No Doubt enter new territory
Mr. B. G. Fowler | 10/23/2002
(4 out of 5 stars)
"2002 saw a huge breakthrough for No Doubt. After the disappointing sales of their previous album 'Return To Saturn', Gwen Stefani's image enhancement courtest of high profile collaborations with Eve and Moby and a change in musical direction made them once again the flavour of the month. Moving away from the ska they had made on their older albums No Doubt went for a much more dancefloor image that not only paid off in record sales but worked for the group. However, whilst the image overhaul won over several new fans, the older ones seemed disenchanted, maintaining that the group had 'sold out'. This isn't really the case, especially listening to some really fine quality cuts here.The singles are obviously the songs to pick out, and if 'Hey Baby' and 'Underneath It All' are good, then 'Hella Good' is No Doubt at their very peak. It's the kind of song to rival 'Just A Girl' on their 'Tragic Kingdom' album, or 'Simple Kind Of Life' from their 'Return Of Saturn' album. Basically the album screams attitude and this is no hollow shout; if there's one band that's got it then it's No Doubt. Working alongside producer Nellee Hooper (famous for her work on the 'Romeo & Juliet' soundtrack) they've produced a slick album that's jam-packed with great tunes that are among the best dancefloor songs written in recent years. Songs like 'Making Out' or 'Detective' are just so much fun that you can't help but wonder why people were so upset with the change in direction. Even if the album does run out of steam towards the end this is certainly no reason to pass the band off as typical or mediocre. Anyone who listens to this album will be blown away by most of the tracks and only slightly underwhelmed by perhaps the last two tracks. Even if it's not quite as good as 'Return Of Saturn' or 'Tragic Kingdom', it is clear that No Doubt are a long way from running out of ideas and are one of the most refreshing bands on the scene at the moment.Given this it's a shame that when the album was given the bonus CD treatment it offered very little. The videos to the singles were already available on the previous album or the singles themselves, as were the remixes. Still, anyone unfamiliar with No Doubt's 'Return Of Saturn' stage will be pleased with the inclusion of the superb 'Ex-Girlfriend'."
Track Listings (20) - Disc #1