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.
Greatest Hits '93-'03 review by allmusic.com