Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
An awesome CD by an awesome band, March 3, 2004
By A Customer
311 is in my opinion the overall most talented band on earth. 311 consists of Nick Hexum (vocals, plays 2nd guitar on some songs), Chad Sexton (one of the world's best drummers), SA (the first and best DJ in a rock band, and he also does awesome vocals, trading off with Nick in most songs), P-Nut (one of the best bass players in any rock band ever - Flea of Red Hot Chili Peppers listens to him for inspiration), Tim Mahoney (fantastic guitarist, is unlimited in the styles he can play). Both Nick and SA can rap better than I've ever heard, and they can both sing beautiful melodies. When they harmonize there is a sense that they were meant to sing together - their voices match up perfectly.
On this album, their third major label release, they decided to keep it simple and straight-forward with their sound. Tim only used his guitar (a PRS), octave pedal (which he uses on nearly every song), and amp (Mesa Boogie) and no other effects or anything. When the band followed this album up with Transistor it threw a lot of people off because Transistor has a totally different sound. In my opinion Transistor is the best album anyone has ever made, although Evolver may be tied.
Back to the album I'm reviewing - it is self-titled, and often called 'The Blue Album' by the band and fans. Here is a description of each song as best as I can give:
(1) Down - This song rocks so hard it is unbelievable. This is the song that was released as a single and made it to #1 on the charts and is the only 311 song a lot of people know. Characteristic positive message with fierce guitar riffs and rapping by SA and a great catchy chorus sung by Nick.
(2) Random - Starts with a drum beat only Chad would play, the chorus is interesting because it has Nick singing with SA rapping at the same time. They only did this in one other song, Six from their album called Grassroots. The end of this song has a slow heavy riff that rocks hard.
(3) Jackolantern's Weather - A fantastic song written by Chad, they call this one their Halloween song. The last part with Nick rapping is definitely something to headbang to. Tim uses his octave pedal on almost the entire song.
(4) All Mixed Up - Another radio hit, this one went to #4 on the charts. A great song with a bouncy riff and more catchy melodies but softer than the previous three.
(5) Hive - This song is nonstop fierce guitar riffs and rapping by Nick and SA. Possibly the best rapping of any of their songs.
(6) Guns (are for *******) - No sooner does Hive end than another song with hard rockin' riffs begins with another onslaught of great rapping by Nick and SA. This song was also written by Chad.
(7) Misdirected Hostility - This song has a slow heavy riff with, once again, great rapping by both Nick and SA. I like the lyrics 'I can't handle all the negative vibe merchants - is that all you have in you perchance'
(8) Purpose - They take somewhat of a break from the heaviness of the three previous songs with this beautiful song. This song still rocks pretty hard though in the middle and at the end.
(9) Loco - 'Make an instrumental, add a little vocal, take it to the show and make the people go loco' is repeated plenty of times, and Nick's vocals at one point sound like he is doing something impossibly fast that I can't do if I try.
(10) Brodels - This song has a very heavy slow riff to it but speeds up at parts, and the riff at the end is the heavy slow riff played differently by Tim so it makes you want to headbang like crazy. SA's lyrics, as he is known for, make little to no sense 'I told a shark I was a dolphin...'
(11) Don't Stay Home - Another radio single, this is a fun song to sing along too although there is a part just before Chad does a brief drum solo that, like the part in Loco, I can't sing. Thanks Nick.
(12) DLMD - Don't Let Me Down is what it stands for, it is a song about guys who beat up their girlfriends. I love Nick's authoritative 'If you hurt her again I'll f*** you up!' at the end.
(13) Sweet - Definitely a 'sweet' song, the music to this one was written by Tim and it shows. The song ends with a great guitar solo that sounds effortless.
(14) T&P Combo - T&P means Tim & P-Nut who co-wrote the music for this song. This song rocks hard from beginning to end and is a great way to end the album.
So there's my review and if you are considering buying this album then I strongly urge you to do so. If you dislike the occasional swear words then there is an edited version of the CD available so there is no excuse not to buy one version or the other. If you have never purchased a 311 CD I suggest starting with Grassroots or From Chaos although you can't go wrong with any of their CDs - just be aware that each of their albums sound different.
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10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Sounding A Bit Dated These Days, But Still Good Fun Anyways., May 23, 2006
I used to love 311's self-titled album (otherwise known as "The Blue Album"), and I mean, LOVE it. When 311 first came out, there was nothing like them out there. Aside from coming up with other reggae influenced acts such as No Doubt and Sublime, they also helped to build the rap-rock genre at the same time. On top of that, while most everyone was moping around, feeling sorry for themselves, 311 were re-inforcing a positive message. A truly multifaceted band if ever there was one. However, in 2006, I have to be honest with myself and say that "The Blue Album" just does not stand the test of time as well as one would think.
Now, don't get me wrong. This is still an excellent album, and believe me, it stands up to multiple listens. But 311 have gone onto better things (i.e. "Transistor" and "Soundsystem") and have really spread their wings since 1995. What the "Blue Album" accomplishes is taking the style of their first two releases, "Grassroots" and "Music" and makes it a little easier on the ears. I'm sure that must've aggravated a bunch of people back in the day (I didn't know of 311 until this album, so what did I care?) but it still makes for damn great music. Sure, "Down" is officially the most overplayed song ever, as I could go my whole life without hearing it ever again and still be happy, but the other singles "All Mixed Up" and "Don't Stay Home" sound just as good now as they ever did. "Hive" and "Jackolantern's Weather" are the wildcards of the album, songs that no other band could pull off. "T & P Combo" and "Random" are also worthy of mentioning, just because they are the best, straight-forward rock songs of the set.
"The Blue Album" did a great job of bringing 311 to the forefront of the alternative scene in the 90's, and it's good to see they've further evolved since. It's a great album but it just doesn't sound as good as it did in '95, not as fresh. That could be due to it's songs being beaten into the ground on the radio, or perhaps the immaturity of the group at the time. Regardless, it's a necessary step towards the truly special band 311 have become over the years. Not many artists can pull off the versatility that these guys do so effectively, and that makes them (and this album) a pure 90's classic.
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6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Pleasently Surprised... This is Good stuff!, January 4, 2004
I bought this CD not too long ago because I had a 311 craving and the CD store was all out of the 2 311 CDs that I really wanted (Transistor and Grassroots). I didn't have any real expectations buying it. I was familiar with and liked "Down" and "All Mixed Up". I had also bought From Chaos (Good Album) and Evolver (Not as good album) and I was familiar with their work on all of the other albums. Upon first listening I quickly got drawn into the songs. I give you a rundown of my opinion of each track.1.Down (4.5/5) - Nice intro song, and of course the song that first got them national attention. It lost half a point because i had heard it a lot already. 2.Random (4/5) - Catchy drum hook in the beginning leads into some melodic singing and rapping by both SA and Nick. Catchy chorus too, and I love the uptempo ending to the song. 3.Jack'o'lantern's Weather (5.5/5) - Second best song on the CD. This song hooked me in from the opening edgy guitar line straight into the excellent rapping done by Nick and then SA. I found myself singing the chorus over and over again. 4.All Mixed Up (5/5) - Nice smooth, laid-back song. It's what mellow 311 should sound like. Its smooth and flowing with some good lyrics thrown in as well. Nice. 5.Hive (4/5) - This is the most "hardcore" track on the CD, aside from containing the most strong language, it has some furious hard thrown lyrics by both Nick and SA. It would get a 5/5 but it doesn't do much for me musically. 6.Guns (Are for *******) (5/5) - By looking at the song title I figured this one would be cheesy. I'm glad I was wrong. I love the rapping done by SA on this one. Nick does a great job on it too. The guitar part is catchy as hell and matches the lyrics excellently. 7.Misdirected Hostility (4/5)- Nice guitar intro on this one too. OK lyrics mixed with a good, fitting background musically. Not much to say about this one. Kinda reminds me of "Hostile Apostile" on From Chaos for whatever reason. 8.Purpose (4.5/5) - Finally another laid-back one! I love the smoothness and rhythm of the music and lyrics. Great drumming by Chad on this one. I love the reggae/funk guitar transition between the verses. Does a good job of blending smooth and edgy sound. The only downer on this track is the messed up distorted vocals after the guitar solos. 9.Loco (4/5) - Trippy uptempo song about magic mushrooms. Nifty little chorus. I like the vibe that this song gives off. 10.Brodels (2/5) - I'll be dead honest... I really do NOT like this one. I enjoy a little heavy 311 here and there, but this one has very few redeeming qualities to it. It's pretty bland when it comes to the guitar and drum work and the chorus is pretty bad. This one's a skipper... 11.Don't Stay Home (5/5) - Nice little ditty. Very reggae influenced. I really like this song, but I can't put my finger on why, though. It has a great drum beat to it, and Chad has a pretty good little drum solo in the middle of it. Nick also does a great job singing on this one. 12.DLMD (4/5) - Another good song. Takes meaningful lyrics and presents them without making them sound corny or cheesy. Mixes some tense singing in the beginning by Nick moving into some intense rapping by SA. Good chorus. I especially like the way this song ends. 13.Sweet (5.5/5)- A masterpiece. A literally sweet, slow, laid back song showcasing both Nick and SA's singing talents. Tim Mahoney gets an A+ for his guitar work on this one. Great reggae transition into a beautiful (and i really do mean beautiful) guitar solo. This song is just plain GOOD. 14.T&P Combo (6/5) - My favorite track on the CD. This is exactly how I wanted the CD to end. Excellent uptempo high-intensity lyrics and guitar work. SA is really in his prime when it comes to lyrics. The corus flat out ROCKS, and the edgy funk laiden guitar part sends chills down my spine. I forgot to mention P-Nut in all of this and I want to say that he has not failed to impress on this album. In fact all of the band members did a great job of making this album come together. I highly recommend getting this album to any one even remotely interested in 311's music, and not just because it has "Down" on it either!
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5.0 out of 5 stars
The goal is to be poet and a carpenter, to be one who loves, to be one who works
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Music (1993)
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by 311 
