Common Sense

The reggae outfit Common Sense, distinguished by its multi-ethnic makeup, first assembled in San Diego during 1987. Its settled roster placed singer Nick Hernandez in front, guitarists and keyboardists Billy Sherman and Jai Vatuk behind him, bassist Larry Young anchoring the low end, and drummer Chuck Morris supplying the backbeat. The group’s recorded debut, Live at the Belly Up, surfaced in 1992. Psychedelic Surf Groove followed four years later on the Surfdog imprint; Virgin then acquired and reissued the album in 1997. State of the Nation reached stores in mid-1999, aligned with the band’s slot on that summer’s Vans Warped Tour.