| The Beacon Street Collection | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | March 25, 1995 | |||
| Recorded | 1993–1995 | |||
| Length | 41:02 | |||
| Label | Beacon Street | |||
| Producer | No Doubt | |||
| No Doubt chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Singles from The Beacon Street Collection | ||||
The Beacon Street Collection is the second studio album by American band No Doubt. The album features one guest appearance from Bradley Nowell, lead vocalist of Sublime, on "Total Hate '95".
Background and recording
editNo Doubt wrote and recorded their debut album – No Doubt in 1992, backed by a multi-record deal signed by the newly-formed Interscope Records. The album, which did not feature any commercial singles other than "Trapped in a Box" (1992), had an upbeat pop and cartoonish sound which resonated with southern California audiences but failed to attract fans when No Doubt embarked on a nationwide tour in support. When the promotional phase for No Doubt was over, Interscope Records executives were disappointed in the sales for the album, which were estimated at only 30,000 copies at the time.[1]
Music and lyrics
editThe Beacon Street Collection found No Doubt experimenting with a wide variety of sounds and genres. Mike Boehm from the Los Angeles Times described the album as a collection of "ska, Latin rhythms, funk, and hard-edged guitar rock" songs with some tracks combining several of the aforementioned elements at a time.[2]
Promotion
editCritical reception
edit| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [3] |
| Entertainment Weekly | B–[4] |
| Los Angeles Times |  [2] |
The Beacon Street Collection received generally positive reviews from music critics. AllMusic editor John Bush awarded the album four out of five stars. He observed No Doubt embracing a rawer punk sound and found it ironic that the album was much stronger than No Doubt, citing that the latter album was backed by a major record label while The Beacon Street Collection was self-produced and independently released.[3] David Browne, a music journalist for Entertainment Weekly, reviewed the 1997 reissued version of The Beacon Street Collection and gave it a 'B–' grade. He considered it evidence of No Doubt's role as a ska band, calling it "more focused than Tragic Kingdom"; concluding the review he said: "Although the songs are underwritten and overarranged [sic], the band’s spirit is willing. No wonder success was only one hook away."[4]
Los Angeles Times's Boehm awarded the album two-and-a-half stars on a four star scale. He enjoyed the presence of No Doubt's "strong musicianship", sharp playing, and cohesiveness; however, he stated that No Doubt had yet to develop a unique sound. Regarding the album as a whole, he said: "[it] chronicles a talented band trying to find its way to a mature style, but it's more like a series of quizzes than a final exam."[2] Jeff Apter, a music journalist and author of the 2009 biography Gwen Stefani and No Doubt: A Simple Kind of Life, provided mixed reviews for both of the singles released from The Beacon Street Collection. Regarding "Squeal", he suggested that the song sounded as if it was "stitched together from several separate, unfinished pieces of music" but enjoyed the performances from Dumont and Young, who he said "gave the song [some] real juice".[5] For "Doghouse", he wrote that it was in desperate need of a tune-up in hopes of a more satisfying sound.[5]
Commercial performance
editDue to Interscope Records's refusal to provide money and time for studio sessions, No Doubt completely self-funded the release of The Beacon Street Collection.[6]
Legacy
editTrack listing
editAll songs produced by No Doubt.[7]
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Open the Gate" | 3:40 | |
| 2. | "Blue in the Face" | E. Stefani | 4:35 |
| 3. | "Total Hate '95" (featuring Bradley Nowell) |
| 3:18 |
| 4. | "Stricken" |
| 4:06 |
| 5. | "Greener Pastures" |
| 5:05 |
| 6. | "By the Way" |
| 4:29 |
| 7. | "Snakes" |
| 4:37 |
| 8. | "That's Just Me" |
| 4:08 |
| 9. | "Squeal" | E. Stefani | 2:38 |
| 10. | "Doghouse" | E. Stefani | 4:26 |
| Total length: | 41:02 | ||
Credits and personnel
editRelease history
editReferences
edit- ^ Vineyard, Jennifer (February 26, 1998). "Tunes and 'Toons". OC Weekly. Archived from the original on December 17, 2013. Retrieved January 15, 2019.
- ^ a b c Boehm, Mike (May 27, 1995). "O.C. Record Reviews: No Doubt Tries to Find Its Way on 'Beacon Street'". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved January 15, 2019.
- ^ a b Bush, John. "No Doubt – The Beacon Street Collection". AllMusic. Archived from the original on July 2, 2018. Retrieved January 10, 2019.
- ^ a b Browne, David (November 14, 1997). "Music Review: 'The Beacon Street Collection';'See It Through My Eyes'". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved January 15, 2019.
- ^ a b Apter, Jeff (December 9, 2009). Gwen Stefani and No Doubt: A Simple Kind of Life. Omnibus Press. pp. 123–124. ISBN 978-0857120489. Retrieved January 14, 2019.
- ^ Bush, John. "No Doubt: Biography by John Bush". AllMusic. Archived from the original on January 24, 2018. Retrieved July 4, 2018.
- ^ The Beacon Street Collection (liner notes). No Doubt. Beacon Street. 1995. No. 3.
{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
External links
edit- The Beacon Street Collection at Discogs (list of releases)