Forgotten Songs of the '90s: 311
Forgotten Songs of the ‘90s: 311
When 311 released Transistor in 1997, it was not as warmly received as its predecessor, 1995’s self-titled disc, but contained on the disc was one of the best songs 311 had ever written: “Prisoner.”
Once the song starts, it immediately sweeps you in with a loop that swirls around and piques your interest. Then Nick Hexum begins singing and you can tell that it’s going to be one of the most mellow songs of their entire career and that’s exactly what you get. But that doesn’t mean the song isn’t as good as other 311 songs, rather it’s better because it allows the band to explore a different aspect of their sound that isn’t heard that often.
The song has a swirling effect that lasts long after the song’s over and the lyrics, particularly in the coda will stick with you forever. It’s hard to understand why the song didn’t become a massive hit along the lines of “Amber” or “Down,” maybe it’s because the song was a bit slower than what people were used to from 311; regardless, the song deserves to be rediscovered. The band have even buried it a bit; it’s the only single the band released that wasn’t on Greatest Hits ’93-’03 and that’s a damn shame. So listen and think about it.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SakkS2Im1OE
When 311 released Transistor in 1997, it was not as warmly received as its predecessor, 1995’s self-titled disc, but contained on the disc was one of the best songs 311 had ever written: “Prisoner.”
Once the song starts, it immediately sweeps you in with a loop that swirls around and piques your interest. Then Nick Hexum begins singing and you can tell that it’s going to be one of the most mellow songs of their entire career and that’s exactly what you get. But that doesn’t mean the song isn’t as good as other 311 songs, rather it’s better because it allows the band to explore a different aspect of their sound that isn’t heard that often.
The song has a swirling effect that lasts long after the song’s over and the lyrics, particularly in the coda will stick with you forever. It’s hard to understand why the song didn’t become a massive hit along the lines of “Amber” or “Down,” maybe it’s because the song was a bit slower than what people were used to from 311; regardless, the song deserves to be rediscovered. The band have even buried it a bit; it’s the only single the band released that wasn’t on Greatest Hits ’93-’03 and that’s a damn shame. So listen and think about it.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SakkS2Im1OE
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