Sublime – 40 Oz to Freedom (CD)
Product Details
Long Beach's Sublime recorded *40 Oz. to Freedom* in 1992 on a shoestring budget, self-releasing it on their own Skunk Records before MCA brought it to a wider audience after Brad Nowell's death in 1996. That scrappy, DIY origin is audible throughout, giving the record a raw, lived-in energy that no studio polish could manufacture. It remains one of the defining documents of the Southern California underground scene that bridged punk, reggae, and hip-hop before any of those crossovers felt inevitable.
Ska music has been deeply ingrained in the punk rock culture since the Clash adopted their rude boy stance near the end of the British punk invasion and the 2-Tone label put ska on the map. Suddenly, punks stopped kicking the crap out of each other long enough to dance. The debut release by Orange County, California's Sublime is a positively infectious record that marries varied styles of dub, reggae, rap, sampling, scratching, and badass dancehall ska with old-school punk overtones. Musicianship on this record is exceptionally tight, featuring Brad Nowell's innovative guitar work and bright, soulful voice. Packed with 40 oz. of rock (21 tracks) including the ultimate pot-smoking anthem "Smoke Two Joints" and the novelty hit "Date Rape."
Tracklist
UPC: 008811147426
Label: MCA
Release Date: 7.23.96
Format: CD