Top Ten Most Bumping Albums of All Time (Part 5)

Top Ten Most Bumping Album of All Time (Part 5)

At #7 in the "Sweet 16" style tournament of my friends' "most bumping" albums was 311's "Grassroots."

Out of the gate, the amped up guitar riff of "Homebrew" matched with a mellow hip hop beat to create the signature 311 sound. As it approached the chorus, the guitar turned up the distortion and gained a heavy edge. The chorus broke with a funky reggae/ hip hop groove. Sharing elements with the Chili Peppers, Rage Against The Machine, and Sublime, their blend of reggae, hip hop, and punk elements created a unique alternative sound.

"Lucky" hit with a distinct rhythm that fused alternative grungy tone with funk melodies and more rap vocals. The upbeat aggressive mood of the tune seemed to be smoothed out by the positive, laid back vocals.

"Nutsymtom" started with a punk flavor, but gradually a funkified bassline peaked out from behind distorted guitar. The breakdown featured some handy slap bass and jamband-style guitar work, and provided what I felt to be the best groove of the album. Jazzy. Funky. Raw.

"8:16 AM" continued the jazzy theme as the crisp guitar line was accented by a taut, funky drum track. The vocals had the flair of a lounge-rapper, and the backing groove was tight.

"Omaha Stylee" began with some DJ scratching and bumping bass. The transition into heavier, alternative 90s rock was smooth and characteristic of the band's flavor.

"Applied Science" had an aggressive rhythm; the tight drumming worked well with the spoken word style lyrics. To this point in the album, I wasn't particularly convinced of its status as "bumping." Good? Yeah, but not necessarily classified as bumping. Energetic, lively, and driven perhaps.

"Taiyed" featured some of my favorite guitar work on the album. The solo had a slight echo affecting the tone, just enough to give it a slight reverbed chorus feel. My only complaint was that the song was short at just under two minutes.

"Silver" brought another rap-rock tune into the mix. Lyrically, I wasn't the biggest fan of the song. The bass line was challenging, and seemed to keep the bass player, P-Nut, busy.

The next song was the title track, "Grassroots." The tune rests in a laid back groove for most of the song, there is a higher energy bridge, and it was definitely one of my favorite tracks on the album.

"Salsa" continued to fuse rap, reggae, and punk rock themes. The similarities to Sublime were undeniable, though 311's sound was still distinct.

"Lose" began with a very mellow groove, the lazy drums almost lulling me into a sleep. Throughout the album, I was impressed by the snappy, timely drumming ... perhaps why the album was nominated as "bumping" in the first place.

There were some sweet jazzy guitar licks in the song before a cool drum and bass break and more lead guitar. The tone reminded me of some Zappa work, but with far simpler composition. It was another one of my favorite songs on the album.

As "six" began, I was intrigued by the interesting rhythm and syncopated vocals. Zach De La Rocha came to mind as I was reminded of Rage Against the Machine's singing. The aggressive guitar and drums gave the otherwise punk-rap groove a heavier vibe. The lyrics referenced living in Southern California ... A geographical influence their sound generally mimicked.

"Offbeat Bare Ass" started with a metal sounding guitar riff. When the vocals dropped, it changed the vibe of the song to something that resembled a Kid Rock tune.

The final song of the album was "1, 2, 3" and reverted to the laid back calypso-reggae pace. I liked the dreamy delivery of the chorus vocals. There was an ethereal sense in the floaty sound.

I mentioned similarities to Sublime earlier. I had a conversation with a friend about the differences between the two bands, and his response was: "pacing." Sublime was very laid back, and had a dopey sound (I wonder why). 311 was similar, but much more amped. Speedy with a mellow edge. The resulting sound reminded me of aggressive work, while exhausted.

On the whole, a very enjoyable album, but I'm not personally convinced it should have been in the Top Ten most bumping albums of all time. How about you? What do you think?

Stay tuned for next week as we explore the 6th "most bumping" album ...