After the long anticipated Return of Saturn came out in 2000, it left us (the fans) wanting more. Return of Saturn was more of a serious and “darker” album than it’s previous album, the multi-platinum Tragic Kingdom. Not to worry, in late 2001, No Doubt left us with their new album Rock Steady, which has a much more happy mood (well…for the most part) for the listener. The album has been described as having a Jamaican/ Los Angeles/English influence. I must agree that this album has many different sounds. And ya know what? I bet can tell you exactly why Rock Steady has all those influences. The Answer: All the songs on this album were recorded in either London, Jamaica, or Los Angeles to . Am I smart or what? ;)
I must admit, when I first received Rock Steady as a present, I didn’t know what to expect. I had seen/heard Hey Baby on the radio and MTV, so when I got Rock Steady I listened only to Hey Baby and Hella Good. Yes it was a stupid choice. I never listened to any of the other tracks until probably 2 or 3 months later. And then I find out that there’s some real good tracks on the rest of the album. Next time I buy a CD, I’m going to listen to all the songs. :)
Who’s In The Band?
• Gwen Stefani: vocals
• Tony Kanal: bass guitar
• Tom Dumont: guitar, keyboards
• Adrian Young: drums
Rock Steady kicks off with Hella Good(after the Intro), the overplayed, but upbeat, summer hit. If you have seen the music video for Hella Good, then you know it has sort of a dark, sexual feeling to it. It is one of the more “dark” songs on the album. I am sort of having trouble figuring out the meaning of song (lyrically, that is). If someone out there understands the song better than I do, please leave a comment.
You got me feeling Hella Good
So let’s just keep on dancing
You hold me like you should
So I’m gonna keep on dancing
Anyway, this is one of my favorite tracks on the album. Hella Good has a real good dancing beat.
Hey Baby and Detective are probably the two most light-hearted songs on Rock Steady. Hey Baby (the first single off Rock Steady) features Bounty Killer which creates that Jamaican feel, which I think is neat and adds a lot to the song. The lyrics in the song are pretty self-explanatory. As I said, the song is pretty light-hearted, therefore, the lyrics aren’t too deep.
All the boys say
“Hey baby, hey baby, hey!”
Girls say, girls say
“Hey baby , hey baby, hey!”
“Hey baby, hey baby hey!”
Boys, say, boys say,
“Hey baby, hey baby hey!”
All the boys get the girls in the back
Detective is another light-hearted song. The lyrics talk about catching your lover cheating on you. Nothing too deep and meaningful though. Here’s the main chorus:
Peek in, sneak about
I’m gonna snoop and call you out
I caught you, your hands are red
Now I’m your broken hearted detective
Some of the slower tunes on Rock Steady include Underneath It All and Running. Underneath It All, has probably the most Jamaican influence (other than Start the Fire, one of my least favorites), with it’s slow and steady beat with the beating of drums in the background. Underneath It All features Lady Saw which helps bring the Jamaican influence. Lady Saw has only a very short part in the song, yet (as I said about Hey Baby) it adds a lot to the song. Underneath It All is a very monotonous song, yet there’s something about it I like. Could it be Gwen’s soft, sexy, soothing voice? Or could it be the short verse sung by Lady Saw? Or could it be the soft, Jamaican beat?
Running is a slow, yet beautiful song. It also has a lot of meaning. It’s a very soothing song which talks about staying together with the one you love, even though you’re “running” to different places.
All of the songs I described above are (in my opinion) the best songs on the album. Most of the other songs are ok, but others like Start the Fire and get to Waiting Room are just not my taste.
Lyrics
The lyrics on Rock Steady are (I guess you could say) mediocre. I mean, there’s really nothing special here. Some songs are just for fun, and others, such as Running have some meaning. So if you are looking for some hardcore, thought-provoking lyrics, you better look elsewhere.
Style
No Doubt has always had their unique style from the beginning. And yes, it’s still here on Rock Steady (which is a good thing)!! It’s that sort of ska/pop/rock sound. You have to hear it to understand it. I can’t really compare the sound of No Doubt to any other band. Even though No Doubt is experimenting with Jamaican sounds and other influences, they somehow seem to stick with their original roots.
Track Listing
Intro
Hella Good 4:02
Hey Baby 3:26
Making Out 4:14
Underneath It All (featuring Lady Saw) 5:02
Detective 2:53
Don’t Let Me Down 4:08
Start the Fire 4:08
Running 4:01
In My Head 3:25
Platinum Blonde Life 3:27
Waiting Room 4:27
Rock Steady 5:22
Overall
Overall, I enjoy listening to Rock Steady. I must admit, when I first got this CD, I was very close-minded and only listened to the popular songs, such as Hey Baby, etc. But then, as I listened to all the tracks, I found out that there’s a lot of talent on this album. So be sure and check out Rock Steady today!
Thanks for taking the time to read.
