... So I thought buying 'Rock Steady' would result in my coolness, and inevitably my popularity, rapidly declining, and I would be forced to carry a bell around with me like a leper and announce my unclean presence whenever a social occasion arose.
Alas, how times change. For no sooner had ... Read review
Advantages: Fun, lightweight, a number of catchy songs Disadvantages: Too many cooks spoiling the No Doubt broth?
...the charts with their soft rock anthem 'Don't Speak', while previously they had been at the forefront of one of the most repugnant genres in the entire history of modern music, in the form of American ska-punk. So I thought buying 'Rock Steady' would result in my coolness, and inevitably my popularity, rapidly declining, and I would be forced to carry a bell around with me like a leper and announce my unclean presence whenever a social occasion arose. ...had 'Rock Steady' been released had No Doubt suddenly become quite a cool prospect and a band that it was okay to admit to following. Fast forward a few years up to the present and singer Gwen Stefani is being marketed as the coolest cat to ever walk the earth, a multi-talented singer, songwriter, actress, model, clothes designer and all-round icon. Music changes with rapid pace, and bands have to adapt or be left on the backburner. No Doubt did ... more
I was teased for buying this album a few years ago by my friends, who laughed at how tragically unhip No Doubt were. Indeed, I had always considered No Doubt to be a bit of what I call a 'nothing' band, a band who are pretty meaningless and who, if they were suddenly removed from existence (in some bizarre twist of fate), the music scene would not be affected a single iota. Look around and those kind of bands are everywhere - Turin Breaks, Placebo and Maroon 5 being two prominent examples. No Doubt were desperately uncool and credibility-free, troubling the charts with their soft rock anthem 'Don't Speak', while previously they had been at the forefront of one of the most repugnant genres in the entire history of modern music, in the form of American ska-punk. So I thought buying 'Rock Steady' would result in my coolness, and inevitably my popularity, rapidly declining, and I would be forced to carry a bell around with me like a leper and announce my unclean presence whenever a social occasion arose.
Alas, how times change. For no sooner had 'Rock Steady' been released had No Doubt suddenly become quite a cool prospect and a band that it was okay to admit to following. Fast forward a few years up to the present and singer Gwen Stefani is being marketed as the coolest cat to ever walk the earth, a multi-talented singer, songwriter, actress, model, clothes designer and all-round icon. Music changes with rapid pace, and bands have to adapt or be left on the backburner. No Doubt did the sensible thing and adapted, and they should be thankful that they did, as soon enough they were destined to be joining Rancid and the Mighty Mighty Bosstones in the dumpster of tragically uncool former ska-punk bands.
And it's not that this case of pop revisionism was accidental, either. Indeed, it seems very curiously studied, plotted and methodically executed. A potted history of No Doubt: formed in 1986, the band bubbled away on the punk circuit for a number of years, with no success to speak of, until 1995 and their 'Tragic Kingdom' album, a massive seller across the globe, spurred on by the anthemic break-up number 'Don't Speak'. And then… obscurity. No Doubt returned with 2000's 'Return of Saturn', an album overwrought with introspection and 'sympathise-with-me' lyricism, one which was unequivocally awful and a commercial bomb. It looked like the band were finished. However, they clearly weren't willing to give up their spot in the limelight just yet. Taking their inspiration from a revived hip-hop scene, plus Gwen's brilliant collaboration on the Eve/Dre masterpiece 'Let Me Blow Ya Mind', as well as dancehall reggae, No Doubt returned to the scene with an army of new collaborators and producers and voila, Operation: Become Cool was suddenly restored.
This is much less introspective album than 'Return of Saturn'. Whereas that album was heavy on what I call the 'victim complex', where the lyrics are a cry for help and deal with problems, problems, problems… oh, the trappings of fame. 'Rock Steady' suitably rejects this and places the emphasis firmly on partying, having fun and creating something you can dance to. Lead single 'Hey Baby' summarises this newfound ethos with its quirky keyboards and catchy chorus. The Neptunes co-write 'Hella Good' directly references Afrika Bambaataa's 'Planet Rock'. This is the first of many tracks to suggest a distinctly retro vibe, as 'Running' is completed by some Duran Duran-esque synthesisers, while 'Platinum Blonde Life', produced by Ric Ocasek of new wave geniuses The Cars, shines with new wave pristine precision.
'Underneath It All' has a distinct reggae feel, complete with a curious rap from somebody called Lady Saw. It has a gentle, lilting beat and catchy hook, and a sweet lyric that suggests, bizarrely, that no matter what crazy antics her partner may get up to, she'll still love him. Which is obviously good news for Gavin Rossdale… then the sting in the tail comes with 'Don't Let Me Down', a song which basically speaks for itself, suggesting that the man in her life had better not mess her around. Contradictory? Well, blame that on the varying co-writers/producers, as while Ric Ocasek takes 'Don't Let Me Down', 'Underneath It All' features Sly & Robbie at the helm. You get the sense of a lack of cohesion, of a unifying voice, that the band are lost in a sea of big-name collaborators.
The only disappointing collaboration is with Prince. 'Waiting Room' had a lot of promise but is extremely weak and character-free. You would expect two dynamic personalities such as Prince and Stefani to conjure up something quite wonderful, but ultimately the results are enormously underwhelming, the song just doesn't register. The sexed-up vibe that Prince had traded on since time immemorial now seems hackneyed and tired. Please, Prince, change the script.
Noteworthy is the amount of collaborators there are on this album, with such luminaries as the Neptunes, Prince, Ocasek, Nelee Hooper, William Orbit and Sly & Robbie putting in an appearance. The wide range of collaborators ensures a wide range of styles covered on the album, with each collaborator bringing a new influence to the mix. This can result in a somewhat disjointed feel, as the band shift from style to style with a very tenuous cohesion. It often feels like No Doubt were desperate to cover so many bases that it seems like a collection of thirteen singles rather than one cohesive album with a singular 'voice'. The one good thing about of the amount of collaborators, aside from the touches of quality that they bring, is that No Doubt's original style, ska-punk, doesn't rear its ugly head.
Of course, with the benefit of hindsight we can now see the importance of this album. It suddenly made No Doubt into a band with much more street credibility than they had ever previously hoped to attain, while for Gwen Stefani it was another step up the ladder to super-stardom, going on to release a solo album, start her own fashion label and star in a Martin Scorcese movie (that'll be 'The Aviator'). As a standalone album it is worth a listen to, although No Doubt clearly haven't heard of the old maxim of 'too many cooks spoil the broth'. Had No Doubt trimmed back on the number of collaborators and sought a cohesive voice and style of their own this would have been an album of great character and great fun. As it is, it's a technically proficient album and is certainly fun, but somewhat character-free.
'Rock Steady' is available from Amazon.co.uk for £9.97
Advantages: nice music Disadvantages: not a classic
...Adrain Young - drums
Rock Steady
I believe that this is No Doubt’s fourth or fifth album. It (the CD) cost me £8.99 including postage from CD WOW, and didn’t take long to get to me. The cover is fairly drab, being a red cover with NODOUBTROCKSTEADY written in large, hand written letters many times, the back is a little better with a picture of Gwen’s middle. 13 songs, and also an enhanced CD (for your computer), including the video to ‘Hey Baby’, ... ...Life Waiting Room Rock Steady My Opinion
Well first I’m like to mention that band member Eric Stefani who did piano & keyboards on the ‘Tragic Kingdom’ album seems to be no longer a member, news to me, but then I haven’t followed them that much.
The video to ‘Hey Baby’ I quite like, nothing fantastic - a fairly typical video with the band. The screensaver I’ve not tried, I never really bother with them - either I’m using my computer, or I turn ...
seagulls-lost-horizon 19.03.2002
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Rock Steady [ECD] - No Doubt
Advantages: QUIRKY, SOUNDS GREAT LOUD Disadvantages: TOO MANY DIFFERENT STYLES
...PLATINUM BLONDE
LIFE
WAITING ROOM
ROCK STEADY
I will not bore you with commenting on the last tracks cos they all sound the same as the ones i reviewed some are indie some are regae.
My overall opinion on this albulm is very good and would recommened it but be prepared not to like all the tracks as it seems to many people have been allowed to have their say on this albulm. I still find the voice of Gwen Stefani totally refreshing and different. ...
groovejuice 27.10.2004
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: helpful Review of Rock Steady [ECD] - No Doubt
Advantages: The idea is adventurous and the effort is apparent Disadvantages: People looking for another tragic kingdom will be dissapointed
...in the band's latest album, Rock Steady. A mix of synthetic beats and pop flair, the CD will leave listeners with one question: "wasn't No Doubt a ska band?" To answer that question, yes -- even though there is little that reflects the band's former style. Much of the album finds No Doubt forging ground in hip-hop and dance, adding a subtle yet deliberate hint of rock. The album is not entirely bad but No Doubt does not pull off the transition completely ... ...in the band thus making Rock Steady sound like the solo follow-up to Stefani's recent dabble in pop music Though No Doubt can now say they have moved past the sound of its past, newer is not always better. No Doubt as a band does not pull off the whole '80s new wave pop sound -- but then again who does? And more so, who would want to? Apparently No Doubt does, even though they shouldn't. ...
willocfc 31.10.2002
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: helpful Review of Rock Steady [ECD] - No Doubt
Advantages: This album shows that No Doubt can be creative and appeal to different people Disadvantages: Can get boring 6 months or so
...party to. The release of rock steady has shown us the new No Doubt, same line-up, different style... with hits like Hella Good and Underneath It All and excellent album tracks such as Making Out and Detective and guest appearances from famous artists this album really impresses me in a way I didnt expect. But after listening to it I believe that it could have been better and the next No Doubt Album is going to be sensational ...
nochance2099 27.10.2002
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: somewhat helpful Review of Rock Steady [ECD] - No Doubt
Product Information for "Rock Steady [ECD] - No Doubt" »
Product details
Title
Rock Steady [ECD]
Performer
No Doubt
Genre
Hardcore & Punk
Sub Genre
Ska
Release Date
10/12/2001
Recomended Retail Price
10.99 GBP
Original Release Year
2001
Label / Distributor
Interscope / Universal Music
Pieces in Set
1
Studio / Live
Studio
Stereo
Stereo
Format
Performer
EAN
606949315825
Catalogue Number
4931582
Additional notes
Album Notes
This is an Enhanced CD, which contains both regular audio tracks and multimedia computer files including a music video for "Hey Baby," a short documentary and a screensaver. No Doubt: Gwen Stefani (vocals, programming); Tom Dumont (guitar, keyboards, programming); Tony Kanal (saxophone, keyboards, bass, programming); Adrian Young (drums). Additional personnel includes: Lady Saw, Bounty Killer (vocals); Django Stewart, Andy Potts (saxophone); Gabrial McNair (trombone, Clavinet, keyboards); Prince (keyboards, background vocals); Ric Ocasek (keyboards); Robbie Shakespeare (bass); Sly Dunbar, Phillip Steir, Sean Spuehler, Eric White, Ned Douglas (programming). Producers include: William Orbit, Steely & Clevie, Ric Ocasek, Nellee Hooper, Sly & Robbie. Engineers include: Clif Norell, Dan Chase, Greg Collins. "Hey Baby" won the 2003 Grammy Award for Best Pop Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocal. ROCK STEADY was nominated for the 2003 Grammy Award for Best Pop Vocal Album. "Hella Good" was nominated for the 2003 Grammy Award for Best Dance Recording. No Doubt continues its platinum success with ROCK STEADY, led by the undeniably adorable Gwen Stefani. Besides being a wonderfully charismatic front woman, Gwen's cute quotient is so high you can't help but like this band. While the group's last release, RETURN OF SATURN was more introspective and had a slightly more pop-oriented approach, STEADY returns the group to their roots sound of reggae and ska, while still mixing in a pop/rock feel. "Hey Baby", the first single, has an irresistible sing-along charm (including a rap by Bounty Killer) that makes it a natural for radio play. "Hella Good", possibly the album's standout track, is a funky, danceable tune reminiscent of peak-era Blondie. Gwen's sweet vocals shine through on the pretty "Running," and "Underneath It All" is a fantastic slow-tempo number that builds with a tight horn section. An all-star cast of producers helped to make this the fun, polished album it is. Co-producer Ric Ocasek boosts "Don't Let Me Down" with a Cars-like synth hook, and injects "Platinum Blonde Life" with a crunchy guitar riff that also sparks memories of his former band. Other star producers include Prince, Sly & Robbie, and William Orbit. ROCK STEADY's musical mix has a wide appeal, custom-made for bringing in many new fans to the No Doubt fold.
Album Reviews
Rolling Stone (1/17/02, pp.47-8) - 3.5 stars out of 5 - "...Loose and frisky...the music here is simple and propulsive...Producer Ric Ocasek is definitely on some serious CANDY-O s*** here..." Spin (1/02, pp.105-6) - 8 out of 10 - "...The band sticks to its guns...and like all good suburban punks, [they] honor their origins, and their feelings...The most consistent touchstone of the album's high-detail sound is new-wave....Stefani's honesty is what makes her loveable..." Vibe (2/02, p.121) - 3.5 discs out of 5 - "...ROCK STEADY is fearless...veering from bubblegum soul jams to clipped, electro-funk, step-aerobic escapades and includes cameos by dancehall A-listers..." Entertainment Weekly (12/14/01, p.81) - "...The best album they've ever hatched..." - Rating: B+ NME (1/5/02, p.30) - 7 out of 10 - "...Just great...Such is this album's potential for hit singles, No Doubt will live to fight another day..."
Titles on disc 1
1.
Intro
2.
Hella Good
3.
Hey Baby
4.
Making Out
5.
Underneath It All
6.
Detective
7.
Don't Let Me Down
8.
Start The Fire
9.
Running
10.
In My Head
11.
Platinum Blonde
12.
Waiting Room
13.
Rock Steady
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19/03/2002
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