No Doubt

Tragic Kingdom
Interscope Records
You would have to have been in a coma or temporarily dead for the past few months for you to have missed the constant air play of No Doubt’s singles ‘I’m Just a Girl’ and ‘Spiderwebs’ on Channel V. For me, their peppy skank was a welcome break from all the heavy alternative rock I usually listen to. Having long been a fan of the 2-Tone ska sound, it is refreshing to see a band inspired by it racing up the charts again. Lead singer Gwen Stefani got her first taste of ska when her older brother, Eric, brought home a copy of Madness’ 7" single, ‘Baggy Trousers’. She fell in love with their skanking rhythms, staccato guitars, and their droll, British song writing style.
Thus inspired, she formed No Doubt with her and schoolmate John Spence on vocals, recently-converted-to-ska, ex-heavy metal kid Tom Dumont on guitar and her boyfriend Tony Kanal on bass. They went through a series of drummers before fan Adrian Young joined permanently. In 1987, Spence committed suicide, but the band continued, leaving Gwen as sole proprietor of vocals. Their first album bombed and it looked for a while like they would be dropped from Interscope, but thankfully, they hung in there. Many of the songs on Tragic Kingdom, their sophomore album, are about Stefani’s break-up with Kanal, like ‘Happy Now?’, ‘End it on This’, and the flamenco-tinged ballad ‘Don’t Speak’, which is their latest video as well. You’ve also got songs about being an individual (‘Different People’), feminist songs (‘Just a Girl’) and songs about Walt Disney (‘Tragic Kingdom’). There’s even a slightly dodgy, decidedly disco song (‘You Can Do It’). It’s a consistently good album, but sometimes seems to be three singles awash in a flood of S sides. If you’ve ever enjoyed anything from Bob Marley to the Specials, then this album is for you.

Paul Westerberg

Eventually
Reprise Records
As lead singer of early 80’s punk band the Replacements, Paul Westerberg virtually single-handedly invented what is today known as indie-rock. And in classic loser fashion, managed to skip mainstream success and stardom in becoming a legend. The ‘Mats’ grungy Minnesota farm-boy look, as well as their raw sound, was a huge influence on bands ranging from Nirvana to Green Day. The ‘Mats’ (for that is how they are known to their loyal fans) broke up in 1992 after the death of their brilliant lead guitarist Bob Stinson and amid rumours of drug and alcohol dependency, but Westerberg has kept himself busy since. He first did two wonderful songs for the Seattle-based movie Singles, and followed that up with a collaboration with Joan Jett on the Tank Girl soundtrack album (check that out sometime, if you can; it’s a wicked cover of Cole Porter’s ‘Lets Do It’). The title of this album refers to the fact that three years have elapsed since his last solo effort, 13 Songs. Hard-core fans of the ‘Mats’ have accused Westerberg of selling out his punk-ness in favour of a less chancy career playing guitar-pop. I would have to disagree, however, because Paul Westerberg is now 36 years old, and has simply grown up. He can still rock out when he wants to, but the album’s real strength is in its slower, more balladic numbers, such as ‘Love Untold’, ‘Hide’n’Seekin’, and ‘Angels Walk’. Guests on the album include ex-Replacements’ bassist Tommy Stinson, who is the younger brother of Bob Stinson, and Pearl Jam/Stone Temple Pilots producer Brendan O’Brien. This album is a good vehicle for Westerberg’s honest, vulnerable song writing style, and is a good, pleasant listen, so check it out.

No Doubt