Music / Tragic Kingdom

Once was a magical place
Over time it was lost, price increased the cost

You think that we connect
That the chemistry's correct
Your words walk right through my ears
Presuming I like what I hear

And now I'm stuck in the
The web you're spinning
You got me for your prey

—"Spiderwebs"

Tragic Kingdom is the third studio album recorded by American ska rock band No Doubt. It was released through Interscope Records (through their Trauma Records label) on October 10, 1995.

The band went pop for their first album with Interscope, a self-titled effort in 1992, and it got chewed up and spit out by the grunge machine, selling only 30,000 copies. When Interscope tried to connect them with producer Matthew Wilder, keyboardist Eric Stefani became increasingly belligerent, not wanting to relinquish creative control.

Eric would slowly withdraw from working with the band, but still did some songwriting. The tension would end the relationship of his sister, lead singer Gwen Stefani, and bassist Tony Kanal.

The band decided to go indy for their second album, The Beacon Street Collection. Going back to their ska roots, and incorporating some of the grunge sound, they were able to sell 100,000 copies in spite of zero promotion. They were then hooked up with producer Paul Palmer, whose own indy label, Trauma Records, was linked to Interscope. This combination gave them the balance of ska, punk, and pop rock they needed to hit it big.

What tied it all together was Gwen taking over writing the songs. She wrote about the breakup with Tony. She wrote about her angst being the female lead singer of an otherwise male band.

And it worked.

While some reviewers accused Gwen of using her being female to help sell the album, fans were definitely sold. The album was eventually certified Diamond in the United States, went Platinum in the United Kingdom, and sold 16 million copies worldwide. It would be the #2 album on the year-end Billboard 200 album chart for 1997, and was #22 on the decade-end Billboard 200 album chart for The '90s.

As of 2021, it is the 21st biggest-selling album by a woman or a band led by a woman of all time.

The album was supported by seven singles: "Just a Girl", "Spiderwebs", "Don't Speak", "Excuse Me Mr.", "Sunday Morning", "Happy Now?", and "Hey You!" Several of the songs were excluded from the Billboard Hot 100 because Billboard's rules hadn't caught up with changes in music marketing yet, but "Don't Speak" would top the Billboard Hot 100 Airplay chart, as well as be #1 on the UK Pop chart. The first three singles were hits in the U.K., and also in the U.S. between the regular Billboard Hot 100 and the Hot 100 Airplay chart.

The success would come with a price: Eric Stefani quit the band soon after the album's release, and would instead become an animator. He wouldn't contribute to the band for two decades.

Tracklist:

1. "Spiderwebs" (4:28)
2. "Excuse Me Mr." (3:04)
3. "Just a Girl" (3:28)
4. "Happy Now?" (3:43)
5. "Different People" (4:34)
6. "Hey You!" (3:34)
7. "The Climb" (6:37)
8. "Sixteen" (3:21)
9. "Sunday Morning" (4:33)
10. "Don't Speak" (4:23)
11. "You Can Do It" (4:13)
12. "World Go 'Round" (4:09)
13. "End It on This" (3:45)
14. "Tragic Kingdom" (5:31)

Personnel:

• Gwen Stefani – vocals
• Tom Dumont – guitar
• Tony Kanal – bass
• Adrian Young – drums, percussion
• Eric Stefani – piano, keyboards

"Oh you came in with the trooooo-ooooopes on Sunday morning:"

• Big "YES!": Gwen arrives on "Sixteen" with an absolutely electric "YEEAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!" that later returns as a vocal harmony on the chorus.
• Break-Up Song: Believe it or not, "Don't Speak" began as a love song. The lyrics were changed when Gwen and Tony broke up.
• Changing Chorus: The choruses of "Just a Girl" change after each verse.
• Closed Door Rapport: "Sunday Morning" is based on conversations Gwen and Tony would have during the harder parts of their break-up.
• Fading into the Next Song: "Sixteen" into "Sunday Morning"
• Last Note Nightmare: The title track speeds up at the end, until it gets too chaotic for the band to keep up, and the song completely falls apart.
• Lyrical Dissonance: "Spiderwebs" is a very upbeat song about a Stalker with a Crush who keeps calling Gwen. Apparently it's based on real events.
• Pun-Based Title: Tragic Kingdom. Considering the band's from Anaheim, and Anaheim is the location of the first Disneyland theme park...
• Stalker with a Crush: "Spiderwebs" is about Gwen's attempts to avoid one of these.
• Stay in the Kitchen: "Just A Girl" was written to show Gwen's frustration with this stereotype.
• Take That!: "Tragic Kingdom" is a pretty massive one aimed at Disney.