The Beacon Street Collection

{{Redirect|Greener Pastures|the Brothers Osborne song|Pawn Shop (album)}} {{Use mdy dates|date=June 2025}} {{Infobox album | name = The Beacon Street Collection | type = studio | artist = [[No Doubt]] | cover = Beaconstreetcollection.jpg | alt = Cover is a close up of a smiling man with a bird sitting on his lips, peering down his throat. | released = March 25, 1995 | recorded = 1993–1994 | venue = | studio = * Clear Lake Audio (Los Angeles, CA)<ref name="The Beacon Street Collection">{{cite AV media notes |title=The Beacon Street Collection |type=liner notes |others=No Doubt |publisher=Beacon Street |year=1995 |id=3}}</ref> * Total Access Recording (Redondo Beach, CA)<ref name="The Beacon Street Collection">{{cite AV media notes |title=The Beacon Street Collection |type=liner notes |others=No Doubt |publisher=Beacon Street |year=1995 |id=3}}</ref> * York Street Studios (Auckland, New Zealand)<ref name="The Beacon Street Collection">{{cite AV media notes |title=The Beacon Street Collection |type=liner notes |others=No Doubt |publisher=Beacon Street |year=1995 |id=3}}</ref> * Home Recordings (Fullerton, CA)<ref name="The Beacon Street Collection">{{cite AV media notes |title=The Beacon Street Collection |type=liner notes |others=No Doubt |publisher=Beacon Street |year=1995 |id=3}}</ref> | genre = {{flatlist| *[[Ska]]<ref name="EW"/> *[[punk rock]]<ref name=rockonthenet/> *[[grunge]]<ref name=rockonthenet/> }} | length = 41:02 | label = * Beacon Street * Sea Creature * [[Interscope Records|Interscope]] <small>(reissue)</small> | producer = No Doubt | prev_title = [[No Doubt (No Doubt album)|No Doubt]] | prev_year = 1992 | next_title = [[Tragic Kingdom]] | next_year = 1995 | misc = {{Singles | name = The Beacon Street Collection | type = studio | single1 = [[Squeal (song)|Squeal]] | single1date = May 12, 1994 | single2 = [[Doghouse (song)|Doghouse]] | single2date = Late 1994 }} }} '''''The Beacon Street Collection''''' is the second [[studio album]] by American [[rock music|rock]] band [[No Doubt]]. It was released [[independent album|independently]] on March 25, 1995, through the band's label Beacon Street Records. Produced by the band and recorded in a homemade studio in the garage of their house on Beacon Avenue in [[Anaheim]], [[California]], from which the album takes its name, ''The Beacon Street Collection'' was released during a period when the band was receiving little attention from their label [[Interscope Records]], and were not getting a chance to record a second album, as the label was disillusioned with them after the commercial failure of their [[No Doubt (No Doubt album)|1992 eponymous debut]]. No Doubt had written large numbers of songs and knew that they would not make it onto any Interscope album, so they built their own studio and recorded the album there. Two singles were released: "[[Squeal (song)|Squeal]]" and "[[Doghouse (song)|Doghouse]]".

The album sold over 100,000 copies, over three times as many as their first album sold. Its success ensured that Interscope financed the band's third album ''[[Tragic Kingdom]]'', which was a massive success, selling 16 million copies worldwide and attracting extensive interest in the band. ''The Beacon Street Collection'' was re-released in 1997 by Interscope as part of the band's back catalog.

== Background ==

No Doubt released [[No Doubt (No Doubt album)|their self-titled debut album]] in 1992, a year after being signed to [[Interscope Records|Interscope]]. The group's blend of upbeat brass-dominated songs and funk-style bass riffs came at a time when most of the United States was in the thrall of [[grunge|grunge music]], a genre whose angst-ridden lyrics and dirty sound could not have contrasted more with the atmosphere of most of the songs on No Doubt's pop-oriented album.<ref name=allmusicalbum>{{AllMusic|class=album|id=no-doubt-mw0000280360|label=''No Doubt''}}</ref> Not surprisingly, the band lost out to the now-ubiquitous grunge music and the album was a commercial failure, with only 30,000 copies sold.<ref name="ocw">Vineyard, Jennifer. [http://www.ocweekly.com/music/music/tunes-and-toons/23963/ "Tunes and 'Toons"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081203214724/http://www.ocweekly.com/music/music/tunes-and-toons/23963/ |date=2008-12-03 }}. ''[[OC Weekly]]''. February 26, 1998. Retrieved August 31, 2008.</ref><ref name=band/> In the words of the program director of [[KROQ-FM|KROQ]], a [[Los Angeles]] radio station on which it was one of the band's driving ambitions to be played: "It would take an act of God for this band to get on the radio."<ref name=band/><ref>[[Tyrangiel, Josh]]. [https://web.archive.org/web/20010210031130/http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,42351,00.html "Two-Hit Wonders"]. ''[[Time (magazine)|Time]]''. April 2, 2000. Retrieved May 3, 2007.</ref> The band started to work on its second album in 1993 but Interscope, having lost faith in the band, rejected most of its material.

== Music == A large number of songs on ''The Beacon Street Collection'' were written by [[Eric Stefani]], who left the group before their third album was released. This gave the album a similar sound to their first album, ''No Doubt'', in which Eric had collaborated in the writing of all the songs.

=== Production === No Doubt became frustrated at the lack of progress they were making with Interscope, who were proving unreliable in their support of the band.<ref name=interviewfirst>[http://www.nodoubt.com/press/articles/01Bam.asp Interview with the band], conducted by Wendy Hermanson for BAM magazine on November 17, 1995, archived on [[No Doubt]]'s official website. Retrieved August 26, 2008. {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080419141441/http://www.nodoubt.com/press/articles/01Bam.asp |date=April 19, 2008 }}</ref> Instead, they built their own studio in their garage on Beacon Avenue in [[Anaheim]], [[California]]<ref name=band>[http://www.nodoubt.com/band/ Timeline of the band's history] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090223124634/http://www.nodoubt.com/band/ |date=2009-02-23 }} from [[No Doubt]]'s official website.</ref> Although the band had knowledge that they didn't want any songs to be released in an Interscope-distributed album, they recorded ''The Beacon Street Collection'' in their studio and Clear Lake Audio in one long weekend.<ref name=interviewfirst/> Their independence shocked their company representative, Tony Ferguson, who had assumed they were recording a third single.<ref name=wad>[http://www.nodoubt.com/press/articles/02OCReg.asp Without A Doubt]{{dead link|date=December 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} by Robert Kinsler for the ''[[Orange County Register]]'' on December 15, 1995. Retrieved August 31, 2008. {{dead link| date=June 2010 |bot=DASHBot}}</ref>

=== Singles === {{listen |pos=left | filename = Squeal.ogg | title = "Squeal" (1994) | description = The album's first single, self-released by the band in 1994. | format = [[Ogg]] }}

In 1994, before recording of the album had even begun, No Doubt released two seven-inch singles for their fans.<ref>[http://www.nodoubt.com/music/ No Doubt's discography] from their official website.</ref> The first was "[[Squeal (song)|Squeal]]", a song written by Eric Stefani, detailing a criminal's reaction to her partner's betrayal to the police. They had agreed to be "in this together" but, after he "[[plea bargain|squeals]]", she resolves to "kill the [[informant|narc]] who wrote it and said it [that she was guilty of a crime]". The single's [[B-side]] was "My Room Is Still Clean", written by [[Tony Kanal]] and recorded live at the Icehouse in [[Fullerton, California]] on February 13, 1993.<ref name=songs>[http://www.nodoubt.com/music/singles.aspx Squeal and Doghouse] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081104182614/http://www.nodoubt.com/music/singles.aspx |date=2008-11-04 }} at [[No Doubt]]'s official website.</ref>

The second single was "[[Doghouse (song)|Doghouse]]", written by Eric Stefani. It is about a man who is bullied and dominated by his girlfriend and is unwilling to force the situation to change. The song uses the metaphor of a dog and its master to illustrate the nature of the relationship, saying that she had got him "by the reins" and he has been "[[dog training|conditioned]]" by her. The single's B-side was "You Can't Teach an Ol' Dog New Tricks", written by Eric Stefani.<ref name=songs/>

== Reception == {{Music ratings | rev1 = [[AllMusic]] | rev1score = {{Rating|3|5}}<ref name="AllMusic">{{cite web|url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/the-beacon-street-collection-mw0000027620|title=The Beacon Street Collection – No Doubt|publisher=[[AllMusic]]|access-date=October 9, 2021|last=Bush|first=John}}</ref> | rev2 = ''[[Blender (magazine)|Blender]]'' | rev2score = {{Rating|4|5}}<ref>{{cite magazine|url=http://blender.com/guide/reviews/index_375.html|title=No Doubt: Their Life In CDs|magazine=[[Blender (magazine)|Blender]]|volume=1|issue=4|date=December 2001 – January 2002|access-date=July 27, 2024|last=Howe|first=Rupert|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20030210100530/http://blender.com/guide/reviews/index_375.html|archive-date=February 10, 2003|url-status=dead}}</ref> | rev3 = ''[[Entertainment Weekly]]'' | rev3score = B−<ref name="EW">{{cite magazine|url=https://ew.com/article/1997/11/14/music-review-beacon-street-collectionsee-it-through-my-eyes/|title=Music Review: 'The Beacon Street Collection'; 'See It Through My Eyes'|magazine=[[Entertainment Weekly]]|date=November 14, 1997|access-date=October 9, 2021|last=Browne|first=David|author-link=David Browne (journalist)}}</ref> | rev4 = ''[[Los Angeles Times]]'' | rev4score = {{Rating|2.5|4}}<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1995-05-27-ca-6486-story.html|title=No Doubt Tries to Find Its Way on 'Beacon Street'|newspaper=[[Los Angeles Times]]|date=May 27, 1995|access-date=October 9, 2021|last=Boehm|first=Mike|author-link=Mike Boehm}}</ref> | rev5 = ''[[The Rolling Stone Album Guide]]'' | rev5score = {{Rating|2|5}}<ref>{{cite magazine|url=http://www.rollingstone.com/music/artists/no-doubt/albumguide|title=No Doubt: Album Guide|magazine=[[Rolling Stone]]|access-date=October 9, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140320163935/http://www.rollingstone.com/music/artists/no-doubt/albumguide|archive-date=March 20, 2014|url-status=dead}}</ref> }}

=== Significance ===

On its original release in March 1995, ''The Beacon Street Collection'' was only available in local record stores in [[Orange County, California]] and at No Doubt's shows. Its rawer sound proved popular with the band's fans and the band's first batch of one thousand copies sold out within only a few months after its release.<ref name=band/> Interscope realized the band's potential and allowed them to record their third album, ''[[Tragic Kingdom]]'' in various [[Los Angeles]] [[recording studio|studios]], "wherever they could get a deal on a studio".<ref name=interviewfirst/> During a recording session, the band was introduced to Paul Palmer, who was interested in mixing the new album. He owned his own record label [[Trauma Records]], which was associated with Interscope. Interscope willingly sublicensed the project to Trauma Records in 1995 and ''Tragic Kingdom'' got the personal focus that comes from a small company.<ref name="variety">Sandler, Adam. [https://variety.com/1997/biz/news/interscope-facing-trauma-in-100-million-lawsuit-1116677862/ "Interscope facing Trauma in $100 million lawsuit"]. ''[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]''. May 28, 1997. Retrieved December 30, 2006.</ref>

By the end of the year, 100,000 copies of ''The Beacon Street Collection'' had been sold, over three times as many as their first album, ''No Doubt''.<ref name=band/> These sales were mostly due to the release of ''Tragic Kingdom'', which was released seven months after ''The Beacon Street Collection'' in October 1995. ''Tragic Kingdom'' was a massive commercial success, reaching sales of over 10 million in the United States and 16 million worldwide,<ref name="vogue">Van Meter, Jonathan. [http://www.style.com/vogue/feature/032204/page2.html "The First Lady of Rock"]. ''[[Vogue (magazine)|Vogue]]'' (April 2004). Retrieved from [[Style.com]] July 1, 2007.</ref> peaking at number one on several charts and being [[Music recording sales certification|certified]] Diamond (10,000,000 units) in the US<ref name="RIAA">[http://riaa.com/goldandplatinumdata.php?resultpage=1&table=SEARCH_RESULTS&action=&title=&artist=No%20Doubt&format=&debutLP=&category=&sex=&releaseDate=&requestNo=&type=&level=&label=&company=&certificationDate=&awardDescription=&catalogNo=&aSex=&rec_id=&charField=&gold=&platinum=&multiPlat=&level2=&certDate=&album=&id=&after=&before=&startMonth=1&endMonth=1&startYear=1958&endYear=2008&sort=Artist&perPage=25 ''Tragic Kingdom''] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151019075622/http://riaa.com/goldandplatinumdata.php?resultpage=1&table=SEARCH_RESULTS&action=&title=&artist=No%20Doubt&format=&debutLP=&category=&sex=&releaseDate=&requestNo=&type=&level=&label=&company=&certificationDate=&awardDescription=&catalogNo=&aSex=&rec_id=&charField=&gold=&platinum=&multiPlat=&level2=&certDate=&album=&id=&after=&before=&startMonth=1&endMonth=1&startYear=1958&endYear=2008&sort=Artist&perPage=25 |date=2015-10-19 }} at [[RIAA certification|RIAA]].</ref> and Canada<ref>[http://www.cria.ca/cert_db_search.php ''Tragic Kingdom''] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100501065534/http://www.cria.ca/cert_db_search.php |date=May 1, 2010 }} at [[Canadian Recording Industry Association|CRIA]].</ref> and Platinum in the UK<ref>[http://www.bpi.co.uk/ ''Tragic Kingdom''] at [[BPI Certifications|BPI]].</ref> and Australia.<ref>[http://www.aria.com.au/pages/aria-charts-accreditations-albums-1997.htm ''Tragic Kingdom''] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080528162635/http://www.aria.com.au/pages/aria-charts-accreditations-albums-1997.htm |date=May 28, 2008 }} at [[Australian Recording Industry Association|ARIA]].</ref> This success created an extensive interest in the band's back catalog so, in October 1997, ''The Beacon Street Collection'' was re-released on Interscope.<ref name=band/>

In an interview with Axcess Magazine in April 1996, Gwen Stefani described the release of ''The Beacon Street Collection'' as "one of the best things [they] ever did because [they] were able to take some songs that would have probably gotten lost and document them".<ref name=axcess>[http://www.nodoubt.com/press/articles/07Axcess.asp Bursting into stardom]{{dead link|date=December 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} interview with Axcess Magazine on April/May 1996.</ref>

=== Critical === [[AllMusic]] called the album "finer than the [band's] debut", and described it as containing more of a "raw sound inspired [...] by punk" than the style of No Doubt's first album, which was heavily "[[sound synthesis|synth]] and [[New wave music|new wave]]".<ref name="AllMusic"/> ''[[Entertainment Weekly]]'', in 1997, called it "more focused than ''Tragic Kingdom''" with "[[reggae]] frat-house grooves and perky horns", and complimented "[[Gwen Stefani|Gwen]]'s feisty Kewpie-doll wail" and the "swaying ballads", attributing it to "the band's willing spirit".<ref name="EW"/> Rock on the Net retrospectively called the album "a raw expression of their sound" and describing it as "80s [[punk rock|punk]] with 90s grunge.<ref name=rockonthenet>[http://www.rockonthenet.com/artists-n/nodoubt_main.htm No Doubt] at [[Rock on the Net]].</ref>

== Track listing == {{track listing | title1 = Open the Gate | writer1 = {{hlist|Eric Stefani|Gwen Stefani|Tom Dumont|Tony Kanal|Adrian Young}} | length1 = 3:40 | title2 = Blue in the Face | writer2 = E. Stefani | length2 = 4:35 | title3 = Total Hate '95 | note3 = featuring [[Bradley Nowell]] of [[Sublime (band)|Sublime]] | writer3 = {{hlist|[[John Spence (musician)|John Spence]]|Chris Leal|Gabriel Gonzalez|[[Bradley Nowell]]}} | length3 = 3:18 | title4 = Stricken | writer4 = {{hlist|E. Stefani|Kanal|G. Stefani|Dumont}} | length4 = 4:06 | title5 = Greener Pastures | writer5 = {{hlist|Kanal|G. Stefani}} | length5 = 5:05 | title6 = By the Way | writer6 = {{hlist|Dumont|G. Stefani}} | length6 = 4:29 | title7 = Snakes | writer7 = {{hlist|Kanal|G. Stefani}} | length7 = 4:37 | title8 = That's Just Me | writer8 = {{hlist|Eric Keyes|E. Stefani}} | length8 = 4:08 | title9 = [[Squeal (song)|Squeal]] | writer9 = E. Stefani | length9 = 2:38 | title10 = [[Doghouse (song)|Doghouse]] | writer10 = E. Stefani | length10 = 4:26 }}

== Credits ==

=== Personnel === * [[Gwen Stefani]] – [[Singing|vocals]] * [[Tom Dumont]] – [[guitar]] * [[Tony Kanal]] – [[bass guitar|bass]] * [[Adrian Young]] – [[percussion instrument|percussion]], [[Drum kit|drums]] * [[Eric Stefani]] – [[keyboard instrument|keyboard]]

'''Additional personnel''' * Phil Jordan – [[trumpet]] * [[Gabe McNair]] – [[trombone]] * Eric Carpenter – [[saxophone]] on "That's Just Me" & "Squeal" * Gerard Boisse – saxophone on "Doghouse" * [[Bradley Nowell]] – vocals on "Total Hate"

=== Production === * Producer: No Doubt * Engineers: Ray Blair, Tom Dumont, Colin "Dog" Mitchell * Mixing: Tom Dumont, Nicholas Hexum, Colin "Dog" Mitchell, No Doubt, Scott Ralston, Adrian Young * Mixing assistants: [[Nick Hexum]], Scott Ralston, Adrian Young * Mastering: Robert Vosgien * Advisor: [[Albhy Galuten]] * Design: Gwen Stefani * Layout design: Matt Wignall * Liner notes: No Doubt

== Release history == {| class="wikitable" ! Country ! Date ! Label ! Format ! Catalog |- | United States | 1995 | Beacon Street Records | [[Compact Disc|CD]] | 3 |- | | 1997 | Sea Creature Records/[[Interscope Records|Interscope]] | CD | 90156 |}

All information is from the [[AllMusic]] [{{AllMusic|class=album|id=the-beacon-street-collection-mw0000027620|pure_url=yes}} page] and [[No Doubt]]'s official [http://www.nodoubt.com/music/ website discography].

== References == {{Reflist|3}}

== External links == * [http://www.nodoubt.com Official No Doubt website]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Beacon Street Collection, The}} [[Category:1995 albums]] [[Category:No Doubt albums]] [[Category:Interscope Records albums]] [[Category:Self-released albums]] [[Category:Grunge albums]]