Transistor (311 album)

Transistor is the fourth studio album by American rock band 311, released on August 5, 1997 by Capricorn Records. The album saw a change in musical style as fewer songs feature rapping in comparison to the band's previous albums.

Transistor
Studio album by 311
Released	August 5, 1997
Recorded	February–April 1997
Studio	NRG Recording Studios, Los Angeles, California
Genre	Alternative rock experimental rock reggae rock space rock rap rock
Length	67:59
Label	Capricorn
Producer	311 Scotch Ralston
311 chronology
311 (1995) Transistor (1997) Omaha Sessions (1998)
Singles from Transistor
"Transistor" Released: June 30, 1997 "Prisoner" Released: 1997 "Beautiful Disaster" Released: December 13, 1997

Upon its release, Transistor received negative reviews from critics, who felt it was overlong and self-indulgent. Retrospectively, however, the album has been more positively received, and was certified platinum by the RIAA.

Music

Clocking in at 67:59 and with twenty-one tracks (or twenty-three, counting both hidden tracks), Transistor is 311's longest album and, until their 2017 album Mosaic, was their only album to contain more than sixteen tracks. Transistor was originally intended to be a double album, but all songs were instead placed onto one disc.[1] Nick Hexum admitted that doing too many songs in not enough time for Transistor was a mistake.[2]

While still utilizing their alternative rock sound in many songs, Transistor saw 311 moving away from their hip hop-influenced sound of their previous albums[3] for more of a reggae-influenced sound,[4] as shown in songs such as "Prisoner", "Inner Light Spectrum", "Running", "Rub a Dub", and "Stealing Happy Hours". Although, their rap rock style is still present in some songs, such as "Galaxy", "No Control", "Tune In", "Starshines", and "Borders". Transistor also contains elements of dub,[5] space rock and funk.[3]

Reception

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic	[5]
The A.V. Club	Unfavorable[6]
Rolling Stone	[4]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide	[7]
Entertainment Weekly	(F)[8]
sputnikmusic

Transistor received a mixed review from Allmusic, who commented that "a project of this magnitude is almost doomed to fall on its face, and Transistor nearly does," and noted there were enough good songs for a 30 to 40 minute album, but had too much filler. They nominated the title track as the only Track Pick from the album.[5] The album has received criticism from The A.V. Club, who says "With 21 songs spread out over 68 minutes, the record has taken plenty of critical punishment for its excessive length alone," and calls it a "joyless, tedious exercise in white-boy reggae, white-boy rap, white-boy dub and white-boy rock," concluding that the band could suffer a "Spin Doctors-style career combustion" in the future.[6] Entertainment Weekly also panned the album, stating that it features "some of the weakest rhymes and derivative white-bread dub in recent memory" and concluded that the band did not know "the thin line between experimentation and self-indulgence".[8] Rolling Stone criticized the album, saying it was "trying too hard to expand their sonic horizons", and commented how they seem to unwillingly change their musical style.[4]

Retrospective reviews

In contrast, the album was retrospectively received positively by Consequence of Sound, comparing it to The Beatles' album Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band. Commenting that "the singles aren't what make Transistor great. It's the deep cuts that you play over and over again, trying to catch the meaning", they conclude that the album is "one of a kind".[3] Over time, Transistor has developed a cult following and become a fan favorite, eventually leading to the band performing the album in its entirety on August 6, 2011 in front of over 10,000 fans. This was done at their very own Pow Wow Festival, created to commemorate the 14th anniversary of the album.

Track listing

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Lead vocals	Length
0.	"Transistor Intro" (Hidden track that can be accessed by rewinding from the index of the first track by 1:36)	Nick Hexum, Chad Sexton	Instrumental	1:36
1.	"Transistor"	Hexum, SA Martinez, Sexton	Nick Hexum	3:02
2.	"Prisoner"	Hexum, Martinez	Hexum with SA Martinez	2:50
3.	"Galaxy"	Martinez, Sexton	Martinez	2:52
4.	"Beautiful Disaster"	Hexum	Hexum	4:01
5.	"Inner Light Spectrum"	Martinez, Sexton	Martinez	3:41
6.	"Electricity"	Hexum	Hexum	2:34
7.	"What Was I Thinking"	Hexum	Hexum	2:38
8.	"Jupiter"	Hexum, Martinez, Sexton	Hexum with Martinez	2:45
9.	"Use of Time"	Hexum	Hexum	4:23
10.	"The Continuous Life"	Martinez, Sexton	Martinez	3:30
11.	"No Control"	Hexum, Martinez	Hexum with Martinez	3:09
12.	"Running"	Tim Mahoney, Martinez	Martinez	3:42
13.	"Color"	Sexton	Instrumental	1:53
14.	"Light Years"	Hexum	Hexum	2:27
15.	"Creature Feature"	Martinez, Aaron Wills	Martinez	2:38
16.	"Tune In"	Martinez, Sexton	Martinez	2:19
17.	"Rub a Dub"	Hexum	Hexum	2:41
18.	"Starshines"	Hexum, Martinez, Sexton	Hexum with Martinez	2:36
19.	"Strangers"	Hexum	Hexum	2:40
20.	"Borders"	Martinez, Sexton	Martinez with Hexum	2:45
21.	"Stealing Happy Hours" (contains hidden track "Enter Space")	Hexum	"Stealing Happy Hours": Hexum; "Enter Space": Instrumental	5:49
Total length:				67:59

Japanese release bonus track

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Lead vocals	Length
22.	"Gap"	Hexum, Martinez	Martinez with Hexum	2:10

Outtakes

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Lead vocals	Length
25.	"Grifter (The music of this song turned into "Long For The Flowers" on the album "Don't Tread On Me" released in 2005, the original demo version leaked during the DTOM sessions)"	Hexum, Martinez	Hexum with Martinez	2:53
26.	"Writer's Block Party"	Hexum, Martinez, Sexton, Wills	Hexum with Martinez	2:54
27.	"Earth People"	Martinez, Sexton	Martinez	2:20
28.	"The Quickening"	Martinez	Martinez	2:23
29.	"Everything"	Martinez, Sexton	Martinez	1:46
30.	"Old Funk"	Hexum	Instrumental	2:39
31.	"Space Funk"	Hexum	Instrumental	2:35
32.	"Lemming"	Hexum, Sexton	Hexum	4:06
33.	"(White Man) In Hammersmith Palais" (The Clash cover) (Appears on Burning London: The Clash Tribute)			3:52

Personnel

Credits adapted from album’s liner notes.[9]

311

• Nick Hexum – vocals (lead vocals on tracks 1, 2, 4, 6-9, 11, 14, 17-21, "Gap", "Grifter", "Writer's Block Party","Lemming"), guitar, programming
• SA Martinez – vocals (lead vocals on tracks 2, 3, 5, 8, 10-12, 15, 16, 18, 20, "Gap", "Grifter", "Everything", "The Quickening", "Writer's Block Party", "Earth People"), scratches
• Chad Sexton – drums, percussion, programming
• Tim Mahoney – guitar
• Aaron Wills – bass

Production

• 311 – producer
• Scotch Ralston – producer, engineer, mixing
• John Ewing Jr. – assistant engineer
• Wade Norton – technical support
• Joe Gastwirt – mastering

Charts

Album

Chart	Peak position	Certification	Sales
US Billboard 200	4[10]	US: Platinum[11]

Singles

Song	Chart	Peak position
"Transistor"	U.S. Billboard Modern Rock Tracks	14[10]
"Transistor"	U.S. Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks	31[12]
"Beautiful Disaster"	U.S. Billboard Modern Rock Tracks	21[13]
"Prisoner"	U.S. Billboard Modern Rock Tracks	21[14]

References

1. Contributed by Nathan Manley. "What is the 411 on 311? | The Eagle Online". Eagle.ceu.edu. Archived from the original on 2012-07-11. Retrieved 2012-06-01.
2. "Q&A". 311.com. Retrieved 2011-11-23.
3. "Dusting 'Em Off: 311 – Transistor « Consequence of Sound". Consequenceofsound.net. 2011-01-08. Retrieved 2011-11-23.
4. "311: Transistor : Music Reviews : Rolling Stone (Unfinished review)". Rolling Stone. 1997-07-24. Archived from the original on 2009-05-15. Retrieved 2011-11-23.
5. Thomas, Stephen (1997-08-05). "Transistor - 311". AllMusic. Retrieved 2011-11-23.
6. Thompson, Stephen (2002-03-29). "311: Transistor | Music | Music Review". The A.V. Club. Retrieved 2011-11-23.
7. Cross, Charles R. (2004). "311". In Brackett, Nathan; Hoard, Christian (eds.). The New Rolling Stone Album Guide (4th ed.). Simon & Schuster. pp. 813. ISBN 0-7432-0169-8.
8. David Grad (1997-08-08). "Transistor Review | Music Reviews and News". EW.com. Retrieved 2011-11-23.
9. Transistor (booklet). Capricorn Records . 1997.
10. Billboard. "Transistor - 311". Billboard.com.
11. "Recording Industry Association of America". RIAA. Archived from the original on 2013-02-25. Retrieved 2012-07-09.
12. "311". AllMusic. Retrieved 2011-11-23.
13. Billboard. "Beautiful Disaster - 311". Billboard.com.
14. Billboard. "Prisoner - 311". Billboard.com.