So why is Sublime on this best 1,000 albums ever thing?
There are so many interesting contradictions with regard to Sublime.
I don’t think there’s any argument that Sublime the album is by far the most polished of the band’s tragically short career (or at least the era that included frontman, songwriter, and guitarist Brad Nowell). But the greatness of Sublime often came in its unpolished-ness, if you can dig – the raw collision of styles spanning from punk rock to ska to dub to alt rock to reggae that somehow becomes something greater as a whole.
Sublime the album includes all of the songs that any casual fan of the band (or most people at least somewhat familiar with what went down in the 1990s) would recognize: “Wrong Way” and “Santeria” were fairly big hits, and “What I Got” is the single that launched Sublime into (all too brief) superstardom.
A contradiction with regard to my own appreciation of the band is that while I think all three of those songs are just fine (and I’d say “Wrong Way” would be my favorite of the group), none would likely make my list of Top 20 Sublime songs all told.
And yet I’ve got Sublime the album on the precipice of the “top 200” of this wacky best 1,000 albums ever thing, so what gives, right?
For my money and taste, I’d replace that very good trio of songs with three great ones, each a little bit raw and eclectic and loose but in that spectacular way that shows off this band at its very best.
I’ll start with the compulsively addictive ska groove of “Burritos”: it’s one of the great ska songs produced during an era when ska and ska punk became “hot” and had a minute or two in the spotlight (which is to say there were a great many ska bands producing outstanding music around that time).
And “Burritos” is also a really fun slacker anthem that all of us can relate to, at least at one time or another.
“Paddle Out” is a minute and fifteen seconds of pure thrashy surf punk bliss. Just fantastic.
And “Same In The End” is ultra high tempo ska punk with a delicious side of thrashy hard rock.
Oh, and is there a better album closer after the eclectic ear assault that preceded it than the marvelously chilled down swinging dub of “Doin’ Time”?
Personal stuff that’s somehow related to Sublime
My college friend and rugby teammate Dave, was the first person to clue me into Sublime back at Binghamton University. I still vaguely recall seeing the picture of Brad Nowell’s dog, Lou Dog – who you can hear barking on tracks like “Doin’ Time” – in the liner notes.
Dave was always quite a character – and he still is. His collegiate entrepreneurial ventures included:
- Taking Star Wars action figures and repurposing them into necklaces. 1970s nostalgia was strong at the time, and these things sold really well. And honestly it’s still a great idea, risk of being sued out of existence by the Disney Corporation aside, of course.
- Funding a road trip by doing what we referred to as the “Toys “R” Us scam.” This involved closely monitoring the prices of video games at Toys “R” vs. KB Toys, and essentially buying low at one and selling high at the other. Pure capitalism… though perhaps not strictly legal. The funniest part of this one to me was that Toys “R” Us would issue “Geoffrey Dollars” in lieu of an actual cash payment when making a return. So this would force Dave to take said Geoffrey Dollars and make a subsequent cheap purchase, like a single pencil, and then finally pocket the change, which would be issued in cash.
Some stats & info about Sublime
- What kind of musical stylings does this album represent? Rock Music, Ska Punk, Punk Rock, Punk Revival, Third Wave Ska Revival, Alternative Rock, SoCal Bands
- Rolling Stone’s greatest 500 albums ranking – not ranked!
- All Music’s rating – 4.5 out of 5 stars
- When was Sublime released? 1996
- My ranking, the one you’re reading right now – #211 out of 1,000
Sublime on Spotify
A lyrical snippet from Sublime that’s evocative of the album in some way, maybe
All people in the dance will agree that we’re well qualified to represent the L.B.C.
What does the “best 1,000 albums ever” mean and why are you doing this?
Yeah, I know it’s audacious, a little crazy (okay, maybe a lot cray cray), bordering on criminal nerdery.
But here’s what it’s NOT: a definitive list of the Greatest Albums of All-Time. This is 100% my own personal super biased, incredibly subjective review of what my top 1,000 albums are, ranked in painstaking order over the course of doing research for nearly a year, Rob from High Fidelity style. Find out more about why I embarked on a best 1,000 albums ever project.