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Track Listings
| 1. Time Bomb |
| 2. Wild Nights |
| 3. Sunset in July |
| 4. Trouble |
| 5. Count Me In |
| 6. Rock On |
| 7. Weightless |
| 8. And a Ways to Go |
Editorial Reviews
2011 release, the 10th album from the Alt-Rock band. Like its predecessor, Uplifter, Universal Pulse was produced by Bob Rock, who has produced or engineered albums by numerous notable acts, such as Metallica, Aerosmith, M”tley Cre, Bon Jovi, The Cult, Our Lady Peace and The Offspring. Steering away from ballads and lighter material, Universal Pulse sounds closer to the band's live sound than ever before. Features the single 'Sunset In July'.
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
31 of 38 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
I got my pre-order Friday before the Tuesday that this album was released, and let's just say... Things couldn't have been better with this album. Yes, it's 311's shortest album, packing only eight songs, but every single one of these songs gives you the old school 311 feel that we have all been missing. Not since From Chaos have I been able to get a natural high from the play button...
I'll break down the 8 songs here, one by one.
1. Time Bomb (4.5/5): this is an old-school shout out to the hardcore 311 fans, mixing sounds within the song like 311 is known to do.
SONG WILL REMIND YOU OF: Dancehall, Homebrew
2. Wild Nights (5/5): this is a song about maturing. Taking the experiences in your prior times and turning them into wisdom. Featuring an adrenaline-invoking solo from none other than miT Mahoney and a high energy rap from SA, this song is what 311 fans have waited on.
3. Sunset In July (4/5): a "feel-good" summer jam. A slow groove from Chad on the drums, a nice guitar harmony from Nick and miT, and a modest yet thumping bassline from P-Nut hold the pace while Nick and SA sing about the joys of seeing their fans having fun at the shows...
SONG WILL REMIND YOU OF: Strong All Along
4. Trouble (4.5/5): A slow, funky groove explaining past troubles of Nick's life. This song has 'I'm a wailers fan' written all over it, without being a rip-off. This song is more aimes towards the 'chill' crowd, while containing just enough edge to make the more high energy fans happy as well.
5. Count Me In (10/5): Easily their best summer jam since 'Strong All Along'. I personally can't get enough of this song. The song just starts on the right foot, a mid-tempo funk jam which turns to fun rock which turns to reggae which turns to rap which turns back into fun rock which turns back to reggae which turns back to funk... only 311 can pull this off, and they're making me remember how their music used to make me feel.
6. Rock On (10/5): This song is the true old school 311. Featuring a heavy guitar riff stacked over a rockin' beat from Chad Sexton and a thick bassline from P-Nut, Nick and SA both rapping on the same track... This song made me stop what I was doing and sit there and listen... which hasn't really happened often in their last few outings. Nick's raps flow so naturally that you could put money on the theory that this song is a leftover from one of their 90's albums (at least lyrically). This song is easily the best "head-nodder" since Sick Tight.
7. Weightless (4/5): This one takes a little while to get into... The first few times you hear it, you kinda don't get sucked into it. It's the throwaway track on the album, but it's still better than anything on Uplifter.
8. And A Ways To Go (4.5/5): Where do I begin... The song starts off slow, sort of recycling the intro from another Transistor tune, and picks up eventually into a rap track from SA, and then repeats until, at the most unexpected moment, the song shifts into a P-Nut tap solo... And then into a fast paced ending that makes your head nod no matter what. This is the trippiest 311 song in years.
So, in conclusion, it's fair to say that this is 311's best album in years, and the quality-over-quantity approach has definitely worked to their advantage. I haven't heard one dissatisfied fan opinion, and we all remember the BBs when Uplifter came out...
This is totally worth your time and money. Buy it, love it, and have a fun summer.
I'll break down the 8 songs here, one by one.
1. Time Bomb (4.5/5): this is an old-school shout out to the hardcore 311 fans, mixing sounds within the song like 311 is known to do.
SONG WILL REMIND YOU OF: Dancehall, Homebrew
2. Wild Nights (5/5): this is a song about maturing. Taking the experiences in your prior times and turning them into wisdom. Featuring an adrenaline-invoking solo from none other than miT Mahoney and a high energy rap from SA, this song is what 311 fans have waited on.
3. Sunset In July (4/5): a "feel-good" summer jam. A slow groove from Chad on the drums, a nice guitar harmony from Nick and miT, and a modest yet thumping bassline from P-Nut hold the pace while Nick and SA sing about the joys of seeing their fans having fun at the shows...
SONG WILL REMIND YOU OF: Strong All Along
4. Trouble (4.5/5): A slow, funky groove explaining past troubles of Nick's life. This song has 'I'm a wailers fan' written all over it, without being a rip-off. This song is more aimes towards the 'chill' crowd, while containing just enough edge to make the more high energy fans happy as well.
5. Count Me In (10/5): Easily their best summer jam since 'Strong All Along'. I personally can't get enough of this song. The song just starts on the right foot, a mid-tempo funk jam which turns to fun rock which turns to reggae which turns to rap which turns back into fun rock which turns back to reggae which turns back to funk... only 311 can pull this off, and they're making me remember how their music used to make me feel.
6. Rock On (10/5): This song is the true old school 311. Featuring a heavy guitar riff stacked over a rockin' beat from Chad Sexton and a thick bassline from P-Nut, Nick and SA both rapping on the same track... This song made me stop what I was doing and sit there and listen... which hasn't really happened often in their last few outings. Nick's raps flow so naturally that you could put money on the theory that this song is a leftover from one of their 90's albums (at least lyrically). This song is easily the best "head-nodder" since Sick Tight.
7. Weightless (4/5): This one takes a little while to get into... The first few times you hear it, you kinda don't get sucked into it. It's the throwaway track on the album, but it's still better than anything on Uplifter.
8. And A Ways To Go (4.5/5): Where do I begin... The song starts off slow, sort of recycling the intro from another Transistor tune, and picks up eventually into a rap track from SA, and then repeats until, at the most unexpected moment, the song shifts into a P-Nut tap solo... And then into a fast paced ending that makes your head nod no matter what. This is the trippiest 311 song in years.
So, in conclusion, it's fair to say that this is 311's best album in years, and the quality-over-quantity approach has definitely worked to their advantage. I haven't heard one dissatisfied fan opinion, and we all remember the BBs when Uplifter came out...
This is totally worth your time and money. Buy it, love it, and have a fun summer.
15 of 18 people found the following review helpful
By M. Murphy
Format:Audio CD
I was a little nervous about this becasue its 28 minutes long and though I am a die hard 311 fan I was afraid that they would hold back for the fan who thought "Don't Tread On Me" and "Uplifter" where sub par. I in fact loved every 311 album in creation (with S.A. Martinez in the lineup of course). This album is a must have for any 311 fan. It has everything that 311 fans would want:Cool time signatures, Bass solo on the last song, Harmonies, Rapping, Crunchy Guitars, Complicated drum patterns, and cool positive lyrics. Please for the love of GOD believe me! If you like 311. Whether your a "Old school" or new fan or a fan who only likes "Music" to "Transistor". Or Only The "Blue Album". Or even if your a dude stopped caring after any point in history because you felt they stopped trying this will not dissapoint you! I own "Music", "Grassroots", "The Blue Album", "Transistor","LIVE", "Soundsystem","From Chaos","Evolver", "Greatest Hits 93-03", "Don't Tread On Me", "Uplifter(The Deluxe Version)", and now The Essential "Universal Pulse". You will love this! If you don't I dare to email me and say "Gedy "Roost" Murphy! YOU ARE A LIAR AND THIS CD SUCKS!!!!!!!" Because you won't. Buy this album and sit in the sun while listening to it. Make love to your girlfreind and listen to it. Put it on and jam to it. Smoke a joint or have a brew and put it on.Its a soundtrack to your life!
It was because of this band that I discovered my love for music and led me to all the other bands I love. If it where not for Chad Sexton, S.A. Martinez, Tim Mahoney, P-NUT, and Nick Hexum I would have killed my self. This has been a rough ten years for me with the economy, no money, and crappy pop polluting the airwaves. 311 has made life a little more tolerable.
It was because of this band that I discovered my love for music and led me to all the other bands I love. If it where not for Chad Sexton, S.A. Martinez, Tim Mahoney, P-NUT, and Nick Hexum I would have killed my self. This has been a rough ten years for me with the economy, no money, and crappy pop polluting the airwaves. 311 has made life a little more tolerable.
21 of 27 people found the following review helpful
By Z. Mazza
Format:Audio CD
I've owned this album for a week now, and wanted to really digest it and give it sometime to settle in before reviewing this album. I'm glad I did because one week ago I may have given this album 4 or 5 stars based only on the "newness" and "excitement" of a new 311 record.
I've been a longtime fan of the band, and have enjoyed over 10 years of following them on tour and keeping pace with each studio release. My undieing love of this band has, at times, made it difficult to be critical of their releases, but this time I feel that I can offer a pretty good summary.
The stand-out issue with this album is its length. The band attributed this to "only taking 2 years to make this record as opposed to 4 for our previous effot." This doesn't sit well with me, first of all, because the band is making excuses this is basically aknowledging that the lenght of the album is indeed a problem. Secondly, it's not a good excuse. Up until "Uplifter" there has been a 2 year span between each album and each met or exceeded 11 songs. There was even 2 years to make "Transistor" which featured 21 songs. So I don't think a time crunch was the issue.
Now, setting aside the length and focusing on content I run into a few issues with this album. The first is the general lack of innovation and, truly, I don't feel they took any risks. The first half of the album does not explore any new territory, though I will admit that "Trouble" is a nice tune by itself which does feature some unique guitar distortions to keep it from otherwise being another "sleepy reggae" song.
Songs like "Count me in" and "wild nights" while insanely catchy, are quickly digested and end up seeming like token obligations rather than truly meaningful songs. "Weightless" has its catchy moments, but the chorus is so repetitive you may find yourself turing down the car speakers a few notches at a busy intersection so you don't lose your "street cred." Also, SA's lyrics in "rock on" "doing that grind, all of the time" are so overly simplistic you're not sure if it's intended to be a joke or if 2 years of work resulted in a rhyme that people use when they are struggling in a freestyle battle.
The mixing is OK, there are quite a few problems with volume leveling which may be attributed to the mastering phase, this can be heard when "Count me in" transitions to "Rock on" and you will find yourself turing up the dial every time do the difference in levels.
My take is this: Nick wrote a bunch of songs for a "concept album" which they began to work on and then scrapped (probably in the fall of 2010). The band then quickly generated another batch of songs and even recycled an old demo (rock on) into a hastely patched together album which seemed only to be released so it would coinside with their summer schedule. The "spin" was "quality over quantity" which A: suggests that their prior efforts were not quality and B: that these should be the 8 best 311 songs ever. Sadly, neither of these statements are true.
Overall, it's not horrible and would be ok to put on by the pool or at a party, but don't expect this album to stand the test of time.
I've been a longtime fan of the band, and have enjoyed over 10 years of following them on tour and keeping pace with each studio release. My undieing love of this band has, at times, made it difficult to be critical of their releases, but this time I feel that I can offer a pretty good summary.
The stand-out issue with this album is its length. The band attributed this to "only taking 2 years to make this record as opposed to 4 for our previous effot." This doesn't sit well with me, first of all, because the band is making excuses this is basically aknowledging that the lenght of the album is indeed a problem. Secondly, it's not a good excuse. Up until "Uplifter" there has been a 2 year span between each album and each met or exceeded 11 songs. There was even 2 years to make "Transistor" which featured 21 songs. So I don't think a time crunch was the issue.
Now, setting aside the length and focusing on content I run into a few issues with this album. The first is the general lack of innovation and, truly, I don't feel they took any risks. The first half of the album does not explore any new territory, though I will admit that "Trouble" is a nice tune by itself which does feature some unique guitar distortions to keep it from otherwise being another "sleepy reggae" song.
Songs like "Count me in" and "wild nights" while insanely catchy, are quickly digested and end up seeming like token obligations rather than truly meaningful songs. "Weightless" has its catchy moments, but the chorus is so repetitive you may find yourself turing down the car speakers a few notches at a busy intersection so you don't lose your "street cred." Also, SA's lyrics in "rock on" "doing that grind, all of the time" are so overly simplistic you're not sure if it's intended to be a joke or if 2 years of work resulted in a rhyme that people use when they are struggling in a freestyle battle.
The mixing is OK, there are quite a few problems with volume leveling which may be attributed to the mastering phase, this can be heard when "Count me in" transitions to "Rock on" and you will find yourself turing up the dial every time do the difference in levels.
My take is this: Nick wrote a bunch of songs for a "concept album" which they began to work on and then scrapped (probably in the fall of 2010). The band then quickly generated another batch of songs and even recycled an old demo (rock on) into a hastely patched together album which seemed only to be released so it would coinside with their summer schedule. The "spin" was "quality over quantity" which A: suggests that their prior efforts were not quality and B: that these should be the 8 best 311 songs ever. Sadly, neither of these statements are true.
Overall, it's not horrible and would be ok to put on by the pool or at a party, but don't expect this album to stand the test of time.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
Another great album!
311 is incredible, we all know this. So just buy the album if you're even thinking about it because it's awesome.
Published 1 month ago by Jon
5.0 out of 5 stars
A mix of old and new school
I'm a 311 fan from back in the day - I grew up around Omaha and got into them when their sound was a bit rougher than it is now. Read more
Published 3 months ago by M. Jackon
4.0 out of 5 stars
3 11, 3 3 11
311 Rocks! The albums are awesome but nothing as sweet as 311 Live at Red Rocks Amphitheater! 3 11, 3 3 11
Published 4 months ago by James Robeson
5.0 out of 5 stars
Good Old 311
Just a kickin, trippin, great sounding 311 album. A new classic for me. I also like the shorter length as it makes it more digestible as a whole.
Published 4 months ago by Aggro Sky
5.0 out of 5 stars
love it!
awesome cd! shipped quick n gave me enough time to learn the tracks before my concert! :-) if you love 311, you'll love this album!
Published 4 months ago by Alice Miridis
1.0 out of 5 stars
One album necessary
When I was 18/19 years old, I heard my first 311 album- Music. They really could have stopped there. That is all you need. Read more
Published 4 months ago by S. Irwin
4.0 out of 5 stars
Okay
The album as a whole is okay, no song really stands out. The album is short and not that much inspiring, not a letdown but not like previous albums, in fact not like any album... Read more
Published 5 months ago by The Kyd A
5.0 out of 5 stars
I love 311
311 is the greatest band ever. I've been a fan for 15 years. I enjoy all of their music and am glad they are still making it!
Published 5 months ago by cmbraithwaite
4.0 out of 5 stars
Another good one from 311
Relaxation nation. 311 has still got it. If you haven't listened to Universal Pulse, you should. It's great sunny day music.
Published 5 months ago by Yvette H
5.0 out of 5 stars
awesome surprise
lost my taste for 311 for a while, but this album brought them back to the top of my favorites list
Published 10 months ago by Stats Dork
Listmania!
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