Sublime
Album: Sublime
Release Date: 1996
Austin played a pivotal role in the release of Sublime’s breakthrough self-titled album. It’s a deviation for a city that is best known for live country music. In this case, Austin served as an influential backdrop to the recording of the classic 90s rock album – and of course, it happened in the shadow of Willie Nelson. The 1996 major label debut catapulted Sublime into the mainstream and turned them into some of the biggest rock stars of the decade. Tragically, lead singer Bradley Nowell passed away shortly after recording ended and the band was defunct by the time it was released.
Texas-based punk rockers the Butthole Surfers made the connection that brought Sublime to town. The guys in Sublime were fans and they jumped at the opportunity to bring lead guitarist Paul Leary on as producer for the album. The record label was concerned about the band’s hard-partying habits and wanted to get them out of Southern California and into a calmer environment. Leary suggested a studio in Austin, and the band loaded a van and headed to Texas to record the album.
While the physical distance was a selling point for the record executives, Leary knew the recording studio was perfect for what he needed. Arlyn Studios is owned by Willie Nelson’s nephew and is housed in the shell of the Texas Opry House. It’s been in operation since 1984 and recorded albums for artists including Bonnie Raitt, Ray Charles, Frank Sinatra, Kris Kristofferson, and Neil Young. In addition to the studio on South Congress, there is recording space in the hill-country on the outskirts of town.
While the move to Austin got the band into a new environment, it didn’t do much to tame their vices. “One day, they came to me looking all concerned and I thought there was a problem,” Leary recalls. “They said, ‘We start recording at noon and we’re already drunk. We need to start earlier in the day.’ So I get there early the next morning, and they show up with pitchers of margaritas in hand – already drunk. It didn’t matter what time you started, they were gonna be drunk.”
One of Austin’s secrets is that Willie Nelson owns a golf course. (It’s predictably laid back and shirks country-club formalities.) The hill-country studio was adjacent to the golf course, and Leary used that to his advantage. During recording sessions, he would let the band jam and improvise during extended live takes. The band was at their best during these jam sessions, and Leary wanted that energy on the album. He’d keep the tape rolling while the band played, then send them out of the studio while he edited the take. “They’d record a nine-minute song and I’d send them off to go play a round of golf. When they got back, it was a three-and-a-half-minute song and there’d be a pile of tape on the ground,” he explained to the Austin Chronicle.
A piece of local flavor that made its way onto the album was the trombone work of local jazz musician Jon Blondell. He’s a fixture on the Austin music scene who contributed horns to numerous local recordings. He continues to play regular gigs at the Elephant Room. In a spur-of-the-moment decision, he was called on to add trombone to “Wrong Way,” and that was a signature element of the final version.
Sublime is locked in a battle with the Chicks album Home for the title of best-selling album recorded in Austin– both are multi-platinum global hits. Though Sublime’s music veers far from Austin’s traditional sounds, the city’s laid-back vibe provided the perfect backdrop to produce a hit album during a turbulent time. From Blondell’s trombone to Leary coaxing the live sound from the band, there are faint traces of Austin’s musical legacy woven into the album. It’s a subtle reminder not to tell all the Californians to go home.
The Salty Dog
The most obvious reason to pair the Salty Dog with this album is to pay homage to Lou Dog, Bradley’s Dalmatian. King Louie had a prominent presence as the only canine member of the band. He’d stroll the stage during performances, pose with the other members in promo shots, and inspired a multitude of lyrics. Lou Dog was even by Bradley’s side in the hospital when he passed.
Lou Dog’s story is the happier of the two. After Nowell’s untimely death, he moved in with the band manager and had a long, happy life before passing peacefully from old age in 2001. As you listen to “Garden Grove” spin on the turntable, raise a glass in salute and ponder what Bradley means by “smells like Lou Dog in the van.”
The band’s identity is synonymous with skate/surf culture of Southern California, and no drink has a stronger association with that area than the Gin & Juice. Thank you, Snoop. Salty Dog is just a more pretentious way of saying Gin & Juice. The salted rim is a necessary component, take that away and the cocktail becomes a Greyhound. Take time to squeeze fresh grapefruit juice, it’s worth it.
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 oz Gin
- 3 oz freshly squeezed Grapefruit Juice
- Kosher Salt, for rim
Directions
- Add Gin and Grapefruit Juice to a shaker filled with ice
- Shake for 15-30 seconds
- Salt rim of glass and fill with ice
- Strain cocktail into glass and garnish with Grapefruit wedge (optional)
