With their debut, 40 Oz. to Freedom, Sublime attempt to have it both ways. The group wants to appeal to alterna-punks, but they want to cut a little deeper and make some sort of social statement, both with their lyrics and their self-consciously eclectic music. Since the group has a knack for combining dancehall reggae with hardcore punk, the music can be nervy and invigorating, but their joyous blend of cultures doesn't fare so well at the lyrical level. No matter how you look at it, "Date Rape" isn't a bold, ironic satire on macho mores -- it's frat rock that's bound to be misinterpreted, especially with its homophobic "I can't take pity on men of his kind, even though he now takes it in the behind" conclusion. Lyrics like that prevent 40 Oz. to Freedom from being the cracking, skanking skatepunk record that it had the potential to be. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide
Track List
(try tracks 2,3,4,6,7,10,11,12,15,17 and 19)
You guys should read his steller review of Tool if you want to see STE shine at his best! Or even better hop over to the All Music Guide website and check out his review of Sublimes self titled release...(Really what does anyone expect from a dink that uses 3 names...)
You guys are too hard on the critic who wrote the review. He summed the album up accurately. He never said anything wrong about it. Sublime is one of my favorites.
I agree... that review was a little over the top.... this is one of the greatest of all time even if half of it was covers. Apparently, I know more about this album than the reviewer.
Awful short review, the album has a few gems in it to be sure. I was never a fan of the lyrics in Date Rape, but I love the music in it. Yeah, I get the meaning of the song, just wasn't a fan of the lyrics is all.
Honestly, they're ought to be a better review than this. A paragraph for an album isn't enough, no matter how awful you may think an album is.
F this clown. who doesnt like their s**t no matter who you are, except this d-bag who obviously leaves out the point of date rape. if you rape a girl revenge is bound to find you and in the song, revenge comes in the form of a good ol' butt raping by bubba in prison....ev e r y rapist deserves to get raped.
I have never met anyone who didn't like this album....Maybe this guy has a personal problem with someone related tot he band. This album sure beats the hell out of the crap they release today and pass off as music.
The review of this album by Stephen Thomas Erlewine is a joke. He does not get it. And after reading the rest of the reviews I think Pandora should rethink their review.
We should petition against this journalist. I know plenty of journalists who would be more than happy to re-write this for Pandora. I mean who is this guy to rip on artists and dissect lyrical meanings(maybe possible if they were on the money). This albums unorganized and unpolished craft makes it a gem in my eyes!
hmmm....that sam guy seems to be one of those frat boys bound to misinterpret Date Rape and use its lyrics to make homophobic comments...ya know...like the ones that dumbass f*g reviewer was describing...
Whoever wrote the review (nothing new in the world of review writing) seems a bit, ummmm, effete, no, that's not it. Just seems like urban hipster esque that went to one show and came away with a bad impression. I have NO idea how one could assume that Date Rape is homophobic Frat rock.When our choices were Bush, Green Day, Stone Temple Pilots and Depeche Mode etc on popular alternative radio, Sublime served as liason for the real alternative. The music all of us were listening to but stati
Kylee well said. They were probably referring to rapists since the entire song is about "DATE RAPE". That line shows how karma comes back to you. In his case it was "in his behind" after he was convicted and sent to jail. people who misinterpret this song are looking to be critical in the first place. If you just listen to the music without trying to judge it you'll usually be able to get the message.
I strongly disagree with the writer's remark about the part of the song "homophobic "I can't take pity on men of his kind, even though he now takes it in the behind""... I dont believe that that part of the song was meant to be homophobic at all "men of his kind" could have meant guys who rape, guys who date or guys who are just complete a** holes! Its to vague to base that sort of opinion on. I think that these review writers shouldnt quit their day jobs... maybe Pandora should let the fans