"Speak Easy," 311

[Deleted]

Second single from Don't Tread On Me goes for adds November 15.

[pen]

Figured this would be a single at some point but I didn't think they'd bust it out this early.

[American Idiot]

I was hoping for one of the other songs from the album like Frolic Room, Thank Your Lucky Stars, or Long For The Flowers, but really I'm satisfied with Speak Easy as the next single. It has that Amber type of chill out feeling that I could see doing well on a few different formats. With Don't Tread On Me dropping spins each week, November 15th seems like a good time to release this.

[reception]

mms://66.186.0.101/allaccess/311speak.wma

[Walking Contradiction]

I've given this a couple listens, and I think this is their worst single ever.  It's just really annoying.   

In spite of my feelings for the song, however, I have a feeling this will be their most successful second single since "Down".

[allow that]

Eh... this tries too hard to be "Amber" or "Love Song" and it's just not half as good as either.

[jdmasta289]

I like it. It's simple and calming...something 311 have become more accustomed too in their last few singles.

However, is this something that alternative radio will embrace? I understand "Don't Tread On Me" almost hitting #1 (or did it hit for one week?), but is this such a safe follow-up to an already lighter first single? I hope 311 can have some success here beyond their first single, unlike their last album, where "Beyond the Gray Sky" pretty much bombed completely.

[Nicholas2.0]

mikibacsi1124 said:

In spite of my feelings for the song, however, I have a feeling this will be their most successful second single since "Down".

Technically, "Down" was their third single. "All Mixed Up" was second and was re-released; a fact I was completely unaware of until last year.

[620 Soul Train]

Yeah it is nice n mellow. This isn't as good as many of their other songs.

[reception]

joshjoel said:

Yeah it is nice n mellow.

[reception]

Says 311 member Nick Hexum about the song, "I like the play on words here. Many people think of an illegal nightclub (speakeasy), but this song is actually about speaking your mind. There's a nice steel drum part played by a Triniadian man that [producer Ron] Saint [Germain] hooked us up with. The song sounds simple, but there's an unusual 10-beat phrase to the verses in the song that [drummer Chad] Sexton wrote."

[Walking Contradiction]

Wow, talk about a grower. I panned this song earlier in this thread, but now it's one of my favorite songs out now.

[Nicholas2.0]

What I find really odd is that I've heard this a couple times on KPNT in St. Louis, but mostly I hear it on KNSX, which plays this version where the only original elements of it is the vocals by Nick & SA.  It's a remix of some sort that centers around these 3 descending low synth chords that lower in pitch as they sustain.  The drums are just a loop built out of bass, simple hi-hat and rim knocks.  Then in the background, there's bass and every once in awhile you'll hear some very faint steel drum obviously played off a keyboard. No upstroke guitar of any kind.  Aside from the vocals, everything else is just one flat even dynamic, no variance or range at all.

It's fascinating, but I have no idea where it came from (their website and link to their full discography doesn't mention it at all) or why KNSX would have it and be playing it instead of the real version.