Detailed item info | Track listing | 1. Ex-Girlfriend
2. Simple Kind of Life
3. Bathwater
4. Six Feet Under
5. Magic's in the Makeup
6. Artificial Sweetener
7. Marry Me
8. New
9. Too Late
10. Comforting Lie
11. Suspension Without Suspense
12. Staring Problem
13. Home Now
14. Dark Blue
| | Details | | Distributor: | Universal Distribution | | Recording type: | Studio | | Recording mode: | Stereo | | SPAR Code: | n/a |
| | Album notes | No Doubt: Gwen Stefani (vocals); Tom Dumont (guitar); Tony Kanal (bass); Adrian Young (drums, percussion).
Additional personnel: Stephen Bradley (trumpet); Gabrial McNair (trombone, piano, keyboards, synthesizer, programming); Mike Garson (piano); Theo "Hound Dog" Mondle (turntables); Bryan Carrigan, Michael Boddicker (programming).
Producers: Glen Ballard, Jerry Harrison, No Doubt, Matthew Wilder.
Engineers: Karl Derfler, Alain Johannes, Thom Panunzio.
Recorded at Royaltone, NRG, Hang Suite and Ocean Way Recording, Hollywood, California; Aerowave, Encino, California.
RETURN OF SATURN was nominated for the 2001 Grammy Award for Best Rock Album.
Pop-ska rockers No Doubt make their long-awaited return with the follow-up to the hugely successful TRAGIC KINGDOM. The band's fiery dynamic remains intact as vocalist Gwen Stefani's penchant for emotionally charged tales of heartbreak drive the single "Ex-Girlfriend," "Simple Kind Of Life" and "Bath Water." In "The Magic's In The Makeup," Stefani's lyrics speak of yearning to be appreciated beyond surface beauty for who she really is while the band reaches for a thicker sound and more complex arrangements.
Illusions and metaphors exploring the darker side of love set the tone of "Artificial Sweetener." "Marry Me" uses a melodic, staccato bass line to drive the reggae-tinged tale of the insecurities and doubts surrounding commitment. In "New" Stefani metaphorically compares fresh batteries to the optimism and excitement of a new relationship. "Too Late" is an atmospheric, bittersweet power ballad while "Staring Problem" throttles with the quirky punk energy that long-time fans will embrace. With two years in the making, RETURN OF SATURN finds No Doubt a tighter, more mature unit, focused more on pop songs and production and leaning slightly away from the ska/horn dominated sound of their past.
| | Editorial reviews | Included in Rolling Stone's Top 50 Albums of 2000.
Rolling Stone (01/04/2001)
4 stars out of 5 - ...A rare achievement: a superstar follow-up that not only betters its predecessor but also radically departs from it....a collection of uniformly well-crafted, vigorously performed tunes that run the gamut from grungy to giddy, playful to pensive...
Rolling Stone (04/27/2000)
...Their aggro-ska construct has real legs, thanks to the group's strong songwriting chops....Stefani continues to play her compelling linchpin role...taking the familiar tropes of classic girlie pop, heartbreak, bad-boy attraction, and the matrimonial urge and turns them upside down...
Vibe (05/01/2000)
3 stars out of 5 - ...A clutch of well-crafted songs....Pale and sometimes interesting.
Q (05/01/2000)
4 stars out of 5 - ...A great pop album. In a strange incidence of role-reversal, SATURN runs rings around most of its rivals.
Melody Maker (04/11/2000)
...[They] still bounce around on the kind of perky, reggae-inflicted trampolines that can give you motion sickness....concentrating on smoother, layered mid-tempo ballads as creamily textured as extra-thick napoleon pastries... - Rating: B
Entertainment Weekly (04/14/2000)
...Once again, Stefani sits at the helm....Success hasn't freed [her] from her heartache, incessant yearning or self-analysis, but it has given the band the confidence to bring their new wave tendencies to the forefront...
CMJ (04/24/2000)
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