Sugar Ray - 14:59

These Southern California frat rockers have learned what they do best. Gone are the damaged noisefests that recall a more polished Rage Against the Machine and middle-period Stooges. Filling those spots are lighthearted ditties such as "Even Though" and "Falls Apart" that boast tropical guitar flourishes and almost Beatlesque harmonies. On 1997's Floored, the breeziness of "Fly" was the exception; on 14:59, it is the rule. Sugar Ray have cleaned up, sanitized, and civilized themselves, which might not be a bad thing in terms of accessibility and airplay. Some fans, however, might miss the hard-partying, screaming misanthropes of yore. And even the inclusion of old-school rapper KRS-One on "Live & Direct" doesn't make up for Sugar Ray's loss of innocence--although their shimmering cover of Steve Miller's "Abracadabra" inspires affection. Another saving grace is that they haven't lost their sense of humor, dubbing the album 14:59 as a homage to Andy Warhol's 15 fleeting minutes of fame. It would be an error, however, to conclude that Sugar Ray's hourglass is running out. --Jaan Uhelszki Amazon.com

14:59 (ATLANTIC RECORDS/1999)

REVIEW: Sugar Ray's third CD "14:59" posed a real problem for the band. Although they started out as a hard-core rock group: the easy-going funk of their breakthrough hit single "Fly" took the summer of 1997 by storm. As such they must have felt compelled to use that initial groove as the springboard for this follow-up release. The move paid off commercially even though they knew that such a shift in musical styles would undoubtedly alienate their metalhead fans. As a result a lot of people hated this record with a passion, and claims of "sell-out" still hangs like a pall over the group's head. But in all fairness: most people never even heard their debut CD "LEMONADE AND BROWNIES" as it quickly bombed. Likewise their sophomore effort "FLOORED" might possibly have been ignored if it weren't for "Fly". But for a band to change gears so radically after building up such a respectable following on the concert circuit was bound to be a risky move. If perhaps they had released "14:59" under a different moniker (while keeping the hard rocking/thrash side of their personality for future Sugar Ray recordings) then the transition could have been accomodated with greater ease. But regardless of its history: "14:59" is a solid (if spotty) modern pop/rock album packed with appealing little ditties like the hits "Every Morning", "Someday", and the classic "Falls Apart". But aside from those radio-friendly moments the CD contains a number of obscure treasures like "Personal Space Invader", "Live And Direct", "Even Though", the gorgeous "Ode To The Lonely Heart", and a surprisingly credible cover version of Steve Miller's "Abracadabra": all of which combines a musically sunny/lyrically somber dichotomy that adds a lot more substance to the care-free feel of the tracks. However, when you consider the band's metallic roots it IS a bit disappointing that the hardest hitting song here ("Aim For Me") is also one of the weakest. So maybe it was in their best interest to adopt this "New Direction" as it suits them (and "14:59") quite well. HARSH LANGUAGE: none. VIOLENCE: only 1 instance at the beginning of "Burning Dog" where the cop radios his buddies about a guy trying to kill himself. NUDITY/SEXUAL REFERENCES: about 12 direct and indirect references (including a couple in the CD booklet), and the sexual longing/lusting of "Abracadabra". DRUG REFERENCES: the booklet shows a cartoon of lead singer Mark McGrath in a plane drinking out of a beer bong, and 1 mention of cigarette smoking in the song "Ode To The Lonely Heart".


THE MORAL COMPASS: Aside from a few suggestive moments, and the tongue-in-cheek cartoons featured in the CD booklet (i.e. DJ Homicide looking up a stewardess' dress with a mirror, the beer bong picture, etc.): the lyrics contain no harsh language or graphic sex. The hilarious "New Direction" is a great spoof of the thrash/death metal genre, and the (somewhat) despondent tone helps to make the album much more than just a "party" record. But because of the photos and some sexually suggestive lyrics: the album should earn a CAUTIONARY rating.


HIGHEST BILLBOARD ALBUM CHART POSITION: Number 17.

HIT SINGLES:

"Every Morning" (BILLBOARD: Number 3, MODERN ROCK TRACKS: Number 1, ADULT CONTEMPORARY: Number 27, ADULT TOP 40: Number 1)

"Falls Apart" (BILLBOARD: Number 29, MODERN ROCK TRACKS: Number 5, ADULT TOP 40: Number 16)

"Someday" (BILLBOARD: Number 7, MODERN ROCK TRACKS: Number 7, ADULT CONTEMPORARY: Number 29, ADULT TOP 40: Number 3) October 5, 2008

Sugar Ray - Softer sound

I bought the CD based on hearing their hit. I like the softer pop sound of this CD as opposed to some of their harder CDs. Also, all the songs don't sound alike. August 1, 2007

Not the best, but pretty good...

This cd has alot of good songs from Sugar Ray, but it's not the best. Sugar ray has alot of good songs out and is a real popular band. It's an okay cd just to check out. The best song that is on this cd is (Glory)

If you liked this cd check out all of Surgar Ray cds December 30, 2005

Pop (rock/hip-hop) songs for your girlfriend (boyfriend & U)

Bottom line: a very enjoyable album for ANYONE with an open mind. Girlfriends, boyfriends, single people, married people, old, young, male, female.

You probably already know (and like) at least 3 songs from this album: "Every Morning", "Someday", "Falls Apart". So, you're already off to a great start.

And, for those of you old-school Sugar Ray ROCK fans, there's plenty here for you. Try "Personal Space Invader", "Aim For Me", "Glory", and "Burning Dog" if you enjoy cranking it to 11. Actually, this album is predominantly rock inspired...if you've listened to the WHOLE THING.

Hip hop fans will find "Live and Direct" featuring KRS-One to be a pleasant little surprise.

80's fans will take to their spiced up rendition of Steve
Miller's "Abracadabra".

And, they've got some nice softer tunes in the form of "Ode to the Lonely Hearted" and "Even Though" (a song which seems to have jumped off the time machine from the 50's or something...good stuff).

And, of course there a bits and pieces of that trademark Sugar Ray humor thrown about the album. Like they always say, Sugar Ray is all about having fun. Period. If things like "image" matter to you, then steer clear of this band. If dogmatic adherence to one specific style of music (and ONLY one specific
style of music) excites you then steer clear of this band.

But, if you like having fun with your music (a.k.a. ENJOYING it) and if you can appreciate diverse musical influences, then here ya' go. August 27, 2004

pop songs for your girlfriend

Of course every chick loves this band and especially Sugar Ray, the voice and looks makes a groovy impression. But I saw him in a MuchMusic interview and he seems like a really nice down-to-earth kind of guy, no ego. These are really good catchy tunes for your mom and girlfriend. By the way, they did this hockey song (not on this album) that rocks!! I love the line: Jesus saves, now he shoots and scores

David Rehak
author of "A Young Girl's Crimes" April 27, 2004

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