Sublime Album: “Robbin' the Hood [Bonus Tracks]”

I had the good fortune of being turned on to Sublime early on watching surf videos and listening to Kroq, and had the better fortune of checking them out live in Vta before Brad's untimely death. As great as their other albums are, this is the album that truly shows how diverse and talented this group was. They do an amazing dub cover of Tosh's Stepping Razor, a pop/punk/ska "Saw Red" featuring a young Gwen Stefani (when ND was actually a ska group), a hardcore punk version of "Pool Shark" and a dark, soulful acoustic version of the same song, an instrumental/dub of "Santaria" (which I like better than the vocal version), and a bunch of other great songs. In all, this is the only album to exhibit the full potential of the group, and is the closest thing to the mix of songs that you would have seen at a live Sublime show. Perhaps not the best album for the casual listener, but for those wanting a greater appreciation of what Sublime was about, I'd suggest you start here.

How could anyone that calls themself a Sublime fan rate this CD anything less than 5 stars or call it anything worse than their second best album (after 40 oz)?

I'll be honest, I did get into Sublime in '96 with the release of their S/T album and I thought it was a great album back then. After a few listens to 40 oz though, I realized it was a much better CD. People told me that Robbin the Hood was a bad album and that I should stay away from it, so I decided not to buy it. Finally I decided to get this album and listen for myself to see how good it was, and I'm damn glad I did! This CD is now my favorite Sublime CD, with 40 oz as a close second.

Unless you're 15 or something and just getting into Sublime, I might understand why you dont like this CD, because your used to all the crap that's on the radio these days and Sublime's S/T album is their most mainstream one. Get 40 oz though, and once you like that more than the S/T, get this and give it a few spins and you'll see what I mean.

this album may not be for everyone, but that doesnt meant it isn't good. repeat listens are necessary to fully appreciate the beauty of this album. for years i couldn't get into this album but eventually it clicked with me and my friends. "pool shark" is heartbreaking and beautiful, one of sublime's best acoustic songs. "saw red" is an upbeat punk-ska number that features gwen from no-doubt in their pre-"spiderwebs" days. there are a number of very good acoustic songs and some excellent dubs--check out "work that we do." "lincoln highway" is an instrumental dub of "santeria" and it is mesmerizing. it may take patience, but this has become by far my favorite sublime cd. as bradley sings on "boss dj": "it's so nice, i wanna hear the same song twice..."

as a sublime fan, i was happily surprised by this album. it is a little something different and has a bit of everything on it from awesome acoustic songs to clips of the guys talking to some funky mixes. if you're a sublime lover, or just looking for something new to listen to, this is a great album to buy.

if there is a song I hear on the radio by a band that I like, I usually go out and buy their CD. then I go and buy all the stuff that came before it, as a way to appreciate the band back before they were studio produced. sublime is no different. I started with self-titled and worked my way backwards, and then I found robbin' the hood. this album is real. likewise, you'd have to be a real fan of sublime to like it because poseurs would get turned off by it's raw sound. I think it's brilliant. the lack of studio makes it what it is. a testimonial to D.I.Y.