Rock Steady is the fifth album by American rock band No Doubt, released December 11, 2001, on Interscope Records. The band began writing the album with initial recording sessions in Los Angeles and San Francisco, then traveled to London and Jamaica to work with various performers, songwriters, and producers. Sly & Robbie, The Neptunes, and William Orbit were among the many artists the band collaborated with on the album. As a result of the many collaborations, Rock Steady touches on many musical styles. The album focuses more on dub, synthpop, and dance styles. The band attempted to capture the vibe of Jamaican dancehall music, and experimented with writing songs without its standard instrumentation. Singer Gwen Stefani wrote her lyrics quickly in comparison to previous records, and dealt with topics ranging from partying to ruminations on her relationship with Gavin Rossdale. Rock Steady received mostly positive reviews from music critics, and it was nominated for Best Pop Vocal Album at the 45th Grammy Awards. The album served as a commercial comeback for the band, surpassing sales of its previous offering, Return of Saturn, released in 2000. Rock Steady spawned four singles, two of which won the Grammy Award for Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal.

Read the rest of this article: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rock_Steady_%28album%29

_______________________________ Today's selected anniversaries:

1590:

Niccolò Sfondrati became Pope Gregory XIV, succeeding Pope Urban VII who died two months earlier. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pope_Gregory%C2%A0XIV

1791:

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart died without completing his Requiem mass in D minor. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Requiem_%28Mozart%29

1945:

Flight 19, a squadron of five U.S. naval TBF Avenger torpedo bombers, disappeared in the area now known as the Bermuda Triangle. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flight_19

1972:

Gough Whitlam took office as the 21st Prime Minister of Australia and formed a duumvirate with his deputy Lance Barnard, ending 23 years of Liberal-Country Party government. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gough_Whitlam

1974:

The Birmingham Americans won the only World Bowl in World Football League history. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Birmingham_Americans

_____________________________ Wiktionary's word of the day:

consternation (n): Amazement or horror that confounds the faculties, and incapacitates for reflection; terror, combined with amazement http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/consternation

___________________________ Wikiquote quote of the day:

Faith I have, in myself, in humanity, in the worthwhileness of the pursuits in entertainment for the masses. But wide awake, not blind faith, moves me. My operations are based on experience, thoughtful observation and warm fellowship with my neighbors at home and around the world. --Walt Disney http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Walt_Disney