I saw No Doubt open for a forgotten band back in 91 or 92, way before they broke. They brought the house down and I'll never forget watching Gwen stomp around stage in her clogs. When I first heard I'm Just a Girl on the radio I knew exactly who the band was. There was no mistaking their sound at the time. It was cathartic to see them succeed.
My sister and Gwen Steffani were acquaintances during high school. The details of those stories are my sister's to tell. But, the consistent theme is that even as a high school student, Gwen knew she was going to be a rock star. The title track from Tragic Kingdom uses the urban legend about Walt Disney having his body cryogenically preserved as a jumping off point to contrast the fantastic, nostalgic, and utopian promises of Disneyland with the suburban sprawl that became Anaheim outside the park. The followers of the song's frozen king have deceived themselves with promises of "whole fields of popcorn [that] have yet to spring open." Yet, the fields will never bear fruit because they've been bulldozed for tract houses. The idea of a lost Southern Californian agricultural paradise is reinforced with images of Mediterranean fruit fly infested oranges on the album cover. The late 1980s fruit fly scare was the last nail in the coffin of the citrus industry Orange County was named for. It was the point of no return for the mix of agricultural and suburban devolpment that my generation of Southern Californians grew up with. Beyond all that, the song's a banger that highlights No Doubt's many strengths.
Wow I never knew all those details outside of the song being themed around Disneyland’s gritty behind the scenes stuff ! It all makes perfect sense now. Most assume the album artwork was just a parody of Orange County inspired by vintage orange crate box designs but it actually happened !
I cannot remember the last time I read such a fascinating & interesting comment on this platform. Like mentioned earlier, the artwork (being nearly 30 years old) makes so much more sense now. Thank you so much for sharing this info, you’re a saint in my book!
Trash Theory is the only music historian youtuber that actually investigates and analyzes historical events in music with bibliographies, interviews, documentaries and information confirmed by the artists themselves and associated people. Also what I like about him is that he gives you the context before starting to tell about the artists and at the end he shows you the influence that these same artists had, something that no other music history youtuber tells you. And finally he's not telling you that if you listen to this you're smart, he's just throwing you real facts.
The movie Clueless truly reflects the 3rd wave ska movement, with No Doubt’s Just a Girl and The Mighty Mighty Bosstones playing the party. Snapshot of an era
my aunt was a teenager during the 90s. when i lived with her she exposed me to that entire era of 90s female rockers like gwen, dolores o riordan, sinead, shirley manson, and many others. so grateful to my aunt for that. she loved gwen and we worshipped her effortless cool and sense of style. the 90s were such a cool time for women and female fronted bands.
Same for my aunt and I! She was a teen during this time and I was early elementary age. She was always playing these alt rock songs, especially No Doubt and Garbage. She really influenced a lot of my music taste. I have since surpassed her for my fanaticism for those 2 bands.
it's kind of sad how 2000s took a 180 turn from female fronted rock bands. Paramore and Yeah Yeah Yeahs are the only female-fronted rock bands from the 2000s who have known mainstream success, and it's even more abysmal starting from the 2010s.
@@babymilksnatcher You're literally forgetting Evanescence. Yeah, Yeah Yeahs were more of a cult band than mainstream and how come you didn't even mention Lacuna Coil, Within Temptation, Nightwish and Epica even though they are more metal than the rest I mentioned
PJ Harvey was and is a goddess! Personally, I am a big fan of women and am always rooting for them. I'm not a big fan of white men, but as a white man, I'm disgusted with the current situation with the homophobia, racism, and sexism demonstrated by the maga incel assholes. It's time for a strong woman to run this country!
Metalhead here, this, Hybrid Theory, Dookie, Nevermind, Sempiternal, Jagged Little Pill, Fallen, The Color & The Shape, Enema of the State and Eternal Blue were also influential to my music taste.
I’m 24 so I missed No Doubt’s prime but one of my favorite videos of them is when they came for the Caracas Pop Festival in Venezuela and the public was so freaking loud singing Don’t Speak that Gwen got emotional. That tells you how immense they were. Having a foreign public sing the lyrics of your song perfectly in the age before youtube and the internet is just amazing
I saw No Doubt's 2nd to last show as of today. Riot Fest 2015. Masterful performance, the crowd was massive. They still had it, I wish we could get another tour sometime. Absolute legends.
Sublime!! I was obsessed with them. They had a documentary called “stories, tales, lies, and exaggerations”. I watched it millions of times. To the point I had it memorized. I knew the lyrics to every song I get my hand on and they influenced me to join a band, Pollo Loco, as the singer. We wrote our own originals but heavily influenced by them and did a cover of bad fish every night we played. Sublime was my everything.
I saw No Doubt a couple times in the mid-90s. They were just fantastic. I also think that Return of Saturn is a really underrated album. There’s some good ish on there.
@@imdoneplus same here! It just felt like a more mature, introspective album compared to Tragic Kingdom which was a lot more youthful and fun (but still a fantastic album)
This video does what this whole series does best: taking a band you don't really care about, providing an in-depth analysis of their history, background and body of work including how their lyrics relate to certain events in their lives, thereby having you to acknowledge each artist/band member is WAY more talented than you realized and growing your respect for them. Well done! I've seen ND live somewhere in 1996, right before they blew up here, on a Belgian festival and I remember being not impressed at all. Later I only knew them from "Just A Girl" and from being Fishbone fans which, I admit, always gets kudos from me. I will certainly give No Doubt a spin in the near future, and "Don't Speak" for me has transformed from an overly played radio breakup song into this deeply existential, psychologic narrative. Excellent series, this! BTW, favourite 3rd wave ska bands: P.A.I.N., Ska-P, The Slackers and Citizen Fish!!
Man. I love Citizen Fish. Fuck knows how Dick Lucas manages somehow to capture that upbeat feeling while basically nonchalantly singing about how our whole world is on fire and the corporations own everything. But it's a wonderful juxtaposition.
@kristofwynants I didn't care much for "Don't Speak" up until I had to get my kids to listen to the 90's. UA-cam referrential binge got me back to the video and let me tell ya, the song is still the same middling affair for me but the video is fucking amazing and you notice even more subtle details on repeat viewings. And it's particularly on-point with knowing what happened in the 25 years since.
I really miss No Doubt. They have so many bangers, especially 'Sunday Morning' (my favorite), 'Settle Down', 'Running', 'Bathwater', 'Simple Kind of Life', 'Excuse Me Mr.', and the incredibly underrated 'Waiting Room', which was co-written by Prince so of course it absolutely slaps.
i have to say, that says a lot about No Doubt's talent, that freaking PRINCE helped out and his bit was the one people overlook. compare how the Bangles' second record featured "Manic Monday". it probably had to feature "Manic Monday".
Is there any classic artists Trash doesn’t like? Not only does each artist he covers in-depth clearly gets researched throughly, but he also sounds so passionate for every act in his voice. Excellent video.
Perhaps he only covers bands and genres that he likes? After all, it would be no fun devoting a month to researching and writing a video about something you don't like.
I am always blown away by the outstanding and deeply perceptive analysis of this channel! Combined with the emotive sound of the narrator, I just can't get enough! Five stars! Two thumbs up! A+!
I was something like 8 or 9 years old when 'Just a Girl' came out, I didn't have the words to explain it until I was much older, but I was always drawn to it because it explained something about being a young girl that was unfair but not blatent, obvious sexism, and the tone of the song and how she deals with it got through to me in a way that has always resonated.
In high school, Gwen Stefani was my hero. Right after school I would automatically put on MTV and wait until No Doubt videos were on and blast the TV. 😁😁😁😁😁 I was always the first one home anyway.
I love it when someone cleverer than me manages to put into words what I have felt listening to music all this time. All that’s missing is a link to a playlist… 👍
I remember seeing No Doubt in Minneapolis during the Tragic Kingdom tour. They were playing a sold-out show at First Avenue with Goldfinger opening. They were on the cusp of being too big for the venue they were playing and the energy was incredible!
@@daviddalrymple2284 back before Offspring released Smash, they were booked at the local 'big' punk rock venue called The Armory which held around 600 kids. Once the album was released and the tickets went on sale, the show ended up being sold out in 4 minutes. The band had to re-book and play a 6000 seat venue instead - which still sold out.
Bravo 👏🏼 I was 10 in 96, tragic Kingdom was the first CD I ever purchased with my first “allowance” in Los Angeles at the Warehouse. It holds such a special place in my heart
I bought ac/dc "dirty deeds" in a super market when I was like 10 with my allowance. It was a "record". And yes, for some reason i could buy it at the local supermarket. I love no doubt too. Awesome group!
I worked at Best Buy during the Christmast season of '96, and they played Tragic Kingdom exclusively, on loop, for weeks over the store PA. I ended up getting totally sick of it, but it really does hold up and it's a pleasure to listen to it now.
Best music review channel on UA-cam. It’s always objective, rich in detail and context, and isn’t overly pretentious. Any band or song he talks about is taken seriously and I really love that. Keep on the great work 🤙🏻
Man I miss No Doubt! I remember listening to Happy Now on repeat after my first real heartbreak. Tragic Kingdom was such a good album but that song really helped me get mad about it and move on.
As someone who grew up on Two-Tone (hey, where was The Beat?), my 3rd Wave faves were definitely the ones who kept as close as possible to that sound and feel. Dance Hall Crashers, followed by Mighty Mighty Bosstones, were the ones who really felt like Ska to me. No Doubt always felt Ska-adjacent rather than a band that was truly waving its flag.
Sure. I think the video did a good job of explaining why they started out as ska, got more diverse with the departure of Gwen's brother, but still got called ska by the label when it came to Tragic Kingdom.
@@phuzz00 Well, I know for sure The Interrupters will be part of it if the historian in question knows their stuff. Check them out! She's Kerosene is my fave song from when I found them
Tragic Kingdom is one of my favorite albums ever, so I'm thrilled you dedicated a whole video to it! Your sense of analysis always makes me so curious to discover new (old) things you mention in your channel, so thanks a lot for expanding and opening our minds!!
Well done, sir, we greatly appreciate the way you knit this super influential band to so many other lesser known (now anyhow) before, during, and afterward this seminal album released. From my personal experience, this album was so incredibly listenable that my own musicality, down to my continuing playing style, structures, and habits musically, are forever shaped by thos band and album. Thanks again. Your penchant for deriving the essence of your intended subject through the murky depths of time are appreciated and impressive.
Relistened to No Doubt's Rocksteady for the first time since I was a kid (I was a huge fan of them). It was an incredible album, and No Doubt are an incredible band. I'm so glad I got to see them live with Paramore in 2009. :) Also, shoutout to Madness! They're awesome!!
You just keep releasing stuff about the genres, bands and music that I love and as a huge No Doubt fan for the last fifteen years, even I was surprised at some of the aspects I was not aware of, a familiar but welcome issue with watching your videos. Usual 11/10 here.
As a 12 year old- Tragic Kingdom held the same place as Dookie in my heart as an album (and in turn a band) I “found” musically on my own. Kinda my first full musical separation as a tween.
I am from Anaheim and I will always love No Doubt. Tragic Kingdom was my childhood and I followed them on tour for so many years. I'm so sad they are not together anymore. They deserved a better end! You should do a whole No Doubt video and Gwen's solo stuff too! Nice job!
Just pushed "play" , and I'm an inmoveable object, glued to the screen, watching the next absolutely precious peace, done by The Trash Theory..on one breath. Thanx a thousand 4 your work! Lots of Luv and Respect from Sofia
Montréal and Québec in general had a vibrant ska scene in the early 1990s. When No Doubt became popular, they felt weirdly late to the party here. We had bands like Me Mom and Morgentaler or GrimSkunk that already had albums, tours, videoclips and sometimes even airplay on the radio.
As a child in Alliston looking for interesting or personable music, I ended up being vaguely aware of these bands myself but I never literally thought about it being popular in Quebec - it makes a lot of sense to me. 'Grunge' music was all almost completely new to me in the early 2000's when I started to listen to rock.
They weren't the only and original in Orange County, either. Other Ska bands like The Aquabats had also become locally popular and shared the stage before No Doubt hit a more widespread audience. Remember that they'd already recorded albums a few years before Tragic Kingdom. It was Gwen's energy and voice that pushed them onto the larger stage and opened the door for more broad acceptance of the ska music that before was only drawing pockets of local fans to more local ska artists.
I was in Montréal in the early 90s and was frequently at local shows. Me Mom were great, but the kingpins, the planet smashers and many others always put on amazing shows too. There were frequent ska jam sessions at various bars throughout the city and a lot of really good musicians came out of that scene. It was a great time.
I love No Doubt they are my favorite band and I think they will be forever. I can never forget when I discovered them, I was at home alone and I was cooking with the radio on the TV which started "just a girl" and I immediately asked myself who are these?! from there I started listening to them... first Rock Steady then TK and No Doubt (what I consider their best album, it work from the start to the finish) the old school songs etc etc. I think the genius of the band was Eric and when he leaves the band changes a bit but whether you like it or not they are among the best bands ever
In '95 a friend introduced me to ska and handed me 'Question the Answers' by MMBT, 'New York Fever' by the Toasters and 'Tragic Kingdom'. Changed the direction of my life. Some of the 3rd wave ska hasn't aged that well but I still have the Bosstones on regular rotation and 'Tragic Kingdom' still sounds as fresh today as it did back then. Thanks for this one!
The sound , the look , the energy , the videos , it all fit in perfect for the mid nineties era radio play and MTV . Girls wanted to look like Gwen . The music was so catchy .
the research and style knowledge amongst this channel's makers is equally enlighting and refreshing; I was born in 1980, so this should be me at my most suggestive and yet this teaches me so much from that time.
To answer the question you asked at the end of the video, Less Than Jake is not only my favorite 3rd wave ska/punk band, but also my favorite band period. Glad I stumbled onto your channel, I plan to deep dive into all of your videos.
oh my god. this is just my new favorite video on the channel. No Doubt is such an exceptional case of a band and although the video just scratches on the late 90s ska boom, it is so nice to see it represented and have the word widespread. btw No Doubt is probably the reason why I became a fan of both skacore and pop punk. two scenes that Ill forever love for the rest of my life.
As much as I want share my opinion and love for No Doubt and Gwen I think it's important to stop and thank you for putting this together. A lot of work went into this and sincerely appreciate it.
We got the Just A Girl video on one of our monthly tapes when I worked at Gadzooks. I was floored. I kept going to the back and rewinding the tape to watch it again.
I love your videos so much! Tragic kingdom is one of those albums that I'll always cherish due to the memories attached. I was only 16 listening to 'Only 16' and had the biggest crush on Gwen. And was discovering so many great bands at the time. I was listening to No doubt and other bands like Greenday and Rancid and they led me down a path of discovery when it came to punk music and music in general. I was discovering so much great music, from the Ramones to the Pixies, looking back, it was a magical time.
Tragic Kingdom was definitely the more iconic album as it shifted culture. But if you want to hear Gwen’s songwriting abilities at her peak, you should listen to the follow-up album “Return of Saturn.” It’s brilliant.
Oh man, this brought back memories! I was more of a BossToneS, Rancid, OpIvy kid, but No Doubt will always live in my heart. Thank you for making this, it really put a smile on my face!
Was a ska fan prior to the 3rd wave, but was thrilled to be able to play so many of the artists mentioned in your video while working at an alternative radio station (1995-98). So many people were finally given an opportunity to hear and appreciate this genre
Gwen's one of the best self-songwriters in all of pop IMO. Every song shares a little of her life, and it was never overly formulaic. She was always up for trying different styles and putting her own personality and life experiences into her music. She deserves every accolade she ever got. I only wish Tim Armstrong had found the same success. Personally I think he deserved it just about as much as Gwen.
Gwen’s solo song “Wonderful Life” was inspired by John Spence. I saw them in 1989 at a local music event in SoCal - Gwen was so charismatic already - their energy was amazing. And then within a few years there they were on mtv! It was awesome. They worked so incredibly hard.
"Mockery from the Orange County scene"?? Thats not how i remember it it at all. No Doubt had a buzz from the start. Even when they had the original singer John Spence they practiced in the the big room at Stomp Box in Anahei, people wanted to stop and watch them. When John Spence died lots of bands turned up to help them, including Skankin' Pickle at the fund raiser at the Roxy. It was a big deal. No one really knew "third wave ska" was about to catch on. John Panel knew. I managed Vitamin L at the time. Knuckle Brothers, One Eye Open, Suburban Rhythm, and Sublime were bands that John Panel picked up on WAY before Interscope Records even knew about these bands. No Doubt certainly wasn't "mocked" in anyway from 2nd or 3rd wave. I'm not a huge fan of third wave but it wasn't being ignored or mocked in anyway in OC.
one of the biggest bands of the initial wave of bands credited for the "Third Wave of Ska" was The Donkey Show from San Diego, CA. No Doubt played either their first show or one of their very first shows opening for The Donkey Show. True 3rd Wavers know them well for the huge part they played in the scene, yet no one ever seems to talk about them, mostly because they only were around a few years. but every 3rd Wave band that found success owes a small part of it to The Donkey Show. it's unfortunate more people don't know them & give them the credit they deserve as such a great fucking band that helped pave the way for so many, including No Doubt. true pioneers
Saw them way back when I was in highschool when Just a Girl was still on the more underground radio stations. They opened for 311, the band I was actually there to see. It was an outdoor show and a lot of fun. It was cool to look back on it a few years later after they'd gotten massive.
I'm going to keep asking till you do it - Earache records . One the most influential labels to come out of the UK. A glaring omission from your library of great content. Do It !
Thanks for a better insight on gwen and no doubt as you unfolded their lives and careers. Truly, beauty can come from a place of sadness and longing and no doubt turned it around and became successful. I enjoyed the vid.
Never knowingly been a Gwen Stefani fan (beyond Don't Speak), but this was fascinating! Also didn't realise how many No Doubt songs I know and enjoyed.
I absolutely adore no doubt, tragic kingdom is one of the biggest gems to be published in the 90s and is recognized as such. i’m so excited watch his video since you’re a great source of info in terms of objectivity and way of narration.
To me the perfect comparison for No Doubt is them being the Metallica of 3W Ska, the parallels are the same, they are not only inmensely bigger and culturally relevant than the other bands of the genre, but even bigger that the whole scene and genre they used to belong, sadly such bands are probably never going to emerge again, the mainstream closed up the doors for bands and anything related to alternative scenes
"Sobbing and skanking in equal measure" is a perfect description of my teen years in the mid to late 90s
Sobbing and skanking truly was my adolescence as well, but in the 2010s
I saw No Doubt open for a forgotten band back in 91 or 92, way before they broke. They brought the house down and I'll never forget watching Gwen stomp around stage in her clogs. When I first heard I'm Just a Girl on the radio I knew exactly who the band was. There was no mistaking their sound at the time. It was cathartic to see them succeed.
Remember my first copy of Tragic Kingdom.
Nice video really enjoyed this
Crap 😂
That’s awesome! I love live stories seeing No Doubt in concert as they were one of the greatest live bands to see in every part of their career ! ❤
My sister and Gwen Steffani were acquaintances during high school. The details of those stories are my sister's to tell. But, the consistent theme is that even as a high school student, Gwen knew she was going to be a rock star.
The title track from Tragic Kingdom uses the urban legend about Walt Disney having his body cryogenically preserved as a jumping off point to contrast the fantastic, nostalgic, and utopian promises of Disneyland with the suburban sprawl that became Anaheim outside the park. The followers of the song's frozen king have deceived themselves with promises of "whole fields of popcorn [that] have yet to spring open." Yet, the fields will never bear fruit because they've been bulldozed for tract houses. The idea of a lost Southern Californian agricultural paradise is reinforced with images of Mediterranean fruit fly infested oranges on the album cover. The late 1980s fruit fly scare was the last nail in the coffin of the citrus industry Orange County was named for. It was the point of no return for the mix of agricultural and suburban devolpment that my generation of Southern Californians grew up with. Beyond all that, the song's a banger that highlights No Doubt's many strengths.
Wow I never knew all those details outside of the song being themed around Disneyland’s gritty behind the scenes stuff ! It all makes perfect sense now. Most assume the album artwork was just a parody of Orange County inspired by vintage orange crate box designs but it actually happened !
🥞That's pretty detailed info - if u were at any if the showsfor the first 9 years , I was the T-shirt guy : printed all their stuff 🥷
I cannot remember the last time I read such a fascinating & interesting comment on this platform. Like mentioned earlier, the artwork (being nearly 30 years old) makes so much more sense now. Thank you so much for sharing this info, you’re a saint in my book!
this was cool!
As a 90's and 00's kid, I love Gwen and No Doubt, they will always have a place in my heart.
I love how knowledgable and open you are while not falling into obnoxious pretentious music bro stuff
Trash Theory is the only music historian youtuber that actually investigates and analyzes historical events in music with bibliographies, interviews, documentaries and information confirmed by the artists themselves and associated people.
Also what I like about him is that he gives you the context before starting to tell about the artists and at the end he shows you the influence that these same artists had, something that no other music history youtuber tells you. And finally he's not telling you that if you listen to this you're smart, he's just throwing you real facts.
Right it’s such a balanced approach. Some channels don’t even mention women in music at all.
@Dakil la Gorrill,
Which is strange because women are awesome!
I'm a fucking music bro. FO
I second that.
The movie Clueless truly reflects the 3rd wave ska movement, with No Doubt’s Just a Girl and The Mighty Mighty Bosstones playing the party. Snapshot of an era
A bunch of teenage airheads listening to terrible music apart from Luscious Jackson
@@marknewbold2583) just like they said in the 50s.
Clueless and also the Digimon movie
my aunt was a teenager during the 90s. when i lived with her she exposed me to that entire era of 90s female rockers like gwen, dolores o riordan, sinead, shirley manson, and many others. so grateful to my aunt for that. she loved gwen and we worshipped her effortless cool and sense of style. the 90s were such a cool time for women and female fronted bands.
Same for my aunt and I! She was a teen during this time and I was early elementary age. She was always playing these alt rock songs, especially No Doubt and Garbage. She really influenced a lot of my music taste. I have since surpassed her for my fanaticism for those 2 bands.
it's kind of sad how 2000s took a 180 turn from female fronted rock bands. Paramore and Yeah Yeah Yeahs are the only female-fronted rock bands from the 2000s who have known mainstream success, and it's even more abysmal starting from the 2010s.
@@babymilksnatcher You're literally forgetting Evanescence. Yeah, Yeah Yeahs were more of a cult band than mainstream and how come you didn't even mention Lacuna Coil, Within Temptation, Nightwish and Epica even though they are more metal than the rest I mentioned
@@babymilksnatcher Peaches?
PJ Harvey was and is a goddess! Personally, I am a big fan of women and am always rooting for them. I'm not a big fan of white men, but as a white man, I'm disgusted with the current situation with the homophobia, racism, and sexism demonstrated by the maga incel assholes. It's time for a strong woman to run this country!
Tragic Kingdom was one of the first albums I ever bought and was hugely influential to my musical tastes to this day
I'm looking forward to still coming around to it
Your medal is in the mail.
Same!!
Metalhead here, this, Hybrid Theory, Dookie, Nevermind, Sempiternal, Jagged Little Pill, Fallen, The Color & The Shape, Enema of the State and Eternal Blue were also influential to my music taste.
Same here.
I’m 24 so I missed No Doubt’s prime but one of my favorite videos of them is when they came for the Caracas Pop Festival in Venezuela and the public was so freaking loud singing Don’t Speak that Gwen got emotional. That tells you how immense they were. Having a foreign public sing the lyrics of your song perfectly in the age before youtube and the internet is just amazing
Whoa nice
Venezolanos 😎
tackhead would be a good squizz
I saw No Doubt's 2nd to last show as of today. Riot Fest 2015. Masterful performance, the crowd was massive. They still had it, I wish we could get another tour sometime.
Absolute legends.
my first concert ever was Paramore (my and my sisters favorite band) opening for No Doubt(mom’s favorite band). awesome music better memories
I went to one of those shows...I think it was 2009. Both bands were really great live
Tragic Kingdom was an epic album, not a bad song on it. Was obsessed with it at the time, still holds up well.
Sublime!! I was obsessed with them. They had a documentary called “stories, tales, lies, and exaggerations”. I watched it millions of times. To the point I had it memorized. I knew the lyrics to every song I get my hand on and they influenced me to join a band, Pollo Loco, as the singer. We wrote our own originals but heavily influenced by them and did a cover of bad fish every night we played. Sublime was my everything.
I saw No Doubt a couple times in the mid-90s. They were just fantastic. I also think that Return of Saturn is a really underrated album. There’s some good ish on there.
Yes! I have always said Return of Saturn is incredibly underrated! The production, lyrics was everything!
@@ashleyjones2137 I like the other albums, and Tragic Kingdom is full of bangers, but Return of Saturn is the one I listen to most.
@@imdoneplus same here! It just felt like a more mature, introspective album compared to Tragic Kingdom which was a lot more youthful and fun (but still a fantastic album)
This video does what this whole series does best: taking a band you don't really care about, providing an in-depth analysis of their history, background and body of work including how their lyrics relate to certain events in their lives, thereby having you to acknowledge each artist/band member is WAY more talented than you realized and growing your respect for them. Well done!
I've seen ND live somewhere in 1996, right before they blew up here, on a Belgian festival and I remember being not impressed at all. Later I only knew them from "Just A Girl" and from being Fishbone fans which, I admit, always gets kudos from me. I will certainly give No Doubt a spin in the near future, and "Don't Speak" for me has transformed from an overly played radio breakup song into this deeply existential, psychologic narrative. Excellent series, this! BTW, favourite 3rd wave ska bands: P.A.I.N., Ska-P, The Slackers and Citizen Fish!!
Man. I love Citizen Fish. Fuck knows how Dick Lucas manages somehow to capture that upbeat feeling while basically nonchalantly singing about how our whole world is on fire and the corporations own everything. But it's a wonderful juxtaposition.
Ska-P? I didn't know they were internationally famous.
You'd be shocked tbf. Welcome To Hell and Cannabis were both songs I was introduced to as a teenager.
@kristofwynants
I didn't care much for "Don't Speak" up until I had to get my kids to listen to the 90's. UA-cam referrential binge got me back to the video and let me tell ya, the song is still the same middling affair for me but the video is fucking amazing and you notice even more subtle details on repeat viewings. And it's particularly on-point with knowing what happened in the 25 years since.
Tragic Kingdom is worth a spin, hope u revisit. Approach it as a poppunky rock album, not ska, and you won’t be disappointed
"It'll take an act of god for this band to get on the radio."
Creates one of the catchiest and most played pop songs of the mid 90s.
That comment was made in '92 and they were correct at the time. No Doubt was terrible at the time and had a cheesy image.
@@83442handle I know. I watched the video.
I really miss No Doubt. They have so many bangers, especially 'Sunday Morning' (my favorite), 'Settle Down', 'Running', 'Bathwater', 'Simple Kind of Life', 'Excuse Me Mr.', and the incredibly underrated 'Waiting Room', which was co-written by Prince so of course it absolutely slaps.
didn't know about waiting room ty for that info, dang she worked with the best like Andre 3000 aswell :)
i have to say, that says a lot about No Doubt's talent, that freaking PRINCE helped out and his bit was the one people overlook.
compare how the Bangles' second record featured "Manic Monday". it probably had to feature "Manic Monday".
Is there any classic artists Trash doesn’t like? Not only does each artist he covers in-depth clearly gets researched throughly, but he also sounds so passionate for every act in his voice. Excellent video.
Perhaps he only covers bands and genres that he likes? After all, it would be no fun devoting a month to researching and writing a video about something you don't like.
I am always blown away by the outstanding and deeply perceptive analysis of this channel! Combined with the emotive sound of the narrator, I just can't get enough! Five stars! Two thumbs up! A+!
Their unique sound brought ska to the mainstream and “Tragic Kingdom" was a defining album for me. Their influence was immense during that era.
I was something like 8 or 9 years old when 'Just a Girl' came out, I didn't have the words to explain it until I was much older, but I was always drawn to it because it explained something about being a young girl that was unfair but not blatent, obvious sexism, and the tone of the song and how she deals with it got through to me in a way that has always resonated.
In high school, Gwen Stefani was my hero. Right after school I would automatically put on MTV and wait until No Doubt videos were on and blast the TV. 😁😁😁😁😁 I was always the first one home anyway.
this was soooo me in high school.
I love it when someone cleverer than me manages to put into words what I have felt listening to music all this time. All that’s missing is a link to a playlist… 👍
I remember seeing No Doubt in Minneapolis during the Tragic Kingdom tour. They were playing a sold-out show at First Avenue with Goldfinger opening. They were on the cusp of being too big for the venue they were playing and the energy was incredible!
2000 metrodome parking lot warped tour
Green Day n Mighty mighty Bostones
I love when a band suddenly becomes huge in the time between a show being booked and the show being played. It makes for a hell of an evening.
@@daviddalrymple2284 back before Offspring released Smash, they were booked at the local 'big' punk rock venue called The Armory which held around 600 kids. Once the album was released and the tickets went on sale, the show ended up being sold out in 4 minutes. The band had to re-book and play a 6000 seat venue instead - which still sold out.
That’s the show PRINCE attended to see No Doubt for the 1st time and then invited the band to hangout with him after !!
Bravo 👏🏼 I was 10 in 96, tragic Kingdom was the first CD I ever purchased with my first “allowance” in Los Angeles at the Warehouse. It holds such a special place in my heart
I bought ac/dc "dirty deeds" in a super market when I was like 10 with my allowance. It was a "record". And yes, for some reason i could buy it at the local supermarket. I love no doubt too. Awesome group!
I worked at Best Buy during the Christmast season of '96, and they played Tragic Kingdom exclusively, on loop, for weeks over the store PA. I ended up getting totally sick of it, but it really does hold up and it's a pleasure to listen to it now.
Best music review channel on UA-cam. It’s always objective, rich in detail and context, and isn’t overly pretentious. Any band or song he talks about is taken seriously and I really love that. Keep on the great work 🤙🏻
Gwen would be proud of this look back at their history and influence. Good for you, man.
Man I miss No Doubt! I remember listening to Happy Now on repeat after my first real heartbreak. Tragic Kingdom was such a good album but that song really helped me get mad about it and move on.
Tragic Kingdom holds up so well, it's amazing.
All this early footage of young Gwen and the band is wonderful, she really was a baby!
Timing of this post has creeped me out, just been absolutely rinsing no doubt music recently. This was exactly what I needed
No Doubt on Trash Theory? Instant like
Thanks for the video, my Sunday just became a lot better
I adore both No Doubt and this channel, so you can imagine my reaction to seeing the notification for this video😄
Aww I love Save Ferris and bummed they didn't get any bigger than they did.
Great video as always!
As someone who grew up on Two-Tone (hey, where was The Beat?), my 3rd Wave faves were definitely the ones who kept as close as possible to that sound and feel. Dance Hall Crashers, followed by Mighty Mighty Bosstones, were the ones who really felt like Ska to me. No Doubt always felt Ska-adjacent rather than a band that was truly waving its flag.
don't forget about Bim Skala Bim...they were amazing too.
Sure. I think the video did a good job of explaining why they started out as ska, got more diverse with the departure of Gwen's brother, but still got called ska by the label when it came to Tragic Kingdom.
I wonder if it's about time for a 4th Ska wave? Here's hoping!
Some toasters and mustard plug songs I feel have that 2 tone feeling as well
@@phuzz00 Well, I know for sure The Interrupters will be part of it
if the historian in question knows their stuff. Check them out!
She's Kerosene is my fave song from when I found them
My favorite song off of Tragic Kingdom is "Different People" which to my ear is the most "ska" song start-to-finish on the album. What an epic album!
It should have been a single.
Tragic Kingdom is one of my favorite albums ever, so I'm thrilled you dedicated a whole video to it! Your sense of analysis always makes me so curious to discover new (old) things you mention in your channel, so thanks a lot for expanding and opening our minds!!
Saw them live on the Tragic Kingdom tour in the 90's, to this day they are still the best live act I've ever seen.
Well done, sir, we greatly appreciate the way you knit this super influential band to so many other lesser known (now anyhow) before, during, and afterward this seminal album released. From my personal experience, this album was so incredibly listenable that my own musicality, down to my continuing playing style, structures, and habits musically, are forever shaped by thos band and album. Thanks again. Your penchant for deriving the essence of your intended subject through the murky depths of time are appreciated and impressive.
Relistened to No Doubt's Rocksteady for the first time since I was a kid (I was a huge fan of them). It was an incredible album, and No Doubt are an incredible band. I'm so glad I got to see them live with Paramore in 2009. :)
Also, shoutout to Madness! They're awesome!!
two tone ska is the shit. i only hope for 4th wave
You just keep releasing stuff about the genres, bands and music that I love and as a huge No Doubt fan for the last fifteen years, even I was surprised at some of the aspects I was not aware of, a familiar but welcome issue with watching your videos. Usual 11/10 here.
As a 12 year old- Tragic Kingdom held the same place as Dookie in my heart as an album (and in turn a band) I “found” musically on my own. Kinda my first full musical separation as a tween.
i was a freshman in high school, and both those albums have a special place in my heart
I am from Anaheim and I will always love No Doubt. Tragic Kingdom was my childhood and I followed them on tour for so many years. I'm so sad they are not together anymore. They deserved a better end! You should do a whole No Doubt video and Gwen's solo stuff too! Nice job!
I love No Doubt. They’re one of my favorite Ska-Punk bands.
Just pushed "play" , and I'm an inmoveable object, glued to the screen, watching the next absolutely precious peace, done by The Trash Theory..on one breath. Thanx a thousand 4 your work!
Lots of Luv and Respect from Sofia
I hadn't seen the parallels to Cyndi Lauper before, but I think you nailed it wit this video.
Montréal and Québec in general had a vibrant ska scene in the early 1990s. When No Doubt became popular, they felt weirdly late to the party here. We had bands like Me Mom and Morgentaler or GrimSkunk that already had albums, tours, videoclips and sometimes even airplay on the radio.
Even in Ottawa in the late 90s. I remember hearing about Ska at Uni and wondering what people were talking about.
As a child in Alliston looking for interesting or personable music, I ended up being vaguely aware of these bands myself but I never literally thought about it being popular in Quebec - it makes a lot of sense to me. 'Grunge' music was all almost completely new to me in the early 2000's when I started to listen to rock.
Same in Houston.
They weren't the only and original in Orange County, either. Other Ska bands like The Aquabats had also become locally popular and shared the stage before No Doubt hit a more widespread audience. Remember that they'd already recorded albums a few years before Tragic Kingdom.
It was Gwen's energy and voice that pushed them onto the larger stage and opened the door for more broad acceptance of the ska music that before was only drawing pockets of local fans to more local ska artists.
I was in Montréal in the early 90s and was frequently at local shows. Me Mom were great, but the kingpins, the planet smashers and many others always put on amazing shows too. There were frequent ska jam sessions at various bars throughout the city and a lot of really good musicians came out of that scene. It was a great time.
I love No Doubt they are my favorite band and I think they will be forever. I can never forget when I discovered them, I was at home alone and I was cooking with the radio on the TV which started "just a girl" and I immediately asked myself who are these?! from there I started listening to them... first Rock Steady then TK and No Doubt (what I consider their best album, it work from the start to the finish) the old school songs etc etc. I think the genius of the band was Eric and when he leaves the band changes a bit but whether you like it or not they are among the best bands ever
In '95 a friend introduced me to ska and handed me 'Question the Answers' by MMBT, 'New York Fever' by the Toasters and 'Tragic Kingdom'. Changed the direction of my life. Some of the 3rd wave ska hasn't aged that well but I still have the Bosstones on regular rotation and 'Tragic Kingdom' still sounds as fresh today as it did back then. Thanks for this one!
The sound , the look , the energy , the videos , it all fit in perfect for the mid nineties era radio play and MTV . Girls wanted to look like Gwen . The music was so catchy .
Brilliant video yet again, i didn't realise the lore of No Doubt was so deep.
the research and style knowledge amongst this channel's makers is equally enlighting and refreshing; I was born in 1980, so this should be me at my most suggestive and yet this teaches me so much from that time.
To answer the question you asked at the end of the video, Less Than Jake is not only my favorite 3rd wave ska/punk band, but also my favorite band period.
Glad I stumbled onto your channel, I plan to deep dive into all of your videos.
My favorite third wave's Ska band?! No doubt, it's FISHBONE❤!!
Thank you so much for covering this! My childhood is flashing before my eyes! ❤❤❤
Great video. DHC, BLINDSPOT, LESS THAN JAKE were my top bands in the 90s.
oh my god. this is just my new favorite video on the channel. No Doubt is such an exceptional case of a band and although the video just scratches on the late 90s ska boom, it is so nice to see it represented and have the word widespread. btw No Doubt is probably the reason why I became a fan of both skacore and pop punk. two scenes that Ill forever love for the rest of my life.
Great video, Five Iron Frenzy is my favorite 3rd wave ska band.
Never stop making these mini-docs❤
As much as I want share my opinion and love for No Doubt and Gwen I think it's important to stop and thank you for putting this together. A lot of work went into this and sincerely appreciate it.
We got the Just A Girl video on one of our monthly tapes when I worked at Gadzooks. I was floored. I kept going to the back and rewinding the tape to watch it again.
thank you for featuring No Doubt and Gwen. I feel she doesn't get much love for her singing voice, which I have always been obsessed with
I love your videos so much! Tragic kingdom is one of those albums that I'll always cherish due to the memories attached. I was only 16 listening to 'Only 16' and had the biggest crush on Gwen. And was discovering so many great bands at the time. I was listening to No doubt and other bands like Greenday and Rancid and they led me down a path of discovery when it came to punk music and music in general. I was discovering so much great music, from the Ramones to the Pixies, looking back, it was a magical time.
I love the sound of your voice, it's cadence, tone, accent, everything...
Good times, good tunes, good research and very good taste. Salutations.
This vid is worth of sharing what’s rare.
Tragic Kingdom was definitely the more iconic album as it shifted culture. But if you want to hear Gwen’s songwriting abilities at her peak, you should listen to the follow-up album “Return of Saturn.” It’s brilliant.
New is a phenomenal song, but several bangers on that one
Oh man, this brought back memories! I was more of a BossToneS, Rancid, OpIvy kid, but No Doubt will always live in my heart.
Thank you for making this, it really put a smile on my face!
Still one of my favorite albums and bands of all time. The lyrics still hit so hard, and the songs SLAP! Great vid detailing their journey!
Was a ska fan prior to the 3rd wave, but was thrilled to be able to play so many of the artists mentioned in your video while working at an alternative radio station (1995-98). So many people were finally given an opportunity to hear and appreciate this genre
... and not a mention of Rossdale ... Respect!
Hes an absolute cad
Gwen's one of the best self-songwriters in all of pop IMO. Every song shares a little of her life, and it was never overly formulaic. She was always up for trying different styles and putting her own personality and life experiences into her music. She deserves every accolade she ever got.
I only wish Tim Armstrong had found the same success. Personally I think he deserved it just about as much as Gwen.
Gwen was a beautiful girl and as a women in her 50s now, she looks like she’s in her late twenties!! I’ll take whatever she’s on!
Brilliantly done. Really well presented
Gwen’s solo song “Wonderful Life” was inspired by John Spence. I saw them in 1989 at a local music event in SoCal - Gwen was so charismatic already - their energy was amazing. And then within a few years there they were on mtv! It was awesome. They worked so incredibly hard.
I was one of those teenagers back then going to all these bands haha !! Thanks for taking me down memory lane
"Mockery from the Orange County scene"?? Thats not how i remember it it at all. No Doubt had a buzz from the start. Even when they had the original singer John Spence they practiced in the the big room at Stomp Box in Anahei, people wanted to stop and watch them. When John Spence died lots of bands turned up to help them, including Skankin' Pickle at the fund raiser at the Roxy. It was a big deal. No one really knew "third wave ska" was about to catch on. John Panel knew. I managed Vitamin L at the time. Knuckle Brothers, One Eye Open, Suburban Rhythm, and Sublime were bands that John Panel picked up on WAY before Interscope Records even knew about these bands. No Doubt certainly wasn't "mocked" in anyway from 2nd or 3rd wave. I'm not a huge fan of third wave but it wasn't being ignored or mocked in anyway in OC.
your voice and pacing; perfect for this kind of format. it's like it was meant to be
I still listen to Sunday Morning religiously. That song is iconic!
one of the biggest bands of the initial wave of bands credited for the "Third Wave of Ska" was The Donkey Show from San Diego, CA. No Doubt played either their first show or one of their very first shows opening for The Donkey Show. True 3rd Wavers know them well for the huge part they played in the scene, yet no one ever seems to talk about them, mostly because they only were around a few years. but every 3rd Wave band that found success owes a small part of it to The Donkey Show. it's unfortunate more people don't know them & give them the credit they deserve as such a great fucking band that helped pave the way for so many, including No Doubt. true pioneers
You are an incredible music historian! Love this video
Saw them just once, in Vegas. They played ‘new’ and the crowd went absolutely berserk. They’re the Converge of pop ska
Lol god no. They were as mainstream as they come.. top 40 radio darlings that were overexposed and loved it.
Saw them way back when I was in highschool when Just a Girl was still on the more underground radio stations. They opened for 311, the band I was actually there to see. It was an outdoor show and a lot of fun. It was cool to look back on it a few years later after they'd gotten massive.
I'm going to keep asking till you do it - Earache records . One the most influential labels to come out of the UK. A glaring omission from your library of great content. Do It !
Great video. Thank you. Favourite one would have to be Reel Big Fish. Saw them live about 15 years ago and were awesome
Thanks for a better insight on gwen and no doubt as you unfolded their lives and careers. Truly, beauty can come from a place of sadness and longing and no doubt turned it around and became successful. I enjoyed the vid.
Well researched and balanced documentary style. Well done.
Two tone ska changed my young life in the 80's and it still grooves me every time I listen. No Doubt was okay, but they were just 20 years late.
I just want to say how much i enjoyed this video! Great work!
It is nice to hear No Doubt again
I remember the drama of her heart break song ...
... guess we are still not totally grown out of that 🙃
Outstanding video
I found Trash Theory yesterday (12-06-2k23) and I subbed today. Phuckin' cool vids man.
Never knowingly been a Gwen Stefani fan (beyond Don't Speak), but this was fascinating! Also didn't realise how many No Doubt songs I know and enjoyed.
I absolutely adore no doubt, tragic kingdom is one of the biggest gems to be published in the 90s and is recognized as such. i’m so excited watch his video since you’re a great source of info in terms of objectivity and way of narration.
Really glad I found your channel! Watched just 2 so far and both were very entertaining!
I have been waiting for a 3rd Wave Ska episode!
To me the perfect comparison for No Doubt is them being the Metallica of 3W Ska, the parallels are the same, they are not only inmensely bigger and culturally relevant than the other bands of the genre, but even bigger that the whole scene and genre they used to belong, sadly such bands are probably never going to emerge again, the mainstream closed up the doors for bands and anything related to alternative scenes
so.... pop?
This is fantastic. Thank you
this is magic. you're a master.
"Don't speak" is just a gorgeous song. It captures the emotions you're going through when a relationship is falling apart so incredibly well.