|  | | | Customer Reviews: | | | Average Customer Review:
Write an online review and share your thoughts with other customers.
1 of 1 found the following review helpful:
The definitive 311 album! Dec 06, 2007
The Blue Album and From Chaos may have been the two most commercial 311 albums, but for the ravenous fans from 311's underground days, Grassroots was, is, and always will be the ultimate 311 experience. The songwriting and musicianship on this record are already a huge step up from the previous album Music, and nearly every single track is a 311 classic! This is the one where their sound really came together, and every song on the album is included in their live set to this day, (which can't be said about any other album they made). Includes:
Homebrew: 311 classic about tripping on acid on July 4th 10/10
Lucky: The weakest track on the disc in my opinion, still has some nice grooves though 5/10
Nutsyptom: Heavy grooves with great rap, leads into a nice bass/guitar jam 9/10
8:16 AM: Nice jazzy laid back tune, adds a lot of diversity to the record 10/10
Omaha Stylee: Quintessential 311 song, great tune 8/10
Applied Science: Performed at every 311 show due to the drum solo, and some very nice riffs as well 9/10
Taiyed: Very short tune, nothing special but not too hard on the ears 7/10
Silver: Perhaps the heaviest tune on the disc, not bad at all/ 8/10
Grassroots: Title track, stating 311 has grassroots 8/10
Lose: Very slow chill out kind of tune , very nice break from the heaviness 9/10
Salsa: Good rock/reggae transitions on this tune. Lyrics are pretty funny, I like it a lot 9/10
Six: Almost my favorite, the middle section really shows just how great 311 really is 10/10
Offbeat Bareass: My favorite tune on the disc. Amazing grooves, beats, rap, this is what 311 is all about 10/10
123: Very chill trippy closer. Great end to a great record 10/10
This is still one of the best offerings to date from this incredible band. I recommend all their albums, but this one captures their essence the best. Enjoy!
The roots that grow in the ground are as big as the tree Oct 26, 2007
THE TRILOGY OF DEBUT ALBUMS, 1993-1995
Music (1993)
Debut Trilogy Part 1: An original, energetic, raw, explosive fusion of rock, hip hop, funk, reggae and rap. About two-thirds of the songs are re-worked versions of the band's best songs from the Omaha years. The other third are butt-kicking new songs made just for this release. This album says, "This is what we can do."
Grassroots (1994)
Debut Trilogy Part 2: An exploration of their roots, a musical journey of growing up from the ground up. This album says, "This is where we came from."
311, "self-titled" or "the blue album" (1995)
Debut Trilogy Part 3: A crisp, tight, bold, definitive, well-oiled machine. This album says, "This is what we are."
These first three LPs are all tied for my favorite 311 album, and I admit my hard-hitting rap-rock bias. :-)
1 of 1 found the following review helpful:
311's finest hour. Jun 15, 2007
NOTE: I am actually 16 years old, I just don't want to sign up.
One of the things about me is that I like the kind of alternative rock where the musicians mix things up a bit and combine genres into one flavorful sound, and these guys, along with Sublime (who also rule) are the stars of that kind of music. Either way, I find this to be 311's best album because it shows the band at their most talented and where everything unique about them comes together at its best. Don't believe me? Read on.
The first track "Homebrew" has a killer guitar riff courtesy of Tim Mahoney, and "Lucky" has a great hook. My favorite song on here is "Nutsymptom" as it's very heavy, and halfway through, P-Nut showcases some mad slap bass skills, and Mahoney takes over with a Santana-like guitar solo. Also, "8:16 AM" is a nice, mellow track, and what you've heard about "Applied Science" is true, Chad Sexton performs a drum solo, and although it isn't very technical, it fits the music perfectly and it's nice to know it's there. "Taiyed", although short, has some nice bass work, and "Grassroots (the title track)" shows perfect synergy of genres. We can't forget the jazzy reggae ballad "Lose", and "1,2,3" is a great way to end the album. I didn't list all of the tracks because I didn't want to spoil everything for you, but what I can tell you is that all of the songs on here are great, so you will not be needing the skip button.
I have been listening to this album a lot lately, and it never gets old or tiresome, and it works great for whatever mood you are in, which adds to its greatness. So all in all, if you want some awesome rock music that blows everything on the radio out of the water, then pick up this album now. Not only is it the best album of 1994, it deserves to be considered one of the top 10 albums of the 1990s. It is that good.
LONG LIVE 311!!!!
1 of 1 found the following review helpful:
____ YEAH!!!!!!!!!!! Jun 07, 2007
Grassroots is the second best 311 album. Music had a bunch of energy, but this one is a ________ groove machine. Almost every song on here has a killer riff, drum beat, a killer bassline, and rapping, and all of those are varied, tons of thought. Top it off with Ska choruses, percussion instruments, jazzy guitar solos, SA'awesome sound effects here and there, ambience, and a heavy dose of carribean flavor.
This is perhaps their most solid album. So many awesome tracks. There isn't any worthy singles on Grassroots, but they had plenty of hits later anyway. This album took a bit to get used to, but I can turn this on and listen without any problem. The hardest rocking song, Silver, just blasts a hard groove right out the ________ door. On the other end of the spectrum, 1,2,3 is a carribean reggae jazz etc. song that ends the album in an awesome way, contrasting _____ the bull_____ on Music. This just shows how 311 just introcudes variety in their albums.
I seriously can't say I don't like one song, all the songs are great. There's plentyt of highlights in this one. The title track combines 4 different 311 styles into one track (funky 311 rocker, mellow sound effect jam, jazzy segment, and a carribean groove). Taiyed is really short, but the funky guitar and jazzy solo make the whole song easy, clear, and to the point. Nutsymptom is just flat out awesome. Lose is as beautiful as Paradise. There's plenty of other awesome songs, but like the dude above me, I don't want to spoil all of it for you. Just remember this is the album that sealed the deal for me as a 311 fan for life (the first album I got, 311, made me more intrigued).
On top of this, it's amazing how 311 was just another band. During the release of this album, 311's fanbase was spreading, on the fact that they were building an indescribable relationship between the listeners. It makes 311 a band that you can turn on and feel like they are speaking directly to you and they do it for themselves and their fans.
limp bizkit and korn can't touch this, limp bizkit (the editorial reviewer is a retard) is a ______ little wannabe band compared to 311, and 311 probally cringe when their band is compared to those morons. If you want to say limp _______ is in the vein of 311, you might as well _________ tell me the world is flat. Fans of the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Sublime, and Fishbone will be intrigued by this, and people who find 311's later material a little turgid might want to try out the older stuff. If you don't like 311, get the ____ off this page.
LONG LIVE 311!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
10/10
2 of 3 found the following review helpful:
grassroots... Mar 10, 2006
widely regarded as 311's best album... grassroots has only gotten more and more popular as the years go by... their sophomore release is a showcase of their incredible precussion section and songwriting skills... noboby (except 311) has been able to have this much fun rocking out since... this is 311 at their most pure... more polished then their first album but not yet overproduced, it is an absolute necessity for any 311 fan or late blooming rock fan searching desperately for some decent rock...
|
| | |
