Archive is a box set of previously unreleased recordings recorded between 1992 and 2014 by the American rock band 311, released on June 29, 2015.
Background and contents Archive was released to celebrate 311's 25th anniversary. It contains 81 tracks spanning four discs, including the track "Cali Soca", recorded during the Soundsystem sessions. Nick Hexum said of the release: "Yeah, I think it's our entire major label career. There's nothing from this current last album because there were no B-sides, we put everything out. This goes all the way back to Music's B-sides, our first major label album. It's pretty much the whole scope of our career. There are a couple of odds and ends from the very early days before we were signed that weren't included.", he also said he hadn't heard some of the recordings in a long time. The album cover features a honeycomb design that was also available on patches that were purchasable through a url. The liner notes of the set states: "We felt that we didn't really need another 'Greatest Hits' compilation so we started searching for things we knew a true 311 fan would like to hear and see. While searching, it became clear that we were going to dive deep into the archives and uncover material that no one outside the band had ever laid eyes or ears on. It is our sincere hope that you will love this collection as much as we loved making it."
Critical reception
Senior AllMusic critic Stephen Thomas Erlewine states that "It goes without saying that [Archive] is one for the fans -- specifically fans of the dedicated sort, of which there are many", noting that "The version that hit standard retail, both physical and digital, is divided into four parts: a disc of B-sides and bonus tracks, a disc of outtakes, a disc of largely "pre-production" recordings, and a disc of demos.", concluding by stating that "It's interesting and, elsewhere, there are enough strong stray songs and larks to make this worth the time of serious fans."
Track listing
Charts + Chart performance for Archive Chart (2015) Peakposition
References