Rock Steady Live
Encyclopedia
Rock Steady Live is a video album
by American
ska punk
band No Doubt
, released on DVD
on November 25, 2003 under the Interscope
records label. The DVD was directed by Sophie Muller
. It is a recording of two of No Doubt's concerts during their Rock Steady Tour
in 2002 to promote their fifth studio album
, Rock Steady, which was released in December 2001. The material was recorded in November 2002 in Long Beach Arena, California
. The concert features performances of seventeen songs from the band's previous three albums: Tragic Kingdom
, Return of Saturn
and Rock Steady; extras include performances of four extra songs, interviews with each band member and backstage footage of the tour.
Rock Steady Live was released alongside The Singles 1992-2003
, a greatest hits
album, and Boom Box, a box set containing two CDs and two DVDs. No Doubt then went into hiatus, allowing singer Gwen Stefani
to pursue solo projects
. The DVD received mixed reviews, with critics praising the band's variety of musical styles. The DVD was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America
and platinum by the Argentine Chamber of Phonograms and Videograms Producers
.
", "Hella Good
", "Underneath It All
" and "Running
". The album sold over three million copies. It was certified double platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America
, indicating sales of over two million units, gold by the Australian Recording Industry Association
, indicating sales of over 35,000 units, platinum by the Canadian Recording Industry Association
, indicating sales of over 100,000 units, and silver by the British Phonographic Industry
, indicating sales of over 60,000 units.
In 2002, No Doubt embarked on their Rock Steady Tour, beginning with two dates outside the mainland United States
on March 14 and 16 in Puerto Rico
and Venezuela
, before starting their main tour in Sacramento, California
on March 18, travelling across the U.S. and ending in Anaheim, California
in November. Some performances featured burlesque
group, the Pussycat Dolls
. The concerts received positive reviews, with reviewers complimenting the variety of musical styles, elaborate stage and costume design and crowd interaction.
In April 2003, No Doubt went into hiatus, before coming together in September 2003 to compile various retrospective works and record a new single: "It's My Life". Singer Gwen Stefani
went on to record two solo albums: Love. Angel. Music. Baby.
, released in November 2004, and The Sweet Escape
, released in December 2006.
Rock Steady Live was released on DVD
on the Interscope Records
label on November 23, 2003. On the same day, both The Singles 1992–2003 and Boom Box were also released by the band. The Singles 1992–2003 is a greatest hits album, featuring thirteen of No Doubt's previous singles, "Trapped in a Box" from their first album No Doubt and new single, "It's My Life". Boom Box is a box set, containing Live in the Tragic Kingdom
, a recording of a concert as part of the band's Tragic Kingdom Tour, The Singles 1992-2003, The Videos 1992-2003, compilation of the band's music video
s, and Everything in Time
, a collection of B-sides and rare songs. The DVD was directed by Sophie Muller, who also produced the band's previous video release, Live in the Tragic Kingdom.
The DVD contains a recording the two concerts performed in Long Beach Arena, California
during No Doubt's Rock Steady Tour. The concert features performances of 17 songs: "Just a Girl
", "Spiderwebs
", "Don't Speak
" and "Sunday Morning
" from No Doubt's third album Tragic Kingdom
; "New
", Ex-Girlfriend
", "Simple Kind of Life
", "Bathwater
" and "Magic's in the Makeup" from their fourth album Return of Saturn
; and "Hey Baby
", "Underneath It All
", "Hella Good
", "Running
", "Don't Let Me Down", "In My Head", "Platinum Blonde Life" and "Rock Steady" from their fifth album Rock Steady.
The DVD also includes over an hour and a half of extra features. There are live performances of an extra four songs: "Excuse Me Mr." and "Different People" from Tragic Kingdom, "Trapped in a Box" from their first album No Doubt and "Total Hate" from their second album, The Beacon Street Collection
. Also included are an interview with Liam Lynch
, a friend of the band; documentary pieces featuring interviews with each band member: Tom Dumont
, Tony Kanal
, Gwen Stefani
, Adrian Young
and two touring members Stephen Bradley and Gabrial McNair
; backstage footage of the tour; and footage of the band receiving the "Key to the City" of Anaheim, California
from Mayor Tom Daly on November 22, 2002 on KROQ-FM
radio.
in 2004, indicating sales of over 40,000 units. The DVD was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America in December 2004, indicating sales of over 50,000 units.
", "Hey Baby
" and "Just a Girl
", giving the DVD 3 out of 5 stars. Allmusic reviewer Hal Horowitz, however, described the music as so "radically doctored" that "it is nothing like what the crowd at the venue heard". He criticised the DVD for being "heavily edited", the vocals for being "heavily and consistently overdubbed" and the editing for being "breathlessly nervous". However, he complimented the band's "high-energy" performance, calling Gwen Stefani "a whirlwind of activity, strutting, preening, pouting, and prancing". He gave the DVD 2 stars out of 5. The Age
reviewer Andrew Murfett gave a positive review, calling the sound quality "excellent" and praising the "glossy close-ups to grainy back shots" of the camerawork. He described No Doubt as "endurable" and commented that the set list "stands out [as the band's greatest hits]".
MusicOMH
reviewer Mark Fielding gave the DVD a positive review, calling the DVD a "very desirable package" and "must for any No Doubt fan out there". He described the band as "one of the most versatile bands on the planet", performing a "mish-mash of rock, ska, reggae [and] punk" and calling Stefani's performance "her gorgeous hyperactive best". He complimented the camera work as providing "superb" pictures and sound, stating that they "[captured] the concert in all its fast and furious glory". In particular, he praised the performances of "Hella Good
", "Hey Baby", "Don't Speak", "Ex-Girlfriend
" and "Spiderwebs
" and the inclusion of so many extra features. Rock Feedback
reviewer Samantha Hall gave the DVD a positive review, calling the music "fun" and the DVD more representative of No Doubt's greatest hits album, The Singles 1992-2003
, than their fifth studio album Rock Steady. She complimented the focus of the footage covering all four band members plus two touring members, instead of just singer Stefani, and the dancing: "the wind n' grind dancehall moments", "the No Doubt signature-stamp" and "a seemingly inexhaustible torrent of jumps and high kicks". Hall singled out the performance of "Magic's In The Make-up", an album track from Return of Saturn
, as the highlight of the DVD. She praised the live footage as "resplendent in near-perfection", describing the "wide range of dishy, fancy close-ups and pausing effects" and calling the sound "precision-balanced, distinct and clear". She gave the DVD 4 stars out of 5.
Music video
A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...
by American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
ska punk
Ska punk
Ska punk is a fusion music genre that combines ska and punk rock. It achieved its highest level of commercial success in the United States in the late 1990s. Ska-core is a subgenre of ska punk, blending ska with hardcore punk.The characteristics of ska punk vary, due to the fusion of contrasting...
band No Doubt
No Doubt
No Doubt is an American rock band from Anaheim, California that formed in 1986. The ska-pop sound of their first album No Doubt , failed to make an impact...
, released on DVD
DVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
on November 25, 2003 under the Interscope
Interscope Records
Interscope Records is an American record label owned by Universal Music Group that currently operates as one third of UMG's Interscope-Geffen-A&M label group.-History:...
records label. The DVD was directed by Sophie Muller
Sophie Muller
Sophie Muller is a British music video director, noted for her long-time collaborations with artists like Sophie Ellis-Bextor, No Doubt, Sade, Shakira, Shakespears Sister, Garbage, Blur, Annie Lennox and Eurythmics.-Background:...
. It is a recording of two of No Doubt's concerts during their Rock Steady Tour
Rock Steady Tour
The Rock Steady Tour was the third concert tour by No Doubt. It seemed to have more notice than the other tours. It had higher grossing and was recorded in Long Beach, California, on November 22, 2002, and available on DVD, titled Rock Steady Live. It started in October in St. Paul, Minnesota...
in 2002 to promote their fifth studio album
Studio album
A studio album is an album made up of tracks recorded in the controlled environment of a recording studio. A studio album contains newly written and recorded or previously unreleased or remixed material, distinguishing itself from a compilation or reissue album of previously recorded material, or...
, Rock Steady, which was released in December 2001. The material was recorded in November 2002 in Long Beach Arena, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
. The concert features performances of seventeen songs from the band's previous three albums: Tragic Kingdom
Tragic Kingdom
Tragic Kingdom is the third studio album by the American third wave ska band No Doubt. It was released on October 10, 1995, on Trauma Records, a division of Interscope Records. The album was produced by Matthew Wilder, mixed by Paul Palmer, and recorded in 11 studios in the Greater Los Angeles Area...
, Return of Saturn
Return of Saturn
Return of Saturn is the fourth studio album by the American rock band No Doubt, released on April 11, 2000 by Interscope Records. After touring for two and a half years to promote their breakthrough third studio album, Tragic Kingdom, No Doubt wrote several dozen songs for its follow-up and...
and Rock Steady; extras include performances of four extra songs, interviews with each band member and backstage footage of the tour.
Rock Steady Live was released alongside The Singles 1992-2003
The Singles 1992-2003
The only single from The Singles 1992–2003 was a cover of the song "It's My Life", originally released in 1984 by the synthpop band Talk Talk. Because the band were taking a break while lead singer Gwen Stefani recorded her solo debut album Love. Angel. Music. Baby., they decided to do a cover...
, a greatest hits
Greatest hits
A greatest hits album is a music compilation album of successful, previously released songs by a particular artist or band...
album, and Boom Box, a box set containing two CDs and two DVDs. No Doubt then went into hiatus, allowing singer Gwen Stefani
Gwen Stefani
Gwen Renée Stefani is an American singer-songwriter and fashion designer. Stefani is the lead vocalist for the rock and ska band No Doubt. Stefani recorded her first solo album Love. Angel. Music. Baby. in 2004. The album was inspired by music of the 1980s, and was a success with sales of over...
to pursue solo projects
Gwen Stefani discography
The discography of Gwen Stefani, an American pop rock singer, consists of two studio albums, eleven singles, fourteen music videos and a video album on Interscope Records. She has sold more than nine million albums as a solo artist...
. The DVD received mixed reviews, with critics praising the band's variety of musical styles. The DVD was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America
Recording Industry Association of America
The Recording Industry Association of America is a trade organization that represents the recording industry distributors in the United States...
and platinum by the Argentine Chamber of Phonograms and Videograms Producers
Argentine Chamber of Phonograms and Videograms Producers
The Argentine Chamber of Phonograms and Videograms Producers is an Argentine organization member of the IFPI, which represents the music industry in the country. It is a nonprofit organization integrated by multinational and independent record labels....
.
Background
After spending January to August 2001 writing and recording, No Doubt released their fifth studio album Rock Steady on December 11, 2001. They released four singles from it between October 2001 and July 2003: "Hey BabyHey Baby (No Doubt song)
"Hey Baby" is a song written by Gwen Stefani, Tony Kanal, Tom Dumont, and Bounty Killer for No Doubt's fifth studio album Rock Steady . Released as the album's lead single, the song is heavily influenced by the Jamaican dancehall music present at No Doubt's post-show parties and tour bus lounges...
", "Hella Good
Hella Good
"Hella Good" is a song written by Gwen Stefani, Tony Kanal, and The Neptunes for No Doubt's fifth studio album Rock Steady . The song draws influence from electro, rock, and funk music...
", "Underneath It All
Underneath It All
The song is a love song composed in the key of E major. It is written in common time and moves slowly at 69 beats per minute. Stefani avoids the heavy vocal vibrato that she often uses. Her vocal range spans under an octave and a half during the song, from F#3 to B4.The song opens with a line...
" and "Running
Running (No Doubt song)
"Running" is a synthpop song written by Tony Kanal and Gwen Stefani for No Doubt's fourth studio album Rock Steady and was released worldwide as the album's fourth and final single on July 1, 2003...
". The album sold over three million copies. It was certified double platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America
Recording Industry Association of America
The Recording Industry Association of America is a trade organization that represents the recording industry distributors in the United States...
, indicating sales of over two million units, gold by the Australian Recording Industry Association
Australian Recording Industry Association
The Australian Recording Industry Association is a trade group representing the Australian recording industry which was established in 1983 by six major record companies, EMI, Festival, CBS, RCA, WEA and Universal replacing the Association of Australian Record Manufacturers which was formed in 1956...
, indicating sales of over 35,000 units, platinum by the Canadian Recording Industry Association
Canadian Recording Industry Association
Music Canada is a Toronto-based, non-profit trade organization that was founded 9 April 1963 to represent the interests of companies that record, artists, manufacture, production, promotion and distribution of music in Canada...
, indicating sales of over 100,000 units, and silver by the British Phonographic Industry
British Phonographic Industry
The British Phonographic Industry is the British record industry's trade association.-Structure:Its membership comprises hundreds of music companies including all four "major" record companies , associate members such as manufacturers and distributors, and hundreds of independent music companies...
, indicating sales of over 60,000 units.
In 2002, No Doubt embarked on their Rock Steady Tour, beginning with two dates outside the mainland United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
on March 14 and 16 in Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of both the United States Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands.Puerto Rico comprises an...
and Venezuela
Venezuela
Venezuela , officially called the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela , is a tropical country on the northern coast of South America. It borders Colombia to the west, Guyana to the east, and Brazil to the south...
, before starting their main tour in Sacramento, California
Sacramento, California
Sacramento is the capital city of the U.S. state of California and the county seat of Sacramento County. It is located at the confluence of the Sacramento River and the American River in the northern portion of California's expansive Central Valley. With a population of 466,488 at the 2010 census,...
on March 18, travelling across the U.S. and ending in Anaheim, California
Anaheim, California
Anaheim is a city in Orange County, California. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city population was about 365,463, making it the most populated city in Orange County, the 10th most-populated city in California, and ranked 54th in the United States...
in November. Some performances featured burlesque
Burlesque
Burlesque is a literary, dramatic or musical work intended to cause laughter by caricaturing the manner or spirit of serious works, or by ludicrous treatment of their subjects...
group, the Pussycat Dolls
Pussycat Dolls
The Pussycat Dolls are an American pop girl group and dance ensemble based in Los Angeles; currently consisting of Lauren Bennett, Vanessa Curry, Kristal "Lyndriette" Smith, Tiffany "Taz" Zavala, Kia Hampton and Paula Van Oppen. The Pussycat Dolls were founded by choreographer Robin Antin in 1995...
. The concerts received positive reviews, with reviewers complimenting the variety of musical styles, elaborate stage and costume design and crowd interaction.
In April 2003, No Doubt went into hiatus, before coming together in September 2003 to compile various retrospective works and record a new single: "It's My Life". Singer Gwen Stefani
Gwen Stefani
Gwen Renée Stefani is an American singer-songwriter and fashion designer. Stefani is the lead vocalist for the rock and ska band No Doubt. Stefani recorded her first solo album Love. Angel. Music. Baby. in 2004. The album was inspired by music of the 1980s, and was a success with sales of over...
went on to record two solo albums: Love. Angel. Music. Baby.
Love. Angel. Music. Baby.
Love. Angel. Music. Baby. is the debut solo studio album by American recording artist Gwen Stefani, released in the United States on November 23, 2004 by Interscope Records...
, released in November 2004, and The Sweet Escape
The Sweet Escape
The Sweet Escape is the second and final solo studio album by American recording artist Gwen Stefani, released in the United States on December 5, 2006 by Interscope Records. Having originally intended to return to No Doubt after her 2004 solo album Love. Angel. Music...
, released in December 2006.
Content and release
DVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
on the Interscope Records
Interscope Records
Interscope Records is an American record label owned by Universal Music Group that currently operates as one third of UMG's Interscope-Geffen-A&M label group.-History:...
label on November 23, 2003. On the same day, both The Singles 1992–2003 and Boom Box were also released by the band. The Singles 1992–2003 is a greatest hits album, featuring thirteen of No Doubt's previous singles, "Trapped in a Box" from their first album No Doubt and new single, "It's My Life". Boom Box is a box set, containing Live in the Tragic Kingdom
Live in the Tragic Kingdom
-Critical reception:Because Live in the Tragic Kingdom was not one of No Doubt's studio albums, it lacked much attention from critics. However, Tracie Cooper of Allmovie enjoyed the mix of songs between fan favorites, lesser-known songs, and covers. Allmusic gave the album three stars out of five,...
, a recording of a concert as part of the band's Tragic Kingdom Tour, The Singles 1992-2003, The Videos 1992-2003, compilation of the band's music video
Music video
A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...
s, and Everything in Time
Everything in Time
Everything in Time is a compilation album comprising B-sides, remixes, and rare songs by the American third wave ska band No Doubt, first released on November 23, 2003 as disc three of No Doubt's box set, Boom Box, which also contained The Singles 1992–2003, The Videos 1992–2003 and Live in the...
, a collection of B-sides and rare songs. The DVD was directed by Sophie Muller, who also produced the band's previous video release, Live in the Tragic Kingdom.
The DVD contains a recording the two concerts performed in Long Beach Arena, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
during No Doubt's Rock Steady Tour. The concert features performances of 17 songs: "Just a Girl
Just a Girl
"Just a Girl" is a song written by Gwen Stefani and Tom Dumont for No Doubt's third album Tragic Kingdom. The song was released in 1995 as the album's lead single and helped the band break into mainstream music, peaking at number 23 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100.Upon release in the UK in 1996 the...
", "Spiderwebs
Spiderwebs
"Spiderwebs" is a ska punk song written by Gwen Stefani and Tony Kanal for No Doubt's third studio album Tragic Kingdom . It was released as the album's second single in 1995 . When "Spiderwebs" reached the radio airwaves in the U.S, it began a revival of the ska genre. The song is a combination of...
", "Don't Speak
Don't Speak
"Don't Speak" is a song by the American rock band No Doubt. It was released in 1996 as the third single from the band's third studio album, Tragic Kingdom...
" and "Sunday Morning
Sunday Morning (No Doubt song)
"Sunday Morning" is a song written by Tony Kanal, Gwen Stefani, and Eric Stefani for No Doubt's third album Tragic Kingdom . It was released as the album's sixth single in 1997.-Song information:...
" from No Doubt's third album Tragic Kingdom
Tragic Kingdom
Tragic Kingdom is the third studio album by the American third wave ska band No Doubt. It was released on October 10, 1995, on Trauma Records, a division of Interscope Records. The album was produced by Matthew Wilder, mixed by Paul Palmer, and recorded in 11 studios in the Greater Los Angeles Area...
; "New
New (song)
"New" is a song by the rock band No Doubt, written by Tom Dumont and Gwen Stefani for the Go soundtrack . It was later included on No Doubt's fourth studio album Return of Saturn .The song is heavily influenced by New Wave music...
", Ex-Girlfriend
Ex-Girlfriend (song)
"Ex-Girlfriend" is a song written by Tom Dumont, Tony Kanal and Gwen Stefani for No Doubt's fourth studio album Return of Saturn . The song was released as the album's first official single in mid-2000 and it was moderately successful, reaching the top 40 in most countries.-Background and...
", "Simple Kind of Life
Simple Kind of Life
"Simple Kind of Life" is a pop rock ballad written by Gwen Stefani for No Doubt's fourth album Return of Saturn . The song contrasts Stefani's desire to settle down and start a family with her commitment to the band...
", "Bathwater
Bathwater
"Bathwater" is a ska punk song written by Tom Dumont, Tony Kanal, and Gwen Stefani for No Doubt's fourth studio album Return of Saturn . It was released as the album's fourth and final single on November 14, 2000.-Background and writing:...
" and "Magic's in the Makeup" from their fourth album Return of Saturn
Return of Saturn
Return of Saturn is the fourth studio album by the American rock band No Doubt, released on April 11, 2000 by Interscope Records. After touring for two and a half years to promote their breakthrough third studio album, Tragic Kingdom, No Doubt wrote several dozen songs for its follow-up and...
; and "Hey Baby
Hey Baby (No Doubt song)
"Hey Baby" is a song written by Gwen Stefani, Tony Kanal, Tom Dumont, and Bounty Killer for No Doubt's fifth studio album Rock Steady . Released as the album's lead single, the song is heavily influenced by the Jamaican dancehall music present at No Doubt's post-show parties and tour bus lounges...
", "Underneath It All
Underneath It All
The song is a love song composed in the key of E major. It is written in common time and moves slowly at 69 beats per minute. Stefani avoids the heavy vocal vibrato that she often uses. Her vocal range spans under an octave and a half during the song, from F#3 to B4.The song opens with a line...
", "Hella Good
Hella Good
"Hella Good" is a song written by Gwen Stefani, Tony Kanal, and The Neptunes for No Doubt's fifth studio album Rock Steady . The song draws influence from electro, rock, and funk music...
", "Running
Running (No Doubt song)
"Running" is a synthpop song written by Tony Kanal and Gwen Stefani for No Doubt's fourth studio album Rock Steady and was released worldwide as the album's fourth and final single on July 1, 2003...
", "Don't Let Me Down", "In My Head", "Platinum Blonde Life" and "Rock Steady" from their fifth album Rock Steady.
The DVD also includes over an hour and a half of extra features. There are live performances of an extra four songs: "Excuse Me Mr." and "Different People" from Tragic Kingdom, "Trapped in a Box" from their first album No Doubt and "Total Hate" from their second album, The Beacon Street Collection
The Beacon Street Collection
In 1994, before recording of the album had even begun, No Doubt released two seven-inch singles for their fans. The first was "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...
. Also included are an interview with Liam Lynch
Liam Lynch (musician)
Liam Lynch is a musician, puppeteer, writer and director. He co-created, co-wrote, played the music for, directed, and produced MTV's Sifl and Olly Show....
, a friend of the band; documentary pieces featuring interviews with each band member: Tom Dumont
Tom Dumont
Tom Dumont is an American guitarist and producer. Dumont is a member of third wave ska band No Doubt, and during the band's hiatus, he began Invincible Overlord as a side project and produced Matt Costa's Songs We Sing.-Life and career:The Dumont family lived in Irvine, California...
, Tony Kanal
Tony Kanal
Tony Kanal is an English musician, record producer and songwriter. Kanal is the bassist for the American rock band No Doubt...
, Gwen Stefani
Gwen Stefani
Gwen Renée Stefani is an American singer-songwriter and fashion designer. Stefani is the lead vocalist for the rock and ska band No Doubt. Stefani recorded her first solo album Love. Angel. Music. Baby. in 2004. The album was inspired by music of the 1980s, and was a success with sales of over...
, Adrian Young
Adrian Young
Adrian Samuel Young is the drummer for the rock band No Doubt.-Biography:Young's parents were hippies. He has four brothers: Alex, Damian, Jeff and Aaron. His father is a teacher in Cypress CA and his stepmother, Jeanne, is currently suffering from ALS...
and two touring members Stephen Bradley and Gabrial McNair
Gabrial McNair
Gabrial "Gabe" McNair is a multi-instrumentalist and composer, most famous for his work in No Doubt since 1993 as a trombonist, keyboardist, and backing vocalist. He recorded and toured with Green Day during the Nimrod and Warning tours, playing trombone and tenor saxophone...
; backstage footage of the tour; and footage of the band receiving the "Key to the City" of Anaheim, California
Anaheim, California
Anaheim is a city in Orange County, California. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city population was about 365,463, making it the most populated city in Orange County, the 10th most-populated city in California, and ranked 54th in the United States...
from Mayor Tom Daly on November 22, 2002 on KROQ-FM
KROQ-FM
KROQ-FM — branded 106.7 KROQ — is a commercial modern rock radio station licensed to Pasadena, California serving the Greater Los Angeles. The call sign is pronounced "kay rock." It is the flagship station of Loveline hosted by Dr...
radio.
Certifications
"Rock Steady Live" was certified platinum by the Argentine Chamber of Phonograms and Videograms ProducersArgentine Chamber of Phonograms and Videograms Producers
The Argentine Chamber of Phonograms and Videograms Producers is an Argentine organization member of the IFPI, which represents the music industry in the country. It is a nonprofit organization integrated by multinational and independent record labels....
in 2004, indicating sales of over 40,000 units. The DVD was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America in December 2004, indicating sales of over 50,000 units.
Critical reception
The video received mixed reviews from critics. Allmovie reviewer Michael Hastings commented that the band "has managed to stay fresh and inventive after more than a decade together", praising their "skills as a touring act". He stated that the DVD encompassed a "virtual career retrospective of the band and its hits", from its "ska-punk roots into the pop realm". In particular, he complimented the performances of "Don't SpeakDon't Speak
"Don't Speak" is a song by the American rock band No Doubt. It was released in 1996 as the third single from the band's third studio album, Tragic Kingdom...
", "Hey Baby
Hey Baby (No Doubt song)
"Hey Baby" is a song written by Gwen Stefani, Tony Kanal, Tom Dumont, and Bounty Killer for No Doubt's fifth studio album Rock Steady . Released as the album's lead single, the song is heavily influenced by the Jamaican dancehall music present at No Doubt's post-show parties and tour bus lounges...
" and "Just a Girl
Just a Girl
"Just a Girl" is a song written by Gwen Stefani and Tom Dumont for No Doubt's third album Tragic Kingdom. The song was released in 1995 as the album's lead single and helped the band break into mainstream music, peaking at number 23 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100.Upon release in the UK in 1996 the...
", giving the DVD 3 out of 5 stars. Allmusic reviewer Hal Horowitz, however, described the music as so "radically doctored" that "it is nothing like what the crowd at the venue heard". He criticised the DVD for being "heavily edited", the vocals for being "heavily and consistently overdubbed" and the editing for being "breathlessly nervous". However, he complimented the band's "high-energy" performance, calling Gwen Stefani "a whirlwind of activity, strutting, preening, pouting, and prancing". He gave the DVD 2 stars out of 5. The Age
The Age
The Age is a daily broadsheet newspaper, which has been published in Melbourne, Australia since 1854. Owned and published by Fairfax Media, The Age primarily serves Victoria, but is also available for purchase in Tasmania, the Australian Capital Territory and border regions of South Australia and...
reviewer Andrew Murfett gave a positive review, calling the sound quality "excellent" and praising the "glossy close-ups to grainy back shots" of the camerawork. He described No Doubt as "endurable" and commented that the set list "stands out [as the band's greatest hits]".
MusicOMH
MusicOMH
musicOMH is a United Kingdom-based website which publishes independent reviews, featues and interviews from across all musical genres including classical, metal, rock and R&B.-History:...
reviewer Mark Fielding gave the DVD a positive review, calling the DVD a "very desirable package" and "must for any No Doubt fan out there". He described the band as "one of the most versatile bands on the planet", performing a "mish-mash of rock, ska, reggae [and] punk" and calling Stefani's performance "her gorgeous hyperactive best". He complimented the camera work as providing "superb" pictures and sound, stating that they "[captured] the concert in all its fast and furious glory". In particular, he praised the performances of "Hella Good
Hella Good
"Hella Good" is a song written by Gwen Stefani, Tony Kanal, and The Neptunes for No Doubt's fifth studio album Rock Steady . The song draws influence from electro, rock, and funk music...
", "Hey Baby", "Don't Speak", "Ex-Girlfriend
Ex-Girlfriend (song)
"Ex-Girlfriend" is a song written by Tom Dumont, Tony Kanal and Gwen Stefani for No Doubt's fourth studio album Return of Saturn . The song was released as the album's first official single in mid-2000 and it was moderately successful, reaching the top 40 in most countries.-Background and...
" and "Spiderwebs
Spiderwebs
"Spiderwebs" is a ska punk song written by Gwen Stefani and Tony Kanal for No Doubt's third studio album Tragic Kingdom . It was released as the album's second single in 1995 . When "Spiderwebs" reached the radio airwaves in the U.S, it began a revival of the ska genre. The song is a combination of...
" and the inclusion of so many extra features. Rock Feedback
Rockfeedback
Rockfeedback.com is a London-based music website that has been online since 2000. It reviews alternative and indie music, global gigs, interviews, videos, mp3s and competitions. It was designed and maintained by Transgressive Records co-founder Toby L, who founded the site at the age of 15...
reviewer Samantha Hall gave the DVD a positive review, calling the music "fun" and the DVD more representative of No Doubt's greatest hits album, The Singles 1992-2003
The Singles 1992-2003
The only single from The Singles 1992–2003 was a cover of the song "It's My Life", originally released in 1984 by the synthpop band Talk Talk. Because the band were taking a break while lead singer Gwen Stefani recorded her solo debut album Love. Angel. Music. Baby., they decided to do a cover...
, than their fifth studio album Rock Steady. She complimented the focus of the footage covering all four band members plus two touring members, instead of just singer Stefani, and the dancing: "the wind n' grind dancehall moments", "the No Doubt signature-stamp" and "a seemingly inexhaustible torrent of jumps and high kicks". Hall singled out the performance of "Magic's In The Make-up", an album track from Return of Saturn
Return of Saturn
Return of Saturn is the fourth studio album by the American rock band No Doubt, released on April 11, 2000 by Interscope Records. After touring for two and a half years to promote their breakthrough third studio album, Tragic Kingdom, No Doubt wrote several dozen songs for its follow-up and...
, as the highlight of the DVD. She praised the live footage as "resplendent in near-perfection", describing the "wide range of dishy, fancy close-ups and pausing effects" and calling the sound "precision-balanced, distinct and clear". She gave the DVD 4 stars out of 5.
Concert
Bonus tracks:Extra Features
- Liam LynchLiam Lynch (musician)Liam Lynch is a musician, puppeteer, writer and director. He co-created, co-wrote, played the music for, directed, and produced MTV's Sifl and Olly Show....
interview - Merkley Footage: Individual documentary pieces for each band member
- Backstage Footage
- Anaheim Key to the City
- Hidden Footage