Tragic Kingdom (the album this is from) is a masterpiece of the 90's, and doesn't have a bad song on it. When this hit, it sounded like nothing else on the radio. Yes, it's got it's ska roots, but it still feels so fresh even 25 years later. This song, Just a Girl, Sunday Morning, Don't Speak, Tragic Kingdom (the song), Excuse Me Mister, and Happy Now? are all fantastic songs from this killer album. I think you guys just need to listen to the whole thing (ideally on a stream!) or at the very least, check it out in your own time. You'll love it.
I had this blasting many a day, hopped up on caffeine and coding like a fool. This and many other 90s masterpieces. As I mentioned on their other No Doubt video, I moved out to Silicon Valley for the gold rush. I had not been keeping up with what had happening musically. Another guy at the new job swapped a couple CDs with me, and he gave me Tragic Kingdom and Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness. That completely changed my musical world, and now the 90s are my favorite musical decade despite the fact that I graduated in 81 and am really a child of the 60s/70s.
My peeps here on this comment thread. In 2015 I saw No Doubt live for the first time, they closed out Saturday night at Riot Fest in Chicago. They closed with Sunday Morning and it was lit
No Doubt was so good live! I still have a memory burned into my brain from a live show in 1997: I'm right in front of the stage, hanging on a railing. Its tight, crowd is pushing and its hot like hell. And Gwen Stefani is so good, so wild, so f***ing awesome! One of the best live shows I've seen. But on the other hand, I was 16-17 and easily impressed 😆
Same!!! Texas Motor Speedway with Bush and also Matchbox 20, Collective Soul, Wallflowers, Third Eye Blind...Bush and No Doubt were the best parts of the show and of course Gwen KILLED it! We were down front also, jumping up and down in sync with the music, sweaty and just loving every minute of it!
They are so good live. I saw them when they toured with The Distillers and Garbage. I've been a fan since the beginning when Eric was still in the band. Gwen is such a great performer and Adrian is insane LOL. That guy really doesn't like clothes. 🤣
I saw them around the same time and same age! They came with Cake. It was seriously one of the highlights of my teenage years. I wanted to be her so bad! Lol. Her energy was insane!
@@mistersniffer6838 not to pick on you, but can you tag somebody, so I don’t get random notifications for responses to the original post? Appreciate it.
First time i met Gwen Stefani..she came out to the audience as we watched 311..No doubt opened...she asked me for a light...about 2 months later...they totally blew up
Back when Gwen was cool!! Who doesn't love a great Ska album? They helped with bringing Ska back atleast for a little while!! Them along with Reel Big Fish and The Mighty Mighty Bosstones! 🤘🤘
No Doubt’s roots are in Ska and this was the beginning of the shift away from ska to ska/pop-which arguably ushered in the popularity of Third Wave ska in the mid-to-late ‘90s. I’d argue the only song off this album that’s really “different” is “Don’t Speak.”
The golden days of Gwen Stefani, back when she was a punk rocker. I bought this CD (Tragic Kingdom) for a dollar. One of the best CDs I've ever heard, it still sounds amazing all these years later
Memories of seeing No Doubt extended band members, without Gwen Stefani, walking down Queen St here in Toronto after this album dropped. I must have been the only person who knew who they were.
I totally agree with Brad about the songs you know and people wouldn't realize you know them. That's how my library is. I blame it on having daughters lol. Great reaction guys.
Man No Doubt was something really really special. I listen to "Oi to the World" during the holidays every year. Another example of loving ska before I knew wtf it was.
Most underrated pop rock band of the 90s. The band is fire, her vocals are fire, it's heartfelt and emotional while also sounding like the best party of your life. Love the use of harmonics on the guitar and the bass playing is great.
@@bninem1397 pop audience at the time yes. Rock audience no. Pop audience is fickle. Rock audience is loyal and feeds into the Rock press that highlights older bands decades after their hits. Underrated as all heck.
@@THEDEEPDIVE You need to "Deep Dive" into 90s subcultures. No Doubt came straight out of the same scene as bands like Green Day, Blink 182, Sublime and Rancid. All of them plastered all over rock and alternative rock radio.
I used to play bass in a cover band several years ago, even though I'm a guitar player. This was one of the most fun songs to play because the crowd would usually get really into it. Every section is played differently, and I'd usually be kinda drunk when playing with that band XD
Missing Person is next! '80s new wave synth post punk that influenced No Doubt too especially the singer (Dale Bozzio, she was like Gwen) and also a southern California band.
And they all came from Frank Zappa's band. When Frank got sick he encouraged them to form their own band. Dale was a fantastic vocalist, though she used her inflections a lot in MPs, where she used a more powerful traditional voice for Frank. Terry Bozzio is one of the top drummers of all time and inducted into the Modern Drummer Hall of Fame in 97'. Warren Cuccurullo is one of the top technical guitarists, and was cutting edge in his heyday, making his own instruments and pedals to create sounds that guitars didn't make. Warren replaced Andy Taylor in Duran Duran and wrote and played on some big hits on the Wedding Album. All of them were fantastic musicians, including bassist Patrick O'Hearn , and keyboardist Chuck Wild who recorded and wrote for Michael Jackson, Paula Abdul, Philip Bailey, and more.
It makes me sad that some people feel they had to hide their enjoyment for a song, a band, or even a genre of music. I understand why. My uncle was all about experiencing different music, and as a result I grew up with a pretty expansive palette of taste. I wasn’t shy about what I liked or listening to something when it fit my mood, and I was often teased for those things. But part of being a teenager is learning to appreciate yourself and find who you are and what you like and embrace those things. How can you do that if you’re constantly hiding things out of fear of what your peers might think or say? Why would you ever let someone dictate like that the choices you make when it comes to your own personal taste. What’s worse, it’s pretty clear from some of these responses that some people still “hide” their interests even as adults. And I just think that’s really sad.
Bathwater, Excuse Me Mr. Tragic Kingdom all excellent. The AlbumRock Steady is a great album and I LOVE Return of Saturn. Her solo album Love Angel Music Baby is great too.
Their music came on the movie White Chicks. They were big group n the 1990s and 2000s. I like Gwen when she was ska punk. I grew up in southern California and ska punk was big scene years ago. California we had feel good music of punk rock (and hip hop too) during the '90s to offset the sad sounds of grunge up north in Oregon and Washington (Seattle), Pacific Northwest.
What you're thinking about in terms of her voice is pitch vs. sound placement. The pitch on this song isn't particularly high in the female register, but her placement is nasal and dental. Basically, she's laser-focusing her sound at the front of her mouth near the top, which not only gives it a lot of presence to help her cut through the other instruments in the mix, but also helps bring out the overtones in her voice. Overtones are notes above the note that you hear that give an instrument its unique timbre, the way it sounds. By isolating those overtones, her voice has a certain ringing bell-like quality to it. There are actually a few traditional vocal styles that completey isolate the overtones to create two distinct pitches at once. These styles of singing developed in chanting by Tibetan monks, folk songs by tribal people in the Altai/Tuvan region of Northern China/ Southern Mongolia, and a folk tradition among duets of women in Inuit tribes. The reason other than the pitch that gives her voice depth even though it's laser-focused is spin. Basically, by creating a big space in her mouth (like you do when you yawn), she's allowing the air coming through her mouth to swirl around, giving it sonic richness. Think of it like an ukulele compared to an acoustic guitar. The acoustic guitar has a larger space inside for air to swirl around in, so the sound is thicker and richer than an ukulele's. The reason she's able to do those fast vibratos (the warbling sound in her voice) is that she supports her lungs with her diaphragm like when you take a deep breath. By pushing significantly more air than what is necessary to create a note through her vocal folds, she causes them to flap, creating what is called forced vibrato. This also distorts her voice somewhat, which gives it that edgy sound quality. Every singer who is supporting their voice well will have a vibrato, but it's not something they can immediately summon on command to accent shorter notes unless they take this more forced approach. It takes talent and skill to do this without damaging your voice, which goes to show that Gwen Stefani is an exceptional singer.
Loved this album back in the day This genre is called Ska. It's a mix of punk and reggae essentially. But No Doubt also added in their own flavor of pop that made their sound more unique.
This was one of the first bands l took my kids to see in concert, they played in their home town of Fullerton, Ca. My kids were teenagers back then, their in their 30's now days
This is one of the best bands that played ska punk which is a mixture of ska music with the punk attitude. Gwen Stefani has been on many of the shows she did a couple albums by herself but I thought she was always great with the band. I think that's a good way to describe her voice. There's a lot of scar punk bands still left goldfinger that's one of my favorites and besides real sky like the English beat maybe one day you'll get to that before I leave this earth thanks for rocking
This song brings back memories from when I was a teenager, my mom used to send me to stay at my grandparents in Chicago for the summer, in an effort to try and keep me out of trouble. It worked for the summer, but as soon as I got back to Florida, the mischief continued 😎
So fun to watch you both enjoy this song! Love Gwen’s voice so much…My daughter & I both have that unique ‘warble’ that Gwen has when she sings. I discovered that I could sing like that in the 90’s thanks to No Doubt! 2 decades later, my daughter listened to my old No Doubt cd’s & I heard her singing along like Gwen 🥰
Watching 90's No Doubt perform their songs is seriously half the fun. I saw them in '96 in an outdoor amphitheater in the pouring rain and she had every man jumping up and down screaming 'I'm just a F'ing girl!' Lol. Best show!
that thing you're talking about where it's low and high, that's a category in sound called Harmonics, which is the multiple Overtones (more than one frequency) you are hearing at once. Lots of sounds you hear have multiple tones in them, overtones - multiple frequencies. Like, if you listen to a lawn mower going, you hear one overall machine-like sound, but if you listen closer you can here multiple sounds. You hear the middle pitched loud sound, but if you pay attention you can also hear the lower rumbling sound. Or listen to a big bell ringing, like a church bell, listen close, and you'll be able to pickout multiple overtones, different notes. Different people with their different ears can hear them better or worse. Anyways, the same is true in a human voice. You hear a main note, but sometimes the sound has a quality to it that's huskier, or nasaly, or boomy, or ringing. Every voice is unique in the way they harmonically sound, the kinds of overtones they make. Gwen is a MASTER at manipulating her voice that way. Sometimes she goes soft, which sounds 'lower', sometimes she pushes hard and sort of cracks upward and it sounds 'higher' because her technique is pushing that higher overtone out. I know that was long, but that's what's going on. It's fascinating stuff if you're into the science of sound and music. And you know what else?? the guitarist does it a ton in this song too! he uses guitar harmonics! Like when he hits that high note on every phrase of his verse riff, where it sort of screetches higher for one note. that's harmonics! Try pointing out to yourself when you hear things like that and you'll be amazed at how it's all around us. this is just a great example of a song where it's being heavily utilized.
Good analysis. I think Billy Corgan though his voice is not everyone's cup of tea, is recognizable in part because of that same multi harmonics effect.
I didn't scroll through before making my comment, but this one is a good complement to it by going into more depth on harmonics and talking about the intentionality of her overtone isolation and manipulation in this song to accompany the guitar doing the same
I wish Gwen stuck with songwriting for a band format after No Doubt's dissolution. She has such a unique knack for writing complex pop music with lots of layers and intricacies. She's a lot like Gorillaz in that regard, and it's that complexity that really drew me into the band when I was getting into music as albums as a late teenager.
Fun fact- back then caller ID wasn’t prevalent. To know who was calling was to actually answer the house phone! So to screen the call is to let the answering machine get it, hear who is leaving a message and decide to pick up or not. When you have unwanted calls, you’d start to not answer any call until you know who’s there. The chorus is like an answering machine message… “sorry I’m not home right now…”
Lmao Brad's 100% right there. I was a hiphop head back when this dropped (still am) and you're damn straight i didn't let my peers know how much i loved this album lol. I could sing along to almost any word too. Kids are dumb man. Back then, anything that wasn't "gangsta" made you a b*tch. Luckily my album collection grew way more diverse since then, and i'd happily defend any guilty pleasure in there. Btw: Different People is the best song on the album for me, no doubt.
If you want to really hear an incredible song that shows her power and range, and that of the band, try the song, Tragic Kingdom. It's a prophetic song really, talking about the fall from grace of Disney. The lyrics are so well written. "They drop to their knees They pay homage to a king Whose dreams are buried In their minds His tears are frozen stiff Icicles drip from his eyes The cold wind blows as it snows On those who fight to get in On heads that are small Disillusioned as they enter" You'll have to do a live version to hear it the way it should be heard.The track is great, but you really have to see the live show or you'll be missing out on the power and energy of the performance. Even if you can't post the live video, do yourselves a favor and watch it. It is a different kind of song for them, more rock oriented, with a fantastic bass line as well. `\
Another example of how I always took for granted how good the music used to be compared to especially post-2010. This album came out in '96, I think, and do you remember just how much great music was around then? Sublime's debut was also released in that year, just for one example.
No Doubt was influenced by these great ska bands from the 80's - Madness (Our House, One Step Beyond, baggy Trousers), The English Beat (Mirror in the Bathroom, Save it For Later, Tears of a Clown), Bad Manners (Lorraine, Inner London Violence, Lip Up Fatty) and The Specials (Ghosttown, A Message to Rudy,, Concrete Jungle)
Another side of Gwen Stefani? No, this was Gwen Stefani! Before she went to pop rap in the mid 2000s. She was a punk rocker back in the days. She was very very popular with No Doubt during the '90s and '00s. Southern California ska punk band with many hits and video. No Brad, why be shameful? Becuase its a female singer? Everybody listened to ska punk during the 90s and '00s. LOL. Its upbeat music. Its ska/reggae (Caribbean music and horns) mixed with punk rock music. Brad thats why it sound vacation like. lol. Some of their music has new wave synth influence too. They were an energetic band that got the crown pogoing up and down and slam dancing lol. He's a an old MTV video from Spring Break show in 1996. th-cam.com/video/bnggpu9qIQg/w-d-xo.html
Yeah, it was so funny to hear him talk about this being a song/band that you would be embarrassed to listen to around your friends. I was 15 when this album came out, and EVERYONE I know liked it, from the hip hop crowd to the metal heads, and everyone in between. When people bring up Nirvana and grunge being the defining sound of the 90's, I get it, and I mean absolutely no disrespect because I love those bands as well - but to me, THIS is the sound of the 90's. At least, the 90's I felt the most connected to!
@@ninja_tony Totally! I remember too. I was in HS myself. Fans of all different music (pop, rap, metal, etc) liked No Doubt and ska punk period. Didn't matter lol. I think everyone just like alt rock back then, was different.
Gwen is a legend, No doubt rocks too. Yes as someone else said, you need to listen to Blondie songs like Hangin on the telephone, Rapture, Tide is High etc etc
Oh man, I had forgotten about this song. My girl friends and I used to blast this as very young teenagers, wagging school and smoking weed. Amazing memories of old friends.
A crazy fact I learned recently is that her older brother was in the band and when they hit it big he was working as an animator for The Simpsons and had to take a leave of absence in order to go on tour with No Doubt.
He quit the band shortly before this album came out. He and Gwen co-wrote Don't Speak. The whole band lived together in a house in Anaheim, CA. He was working on the melody on the piano when Gwen came home. She absolutely loved it and the two of them wrote the song together.
@@rawkus6790 yes…and reggae came from ska. Doesn’t make this a calypso or reggae song though. Lol! I’m no musical genealogist (lol)…so call it whatever you want…I just love ska!
You have to watch Gwen Stefani in her videos. She is a very visual artist and once you see her sing in video or live you will appreciate her more! She still is amazing today because of her look and style . Shes all girl power and everything good about California !
Ha, I never knew it was “screen my phone calls”, it’s always sounded to me like “scream my balls off”. Hadn’t listened or thought about it too much but this is a hilarious experience
Tragic Kingdom (the album this is from) is a masterpiece of the 90's, and doesn't have a bad song on it. When this hit, it sounded like nothing else on the radio. Yes, it's got it's ska roots, but it still feels so fresh even 25 years later. This song, Just a Girl, Sunday Morning, Don't Speak, Tragic Kingdom (the song), Excuse Me Mister, and Happy Now? are all fantastic songs from this killer album. I think you guys just need to listen to the whole thing (ideally on a stream!) or at the very least, check it out in your own time. You'll love it.
You missed Different People. This album is anthological indeed.
Most definitely a masterpiece.
I had this blasting many a day, hopped up on caffeine and coding like a fool. This and many other 90s masterpieces.
As I mentioned on their other No Doubt video, I moved out to Silicon Valley for the gold rush. I had not been keeping up with what had happening musically. Another guy at the new job swapped a couple CDs with me, and he gave me Tragic Kingdom and Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness. That completely changed my musical world, and now the 90s are my favorite musical decade despite the fact that I graduated in 81 and am really a child of the 60s/70s.
@@deanroddey2881 Tragic Kingdom* 😉
@@johnhilton529 Sorry, Magic Kingdom was the one they put out after they all got into shrooms I guess
Tragic Kingdom was just an overall solid album.
Fantastic album from end to end. I don't think there's a bad song on it, but there are A LOT of absolute bangers.
💯
100%
The first CD I ever bought.
Bullshit, is a great album.
No Doubt were huge back in the day. The album Tragic Kingdom is overall solid. Pop ska.
Their best song in my opinion is Sunday Morning... Banger
I’ve been saying that!
I thought I knew you welllll…
My peeps here on this comment thread.
In 2015 I saw No Doubt live for the first time, they closed out Saturday night at Riot Fest in Chicago. They closed with Sunday Morning and it was lit
Sunday Morning is so underrated
Sunday morning has always been my fav from that album
No Doubt was so good live! I still have a memory burned into my brain from a live show in 1997: I'm right in front of the stage, hanging on a railing. Its tight, crowd is pushing and its hot like hell. And Gwen Stefani is so good, so wild, so f***ing awesome! One of the best live shows I've seen. But on the other hand, I was 16-17 and easily impressed 😆
Same!!! Texas Motor Speedway with Bush and also Matchbox 20, Collective Soul, Wallflowers, Third Eye Blind...Bush and No Doubt were the best parts of the show and of course Gwen KILLED it! We were down front also, jumping up and down in sync with the music, sweaty and just loving every minute of it!
There's a live version of "Don't Speak" on TH-cam that I've watched 100 times. Great performance. th-cam.com/video/1usDPlrcv-0/w-d-xo.html
Can’t believe that was already 25 years ago😔
They are so good live. I saw them when they toured with The Distillers and Garbage. I've been a fan since the beginning when Eric was still in the band. Gwen is such a great performer and Adrian is insane LOL. That guy really doesn't like clothes. 🤣
I saw them around the same time and same age! They came with Cake. It was seriously one of the highlights of my teenage years. I wanted to be her so bad! Lol. Her energy was insane!
They definitely have a SKA feel to lots of their songs! Gwen Stefani and No Doubt are fantastic!!!
Technically, and specifically this song, most of the songs on Tragic Kingdom have a reggae feel to them
There's three types of music PUNKROCK SKA AND REGGAE AND THE REST IS ASSVOMIT 🤮💩
Were...............
@@mistersniffer6838 not to pick on you, but can you tag somebody, so I don’t get random notifications for responses to the original post? Appreciate it.
@@downwardisheavenward3006 - Dont post and you dont have to worry about society bothering you. Now, back to your safe space!!
First time i met Gwen Stefani..she came out to the audience as we watched 311..No doubt opened...she asked me for a light...about 2 months later...they totally blew up
Back when Gwen was cool!! Who doesn't love a great Ska album? They helped with bringing Ska back atleast for a little while!! Them along with Reel Big Fish and The Mighty Mighty Bosstones! 🤘🤘
Didn't Smash Mouth also have a bit of a Ska sound to them?
@@bigdaddydiesel5520 I don't think they did.
Record company decided to have Gwen go all pop, and ruined her IMHO. This was her best work of her career
These guys remind me of the Bosstones, that's just the impression that I get 😅
MC Bat Commander led the “Charge” of 90s ska with the Aquabats!
It made me laugh when you were like "wow, different sound!" Like, nopee, thats No Doubt, haha. THIS is what old school fans are used to.
Gwen sings from her diaphragm like an opera singer, she can belt em out there.
Gwen was a superstar in the middle of grunge mania and surrounded by mostly dudes…and in comes Gavin Rossdale of Bush!!!!
Gavin was hot AF but she sure as heck surpassed him
I would say the end of the grunge era.
No Doubt’s roots are in Ska and this was the beginning of the shift away from ska to ska/pop-which arguably ushered in the popularity of Third Wave ska in the mid-to-late ‘90s.
I’d argue the only song off this album that’s really “different” is “Don’t Speak.”
I love NoDoubt and even Gwen's solo albums there are so many great songs.
Tragic Kingdom was and is a great album! This song got a ton of airplay on the radio and MTV!
The golden days of Gwen Stefani, back when she was a punk rocker. I bought this CD (Tragic Kingdom) for a dollar. One of the best CDs I've ever heard, it still sounds amazing all these years later
I never saw this song as a guilty pleasure. if i played it in my car and someone complained...they could walk.
100%
Exactly!
I was 12 when this came out and it was one of my favorites by them
One of the best debut LP's of all time
"Don't speak" is fantastic
Memories of seeing No Doubt extended band members, without Gwen Stefani, walking down Queen St here in Toronto after this album dropped. I must have been the only person who knew who they were.
I totally agree with Brad about the songs you know and people wouldn't realize you know them. That's how my library is. I blame it on having daughters lol. Great reaction guys.
he probably heard this in2k
Yeah I call those songs the "windows up" songs. When I don't want people seeing me rocking out to certain stuff at red lights
As a 40yo bearded bloke whose one of top five bands is babymetal I also know the feeling haha
The actual song Tragic Kingdom is haunting and relevant AF now. Def one of their very best
Man No Doubt was something really really special.
I listen to "Oi to the World" during the holidays every year.
Another example of loving ska before I knew wtf it was.
Most underrated pop rock band of the 90s. The band is fire, her vocals are fire, it's heartfelt and emotional while also sounding like the best party of your life. Love the use of harmonics on the guitar and the bass playing is great.
I wouldn't call No Doubt underrated, their music was everywhere
@@bninem1397 pop audience at the time yes. Rock audience no. Pop audience is fickle. Rock audience is loyal and feeds into the Rock press that highlights older bands decades after their hits. Underrated as all heck.
Their audience wasn't meant to be a rock one, they came from ska so their crowd was the surfers and skaters, not the metal heads.
@@jpah8944 it's ska punk. It's a rock genre.
@@THEDEEPDIVE You need to "Deep Dive" into 90s subcultures. No Doubt came straight out of the same scene as bands like Green Day, Blink 182, Sublime and Rancid. All of them plastered all over rock and alternative rock radio.
I used to play bass in a cover band several years ago, even though I'm a guitar player. This was one of the most fun songs to play because the crowd would usually get really into it. Every section is played differently, and I'd usually be kinda drunk when playing with that band XD
Missing Person is next! '80s new wave synth post punk that influenced No Doubt too especially the singer (Dale Bozzio, she was like Gwen) and also a southern California band.
And they all came from Frank Zappa's band. When Frank got sick he encouraged them to form their own band. Dale was a fantastic vocalist, though she used her inflections a lot in MPs, where she used a more powerful traditional voice for Frank. Terry Bozzio is one of the top drummers of all time and inducted into the Modern Drummer Hall of Fame in 97'. Warren Cuccurullo is one of the top technical guitarists, and was cutting edge in his heyday, making his own instruments and pedals to create sounds that guitars didn't make. Warren replaced Andy Taylor in Duran Duran and wrote and played on some big hits on the Wedding Album. All of them were fantastic musicians, including bassist Patrick O'Hearn , and keyboardist Chuck Wild who recorded and wrote for Michael Jackson, Paula Abdul, Philip Bailey, and more.
@@wolf762x51 Wow! You are so correct. All connections!.
🤘🤘 Absolutely LOVE No Doubt!!! Great rabbit hole!!! 😉❤✌
"Bathwater " is a really cool No Doubt song
In concert this one and Sunday Morning got the entire audience jumping in unison.😆
It makes me sad that some people feel they had to hide their enjoyment for a song, a band, or even a genre of music. I understand why. My uncle was all about experiencing different music, and as a result I grew up with a pretty expansive palette of taste. I wasn’t shy about what I liked or listening to something when it fit my mood, and I was often teased for those things. But part of being a teenager is learning to appreciate yourself and find who you are and what you like and embrace those things. How can you do that if you’re constantly hiding things out of fear of what your peers might think or say? Why would you ever let someone dictate like that the choices you make when it comes to your own personal taste. What’s worse, it’s pretty clear from some of these responses that some people still “hide” their interests even as adults. And I just think that’s really sad.
Love no doubt . Doesn’t matter who’s in the room love ‘em.
I 💙 Gwen Stefani & No Doubt
Bathwater, Excuse Me Mr. Tragic Kingdom all excellent. The AlbumRock Steady is a great album and I LOVE Return of Saturn. Her solo album Love Angel Music Baby is great too.
"Warble" is the perfect word to describe what Gwen's doing there 😀😎
The beginning of this with the horns reminds me of the Mighty Mighty Bosstones 😎. Hey Baby is another No Doubt song you'd like (2001 hip-hop).
The beginning is a touch of ska so sure.. Bosstones or Madness or The Toasters, etc. All fun stuff.
@@seantimmons5900 the Pietasters, the Planet Smashers, the Aquabats, the Voodoo Glow Skulls, etc.
Ska is quite a large and diverse genre.
Great band, great song.
Their music came on the movie White Chicks. They were big group n the 1990s and 2000s. I like Gwen when she was ska punk. I grew up in southern California and ska punk was big scene years ago. California we had feel good music of punk rock (and hip hop too) during the '90s to offset the sad sounds of grunge up north in Oregon and Washington (Seattle), Pacific Northwest.
Love this album, Tragic Kingdom. Gwen's early years with No Doubt, so much fun and fond memories!! ❤👍🏽🥳
What you're thinking about in terms of her voice is pitch vs. sound placement. The pitch on this song isn't particularly high in the female register, but her placement is nasal and dental. Basically, she's laser-focusing her sound at the front of her mouth near the top, which not only gives it a lot of presence to help her cut through the other instruments in the mix, but also helps bring out the overtones in her voice. Overtones are notes above the note that you hear that give an instrument its unique timbre, the way it sounds. By isolating those overtones, her voice has a certain ringing bell-like quality to it. There are actually a few traditional vocal styles that completey isolate the overtones to create two distinct pitches at once. These styles of singing developed in chanting by Tibetan monks, folk songs by tribal people in the Altai/Tuvan region of Northern China/ Southern Mongolia, and a folk tradition among duets of women in Inuit tribes. The reason other than the pitch that gives her voice depth even though it's laser-focused is spin. Basically, by creating a big space in her mouth (like you do when you yawn), she's allowing the air coming through her mouth to swirl around, giving it sonic richness. Think of it like an ukulele compared to an acoustic guitar. The acoustic guitar has a larger space inside for air to swirl around in, so the sound is thicker and richer than an ukulele's. The reason she's able to do those fast vibratos (the warbling sound in her voice) is that she supports her lungs with her diaphragm like when you take a deep breath. By pushing significantly more air than what is necessary to create a note through her vocal folds, she causes them to flap, creating what is called forced vibrato. This also distorts her voice somewhat, which gives it that edgy sound quality. Every singer who is supporting their voice well will have a vibrato, but it's not something they can immediately summon on command to accent shorter notes unless they take this more forced approach. It takes talent and skill to do this without damaging your voice, which goes to show that Gwen Stefani is an exceptional singer.
Loved this album back in the day
This genre is called Ska. It's a mix of punk and reggae essentially.
But No Doubt also added in their own flavor of pop that made their sound more unique.
This was one of the first bands l took my kids to see in concert, they played in their home town of Fullerton, Ca. My kids were teenagers back then, their in their 30's now days
I had a portion of this song as my greeting message on my answering machine back in the 90s. I thought I was super witty 😂
local fan here, I watch you two every day. Bradenton Florida
Definitely gotta give "Excuse Me Mr" or "Hella Good" a listen next.
"Excuse Me Mister" is my favorite of their's, and definitely the most punk rock adjacent.
@@ashlealabine6937 agreed, though I'd wager "Snakes" (from the Beacon St. Collection) is probably tied for that honor. lol
@@mourningwoodward never heard! I'll check it out!
Every girl I knew in high school had this on their answering machine message in the late 90s.
🙋♀️😏😆
The rhythm of the chorus is like a nursery rhyme
I saw No Doubt in '97, while they toured for this album. It's still one of my all time favorite albums.
This is one of the best bands that played ska punk which is a mixture of ska music with the punk attitude. Gwen Stefani has been on many of the shows she did a couple albums by herself but I thought she was always great with the band. I think that's a good way to describe her voice. There's a lot of scar punk bands still left goldfinger that's one of my favorites and besides real sky like the English beat maybe one day you'll get to that before I leave this earth thanks for rocking
Take note of the number of times ska is mentioned in these comments. We need a ska stream!
Do the whole album. Its fantastic!!
I love seeing you guys discover another side of Gwen Stefani....No Doubt was a phenomenon back in the 90's!
This song brings back memories from when I was a teenager, my mom used to send me to stay at my grandparents in Chicago for the summer, in an effort to try and keep me out of trouble. It worked for the summer, but as soon as I got back to Florida, the mischief continued 😎
So fun to watch you both enjoy this song! Love Gwen’s voice so much…My daughter & I both have that unique ‘warble’ that Gwen has when she sings. I discovered that I could sing like that in the 90’s thanks to No Doubt! 2 decades later, my daughter listened to my old No Doubt cd’s & I heard her singing along like Gwen 🥰
Watching 90's No Doubt perform their songs is seriously half the fun. I saw them in '96 in an outdoor amphitheater in the pouring rain and she had every man jumping up and down screaming 'I'm just a F'ing girl!' Lol. Best show!
Beacon Street was a great album as well!
that thing you're talking about where it's low and high, that's a category in sound called Harmonics, which is the multiple Overtones (more than one frequency) you are hearing at once.
Lots of sounds you hear have multiple tones in them, overtones - multiple frequencies. Like, if you listen to a lawn mower going, you hear one overall machine-like sound, but if you listen closer you can here multiple sounds. You hear the middle pitched loud sound, but if you pay attention you can also hear the lower rumbling sound. Or listen to a big bell ringing, like a church bell, listen close, and you'll be able to pickout multiple overtones, different notes. Different people with their different ears can hear them better or worse.
Anyways, the same is true in a human voice. You hear a main note, but sometimes the sound has a quality to it that's huskier, or nasaly, or boomy, or ringing. Every voice is unique in the way they harmonically sound, the kinds of overtones they make.
Gwen is a MASTER at manipulating her voice that way. Sometimes she goes soft, which sounds 'lower', sometimes she pushes hard and sort of cracks upward and it sounds 'higher' because her technique is pushing that higher overtone out.
I know that was long, but that's what's going on. It's fascinating stuff if you're into the science of sound and music.
And you know what else?? the guitarist does it a ton in this song too! he uses guitar harmonics! Like when he hits that high note on every phrase of his verse riff, where it sort of screetches higher for one note. that's harmonics!
Try pointing out to yourself when you hear things like that and you'll be amazed at how it's all around us. this is just a great example of a song where it's being heavily utilized.
Good analysis. I think Billy Corgan though his voice is not everyone's cup of tea, is recognizable in part because of that same multi harmonics effect.
I didn't scroll through before making my comment, but this one is a good complement to it by going into more depth on harmonics and talking about the intentionality of her overtone isolation and manipulation in this song to accompany the guitar doing the same
I wish Gwen stuck with songwriting for a band format after No Doubt's dissolution. She has such a unique knack for writing complex pop music with lots of layers and intricacies. She's a lot like Gorillaz in that regard, and it's that complexity that really drew me into the band when I was getting into music as albums as a late teenager.
Fun fact- back then caller ID wasn’t prevalent. To know who was calling was to actually answer the house phone! So to screen the call is to let the answering machine get it, hear who is leaving a message and decide to pick up or not. When you have unwanted calls, you’d start to not answer any call until you know who’s there. The chorus is like an answering machine message… “sorry I’m not home right now…”
Lmao Brad's 100% right there.
I was a hiphop head back when this dropped (still am) and you're damn straight i didn't let my peers know how much i loved this album lol. I could sing along to almost any word too.
Kids are dumb man. Back then, anything that wasn't "gangsta" made you a b*tch. Luckily my album collection grew way more diverse since then, and i'd happily defend any guilty pleasure in there.
Btw: Different People is the best song on the album for me, no doubt.
I see what you did there at the end.....nicely done.
Always thought ‘You Can Do It’ was a greatly underrated cut off this album.
Noone was embarrassed to listen to this song when it came out. It was a huge HIT.
If you want to really hear an incredible song that shows her power and range, and that of the band, try the song, Tragic Kingdom. It's a prophetic song really, talking about the fall from grace of Disney. The lyrics are so well written.
"They drop to their knees
They pay homage to a king
Whose dreams are buried
In their minds
His tears are frozen stiff
Icicles drip from his eyes
The cold wind blows as it snows
On those who fight to get in
On heads that are small
Disillusioned as they enter"
You'll have to do a live version to hear it the way it should be heard.The track is great, but you really have to see the live show or you'll be missing out on the power and energy of the performance. Even if you can't post the live video, do yourselves a favor and watch it. It is a different kind of song for them, more rock oriented, with a fantastic bass line as well.
`\
Another example of how I always took for granted how good the music used to be compared to especially post-2010. This album came out in '96, I think, and do you remember just how much great music was around then? Sublime's debut was also released in that year, just for one example.
My favorite No Doubt song by far
This is for sure my favorite No Doubt song, probably because it’s heavier. I agree about the intro and outro, definitely gives me island vibes.
Ska/reggae. Caribbean music.
This whole album is great
No Doubt was influenced by these great ska bands from the 80's - Madness (Our House, One Step Beyond, baggy Trousers), The English Beat (Mirror in the Bathroom, Save it For Later, Tears of a Clown), Bad Manners (Lorraine, Inner London Violence, Lip Up Fatty) and The Specials (Ghosttown, A Message to Rudy,, Concrete Jungle)
Their biggest influence, says Gwen Steffani, was Fishbone.
This song was my voicemail message back in the early 2000's.
don't sleep on Garbage... the BEST of the female front-man 90s bands.
1995-1996 was one of the best years in the history of music.
No one was ashamed of blasting to No Doubt back in the day!
Sunday Morning is a good one.
One of No Doubts more ska songs!!!
They started as a ska band, with Gwen’s brother on vocals.
Listen to more ska!!!
The Pietasters, Moment
Another side of Gwen Stefani? No, this was Gwen Stefani! Before she went to pop rap in the mid 2000s. She was a punk rocker back in the days. She was very very popular with No Doubt during the '90s and '00s. Southern California ska punk band with many hits and video. No Brad, why be shameful? Becuase its a female singer? Everybody listened to ska punk during the 90s and '00s. LOL. Its upbeat music. Its ska/reggae (Caribbean music and horns) mixed with punk rock music. Brad thats why it sound vacation like. lol. Some of their music has new wave synth influence too. They were an energetic band that got the crown pogoing up and down and slam dancing lol. He's a an old MTV video from Spring Break show in 1996.
th-cam.com/video/bnggpu9qIQg/w-d-xo.html
Yeah, it was so funny to hear him talk about this being a song/band that you would be embarrassed to listen to around your friends. I was 15 when this album came out, and EVERYONE I know liked it, from the hip hop crowd to the metal heads, and everyone in between. When people bring up Nirvana and grunge being the defining sound of the 90's, I get it, and I mean absolutely no disrespect because I love those bands as well - but to me, THIS is the sound of the 90's. At least, the 90's I felt the most connected to!
@@ninja_tony Totally! I remember too. I was in HS myself. Fans of all different music (pop, rap, metal, etc) liked No Doubt and ska punk period. Didn't matter lol. I think everyone just like alt rock back then, was different.
A lot of guys were into No Doubt with its punky reggae feel…
Gwen did a song with sublime called “saw red” it’s a fun song that’s definitely worth a listen.
Gwen Stefani back when she had a soul and a personality. Good times.
No Doubt has other songs you would get into to.
You both have such infectious smiles! 😁
That bass tho! 😁
Love this song. Love this album
The whole album is aces. Gwen was (still is) one of the cutest chickadees in music history.
I love this whole cd
Yes, Ska. (ahh) No Doubt was a post punk, pop, Ska band.
No Doubt live is simply insane!
Hella good!!! The riff is so fire
Hella good makes me dance! I can not sit still!
Loved this tune back in the day
Gwen is a legend, No doubt rocks too. Yes as someone else said, you need to listen to Blondie songs like Hangin on the telephone, Rapture, Tide is High etc etc
Oh man, I had forgotten about this song. My girl friends and I used to blast this as very young teenagers, wagging school and smoking weed. Amazing memories of old friends.
A crazy fact I learned recently is that her older brother was in the band and when they hit it big he was working as an animator for The Simpsons and had to take a leave of absence in order to go on tour with No Doubt.
He quit the band shortly before this album came out. He and Gwen co-wrote Don't Speak. The whole band lived together in a house in Anaheim, CA. He was working on the melody on the piano when Gwen came home. She absolutely loved it and the two of them wrote the song together.
By far my fave No Doubt song! ♥
I agree Lex... her vocals are hard to emulate!
Lex wearing a Gwen Stefani hairstyle is perfect for this. hahahaha
Lex is a '90s/'00s punk rocker jaja
Very much of a "Calypso" style injected in this song, reminiscent of what the Police did in "Every Little Thing She Does is Magic".
Ska.
They originated as a ska band.
@@gregclarke2183 SKA comes from Calypso
@@rawkus6790 yes…and reggae came from ska.
Doesn’t make this a calypso or reggae song though. Lol!
I’m no musical genealogist (lol)…so call it whatever you want…I just love ska!
So cool how No Doubt blends different genres into their songs. Catchy "Feel Good" tune for sure. G. Stefani has a contagious smile.
her vibrato is so rich and insane, one in a million
You have to watch Gwen Stefani in her videos. She is a very visual artist and once you see her sing in video or live you will appreciate her more! She still is amazing today because of her look and style . Shes all girl power and everything good about California !
No Doubt- Sunday morning is a great song!!!
That whole cd was too good.
For the longest time I thought the lyric was, "I scream my balls off". Never made sense but I just went with it.
I LOVE Ska and 90s-Early 2000s swing music.
So glad you're getting into more no doubt! Try the return of saturn album like simple kinda life, too late or even ex girlfriend
Brad. I feel that way about “What’s Up” by 4 non Blondes. Sing in my car with no one around. Lol!
Ha, I never knew it was “screen my phone calls”, it’s always sounded to me like “scream my balls off”. Hadn’t listened or thought about it too much but this is a hilarious experience