musicc's Full Review: Sublime [PA] by Sublime (Rock)
Although Sublime wasn’t around for very long and they didn’t quite hit their popularity peak until after Brad Norwell was found dead their influence has lived on. Sublime has had an interesting sound. They play simple music but tell interesting stories. Even more interesting is the range of emotions and styles to be found in each Sublime song. They range from ska, reggae, rap, all the way to punk. Whatever they play they sound wonderful and are distinguished lyricists.
Even though their carrier was short and the band had faced hardships somehow in the end they could always pull off a relaxing song with lyrics everyone could relate to. They only had time for three albums but each one was unique in their own special way. Their self titled was unfortunately their last album. Like their other albums it was unique and had a good message. On a whole it was basically about Brad’s drug addiction and how he couldn’t quite stop it before he died. Like Jimi Hendrix the band only got really popular after he died and several greatest hits albums have been issued.
The album opens with Garden Grove, a fine example of what Sublime was all about. All the band was pretty much concerned about was making good music with stories about life and all its wonders. Garden Grove is essentially about his life and how he is happy just the way he is. The music carries a heavy reggae influence to it as Brad’s vocals really do the song justice. Perhaps a more main stream song that has a similar message is What I got, a popular song of the nineties. Despite the fact that it happens to be the bands most overplayed song no matter how many times I hear it, it sounds just as good. In a word the song is just simple and just that. The guitar line is simple and easy to play and the lyrics are just as simple. The lyrics are about just living life and being perfectly fine with who you were. The vocals really show emotion and we get a sense of just how Brad feels at the time.
The band really proved themselves as quality song writers but it becomes particularly clear with Wrong Way. The sound is much more ska influenced and a horn solo is included in the middle of the song. The lyrics describe a story of Annie who was put on the streets as a prostitute at twelve and how she met Brad. I don’t think (or know) if it is a true story but it is certainly interesting and tells a story that is sorrowful yet not sad. As the band continues to stretch their musical styles, we have already seen ska and reggae but now we get to see them at punk. Same in the end is a fast paced song with some mean up strokes but none the less remains a straight ahead punk song. The electric guitar line mixes perfectly with the fast paced ska riffs. Lyrically the song is fairly interesting, it alludes to quite a few classic songs but never seems to tell a direct story, if nothing else it provides commentary of what Brad is like.
The band obviously had a diverse sound style and we now get to see them dabble into rap. April 29, 1992 has one of the most diverse and interesting sounds of the album. It is a nice little mix of reggae and rap with a healthy dose of punk influence. The vocals lean toward the rap side as he frantically tells a complete story of riots where he looted a lot. The main organ is on the reggae side, and the guitar line played throughout the song is defiantly punk inspired yet it isn’t too obvious and contains a unique sound. The lyrics as mentioned are certainly well done as the band gets you engaged in the story as they tell it from their point of view.
Santeria remains a popular nineties song and makes for a great sing-a-long song. The beat is excellent and creates a relaxing reggae sound while Brad sings the song with full emotion. It tells an interesting story about his dad and how his soul will have to wait. It is a fine song that is really just enjoyable and not much else. It is simple and doesn’t try to be anything that its not. Perhaps one of my favorite songs that Sublime has to offer is Caress me down. It is a song about sex but you can’t really tell unless you can understand Spanish. The lyrics are smart as they creatively blend English with Spanish. The parts where it starts to get more explicit is disguised in Spanish where the English begins the story and advances it further, picking up where the Spanish parts left off. The music is absolutely wonderful, it is hard to describe but it basically makes you feel good. The bass line is warm and has an excellent flow where the guitar line keeps a beat and had a reggae type influence to it. It is one of the most unique songs Sublime has ever released and is one of my favorites.
All in all this was an excellent album. It isn’t perfect and it does the falter in the middle a little. Some average songs are presented in the middle. Pawn Shop, Paddle Out and Ballad of Johnny Butt aren’t really bad songs but they are merely average and don’t compare as well to some other songs. On another note the reprise of What I got is very interesting as it makes the lyrics much clearer and you get a sense that the band just wanted to be a band. Sublime wasn’t really out to be the best band or prove their better than you, they simply created enjoyable music about living life and other interesting stories.
4 stars
Track list (The bolded ones are my favorites)
Garden Grove 4/5
What I got 5/5
Wrongs way 5/5
Same in the end 5/5
April 29, 1992 5/5
Santeria 4/5
Seed 4/5
Jailhouse 4/5
Pawn Shop 3/5
Paddle out 3/5
Ballad of Johnny Butt 3/5
Burritos 4/5
Under my voodoo 3/5
Get ready 3/5
Caresses me down 5/5
What I got (Reprise) 5/5
Doin’ time 4/5
Key Lyrics
What I got
Well, life is (too short), so love the one you got
'Cause you might get runover or you might get shot
Never start no static I just get it off my chest
Never had to battle with no bulletproof vest
Take a small example, take a tip from me
Take all of your money, give it all to charity
Love is what I got
It's within my reach
And the Sublime style's still straight from Long Beach
It all comes back to you, you'll finally get what you deserve
Try and test that you're bound to get served
Love's what I got
Don't start a riot
You'll feel it when the dance gets hot
(Chorus)
(That's) why I don't cry when my dog runs away
I don't get angry at the bills I have to pay
I don't get angry when my Mom smokes pot
Hits the bottle and goes right to the rock
Fu*kin' and fightin', it's all the same
Livin' with Louie dog's the only way to stay sane
Let the lovin', let the lovin' come back to me
Wrong way
The only family that she's ever had
Is her seven horny brothers and a drunk-as* dad
He needed money so he put her on the street
Everything was going fine until the day she met me
Happy are you sad, wanna shoot your dad
I'll do anything I can
It's the wrong way
We talk all night, try to make it right
April 29, 1992
When we returned to the pad to unload everything
It dawned on me that I need new home furnishings
So once again we filled the van until it was full
Since that day my livin' room's been much more comfortable
Cause everybody in the hood has had it up to here
It's getting harder, and harder, and harder each and every year
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