Sublime

Sublime: Everything Under the SunEverything Under the Sun (2006)
Universal Music Group

Reviewer Rating: 4

User Rating:

Contributed by: JohnGentileJohnGentile
(others by this writer | submit your own)
Published on February 16th 2007How fitting is it that the band who made a career of mish-mashing styles together gets a box set that mish-mashes different recordings? Sublime's rarities box set Everything Under the Sun blends together many different recording dates and live cuts, which is bound to delight fans and confuse newcome.

How fitting is it that the band who made a career of mish-mashing styles together gets a box set that mish-mashes different recordings? Sublime's rarities box set Everything Under the Sun blends together many different recording dates and live cuts, which is bound to delight fans and confuse newcomers.

One of the box's main strong points is its diversity of musical selections. Many radio performances are played unedited, complete with warts and all. But, that's always what made Sublime so special. They weren't always perfect, but when they hit just the right note on a warm summer's eve, they lived up to their name sake. The live cuts repeat many of the same Sublime songs, which isn't bad as it shows how the band progressed over their almost decade-long career.

The real treat is in the cache of unreleased covers. Halfway through the first disc, a live recording features Sublime and H.R. of the Bad Brains covering the H.R. solo tune "Shame in Dem Game." The jam is filled with breakdowns and roots rhythm and when Brad Nowell and H.R. bounce alto and tenor off each other, it's as powerful as Jah's judging finger. Of course there are multiple Bob Marley covers. But, when Sublime covers lesser known Jamaican cuts such as the Slick's "Johnny Too Bad" or Willie Williams' "Armagideon Time" (which is hidden underneath the layer of a Sublime original) the band lets the audience know "We know what we're talking about even if you don't!" Maybe the band is playing loving tributes or maybe they're ripping off a neglected genre. Frankly, it doesn't matter because they play the tunes so well.

Also included are some dubs and remixes. The dubs are fairly entertaining as they show the band at its most experimental. However, most of these, while technically interesting, seem more like sketches then full-fledged rhythm expansions. The remixes are a different story, however. While Snoop Dogg remixing "Summertime" has potential, the fellow Long Beach resident simply spouts generic B-side quality raps and relies on the overused G-funk formula.

The accompanying DVD features videos of the band's most well-known material and some unreleased cuts. The music video sections seem to be stitched together from stock Sublime footage and don't add much to the songs. The live cuts are more interesting, giving those that missed the band a taste of their raggedy, alcohol-driven show. The highpoint of the DVD is when a young, SHY Gwen Stefani duos with Nowell on "Saw Red." What a difference a decade makes!

Despite the fantastic selection of recordings, and fairly good sound quality on the sound board live cuts, the booklet leaves something to be desired. The tracks are listed according to their recording sessions and each recording session has a short blurb about it. However, since this box is academic in its track selection, a more academic approach to the booklet would have been more fitting. Where and when were the recording sessions? Who was there? And quite frankly, just who is this person writing these short blurbs? In addition, the inside front cover and back covers feature a rambling essay on reggae music that doesn't seem to go anywhere and never even mentions Sublime. A format similar to the Clash's Clash on Broadway book would have been much more effective.

But, Sublime was a flawed band so it's fitting they have a flawed box. When Sublime was great, they were fantastic. When they were bad, they were still pretty good. The box mirrors this trait. Newcomers might be overwhelmed at these recordings, but fans will find them to contain some of Sublime's loosest, finest recordings. Highly recommended for fans.

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Fine Print: The following comments are owned by whoever posted them. We are not respon sible for them in any way. Seriously.

ddublbc (October 10, 2008)

"quick, someone get me heroin, a guitar, and bullshit posturing about being "hood"...then i can be as cool as these fuckers.

except i like GOOD reggae, not this bullshit, suburbanized, neutered tripe sublime pushes.

they shouyld legalize drugs so all these stupid motherfuckers will hurry up and die"--Hey_asshole

hey motherfucker, come to long beach and ill break your fucking teeth.
sublime were good fucking musicians who just liked to play music and have a good time. if you cant fuckin appreciate that then youre fucked up
im not one of those guys who fuckin mourns over brad's death, but saying shit like that sets you up to get your fuckin face broken

CBSrocksteady (March 22, 2008)

Hey_Asshole you really wanted your name to get the job done when people address you on this site didnt you? I know im posting this like a year later and you probably wont ever read it but i just gotta say somethin. That was the most crude and unnecessary comment ive ever read on this site. Fuck You and your disrespect for the deceased. It doesnt matter how someone died or who they were, if they lived a kind life you shouldnt say shit like that about them, doesnt matter if its on the internet. I could go into explaining why Sublime was more than a band featuring a junkie as a front man, but that is besides the point. You sir, are a DOUCHE.

animaloid (October 23, 2007)

"See, the problem, is that you can't objectively judge how good an album is if you are already a fan of the band. So what if you are just a fan of music in general?

Well then all would agree that Sublime fucking sucks."

This album is a collection of UNRELEASED versions, rare and remixed/dubbed sublime songs. There for this album is an aim for fans to get a hold of sublime material that they don't already own. So what if you are just a fan of music in general?

Then you would appreciate the influences that sublime held and carried on the spirit of. Brad and Sublime combined a mixture of musical genres and established an original sound of their own that was fueled by music and influence.

Well then all would agree that YOU SIR suck.

"Sublime is the soundtrack for two kinds of people:
- Middle school aged white suburban kids
- Frat boys "

I fall under neither of these categories listed.

and an ignorant statement of the nature could only be said by two kinds of people

-A fucking idiot
-A Douche

"thats 8 more releases over the past 10 years for a band who had only 2 full lengths and 1 album of various 4 track recordings during their actual 6 year career."

The bands "career" goes far beyond the extent of there exclusive releases. They had a lot more unreleased material than actual released material.

Sublime isn't the best band of all time. Sublime weren't the greatest musicians of all time. Sublime made good music, had a numerous amount of influences and did alot of things no other band could ever pull off. Brad was a musical genius and gave his own taste of mind through music. I am more than sure all you people who claim you hate sublime and bitch about how bad they suck could easily find at least one song in the entire bands existence that you could sing for months if not years to come if you sat down and cared enough to listen. Quit restricting your selves with your limited perspectives and ignorant opinions. Unless you've heard every single note of every single sublime song then you don't know shit about sublime and if they suck.

This is a good album if you are a true sublime fan. Might not be worth your buck if your favorite sublime song is "date rape" or if you still think Bob Marley wrote "Smoke 2 Joints."

Hey_Asshole (February 21, 2007)

quick, someone get me heroin, a guitar, and bullshit posturing about being "hood"...then i can be as cool as these fuckers.

except i like GOOD reggae, not this bullshit, suburbanized, neutered tripe sublime pushes.

they shouyld legalize drugs so all these stupid motherfuckers will hurry up and die

Anonymous (February 19, 2007)

boooooorinnng.

GlassPipeMurder (February 19, 2007)

right. since you know, all their songs are about weed and they're all trippy jam band songs, and not 98% punk, ska, and reggae. fuckin idiot.

iknownothing (February 19, 2007)

Score for both the review and Sublime.

I never smoked pot in high school, hence I had no reason or care to listen to this band.

Anonymous (February 19, 2007)

"It's hard to think of many dead musicians who have had their legacy milked so much after their passing. Brad Nowell would easily make the top five; I'd only put Tupac, Biggie and Bob Marley ahead of him for sure."

add Freddie Mercury to that list as well as Elvis - entered the more releases posthumously catagory a year or two back

Rocktopus (February 19, 2007)

I sold my Sublime collecttion to buy more beer..... Best decision I made.

not-to-regret (February 19, 2007)

If you grew up in a weed smoking culture then sublime was probably generally liked. I always felt sublime was a good moderate choice for music at a (high school) party, it's got edge to it but is also upbeat and accessible, which I would prefer to hearing rap or killswitch engage at a party. I can't count how many parties in BC that I have been with sublime as the soundtrack, it could be ALOT worse. Remember Limp Bizkit?

Anonymous (February 19, 2007)

One of, if not the most, over-rated band ever.

BrandonSideleau (February 18, 2007)

eeeehhhhhhhh...........

Anonymous (February 18, 2007)

You should probably start smoking weed.

punkinohio (February 18, 2007)

Is the reason I don't like this band because I don't smoke weed??? Thats a serious question.

Rastid (February 18, 2007)

"Mark me as one. I won't get into why, as I have before, and it's futile to argue with Sublime fans, who tend to all be die-hard.
I just wanted to make it record that there are definitely people on this site who can't stand this tripe."

Sorry, I was being unclear--I meant NOT on this site. Most people on this site don't like them, I feel, but almost everyone I know in the real world does.

I was a die-hard Sublime fan when they were coming out, but I haven't listened to them much recently. Don't really care if anyone else likes them or not; I've just noticed that they are one of the only bands almost everyone I know (excluding this website) can agree on..

Anonymous (February 17, 2007)

"'It's hard to think of many dead musicians who have had their legacy milked so much after their passing. Brad Nowell would easily make the top five; I'd only put Tupac, Biggie and Bob Marley ahead of him for sure.'

No kidding. I think Elvis Presley corners the market on it though. According to yahoo, there are 33 Box Sets available for Elvis, alone."

Just wait til the rest of the Beatles die.

GlassPipeMurder (February 17, 2007)

i'd say there are definitely more people against sublime than for them on this site. "sublime is frat rock stoner heroin pop teeny bopper mall kids reggae wah wah wah" is all i ever hear on this site. Sublime was one of the last great punk bands to make it big. if any of you have seen the kroq weenie roast with Sublime playing "New Thrash", you know what I mean.

Anonymous (February 17, 2007)

"i know very few people off of this website who don't like sublime. if you don't, you don't and that's fine, it doesn't make you an idiot. saying stupid shit like this makes you an idiot. not only is their most popular song specifically taking a stand against date rape, you are saying that everyone who listens to them is a date rapist? wtf?"

Not to sound like some fanboy or somthing but on the strange tales dvd either Bud or Eric say that Bradley hated that song anyways

Scruffy (February 17, 2007)

"i know very few people off of this website who don't like sublime."

Mark me as one. I won't get into why, as I have before, and it's futile to argue with Sublime fans, who tend to all be die-hard.
I just wanted to make it record that there are definitely people on this site who can't stand this tripe.

Rastid (February 17, 2007)

"I like to have fun, I just don't think hangen with my frat bros and date raping girls is fun."

i know very few people off of this website who don't like sublime. if you don't, you don't and that's fine, it doesn't make you an idiot. saying stupid shit like this makes you an idiot. not only is their most popular song specifically taking a stand against date rape, you are saying that everyone who listens to them is a date rapist? wtf?

JohnGentile (February 16, 2007)

Hi Feeeding50000. That is really nice of you to say. With all the inflammatory comments on here I think people feel that anonymity allows them to act immaturely.

So, your positive feedback means a lot. Thanks!

Anonymous (February 16, 2007)

I love sublime. They really embody the So-cal lifestyle and have definetly influenced a generation of surf punks everywhere. This album is AMAZING!

feeeding5000 (February 16, 2007)

Ireally don't like Sublime, but:
JohnGentile: best reviewer ever? I think maybe so.

misterspike (February 16, 2007)

It's hard to think of many dead musicians who have had their legacy milked so much after their passing. Brad Nowell would easily make the top five; I'd only put Tupac, Biggie and Bob Marley ahead of him for sure.

No kidding. I think Elvis Presley corners the market on it though. According to yahoo, there are 33 Box Sets available for Elvis, alone.

Anonymous (February 16, 2007)

is that dalmatian of his dead, too?

Anonymous (February 16, 2007)

The reason for all the Sublime releases is to avoid lawsuit. Brad died in the middle of a multialbum deal that was unfulfilled, so the only way to fulfill the contract without carrying on under the sublime moniker is to release rare b-sides and live albums etc.

Ianw (February 16, 2007)

I like to have fun, I just don't think hangen with my frat bros and date raping girls is fun.

Also, since when is Johnny Too bad a "lesser known" song? More like reggae classic.

danperrone (February 16, 2007)

sublime and 40 oz to freedom are two of the greatest albums of all time

i've said it before and i'll say it again...if you don't like this band, you don't like to have fun

Anonymous (February 16, 2007)

what the fuck, lets kill this wreck known as sublime right now.

Anonymous (February 16, 2007)

Jesus Christ...so the label is trying to make money. It's not to make kids like you bitch on a message board. I'm sure that really gets to them. ITS SO THEY CAN BUY MORE BENZES AND FUCK HOOKERS.

Continue to bitch about how you hate Sublime, when you really hate the label. Or maybe just save yourself two minutes of posting and just put on some hardcore album and jerk off to the breakdowns.

baseball (February 16, 2007)

put me on the side here of people that really enjoy Sublime

i still listen to 40oz. pretty regularly

Anonymous (February 16, 2007)

Scotts right, Sublime has been milked ore than Nirvana

greatest hits
20th century masters greatest hits
stand by your van Live
brad and friends acoustic
box set
2 tribute albums
second hand smoke b-sides

thats 8 more releases over the past 10 years for a band who had only 2 full lengths and 1 album of various 4 track recordings during their actual 6 year career.

Paul

the_ken_chin_imposter (February 16, 2007)

dadudebob (February 16, 2007)

first cd of the year, worth it 5 stars

tenwestchaser (February 16, 2007)

I just read my own post and I said "mainstream enough" Meh. So uh, punknews, for the next version of the site maybe add an edit post for us users with accounts?

tenwestchaser (February 16, 2007)

"People who trash this band because of their fans need to get a fucking life. Give me your shit, I'll give you Same in the End anyday."

Yes sir. Sublime is great. I guess they just aren't punk enough and were too mainstream enough for people on this site to like them. Oh well, their loss. Sublime really have some fuckin classics. 40 Oz. is just an amazing cd.

GlassPipeMurder (February 16, 2007)

People who trash this band because of their fans need to get a fucking life. Give me your shit, I'll give you Same in the End anyday.

Anonymous (February 16, 2007)

See, the problem, is that you can't objectively judge how good an album is if you are already a fan of the band. So what if you are just a fan of music in general?

Well then all would agree that Sublime fucking sucks.

Anonymous (February 16, 2007)

"But, Sublime was a flawed band so it’s fitting they have a flawed box."

now thats a cop out of a statement

maverick (February 16, 2007)

I really don't think Kurt Cobain's legacy has been milked by his record label. All that's come out since he died almost 13 years ago was an acoustic album (which was coming out anyway), a live album, a greatest hits album and a box set. That stuff is standard fare for most broken-up bands; I don't think they went crazy with it, as with Sublime, where there's been a repackaging of a batch of their songs about once a year since Brad overdosed.

-Scott

strangenotes (February 16, 2007)

Gimme a fucking break.

Anonymous (February 16, 2007)

Euronymous is better than all of those dead musicians combined...no kidding.

Godfather (February 16, 2007)

stfu will

Anonymous (February 16, 2007)

"It's hard to think of many dead musicians who have had their legacy milked so much after their passing. Brad Nowell would easily make the top five; I'd only put Tupac, Biggie and Bob Marley ahead of him for sure.

-Scott"

No Cobain?

Sublime is the soundtrack for two kinds of people:

- Middle school aged white suburban kids
- Frat boys

-Will

Liquor_Never_Brewed (February 16, 2007)

Most overrated band of all time.

Anonymous (February 16, 2007)

i'm putting a jihad on kids with sublime tattoos.

maverick (February 16, 2007)

Anonymous (February 16, 2007)

fuck the bandwagon