Saw Red: Sublime
Oh man, I think I may lose some friendships over this one. I will for sure be losing any respect I had as a record label man, but the thing I'm most worried about stemming from this entry is deaththreats. Why in the world would I decide to write about one of the 90s greatest gifts to the fraternity party? How could this blatant stoner rock band that can't decide whether it is punk or dub/reggae or ska or a jam band or rap music be the Greatest Band of All Time?? Beats me, but I'm gonna talk about them.
Now, Sublime became known to most everyone after lead dude Bradley Nowell died of a drug overdose and their major label debut, Sublime, produced some big hits like "What I Got" and "Santeria." Well, that album is by far the weakest of their three proper albums, so forget all your misconceptions. Actually, your misconceptions probably aren't too far from correct, so just like be prepared to mildly adjust those (mis)conceptions.
So, the deal is...Sublime is the most quitensential Southern California band there ever was. Forget about The Eagles, or X, or Suicidal Tendencies, or Social Distortion being that most SoCal, it's totally Sublime. The band is made up of three dudes (the aforementioned Brad Nowell, Eric Wilson, and Bud Gaugh) who are some of the bummiest dudes you have ever seen in your life. Dudes who are always avoiding jobs, but sometimes have to get one to afford their somewhat expensive weed habits. White dudes who hang out with Latino gangsters. Dudes who can sorta surf, but are kinda too lazy to do it. Poor dudes who like to party. The thing that makes these guys so amazing and so SoCal is the weird hidden dignity that lies behind their excessive and indulgent facades: wonderful mucianship, openness to all kinds of people and influences. Sublime's music is this weird mish mash of everything that they liked, everything they saw around them, and it's not really filtered and cleaned up. They wore their influences on their sleeve, which many times is a fault, but in Sublime's case is a plus as it added to their raw energy and very youthful naivity. Their songs will go from straight up hardcore LA punk circa 84 style, to a 6 minute dub jam, into a love song for KRS-One, into a ska track, followed by a Grateful Dead cover, and instead of being confusing and scattered it all works to paint this great picture of Sublime and where they were in this time period, the early 90s in Long Beach.
The band's first show was on the 4th of July in 1988 that show caused a riot, legitmately. That was the thing...every Sublime showed seemed to cause a riot. In 94, my best friends and I went to a Sublime show in San Pedro (you know where Watt is from, it's just north of Long Beach, south of LA), and Sublime never played that night. The show was shut down. Maybe one of the openers played, but it was mostly people milling around waiting for hours, but somehow the evening was amazing, the vibe of a Sublime show was incredible. Every one was there to have a wild time, and their crowds were incredibly diverse...punk dudes, surf/skate dudes, vato/gangster dudes, crusty stoners. It was crazy. Every show was sorta insane, something weird always happened.
40oz. to Freedom, the band's first album, was released in 1992 on their own label Skunk records, and it is a SoCal classic. It's over an hour long, and is maybe like the most perfect album to put on at a party that is taking place in one of those apartment buildings that has a pool in the middle of the complex. The album starts with a sample of someone saying "punk rock changed my life" which is followed by a dog (which i always imagined as a pitbull) barking pretty intensely and then rolls into the first song "Waiting for My Ruca," which is basically just one bass note with Bradley crooning over the top, and it's a absolutely a brilliant intro to the band and for their career. I can hear my friend Allison Kahanamoku singing "On the Eastside...that's where I met my Ramona," (the first line Bradley sings) to our friend Mona Perez as we sat in and around a car at some hidden party spot. It's seriously deep for me. 40oz. to Freedom has 22 songs and of those 6 are covers. The covers are "Smoke Two Joints" (reggae song), "We're Only Gonna Die For Our Arrogence" (Bad Religion), "54-46 That's My Number" (Toots & the Maytals), "Scarlet Begonias" (Grateful Dead), "Hope" (The Descendents), "Rivers of Babylon" (reggae traditional). It doesn't feel like they are over doing it with the covers. They make the songs their own and it also says "this is the vibe where we are coming from." The album ends with Bradley thanking people and giving shout outs for 6 minutes, which is very telling of the band and their vibe.
Sublime's second album, Robbin' the Hood, was released in 1994 and is just as epic as their debut. It was all recorded on a 4 track in their house, and it feels like that, i mean it has a beautiful looseness, it actually sounds incredibly well recorded for living room 4 track vibes. Robbin' the Hood is arguably a better album than 40oz. to Freedom but a bit of a more difficult listen with the main obstacles being the "Raleigh Sololiquy"s that are interspersed in the album which are recordings of a delusion man bantering on with himself and others. They bring a darkness to the album, which can be rough at times. This album really shows the band's versatility though, going from upbeat almost proggish punker style songs with so many weird parts to acoustic ballads where Bradley's vocals are shockingly soulful and powerful.
Around this time, KROQ (SoCal's mega alternative rock station) randomly starting playing "Date Rape", a song from 40oz. to Freedom, and it became a big hit, at least locally. Shortly thereafter, Sublime was signed to MCA. They recorded Sublime, which sees the band tightening up, and going for a less scattered sound and becoming more song oriented, which in my opinion mostly doesn't work for the band. Sublime has a few great songs, but overall feels a bit stifled and Red Hot Chili Peppery for me. Well, needless to say, Bradley kicked the bucket a couple months before the album came out. The album was a big hit. The other guys made some other bands (Long Beach Dub All Stars, Eyes Adrift) that didn't seem interesting.
Los Angeles is known for its high speed car chases and the glitz and plastic surgery, but underneath that there lies hard working areas like Echo Park, San Pedro, Venice, Torrance filled with hidden humans who work hard jobs to pay the high cost of living in that area. Sublime on the surface has Bradley's sometimes insipid, stupid lyrics and wanky solos or maybe a dumb skit, but underneath there lies this man thanking KRS-One for teaching him everything he didn't learn in school or singing very frankly and honestly about being addicted to drugs and how "one day I'm gonna lose the war." For one band to encapsulate such a massive and important region, to actually BE Southern California, they must be The Greatest Band of All Time
oh my god steve this so great. sublime is deep for me too. they were THE soundtrack of stonerdom in norcal as well - i totally got chills when you mentioned that track at the end of 40oz where they shout out all those people. i totally forgot about that. reading it now totally brings back memories: listening to that track, shrooming with my drug buddy in his room with the lame-ass blacklight posters and giggling like little kids (which we were). sublime, shrooms, weed, norcal, high school.
nostalgia aside i actually do think they are a pretty unique band, and awesome in their way. at least they were confronting their reality, talking about real stuff, and trying to do something new. i'll take that over neo-post-punk, garage rock, etc any day. well, maybe.
Sublime is in my "book of shame." I think i own(ed?) all of their CDs. I first heard them at a comedy club in Birmingham AL at a comedy club. Before the show started they showed some music video's on the wall, and one of them was sublime.
man, this text is deep! Sublime for me is also one of the greatests bands from all times. I'm capable to listen their songs forever... I want to translate this text to Brazilian-Portuguese if it's not a problem. If it's I 'll translate anyway...
Hey Steve its the afformentioned Allison Kahanamoku of your article.
Don't know how I stubbled upon this but it would be great to hear from you.
on the first song on 40 oz. to freedom its a line from the Minuteman saying "punk rock changed my life" and that obviously lou dog barking a pitbull? ... lou dog was a dalmation. get it straight.
i mena no offense but dont be writing this article about sublime unless you knwo the fact man.
on the first song on 40 oz. to freedom its a line from the Minutemen saying "punk rock changed our lives" and that obviously brad's dog lou dog barking.. a pitbull? ... lou dog was a dalmation. get it straight.
i mean no offense but dont be writing this article about sublime unless you know the facts man.
wow. I am amazed that sublime is in yalls book of shame considering most people would prefer spice girls over some of the shitty bands you've conjured up.Sublime was, and still is, one of the most talented bands to come out of socal... them and social distortion. Most of yall need to smell the celeophane of a metal cd and get back to me on the artists in yalls "book of shame"
I don't care what anyone says, Sublime, in my book is one of the best bands of all time.If Bradley Nowell was still alive I am sure they would have come out with even more awesome shit and it's a shame that he isn't..By the way I don't do any kind of drugs and I still like the music so obviously it reaches out to others and not just to white trash unemployed druggies!
lo mejor de lo mejorr!!!
DUDE you have all these facts messed up.You think that this document is deep.Its not.you have these arguments that add up to nothing, what are you trying to prove hear.You need to pick up a track listen to it ad do some thinkin fag
DUDE you have all these facts messed up.You think that this document is deep.Its not.you have these arguments that add up to nothing, what are you trying to prove hear.You need to pick up a track listen to it ad do some thinkin fag
yeah it seems like an obvious generalization that sublime was a stoner band. But Bob Marley is put into the same group b/c he smoked and played laid back music but obviously (not in america but the rest of the world) that he reached much more than just the lower rung of society. Especially in england when he was lving there for a short time. Also on that subject are you implying that if sublime were lawyers and doctors that there music would somehow be better or more advanced? It sounds like you might need to widen your scope on how you view the world. The rolling stones were all jobless and living in a loft together when they made it big, in fact the most influential artists in the world weren't rich go getters. So what exactly are you trying to get at? That musical talent comes in spite of a poor background? Maybe but the evidence shows that it comes about because of a poor background and a certain amount of hardship.
sublime fucking rocks
ilove sublime bradleys lyrics are da shit
ilove sublime bradleys lyrics are da shit
I agree that you need to get some of your facts straight. Like the dog barking. Anyone who knows anything about Sublime knows that Bradley loved his dog and mentioned him in his music. Of course it was Lou-dog barking. Your article really shows that you're a half-rate music reviewer. That doesn't change the fact that Bradley's spirit will live on and that Sublime was a great band though.
im listening to Sublime right now. I have been listening to Sublime for a long time now and i have yet to get tired of their music. To me Sublime stands alone. sublime is simply sublime and thats all there is to it.
Hi,
i´m from Germany and Sublime is Sublime, nothing copares to it, amazing band! Let me feel like beeing in long beach. ;) No german band can reach them just a bit...no german band can reach english music, btw...
greetings from the rainy ruhrgebiet!
Where is Eric Wilson now?
Where is Eric Wilson now?
hehehe Reading this, was a big wast of time your views on this band or dumb and THE RESONES we listing to this type of music F!CK THE MINDSTREEM I like my ROck,SKA. twicker pad, hiphop stoner,hardcore punk mother F!cker.
WHO TOLD YOU TO Write this dumb ass HATER leter
I am from SoCal and i grew up listing to sublime. To me sublime is the best band of all time and i dont think you will ever hear anything as unique as sublime, and there music will be played forever. And the dog was not a pitbull
Wow...idiots, he said that the first time he heard the dog barking he thought it was a pitbull... meaning that he knows better now.
Wow...idiots, he said that the first time he heard the dog barking he thought it was a pitbull... meaning that he knows better now.
I LOVE YOU. YOU MAKE ME SMILE. KEEP SMILING SUNSHINEEEEEEEE. <3
sublime seriously means more than you can imagine. but you have to understand where its coming from and appreciate it because otherwise you'e not REALLY listening to it. and if you don't REALLY listen to it then who are you to judge it? sublime...is...amazing. its horrible brad is dead, in fact it fucking sucks, but i'll keep smoking my two joints for him.
r.i.p
SUBLIME LIVES!
Your views on Sublime are pathetic.
Chill out and smoke a doobie.
Rest In Piece Brad.
SUBLIME ARE MY MEN.
Your views on Sublime are pathetic.
Chill out and smoke a doobie.
Rest In Piece Brad.
SUBLIME ARE MY MEN.
Your views on Sublime are pathetic.
Chill out and smoke a doobie.
Rest In Piece Brad.
SUBLIME ARE MY MEN.
sublime is the dopest band ever. i really wish brad was living but thats the thing.
load up the bong crank up the song let the informa call 911
legalize it dont criticize it
sublime is the dopest band ever. i really wish brad was living but thats the thing.
load up the bong crank up the song let the informa call 911
wow, some of you guys really need to calm down and chill out. can't we all just get along and agree that sublime is awesome. hmmmm?
fuck brad dam u i wish to hell you where still alive R.I.P and god damit i know u guys are stoners and yea so am i but for real get your unmotivated asses up and make another album for your freind that just passed i mean for real guy just because he died dosnt mean sublim did!~!
and fuck i wish i was around when you guys where playing in concert i would of loved to go!
but for real listen to my words if you are reading this remeber its for your freind!!
smoke two joints for BRAD!!!
Referring to a previous comment down there... I don't think they should go on making music. I think that what they did after Brad died and let Sublime "die" with him was the right thing to do. There was no Sublime after him. There's no way in hell they should let another singer come in and take his place. That would piss me off to no fucking end for sure. If they did want to make music it should be under a different name completely.
Ok I already posted a comment but.. that was just after reading the comments on this page. It pisses me off that I even found this site. Anyone who would take this much time out of his life to write shit on one of the greatest and most unique bands in the world is pretty fucking lame.
Who cares if you can't fucking catagorize them? That's just one more thing that makes them so amazing! So fucking sorry dude but noone has a greater voice than Bradley Nowell. And what the fuck have you done that's been so "GREAT"?
Probably nothing. Nothing you're really going to be remembered for anyway. So I don't think you have any right to talk shit. They're definitely my favorite band ever and I don't believe that they have one bad song. Whenever I hear their music it puts me in a great mood. So FUCK YOU. I'll be a LOYAL sublime fan til the end.
Besides... I'm sure if any of them saw this site they wouldn't really give a fuck. They had fun making music and that's what it was all about. Making music and having fun. Bands nowadays just do it to get chicks and get money... and yes probably to buy drugs as well. So once again... fuck you and you're stupid shit.
Sublime is the best. Period. The end.
Firts off Fuck You Brittnay ur obviously a whore BITCH. I agree wit ashley man sublime died on Brads back with him. Eric was the best bass player in the world wit Bud on the drums and Bradely sing who the fuck can stop that. Alls i do is roll blunts and get in the zone and listen to these FREAKS. From Cali to Nebraska I dont give a fuck
Firts off Fuck You Brittnay ur obviously a whore BITCH. I agree wit ashley man sublime died on Brads back with him. Eric was the best bass player in the world wit Bud on the drums and Bradely sing who the fuck can stop that. Alls i do is roll blunts and get in the zone and listen to these FREAKS. From Cali to Nebraska I dont give a fuck
I'm 50 and my 22 yr old son just put the Sublime Gold 2 CD in my computer, Awesome shit! All I knew before this was "Love is what I got" Limewire here I come.
I'm 50 and my 22 yr old son just put the Sublime Gold 2 CD in my computer, Awesome shit! All I knew before this was "Love is what I got" Limewire here I come.
I'm 50 and my 22 yr old son just put the Sublime Gold 2 CD in my computer, Awesome shit! All I knew before this was "Love is what I got" Limewire here I come.
Sublime is my most faverit bands of all time brad lives fore ever and dont ever for get whit he showed us it all about Making music and having fun. so let the good time roll somke and stop bicthing and rock out and fuck some puss long beach all day bitch!!!!!!!!
RIP
Bradley you are the mother fucking man...........
ps: Sublime is still the greatest!!!
A LOYAL sublime fan til for all time.
Sublime is my most faverit bands of all time brad lives fore ever and dont ever for get whit he showed us it all about Making music and having fun. so let the good time roll somke and stop bicthing and rock out and fuck some puss long beach all day bitch!!!!!!!!
RIP
Bradley you are the mother fucking man...........
ps: Sublime is still the greatest!!!
A LOYAL sublime fan til for all time.
Sublime is my most faverit bands of all time brad lives fore ever and dont ever for get whit he showed us it all about Making music and having fun. so let the good time roll somke and stop bicthing and rock out and fuck some puss long beach all day bitch!!!!!!!!
RIP
Bradley you are the mother fucking man...........
ps: Sublime is still the greatest!!!
A LOYAL sublime fan til for all time.
sublime is timeless
i love sublime, but i honestly don't think that they would be who they are today if bradley hadn't died. it's kinda like the great writers throughout history; their literature finally gets big after they die.
You article was alright, slightly pretentious, but you are an internet blogger so what can you expect. Instead of belittling Sublime in the intro and ridiculing their iconic status to a more polished and established band such as the Eagles, you should have discussed why Sublime has reached this type of mythical appreciation. Why so many people all over the world say that Sublime is the greatest band of all time. A good article would have addressed the type of legandary word-of-mouth appreciation Sublime has garnered, and mainly the iconic status of Bradley Nowell.
To quote the Dude - "I fucking hate the Eagles"