Second Hand Smoke

AMG Review of Second Hand Smoke

Stephen Thomas Erlewine
All Music Guide

The success of Sublime was both a blessing and a curse for the band -- a blessing because the group and its lead singer/songwriter, Brad Nowell, were celebrated after his tragic death, and a curse because there's no way the rhythm section could successfully produce a follow-up. There was only one thing to do -- release everything left in the vaults as quickly as possible, since their audience would fade even if they waited one year. So, in 1997, a live and rarities EP entitled What I Got was released in September, followed less than two months later by Second Hand Smoke, a hodgepodge of unreleased tracks from the Sublime sessions. Includes a cover of Bob Marley's "Trenchtown Rock," and a remix of the Gwen Stefani duet "Saw Red."