Not a Smash, but it rocks nonetheless ;) (Ixnay On The Hombre - Offspring)

Member Name: khrys

Product:	Ixnay On The Hombre - Offspring
Date:	26/06/01 (95 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Some Classic Tracks, Overall It is great :), Better than Americana

Disadvantages: Not as good as Smash, Still some poppy tracks, Some let down points in some songs

This is another one of my write-while-you-listen ops, which means (for those of you that have not been following my extensive trail of other while-while-you-listen ops (currently including Green Day - Nimrod)!) I put the CD into my CD drive, press play, and type what I think, as the music plays. Hence, lyrisc may be slightly wrong, but you can be assured of the authenticity of the opinion. Happy reading! *presses play*

Well, the first track is called "Disclaimer". This follows the Offspring tradition of having a humorous beginning to their albums. This is a parody of actual warnings found written on some albums/video sleeves. It is extremely funny:
#if it sounds sarcastic, dont take it seriously
#if it sounds dangerous, do not try this at home, or at all
#and if it offends you, just don't listen to it
Anyway, on to track two...

"The Meaning Of Life" starts fast and heavy, and has a fast beat. It is a very memorable song, with actual meaningful lyrics...
#Oh yeah, woah yeah
#open wide and they'll shove in the meaning of life
#oh yeah, woah yeah
#but not for me I'll do it on my own
As can be seen, it is a song about people who conform to the "norm", thus, people The Offspring do not agree with. The repetition of the "woah yeah"s in the chorus, followed by a fast and furious bridge section creates an agry texture and feel. This song is one I actually really like, but alas, it has finished now. On to track three, after the final guitar ending.

"Mota" is, for those who did not know this, about mota. Or ganja. Or cannabis. After a drumming start which heterophonically builds up to a climax (the word "MOTA!!"), there is a short solo and then a verse. This song teaches you of the dangers of drugs...
#your memory's gone, and so is your life
#your life, mota boy
#but losing out just never felt so right
#your enemy's you
, and so is your life
#your life, mota boy
#but losing out might feel okay all night
This song is done in a humorous style, with repetitions of "MOTA" at the end of each verse, after the short burst of rhythmic guitar. There is a final chorus after the two verses, which comes to a sudden halt.

"Me And My Old Lady" is a song I do not like that much. It has an awful start, but is followed by what is really quite a good melodic section. The lyrics are "questionable", but the overall effect is quite good (I grudgingly typed that...). The chorus is fairly good, however, there is the repeated "She ain't no ball and chain", which is really, for want of a better word, jarring. Then, the last verse...
#me and my old lady
#such each other dry
#and when in thata position, I'm the luckiest man alive
#quenching our libidos
#passing time away
But overall, this song is one that I can happily skip.

"Cool To Hate" is track five. It is another one that tries to create a humorous effect. It just talks about everyone the singer hates. The overall effect is fast, and bitter, but not heavy:
#it's cool to hate, it's cool to hate
#I don't like nothing and I like that fine
#I don't like nothing and I like that fine
#yeah I hate everything
#I even hate you too
#so f**k you
This pattern continues for a while, until a more rhythmic section comes in, but even though this song is an embodiment of one of the things I dislike about The Offspring, it has a pleasing overall effect. It is funny, after all.

Track six, "Leave It Behind", has an excellent starting riff, and a medium tempo. It is fairly bitter, and has climaxes at the end of each verse of "Leave it behind". The chorus:
#I don't know where it'll end
#the sun has set
#and I can't be friends
#I don't konw, if I can forgive

#the day is long
#but you were so dead wrong
There are not many lyrics to this song, but it isn't too long, and has a quick ending. I like it.

"Gone Away" is probably my favourite track on this album. It is a slow, mournful song, but still maintains a heavy enough backing, plus, it has a good riff, with a slightly haunting vocal part.
#maybe in another life
#I could find you there
#pulled away before your time
#I can't deal, it's so unfair
The drumming has a simple, yet important part in this, and can be picked up on quite easily. It switches from light percussion in the verses, to a more defined rhythm in the chorus, after a short fill. This is an excellent song, just showing The Offspring's talent, proving they are capable of more than just pop-style happy songs. However, the next song goes against my last sentence, but I do have proof (this song) of The Offspring's skill...

"I Choose" starts off well enough, it is upbeat, and gradually layers on its melody line. You realise it will be a happy song. The words, however, are odd:
#look at me, I'm falling
#off of a cliff now
#I can still hear my mama yelling no, no, no
#but the words mean nothing
#can't catch up to me now
#and the view is so beautiful
#all the way down
Anyway, another funny song. Never mind, it is catchy, and that actually has a bit more of a point, and more replay value, than some of their songs. There is a separate section after the two first verses, apart from the chorus, which leads into the introduction again, and then the final verse. There is hand clapping in this song (!).

Then comes "Intermission". Another weird bit. It is quite funny, it has a gently swaying rhythm, and occasionally, a man says "ahhh, intermission" or words to that effect. This shall not be described any further!

"All I Want" starts very quickly, with &
quot;ya ya ya ya ya", and a speedy guitar intro. This is another personal favourite from this album. The words go by quickly and so you often have to listen a few times to get the idea, but luckily, I already have.
#how many times, is it gonna take
#'til someone around you, hears what you say
#you've tried being cool, you feel like a lie
#you've played by their rules, now it's their turn to try
The chorus is very simple ("it's all i want, (repeated a few times, then) 'ya ya ya ya ya'"), and that is the end. On to the next track.

"Way Down The Line" is another quite "jolly" one, but without a jolly point. That is to say, it is upbeat, but is about family failings, such as:
#at 17 Shannon is pregnant
#as young as her mom when she had her
#her kid is never gonna have a dad
#the same old way that shannon never had
etc, etc. It is a song with a point, and a proper "chorus", with everyone singing in what I like to call "bloke" style (all basically shouting, because they know the words and don't want to appear soft). The ending is sweet as well.

"Don't Pick It Up" starts promisingly, but then goes off on one of those little tangents, with a very "boingy" rhythm, and short lines:
#I saw a little kid
#As he walked around
#he picked a candy bar up
#off the ground
#he chewed a half
#his face turned blue
#turned out that candy bar was doggy-doo
But anyway, this song is to be put down as "one of those". It has a very different style, but it soon over.

To make way for "Amazed", a song I just recently found I actually really liked. The beginning has a good riff, in the midst of the other textures. The voice is more husky and mature than Dexter Holland's usual voice, and the song is more mature also.
#sometimes I think I'm gonna drown
#caus
e everyone around's so hollow
#I'm alone
And the chorus is, to be frank, excellent
#Yeah, if I make it, I'd be amazed
#just to find tomorrow
#one more day and I'd be amazed
#just to see it waiting
And it continues, but I shall not spoil it. The one unusual thing about the song is clearly the voice. A definite reccomendation on this. Sadly, there aren't a lot more with this style. There is a solo between each verse, and a stream of "yeah"s, before a final chorus, to end.

And now, the last track. "Change The World". This has a drummed start, and the riff you hear from the end of Smash (anyone remember that?). It starts very slowly, but builds itself up gradually. It is quite a long time before it "visibly" changed, but it is a good effect. There is suddenly a drum fill and some frantic drumming, and the words start soon.
#I see the way the salesmen stare into the sun
#I stood and watched them as they fell off one by one
#and everyone's so blind
#they're not to help mankind
#reach into your bag of tricks
#and pull another one
Which is followed by a chorus, and more veses. There is, some way int the song, a drum part, and then a bass part, and then the main riff again. A very good ending to the album.

But is this the end? No.... if you listen through a few minutes of silence (nothing as bad as in Smash...), you hear "I think you guys should try heavy metal, kiss my a*s! Ah-ha!", which is quite funny if you can be bothered to wait for it. Which I could :)

So, overall conclusion? A great album, sadly not as good as Smash overall, but it has some truly excellent tracks. I can most definitely reccomend it to anyone interested in "what went wrong" between Smash and Americana. The answer is: they went a little too poppy in Ixnay, but just bordering on the "pants" side for a large portion of Americana.
<
br>However, I stray from the point. This album is fulll of different styles, and has many memorable songs. Plus, the beginning bit is funny!! :)

-khrys

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