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No Doubt, much like Garbage, have got a great collection of rarities and b-sides. Why wasn’t “New Friend” shoved onto Rock Steady? Its twitchy New Wave-meets-ragga beat would have slipped right in perfectly between “Don’t Let Me Down” and “Start the Fire.” Why didn’t “You’re So Foxy” get included on Return of Saturn? Its Blondie-esque disco-rock would have lightened up the second half of that album’s gloomy ballad-heavy string of songs. They only could have improved already great albums.
The b-sides and three of the rarities are familiar to hardcore No Doubters, but they should be a welcome listen to people just now discovering them. The dubbed out “Sailin’ On” and skater-brat take on “Oi to the World” prove that the band has always moved between reggae, punk and New Wave with ease. They’re also great covers of Bad Brains and The Vandals, respectively. “Cellophane Boy,” “Under Construction” and “Beauty Contest” feature some of Gwen’s best lyrics, and the band expands their musical styles far and wide while digging deep into their influences. Elvis Costello even pops up for the previously soundtrack-only song “I Throw My Toys Around.” Costello's production and song writing brings out the warmth and humor in Stefani's voice with aplomb.
The new songs though are the real treats: “Panic,” both versions of “Everything in Time” and the above mentioned “You’re So Foxy” and “New Friend” all showcase the band’s ability to fuss together their main genres of choice. Not every track is successful though. Though the three remixes tacked onto the end lose me. I’d rather have heard the demo versions of “Sushi Experience” or “It's a Fight,” a Timbaland track, or the Dr. Dre produced "Wicked Day". The latter two were dropped because their hip-hop inflected beats clashed with the rest of the album, allegedly. What would Dr. Dre/Timbaland and No Doubt have cooked up? Who knows. But I’d trade in the Ms. Dynamite and Sweetie Irie remixes to hear them. Same goes for the ridiculously long "New & Approved Remix" which doesn't build the song in any interesting new direction.
Like practically any rarities or b-sides album, this aims mostly at the hardcore fans. And as one, I absolutely adore it. But there’s enough interesting and good material for the curious and uninitiated to give it a listen. DOWNLOAD: “You’re So Foxy,” “Oi to the World,” “New Friend”
