I've been listening to The Offspring all day. That's a sentence that probably hasn't been true since my first bout with college. They were one of my favorite bands back in high school. Listening through their entire discography in one sitting was a thing i'd do on at least a biweekly basis. Then Splinter came out, and my faith wavered; Rise and Fall, Rage and Grace was better, but i barely listened to it and then moved along to other things. I haven't even heard anything that they've farted out since then (2008), which a quick Wikipedia trip tells me is only one album and one covers EP. Being as that includes a single called "Cruisin' California (Bumpin' in my Trunk)," i feel okay with my level of exposure. Although, as a Kubrick fan, i am intrigued by "Slim Pickens Does the Right Thing and Rides the Bomb Into Hell."
So anyway, here's what i'm contemplating today. I think most people who care about this sort of thing would agree that the first three Offspring albums (self-titled, Ignition, and Smash) are solid punk (or pop-punk, if you're crass) albums, and deserve to be held in high regard. I would make a passionate case for including Ixnay on the Hombre in the canon, and i'm sure others could put in a valiant effort defending Americana. Anything from Conspiracy of One onward though is tough to go to bat for. One of the biggest problems is that the albums are just so uneven, drifting erratically between radio-friendly formulaic rock singles, goofy and unlikable bullshit filler tracks, and just a handful of solid, listenable songs. So i thought, what if i tried to assemble one cohesive album out of that last bit of their catalog (before i fell off the bandwagon)? Toss out the absolute garbage like Spare Me The Details and Worst Hangover Ever and assemble an album's worth of great stuff like Come Out Swinging and Lightning Rod? And maybe some non-album singles?
Here's what i came up with. This is definitely a more fast-paced Offspring album.
1. Come Out Swinging [Conspiracy of One]
2. Long Way Home [Splinter]
3. Defy You [Orange County soundtrack]
4. (Can't Get My) Head Around You [Splinter]
5. Trust in You [Rise and Fall, Rage and Grace]
6. Million Miles Away [Conspiracy of One]
7. Vultures [Conspiracy of One]
8. Lightning Rod [Splinter]
9. Hammerhead [Rise and Fall, Rage and Grace]
10. The Noose [Splinter]
11. You're Gonna Go Far, Kid [Rise and Fall, Rage and Grace]
12. Takes Me Nowhere [Rise and Fall, Rage and Grace]
13. All Along [Conspiracy of One]
14. Can't Repeat [Greatest Hits]
I'm not saying these are the only tracks from those albums that are worthwhile. Once i had trimmed out everything obvious i was still left with 18 tracks (out of the 39 i started with). And i held on to Dammit I Changed Again until the bitter end, but i really wanted to limit it to 14 tracks (putting it on par with the longest Offspring album, Ixnay on the Hombre).
So yeah, that's what my brain has been doing today while i've been cleaning the kitchen. Try the mix out yourself and see if you like it. Or, suggest an alternate mix. Or, exist, as a reader of my blog, that would be cool too.
So anyway, here's what i'm contemplating today. I think most people who care about this sort of thing would agree that the first three Offspring albums (self-titled, Ignition, and Smash) are solid punk (or pop-punk, if you're crass) albums, and deserve to be held in high regard. I would make a passionate case for including Ixnay on the Hombre in the canon, and i'm sure others could put in a valiant effort defending Americana. Anything from Conspiracy of One onward though is tough to go to bat for. One of the biggest problems is that the albums are just so uneven, drifting erratically between radio-friendly formulaic rock singles, goofy and unlikable bullshit filler tracks, and just a handful of solid, listenable songs. So i thought, what if i tried to assemble one cohesive album out of that last bit of their catalog (before i fell off the bandwagon)? Toss out the absolute garbage like Spare Me The Details and Worst Hangover Ever and assemble an album's worth of great stuff like Come Out Swinging and Lightning Rod? And maybe some non-album singles?
Here's what i came up with. This is definitely a more fast-paced Offspring album.
1. Come Out Swinging [Conspiracy of One]
2. Long Way Home [Splinter]
3. Defy You [Orange County soundtrack]
4. (Can't Get My) Head Around You [Splinter]
5. Trust in You [Rise and Fall, Rage and Grace]
6. Million Miles Away [Conspiracy of One]
7. Vultures [Conspiracy of One]
8. Lightning Rod [Splinter]
9. Hammerhead [Rise and Fall, Rage and Grace]
10. The Noose [Splinter]
11. You're Gonna Go Far, Kid [Rise and Fall, Rage and Grace]
12. Takes Me Nowhere [Rise and Fall, Rage and Grace]
13. All Along [Conspiracy of One]
14. Can't Repeat [Greatest Hits]
I'm not saying these are the only tracks from those albums that are worthwhile. Once i had trimmed out everything obvious i was still left with 18 tracks (out of the 39 i started with). And i held on to Dammit I Changed Again until the bitter end, but i really wanted to limit it to 14 tracks (putting it on par with the longest Offspring album, Ixnay on the Hombre).
So yeah, that's what my brain has been doing today while i've been cleaning the kitchen. Try the mix out yourself and see if you like it. Or, suggest an alternate mix. Or, exist, as a reader of my blog, that would be cool too.
