SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: 311 - MUSIC (30th ANNIVERSARY EXPANDED EDITION)

311
MUSIC (30th ANNIVERSARY EXPANDED EDITION)
VOLCANO ENTERTAINMENT/LEGACY RECORDINGS

Thirty years ago, 311 released Music, their debut album. It was a unique combination of rock, rap, funk, ska, reggae, metal, and hip-hop. They had an insane amount of infectious energy, awesome melodies, cool riffs, and groovy vocals by Nick Hexum and Doug “S.A.” Martinez. Music had a unique sound that 311 continued to improve on in the late 90s. In honour of their debut album turning 30, the band has released an expanded edition featuring four bonus tracks of pre-production demos.

Looking back at the album, it is quite wild how influential it was. It was way ahead of its time, still feels fresh today, and it is pretty easy to see how Music influenced bands like Limp Bizkit, Crazy Town, and Papa Roach, to name a few.

Lyrically is where the album suffers, as it is very over-the-top and corny. Songwriting has never been the strongest quality of 311. However, this does not impact the end product much because the hard-rocking riffs, excellent vocals, and groovy vibes that pretty much every song has make it a very fun and worthwhile record.

There are tons of great songs on this album. “My Stoney Baby” has an incredible opening bluesy guitar riff, one of the best in their entire catalogue of incredible songs. It also has a super funky bass line that will instantly make you move along to the beat. “Visit” is a song full of good vibes. It has a pretty bad-ass heavy riff, a super catchy chorus that will make you smile, and a nice ska ending to it. “Nix Hex” has a very mellow and relaxing feel, and the combination of jazz, funk, ska, reggae, rap, and rock gives the track such a spectacular and distinct sound. “Feels So Good” and “Unity” feature the best vocal rhythm between Hexum and Martinez. Hexum and Martinez are wildly entertaining, and their energy is off the charts. The former song is one of the most underrated rap rock songs from the 90s. Lastly, the fan favourite “Do You Right” is a banger from start to finish. Everything from the instrumentation to the production to the vocals is perfect.

The pre-production tracks were all fascinating, as it is always interesting to hear the different directions a song could have gone. “Paradise (Pre-production release” has a different intro than the original. The guitars are fuzzy, heavily distorted and have a very gritty sound. I find it to actually be better than the original version.

Overall, Music is still a fantastic album.