Soundsystem (311 album)
1999 studio album by 311
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Soundsystem is the fifth studio album by 311, released on October 12, 1999. Soundsystem, which was certified Gold by the RIAA, was the last 311 album on Capricorn Records before the band switched to Volcano Records in 2000. Recording processes for the album began on March 11, 1999.
| Soundsystem | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | October 12, 1999 | |||
| Recorded | March 11 – June 1999 | |||
| Studio | The Hive (North Hollywood, California) | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 46:39 | |||
| Label | Capricorn | |||
| Producer | 311 Hugh Padgham Scotch Ralston | |||
| 311 chronology | ||||
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| Singles from Soundsystem | ||||
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Reception
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic |   [1] |
| The A.V. Club | Unfavorable[2] |
| The Encyclopedia of Popular Music | [3] |
| Entertainment Weekly | C[4] |
| Hit Parader | B[5] |
| Metal Hammer | 8/10[6] |
| Rolling Stone |  [7] |
| The Rolling Stone Album Guide | [8] |
| Spin | 5/10[9] |
| Wall of Sound | 72/100[10] |
"Soundsystem" was met with mostly mixed reviews from critics, with Rolling Stone discussing their mix of various genres, commenting "they offer their most ambitious fusion yet -- each track is a whirlwind tour of their soulful influences. Alas, the ingredients usually refuse to mix in 311's hands, resulting in disjunctions that veer between the bland and the unintentionally funny".[7]
Track listing
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Lead vocals | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Freeze Time" | Nick Hexum, SA Martinez | Nick Hexum with SA Martinez | 3:22 |
| 2. | "Come Original" | Hexum, Martinez, Aaron Wills | Hexum with Martinez | 3:43 |
| 3. | "Large in the Margin" | Hexum, Chad Sexton | Hexum with Martinez | 3:27 |
| 4. | "Flowing" | Hexum | Hexum | 3:10 |
| 5. | "Can't Fade Me" | Hexum, Martinez | Martinez with Hexum | 2:09 |
| 6. | "Life's Not a Race" | Hexum, Tim Mahoney, Martinez | Hexum with Martinez | 4:25 |
| 7. | "Strong All Along" | Hexum, Martinez | Hexum with Martinez | 3:28 |
| 8. | "Sever" | Hexum, Martinez, Wills | Hexum with Martinez | 4:43 |
| 9. | "Eons" | Hexum, Sexton | Hexum | 3:14 |
| 10. | "Evolution" | Hexum, Martinez, Sexton | Martinez with Hexum | 4:17 |
| 11. | "Leaving Babylon" (Bad Brains cover) | Earl Hudson, Paul Hudson, Daryl Jenifer, Gary Miller | Hexum | 4:00 |
| 12. | "Mindspin" | Hexum, Martinez, Sexton | Hexum with Martinez | 3:58 |
| 13. | "Livin' & Rockin'" | Hexum, Mahoney, Martinez | Hexum with Martinez | 2:43 |
| Total length: | 46:39 | |||
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Lead vocals | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 13. | "Blizza" (Available via 311 website) | Hexum | Hexum | 1:16 |
| 14. | "Cali Soca" (Available via 311 website) | Hexum, Sexton | Instrumental | 3:36 |
| 15. | "Dancehall" (Appears on the Enlarged to Show Detail 2 bonus EP) | Hexum, Martinez | Hexum with Martinez | 2:51 |
| 16. | "Seal the Deal" (Available via 311 website) | Hexum | Hexum | 3:22 |
Personnel
Credits adapted from album’s liner notes.[11]
- 311
- Nick Hexum – vocals, rhythm guitar, programming
- Chad Sexton – drums, percussion, programming
- Doug "S.A." Martinez – vocals, DJ
- Tim Mahoney – lead guitar
- Aaron "P-Nut" Wills – bass
- Production
- Scotch Ralston – producer, engineer, mixing
- Hugh Padgham – producer, engineer
- Alex Rivera – assistant engineer
- Cameron Webb – assistant mix engineer
- Joe Gastwirt – mastering
Charts
Album
| Chart | Peak position |
Certification | Sales |
|---|---|---|---|
| US Billboard 200 | 9[12] | RIAA: Gold[13] | |
Singles
| Song | Chart | Peak position |
|---|---|---|
| "Come Original" | U.S. Billboard Modern Rock Tracks | 6[12] |
| "Come Original" | U.S. Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks | 39[12] |
| "Flowing" | U.S. Billboard Modern Rock Tracks | 17[12] |