In my top 3
This album changed my life.

I heard this album at the age of 14 (I'm 23 now), and I can honestly say it was the album that made me pick up a guitar and eventually become a professional musician.

Though my musical tastes have evolved, the beauty and soul of Bradley Nowell's voice, bumping bass lines of Eric Wilson, and rocksteady beats of Bud Gaugh get me every time. Live is the way to listen to Sublime. For superfans, I would suggest finding copies of "Contact Buzz" and "It All Seems So Silly in the Long Run" to experience the entire shows that this album cuts from.

I really hope Bradley Nowell died at his peak, because to think otherwise is sad for all of us.

I Was There...definitely worth a download
This album was mostly recorded live to 16 track tape at Komotion, a warehouse/performance space in San Francisco's Mission District in September 1994. The 1st three tracks were delivered as a "triple threat" medley and create an awesome introduction to an underground band laying down serious jams for a happy few dozen sweaty and drunken friends & fans, with all getting their $5 worth. The band would later go on to sell millions of records, but these tracks are true to the loose spirit and incredible live give and take they had with audiences on certain magic nights.

awesome Sublime live CD
this is a must have album for a Sublime fan... you can feel the vibe as if you were there in the concert.

Live = Better
I wish I had a van. Vans are pretty cool. I mean...there's just so much room. And sure, they can't drag real well, but you don't drag in a van. You got subs, and room for gals. And if you're really classy you can get a couple of couches back there and a TV, and you can roll in it.

If I had a van I'd probably be playing this album in it. I kid you not, Stand By Your Van has been in my '04 Taurus' CD player for the last 5 months. That's staying power music isn't supposed to have.

There's something magical about this album. I think it has something to do with the band in general. Sublime was a real band. They were underproduced until their final album, and a lot of the stuff they recorded came straight out of their living room. The problem with that is that their earlier stuff had pretty crappy production. It felt like the music was on plastic. And a lot of their later songs, although good, sounded a bit overproduced.

Stand By Your Van is a perfect blend of good production with that authentic sound you can only get live. Bradley Nowell is drunk, the crowd is singing, a lot of the songs have improved parts. I think this is Sublime at their best. Particularly, the first 8 songs on the album - the flow is amazing, and the live sound tops each and every studio recording.

I'm not the biggest Sublime fan. But I can roll to this album anyday. If you want to hear Sublime, get this.

Sublime........................................
Ok. I'm a big Sublime fan. I have All their cd's but the acoustic one, but anyway, that's not the point. I'm a sucker for live records, and this one is one of thier best. There are a lot of bootleg live albums on the net, and they have their moments, but the sound quality is hard to handle cuz alot of them suck. This is a very good cd. It shows sublime in their true form: "three guys and a dalmation playing reggae and punk songs at parties for beer" to quote, incorrectly, but close enough, the liner notes of this cd. If you are a Sublime fan, get it. Otherwise get 40 oz. To Freedom and s/t. This is a good mix of songs from 40 oz. and Robbin' the Hood. Speaking of which, it does Robbin the Hood justice because they do actual full band versions of the home-produced 4-track songs that were usually just Brad by himself. Highlights include "New Thrash", "Don't Push", "Let's Go Get Stoned", "Greatest Hit's", "Date Rape", "STP", "Pool Shark" (which is a mix of the original and acoustic versions), and an early version of "Caress Me Down". Good Luck.