| Sublime | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Studio album by Sublime | ||||
| Released | July 30, 1996 | |||
| Recorded | February 1996 at Pedernales Studio in Austin, Texas & Total Access Recording in Redondo Beach, California | |||
| Genre | Ska punk[1] Alternative rock[1] |
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| Length | 58:31 | |||
| Label | MCA | |||
| Producer | Paul Leary & David Kahne | |||
| Sublime chronology | ||||
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Sublime is the third and final album released by ska-punk band Sublime. Originally intended to be titled Killin' It, the band and record label agreed to substitute an eponymous title due to lead singer Bradley Nowell's death prior to the album's release. After debating whether to hire a replacement for Nowell or break up, the surviving members decided to end Sublime (though a temporary reunion with new singer and guitarist Rome Ramirez occurred in 2009 before changing the name to Sublime with Rome).
The album was a major commercial success, selling over 6 million copies by 2010 and etching Sublime into a permanent place among the stars of mid-90s alternative rock. The album was faithful to Sublime's ska, dub, and reggae influences, with tempos ranging from the frantic — such as "Seed," "Same in the End," and "Paddle Out" — to the slow and deliberate, such as "Pawn Shop" and "Jailhouse."
Sublime marked the band's only album on a major label (MCA) after several releases on Skunk Records.
Contents |
Sublime formed in Long Beach in 1988 by Bradley Nowell (vocals and guitar), Bud Gaugh (drums) and Eric Wilson (bass guitar). Their debut album, 40oz. to Freedom, was released on Skunk Records in 1992 to mixed critical reviews. The album established Sublime's blend of reggae, punk, ska, and hip hop, and helped to further strengthen the group's growing California following. Initially being sold exclusively at their live shows, the album became widely known in the greater Los Angeles area when the modern rock radio station KROQ began playing the song "Date Rape" in 1995.
Sublime returned to the studio in 1993 to begin recording their second album, Robbin' the Hood. Released in 1994, the album noted low production values (the album sleeve boasts of its "13 self produced 4-track home recordings"). Following the release of Robbin' the Hood, Sublime embarked on a successful tour and co-headlined the first annual Vans Warped Tour in 1995. Following the success of then-current acts such as The Offspring, Green Day, and Rancid, Sublime was signed to the label Gasoline Alley of MCA Records by Jon Phillips, who subsequently became the band's manager.
In early 1996, Sublime headlined the very first SnoCore Tour. By this time, they had begun writing and recording what would comprise the band's self-titled third record and their major label debut album. They completed it before Nowell died of a heroin overdose on May 25, 1996 at the Oceanview Motel in San Francisco, two months prior to the release. Following Nowell's death, the surviving members considered disbanding Sublime, which they did. Their final gesture as a group was to release the album they had been working on in Austin, Texas and California.
The musical styles throughout the album vary nearly as much as the subjects discussed, ranging from the mellow Hip hop groove of "Doin' Time" and reggae beat of "Caress Me Down" to the ska "Same in the End" and the hardcore punk sound of "Paddle Out", and even the Jimi Hendrix influenced "Under My Voodoo". The genre-crossing musical diversity expressed on the album is one of the more compelling reasons for the record's wide mainstream appeal.
Some of the album's original compositions also have borrowed elements:
| Professional ratings | |
|---|---|
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic | [15] |
| Punknews.org | [16] |
| Robert Christgau | (A-) [17] |
| Rolling Stone | [18] |
Sublime met high critical reception upon release, and is now considered a classic ska album by fans and critics. It also revived popular interest in ska to the mainstream. The album reached #13 on the U.S. Billboard 200 album chart and was the band's first Gold record for sales of (over) 500,000 copies, making Sublime one of the biggest American rock acts in 1996 and 1997. This was done without support through touring. It is certified 5× Platinum in the U.S., with over 5 million copies shipped in the U.S. alone. Almost every song now has radio play, with "What I Got", "Santeria", "Wrong Way", "Doin' Time" and "April 26, 1992 (Miami)" receiving the heaviest airplay. Nielsen Soundscan reported in June 2010 that the album had sold 6,110,757 in the United States.[19]
A limited edition of the original release contained an extra CD, with:
On August 15, 2006, the album was re-released to commemorate its tenth anniversary as a deluxe two-disc set through Universal Music.[20] The album was restored to its "original" track listing including a cover of Bob Marley's "Trenchtown Rock" and the original version of "Doin' Time."
Copies of the deluxe edition purchased from Best Buy include a sticker on the packaging with instructions for downloading an exclusive WMA track, a live version of the 40 Oz. to Freedom track, "We're Only Gonna Die for Our Arrogance", which is a cover of Bad Religion. The sticker also mentions that the track is from a "Rarities" box set.
Music videos (Enhanced portion of Disc 2)
Sublime
| Year | Album | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1996 | Sublime | The Billboard 200 | No. 13 |
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