311 Discography * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Greatest Hits 93-03 311 June 8, 2004 1. Down 2. Flowing 3. All Mixed Up 4. Amber 5. Come Original 6. Beautiful Disaster 7. Creatures (For A While) 8. Do You Right 9. I'll Be Here Awhile 10. You Wouldn't Believe 11. Transistor 12. Don't Stay Home 13. Homebrew 14. Beyond The Gray Sky 15. Love Song 16. How Do You Feel? 17. First Straw -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From the chunkheaded rap-rock beta tests "Down" and "All Mixed Up" through the blue-eyed make-out reggae of "Amber" and on to latter-day stuff like the underrated Soundsystem single "Come Original," 311 spanned the nascence and ultimate codification of the alternative nation. "F*ck the naysayers 'cause they don't mean a thing!" If you went to college in the 1990s, 311 was on your radar. Greatest Hits '93-'03 remasters the highlights from those years, includes the Omaha group's graceful cover of the Cure's "Love Song," and pads the set with two new songs. As for the unreleased material, "First Straw" is a pleasant enough reggae-rock jam of the variety S.A., Nick Hexum, et al., have grown skilled - if not necessarily better - at writing, while "How Do You Feel" is a muscular rocker with the usual eager rap/triumphant chorus dynamic. Other highlights include a version of Grassroots opener "Homebrew" remixed for added punch and grit, and the diametrically opposed Evolver cuts "Creatures (For a While)" and "Beyond the Gray Sky." While "Do You Right" is the only representative from 1993's Music, it's nice to remember that it sounds like Fishbone playing Love. In short, Greatest Hits '93-'03 is the perfect time capsule for the casual 311 fan. It might even shake loose the name of that stoner kid from freshman year. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * 2003 Creatures (For A While) (Volcano, 2003) * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Evolver 311 July 22, 2003 1. Creatures (For A While) 2. Reconsider Everything 3. Crack the Code 4. Same Mistake Twice 5. Beyond the Gray Sky 6. Seems Uncertain 7. Still Dreaming 8. Give Me a Call 9. Don't Dwell 10. Other Side of Things 11. Sometimes Jacks Rule the Realm -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- It takes some nerve nicking an album title from the Beatles, even in a slightly modified state. But since this Omaha, Nebraska band went through so many significant changes leading up to the release of its seventh studio album, at least it's a logical move. The aggressive Woody Woodpecker-style lyrical play and needling funk core of career lows, 1997's Transistor and 1999's Soundsystem, are toned down, replaced by a more sophisticated sound that stretches the group's well-trounced reggae-rap-rock template to include wisps of electronica and soul. The members of 311 still aspire to be half-as-clever as the Red Hot Chili Peppers, but finally seem satisfied in their on skin on tracks such as "Creatures (For a While)" and the emotional "Beyond the Gray Sky." The psychedelic experiment "Seem Uncertain," meanwhile, merely lives up to its title. Producer Ron Saint Germain (Creed, Living Colour) has obviously taken significant strides in shaking the band up. This album points the way forward. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * From Chaos 311 June 19, 2001 1. You Get Worked 2. Sick Tight 3. You Wouldn't Believe 4. Full Ride 5. From Chaos 6. I Told Myself 7. Champagne 8. Hostile Apostle 9. Wake Your Mind Up 10. Amber 11. Uncalm 12. I'll Be Here Awhile -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- With so many acts crowding the funk-rap-metal combo that 311 has been working for the past decade, now is the time for the band to crack the mold and take the genre in a new direction. Unfortunately, on From Chaos, 311 doesn't break any new ground, instead hammering the same old riffs and beats into the ground. The band blends tepid reggae, repetitive rock, and breezy mainstream pop into a mix that tanks from a lack of interesting hooks. Even the lyrics swim in mediocrity. Nick Hexum and S.A. Martinez's vocal tone and songwriting ability ("Woah, amber is the color of your energy / Woah, shades of gold displayed naturally") both fall flat throughout the album. While other genre-crossing bands like the Red Hot Chili Peppers and No Doubt continually increase their mainstream following by working with new artists and developing their sound, the same does not seem to be true for 311. On From Chaos, the Nebraskan band just sound stuck in their own rut. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Soundsystem 311 October 12, 1999 1. Freeze Time 2. Come Original 3. Large in the Margin 4. Flowing 5. Can't Fade Me 6. Life's Not a Race 7. Strong All Along 8. Sever 9. Eons 10. Evolution 11. Leaving Babylon 12. Mindspin 13. Livin' & Rockin' -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- When "Down" shot up the singles charts in 1996, it was the culmination of eight years of hard work for Nebraska-bred, Los Angeles-based 311. Soundsystem ups the ante on the quintet's good-time, never-forced amalgam of hip-hop, rock, funk, and reggae. "Come Original" features Nick Hexum's identifiable talk-singing style, and the tune's lilting dancehall and reggae overtones make it perfect for convertible cruising. From the odd but compelling rhythms in "Freeze Time," to the Santana-influenced stylings and Tim Mahoney's intricate guitar work in "Life's Not a Race," to the almost metallic riffing of "Evolution," 311 have constructed a diverse yet cohesive collection. The band's crisp, edgy sound, well showcased by producer Hugh Padgam (XTC, the Police), is especially winning on the irresistible and rollicking "Mindspin" and the aggro closing cut, "Livin' & Rockin'." It's a good bet that this Soundsystem will find its way onto the sound systems of fans old and new. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Live 311 November 3, 1998 1. Down 2. Homebrew 3. Beautiful Disaster 4. Misdirected Hostility 5. Freak Out 6. Nix Hex 7. Applied Science 8. Omaha Stylee 9. Tribute 10. Galaxy 11. Light Years 12. Hydroponic 13. Who's Got The Herb? 14. Feels So Good -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- This concert document seems about as necessary as a pet rock. Omaha, Nebraska's stoniest residents plow through their most popular songs without any sense of spontaneity or improvisation. When their biggest hit, the in-your-face funk chant "Down," and kicks off the show, you might swear that their self-titled studio album from which it came was accidentally put into the disc player. It's easy to see how 311 gets a crowd riled up in person: their underlying reggae-lite vibe is exactly the kind of groove that teens love to sway their heads to, and their bursts of skater-rage bass welcome aggressive hopping. But without the benefit of being there, the sounds fall flat, especially without the vocal swells the band uses so gratuitously in the studio. When songs end, the static roars of the crowd come on so forcefully that they actually sound dubbed over. Even with spacy songs like "Who's Got the Herb?," the blatant Santana ripoff guitar solos of "Nix Hex," and "Homebrew," the experience isn't good enough for a contact high associated with the best, or even semi-competent, live albums. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Transistor 311 August 5, 1997 1. Transistor 2. Prisoner 3. Galaxy 4. Beautiful Disaster 5. Inner Light Spectrum 6. Electricity 7. What Was I Thinking 8. Jupiter 9. Use Of Time 10. Continuous Life, The 11. No Control 12. Running 13. Color 14. Light Years 15. Creature Feature 16. Tune In 17. Rub A Dub 18. Starshines 19. Strangers 20. Borders 21. Stealing Happy Hours -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- With Sublime and Sugar Ray having made whitewashed reggae a hot commodity on the pop charts, it makes sense that the prime movers of the genre are making a headlong comeback into the fray. With Transistor, 311 goes for the jugular, cramming the disc with over 20 songs, and just as many angles on its melange of rock, hip-hop and Caribbean musical styles. There are hyper rap-metal rehashes of the hit "Down" ("Tune In," "Starshines," and "Borders"), chunky guitar tracks ("Beautiful Disaster"), and lots of frivolous reggae-lite songs ("Light Years," "Stealing Happy Hours"). -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 311 unexpectedly became a modern rock hit, thanks to the group's muscular fusion of funk, rap, and punk. For the follow-up, 311 decided that it was time to flex their creative muscles and deliver a long, 21-song album establishing the group as a musical force. A project of this magnitude is almost doomed to fall on its face, and Transistor nearly does. 311 can pull off skanking funk metal without too much of a problem, but when they truly try to lay down a groove, or to explore dub territory, they become clumsy and awkward. Also, the band simply can't come up with enough first-rate material to keep the 74 minutes of Transistor interesting. There are enough good songs for a strong 30- to 40-minute album, but there's too much filler to make Transistor triumphant. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * 1996 Music [Edited] (Capricorn, 1996) * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * 311 311 July 25, 1995 ...
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