Not as good as 40 oz. to Freedom, but still good.
I kind of liked the more laid back sound of 40 oz. a little better than the radio-friendly sound of this one. The other one had more of a dub (which I love) sound too. This one's still great though.
The best word I could describe this album with is "sunny". It always seems to put me in a good mood.

A musical vision fulfilled (4.5/5)
Sublime's self-titled third album, released in 1996, became a cult classic following the death of frontman Bradley Nowell. It's sad to think that if not for Nowell's untimely passing, Sublime might have remained the more underground group they were for most of their career, but in any event, this is a wonderful album. The whole CD emits laidback vibes that make for the perfect chilled-out listening. Sublime combines the emotion of punk rock with the musical conventions of island music. Most songs use a classic ska bassline or have blippy guitars or horns. The sound evokes the scene of sunny California and the beach, and is why it's such great summertime music. But their talent as musicians and songwriters stands out even above their unique approach. The songwriting is excellent, with calculated yet free-flowing instrumental breaks, solos that fit each song very well, and tight production that allows each song to meet its potential. And Sublime would not be Sublime without Brad Nowell, everyone's favorite weed-smoking, childish, moody, socially conscious fornicator. At his happiest, Nowell embraces the easygoing West Coast lifestyle, and at his most depressed he is confused and emotional. Passionate yet rebellious, another interesting facet to his character is his concern for the plight of the urban poor; he advocates social responsibility, and his love of hip hop is also reflected in the frequent samples from KRS-One and the Beastie Boys. The songs are so catchy, and for the most part are the right length. Although it's a little long, "Sublime" is a well-executed collection of a band in their prime whose time was tragically cut short.

The album opens with "Garden Grove," a sunny and well-produced cut with great drums and bass. Nowell sings in a light manner of the ups and downs of an average day, and the instrumental breaks are tight and free-flowing. Then, the irresistable "What I Got," a timeless piece that musically and lyrically finds Sublime at their best, with Nowell cleverly weaving lighthearted philosophy and the guitars emitting a perfect laidback vibe. On "Wrong Way," Brad advocates social responsibility. I love the trombone solo on this track, Sublime was experimental with this but the product is phenomenal. "Same in the End" is frenetic and enjoyable, and "April 29, 1992" is a cool narrative of rebellion. No doubt you've heard the classic single "Santeria," a wonderfully well-written, catchy, and upbeat song that despite its pop sensibilities succeeds in capturing Sublime's brand of ska-punk, Nowell's soul, and the talented instrumentalists. It's without a doubt in my mind one of the most essential songs of the 90s. The short and sweet "Seed" and youth power sentiments of "Jailhouse" make for solid mid-album tracks, while the quirky "Pawn Shop" is a relaxing highlight of smoked-out reggae with a nice guitar performance. The very brief "Paddle Out" comes before the excellent "The Ballad of Johnny Butt," which is both catchy and lyrically meaningful, expressing "we shall overcome" sentiments. One of my favorite songs is "Burritos," a funny and musically appealing cut about amotivational syndrome. After the decent "Under My Voodoo" is the pro-weed cut "Get Ready" and the likable "Caress Me Down." The album closes with a reprise of "What I Got" and the nice "Doin' Time."

Sublime takes elements of multiple musical genres to make their own product, and fans of hip hop, rock, and reggae will equally enjoy this album. After almost twelve years, it is clear that despite its cult status, this will stand the test of time and still sound wonderful years down the road. I have a hard time deciding whether I prefer this or their debut, 40 Oz. to Freedom, but I think overall this is a little better. "Sublime" is an awesome laidback sounding LP with thought provoking lyricism and great vibes, and I highly recommend it to all.

What I got
This is the most exceptional album since The Beatles' Revolver album.

April 26, 1992 about the Rodney King riots in La, totally captures the stark reality of the times.

Paddle out captures the essence of punk rock. Short energetic songs. I get this song stuck in my head when I am paddling out on my board, and it helps me push harder to get past the swell.

So-so
Sublime's self-titled album was one of my favorite albums in the mid-late '90s. I listened to it constantly. Recently, I listened to it again, and while I enjoyed it, it was mostly for nostalgiac reasons. The album has a handful of catchy, mindless, feel-good songs. None of the songs are downright awful (aside from "Pawn Shop") but listening to it again, I realized that the songs are nowhere near as wonderful as I thought they were 10 years ago. (Though "Santeria" is still quite infectious) The lyrics are really obnoxious. Really shallow and sort of white-trashy...sex, drugs, sex, drugs, sex, drugs. But the melodies are catchy. I think that if I heard the album for the first time now, I wouldn't like it. But I'll continue to listen to it on occasion and enjoy it because it reminds me of the summer of '98.

Sublime's self-titled album maybe the album of the 90s
I feel like it's no stretch to say that the early 90s were a funny time for rock music. Revivalist, but still cliche hair metal bands of the late 80s were over shadowed by a new, gritty station of rock: grunge. The sound of 90s rock, visualized by the visage of Kurt Cobain, was not your fathers rock and roll.

Kurt Cobain and Nirvana focused on the pain and the grit more than the soul. It's fair to say that an Eric Clapton solo leaps more into the soulful realms of music than a Nirvana number.

Between what many may call the two great periods of rock music (early 70s versus early 90s) is a lot of gap, be it generational, or just psycological. There was a beauty to the music of 1970s rock. The harmonies of the Eagles, the poetry of John Lennon, or the groove of the Doobie Brothers.

Grunge showcased a different idea of what rock is. Based off of the punk revolution, grunge poured over the sores of a disillusioned youth, reverberating the overarching feeling of smallness and angst one feels going into early adulthood.

It's hard to find the center of the Venn Diagram between these two musical revolutions.

But one band, and especially one album, meld the grit of punky grunge with the soul of rock and roll.

The self titled album by Sublime is that album.

From rap, to punk, to ska and reggae, Sublime hit a nerve on this album that no other rock act has done in well too long. Landing somewhere between the apoctolyptic sounds of punk and the soul of the forefathers of rock, Sublime is an album of such great rock and roll material, it's hard to believe this album was released in 1996.

Everyone says it, but it's true and it's what made Sublime groove in the way they did: Brad Nowell had serious soul. The funky rock groove of tracks like "Pawn Shop" and "Under My Voo Doo" are the most pure rock and roll you could find on any post 1995 album out there. There's a power on these tracks that isn't from distortion or loud amps, it's purely the feeling of genuine and soulfull poetry. Nowell shows his guitar chops on these tracks, and he certainly was never lacking there. His lead guitar creates so much power and imagery. He properly translates the meaning of the chorus and verses onto his guitar, and the effect is trancendental.

Other tracks, like the hit "What I Got," along with the slow jams of "Garden Grove" and "Jailhouse" showcase the band at a more content, easy-going state. Still, these songs are dripping with musicianship, especially from Nowell, who solos on these tracks such incredible pieces of music in themselves.

Moreover, these tunes show us the variation in the music, the ability for Sublime to capture the masculine feelings of power and frustration, but also the tender yearnings of nostalgia and sentimentalism.

What we had here was an incredibly genuine and talented rock and roll band. Brad Nowell's soul and power on guitar and in his voice made this album a post-grunge rock and roll masterpiece. Though 40 Oz. To Freedom also delievers in a similar fashion, Sublime was a definitive album with a timeless rock sound. It's always easy to say what-could-have-been with Sublime, but it could have been truely grand. Maybe Nowell could have created another musical revolution with his groovy island jams had he not left all too soon. Maybe there was still better things to come out of Sublime down the road. You can say a lot of maybe's, or what if's for Sublime, but we have what we have from them. And it's damn good.