Sublime Second-Hand Smoke CD

SECONDHAND SMOKE is a collection of previously unreleased tracks along with alternate and dub takes of currently available material. This limited edition release of SECOND HAND SMOKE is packaged with a t-shirt.
Sublime: Brad Nowell (vocals, guitar, keyboards); Eric Wilson (organ, bass); Bud Gaugh (drums).
Additional personnel: Gwen Stefani (vocals); Miguel (guitar, sound effects, background vocals); Tim Wu (saxophone); Isiah Owens (keyboards); Field Marshall (drums, programming; Billy Wilson (percussion).
Producers include: Paul Leary, The Field Marshall, Miguel, Sublime, Bradley Nowell.
Engineers include: Eddie Ashworth, Miguel, Craven Morehead, Steve McNeil, Donnell Cameron.
Includes liner notes by Michael "Miguel" Happoldt.
Personnel: Brad Nowell (vocals, guitar, keyboards); Gwen Stefani (vocals); Miguel Leary, Michael "Miguel" Happoldt (guitar, background vocals); Tim Wu (saxophone); Eric Wilson (organ); Isaiah Owens (keyboards); Field Marshall (drums, programming, turntables); Bud Gaugh (drums); Billy Wilson (percussion); DJ Product (turntables).
Audio Mixers: Field Marshall; Eddie Ashworth; Miguel Leary; Sean Perry; Steve McNeil; Craven Morehead; Jez Colin; Matt Hyde ; Paul Leary; Stuart Sullivan; Warren Fitzgerald ; Michael "Miguel" Happoldt; Brad Nowell.
Liner Note Author: Michael "Miguel" Happoldt.
Recording information: C.S.U.D.H (1987-1996); Clandestine Labs, Temecula, CA (1987-1996); Mambo Recorders (1987-1996); Mambo Recorders, Long Beach, CA (1987-1996); Pedrenales, Briarcliff, TX (1987-1996); Total Access Studios, Redondo Beach, CA (1987-1996).
Illustrators: Opie Gibran Ortiz; Sean Fischer.
Photographer: John Dunne.
The success of Sublime was both a blessing and a curse for the band -- a blessing because the group and its lead singer/songwriter, Brad Nowell, were celebrated after his tragic death, and a curse because there's no way the rhythm section could successfully produce a follow-up. There was only one thing to do -- release everything left in the vaults as quickly as possible, since their audience would fade even if they waited one year. So, in 1997, a live and rarities EP entitled What I Got was released in September, followed less than two months later by Second Hand Smoke, a hodgepodge of unreleased tracks from the Sublime sessions. There's a reason why these weren't released: they're not very good. The cover of Bob Marley's "Trenchtown Rock" is OK, but the originals are repetitive and not very catchy, and the remix of the Gwen Stefani duet "Saw Red" is simply unnecessary. Only hardcore fans will find things of worth here, and even those will be minor pleasures. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine
The success of Sublime was both a blessing and a curse for the band -- a blessing because the group and its lead singer/songwriter, Brad Nowell, were celebrated after his tragic death, and a curse because there's no way the rhythm section could successfully produce a follow-up. There was only one thing to do -- release everything left in the vaults as quickly as possible, since their audience would fade even if they waited one year. So, in 1997, a live and rarities EP entitled What I Got was released in September, followed less than two months later by Second Hand Smoke, a hodgepodge of unreleased tracks from the Sublime sessions. Includes a cover of Bob Marley's "Trenchtown Rock," and a remix of the Gwen Stefani duet "Saw Red." ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine
It is often said that the quickest way for an artist to become famous is to die. The obvious flip-side of this is that the artist doesn't get to enjoy the fruits of his labors. On SECOND-HAND SMOKE, the surviving Sublime members and long-time collaborator Miguel gather together some of their earliest demos along with more recent out-takes in a final tribute to their late leader, drug casualty Brad Nowell.
Comparing the earliest work on this release to the later hits, it's striking how far Nowell's songwriting had progressed.Entertainment Weekly (12/19/97, pp.75-76) - "...Sublime's own evolution from beer-bash trio to sonic experimentalists is...evident. By the end of this chronologically sequenced set, they're mixing up Peter Tosh instrumentals, duetting with pal Gwen Stefani, and concocting soulful pop-reggae..."
- Rating: B