I have a never ending thirst to find new exciting music. I've found many times though that doesn't necessarily mean new, just new to me. Even after nearly 20 years of listening to classic rock, I still stumble across lesser known songs by popular artists I come to love. In this series of posts I'll point out some of my personally underrated favorites by popular artists along with reminiscing about when I first discovered the song myself.
Elton John - Mona Lisas And Mad Hatters (Honky Chateau - 1972)
Always one of my favorite artists, Elton has such a back catalog that it can be very cumbersome picking through everything to find the gems that don't appear on greatest hits packages or public opinion. Luckily I have tv to help me out.
A few years ago I got hooked on the new show after "Lost" called "Life On Mars". Sadly it was cancelled after one season as most shows that I actually like are, but they played lots of good 70's music throughout. In the series finale they played this song at the end and I was awestruck by how great it was. It's in the same vein as Tiny Dancer and other piano ballads. It's been in my regular rotation ever since.
Kid Rock - Blue Jeans And A Rosary (Rock N Roll Jesus - 2007)
Juxtaposing Kid Rock and Elton John is strange. I feel kind of wrong doing it. Imagine how surprised I was to hear this song off his very solid Rock N Roll Jesus album. After a few times of listening to it, I said to myself "My God this song (especially the chorus) sounds like an Elton John song". Obviously Kid Rock's vocals can't hold a candle (in the wind) to Elton's, but the use of strings, some of the vocal inflections and even the lyrics to a degree all fit. I could easily see Elton performing this song.
Tom Petty - Louisiana Rain (Damn The Torpedoes - 1979, Live Anthology - 2009)
Honestly I don't know how this one slipped through the cracks all these years. Tom Petty has always been one of my favorite artists since I discovered I loved music and this is one of his better album albeit one that for some reason I don't own. I'm sure I had heard this song at some point in my life, but re-discovered it when the live anthology came out a few years back. Maybe it's because the live version is considerably better than the studio track. It's just your classic Petty tune, but newish to me.
Allman Brothers Band - Seven Turns (Seven Turns -1990)
A product of their nth lineup change, I don't remember this song when it was new so I doubt it received much radio play in my area. I discovered this song about five years ago. I really don't remember the first time I heard it, but I remember instantly loving it. Around that same time, I experienced a rather disheartening breakup and one of the things that got me through was teaching myself how to play this song on guitar. I couldn't find any tabs for it online at the time, so I charted every note and taught it to myself.
Guns N Roses - Estranged (Use Your Illusion II - 1991)
Being a big GNR fan, I do remember this one when it was new, but I feel it still really doesn't get the respect it deserves. Maybe that's because it's a lot like November Rain only not quite as good. This was the third video in the overblown video trilogy following November Rain and Don't Cry which both received significant airplay at the time. Do yourself a favor. Watch the video of this. Maybe it'll push the memory of Slash playing while Fergie butchers one of the best songs ever out of your mind.
CCR - Wrote A Song For Everyone (Green River - 1969)
CCR and John Fogerty crammed a lot of memorable songs into a pretty short timeframe in the late 60's/early 70's. This one I discovered on Chronicles II which is all the lesser known songs still worthy of greatest hits. It's one of my favorites by them. A simple acoustic guitar with ever powerful vocals by Fogerty. I like uniqueness in rock and roll and anytime you hear Fogerty sing you instantly know who it is.
Thursday, January 28, 2010
Book Review: Cornflakes with John Lennon by Robert Hilburn
I have a well earned reputation as the person who knows all about music so when my college roommate visited a few weeks ago he brought along this book for me knowing I'd enjoy it.
While I keep up with the new music scene as well as I can, I often times miss literature like this. I had never heard of the book or Robert Hilburn, but it looked like a very interesting read. Robert Hilburn, as it turns out, was a music critic for many years withe L.A. Times and got to know a lot of the artists he covered personally. This book is more or less about his interactions with a lot of rock and roll's greatest artists ranging from Elvis to Jack White and also U2 (seriously why do people like them so much?)
I was very eager to read about his interactions, but I was a little cautious because I disdain most music critics. At least in today's landscape, critics tend to heap praise on boring sounding indie acts and turn their nose up at anything mainstream. While it's true most mainstream music today is crap, they appear pre-ordained to like and hate certain music without ever having any solid reasoning behind it.
The first chapter put a lot of my fears to rest. It's a very good intro to the book, discussing Mr. Hilburn's child life and his influences in music that really shows the reader a lot about his character and his passion for rock music. I think my favorite thing about his writing is you can tell that being a critic wasn't just a job for him. He makes a good critic because he is actually passionate about the music he is listening to and to me, passion is what rock and roll music is supposed to be. He manages to write the whole book as a fan of rock music, not as a condescending critic. I envy him for being around rock and roll's roots and discovering Elvis and other many great artists on the up.
On a side note it must've been great to be a critic in the 60's and 70's and eagerly awaiting the release of a good new album. I still remember the rush I got as an early teenager discovering all this music that was so great that was released before I was born. It's a bit different though. Once I discovered I liked the Beatles or Springsteen I instantly had their whole catalog at my disposal and didn't have the built up anticipation of seeing what they would do next. Again I think I'd fit in much better in society growing up 25-30 years earlier. How many albums do I eagerly await now? Ragweed and umm..Jack White's new project sorta?
While I don't always agree with his assertions I understand where Bob comes from in his musical taste. He doesn't just want an artist to make a hit song. He wants them to become that song and become something transcendant. I personally think you miss out on some songs this way, but overall it's not a bad position to have. While I may enjoy a catchy throw away single (i.e. most 80's pop) it doesn't move me the way listening to the absolute best does. Waiting around for something transcendant though gets boring. I'd love to have an artist come along with amazing work and blow me away, but it rarely happens anymore at least on the album level. I'd love to find the next great band and hang on their every album, but in the meantime I'll take my one or two fantastic songs even if it may not be a stepping stone to something more.
One thing he mentions throughout in the book is the essential artists in rock. The 20 or so artists that if you took them away, rock music wouldn't be the same. I'd never really thought about it like that before, but once presented with the theory I did buy into it. Obviously without Elvis or the Beatles, you don't have rock and roll. Even though I appreciate a lot of songs by Boston, Billy Joel, Kansas etc. removing them from the picture doesn't affect rock's landscape too drastically (although my life would be a little less joyful without "More Than A Feeling" or "Carry On Wayward Son").
This book was a delightfully easy read and has been passed on to the girlfriend and her father and I'm sure it will make its rounds to many rock and roll loving friends in the future. I would highly recommend it for anyone who appreciates the history of rock and roll music.
While I keep up with the new music scene as well as I can, I often times miss literature like this. I had never heard of the book or Robert Hilburn, but it looked like a very interesting read. Robert Hilburn, as it turns out, was a music critic for many years withe L.A. Times and got to know a lot of the artists he covered personally. This book is more or less about his interactions with a lot of rock and roll's greatest artists ranging from Elvis to Jack White and also U2 (seriously why do people like them so much?)
I was very eager to read about his interactions, but I was a little cautious because I disdain most music critics. At least in today's landscape, critics tend to heap praise on boring sounding indie acts and turn their nose up at anything mainstream. While it's true most mainstream music today is crap, they appear pre-ordained to like and hate certain music without ever having any solid reasoning behind it.
The first chapter put a lot of my fears to rest. It's a very good intro to the book, discussing Mr. Hilburn's child life and his influences in music that really shows the reader a lot about his character and his passion for rock music. I think my favorite thing about his writing is you can tell that being a critic wasn't just a job for him. He makes a good critic because he is actually passionate about the music he is listening to and to me, passion is what rock and roll music is supposed to be. He manages to write the whole book as a fan of rock music, not as a condescending critic. I envy him for being around rock and roll's roots and discovering Elvis and other many great artists on the up.
On a side note it must've been great to be a critic in the 60's and 70's and eagerly awaiting the release of a good new album. I still remember the rush I got as an early teenager discovering all this music that was so great that was released before I was born. It's a bit different though. Once I discovered I liked the Beatles or Springsteen I instantly had their whole catalog at my disposal and didn't have the built up anticipation of seeing what they would do next. Again I think I'd fit in much better in society growing up 25-30 years earlier. How many albums do I eagerly await now? Ragweed and umm..Jack White's new project sorta?
While I don't always agree with his assertions I understand where Bob comes from in his musical taste. He doesn't just want an artist to make a hit song. He wants them to become that song and become something transcendant. I personally think you miss out on some songs this way, but overall it's not a bad position to have. While I may enjoy a catchy throw away single (i.e. most 80's pop) it doesn't move me the way listening to the absolute best does. Waiting around for something transcendant though gets boring. I'd love to have an artist come along with amazing work and blow me away, but it rarely happens anymore at least on the album level. I'd love to find the next great band and hang on their every album, but in the meantime I'll take my one or two fantastic songs even if it may not be a stepping stone to something more.
One thing he mentions throughout in the book is the essential artists in rock. The 20 or so artists that if you took them away, rock music wouldn't be the same. I'd never really thought about it like that before, but once presented with the theory I did buy into it. Obviously without Elvis or the Beatles, you don't have rock and roll. Even though I appreciate a lot of songs by Boston, Billy Joel, Kansas etc. removing them from the picture doesn't affect rock's landscape too drastically (although my life would be a little less joyful without "More Than A Feeling" or "Carry On Wayward Son").
This book was a delightfully easy read and has been passed on to the girlfriend and her father and I'm sure it will make its rounds to many rock and roll loving friends in the future. I would highly recommend it for anyone who appreciates the history of rock and roll music.
Monday, August 10, 2009
Top 100 (5-1)
5. Pearl Jam - Alive
The best grungy classic rock song ever. Pearl Jam has always been kind of a hybrid band. They are definitely grunge and fit in nicely with the Seattle scene, but they always had more classic rock (especially Neil Young) influences to their music than fellow Seattle grungers did.
At the forefront of this influence are some absolutely blistering guitar solo by Mike McCreedy and this song features one of my favorites of any genre. The way this song crescendos into an all out rock fest at the end is absolutely amazing.
4. Lynyrd Skynyrd - Free Bird
The best grungy classic rock song ever. Pearl Jam has always been kind of a hybrid band. They are definitely grunge and fit in nicely with the Seattle scene, but they always had more classic rock (especially Neil Young) influences to their music than fellow Seattle grungers did.
At the forefront of this influence are some absolutely blistering guitar solo by Mike McCreedy and this song features one of my favorites of any genre. The way this song crescendos into an all out rock fest at the end is absolutely amazing.
4. Lynyrd Skynyrd - Free Bird
Ok so it's cliche, but cliche or not it's just a damn good song. Another song with the classic start slow/end rocking format that is all but lost in new music nowadays with legendary guitar work from the triple-axe attack. The only danger this song poses is to motorists who don't have cruise control. Often times during the solo, 80 mph can be hit easily without being conscious of it.
3. Bob Dylan - Like A Rolling Stone
From the first snare hit you just know this song is going to be a classic kick-off to Dylan's best album. After embracing the electric guitar, Dylan gives critics of the move nothing more to complain about after this song. How does it feeeeeel indeed.
2. Beatles - A Day In The LifeReason number infinity Lennon & McCartney were the best songwriting duo ever. As was the case with a lot of Beatles classics, this tune was composed from half written song by each side of the duo melded perfectly together by George Martin.
The dreamy trance like music and lyrics from Lennon crescendos into Paul's verse then right back to Lennon before the final crescendo and the single biggest piano chord in rock history fading out in the oblivion.
1. Bruce Springsteen - Thunder Road
I've always put this song hand in hand with Born To Run as a lot of fans probably do. But while I like Born To Run, I absolutely love this song. It is the epitome of classic rock and roll to me and probably a pretty controversial song for #1 overall, but this song instantly brightens any day in which I hear it.
It starts off with a simple harmonica/piano medley referencing Roy Orbison and picks up the pace ending with a sax solo by the great Clarence Clemons. It's probably also the Boss's greatest vocal performance (at times reminding me of The Big O himself) not to mention one of the best road trip songs ever.
So there you have it. My personal Top 100 list. Undoubtedly since I started writing it, some songs have changed their rankings in my own mind and I'm always on the outlook for good new songs I can add to the list in the future. I'd love to hear everyone else's opinions on both my list and your own personal list especially of why people favor songs that you don't find on traditional Best of lists.
Wednesday, August 5, 2009
Top 100 (10-5)
10. Dire Straits - Sultans Of Swing
Most bands peak early and it's not a big surprise to find their best song is off their first album, however in a musical career as long and storied as Aerosmith it is a bit of an odd thing. Ironically this song is probably about as un-Aerosmith sounding as Aerosmith gets. If you squint, you can tell it's Steven Tyler singing, but it lacks his trademark scat. Still an absolutely fantastic song though.
8. Beach Boys - Good Vibrations
Why do the best ones always have to be crazy? If not for his neurosis it's very possible Brian Wilson may have become as big as Paul McCartney. While they started out as a fairly simply surf group they, like the Beatles, grew up in terms of complexity as the 60's waned. The Beatles begat Pet Sounds which begat St. Pepper's. Sometimes friendly competition is good when it leads to 2 of the best albums ever recorded.
With the Beach Boys it was always all about the harmonies and this song is the apex of that along with the dreamy quality of the music and lyrics.
7. The Who - Won't Get Fooled Again
In making this list, I realized I really really like The Who which came as no surprise, but they are the only band with two songs this high on my list. This song showcases everything that is good about the band. The structure of the song changes so many times up to the most defining yowl of any song ever made.
And the drumming, oh Lord the drumming. The track laid down by Keith Moon is probably the best drum track ever and thanks to the increasing blandness of newer song's drums may hold that title for a very long time.
6. Queen - Bohemian Rhapsody
There is no band out there quite like Queen. It's amazing what they managed to accomplish with the limitations of 1970's analog recording equipment. This signature cut has probably caused numerous traffic accidents as people were busy banging their head to this song a la Wayne's World.
To create this masterpiece the 3-part harmony was dubbed and overdubbed numerous times to create the choirlike vocals.
For a while when I was a teenager this was one of my favorite Bob Dylan songs. From the moment I realized it's Dire Straits it's been my favorite song by them as well. Yeah I know, now I can tell the difference pretty easily, but I was a neophyte then.
Mark Knopfler is really an underrated guitarist. The guitar work (and the drumming) in this song rate amongst the best of any classic rock song. The only thing that could possibly make it better were if the lyrics involved installing microwave ovens.
9. Aerosmith - Dream OnMost bands peak early and it's not a big surprise to find their best song is off their first album, however in a musical career as long and storied as Aerosmith it is a bit of an odd thing. Ironically this song is probably about as un-Aerosmith sounding as Aerosmith gets. If you squint, you can tell it's Steven Tyler singing, but it lacks his trademark scat. Still an absolutely fantastic song though.
8. Beach Boys - Good Vibrations
Why do the best ones always have to be crazy? If not for his neurosis it's very possible Brian Wilson may have become as big as Paul McCartney. While they started out as a fairly simply surf group they, like the Beatles, grew up in terms of complexity as the 60's waned. The Beatles begat Pet Sounds which begat St. Pepper's. Sometimes friendly competition is good when it leads to 2 of the best albums ever recorded.
With the Beach Boys it was always all about the harmonies and this song is the apex of that along with the dreamy quality of the music and lyrics.
7. The Who - Won't Get Fooled Again
In making this list, I realized I really really like The Who which came as no surprise, but they are the only band with two songs this high on my list. This song showcases everything that is good about the band. The structure of the song changes so many times up to the most defining yowl of any song ever made.
And the drumming, oh Lord the drumming. The track laid down by Keith Moon is probably the best drum track ever and thanks to the increasing blandness of newer song's drums may hold that title for a very long time.
6. Queen - Bohemian Rhapsody
There is no band out there quite like Queen. It's amazing what they managed to accomplish with the limitations of 1970's analog recording equipment. This signature cut has probably caused numerous traffic accidents as people were busy banging their head to this song a la Wayne's World.
To create this masterpiece the 3-part harmony was dubbed and overdubbed numerous times to create the choirlike vocals.
Top 100 (15-11)
15. Kansas - Carry On My Wayward Son
Thom Yorke genius..blah blah blah. Yeah it's still true. The beautiful archepellago harmony of the acoustic guitar and piano during the chorus is fantastic. It's both simple and complex at the same time and then fades into a noise at the end that somehow works.
13. Guns N Roses - Sweet Child O Mine
I think one of the points I realized when I was getting a little bit older was when I started hearing this song with regularity on classic rock stations. Led Zeppelin, Beatles, Pink Floyd, that stuff is classic rock. It came out before I was born. I remember buying this album when this song was new. That was only...umm...over 20 years ago...crap. And for over 20 years this has been among my all time favorites.
I remember driving around the country in high school with some friends looking for another friends house where we were supposed to play paintball. We were completely lost down county roads and lo and behold Axl was singing on the stereo, "Where do we go now?" Very appropriate.
12. Boston - More Than A Feeling
A rock song with dynamics? A build up from a softer sounding song into an all out rock fest? Must be from the 70's. Those types of songs don't exist anymore in the mainstream. Probably one of the first songs, I ever learned how to play on guitar and when I started concentrating on drums, this is one of the songs that made me realize I really really like the sound of a rimshot on the snare.
11. The Who - Baba O'Riley
I'm really to the point now where depending on the day any of these may qualify as my favorite song. I play a variety of instruments and like songs for a variety of reasons, but this song nails it on every front. It's got several guitar solos, a killer bass line, good drums and soaring vocals. Probably my #1 most played song on Rock Band as well.
I'll have another post up soon about "The Loudness War" and why classic rock production is so much better, but one thing newer bands can learn from this is variation. My favorite points of the song are when the drummer plays a few well placed open hi-hat notes in the middle of a verse to really add to the build up.
14. Radiohead - Karma PoliceThom Yorke genius..blah blah blah. Yeah it's still true. The beautiful archepellago harmony of the acoustic guitar and piano during the chorus is fantastic. It's both simple and complex at the same time and then fades into a noise at the end that somehow works.
13. Guns N Roses - Sweet Child O Mine
I think one of the points I realized when I was getting a little bit older was when I started hearing this song with regularity on classic rock stations. Led Zeppelin, Beatles, Pink Floyd, that stuff is classic rock. It came out before I was born. I remember buying this album when this song was new. That was only...umm...over 20 years ago...crap. And for over 20 years this has been among my all time favorites.
I remember driving around the country in high school with some friends looking for another friends house where we were supposed to play paintball. We were completely lost down county roads and lo and behold Axl was singing on the stereo, "Where do we go now?" Very appropriate.
12. Boston - More Than A Feeling
A rock song with dynamics? A build up from a softer sounding song into an all out rock fest? Must be from the 70's. Those types of songs don't exist anymore in the mainstream. Probably one of the first songs, I ever learned how to play on guitar and when I started concentrating on drums, this is one of the songs that made me realize I really really like the sound of a rimshot on the snare.
11. The Who - Baba O'Riley
Another thing my study of drums has taught me is I love the bass drum and I love lots of crashing cymbals. This song is tame by Keith Moon's standards, but still has a ton of cymbals at just the right spots to support Roger Daltrey's always excellent vocals. Nobody seems to appreciate this song as much as they should because they think the name of it is Teenage Wasteland.
Monday, June 29, 2009
Top 100 (20-16)
20. Radiohead-Creep
What other word can you use to describe Thom Yorke other than "genius". This song is the epitome of songwriting. Perfect lyrics and perfect weathered vocals to go with them. I usually think cursing in a song is unnecessary and just makes for bad radio edits, but when he sings "You're so fucking special" it just punches me in the face every time.
19. Garth Brooks-The Thunder Rolls (Long Version)
Garth Brooks was definitely my gateway drug into appreciating country music and I'm not nearly alone on this. The last verse which only shows up on the live version adds a final kick to the classic country tale of the somebody done somebody wrong song.
18. Guns N Roses-Patience
Proof that Guns N Roses could pull off more than just rock. Not exactly a monster ballad, but an excellent acoustic song at least and one of the more criminally underrated tunes of all time. The outro is simply amazing. As a side node, one of those memories that just sort of sticks with me: Back when MTV actually showed music videos, I would always watch the Top 10?20? countdown and then it was bedtime. This song was #1 for several weeks in a row and right before the coda when the music pauses the screen goes black. Every single week, at this moment my dad would say "Time for bed" and I'd have to remind him without fail the song was not in fact over.
17. Bob Dylan-Tangled Up In Blue
Probably my favorite lyrics ever in a Dylan song. I've always loved the imagery in this one. The jangly guitar and the random drums accentuate the song perfectly.
16. CCR-Have You Ever Seen The Rain
A classic mid-tempo rocker. A very basic rhythm that lets John Fogerty's vocals shine through on a rainy day.
Album Review The Offspring - Rise and Fall Rage and Grace
For some reason this album, which has been out for a year now, stayed pretty under the radar. This is surprising considering any band that was ever good releasing a record seems to get hyped nowadays. However in anticipation of seeing the Offspring live last weekend I decided to refresh myself on some of their songs and learn a few of the new ones to get the full concert experience.
First of all, the concert was fantastic. It was opened by a generic punk band called Time Again then the Dropkick Murphys came out. While I have an ancillary relationship with them, they were a solid live band and surprisingly enough I even knew a couple of their tunes.
After paying $3 for a lukewarm bottle of water to prevent heat exhaustion, we crowded a little bit closer for the headliners. We were instantly engulfed in a big hazy smoke as I half expected at a show like this. There was also about 400% more crowd-surfing than I have ever seen at a concert before.
I left the concert venue with very achy feet, no voice whatsoever and a sore neck. So in other words the concert was everything I hoped it would be. They mixed in about half of the new album with their old classics in a nice tight set list.
Now about those new songs...
The Offspring formed nearly 25 years ago and released their first album 20 years ago. They didn't hit it big until their smash 3rd album appropriately titled "Smash". Let this be a lesson to any aspiring bands who don't think album titles are important. After a few other strong albums (Ixenay on the Hombre and Americana) they released a few clunkers (A Conspiracy of One and Splinter) the latter of which was 5 years ago.
This album falls squarely in the middle of those two groups. There are a few stellar tunes on here and a few not so stellar. Overall it's a good album, but if you go in expecting a classic you'll be disappointed.
As is common with bands who are entering into their mid-40's there are a number of slower tempo songs and even ballads! However, there are a few songs that let their punk roots shine through and those are generally the best cuts.
The album starts out with the almost anthemic Half-Truism which is probably my favorite song on the record. I tend to hate political statement songs, but this one is thinly veiled enough and still catchy without getting overly preachy.
Then comes Trust In You, which is a little too metal sounding for my taste. Not surprising given that Bob Rock (Metallica) was the producer for this effort.
You're Going To Go Far Kid is very divergent from the roots as it features a disco like drum beat almost making it dancable. Also one of the better tunes on here.
Hammerhead, the first single, gets back to the punks roots and is very classic Offspring sound.
After this the album gets a bit murky. There are some experiments with pianos and they go 1 for 2 on the ballads as Kristy Are You Doing Okay? has some very touching lyrics and a very acoustic feel.
About the only other notable is Stuff Is Messed Up which is apparently Dexter's take on the politics that have sprung forth since the Offspring's last record. This is also what they led off the concert with. While I'm not a huge fan of the lyrics the song itself is rather catchy.
All in all, there are enough good classic punk tunes to justify the purchase of this album. Some of the forays into different types of music previously foreign to the Offspring fail, but I would still rather hear a band fail to branch into something different than just release the same tired drivel. *cough* Green Day *cough*
Really despite the critic's reception to this album as well as the past two Green Day albums, this album is what Green Day aspires to be. I would gladly listen to this album anyday over the boring pop-punk of American Idiot or 21st Century Breakdown.
Bottom line: If you like the Offspring, you'll probably enjoy at least some of this collection.
First of all, the concert was fantastic. It was opened by a generic punk band called Time Again then the Dropkick Murphys came out. While I have an ancillary relationship with them, they were a solid live band and surprisingly enough I even knew a couple of their tunes.
After paying $3 for a lukewarm bottle of water to prevent heat exhaustion, we crowded a little bit closer for the headliners. We were instantly engulfed in a big hazy smoke as I half expected at a show like this. There was also about 400% more crowd-surfing than I have ever seen at a concert before.
I left the concert venue with very achy feet, no voice whatsoever and a sore neck. So in other words the concert was everything I hoped it would be. They mixed in about half of the new album with their old classics in a nice tight set list.
Now about those new songs...
The Offspring formed nearly 25 years ago and released their first album 20 years ago. They didn't hit it big until their smash 3rd album appropriately titled "Smash". Let this be a lesson to any aspiring bands who don't think album titles are important. After a few other strong albums (Ixenay on the Hombre and Americana) they released a few clunkers (A Conspiracy of One and Splinter) the latter of which was 5 years ago.
This album falls squarely in the middle of those two groups. There are a few stellar tunes on here and a few not so stellar. Overall it's a good album, but if you go in expecting a classic you'll be disappointed.
As is common with bands who are entering into their mid-40's there are a number of slower tempo songs and even ballads! However, there are a few songs that let their punk roots shine through and those are generally the best cuts.
The album starts out with the almost anthemic Half-Truism which is probably my favorite song on the record. I tend to hate political statement songs, but this one is thinly veiled enough and still catchy without getting overly preachy.
Then comes Trust In You, which is a little too metal sounding for my taste. Not surprising given that Bob Rock (Metallica) was the producer for this effort.
You're Going To Go Far Kid is very divergent from the roots as it features a disco like drum beat almost making it dancable. Also one of the better tunes on here.
Hammerhead, the first single, gets back to the punks roots and is very classic Offspring sound.
After this the album gets a bit murky. There are some experiments with pianos and they go 1 for 2 on the ballads as Kristy Are You Doing Okay? has some very touching lyrics and a very acoustic feel.
About the only other notable is Stuff Is Messed Up which is apparently Dexter's take on the politics that have sprung forth since the Offspring's last record. This is also what they led off the concert with. While I'm not a huge fan of the lyrics the song itself is rather catchy.
All in all, there are enough good classic punk tunes to justify the purchase of this album. Some of the forays into different types of music previously foreign to the Offspring fail, but I would still rather hear a band fail to branch into something different than just release the same tired drivel. *cough* Green Day *cough*
Really despite the critic's reception to this album as well as the past two Green Day albums, this album is what Green Day aspires to be. I would gladly listen to this album anyday over the boring pop-punk of American Idiot or 21st Century Breakdown.
Bottom line: If you like the Offspring, you'll probably enjoy at least some of this collection.
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