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Transistor

311

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Album Review

311, the eclectic musical quintet whose unique and hypnotic blend of reggae, funk, hard rock and hip-hop reached a world audience with the success of their self-titled 1995 album, return with Transistor, their fourth release for Capricorn Records and their most fully realized and ambitious recording yet. It's a heady blend of styles that makes the amalgam that is 311 work so wonderfully, and as guitarist-vocalist Nick Hexum has said, "Transistor is our way of saying that all living things are connected, that we are all conductors of electricity — that we're all part of the same massive energy source and in this way, we're all equal." Tracks like the mesmerizing dub cut of "Inner Light Spectrum," the funk of "No Control," the hip-hop flavor of "The Continuous Life" and almost brutal soundscape of "What Was I Thinking?" (complete with walkie-talkie vocal sounds) showcase the band's love for diverse musical styles and their ability to blend them together into something new, fresh and compelling. Out of respect for their fan base, the group manages to cram all 21 songs onto one compact disc, saving their mavens a little loose change left over for T-shirts, stickers and posters, all advertised on the inside.

Customer Reviews

311's Master Piece

This is the type of album that a lot of hardcore 311 fans didn't know what to make of it at first, especially coming directly after their mainstream breakthrough self titled album, but it has stood the test of time as what many would agree to be their best work. 311 is known for having a unique style and taking on many genres, but that being said, Transistor still sticks out like a sore but awesome thumb. It has an underlying psychedelic feel w/ dub style production all throughout the album, even during its hardest rocking moments. "Jupiter" and "Galaxy" are both 2 of 311's heaviest tracks, yet they still have a spacey feel about them. Other notable rockers are "The Continuous Life", which is more of a slower tempo'd kind of rock with jazzy drums, "Transistor", the opening track that has relentless drums, interesting vocals, and a really cool reggae break down, and "Beautiful Disaster", which was a single from the album featuring the signature 311 harmonizing guitar leads. This album of course has many mellow moments that are very interesting for the listener. "Inner Light Spectrum" is perhaps their most chilled out song that they have. It's very atmospheric at parts with smooth singing by S.A. and some really nice guitar work. "Color" followed by "Light Years" is a great combonation as "Color" is a rock and reggae instrumental, but of course a very "far out" sound. And "Light Years" is even more spaced out with all kinds of back round effects and noises. "Use Of Time" is also very notable and in my opinion, one of 311's best written songs ever. It has accoustic guitars and mellow singing that suddenly open up into rockin parts with a couple amazing guitar solos by Tim Mahoney. It's an epic song. "Rub A Dub" is my favorite 311 song of all time. It has a tropical feel that is full of reverb and happiness. And of course, the album closes in a big way with "Stealing Happy Hours". This is another stand out 311 song in general as they have never done anything quite like it before or after. It reminds me of a Grateful Dead type of song at parts but is another spaced out song that can put you at ease in a heart beat. Overall, this album has many tracks and they cover a lot of ground and break much ground. It is a LOT to take in but once you have absorbed it, you would be hard pressed to not respect what 311 has done with this album. It may not be the best album to start with if you have never really listened to 311 before, but it is a MUST have. Do yourself a favor and get in the "proper mind set" and put this album and enjoy!

The BEST 311 album hands down

With out a doubt this is 311's best album. I feel that for the most part it is due to the length of the album. It repreresents a 311 sound that is most epic and sweeping. Each song whisks you away into an almost dream like state of peacefullness. No I'm not HIGH!!! There are so many great songs on this album that only one really stands out as "just short of greatness" (Electricity). This entire album drips with style and flows with "head-nodding" rhythms. If your a 311 fan and you don't own this album BUY IT IMMEADEATLY. You won't be dissappointed. If your not a 311 fan, well you should be. 311 are fantastic live and their sound is so unique and refreshingly original.

The Most Complete and Diverse Album Of The 90's

Do you like reggae? Do you like ska? Do you like rap? Do you like heavy rock? Do you like slow-tempo songs? What if I told you that everything I just said and more is on 311's Transistor? Well it is! 311's best album is waiting for you to gooble it and let is seep into your brain. Buy it!

Biography

Formed: 1990 in Omaha, NE

Genre: Rock

Years Active: '80s, '90s, '00s, '10s

311's fusion of reggae and rap-metal was created in Omaha, Nebraska, where singer/guitarist Nick Hexum, DJ/singer S.A. Martinez, guitarist Tim Mahoney, drummer Chad Sexton, and the bassist known only as P-Nut launched the group in 1990. Taking their name from the Omaha Police Department's code for indecent exposure, the quintet began gigging locally and soon moved to Los Angeles, signing with Capricorn Records in 1991. 311 then translated their regional success into national recognition with several...
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