•
Rating: I came to see some de-reviews and I saw that there's absolutely no trace of the legendary No Doubt. To be honest, to start writing about No Doubt, one should review their most famous and successful album to perhaps also bring newcomers closer to this group. But after all, Tragic Kingdom has been reviewed by almost everyone, maybe less so their self-titled debut from 1992, which, compared to the album I just mentioned, didn't receive the same critical and public acclaim.
The first album I bought from No Doubt was actually this one, and this is where I started to love them. So in the end, I'm particularly attached to it. But not only because it was my first No Doubt album, I would recommend this CD to everyone to spend three quarters of an hour with ska, reggae, and pop; a mixture I would define as a crossover that at times very much reminds me of the Red Hot Chili Peppers.
In this mix of sounds, a song emerges, softly whispered at the start, sweet and melodic, which then explodes with all its sweetness and grit in the wonderful chorus. Well, if you've just picked up the album and don't know where to start, or you're curious, stop at track no. 10, the song is called Sometimes, and it hasn't left my head since the first time I listened to it some time ago. I think it will have the same effect on you. I assure you, it has nothing to envy about Don't Speak. And I've said it all.
Also worth mentioning are the amazing tracks that get you moving from the first notes, like the various Let's Get Back, Get On The Ball, Doormat, and Move On, but all the tracks, in general, maintain a frantic and danceable nature with Gwen's voice already showcasing all her qualities here, but probably reaching even higher peaks of vocal versatility in the next two albums: one self-produced (Beacon Street Collection) and the other the famous Tragic Kingdom. Worth highlighting is the last track A Brand New Day, which quite reflects the style that No Doubt would adopt in the following years.
If you also want to enter the world of No Doubt, this is definitely not to be missed, both for those who don't know them and for those who don't have it in their collection.
Tracklist Lyrics and Samples
03 Ache (03:48)
Woke up this morning and felt no too cool
'Cause every time I tried to make my mouth move
The pain I'm having is so discomforting
Please make this suffering go away
I told my mom what I was feeling
And how long I've been dealing with it
Knew it was coming, but didn't know how soon
She said I've reached another adolescent monsoon
OOoo Ahh... the pain is tremendous
Why can't I take it like a man
OOoo Ahh... the pain is horrendous
Why don't you lend a helpin' hand
He was a well-educated man, had his degree in medicine
I noticed his hairy hands... he was a very, very hairy man
He looked right down in, shook his head and then
said "These teeth must be pulled right away!"
He turned around, rolled up his sleeve
I rolled my eyes then suddenly
A horrible pain grew, the next thing that I knew
The doc had pulled my wisdom teeth...OUT!
Well along with my teeth my money also left me
As he made out the bill, I was moaning
OOoo Ahh... the pain is tremendous
Where the hell is my prescription...of codeine?
But when will I speak, how long until my mouth feels natural?
How long will they bleed, when will they heal, where's the real meal
? How do you feel? How do you feel? How do you feel? How do you
feel?
I feel good...I feel great...there's no pain...there's no ache
I feel good...I feel great...just let me recuperate
Because the codeine has left me drowsy, leave me be...just let me sleep!
04 Get on the Ball (03:32)
Don't wait too long or she'll be gone fast as a blink
Get on the ball if you love your lover
No gesture to small
Tear down the walls if you love her
Just give it your all
Ooo yeah, you've got to tell her that she's the only one
Show her, make sure she'll never feel abandoned
Get on the ball if you love your lover
No gesture too small
Tear down the walls if you love her
Just give it your all
Don't wait too long or she'll be gone fast as a blink
Don't wait too long or she'll be gone fast as a blink
Ooo yeah, you've got to tell her that she's the only one
Show her, make sure she'll never feel abandoned
There won't be time to even think
So use your mind and instinct
She'll drive you crazy
So don't be so damn lazy
05 Move On (03:55)
Some chickens crossed the road, straying
far from the hen
Five reached the side one step below Zen
One was a female, four were mad-men
Who moved on, moved on move on
Standing in line and falling asleep
Building a fence while we're counting the sheep
We'd let you help out but our projects are too deep
Move on, move on, move on
You have to understand that when it comes
to making music
We meshed the styles of five alive and
intertwined and fused it
Life comes from life and through our strife we
strove to make the sound true
Compelled to spell it out, in search
of what we must do
Our house was to small so we had to move
The neighbors had much doubts so we had to prove
That our soulful dimensions were true to the groove
We, moved on, moved on, moved on
Water the music, plant the seeds in the pot
Music is life flowing through... is it not?
Don't forget your roots, but also don't rot
Just move on, move on, move on Don't be afraid, let your feelings show Wear
your heart on your sleeve,
and let yourself glow
06 Sad for Me (01:59)
Please Miss Fried
He don't mean to be mean
He just needs to leave
He hopes he does not
Cause you inconvenience
Why can't you see?
He says, "please don't be sad for me"
Oh Miss Fried
Please believe you're his queen
He must fight for his dreams
Lovely Miss Fried
He will too miss you
He just needs to be free
He says, "If I should ever cause you to
bleed... don't pretend to be naive"
Don't take him wrong, let him be
Sometimes he feels like he ought to be alone
He says, "Please don't be sad for me"
09 Trapped in a Box (03:24)
Trapped in a box of tremendous size
It distorts my vision, it closes my eyes
Attracts filthy flies and pollutes in the skies
Sucks up our lives and proliferates lies
Trapped in a box
Trapped in a box, four walls as sky
Got a screen for a window about two feet wide
My mind rides and slides as my circuits are fried
No room for thought, use the box as my guide
Trapped in a box
Trapped in a box
Watch the world as it flocks
To life's paradox
We're all trapped in a box
Trapped in a box I'm not alone
I know of others with a box as their home
Light only enters from a crack or a hole
This is not enough for a human to grow
Trapped in a box
CHORUS
Always wanting a different view
Instant gratification for you
Reality gone in a single click
Just hope that that switch won't stick
Trapped in a box my life becomes void
All I thought for myself is now destroyed
Controlling my mind, what to eat, what to buy
Subliminal rules: how to live, how to die
Trapped in a box
CHORUS
13 Paulina (02:30)
Paulina - she's on the cover of a magazine Paulina - a woman in my nightly dreams Paulina - who makes me grin in any pose Paulina - I wish she'd take off all her clothes Paulina - well I stare at her pictures all day long Paulina - and as I do I sing this song Paulina - my father says to act my age Paulina - as I single handedly turn the page Paulina - well I paste her pictures on the wall Paulina - sit by the phone and hope she'll call Paulina - although I know she never will Paulina - to indulge myself is such a thrill Paulina - she's the big red apple of my eye Paulina - I wish she'd lay down by my side Paulina - but if she ever knew my pursuit Paulina - she would probably file a huge lawsuit Yeah yeah oh oh oh oh
Loading comments slowly
Other reviews
By AR (Anonima Recensori)
"Gwen’s voice is chilling and the band follows her wonderfully... this CD isn’t worth the 10 euros I spent... it’s worth double, triple, quadruple."
"Thank you, shopkeeper... thank you for not having the much-lauded Tragic Kingdom. Maybe I would have never discovered this gem..."
