Listening to GRASSROOTS today, I'm still overwhelmed by the variety of styles on this record. When it came out in 1994, it sounded like nothing else on the pop music radar. Here was a hard rock band that was equally comfortable playing reggae, latin-tinged ballads, "jam band" rock, rap and even a little jazz. Unlike many other versatile groups of the time (Phish, Dave Matthews) 311 rocked harder and very often melded these various styles into one seamless track. It's this type of musical alchemy that propelled 311 to their status as one of the top live bands in the U.S., while at the same time confusing lame critics (Rolling Stone, Entertainment Weekly) who were incapable of accepting a sound so utterly original.

The laugh is squarely on the critics now. 311 have been together for almost 15 years now, and they're as big as they've ever been. Yet GRASSROOTS remains their masterpiece; 45 minutes of essential 311 music.

01. Homebrew 10/10 - The perfect opening salvo with a killer Led Zep guitar riff and lyrics inspired by an acid trip.

02. Lucky 7/10 - Weakest track on the CD. Still salvaged by its percussive groove and funny lyrics.

03. Nutsymtom 9/10 - Heavy intro groove, breaks into a Santana-like jam for the second half with a killer Tim Mahoney guitar solo.

04. 8:16 am 9/10 - Very pretty mellow rocker. Exactly the type of song you wouldn't expect from this sort of band and a great example of their genre-smashing greatness.

05. Omaha Stylee 9/10 - Awesome rap-flavored track is a shoutout to their home town.

06. Applied Science 8/10 - Nice groove, killer Chad Sexton drum solo.

07. Taiyed 8/10 - Another good change-of-pace track. SA handles all the lyrics himself while Nick Hexum sits in on second guitar. Another wicked Tim Mahoney solo (the CD in general is totally loaded with his genius lead guitar work.)

08. Silver 8/10 - One of the heaviest cuts on the disc. Yet another killer groove and more astute lyrics from Hexum.

09. Grassroots 9.5/10 - Title track does a fantastic job of combining 311's many styles into a whole greater than the some of its parts. Total 311 synergy.

10. Salsa 8/10 - Another propulsive headbanger with some great lyrics from SA; "the girl who gave you her sex I heard was homeless..." Priceless!

11. Lose 9/10 - Out of nowhere, a great Caribbean flavored jazz ballad with Hexum coming across like a male Billie Holiday. Guarenteed to impress even the biggest 311 hata.

12. Six 9/10 - Sinewy riff establishes a menacing groove that relents on the ska-infected chorus. The ending on this one is incredible.

13. Offbeat Bare-Ass 9.5/10 - This album is loaded with bad-ass guitar riffs, but this one may take the cake. Lyrics here about being horrassed by the cops for having a Dead sticker on your tour bus are insightful and have a keen sensitivity beyond the grasp of most "alternative rockers".

14. 1-2-3 10/10 - This beautiful slow jam seals the deal for GRASSROOTS as the best 311 album of all time.

Overall, this is an album that-- despite limited commercial success upon its release-- has grown in reputation to be one of the bona-fide classics of the genre. Highly recommended to all fans of great rock music.

In a review about Music, I stated that it was by far the best 311 album with this coming in a close 2nd. However, admittedely, I had only listened to it a few times. But having listened to it a lot more since then, I must take that back. Don't get me wrong, Music is an excellent, fantatic album, but this one is just better, if that's possible. It's one of the very few albums I own where all the songs are 5 stars. There isn't one bad track here. Everything that makes 311 great is on here, where on other albums pieces are missing. The flows are supurb (in Salsa particularly), the guitar solos are very memorable (espeically in Taiyed and Nutsymtom), and the mellow songs are some of the most beautiful they've ever recorded (1,2,3 is one of their best songs ever recorded, and 8:16 am is close). But there really isn't a bad song here. Let me rephrase that. There really isn't a song that would be one of the better songs on any other album they've ever recorded on here. It's that good. I still like the later stuff they've done, but I can't ever see them topping this album. The band members should be complimented for putting together such a masterpiece.

Welcome to the most diverse album on earth. I would also like to welcome you to the single greatest album on earth. With all of 311's acheivements (the ability to change sounds on each CD, the ability to sell out practically every show, whatever), in the end the crowning event in their nearly flawless career will be the release of Grassroots. Here we have an album that everyone can love (even my dad found a few tracks that he could nod his head to). If you were to ask me what the standout tracks are, I wouldn't be able to say. The fast tracks are the epitome of a modern rock song; each is progressive, catchy, and very well produced. The slow jams are just that, laid-back chill songs, obviously the roots to the now commercially successful songs Amber, Beyond the Gray Sky, and I'll Be Here Awhile. The album is also really rap-heavy, probably the foremost of all their stuff. It flows really well, more so than their freshman release. Hardcore 311 fans will obviously buy this album without hesitation. For those of you who are just getting interested I would suggest this album first. It's pure 311 and will help you adjust to the amalgam of different sounds on the various other albums. 'Nuff said. Buy the album.

I bought "Grassroots" in 1996 and still think it's their best work to date. The whole album has a slightly aggressive streak to it in comparison to their other albums but when they go mellow, they do so in a big way. "8.16am", "Lose" and the album closer "1,2,3..." could put you in a trance for hours. Conversely, "Homebrew", "Offbeat Bareass" and particularly "Omaha Stylee" will rock your brains out. Listening to it now the sound quality is pretty thin and weak - but for some reason that's part of its charm. Despite all the production and engineering flaws, "Grassroots" manages to get its point across. The same year "Grassroots" was released, Korn unleashed their debut which led to endless groups with superior sounding recordings (mainly to cope with the increased detuned air being pushed around) but with very little to say for themselves. Instead, 311 challenged convention and had fun at the same time. On the whole, I can't recommend this album enough. If you're feeling a little weary about the unintelligent ramblings of nu-metal posers, this (and 311 in general) will be a breath of fresh air.

When I first heard this album, I couldn't understand what it was that i was hearing. It is original in so many ways. The lyrics, the way it was recorded, the flows, the brilliant funk grooves, the off-beat drums, and the groove energy. I didn't know if what I heard was guitars, or programed riffs. It was all so new and original. I have been into this album for years because their is so much to explore. The rhyming is incredible. I can't even flow along with a lot of the lyrics still, and I've heard the album countless times. The subject matter is wise and very interesting. Their are many little hidden messages within the lyrics, but 311 does not preach at all, and convey their message in very colorfull and creative ways - like this lyric about staying grounded and stuctured in your expression- "the roots that grow underground are as big as the tree that you see, if not it will fall down." I could praise so many ways of this album, but if you feel like exploring something successfully experimental and outside of predictable, then pick up Grassroots.