Rock Steady [ENHANCED]

No Doubt

Product Details

• Audio CD (December 11, 2001)
• Original Release Date: December 11, 2001
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Enhanced
• Label: Interscope Records
• ASIN: B00005QDW1
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Audio Cassette  |  Vinyl
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (635 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #2,987 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

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  #5 in	Music > Alternative Rock > Ska > Third Wave Ska
  #6 in	Music > Alternative Rock > Hardcore & Punk > Ska Punk
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Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com
As much as No Doubt have protested that they are a singular unit and not "Gwen and her guys," Gwen Stefani's much-touted duets with rapper Eve and techno mogul Moby did nothing to juice the boys' spotlight, which had been steadily dimming since the release of 2000's Return of Saturn. But all that banter is silenced with Rock Steady, on which the music is definitely the star, unfettered by Gwen's cutesy-clouded feminism or dumped-by-the-boyfriend woes. Having mostly departed from their ska home base, No Doubt's well-navigated exploration of hip-hop beats, reggae, and the reunion of '80s keyboards and guitars finds the group picking up the pop-rock baton that Garbage dropped with an unsettling thud. Rock Steady's delegate of stalwart producers perfectly decorate the disc with their respective expertise; Ric Ocasek (new wave), Prince (R&B), Nellee Hooper (trip-hop), Sly & Robbie (dub), and William Orbit (trance) offer some staying power to music that's always been on the edge of disposable. Despite their disparate styles, the songs complement each other like stars and stripes. This is No Doubt's best album to date, and as they continue to expand their influences, the party only gets bigger. --Beth Massa

Product Description
Album released with 2 slightly different CD covers. One cover will have a black background and the other will have a white background. Orders will be filled at random.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

19 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars My Rock Steady Rant, December 11, 2001

By	JustASoCalBand (Michigan, USA) - See all my reviews

No Doubt is my all-time favorite band, and has been for awhile now. My favorite CD is Tragic Kingdom. I picked up Rock Steady today, a little bit iffy on how it was going to sound. I liked Hey Baby, but not as much as their older stuff. I was blown away by the CD. I loved it. It was like 80sdiscorockpoptechnotrancereggaeskadancehall. Heh. Anyways, it was a big risk for No Doubt to add all of this new flavor into their sound but I think it turned out great.

I know all of the die-hard old school No Doubt fans are probably (...) off. To be honest, I was a little at first. I mean, their old stuff...her words are so powerful and the sound was something I don't think anyone else had. But listen...before Tragic Kingdom, No Doubt had been a band for 9 years doing ska-type music. And how many years ago did Tragic Kingdom come out? 1995...so um...6..almost 7 years or so. Gwen was fifteen when she
started, she's now 32. Your music tastes change. The band has evolved and each album you can hear the change. This is another evolution of No Doubt. You can say "Oh, it's pop music...blah blah...". But I don't think the average pop album has what Rock Steady has. This is the exact same thing people said when the new Garbage album came out. Beautifulgarbage, as it is titled, is a wonderful CD. Sure, they aren't as hard or loud as in the past but it is still a great CD. I think No Doubt has gone though the same thing. If you compare the lyrics between Tragic Kingdom and Rock Steady, the lyrics have no less depth, you wouldn't be able to tell them apart without hearing the song. When people say that No Doubt has sold out, I look at it as taking a big risk. Hello? They had already sold over 10 million copies of Tragic Kingdom alone...they are already a "hit" band. They wanted to experiment with some new sounds, and I applaud them for it.

I think Tragic Kingdom is still my favorite ND CD (I have all 5 of their albums), but I would have to go with Rock Steady as my second favorite. I mean...how boring would it be if they repeated almost the same type of song over and over from album to album? You've got to change somewhere to keep people interested in you. I love this new CD and I urge everyone who is mad that they've changed their style a bit to re-listen to it. It really is a great CD. I think my favorite track right now is Hella Good. Maybe I'll change my mind, I don't know.

29 of 36 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Real Love Survives...A Rock Steady Vibe, December 12, 2001

By	Mecca Egypt (Gardena, CA United States) - See all my reviews

Exposed navels, bleached blondes, three guys and a cheeky charismatic lead singer are usually the images that come to mind when describing the Southern California quartet No Doubt. Now with that, add a seasoning of Caribbean style rhythms and catchy hooks to get the band's latest offering, Rock Steady. The foursome's fifth studio longplayer is a collection of delectable island-splashed pop with dance club appeal.

Always the explorationists, the group takes a new creative step in their sound and music. Released only a year after their 2000 smash Return To Saturn, the boys and girl of No Doubt fall into no particular formulaic pattern. Rather than boring their listeners by treading the same musical ground of past hit albums, the band expands and further defines its own unique brand of So Cal ska.

Innovating instead of reduplicating, Rock Steady takes chances and experiments with new soundscapes. The album takes its cue from dancehall-reggae, hip hop and new wave, never juxtaposing but intermixing - exploring their influences in the genres like never before.

Songs indicative of this newfound exploration include the lead single, "Hey Baby," the dance numbers "Hella Good" and "Start The Fire" and the retro-pop of "Underneath It All," which harks back to the second wave ska of The Specials.
Working with a mix of producers ranging from hip-hop virtuosos the Neptunes (Mystikal, Kelis), Nelle Hooper (U2, Björk), reggae duo Sly & Robbie and former Cars frontman Ric Ocasek, who provides the songs "Making Out" and "In My Head," the album is musically eclectic while managing to stay conceptually cohesive.

Vocally, it's still Gwen's show, but the album offers one noteworthy guest appearance. The artist once again known as Prince, a long time No Doubt collaborator who offered his services for the group's last LP and various B-sides, reappears with "Waiting Room," a tribal, funk-laced duet. On a majority of the songs, Stefani's vocals are strong and assured accentuating nicely with her band's sound.

Lyrically, the songwriting is less confessional and regret-oriented due in large part to No Doubt's decision to include new writers. You won't find a syrupy ballad in the vein of "Don't Speak" or "Simple Kind Of Life" here; the vibe of Rock Steady is contextually mid-tempo with emphasis on bass speaker approval - dealing with everything from raucous fans to the typical Stefani templates of longing love and bedazzlement. All night parties and good times seem to be the principal theme of the group's dancehall tinged melodies and upbeat subject matter.

Rock Steady, after all, is a celebration of No Doubt's influences and appreciations combined with a forward-thinking inimitability. Though inventive, their native So Cal punk origins are still visible. While other members of the ska-punk community opt for re-creation, No Doubt continually pushes the supposed limitations of the genre and gerrymanders its boundaries.

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Time to Party, December 13, 2001

By	Thomas Magnum (NJ, USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 50 REVIEWER)

No Doubt took five years to follow up Tragic Kingdom with Return Of Saturn, but they quickly turn around a year and half later with Rock Steady. Unlike their previous two albums, which were heavily weighted with emotional based songs like "Don't Speak" and "Simple Kind Of Life", Rock Steady is a good time party record. The band moves back to their earlier days with a heavier ska/reggae sound throughout the album, eschewing most rock sounds. There are liberal doses of 80's arcade game sound effects (pinging and popping effects) sprinkled through songs. Gwen Stefani is playing up the homegirl image she put forth on the big hit "Let Me Blow Ya Mind" she had with Eve. Songs like "Hella Good", "Making Out", "Rock Steady" and the first single "Hey Baby" all find her working the sex kitten angle. "Running" is the lone ballad on the album and it is a gorgeous song and one of their strongest. Former Cars leader Ric Ocesak produces two songs on the album including the superb "Platinum Blonde Life" while the band traveled to Paisley Park Studios and recorded with the Purple One himself, Prince, on the sultry "Waiting Room". Several other producers including Sly & Robbie, Nelle Cooper and William Orbit (most famous for Madonna's Ray Of Light album) produce tracks, but the album has a uniform sound despite this hodgepodge production approach. No Doubt has become famous for their turmoils, but they finally seem to have exorcised their personal demons and are letting loose and having fun. Rock Steady isn't as good as Tragic Kingdom, but it's got a great party vibe.