Sublime is the hit album released by the eponymous band. It was originally
intended to be called Killin' It, but the band and record label agreed to
respectfully substitute an eponymous title due to lead singer Bradley Nowell's
death before the album's release. The album was a major commercial
success, going five times platinum in 1999 and etching Sublime into a
permanent place among the stars of mid-90s alternative rock. Its most
popular single, "What I Got", was an uncharacteristically poppy song; the
bulk of the album was faithful to Sublime's ska, dub, and reggae influences,
with tempos ranging from the frantic — such as "Seed," "Same in the End,"
and "Paddle Out" — to the slow and deliberate, such as "Pawn Shop" and
"Jailhouse." "Jailhouse", is a cover of a Bob Marley song which can be found
on many Bob Marley albums including "The Wailing Wailers at Studio One, Vol.
2".
The musical styles throughout the album vary nearly as much as the subjects
discussed, ranging from the mellow Hip Hop groove of "Doin' Time" and
reggae beat of "Caress Me Down" to the pop-rock "What I Got" and the
hardcore punk sound of "Paddle Out". The genre-crossing musical diversity
expressed on the album is one of the more compelling reasons for the
record's wide mainstream appeal.
The album marked the band's debut on a major label (MCA) after several
releases on Skunk Records.
