[.ca] Tragic Kingdom

From Amazon.co.uk:
There have been more baffling occurrences than the late-1990s ska revivial in the US--but not many. Yet somehow, this distinctly British movement--arising specifically out of the country's polarised racial dynamic--managed to cross over, finding an eager audience among suburban American teens, most of whom viewed it less as a social determinant, than as a stylistic outcrop of skate-punk and hardcore. Fronted by platinum-blonde Gwen Stefani, No Doubt defied the genre's traditionally masculine archetype, just as their sound--part Two-Tone, part Blondie--hinted at broader commercial ambitions. The supremely annoying "Just A Girl" might have bought them to mainstream attention, showcasing Stefani's little-girl delivery, but it was their subsequent singles--"Don't Speak", a melodramatic power-ballad, and the bouncy, irrepressible "Sunday Morning"--which really proved their mettle, even as their new-found success alienated many long-time fans. --Andrew McGuire

This Is Pretty Good, But Tracks At the End Drag It Down:
I like this album, even thoguh it's really old (almost 10 years) 1. Spiderwebs- Really good way to start the album, really energetic. 9/10 2. Excuse Me Mr. Not as good as previous song, but still pretty good. 8/10 3. Just A Girl- First single, and I can understand why! It's so good! 10/10 4. Happy Now- Not too good, but stil ok! 7/10 5. Different People- Favorite song! It's not even as fast as the others, it's jsut really good. 10/10 6.Hey You- Um, this song is very interesting. 8/10 7. The Climb- I think this was too long but it's stilkl a decent song. 6/10 8.Sixteen-The guitar is so cool! 10/10 9.Sunday Morning- It starts out really weird but it's still a great song! 8/10 10.Don't Speak- The verses are good, the chorus is awful. 5/10 11.You Can Do It- This song is ridiculous, sorry No Doubt. 3/10 12.World Go Round-This album's second half is proving to be bad. 3/10 13.End It On This- Way better then the 3 songs before. 7/10 14. Tragic Kingdom- YAY! Perfect! 10/10

Not bad but..... Just Not Very Good:
In Tragic Kingdom, No Doubt gets 2.5 stars for being super catchy and having a lot of style. However, I can't give them any more stars because over-all, this album is very unsatisfying. Yes it this album left me feeling unsatisfied. I listened to it about four times, trying to figure out why that is. Here are the reasons as much as I can figure: 1. All the songs are the same tempo, or at least almost the same tempo. It makes Tragic Kingdom seem very static after a while. 2. I love Gwen's voice; it has a lot of character. But her voice sounds the same, no matter what emotion the song is trying to convey. When she sings about being heartbroken, her voice doesn't show she's heartbroken. When she sings about fighting her way to the top, her voice sounds the same as when she's heartbroken. The emotions aren't real; they are part of a performance. It was like she was lying to me through the whole album. 3. The lyrics are on the idiotic side. Not painfully bad (Styx) but not incredible either (Tom Waits). 4. No Doubt never once puts themselves on the line. They never go out on a limb or do anything dangerous with their music. Their sound is good, but accessible and easy to sell. This album is good for when you're waking up in the morning and just want something super catchy that doesn't require thought or concentration. It's definitely not the album for you if you want something thought provoking that will give you the chills.

Not So Tragic:
Before No Doubt released Tragic Kingdom they weren't well known. They actually just released this so they could get their songs out, then they would go on with their lives. Luckily their first single "Just A Girl" hit well and they didn't have to do that. Tragic Kingdom in my eyes is No Doubt's best work, filled with all good songs. I don't there are many cd's where I happen to enjoy all hits, but this is definitely one of them. The cd starts of with "Spider Webs" which is an ingenious song. One of my favorite songs in No Doubt history is "Excuse Me Mr." which is just an awesome song. Next is "Just A Girl" which was their first single and possibly the "star" of the cd. Another one of my favorite songs from no doubt is "Different People" which is just so awesome. Then later comes their other hit from the cd, "Don't Speak" which is still getting radio play today. "You Can Do it" is also a fun song, though it kinda sounds like something the Spice Girls would sing. Then comes my favorite song on the whole cd..."Tragic Kingdom". It's so fun, heavy, deep, imaginative, and basically has a nice flow. The whole cd is just loads of fun and I would suggest it to anyone who has only heard their new stuff.

I LOVE THEM! NO DOUBT ABOUT IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!:
I LOVE NO DOUBT AND THE CRANBERRIES! GWEN RULES! I NEVER REALLY LIKED THIS KIND OF MUSIC UNTIL THEM! THEY ARE DOPE!!!!!!! 5 STAR STUFF~! *****

Absolutely Great! No Doubt about it!:
This album is a No Doubt classic, no doubt. Mix of ska with rock and as always upbeat and catchy. Love it, love it, love it. "World go Round", and "End it on This", not to mention "Hey You" are some of my favourites. This album is sweet!

• Spiderwebs
• Excuse Me Mr.
• Just a Girl
• Happy Now?
• Different People
• Hey You
• Climb
• Sixteen
• Sunday Morning
• Don't Speak
• You Can Do It
• World Go 'Round
• End It on This
• Tragic Kingdom