Type and hit ENTER

Commonly used tags...

Brighton Festival Brighton Fringe Brighton Pride British Sea Power Cinecity Homegrown Festival Lewes Psychedelic Festival Locally Sourced Lost & Found Love Supreme Festival Mutations Festival Nick Cave Poets Vs MCs Politics Rag'n'Bone Man Record Store Day Save Our Venues Six Of The Best Source Virgins Streets Of Brighton Street Source Tattoos The Great Escape Tru Thoughts Unsung Heroes
  • Home
  • News
  • Previews
  • Reviews
  • Features
  • Food
  • Tickets
  • Contact
  • Contribute
  • Advertise
  • Home
  • News
  • Previews
  • Reviews
  • Features
  • Food
  • Tickets
  • Contact
    • Contact
    • Contribute
    • Advertise
Features

Six Of The Best Stoner Anthems

Sep 6, 2011
-
Posted by SOURCE Writers

PRIMAL SCREAM
‘Higher Than The Sun’

Given the band’s non-prescription propensity at the time, this could actually be a paean to any number of uppers, downers or hanging-arounders as it announces “I’ve glimpsed, I have tasted, fantastical places”. But any song presented as a ‘dub symphony in two parts’, as it re-appears later on ‘Screamadelica’, is going to suggest more supine appreciation than its more up-tempo album companions. Production by The Orb, purveyors of some fairly spliffy 90s moments themselves, seals the stoner deal. A lengthy and classic highlight of a truly epoch-making album. (NC)

BOMB THE BASS
‘Bug Powder Dust (La Funk Mob Remix)’

We’re not sure precisely when La Funk Mob got their hands on ‘Bug Powder Dust’ [er, on the 1994 single which also included a great Kruder & Dorfmeister mix – Ed], an unremarkable spurt of rap rock from Bomb The Bass’s ‘Clear’ album, but it was the sound of countless afternoons on beds and hills, staring into hazy abysses. Justin Warfield’s mumbo-jumbo lyrics (there’s at least one website devoted to deciphering them) are based on William S Burroughs’ ‘Naked Lunch’, replete with endless drug references. And as a zoned-out hip hop reworking, it’s a tune in its own right. (BM)

PINK FLOYD
‘The Dark Side Of The Moon’

Well, we couldn’t not put it in, right? You’ll notice that it’s the only entire album on the list – this simply isn’t a record you can pull tracks out of willy nilly. Even the band knew this; when we saw them at Earls Court in 1994 they did a bunch of new stuff and old hits, then came back on and played this. The whole album from start to finish, with lights and lasers and strobes and dry ice and an actual crashing plane. We watched on from our regal box, with some particularly potent cannabis oil as we recall. (NC)

TRICKY
‘Overcome’

In typical slacker behaviour ‘Overcome’ is a remake of Massive Attack’s ‘Karmacoma’ from the year before that Tricky hadn’t got around to writing the lyrics for. But this outclasses his former bandmates’ production with smoker-friendly, low-slung beats and bedroom-sultriness (the ‘Maxinquaye’ LP was the only thing that got stoners off the sofa and into bed in 1995). Multi-layered – letting your head wander off – there’s a fug of smoke drifting through the whole thing even before teenage singer Martina drops a reference to “Jamaica aroma”. (JK)

JEHST
‘Return Of The Drifter’

This very British rapper brought the gritty real life of a London hip hop chap to the mainstream in 2002 with ‘Return of the Drifter,’ with witty lines about “living with benefit cheats and no-hopers/deadbeats who sleep on their sofas” and “bunnin’ zoots of skunk” enlivening many a smoky bedroom. Designed to make you nod throughout and really, like, get what he’s saying man, this track embodies the beatification of setting the world to rights after a few more cans of lager. (JMM)

CYPRESS HILL
‘Hits From The Bong’

This ‘Son Of A Preacher Man’-sampling, ‘Black Sunday’ album track is less of a song and more a public information advert for weed smokers. “There’s water inside don’t spill it/It smells like shit on the carpet,” B-Real suggests in a nasal voice that we don’t remember grating so intensely while we were baked. Pretty lazy lyric writing but it persuaded three million teenage boys to finally get their shit together and get down the record shop with money they’d normally have spent on a ‘teenth. (JK)

More Six Of The Best: Click Here6best

WORDS BY NICK COQUET, BEN MILLER, JAMES KENDALL, JESSICA MARSHALL MCHATTIE

Six Of The Best
Sep 6, 2011
Email
SOURCE Writers
Sometimes an article is a bit of a team effort, and those are tagged SOURCE Writers. If you’d like to be part of that team, hit the Contact link at the top and get your work on this website.
← PREVIOUS POST
Club Review: Vice Issue Launch
NEXT POST →
Interview: JFB
Mailing List

Recent Posts
  • Beyond Boundaries Review
    Oct 2, 2026

    Stanmer Park filled it’s boots once again as the ‘new’ Beyond Boundaries festival picked up where Boundary left off.

  • The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time Review
    Oct 1, 2026

    Simon Stephens adaptation of this beautiful story is just as groundbreaking in theatrical production …

  • David Bowie To Return To Brighton
    Sep 30, 2026

    A spectacular show created by London's Lightroom team, in conjunction with the David Bowie estate, will be a must see for music fans next Summer.

  • The Levellers Live at Hove Park Review
    Sep 24, 2026

    The Levellers live in Hove Park was a 'Beautiful Day' celebrating 'Levelling the Land' in good company.

  • Amelia & The Housewives Announce Album Launch Show
    Sep 23, 2026

    Brighton's finest purveyors of sunshine indie pop play a free show to celebrate their debut album.

  • The Great Escape First 50 for 2027
    Sep 22, 2026

    The Great Escape have begun the launch of the First 50 with 22 acts who will be playing the festival next year and a launch night in London on November 12th.

  • Brighton Psych Fest 2026 Review
    Sep 19, 2026

    Team Source found plenty to tickle the outer reaches of our brains at Psych Fest 2026 until we danced like lunatics with Maquina.

  • Ezra Furman, Weds 28th Oct
    Sep 12, 2026

    Ms Ezra Furman is coming to Brighton Dome next month, doing whatever she wants, performing who knows what, and we couldn't be more excited.

Website developed in Brighton by Infobo
Copyright © Brighton Source 2009-2023
Six Of The Best Stoner Anthems - Brighton Source