No Doubt

The Singles 1992-2003

No Doubt About It: Great Music

Review Score:

(10/10)
No Doubt was a different breed of animal from the groups that debuted in the early nineties. Unlike most alternative bands, No Doubt wasn't influenced by punk, underground or independent music, but rather ska and the English new wave bands. The group evoked the spirit of groups like Madness, The Specials and early MTV favorites. Their self-titled debut album went nowhere, but did include the skiffling "Trapped In A Box". It was with their second release, Tragic Kingdom, that the band exploded, spurred on by such bouncy and sunny hits like "Just A Girl" and "Spiderwebs", the album spent ten weeks at the top of the charts. The biggest hit of the album showed the flip side of the group. "Don't Speak" graphically detailed the breakup of lead singer Gwen Stefani and bassist Tony Kanal. Channeling the great power ballads of the 80's it included a beautiful flamenco style guitar solo and heart wrenching vocals by Ms. Stefani. Their next album, Return To Saturn, had less ska and more new wave influences. One of their best and most underrated songs, "Bathwater", comes from the album as does the confessional "Simple Kind Of Life". For their fourth album, No Doubt return to their ska roots with Rock Steady. They recorded in Jamaica and songs like "Hey Baby" (which features guest toasting by Bounty Killer) and "Underneath It All" have clear reggae roots while the beautiful "Running" features a toy keyboard sound. The only new song on the album is an unabashed take of Talk Talk's "It's My Life". The group stays faithful to the original, but adds just the right touches to make it their own. The expanded Boom Box edition includes this collection as a well as a collection of b-side, a videos DVD and a concert DVD and is well worth the money for any fan. No Doubt achieved the rarity of keeping their underground cool while breaking through into the mainstream. Along the way, they became the best singles band of the mid 90's and early 21st century.

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