If someone said they would pay me five billion dollars to pinpoint the exact reason why I adore 311, I don't think I could really explain it well enough. Okay, scratch that - I could do (nearly) anything for that amount of cash. But, really, it's hard to define 311's appeal. They are a band of no genre, to put it quite honestly. Over the past several years, they have refused to be confined into a certain 'type' of music. I'd say that their positive, addictive, contagious sound would actually be insulted if classified. Ask any hardcore 311 fan to describe their sound, and they'll probably just shrug and say, "It's just 311, dude."
Most people are quite familiar with the band's mega-hits "Amber", "Down", and "Love Song" (last year's Cure cover that catapulted 311 back into the limelight), among others. 311's songs are just so easy to listen to, and while I've deemed their 2001 release From Chaos as their best record yet, I honestly have to change my mind. The guys' 1999 disc Soundsystem is an eclectic, attention-grabbing mix of feel-good/chilled out songs and pensive, drifting melodies. I wouldn't change a thing...
The energetic, lovable album opener "Freeze Time" incorporates some nice DJ scratches with the alternating vocals of Nick Hexum and SA Martinez. Best when listened to at a ridiculously loud volume, this song could just as easily appeal to lovers of dance/R&B music as it would to the rock masses (see, this is just a tiny sliver of what I meant when I said these guys have a freaking anomalous sound). A quick transition is made to the hyper "Come Original", a fun tease of a song persuading 311's peers on the music scene to pour some emotion into what they're doing -- and for God's sake, be original. "Everything you do, you've got to come original," Hexum insists. Chad Sexton is one of the most underrated drummers of modern rock, and while he doesn't choose to release an exactly heavy torrent of sound in this song, his style is impeccable with a certain groove to it that so many other drummers lack. "Large in the Margin" is a sure highlight of the album, a medium-tempo steady rocker with eerily autobiographical lyrics from Hexum that nearly anyone can relate to at some point in their life. "Maybe it's better, but I can't think so," Hexum ponders. "Maybe it's better to fight - one never, ever knows...believe the rumors that grow like tumors, it's more fun than the truth that we know."
"Flowing" bears a chorus that sticks out in my mind as one of the catchiest musical moments ever. "Along the way to close my eyes, I lost where I was going / the more the wheels spin, the more that I try to stop my mind flowing away / to all that I despise / along the way to close my eyes." Hexum takes the complete vocal lead in this amazing track, although Martinez supplies subtle and effective backing vocals during the chorus. Mahoney's guitar here is almost entrancing. "Can't Fade Me" comes and goes so fast that the listener will look around and wonder what hit them. A dynamic alternation of whiplash-quick vocals between Hexum and Martinez works better than possibly ever before. "Life's Not A Race" has an island-esque feel to it, with faded vocals and a delectable, slow beat that eventually builds to become much faster-paced, with cheering in the background. If "Strong All Along" doesn't make you dance -- or at least feel like dancing -- then...well, I don't know. This song is what I'd like to call 311 perfection, as they do what they do best: create an entertaining song with that undeniable feel-good vibe. "I'll break it down for you like this for the hard of listening: you think you're taking the cake, but what's left? Icing, true!" Hexum and Martinez simultaneously insist playfully. Bassist P-Nut really shines here, so turn that stereo up loud and soak in the awesomeness of this song.
"Sever" is a song that many 311 lovers call their all-time favorite, and that's actually pretty understandable. In the vein of "Large in the Margin", this one has a little more of a 'serious' feel to it than the others. Stamped with the typical 311 sound, Hexum and Martinez predictably sound great once more here, backed by chuggy guitar work and steady drums. "Eons" is easily my personal favorite: a slower-paced song with amazing lyrics, it literally puts a spell on me. I'd actually say it comes close to "Uncalm" on From Chaos as my favorite 311 song of all time. "Now that I'm back to a pushing pen that weighs two hundred tons, I'd like to drop it on you and watch it all fall through," Hexum trills with almost a taunting, sarcastic tone. "Evolution" is sure to evoke a smile or two, with its highly relatable lyrics about technology and how aggravating computers can be. Martinez takes a large chunk of the vocal leads here, sputtering "My computer is a rebel, actin' all fine and just like that - payin' me no mind!""Leaving Babylon", reggae cover, flows quite smoothly; Hexum's voice seems practically made for reggae. Everything just glides, and it's quite relaxing. "Mindspin" throws everything back to the roots of 311, and it's a very fan-pinpointed track, speaking of 311's past and where they were at the time of the recording. It mixes ridiculously contagious rapping with a nice rock groove. "Livin' and Rockin'" is probably the closest to 'heavy' (gosh, that word sounds awfully funny when used to describe anything by 311) that 311 will ever get. I can envision a moshpit while listening to it, yet it still has that great carefree, party vibe that 311 never fails to include in their songs. It's fast and the guitar work is pretty loud here. "Can't nobody do it like 311," Hexum and Martinez chant.
Soundsystem has very, very rarely left my CD player over the years. Seriously. It's crazy-addictive, and bears all the qualities of a wonderful album: there are absolutely no skippable tracks, each member of 311 shines equally, and it's just fun. Some CDs seem to be made for 'good mood' days, and Soundsystem is one of them for me. Anytime you're down, give this one a spin, and you seriously will be ecstatic in a few moments - if my hypothesis proves to be correct. :)
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![Soundsystem [PA] by 311](http://di1.shopping.com/images1/pi/83/8e/93/2002126842-177x150-0-0.jpg)
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