Rock Steady Live | ||||
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Video by | ||||
Released | November 25, 2003 | |||
Recorded | November 22, 2002 | |||
Venue | Long Beach Arena (Long Beach, California) | |||
Genre | ||||
Length | 90:00 | |||
Label | Interscope | |||
Director | Sophie Muller | |||
No Doubt chronology | ||||
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Rock Steady Live is a video album by American ska punk band No Doubt, released on DVD on November 25, 2003 under the Interscope records label. The DVD was directed by Sophie Muller. It is a recording of two of No Doubt's concerts during their Rock Steady Tour in 2002 to promote their fifth studio album, Rock Steady , which was released in December 2001. The material was recorded in November 2002 in Long Beach Arena, California. The concert features performances of seventeen songs from the band's previous three albums: Tragic Kingdom , Return of Saturn and Rock Steady; extras include performances of four extra songs, interviews with the band members, and backstage footage of the tour.
Rock Steady Live was released alongside The Singles 1992-2003 , a greatest hits album, and Boom Box , a box set containing two CDs and two DVDs. No Doubt then went into hiatus, allowing singer Gwen Stefani to pursue solo projects. The DVD received mixed reviews, with critics praising the band's variety of musical styles. The DVD was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America and platinum by the Argentine Chamber of Phonograms and Videograms Producers.
After spending January to August 2001 writing and recording, [1] No Doubt released their fifth studio album Rock Steady on December 11, 2001. [2] They released four singles from it between October 2001 and July 2003: "Hey Baby", "Hella Good", "Underneath It All" and "Running". The album sold over three million copies. [3] It was certified double platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America, [4] indicating sales of over two million units, [5] gold by the Australian Recording Industry Association, [6] indicating sales of over 35,000 units, [7] platinum by the Canadian Recording Industry Association, [8] indicating sales of over 100,000 units, [8] and silver by the British Phonographic Industry, [9] indicating sales of over 60,000 units. [9]
In 2002, No Doubt embarked on their Rock Steady Tour, beginning with two dates outside the mainland United States on March 14 and 16 in Puerto Rico and Venezuela, before starting their main tour in Sacramento, California on March 18, travelling across the U.S. and ending in Anaheim, California in November. [1] [10] [11] Some performances featured burlesque group, The Pussycat Dolls. [1] [12] The concerts received positive reviews, with reviewers complimenting the variety of musical styles, elaborate stage and costume design and crowd interaction. [13] [14] [15] [16]
In April 2003, No Doubt went into hiatus, before coming together in September 2003 to compile various retrospective works and record a new single: "It's My Life". [1] Singer Gwen Stefani went on to record two solo albums: Love. Angel. Music. Baby. , released in November 2004, [17] and The Sweet Escape , released in December 2006. [18]
Rock Steady Live was released on DVD on the Interscope Records label on November 23, 2003. [19] On the same day, both The Singles 1992–2003 and Boom Box were also released by the band. [20] [21] The Singles 1992–2003 is a greatest hits album, featuring thirteen of No Doubt's previous singles, "Trapped in a Box" from their first album No Doubt and new single, "It's My Life". Boom Box is a box set, containing Live in the Tragic Kingdom , a recording of a concert as part of the band's Tragic Kingdom Tour, The Singles 1992-2003, The Videos 1992-2003 , compilation of the band's music videos, and Everything in Time , a collection of B-sides and rare songs. [1] The DVD was directed by Sophie Muller, [22] who also produced the band's previous video release, Live in the Tragic Kingdom. [23]
The DVD contains a recording the two concerts performed in Long Beach Arena, California during No Doubt's Rock Steady Tour. [1] The concert features performances of 17 songs: "Just a Girl", "Spiderwebs", "Don't Speak" and "Sunday Morning" from No Doubt's third album Tragic Kingdom ; "New", Ex-Girlfriend", "Simple Kind of Life", "Bathwater" and "Magic's in the Makeup" from their fourth album Return of Saturn ; and "Hey Baby", "Underneath It All", "Hella Good", "Running", "Don't Let Me Down", "In My Head", "Platinum Blonde Life" and "Rock Steady" from their fifth album Rock Steady . [24]
The DVD also includes over an hour and a half of extra features. There are live performances of an extra four songs: "Excuse Me Mr." and "Different People" from Tragic Kingdom, "Trapped in a Box" from their first album No Doubt and "Total Hate" from their second album, The Beacon Street Collection . [24] Also included are an interview with Liam Lynch, a friend of the band; documentary pieces featuring interviews with each band member: Tom Dumont, Tony Kanal, Gwen Stefani, Adrian Young and two touring members Stephen Bradley and Gabrial McNair; backstage footage of the tour; and footage of the band receiving the "Key to the City" of Anaheim, California from Mayor Tom Daly on November 22, 2002 on KROQ-FM radio. [1] [25]
"Rock Steady Live" was certified platinum by the Argentine Chamber of Phonograms and Videograms Producers in 2004, indicating sales of over 40,000 units. [26] The DVD was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America in December 2004, [4] indicating sales of over 50,000 units. [5]
Review scores | |
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Source | Rating |
Allmovie | [27] |
Allmusic | [24] |
MusicOMH | (positive) [25] |
Rockfeedback | [28] |
The Age | [29] |
The video received mixed reviews from critics. Allmovie reviewer Michael Hastings commented that the band "has managed to stay fresh and inventive after more than a decade together", praising their "skills as a touring act". [27] He stated that the DVD encompassed a "virtual career retrospective of the band and its hits", from its "ska-punk roots into the pop realm". [27] In particular, he complimented the performances of "Don't Speak", "Hey Baby" and "Just a Girl", giving the DVD 3 out of 5 stars. [27] Allmusic reviewer Hal Horowitz, however, described the music as so "radically doctored" that "it is nothing like what the crowd at the venue heard". He criticised the DVD for its heavy editing, the vocals for being "heavily and consistently overdubbed" and the editing for being "breathlessly nervous". [24] However, he complimented the band's "high-energy" performance, calling Gwen Stefani "a whirlwind of activity, strutting, preening, pouting, and prancing". He gave the DVD 2 stars out of 5. [24] The Age reviewer Andrew Murfett gave a positive review, calling the sound quality "excellent" and praising the "glossy close-ups to grainy back shots" of the camerawork. [29] He described No Doubt as "endurable" and commented that the set list "stands out [as the band's greatest hits]". [29]
MusicOMH reviewer Mark Fielding gave the DVD a positive review, calling the DVD a "very desirable package" and "must for any No Doubt fan out there". [25] He described the band as "one of the most versatile bands on the planet", performing a "mish-mash of rock, ska, reggae [and] punk" and calling Stefani's performance "her gorgeous hyperactive best". [25] He complimented the camera work as providing "superb" pictures and sound, stating that they "[captured] the concert in all its fast and furious glory". [25] In particular, he praised the performances of "Hella Good", "Hey Baby", "Don't Speak", "Ex-Girlfriend" and "Spiderwebs" and the inclusion of so many extra features. [25] Rockfeedback.com reviewer Samantha Hall gave the DVD a positive review, calling the music "fun" and the DVD more representative of No Doubt's greatest hits album, The Singles 1992-2003 , than their fifth studio album Rock Steady . She complimented the focus of the footage covering all four band members plus two touring members, instead of just singer Stefani, and the dancing: "the wind n' grind dancehall moments", "the No Doubt signature-stamp" and "a seemingly inexhaustible torrent of jumps and high kicks". [28] Hall singled out the performance of "Magic's In The Make-up", an album track from Return of Saturn , as the highlight of the DVD. She praised the live footage as "resplendent in near-perfection", describing the "wide range of dishy, fancy close-ups and pausing effects" and calling the sound "precision-balanced, distinct and clear". She gave the DVD 4 stars out of 5. [28]
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|
1. | "Hella Good" | Chad Hugo, Tony Kanal, Pharrell Williams, Gwen Stefani | |
2. | "Sunday Morning" | Kanal, Eric Stefani, G. Stefani | |
3. | "Ex-Girlfriend" | Tom Dumont, Kanal, G. Stefani | |
4. | "Underneath It All" | G. Stefani, David Stewart | |
5. | "Platinum Blonde Life" | Dumont, Kanal, G. Stefani | |
6. | "Bathwater" | Dumont, Kanal, G. Stefani | |
7. | "Don't Let Me Down" | Dumont, Kanal, G. Stefani | |
8. | "Magic's in the Makeup" | Dumont, G. Stefani | |
9. | "Running" | Kanal, G. Stefani | |
10. | "In My Head" | Dumont, Kanal, G. Stefani | |
11. | "New" | Dumont, G. Stefani | |
12. | "Simple Kind of Life" | G. Stefani | |
13. | "Just a Girl" | Dumont, G. Stefani | |
14. | "Hey Baby" | Dumont, Kanal, Rodney Price, G. Stefani | |
15. | "Rock Steady" | Kanal, G. Stefani | |
16. | "Spiderwebs" | Kanal, G. Stefani | |
17. | "Don't Speak" | E. Stefani, G. Stefani |
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|
18. | "Total Hate" | Gabriel Gonzalez, Chris Leal, John Spence | |
19. | "Excuse Me Mr." | Dumont, G. Stefani | |
20. | "Different People" | Kanal, E. Stefani, G. Stefani | |
21. | "Trapped in a Box" | Dumont, Kanal, E. Stefani, G. Stefani |
Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
---|---|---|
United States (RIAA) [30] | Gold | 50,000^ |
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. |
No Doubt is an American rock band formed in Anaheim, California in 1986. For most of its career, the band has consisted of vocalist and founding member Gwen Stefani, guitarist Tom Dumont, bassist Tony Kanal and drummer Adrian Young. Keyboardist Eric Stefani, Gwen's brother, was also a former member when the band started to release albums in 1992. Since the mid-1990s, trombonist Gabrial McNair and trumpeter Stephen Bradley have performed with the band as session and touring musicians.
Rock Steady is the fifth studio album by American rock band No Doubt, released on December 11, 2001, by Interscope Records. The band began writing the album with initial recording sessions in Los Angeles and San Francisco, then traveled to London and Jamaica to work with various performers, songwriters, and producers. Sly & Robbie, the Neptunes, and William Orbit were among the many artists the band collaborated with on the album.
Tragic Kingdom is the third studio album by American rock band No Doubt, released on October 10, 1995, by Trauma Records and Interscope Records. It was the final album to feature original keyboardist Eric Stefani, who left the band in 1994. The album was produced by Matthew Wilder and recorded in 11 studios in the Greater Los Angeles area between March 1993 and October 1995. Between 1995 and 1998, seven singles were released from it, including "Just a Girl", which charted on the Billboard Hot 100 and the UK Singles Chart; and "Don't Speak", which topped the Billboard Hot 100 Airplay and reached the top five of many international charts.
The Beacon Street Collection is the second studio album by American rock band No Doubt. It was released independently on March 25, 1995, through the band's label Beacon Street Records. Produced by the band and recorded in a homemade studio in the garage of their house on Beacon Avenue in Anaheim, California, from which the album takes its name, The Beacon Street Collection was released during a period when the band was receiving little attention from their label Interscope Records, and were not getting a chance to record a second album, as the label was disillusioned with them after the commercial failure of their 1992 eponymous debut. No Doubt had written large numbers of songs and knew that they would not make it onto any Interscope album, so they built their own studio and recorded the album there. Two singles were released: "Squeal" and "Doghouse".
Tony Ashwin Kanal is a British-American musician, songwriter and record producer who is known for his work as the bassist and co-writer for the rock bands No Doubt and Dreamcar. His career outside of performing includes production and songwriting credits with artists such as Pink, Weezer, Elan Atias and No Doubt lead singer Gwen Stefani's solo work.
Everything in Time is a compilation album comprising B-sides, remixes, and rare songs by the American third wave ska band No Doubt, first released on November 23, 2003 as disc three of No Doubt's box set, Boom Box, which also contained The Singles 1992–2003, The Videos 1992–2003 and Live in the Tragic Kingdom. Everything in Time was later released separately on October 12, 2004.
No Doubt is the debut studio album by American rock band No Doubt, released on March 17, 1992, by Interscope Records. It was originally recorded as an independent release, but was re-recorded after the band signed with Interscope. It was produced by Dito Godwin and recorded in Los Angeles.
The Singles 1992–2003 is a greatest hits album by American rock band No Doubt, released on November 14, 2003, by Interscope Records. It features 13 of the band's singles from three studio albums—Tragic Kingdom (1995), Return of Saturn (2000), and Rock Steady (2001)—and the single "Trapped in a Box" from their 1992 self-titled debut album. The album also included a cover of Talk Talk's 1984 song "It's My Life", the only new song on the album and which was released as a single. It was released alongside the DVD Rock Steady Live, a video of a concert as part of the band's Rock Steady tour in 2002, and the box set Boom Box, which contained The Singles 1992–2003, Everything in Time, The Videos 1992–2003, and Live in the Tragic Kingdom.
Thomas Martin Dumont is an American musician and producer. Dumont is a member of third wave ska band No Doubt, and during the band's hiatus, he began Invincible Overlord as a side project and produced Matt Costa's Songs We Sing.
Boom Box is a limited-edition box set album by the American rock band No Doubt, released on November 25, 2003 through Interscope Records. It compiled The Singles 1992–2003, The Videos 1992–2003, Everything in Time, and Live in the Tragic Kingdom. The Singles 1992–2003 was also released on a separate CD on the same date. Everything in Time was released as a separate CD later on October 12, 2004. The Videos 1992–2003 was released as a separate DVD on May 4, 2004. At the time of Boom Box's release, Live in the Tragic Kingdom had already been released on VHS and it was re-released on DVD on June 13, 2006.
"Spiderwebs" is a song by American band No Doubt for their third studio album, Tragic Kingdom (1995). It was written by Gwen Stefani and Tony Kanal, produced by Matthew Wilder, and released as the album's second single on November 19, 1995. "Spiderwebs" appears on their 2003 greatest hits album, The Singles 1992–2003. Stefani was inspired to write the song after an admirer recited bad poetry to her. "Spiderwebs" is a ska punk song with angsty lyrics responding to Stefani's potential suitors.
"Just a Girl" is a song by American band No Doubt from their third studio album, Tragic Kingdom (1995). Released as the record's lead single in the United States on September 21, 1995, it was written by Gwen Stefani and Tom Dumont, and produced by Matthew Wilder. It has also made an appearance on their 2003 greatest hits album, The Singles 1992–2003. Lyrically, "Just a Girl" is about Stefani's perspective of life as a woman and her struggles with having strict parents. "Just a Girl" was the first song Stefani wrote without the assistance of her brother Eric.
"Sunday Morning" is a song by American band No Doubt for their third studio album, Tragic Kingdom (1995). It was written by Gwen Stefani, Eric Stefani, and Tony Kanal, produced by Matthew Wilder, and released as the record's fifth single on May 27, 1997. The song has also been included on their 2003 greatest hits album, The Singles 1992–2003. Its lyrics describe a romantic relationship that ended in a breakup and was inspired by a discussion that Gwen Stefani had with Kanal. The song has been described as a ska and ska punk recording with elements of reggae and Motown.
"Hey Baby" is a song by American rock band No Doubt from their fifth studio album Rock Steady (2001). Written by band members Gwen Stefani, Tony Kanal and Tom Dumont, "Hey Baby" was released as the album's lead single on October 29, 2001 by Interscope Records. "Hey Baby" is heavily influenced by the Jamaican dancehall music present at No Doubt's post-show parties and tour bus lounges of their Return of Saturn tour. Its lyrics describe the debauchery with groupies at these parties.
"It's My Life" is a song by the English new wave band Talk Talk. Written by Mark Hollis and Tim Friese-Greene, it was the title track on the band's second album, It's My Life (1984), and released as its first single in January 1984. It reached number 46 on the UK Singles Chart, but did better in several other countries, reaching number 33 in Germany, number 32 in New Zealand, number 25 in France and number 9 in Italy. In North America, it entered the Top 40 in both the United States and Canada. It peaked at number 1 on the US Dance Club Songs chart.
American rock band No Doubt has released six studio albums, five compilation albums, three video albums, 22 singles, five promotional singles, and 21 music videos. The band was formed in Anaheim, California in 1986. After many line-up changes, it released its self-titled debut album in 1992, but its ska-pop sound was overshadowed by the popularity of the grunge movement. Following the self-released The Beacon Street Collection, Tragic Kingdom was released in 1995 and rode the surge of ska punk to become one of the best-selling albums, largely due to the international success of its third single "Don't Speak".
Live in the Tragic Kingdom is a video album by American rock band No Doubt. It was released on VHS on November 11, 1997, by Interscope Records, and consists of a filmed concert at The Arrowhead Pond of Anaheim in Anaheim, California, on May 31, and June 1, 1997, as part of the Tragic Kingdom World Tour. It was later released on DVD on November 25, 2003, as part of No Doubt's box set album Boom Box, and as a stand-alone DVD on June 13, 2006. A LaserDisc version was also released in Hong Kong.
Running is a song by American rock band No Doubt from their fifth studio album, Rock Steady (2001). Written by band members Gwen Stefani and Tony Kanal, the song was released as the album's fourth and final single on January 27, 2003, by Interscope Records. The song was also used in the final episode of the American television series Sabrina, the Teenage Witch in 2003.
"Excuse Me Mr." is a song by American band No Doubt for their third studio album, Tragic Kingdom (1995). The song was written by Gwen Stefani and Tom Dumont, while produced by Matthew Wilder. It was released as the fourth single from the album on August 21, 1996. The song has also been included on the band's 2003 greatest hits album, The Singles 1992–2003. Musically, the former is a rock-influenced ska track with lyrics describing a woman trying to get the attention of a man. A country version of the song was also created but never released. The single received positive reviews from music critics who labelled it a successful breakup song and as one of the best tracks on Tragic Kingdom.
Harajuku Lovers Live is the first live long-form video by American recording artist Gwen Stefani. It was released on DVD on December 4, 2006, by Interscope Records. The DVD was directed by Sophie Muller and produced by Oil Factory Productions. It is a recording of one of Stefani's concerts during her Harajuku Lovers Tour 2005 in late 2005 to promote her first album, Love. Angel. Music. Baby., released in November 2004. The performance was recorded in November 2005, in Anaheim, California. The concert features performances of all twelve songs from Love. Angel. Music. Baby. and two new songs from her second studio album, The Sweet Escape, as well as interviews with the musicians and dancers and a documentary of tour preparation.