Greatest Hits '93-'03

1	Down 2:52
2	Flowing 3:12
3	All Mixed Up 3:02
4	Amber 3:30
5	Come Original 3:42
6	Beautiful Disaster 4:01
7	Creatures (For a While) 4:26
8	Do You Right 4:20
9	I'll Be Here Awhile 3:29
10	You Wouldn't Believe 3:41
11	Transistor 3:03
12	Don't Stay Home 2:44
13	Homebrew 3:06
14	Beyond the Gray Sky 4:18
15	Love Song 3:29
16	How Do You Feel? previously unreleased 3:05
17	First Straw previously unreleased 2:57

Barnes & Noble

These nutty Nebraskans have always been fond of turning things upside down, so it's only fitting that they'd choose to celebrate their tenth anniversary -- give or take a few months -- by treating fans to a bit of a sonic gift. Naturally enough, this collection cherry-picks the best-known tracks from 311's catalog -- from the head-bobbing "Down" to the ska-tinged "I'll Be Here Awhile" -- but also appends a three-pack of new items. "How Do You Feel" is propelled by the band's trademark ability to seamlessly shift from mosh-along rap-metal verses to catchy sing-along choruses, while the breezy "First Straw" sails along on a bouncy reggae rhythm custom-made for summer consumption. Drummer Chad Sexton flexes his muscles on a retooled, considerably more spacious version of the driving "Homebrew," a song that initially appeared on the Grassroots album. Greatest Hits '93-'03 is rounded out by a surprisingly faithful cover of the Cure's "Love Song" that marks the farthest afield 311 has ventured so far -- and points toward a fruitful second decade ahead. David Sprague

All Music Guide

From the chunkheaded rap-rock beta tests "Down" and "All Mixed Up" through the blue-eyed make-out reggae of "Amber" and on to latter-day stuff like the underrated Soundsystem single "Come Original," 311 spanned the nascence and ultimate codification of the alternative nation. "F*ck the naysayers 'cause they don't mean a thing!" -- if you went to college in the 1990s, 311 was on your radar. Greatest Hits '93-'03 remasters the highlights from those years, includes the Omaha group's graceful cover of the Cure's "Love Song," and pads the set with two new songs. As for the unreleased material, "First Straw" is a pleasant enough reggae-rock jam of the variety S.A., Nick Hexum, et al., have grown skilled -- if not necessarily better -- at writing, while "How Do You Feel" is a muscular rocker with the usual eager rap/triumphant chorus dynamic. Other highlights include a version of Grassroots opener "Homebrew" remixed for added punch and grit, and the diametrically opposed Evolver cuts "Creatures (For a While)" and "Beyond the Gray Sky." While "Do You Right" is the only representative from 1993's Music, it's nice to remember that it sounds like Fishbone playing Love. In short, Greatest Hits '93-'03 is the perfect time capsule for the casual 311 fan. It might even shake loose the name of that stoner kid from freshman year. Johnny Loftus