughing until you the color of badly mixed currant ice cream. 10/10
Let Me Go- Don't know what it is about this song, but I love it dearly. 9/10
Screamer- Insightful. That's all I have to say, figure the rest out. 10/10
Change- Very well-written. My personal favorite, I love the point of this song. It is a beautiful song. Infinity/10. I am not exaggerating.
Bonus: Thank You Mom- Very beautiful and sensitive. Will touch your heart. 10/10

if i could give it a zero, i would.
okay, i know you either hate this cd, or love it, but im going to judge it with all the bands faults aside (like them not being punk, and being sellouts). first, someone said this is emo, which it is deffintly not. just because you sing about girls or relationships, does not make you emo. think of what you are saying. bands like atreyu, who are great hardcore, sing about being cry babies, and girls too (A Song For The Optimist).
Now, to the music. There is some creative parts in this cd, but they are totally shaded out by the typical, MTV-trash-non-creativeness pop punk. it is quickly repetive, with similar riffs and drumming. dont even get me started on the lyrics...geez my 13 year old cousin can write more intelligent lyrics than this. one reviewer said "the songs are about benji and joels lives"....wow...like nobodys EVER sung about lifes problems, joys, ups, downs, or life in general, before. Basicly, and in short, this is yet another display of the music scenes mediocrecy today. okay, guess i couldnt review this cd without bashing on this band and thier suckiness. bands that actually have talent shoould be dominating the airwaves, not your so called "metal"-linkin park, trapt....those bands suck. listen to killswitch, as i lay dying, children of bodom, older in flames,....yea, bands with talent. bottom line - if you like pop punk, or punk in general (which this cd is not), listen to MXPX, millencolin, goldfinger, NOFX, bad religion, all those r ten times better than GC will ever be.

What Has The World Come To?
this "band" is totally destroying the music industry...this whole NYSNC with guitar craze has gotten way outta hand...for those who consider this crap punk, answer me this....what kind of punk band is every issue of Tiger Beat, and Teen magazine??? grow up and listen to something worth listening to...like CKY

This is a JOKE! This is Definitely NOT PUNK
What the hell is this. This is not punk, its just a bunch of pretty boys singing teeny pop music who can barely play their instruments. A terrible CD. ... Read more

Reviews (95)

A Must-Have
Until a couple of weeks ago, I had never heard of Catch 22. The first time that I heard this CD was at about 1 in the morning at camp when a friend came in and wanted to listen to this cd. I quickly became hooked on the cd and bought it soon after returning home. This cd is a must-buy for all music fans. Even people who don't usually enjoy ska music, like myself, will quickly fall in love with Keasby Nights. For starters, the musicians are fantastic. Most of the songs have some kind of solo in them. Kristina She Don't Know I exist features a solo by almost every member of the band, and On & On & On (one of the best songs on the CD) has a minute-long playing of Canon in D. The vocals are also very good for a ska band. The lyrics, despite being hard to understand at times, are rather meaningful and sometimes even sad. As The Footsteps Die Out Forever is horribly depressing when one reads the lyrics, but if one just listens to the music it still sounds like an upbeat song. The best thing about this cd is probably how smoothly the band shifts between music genres. Walking Away features a jazzy style at first, then some fast-paced ska, then a swing-like feel, and finally a drum cadence. For a mainly ska band to do this is really amazing, especially because it sounds so good. Buy this cd by all means.

The Best Ska CD of All Time
There are a lot of landmark 3rd wave ska albums out there. Slapstick's "Lookit", Mu330's "Chumps on Parade", Reel Big Fish's "Turn the Radio Off", and Less Than Jake's "Losing Streak." This album, I feel, supercedes them all simply because it is almost as if it's the last great album of the 3rd Wave Ska era, and that era walked out with the biggest bang possible. The horn section is tight enough to rival the best studio RBF recordings, and their melody and tempo make it impossible to not hum along. The vocals are insanely fast and clever. The bass player is not only the best in the field that I've ever heard, but plays on a fretless bass, and uses it to his advantage. The drums are poppy at the right time, punk at the right time, and always get your feet tapping. The only instrument really lacking is the guitar. The distortion is muddled and you can rarely hear it when everything else is going on . . . but let's be honest: This is ska. The guitar doesn't have to matter if the band chooses to not let it.

Unfortuneatly, this incarnation of Catch 22 disbanded shortly after this album was made, and the new Catch 22, featuring only two or three original members, just couldn't cut it as well. This is one of those albums that you can be thankful it was made, but [mad] that nothing will ever see its equal again.

Classic Ska Album
I bought this CD after I had purchased the excellent album "Everything Goes Numb" by Streetlight Manifesto, since I heard that the lead singer had written all of "Keasbey Nights."
While I believe "Keasbey" doesn't quite reach the level of Streetlight, it is an excellent punk/ska/swing album. The horn parts are interesting and well-played, the lyrics are excellent, and the singer has an immediately identifiable voice. The bass guitar player also does an outstanding job. Songs like the title track are extremely catchy and will get stuck in your head for days. If you're a fan of a lot of different music styles, you'll appreciate the way they're combined so effortlessly in this album. For example, Pachelbel's Canon in D is quoted on "On and On and On," while other songs feature more of a gritty punk guitar sound. Altogether, this is an uptempo CD with excellent musicianship in all aspects that will not leave your CD player - or head - for weeks. Definitely pick this up along with Streetlight Manifesto's "Everything Goes Numb."

Best ska album.
This has to be my favorite ska album ever, every song is great and this is Catch 22 at its best.

the greatest cd.....ever
I orginaly got into this band after my best friend and his brother listened to nothing but them. AND THEY SHOULDN'T LISTEN TO ANYTHING ELSE!!! This is the greatest CD since DSOTM, hands down. Every song is awesome, and rules. I don't think there was every a moment where I skipped past a song because it was bad. The greatest song EVER is Giving Up, Giving In. And don't you say that "I don't listen to any good music or anything like that..." because I listen to all kinds of rock. My favorite band is Zeppelin. So just shut up. ... Read more