Search - Offspring :: Offspring

"Out With the New, Stay With the Old"

Adam | Lethbridge Canada | 11/22/2002

(4 out of 5 stars)

"The Offspring is a band known by many and adored by a lot, including myself. The Offspring produces high performance music that is useful for pre-game inspiration. It also can be considered angry music for a depressed teenager, or catchy music for a party. They have been credited with the previous as well as leading punk music into the mainstream of music listeners in the early nineteen nineties.
I have to admit that as much of an offspring fan I am I have not purchased their newest album. As a young teenager I lived and breathed their music listening to such CD?s as this one, Ignition, Ixnay on the Hombre, and Smash. I enjoyed some of the songs from Americana. However, that album, due to songs such as ?Pretty Fly for a White Guy? to me was the beginning of the end of my love for these guys from Orange County.
If you look up the ?punk-pop? genre on Amazon.ca you will find such bands as, Blink-182 and Jimmy eat world, as well as a few of The Offspring?s newer albums. It is this genre that is responsible for teeny-boppers who say they love punk music, and is a disgrace to true punk routes. However I promise you that you will not find their original self-titled album in this category.
In my opinion ?The Offspring? is the definition of punk rock. It is a heavy album packed with wicked guitar riffs and fast drums. The lyrics have everything from gratuitous violence to political statements and an overall rebellious attitude.
This album begins with a sad tale of a young girl being abused and left to die. ?Jennifer Lost the War? is a song with a morbid topic, but it really makes the listener think about today?s society. ?They found her burned and raped?but will the morning headlines even say that it?s a shame?? It is lines like this that shows the true character of The Offspring, and comments on the world we live in. The music of the song is average as far as the sound of the band goes, but it is the lyrics that make it one of my favorite.
The next song on the CD has lyrics worthy of a poem. It is about an aging youth coming to the realization that he has been lied to by his elders. ?Elders? is a ballad for the teenage generation when they realize that their parents are not perfect, and all they ever wanted was for them to be truthful in what they share with their children. It is a fast and exciting song which I quite enjoy.
?Out on Patrol? opens with a wicked fast acoustic guitar, a rare find in the Offspring?s music. It is this guitar and the fast beats performed by Welty on drums that make the song what it is. The music itself over powers the lyrics in that I never really understood the song, but I loved to hear it.
Up until now, the album has been traveling in a definite path, following song after song of which all seem to sound the same to the untrained ear. It is ?Demons? that takes this CD for a curve. What makes this song special is a change of pace on drums and the high pitched guitar by ?Noodles? that The Offspring are so known for. As well as the slowing down of the song while Dexter?s voice comes through the speakers sinisterly. It is words like ?your misery in life is your ecstasy in death? that makes for a devilish tone in this song. It is not one of my favorite but it definitely shows how versatile the band truly is.
?Beheaded? is by far one of the most unique songs ever written by the Offspring. This song contains gratuitous violence and builds morbid images in one?s mind while listening to it. It is a story of a man that is suffering some sort of mental instability while on a killing rampage. It is the screaming guitar and emotion in Holland?s voice that makes my blood curdle. I?m not trying to say that I am sadistic but I truly enjoy this song, it fills me with emotion and is a useful outlet for rage.
?Tehran? is a song that proves that the Offspring is more than just a band that can sing about white guys posing as an African American thug. This song relates to the Gulf War and triggers thoughts about war in general. Not only is it well written but it keeps with the trend of pure, hard, punk rock.
?A Thousand Days?, ?Blackball?, and ?Ill be waiting? are average, yet still awesome songs on this album and I enjoy them immensely.
The album ends with a message of rebellion in the song ?Kill the President?. It has words such as: ?In a world without leaders who would start all the wars?? This is a powerful song that provokes thoughts in a young mind about what politics is all about. Not only does it make you think, but it continues the trend of fast paced angry music.
I believe that the best music produced by The Offspring was their older music. The Offspring has a natural hard and crunchy sound. They eventually expanded on it and mixed it into a more catchy and crunchy sound. It is once they realized that the songs that were profitable were the ones with goofball lyrics and oddball sounds, that their combination of catchy and crunchy became too catchy. This is not to say that the newer albums do not contain some classic Offspring. I have always enjoyed their music and I will continue to enjoy it, but more so this album than any of the rest. Due to the unique voice of Holland, rhythmic base by Greg, the screaming guitar of Noodles, and the speedy drums of Welty, this album with its hard garage sound is a necessity to any fan of The Offspring."

The Start of a Great Band

niftyspam | USA | 08/13/2002

(4 out of 5 stars)

"I can say this is easily the worst Offspring album in my opinion, but it is still very good, which proves how great the band is. Anyway, here are the ratings of each song:1. Jennifer Lost the War- 9/10 Powerful lyrics coupled with nice riffs equal a great start to the album
2. Elders- 10/10 This is an even better song with good lyrics, nice drumming and guitar.
3. Out on Patrol- 8.5/10 One of the many songs about war, and, while short, is still a solid piece.
4. Crossroads- 6.25/10 It's got decent lyrics, but the overall effort is pretty average.
5. Demons- 5.25/10 The lyrics are very interesting, but it's not enough to get this subpar song off the ground.
6. Beheaded- 7.5/10 We see a part of the Offspring's playful side, about a guy with aspirations of beheading everyone in the world. On a sidenote, it was co-written with James Lijla, who ironically is now a plastic surgeon, or something like that. It's a good thing his patients don't know he co-wrote a song called Beheaded!
7. Tehran- 9.75/10 An excellent song about the Gulf War, although in actuality it's very short, but the music is good, and the lyrics are moving.
8. A Thousand Days- 8.25/10 The first song I heard off this album is still one of the best. Solid riffs and drumming with interesting love lyrics.
9. Blackball- 9.5/10 The first single is one of the better songs on the track. Nice sound with cool lyrics.
10. I'll Be Waiting- 10/10 Tied for best song on the track in my mind, this is an excellent song with thought provoking lyrics and stellar instrumentals.
11. Kill the President- 9/10 Maybe not the best ending title for a CD, but the song is still good.Now, the CD is good, but it's only about half an hour long, so that brings it down slightly. Still, it's worth the money to get it, if you can find it, that is. The Offspring's debut, although it did poorly in sales, was still the embarkment of an incredible journey."

Best Cd by The Offspring

Matt | 12/20/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This CD is the best ever released by this band. This cd is in my top 20 best cds ever, which is an extremely hard task. This cd is more raw, fast, brutal, rebellious, etc. than all of their other cds.



Here are the song reviews.



Jennifer Lost The War - 15/10 Best song ever. Brilliant and true lyrics, great guitar, great everything. Brilliant solo after the first chorus. Catchiest song ever. Best song ever.



Elders - 9/10 Great Song. Great lyrics, great guitar, great drumming, great everything.



Out On Patrol - 9/10 A Shorter song, but still good. Starts with an acoustic intro till it comes out with a fantastic riff.



Crossroads - 10/10 Unbelievable song. Very creepy bass part at like 30 seconds. After that , this song is so great. Very catchy, great chorus.



Demons - 500/10 Best song ever released by any band. Starts with a cool drum solo then comes the bass, then the guitar. Has some great dark metalish lyrics. Very fast and great. This song makes me wanna have a mexican fiesta. I'd pay 50 bucks just for this song. Btw, Best lyrics ever.



Beheaded - 25/10 YES , BLOOD, GORE, YES, I LOVE THIS SONG. Bloody, Gory , Violent, Everything That I Love! Great riff, very creepy. I love the lyrics.



Tehran - 10/10 Desert Storm Song. Great Bass intro, great guitar work. Brilliant lyrics. One of the Offspring's better songs.



A Thousand Days - 9/10 Cool Song. Starts with like a James Bond ish intro for 10 seconds. Cool chorus.



Blackball - 10/10 Something about this song makes it so addicting. This song has some great lyrics, as well as that it is greatly put together. Very catchy.



I'll Be Waiting - 10/10 The opening reminds me of some 80s and 70s Rock songs I like. Basicly, its a great solo to start the song. But at like 20 seconds it kicks in to a fast punk song. I love the lyrics, the chorus, just a fascinating song.



Overall, This is the best cd ever released by The Offspring. Go ahead and get it if you liked the next 3 albums or other punk bands.



Grade = A++++++



btw. I listen to thrash and death metal and such, but I still love The Offspring."