Sublime gone but not forgotten

In May of 1996, just weeks before the release of their self titled album, Sublime's front man Bradley Nowell was found dead in his hotel room. HE was pronounced dead on arrival from a heroin overdose. This is sadly just another example of a musical mastermind that was taken way before his time due to drug abuse. Yet, Bradley's music lives on. In the short time that Nowell spent on this earth he managed to create one of the most timeless and compelling bands of all time. To this day Sublime music still rocks college campuses around the nation. With classic tunes lie "What I got", "Santeria" and "Bad Fish" 14 years after his death Bradley Nowell still has people jamming to his songs.

Guitar Riffs Galore:
Nothing too crazy, but Sublime has some of the most memorable guitar riffs of all time. A perfect example of this is the song "Pawnshop". The song tells the story of how Nowell's drug addiction had finally conquered him. The lyrics allude to him selling his guitar at a pawnshop so he could feed his addiction. Yet ironically enough, his most defining guitar riffs as a musician accompany his vocals throughout the song.

Driving Vocals:
Although guitar chords from Sublime songs are easily mimicked by acoustic guitar players around the globe, Bradley Nowell's voice is not. Nowell was said to have possessed perfect pitch meaning he could hear any note and match it without hesitation. Also the pure energy and emotion that he sang with cannot be duplicated by anyone. Needless to say his voice was one in a million. Listen to "Santeria" and it is you will know what I mean.

Funky Bass:
Behind almost every Sublime song is a strong bass line. Although Eric Wilson played the bass for the band a majority of the bass parts were written by front man Bradley Nowell himself. The bass is often the most essential piece to a Sublime song. It adds a sense of rhythm to each song that simply makes people want to "shake it".

Mix of music:
In the early 1990s Sublime was able to create a sound that had never been heard before. They were able to successfully mix a variety of music including Reggae, Ska, Dub, Hip-Hop, Alternative Rock, Punk and even some Blues. For someone to take this many kinds of music and mix them together takes some real talent. It is for that reason that we still hear Sublime at parties, coffee houses and bars all over the nation. Simply put, there is something for everyone to enjoy.

Front Man:
Bradley Nowell was the driving force behind Sublime. He wrote the lyrics, guitar parts, played the keys, produced and even wrote bass and drum parts. Nowell sang about love, hate, his struggles with drug abuse and much more. He was gifted in all aspects of music and produced a sound that was way before his time. In a sense Sublime was Bradley Nowell and Bradley Nowell was Sublime. There is no other way to explain it. Sublime rocked because Bradley Nowell rocked.