Published on Nov 19, 2001
Some CDs only work in certain environments.
For example, I doubt anybody could listen to
Wonders Of The World by Long Beach Dub Alltars unless there
was a wet towel under the door, bad convenience store-grade incense
burning and with a couple of people laughing uncontrollably at the
“Set it and Forget it” rotisserie infomercial guy at 3 a.m.
The Long Beach Dub Allstars formed when Sublime disbanded after
lead singer Brad Nowell died of a heroin overdose in 1996. Because
the Allstars feature surviving Sublime members, comparisons to the
pioneering 90s reggae/ska/punk outfit are inevitable.
Unfortunately, there hasn’t been an album by the Allstars that
comes close to matching the unity and cohesiveness of Sublime’s
self-titled release or
40 Oz. To Freedom.
The Allstars certainly try to come up with a blockbuster on
Wonders Of The World. The album is slickly produced and has
guest rappers from Black Eyed Peas (Will.I.Am) and Jurassic Five
(Chali2na) sitting in on a couple of songs. “Sunny Hours,” the song
that has the best chance of becoming a hit, even appears twice.
However, hip guest artists and song repetition do not make a
great album.
Wonders Of The World is often a mess of clashing genres and
styles. Upright bass, turntables and even a midi wind controller
are used by the seven musicians in the Allstars. Bands that can
effortless weave reggae, rock and punk together are few and far
between. Fishbone and Sublime are two mainstream bands are the only
two commercial examples that come to mind.
And unfortunately, the Allstars seem to be throwing in every
musical instrument in sight just to prove that they are diverse.
With too many musical elements spoiling the dish, the band rarely
allows time to let an established groove settle in. Tracks like “It
Ain’t Easy” and “Grassy Cloud” start off with a relaxed, deep
groove which suddenly changes to a hard-core sound seconds before
the song ends with no explanation. It sort of like having dueling
stoners, armed with Peter Tosh and Kyuss CDs, fighting over the
rights to the CD changer.
The Allstars are still a live act that is worth checking out.
From what I’ve heard, they put on an infectious, groove-heavy show
with a lot of good vibes mixed in. And for reggae novices, this is
a good band to ease your way into the world of reggae. They are one
of the few bands who has a genuine appreciation and a solid grasp
of reggae history.
However, the Allstars need to focus more energy on refining
their sound and capturing their energy and potential on CD. After
listening to
Wonders Of The World, the only thing you will have a serious
jonesin’ for is a Sublime or a Bob Marley CD.