Everything Under The Sun

Thank fans for this completist's dream: they petitioned the remaining members of the Sublime, a decade after Bradley Nowell's death by misadventure, to disgorge this collection of rarities, outtakes, and unreleased material. While a little overwhelming in its sheer volume, it deftly illustrates what a compelling shape-shifter Nowell was, even during his most discombobulated and boozy moments. Those unvarnished moments are captured here--taken from backstage parties, live radio shows, and their very first demos--along with some of the bands' more formed moments, whether sharing a stage with Gwen Stefani or being remixed by Long Beach crony Snoop Dogg before he became Top Dogg. Whether channeling the acerbic and fearless sound of Bad Brains (H.R. appears here on a cover of his "Shame in Dem Game"), duplicating the vocal idiosyncrasies and guitar angst of Jimi Hendrix on a song like "Voodoo (Part 2)," or inhabiting the righteous ire of "Catch a Fire" Bob Marley, this collection is a sonic history of a band in the process of becoming one the more seminal purveyors of ska punk, and multiplatinum artists as a result. An evolutionary history, really, this exhaustive collection includes some rather revelatory film footage, including an impish MTV interview prior to their Warped Tour appearance and another one conducted in tandem with Washington, D.C., hardcore avatars Minor Threat. --Jaan Uhelszki