Rock Steady

May 12, 2008 | By Doug In Rock Music |

Rock Steady
As much as No Doubt have protested that they are a singular unit and not “Gwen and her guys”, Gwen Stefani’s much-touted duets with rapper Eve and techno mogul Moby in the run-up to Rock Steady did nothing to juice the boys’ spotlight, which had been steadily dimming since the release of 2000s Return of Saturn. But all that banter is silenced with Rock Steady, on which the music is definitely the star, unfettered by Gwen’s cutesy-clouded feminism or dumped-by-the-boyfriend woes. Having mostly departed from their ska home base, No Doubt’s well-navigated exploration of hip-hop beats, reggae and the reunion of 1980s keyboards and guitars finds the group picking up the pop-rock baton that Garbage dropped with an unsettling thud. Rock Steady’s delegate of stalwart producers perfectly decorate the disc with their respective expertise; Ric Ocasek (new wave), Prince (R&B), Nellee Hooper (trip-hop), Sly & Robbie (dub) and William Orbit (trance) offer some staying power to music that’s always been on the edge of disposable. Despite their disparate styles, the songs complement each other like stars and stripes. This is No Doubt’s best album to date, and as they continue to expand their influences, the party only gets bigger. –Beth Massa

Customer Review: My 3rd favourite No Doubt album out of the five I own
I've been a fan of Gwen Stefani and her band for about three years and this is one of the best albums I've ever heard. Most songs on it are catchy and my particular favourites are Rock Steady, Underneath It All, Hey Baby, Don't Let Me Down, Hella Good, Running and Platinum Blonde Life. Start the Fire and Waiting Room are okay while In My Head has cool and catchy lyrics. Also listen out for the lead singer's name towards the end of track 10. I also like the rhyming in Making Out, although it sounds a bit weird. The production of this album is brilliant and I would reccommend it to anyone who likes pop and rock mixed with a bit of reggae (Underneath It All) and dancehall (Hey Baby).

Customer Review: rock steady ,our love is so rock steady, rock steady!
the opening intro (a rock steady vibe) is great cos its al ittle diferent from the end version and if you loop your cd then it plays straight into hella good which is’nt my favourite really but sounds good after that intro…a song i really like is making out (4) and also platinum blonde life (11).
not so sure about start the fire its a bit slow for my liking ,and waiting room sounds like it should be performed by s club 7!. don’t let me down is a classic though to bad they did’t release it as a single. running has to be my 2nd most favourite track by no doubt ever (sunday morning is my 1) i like o imagine the video to it…. like all pop arty and stuff..