Published on Feb 8, 1997
Sometimes, it doesn’t pay to listen to your wife.
Thanks in part to the success their song “Don’t Speak” has had
on rock radio, the ska-rock band No Doubt has been gaining a gaggle
of fans – not the least of which is Mrs. Thelen, who kept bugging
me to buy her their latest album,
Tragic Kingdom.
I tried to talk her out of it, remembering the failings their
debut album had back in 1992. “I don’t care,” she said. I told her
the album would mostly be made up of the same watered-down shit
that has been poisoning the airwaves, like “Just A Girl” and
“Spiderwebs.”
Finally, I gave in and bought the tape for her – it was that or
sleeping in the car, not a smart thing to do in the Midwest in
winter – but not before ripping off the cellophane and giving it a
spin for myself.
Sometimes, it feels so good to know I was right. Gwen Stefani’s
tin vocals dominate this album, backed by one of the lamest ska
wanna-bes I have ever heard. (You want ska? Check out early
Fishbone, check out the Mighty Mighty Bosstones – hell, invest in
some old Bob Marley or Desmond Dekker.) Brother Eric makes his
farewell performance with the band om
Tragic Kingdom, adding keyboards into the mix. He supposedly
has gone on to become an animator – smart move.
All the radio-friendly hits are on here – and admittedly, “Don’t
Speak”
does tend to grow on you. But take away the three singles,
and you have one lame album. No Doubt’s attempts to move into rock,
like on “Happy Now?” fail miserably. The songs all seem to be based
around Stefani’s voice – which puts the rest of the band at a
disadvantage.
Are there any good moments on
Tragic Kingdom? Besides “Don’t Speak,” only the song
“Sixteen” stands out as having any promise. Actually, that’s better
than their little-known debut, where the only good song on the tape
was the last song.
Readers may notice I’ve avoided all comments on Stefani’s stage
sexpot appearance, bare midriff and all. Simple reason for that,
kids – because if the songs are terrible, appearance don’t mean
shit. Three words: Wendy O. Williams. (Those of you who know whom
I’m referring to, ’nuff said.)
Tragic Kingdom was a tragic mistake, one which even Mrs.
Thelen agrees with now, earning the tape a place way in the back of
the legendary Pierce Memorial Archives, next to their debut
loser.
But hey, eight dollars is a small price to pay for sleeping
indoors.