I Said Remember That
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I Said Remember That
I Said Remember That
It all began and ended with Lou Dog, the unofficial mascot of Sublime. Louie was frontman Brad Nowell's faithful pet Dalmatian and a constant figure in the world of the '90s alt-rock stars -- he appeared on album covers, roamed freely onstage during concerts and was even name-checked in Sublime's biggest hit, "What I Got" ("To live with Louie Dog's the only way to stay sane," Nowell lovingly declared). It was also Louie who was in the room when Nowell's body was discovered in a San Francisco motel 10 years ago, on May 25, 1996. The promising young talent had died of a heroin overdose at the age of 28.
For the up-and-coming trio, Nowell's tragic death couldn't have come at a worse time. Sublime had recently recorded their major-label debut album and were in the middle of a five-day trek around California in preparation for their first European tour. The singer also had married his longtime sweetheart, Troy Dendekker, just one week before, and the couple had an 11-month-old son together. Nowell and his mates had come a long way from their beach-party roots -- they were a band on the verge of breaking big.
Formed in 1998 by Nowell, bassist Eric Wilson and drummer Bud Gaugh while the three were living in Santa Cruz, Calif., Sublime struggled for years playing their distinct brand of punked-up reggae rock at bashes on Long Beach for beer money and selling albums out of car trunks on their way to becoming one of the biggest party bands in Southern California. That regional success became country-wide buzz in 1995 when "Date Rape," a song off Sublime's first album, 40 Oz. to Freedom, became a surprise modern-rock hit. MCA Records picked up the disc for national distribution, and later that year Sublime were signed to the label and writing songs for their major-label debut album.
But by the time Sublime hit the studio, Nowell was deep in the throes of a harrowing drug addiction that had started as a "one year experiment in creativity" to emulate many of the rock stars he idolized. The songwriter often claimed drugs gave him artistic inspiration, and his lyrics reflected his own difficult struggles in life. Nowell also expertly twisted heartbreaking stories of doomed characters -- drug-addled parents, teenage prostitutes, sexual predators -- into humorous, party-time tales of perseverance and hope.
After Nowell's death, MCA briefly considered shelving the album, but eventually decided to go ahead with its release. Sublime dropped July 30, 1996, and within six months it was flirting with the Top 10 of the Billboard 200 chart. Lead single "What I Got" went on to be a No. 1 modern-rock smash, while subsequent singles "Santeria," "Wrong Way" and "Doin' Time" all became hits, as well. The disc has gone on to sell a staggering 5 million copies in the United States alone, while the aformentioned songs have remained staples on rock radio.
There would be no tour to support the album. "Just like Nirvana, Sublime died when Brad died," band manager Jason Westfall told the Long Beach Press Telegram a day after Nowell's death. Sublime no longer had their frontman, Lou Dog no longer had his master and the world of rock had seen one more bright young star burn out way too soon. (Joe Robinson)
-courtesy of 99x.com
sad times. sad times.. [sm=boohoo.gif]
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