I'm not listening anymore. (Offspring in general)

Member Name: JackW24

Product:	Offspring in general
Date:	14/10/01 (85 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Very talented musicians., Always original (pranksters)., Turn their hand to a million (miles away) different genres of music.

Disadvantages: Can't pay (the man) enough to buy all their albums.., The original punk rock style seems to sadly have (gone away), Above all, they're (pretty fly, for white guys))

I don't think I'm really a typical Offspring fan. I don't wear the T-shirts, don't have a single piercing, and it would take a lot of cold, hard cash to get me to ever dye my hair. Even then it would have to be non-permanent.

Admittedly, the first of their music I ever heard, was from the 1998 Americana. I think the first track was Pretty Fly, which I thought was absolutely hopeless. I thought, damn, that's rubbish, guess I don't like Offspring. Little did I know how wrong I was.

But then, I "inherited" the whole album, thought that I might aswell give it a try. A little more persuaded perhaps.. then I came online to the then-prevalent napster, typed in a few names of some songs from some other albums, and as I listened, a smile grew across my face.

To this date, the only Offspring song I have ever heard that I don't like is "Pretty Fly".

Now their earlier stuff *is* better, don't get me wrong, but their new stuff still packs a fistful of tongue-in-cheek lyrics, sarcasm, and sheer perfection, that means in my mind, this band is completely unrivalled by any other out there.

I don't want to know what everyone says about selling out. I don't even completely understand it, but in my mind it doesn't matter. They still produce brilliant music.

On every album, there will be something you have never heard and never expected from them, sometimes this will be good (like the excellent "Denial, Revisited" from Conspiracy of One), and sometimes people may see it as a bit of a mistake (such as "Pay the Man" from Americana.. which I still like). For me, this willingness to try new things is keeping me very interested, and hanging on the edge of my seat for every new album and single.

Let's not forget, they are also incredibly talented.

I don't think that anyone can disagree with me on that. They sing/play/write their mu
sic, and it sounds great. Their music is always recognisable by the way it's about 5 times faster than anyone else would play it. Apart from that though, there is no formula, the tracks don't sound the same (*cough* Aheminem *cough*), and they all sound great.

Ok, lately, they do seem to be slipping into pop a little. Well if you don't like that then fair enough. Personally, I think that they've tried so many different genres, and conquered about 80% of them.. pop is the only one left. As far as I can see, they can just conquer that like the rest, and then move on to the next type of music. God only knows what they have planned for their next album, and I don't care, because I know I will love it.

Whatever they try to do, in whatever style, they will try their hardest, and try with a completely supreme amount of skill and originality that will keep me coming back for as long as they are out of nursing homes.

Listen to all their albums, from their self-titled Offspring, through to Conspiracy of One, you might not like any, you might not like all of them. I think everyone will find a couple of very agreeable albums in there though (my personal fave is Ixnay), and you don't know what you're missing out if you don't try.

Cheers.

Jack



BLAAAAAAAAAAAAAARGH!! hehehe sorry. Stress relief for me there. :)

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