its da offspring wahey! (The Offspring - Offspring)

Member Name: strange_child

Product:	The Offspring - Offspring
Date:	01/09/01 (93 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: uncommercial, fun, punky

Disadvantages: can become boring

I got into The Offspring a couple of years ago through the hit <Pretty Fly for a white guy>, and whilst it was good at the time as was the album <Americana>, I generally cringe when I hear them now. The boredom I eventually got from listening to the latest Offspring hits inspired me to look bad at their past discography as I am doing now;

<Jennifer lost the war>
Wow! I was so surprised when I first put the album on – it’s more skate punk than pop punk, without the eventually irritatingly catchy tunes. Although this song is good and fast and eventually infectious, it doesn’t scream <instant hit>, which is what appeals to me the most. It even has an ickle guitar solo – how sweet! The subject matter is pretty serious like many Offspring songs, but this time it’s not coated with the normal sugar. It’s about a little girl who has died on the streets.

<Elders>
Another fast punk guitaring and shouty vocals. The production on this album sounds like it’s been recorded in a bedroom or in a garage. Or that might just be my computer! And again there is high guitar soloing, which gives a slightly dated feel, but still sounds good.

<Out on patrol>
I think that the guitars in this song would sound in place on Green Day’s <Kerplunk!> album which in my opinion is definatly a good thing! The vocals seriously wouldn’t go though, and like before the subject matter is serious; it is about a little boy going off to fight another country, which he knows nothing about. Although they are a fast band, they don’t cover up negative subjects such as war or dying in the same that that say, Less Than Jake might by sounding happy, and adding horns, they stay fairly serious. <Or a serious as a punk band can get! >

<Crossroads>
This is a very strange sounding song in both the tune and the music. The sounds coming from the guitar are quite unusual and slightly spo
oky sounding. The vocals are still slightly whiny in the usual bratty Offspring style, but the tuning that Dexter does, whilst still punky, is quite odd sounding.

<Demons (A Mexican fiesta)>
The lyrics to this song give a good sense of place, and I can just imagine myself in Mexico right now! The song starts with rapid bongo drumming, and then come the guitars gradually getting faster and chunkier! The vocals are rapid and the usual Dexter style. However, there is something about the singing on this album that is different to how I’ve heard Dexter sing on other albums, but I can’t quite put my finger on it. It may be the speed of the singing or something to do with the tunes…. I’m not quite sure.

<Beheaded>
<Mommy doesn’t have a head anymore/keep it underneath my bed on the floor/that’s alright thought/that’s ok/she never used her head anyway> Well, no-one can argue that The Offspring are inventive, as is shown in this song. They seem to have a love for writing funny songs, but keeping the vocals fairly serious which gives the strangest effect! I would say that this is the funniest song on the album, and what’s more it could never have been on <Americana> or <Conspiracy of one> because of the amount of children who love those albums! This sounds quite classic slightly 80s punk with the drawn out <Beheaded> in shouty group style.

<Tehran>
this gives a slightly Middle eastern feel through the use of the riffing, such as can be found on <Pay the man> on <Americana>. Again, the subject of this song is war and the people fighting in the war somewhere in the Middle East. I think that the guitars give a good, interesting feel that can only be The Offspring, therefore, this song is original!

<A thousand days>
Another fast ‘n’ furious song, the type that makes so many people love The Offspring! And I think that the singing/shouting in
this song sounds quite anguished, but then, when does Dexter ever sound happy?! The tune is fun and loud and fast which is a good thing, and it’s reasonably catchy too!

<Blackball>
a typical Offspring song, fast, strong and with a slightly memorable tune. It’s not a particularly remarkable song, and for about the hundredth time guess what it’s about? Yes, you guessed right, it’s about war! It’s not such a bad little song, but I think that a little more time needs to pass before it grows on me.

<I’ll be waiting>
A very un-Offspring type beginning with a very high guitar solo; but don’t fear as soon as the rest of the instruments kick in, you realise that they’re still the same as ever! It’s quite a nice sing, fun to listen to and sing along to.

<Kill the president>
Kewl title – but is it a kewl song? Well the answer my dearies is yes, yes and yes! The lyrics are kewl, especially if like me you don’t like President Bush! Hehehehehehehe! The tune isn’t particularly catchy, but it’s quite good, and yes, here comes our dear friend, The Offspring guitar solo. It’s definatly worth listening until the end of the album to get to this song.

This album is a welcome relief from the commercial pop-punk that The Offspring seem to go on about now! And also, I never knew that they even knew what a guitar solo was, let alone use them to good effect. All in all; this is a good album, and even if you aren’t an Offspring fan, this is a good album to listen to.

Stand out tracks; <Demons> <Beheaded> <A thousand days>

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