Thursday, June 23, 2011

10 Most Underrated Sublime Songs

As most music fans know, Sublime has gotten back together with Rome taking on the responsibility of frontman. Given the fact that Sublime is my all time favorite band and think that Bradley Nowell was mucho talented, I have mixed feelings about this (especially given the fact that Sublime concerts these days are flooded with 15 year old kids who weren't even born when Bradley Nowell was alive). Anyway, Sublime to me was more than just "What I Got" and "Santeria". They had a ton of great songs that helped influence a lot of modern music such as Pepper, Slighty Stoopid,and Dirty Heads. If you're attending a Sublime concert in the near future and are only familiar with the singles, it will be worth checking out these top 10 underrated songs by Sublime (and their entire catalog for that matter). Songs that are disqualified from the list due to their popularity are: Date Rape, Smoke Two Joints, What I Got, Santeria, Wrong Way, Caress Me Down, Badfish, April 29, 1992 (my favorite song by them), and Doin' Time. Click on the song name to hear it


1. Seed - Nothing tops Sublime when they are in full out punk rock mode and Seed is them at the top of their game. The song includes one of Bradley's all time best guitar solos.

2. Saw Red - One of the most popular of this list, Saw Red is a track from the highly underrated Robbin' the Hood album featuring guest vocals from No Doubt's Gwen Stefani. Bradly Nowell and Gwen Stefani complement each other's voices very well and come up with one of Sublime's all time catchiest songs. Be sure to check out Bradley's guest appearance on No Doubt's Total Hate (pre Tragic Kingdom days).

3. 40oz to Freedom - The title track from Sublime's debut, in my opinion, encompasses all of the musical intricacies of Sublime. The song combines reggae, ska, punk, and alternative rock into one of Sublime's best songs.

4. Doin' Time (Uptown Dub) - I'll count one of the Doin' Time remixes as being different from Doin' Time (after hearing it you'll see why). A song from the b-side Secondhand Smoke album, Doin' Time is a fantastic remix of of the classic Doin' Time song.

5. Steppin' Razor - The first cover song to make the list (and the second Robbin' the Hood song), Sublime takes Peter Tosh's classic and gives it an 80's dancehall makeover.

6. Ebin - Most people think Ebin is one of the weaker songs from 40oz to Freedom, but I think it's one of the best. A very catchy number featuring another great guitar solo.

7. 5446 That's My Number / Ball and Chain - The second cover to make the list, 5446 That's My Number is an awesome track from the 40oz to Freedom album and one of the few Sublime songs to feature the saxophone.

8. Same in the End - Same in the End falls into the same category as Seed (punk) although a little cleaner.

9. What Happened - Another Sublime song featuring the saxophone, What Happened attempts to recount Bradley Nowell's night of getting wasted in an amusing and catchy way.

10. Scarlet Begonias - A great, great cover of the Grateful Dead classic with Bradley Nowell rapping for the song's bridge.

Honorable Mention: Under My Voodoo