No Doubt - No Doubt

Best No Doubt Album

I don't have all No Doubt albums yet, but so far, this is my favorite. It has everything that was good about No Doubt: ska, reggae, punk, funk, and pop. Sure, I don't hate No Doubt's new stuff, but it doesn't really hold a candle to this. I can't believe this only sold a few thousand copies upon its release. I don't get it. It was better than most other albums out that year.
I also can't believe the amount of people that don't like this album. It may be the recording quality or whatever, but I still don't get why people don't like it. It's at least a little bit better than most that came next, in my opinion.
Anyways, there's the end of my rant. My favorite song is probably Ache. July 15, 2007

No Doubt's whimsical, Third Wave Ska debut

Wow! This is one of No Doubt's greatest albums. Who knew? I grew up on Tragic Kingdom and The Beacon Street Collection back in the mid 90s, but I wasn't familiar with their self-titled debut until years later. I love all of their albums, from this first one all the way down through Rock Steady. But that's just because I have fairly broad musical taste. It ain't for everybody. The advice I would give to anyone thinking of buying this CD is to not expect it to be like No Doubt's later work. It's an almost completely different sound. You have to approach this record with the understanding that it's mostly lighthearted, upbeat, jazzy, and occasionally goofy Ska music with 80s New Wave undertones. It's not as "cool" as their other albums but it's very energetic and fun. So be prepared to hear the band's immense talent applied to a different musical style than you may be accustomed to hearing from them; and enjoy. I hope this helps some prospective buyers.

[...] May 19, 2007

Great debut album, excellent music

No Doubt's first self-titled album is an excellent ska album. It starts off with a really cool instrumental and has a bunch of cool songs that are fun to listen to and are totally different from anything you hear in popular music today.

A great album from a great band, a must-have for anyone who likes ska or is interested in 90s music. And even if you aren't sure, just listen to the 30 second samples and decide for yourself. June 26, 2006

This album is great!

This was No Doubt's first album and has heavy use of ska and punk elements. You may not care for this style of music, but it is certainly worth a listen. Here's a song by song:

1.BND: It's an intro. It uses the very catchy ending for Brand New Day (but without the lyrics). It does its job just fine. 10/10
2.Let's Get Back: Pretty catchy. 9/10
3.Ache: A funny song about toothaches and coding. It's ok. 8/10
4.Get On the Ball: First two or so minutes it's kinda repetitive, but then it finishes with a cool jam session. 9/10
5.Move On: One of the catchiest songs No Doubt has ever made. 10/10
6.Sad For Me: It's one of their slow songs. You might not care for it. 7/10
7.Doormat: Another great one. 9/10
8.Big City Train: This one's ok, not really special. 8/10
9.Trapped In a Box: I like this one, it's good. 8/10
10.Sometimes: Starts slow, then gets a little faster. Gwen's singing makes this one good. 8/10
11.Sinking: Really catchy, love this one. 9/10
12.A Little Something Refreshing: This song is just one of their quick jams. The lyrics are annoying for this one. 7/10
13.Paulina: How many songs does No Doubt have about masturbation? This one's good. 9/10
14.Brand New Day: One of the best songs No Doubt has ever made. Everything about this song shows what made old No Doubt great! 10/10 March 31, 2006

The beginnings of Gwen Stefani's voice

Though a bit Bare Naked Ladies in humor, which I appreciate, my favorite part of this album is listening to Gwen's huge control in her voice; what was she like 19 or 20? She's a huge talent as well as her brother. Though ska driven, I find it fun and quirky, couldn't give it 5 stars though because it does take a certain taste. I found Tragic Kingdom was more structured since it was with a larger label, this is what makes bands successful, but this first album was fun. March 26, 2006

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