This is, in a way, their final album. Bradley Nowell, Bud Gaugh, Eric Wilson, and Bradley's dog, Lou Dog, are back to give everything they've got. Bradley has been to hell and back constantly for the past year or so, and here is his last chance at changing the world through music like he's always wanted to. Bradley knows he may not have much time left, so it's time he makes his last mark with his best friends.
People should know what to expect of Sublime by now. A mixture of ska, with hip-hop, punk, rock, reggae, blues, and the list goes on. This album is much calmer and laid back than their previous two albums, possibly due to Bradley feeling terrible. But in the past year or so, Bradley has gotten married and had a child. His life is looking up, and he has the best friends he's ever had to back him up through anything.I used to play the hell out of this when my sister Amber and her husband bought it for me. I'm surprised the CD even still works. This was the first Sublime CD I had ever gotten, and I know it front to back. Bradley's lyrics interested me, how he was going through terrible patches of his life, but still tried to be happy. I admired that about his lyrics on this album as he talks about finding happiness in what he has, and his good ol' days when he was a teenager with his friends. It sounds like he's trying to bring himself happiness from these songs, like he's trying to live in some of them in the way that he's trying to paint a faint picture of happiness without throwing it in your face.
This album has a lot of variation, from the acoustic hip-hop song about Bradley finding love in his life 'What I Got', to the blues inspired 'Santeria' with a now famous guitar solo in it about Bradley's girlfriend messing around, the hardcore punk 'Paddle Out' about Bradley getting famous but loving to revisit where he grew up, and the guitar-based song 'Under My Voodoo' are just a few examples of their talent when composing and performing music. As you can tell, a lot of the lyrics are based around Bradley and his life instead of other subjects. This is okay, as Bradley is an interesting individual.
Onto the actual quality of the songs, while a few are a little bit long and calm which can border on just a little boring, there are some good, now-classic Sublime songs on here. Bradley has actually gotten better at guitar, incorporating more solos, and it actually sounds like his voice can hit a few more notes than it could before. Bud and Eric are pretty much the same at their respective instruments that they've always been, they haven't really gotten better or worse.
The songs are pretty much great at what they're attempting. You could look at any of their songs of certain styles and say, for instance, about their hardcore punk songs "This isn't as good as [x]! [x] does this better! I'm gonna go listen to [x]!", then feel right ahead to. No one claims Sublime are masters at whatever they do, but you can't really say they're bad. I guess you could say they're certainly above average at everything they do, and that's perfectly okay. They never aimed to be geniuses, although some will argue Bradley Nowell is a genius himself and one of the most important musicians of the '90s.
The only thing I can think of that kinda brings down this album is a bit of lack of energy at some points, mostly during the dub-themed songs, but that's expected of dub music, it's just to chill out to. But still, that's just me.
It's really hard to pick my favorite Sublime release, and if I had to, it'd either be this or the debut. I'm gonna have to give this a 7/10, but some of the songs on it are truly great in their own Sublime-like way.
Recommended Track(s): What I Got, Santeria, Seed
______________________________
I don't normally do this, but I want to talk a little more about what happened behind the scenes of this album, and why there will never be another Sublime album with Bradley.
Heroin took Bradley Nowell from us on the night of May 25th, 1996. Before this album was even released.
Bradley Nowell was a good man. He wasn't like the idea of a heroin addict you have in your head. Bradley was hooked on drugs for years and it was amazing he lasted as long as he did. Bradley got married to Troy Dendekker (who, despite the name of 'Troy', was a woman) and they had a son named Jakob Nowell. Not only had Bradley found a new love for life in Troy, but the birth of his son gave his life purpose, in his eyes.
So he kept trying to quit heroin. He had to, for his family. He'd give himself a little here and there sometimes, but never much. On the night of May 25th, 1996, after Sublime performed a gig, he gave himself some, but accidentally too much, and ended up overdosing in his hotel room, alone.Bradley Nowell left behind his band, his wife, his son, his dog, and his fans that night and has been missed by his family, friends, and many devoted fans, me included. Will we ever see someone as genuine as Bradley again? It's hard to say.. Maybe his son can take his place, but he'll never out-do his father. We can only see, and hope.
Bradley lives on in many stereos across the world, and every single day, his spirit is kept alive by one child discovering ska and listening to the knowledge and wisdom that this man had. Hearing his pain, his hope, his happiness.
On September 17th, 2001, Bradley's best friend Lou Dog, who he had since 1990, had died. Bradley had gotten Lou Dog from an abused animals shelter, and they bonded quickly. Lou Dog was just as hurt as Bradley was. Bradley used to let Lou Dog up on stage at concerts on a leash, dedicate songs to Lou Dog, and even write songs mentioning Lou Dog. One time Lou Dog went missing for a week, and Bradley spent a week of his life on his couch crying constantly. He even recorded an answering machine message of him begging people to get back to him with information if they had seen Lou Dog, and then he'd start playing his guitar and singing 'The Day Lou Dog Went to the Moon'. One can only hope they're still together in the afterlife, Bradley playing his guitar, and Lou Dog running around and barking, just like the good old days when they only needed eachother. They're finally together again. Lou Dog wasn't just a dog, he was the one friend Bradley could always rely on. He was his family. Through the good times, the bad times, the drug withdrawals, the heartbreaks, and the laughs, they always were with eachother.
R.I.P. Lou Dog, 1989 - 2001.
R.I.P. Bradley James Nowell. February 22, 1968 – May 25, 1996. The world misses you. You're finally free, Bradley.
"Life is love. Let the loving come back to me.. Lovin' is what I got, I said remember that!"
