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Can't nobody do it like 311
~ "Livin & Rockin" / Soundsystem, 1999
Is that you in the mama-ocean-people-sea?
Is that you in this dream I see waving me
closer up with one hand
while the other shields your eyes
as if surprised to see the universe begin?
Bein' up on the Mindspin
~ "Mindspin" / Soundsystem, 1999
WELCOME To The MINDSPIN!
[PG-13]
I'm old school. I've been up on 311's "mindspin" since
their first album in 1993, but this site is for all fans, old and new. Musically, 311 was without a doubt the most original
and kick-ass band of the 1990's. But unlike most of my other favorite bands, 311's lyrics are very meaningful.
Be sure to check out "THE WISDOM OF 311" link (top and bottom of this page) to the best lyrical quotes page on the Web.
311's uplifting messages have helped inspire me to become the positive being that I am today.
Livin & rockin,
Will Mindspin
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"Part clock and part man, reconciling my life span"
This page recounts some of my non-concert-related 311
memories. If you want to read about my 311 concert experiences or just see my list of shows, then go to my
"CHECK THE SHOW" page (link at top of this page). OR you can read everything in order here. Links to each 311
show are provided at the appropriate point in the narrative below. Just click "Back" after reading about each concert
to come back where you left off on this page. But I think it is easier to just read all of this, then go and read about
all of my concerts!
Now let's travel back through the hazy mists of time,
to what is now much more than even "six years and seven months" ago...
...Fall of 1993. My fellow students returned from Summer
break in civilization to college in the hills of South Eastern Ohio. My bro Shaker brought a new CD with him.
It was simply titled Music by a band called 311. Over his Summer in Cleveland, he had heard a song on "late night
radio" (as in the lyrics for "T & P Combo") and that provoked him to buy the album.
During that time period of my life, I was listening to
classic Stones ('67-'72), The Doors, Zeppelin, 70's Aerosmith, Guns N' Roses, Nirvana, Alice in Chains, Izzy Stradlin and
the Ju Ju Hounds, Blind Melon and The Beastie Boys. That Fall, Shaker and I even went and saw The Grateful Dead in concert
(but the details are fuzzy). Throughout Fall Quarter, there were several times that my bros and I were just hangin'
out, drinkin' a few beers, and Skaker would occasionally put the 311 CD in as background music. Shaker was jammin' but
the rest of us just didn't pay that much attention to it.
One night after Winter Quarter started, my roommate Ted,
Shaker and I had come back from one of our frequent adventures in the woods (there wasn't much else to do). I was the
usual "Maestro" who would be responsible for getting the party tunes going, but this time I must have been incapable of operating
the stereo because the next thing I know, Shaker had put in a CD and turned up the volume. I asked him what it was and
he just smiled a mischievous grin.
Track 1 came on and even though it didn't sound familiar
to me, I really felt welcomed into the groove. When I heard one of the vocalists say "travellin' head spinnin' from
the medicine," my mind started to spin. What was happening to me? Something deep down inside
me had finally been brought to the surface. I felt a great shift in my consciousness had occurred and I was opened
up to this new style of music. When the first song faded out, I had lost all desire to change the music to something
I would've normally wanted to hear. After a base line, the second song kicked in and we really started to rock out.
This is good stuff, I thought! I listened with new interest to each song, groovin' the whole time. After the rockin'
last song, I said to Shaker, "This CD is great! Why didn't you ever play this for me before?" He replied, "I did
play this for you before!" I guess I just had to be in the right frame of mind to assimilate the original grooves into
the core of my being.
The rest of the school year, 311 Music was put
into the party rotation. Before Shaker graduated in the Spring, he had made a copy of it for me (on cassette) since
we going our separate ways. (Hey, college ain't cheap so students without sugar daddies to pay for it are poor!)
I moved off campus and in with my then-girlfriend. Over the Summer of '94, my girlfriend, who couldn't stand 311, had
gone from being into classic rock (cool) to being into country (yuck), so we spent a lot of time apart and I played the 311
tape so much I wore it out. This is when I became really hard core into Music and bought my own copy on cassette,
and not long after that Music became one of my first CDs when I finally transitioned to digital technology. (I
had also been reluctant to switch from vinyl records to cassettes when they started phasing out vinyl.)
I had no idea if 311 was a one-album-wonder
or if they were continuing as a band as I hoped that they would because I thought they could be the best band out there.
Then one day not long after the above-mentioned girlfriend and I had broken up, I hooked up with my old roommate
Ted and he said, "I have a new CD that I think you'll get into." He popped it in and the riff for "Homebrew"
began! 311 had come out with a new album! Rock! Of course, I loved Grassroots and went out right
away to get my own copy! 311 officially became one of my fave bands.
Now, two of my bros had each chanced upon a 311 album
and brought them to me. 311 had a release in both '93 and '94, so I was determined to keep an eye out for more 311 in
'95. Sure enough, I eventually got verbal confirmation from a music store clerk that a self-titled 311 album was going
to be released on July 25th, 1995. My excitement mounted as the weeks before the release date passed. On the morning
of the day the album was released, I had a dream with a vision of an endless blue field and the oval 311 symbol faded into
view as it ended. Then I woke up. I got out my 311 CDs and sure enough, the oval symbol was on the cover of Grassroots.
I didn't think too much of the dream and just attributed it to how pumped up I was about a new 311 album. When
I made it to the music store later that day, I was freaked out as I saw the blue album cover with the oval 311 symbol!
I had no conscious idea what the cover was going to look like, but I had dreamed of a giant version of it the morning before
I ever saw it! Rock! And yet again, 311 rocked my world with another kick-ass CD. I knew my next mission
was to see 311 live in concert. I got my chance in September '95 (see 311 shows # 1 and 2) and my first 311 show is still to this day the best concert experience
I have ever had with any band.
In the Summer of '96, Kevin and Megan (friends of mine
from work at the time) invited me and a few other friends from work to have a little cook-out at Megan's trailer. It
had become a tradition for us to all go out to bars after work that Summer, so this little gathering was a nice change.
We had a great feast and then played cards on the patio table with a few beers. After dark, we moved inside. Sam
and Amy left the party for a bit and came back with positive vibes. We were all chillin' and laughin' with
MTV on in the background when suddenly I heard a very familiar riff begin. In confusion, I looked over at the TV to
see the video "Down"! 311 had finally made it on MTV! Rock! A little later, we watched a video tape of Alice
in Chains Unplugged, which sounded really good in the frame of mind I as in. Even to this day, every time I hear
Chains Unplugged, I think of all the good times with these old friends and the very fun night I first saw a 311 video.
 __
I received Enlarged to Show Detail as a holiday
gift in December of '96. What a great gift! I have a story for the day Transistor came out in '97, but it's too disgusting
to relate here. It involves bad McDonald's, a lot of beer and getting very dizzy. Let's just leave it at that.
But the album rocked, and it was the beginning of a new era for 311.
And did you know about the hidden intro to Transistor?
Put in the CD and press play. Don't just hit "previous/back" or you'll go back to the beginning of the track.
After Track 1 starts playing, you need to play-rewind. With some systems you just hold "previous" or "back" down. Other
stereos have a separate button for that, like "search reverse" or something like that. Go back to at least -1:42 (a
minute and 42 seconds before the beginning of "Transistor"). Then let it play. It will sound familiar because
it was used in the Enlarged to Show Detail video. Check it out! (And check out show # 3.)
 __
311 Live was coming out the same day in '98 as
Beck Mutations and I had liked Beck Odelay even more than his first album. Even though 311's CD was only recorded
live music (not nearly as good as seeing 311 live), I was still really pumped about going to the music store that day.
I couldn't help but think about that old tape Shaker had made me in college with 311 Music on one side and Beck Mellow
Gold on the other. I went to the music store closest to where I worked on my lunch hour to find out that Beck was
on sale but 311 was not! "311's not popular anymore," they said. So what?!! I didn't want to have to go to another store after
work because I wanted to go straight home and kick in the party, so I paid their normal outrageous price for 311, vowing to
never return there. 311 Live was the best live album I ever heard by any band because, hey, it's 311. But
Beck Mutations sucked overall. I only like three songs on that album and to me that made it not even worth the
sale price. (And even though that same music store is still the closest one to where I work, I have still never bought
anything there since then.) At least I got 311 Omaha Sessions in the mail a couple weeks later!
I had a good idea that '99 would bring another studio
LP from 311, but had no idea when it would come out. One day, I was driving my girfriend at that time and her kids to
Columbus, and the tape we were listening to ended so I began channel surfing, bitching that there was never anything good
on the radio. I stopped on a alternative station just as a song ended. A new song came on that sounded cool right
off the bat. I turned it up and as the first verse went on, I said to my girlfriend Jessica, "Don't you think the singer
sounds like Nick from 311? I wonder if 311 has released new music yet? I guess we'll find out if S.A. comes
on here and starts rapping." About a second after I said that, we heard, "A warning to the crews out there who think
they're hot, if you're not original rockers you will get shot." It was S.A. rapping! It was new
311! Yes! What an awesome surprise! Rock! I turned around to the kids in the back seat and said, "Girls!
Listen! New 311!" I started swerving off the road and Jes had to yell at me to pay attention before we
wrecked! As soon we got a chance later that day, we went to a music store and I found out that 311 hadn't yet released
a new album. When we got home I started listening to that radio station until they played the new 311 song again.
I recorded it from the radio on the end of my latest 311 mix, and after the song this time, they announced that "Come Original"
was from the forthcoming 311 album that wouldn't released for a couple more months. And of course, Soundsystem
rocked when it did come out. (Check out show # 4.)
 __
2000 had no 311 release of any kind, but I compensated
for that by seeing 311 three times in concert, the third of which previewed a couple songs to be used on the next album (See
show #s 5, 6 and 7.) After I found out that June of 2001 would bring the 6th studio
311 LP, I prepared for that by listening to no music but 311 for the week leading up to the release date. From Chaos
was the third and final album of the 311 era that began with Transistor and continued with Soundsystem. I
see From Chaos as a transitional album, the end of an era but it left the doors open for the next phase of 311.
(And check out show # 8.) In December of 2001, I received ETSD 2 as holiday gift!
(I love it all except the Milk Challenge - yuck!)
In June of 2002, I finally got a computer and joined
the online 311 community. And it was only a matter of time before I would build this 311 website. I had three
main inspirations going into it. The first was the need to single out very important lyrics. Also, after I had
seen my 9th 311 show, I realized the need to maintain a record of all my 311 concerts because
P-Nut's step-dad Pat had to keep removing old tours to make room for new ones on the official 311 site's "Concert Corner".
Lastly, I wanted to create an online testament to the 311 of the 1990's, the last phase of which ended with From
Chaos.
Mindspin 311 went live September 1st, 2002.
~ Will
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A Short Review of Evolver
by Will Mindspin
The release of Evolver has partially resolved
my unconscious fear that resulted from not knowing where 311 was going musically and if I would want to go with them.
As much as I hate to admit it, I now fully realize that From Chaos is an inferior album to the 311 LPs of the
90's. I guess I am such a big fan that I never wanted to concede (even to myself) that 311 had gone downhill in even
the smallest way. Nick, the primary creative impetus behind 311, was working through some personal issues on From
Chaos, and it is a testament to 311's talent that they could rock and stay positive as much as they did (despite the break-up
songs). It did take me longer to truly get into From Chaos than the other 311 albums.
Yet from the very first listen of Evolver, I knew
that 311 was back on top of their own continually evolving genre. Evolver seems to totally fulfill what From
Chaos was trying hard to be: the beginning of the next phase in the evolution of 311. While 311 has gone in more
new directions of style with Evolver, they have not totally alienated the hardcore fans by leaving out the rock.
This has always been 311's main strength - to mix various styles in a new, unique synthesis of musical goodness. The
Beatles influence on Evolver is obvious on a few tracks, but a closer listen reveals that this album has a more general
classic rock influence too. You can hear things like a Zeppelin-esque riff or a Pink Floyd vibe in some songs, which
I adore as I share the 311 band members' love of classic rock. But let me be perfectly clear that despite the influences,
Evolver does pretty well with making it all sound new and fresh. And on Evolver, the lyrics are also back
in full-force, chock full of many various general positive messages.
Each 311 album is good (or great) for what it is,
and I enjoy each of them as a stage in the evolution of a musical force. Evolver is better than From
Chaos. I have to appreciate each phase of 311's evolution differently, and this new phase seems to be a more produced
one, stearing away from the raw rap-rockers of the 90's. Nick said 311's original goal was to take rap and make it musical.
They completely accomplished that goal in the 90's, and Evolver is a good attempt at answering the question, "Now
what?"
A Song-by-Song Look at Evolver
block quotes by Nick Hexum from 311.com (additional comments
by Will Mindspin)
1. "Creatures (For A While)"
Music: N. Hexum, T. Mahoney
"Creatures" started out as a guitar riff I had played into
my mini recorder sometime on tour last year. It sounds like power chords, but it has a major 3rd in it giving more of a complex
flavor than regular power chords. I asked Tim to come up with the second part so I gave him the Pro Tools file to see what
he was vibing on. He came up with a funky bouncing single note riff that is now the verse. He uses the trademark Mahoney effects
that he used on Champagne. I then fleshed out the rest of the song in an marathon seven hour session in my home studio. SA
came up with some raps that went with the lyric theme of tension, aggression, and anxiety; the common perils of modern urban
life. I wanted the bridge to go into a different world; swirling synths reminiscent of early Pink Floyd. This is a blast to
play live.
This song rocks, and it is a great choice as a first
single to remind everyone that 311 still rocks. I started to have a good feeling about Evolver after first
hearing this song a month before the album's release. Now this is one of my favorites on this album. Thanks Nick
and Tim for this hip hop rocker!
2. "Reconsider Everything"
Music: N. Hexum
This one is the first song written for Evolver. It's
one of Chad's favorites. The guitar intro was intended to be straight ahead punk, implying a double time tempo. But then the
drums come in with a half time feel making it distinctly 311. One highlight of the song is a memorable wah-guitar hook played
by Tim. Lyrically it's about thinking for yourself. As the title implies that doesn't mean reject everything people tell you,
but always question things so you can find your true path. Inspired partly by Ayn Rand's The Fountainhead. A quote
from that book, "Notice how they'll accept anything except a man who stands alone."
This is one of the songs 311 previewed on my 2002 concert,
and I got to jam to the live mp3 in the months before the album's release. I was very much looking forward to the studio
version of this song, and I was not let down. This song rocks, and is also one of my faves on the album.
And the lyrics are great too.
3. "Crack the Code"
Music: N. Hexum
I feel this one is a breakthrough because it is so unique. The intro
has some Pet Sound-ish bells over a funk bassline. The opening chorus (there are quite a few different choruses in this one)
is SA singing about the difficulties of opening up. Then I sing another chorus with a similar but different theme and then
a bridge that builds to the hard ass dancehall part. It has a completely different feel with hard rock guitars, rapped vocals,
and a crazy beat that combines dancehall rhythms with an almost drum corps 32nd note snare turn around. Lyrically, "Crack
the Code" is about finding someone who understands you, which is a marvelous accomplishment.
At first this sounds pretty simple and radio-friendly, but at least it gets
faster and harder in parts.
4. "Same Mistake Twice"
Music: N. Hexum
This is the second song written for Evolver. It's
a bouncing punk jam in the spirit of The Clash but with more harmonies. It's about vice and the struggles that everyone goes
through.
This is the other song from Evolver that 311 previewed
on the 2002 tour. Like "Reconsider Everything," the studio version of the song is a nice finished product much better
than the live mp3. This song is a perfect example of how a Beatles influence on the sound can still contribute to a
rocking new song. And another great message from 311.
5. "Beyond the Gray Sky"
Music: T. Mahoney
This song is an emotional outpouring about my best friend
from high school, David Barker, who suddenly took his own life last year. Looking back reading his emails he alluded to a
"cloud of darkness" in his writings. At the time, I read right past it and didn't even notice those words. You always feel
guilty like you should have tried something when something like this happens. Depression is a confused and hopeless state
that drives people to desperate lengths. All I can say is don't be afraid to talk about it and try to be open if others are
trying to reach out. Musically, this song started as instrumental demo that Tim made called "Jerrybird."
It may be hard to believe that a band could make a quality
"mellow" song about suicide without sounding depressing, but 311 has pulled it off well. And it kicks in with a
hard edge. This was the second single from the album. Well done, Tim.
6. "Seems Uncertain"
Music: N. Hexum
Pherrell of N.E.R.D. described "Seems Uncertain" as "the
shit." I played him a demo of it on our tour bus during the Liquid Mix tour. It's not the first kind of song you'd expect
a Neptune to like. It starts out with acoustic guitar in a Beatle-esque figure. Then melodic echoed vocals and 60's mellotron
keyboards come in with a hip hop beat grooving along. I think it should be a single because it has a message of unity. It's
about the uncertain state of humanity. Everybody is dividing up into teams and someone is going to have to give in.
Yes, it's mellow, but I can get into the classic, psychedelic,
other-worldly vibe of this track. And the lyrics make important statements about the state of things in the world.
7. "Still Dreaming"
Music: C. Sexton
"Sometimes when I'm awake, I can't tell if I'm still dreaming."
This song is a series of loosely connected images in the psychedelic style of Transistor. Chad wrote the music to this
one and you can hear the characteristic heaviness to his riffs.
Chad, thanks for this cool rocker. And the lyrics may
be "loosely connected" and "psychedelic," but I find much symbolic meaning in them, like with the lyrics of The Doors.
This song is another one of my faves.
8. "Give Me a Call"
Music: N. Hexum, C. Sexton
This song is a light reggae jam that gets suddenly heavy
at the pre-chorus. Lyrically, we're pondering the hidden deep subtext of common seemingly mundane everyday sayings. It's a
love song and in this context "Give Me a Call" is way of saying you're there for someone.
This song's lighter parts are funky and catchy.
But then we have the rockin riff action on the bridge and chorus, which reminds us yet again that this is 311. Sweet
song.
9. "Don't Dwell"
Music: N. Hexum, A. Wills
"Don't Dwell" started out with a wicked slap bassline that
P-Nut had been working on. One day while tracking "Reconsider Everything" he played it between takes and I thought it was
dope so I grabbed my mini recorder and had him play it. I took it home and built a chord progression around it on my home
studio. The end result is a powerful hard rock song with a slap bass, distorted octaved guitars in a latin pattern, and a
Smiths-ish vocal melody. Lyrically "Don't Dwell" is about...well... not dwelling. It's about breaking free of the mental loops
we all get in. Not easy, but it can be done.
Another great funky rocker, this time from P-Nut and
Nick. Thank you. And the lyrics have a great message too. Another one of my faves.
10. "Other Side of Things"
Music: C. Sexton
Chad's heavy riff writing starts this one off. The following
sections are shuffled rock inverted power chords. In inverted power chords the fifth of the chord is played below the root
instead of above making it more dense sounding. The lyrics are about taking a new point of view or looking at the "Other Side
of Things."
"I'm down for our days of glory, it's easy to do when
you're up with Sexton, a rhythmatic genius turnin' up the next one." A lot of my very favorite 311 songs on the
earlier albums are written by Chad, and "Other Side" is a perfect example of why. This song rocks. After one listen
this is without a doubt my favorite song that I hadn't already heard before Evolver's release. Thanks again,
Chad. Please keep on turnin' them up!
11. "Sometimes Jacks Rule the Realm"
Music: N. Hexum
This one is probably the most acoustic song that's been on a 311 album.
It's about how life can be sometimes unfair. The song started out as a mellow rant about fools being in charge or as Perry
Farrell put it so well, "Idiots Rule." After I wrote the first half of the song I took a new point of view. Instead of looking
at others and pointing a finger I started examining my own thoughts. As in, "Why am I saying this?...How do I know any better?"...
etc. The lyrics at the end of the song conclude that enlightenment cannot come until a person comes to grips with the sometimes
petty emotions that drive us.
Nice song, and cool how the most acoustic 311 song still kicks in. Yeah.
(11) "Coda"
Music: A. Wills
At 5:22 or so of "Sometimes Jacks" there is a buried track.
We refer to it as the "Coda" or outro of the album. This is P-Nut's creation. A nice mellow melody played up the neck of the
bass. In the background you can hear me playing the vibraphone, but more notably the double bass harmonica. It's a huge harmonica
with a reedy sound that can play as low as a bass guitar.
Nice outro to one of the best albums of the decade.
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