Smash
The Offspring
1994
Album Summary
Smash is the third studio album by American rock band the Offspring, released on April 5, 1994, by Epitaph Records. After touring in support of their previous album Ignition (1992), the band recorded their next album over two months at Track Record in North Hollywood, California. Smash was the band's final studio album to be produced by Thom Wilson, who had worked with them since their 1989 eponymous debut. This also marks the first album where Dexter Holland is credited with playing the guitar as opposed to vocals only. Smash was the Offspring's introduction into worldwide popularity, and produced a number of hit singles, including "Come Out and Play", "Self Esteem", and "Gotta Get Away". Along with Green Day's Dookie, Smash was responsible for bringing punk rock into the mainstream, and helped pave the way for the emerging pop punk scene of the 1990s. As a fan favorite, the album received generally positive reviews from critics and garnered attention from major labels, including Columbia Records, with whom the band would sign in 1996. Peaking at number four on the US Billboard 200, Smash has sold over eleven million copies worldwide, making it the best-selling album released by an independent record label; it was also the first Epitaph release to obtain gold and platinum status. In the United States, Smash has sold over six million copies and has been certified six times platinum by the RIAA.
WikipediaGreat album. It really shows off the sound that is the offspring. Not a radical departure from their previous works but enough to freshen up their music. This also contains a lot of singles that were, for most people , their intro to the offspring. Well worth a listen and for anyone looking to get into some good punk rock.
super nostalgic crazy taxi tony hawk's pro skater vibes. I can smell the round table pizza, and these songs are catchy gritty fun. a simpler time
I forget how good this is. Messy mid-90's skate punk, the stuff that got me properly into exploring music
Smash is definitely the right title for the album, because every song is like a smash to the face of pure punk ferocity. The Offspring walk the fine line of being tonally aware, hardcore, pissed off, and a little funny all at the same time and it’s flawlessly executed. This was the jumping off point for every 90s kid who didn’t know where to start with punk rock.
Offspring is like Taco Bell for Punk. If someone said "I want Mexican food" it isn't my recommendation, but it deserves it own category for just how tasty it can be, ya dig?
The Offspring are a bit of a mystery to me. They're clearly capable of elevating and in some ways redefining punk, but often content to settle down and succumb to the laziest tropes of the genre. Fortunately, most of their best work is captured in one album. If you were to make a true best of compilation, you might grab one or two from elsewhere, but the collection would start and end with Smash. It's filled with allusions and wordplay that reward repeated listens, and you'll want to listen again, because it fucking rocks. I don't know if it's a shame that they couldn't replicate that success or a blessing that they did it once. Best track: Come Out and Play
This came out when I was 13-14 years old. I was pretty much the target audience for this and it never really grabbed me back then. Still doesn't. I have a certain nostalgic thing for "Self Esteem" but that's about it. That one in particular has a more Nirvana like feel which is probably why I'm more attracted to it. Oh man the "secret track" at the end - forgot about those and how they'd translate to modern streaming. So of it's time.
"Ahh, it's time to relax." This album is amazing. I first listened to it when I was around 10, and it really got me into a lot of the rock and punk that I love now. If I could rate this album higher than 5, I would.
It’s been nearly 30 years since I listened to this album. I remember sitting on the bus down to Washington DC for my 8th Grade class trip and playing this on my Walkman. As an angsty 14 year old, this album was the shit. In my 40’s it just reminds me of being an angsty teenager. Musically, it’s aggressive pop-punk of its time, and more enjoyable than the music The Offspring would later have hits with, they still had a bit of indie cred on this one, if you will. Damn you, generator, for reminding me of the unstoppable passage of time. I still can’t believe 1994 was almost 30 years ago. Oooh…and it’s got a secret song. How 90’s is that?
Come out to play and self esteem are particular highlights for me as they are more the vibe of offspring I prefer. The rest of the album is filled with the more thrashier side of punk which I'm less bothered about.
I don't hate this, it does remind me of uni students with long greasy hair and plans to drink lots of beer once they finish studying with this blasting out and rollups filling their ashtrays. It is a big cheesy lyrically but it has great rhythms and it is really melodic vocally. I honestly am very happy to keep listening to the end.
this is pretty much the best album of all time and i've heard it a kazillion times, it never gets old yewww
I've heard this album 100s of times. One of my best friends wore out 3 copies on CD when we were younger. Still great. Favorite tracks: "Bad Habit", "Killboy Powerhead", "Self Esteem"
The first CD I ever owned. It brings me back to that specific moment in time, even after all these years. It's affirming to me that I have good enough taste for this record to be on this list.
geilgeilegeilgeilgeilgeil. Mit diesem Sound verbinde ich 0,66 Despo, Rofaschlange 21:00 und weinende Emos. Und explizit diese alten gebürsteten Metalltische vor der Tanze vor der Bar zur Dj-Kanzel (die mit der Tribünenmäsigen anstieg), wo ich zum ersten mal mal verschiedene Dinge erfahren durfte: 1. BHs sind viel stabiler als ich dachte. 2. Kaschieren viel mehr dazu als ich dachte. 3. Brüste sind wirklich sehr weich. 4. Isy kann wirklich nicht gut küssen (ich kanns ja wohl nicht gewesen sein) 5. Leuten ist wirklich scheissegal was mal in dem Laden macht. 6. Saufen macht mich zum Aufreisser. 5* Liebs ganz ganz arg
Ist halt geil. Würde auch jede andere natürliche Zahl >=5 geben als Rating, aber is halt aufgrund der programming boundaries nicht möglich.
Daniel: “I’m down for that. That was good.” Diane: I fucking love The Offspring. Americana was the first cd I ever bought for myself. Really like the energy of this album. I think some of the instrumental stuff is really well thought through.
I’ve always loved this album. One of my favourites and reminded me of how great The Offspring are. I still like them and enjoy the odd song but discount them because they aren’t the same band I grew up with.
front to back great. authentic 90s grunge mixed with fast punk rock riffs. classic.
Tämä levy on vuosien saatossa tullut kuunneltua läpi monet kerrat. Tämä oli kova juttu silloin aikanaan ala-asteella ja kulkenut mukana myös opiskeluaikoina ja ihan viime aikoinakin, edelleen timanttista tavaraa. Eihän tämä mitään korkeakulttuuria ole, mutta energiaa ja asennetta on sitäkin enemmän. Self Esteem on tässä se tärkein biisi.
An all time great. Probably the best punk album to come out of 1994. Right at the blossoming of my musical tastes as a child. This is nostalgic for me. Probably listened to this album 100 times. Just as good as the first time.
-”Nitro (Youth Energy)” is nice and fast and catchy with great drums -”Bad Habit” totally rips -The chorus in “Genocide” is very catchy. “Dog eat dog/Every day/On our fellow man we prey/Dog eat dog/To get by/Hope you like my genocide” -I’ve definitely heard “Come Out and Play,” specifically that “You gotta keep ‘em separated” line -Literally just a silent gap from 4:04 until 9:04 on “Smash.” The song is 10:40 and 5 entire minutes are just silent. -This has some seriously catchy and great stuff, I think it has a decent likelihood of getting a good number of listens from me. I’m going to give it 5 stars because I think it has some serious potential to get me much more into punk.
Story time. This album came out my junior year of high school. My first boyfriend (Jeremy) and I listened to it incessantly. Listening to it now brought back all these fun memories of screaming the lyrics at the top of our lungs as we drove around or hung out with friends. After high school Jeremy got addicted to heroine. It was a long slow decline. He OD a few years ago and he’s dead now. RIP Jeremy. I can’t see or hear anybody but you when I listen to this album. And when I do, it’s nothing but joy.
Lekkere punkrock! Yeah!! Ik houd wel van die lekker snelle muziek, waarbij de overkoepelende melodie niet eens zo heel snel gaat. Ik kan niet zeggen dat dit het beste punk-album is wat ik ooit gehoord heb, maar het klinkt wel cool. Favorieten zijn "Bad Habit", "Genocide", "She" of eigenlijk alles behalve "Self Esteem" :-) *****
Flashbacks to cruising around in Ralph's Volvo and blasting this with the windows down. It may have been a cassette tape!! Album's still great.
I'm not sure what more you can expect from pop-punk-rock. The hooks are catchy, the harmonies are solid, the energy is great and it absolute carries a dose of snarkiness and humor. Really enjoyed
A dirtbag masterpiece The Offspring being one of the only groups to come out clean after that Woodstock 99 documentary
Discazo de punk-rock con temas melódicos, guitarreros y muy bien producido.
Turns out I’ve heard a few of these songs but never really heard of Offspring or this album. I missed a lot of the 90s due to drinking a lot and living in a trailer. This album was hot. Quality punk sound fast clean dirty rock really solid album I loved it.
Great album. The melodies don't sound tired; the guitar parts are interesting, and the lyrics fit the vibe of the music.
A long-standing favorite of mine, particularly my favorite pop-punk album. Just a great blast of energy, attitude, and catchiness.
17 year old me is screaming right now. Nitro still kicks ass, Bad Habit is still morbid fun. I find a lot of the albums brightest songs are the non-singles. Something To Believe In, Killboy Powerhead, So Alone are all fun songs. The singles on the album I feel are pretty dusty and tired but there is still a lot of nostalgia driven love for this album.
Timanttia tai ainakin puhdasta kultaa. Tätä tuli jo penskana luukutettua 24/7 ja eipä ole mihinkään kulunut. Toimii edelleenkin.
love it! bestselling independently released album of all time for a reason :)
Very nostalgic sound, love it a lot. this, Ixnay On The Hombre and Rise And Fall, Rage And Grace are great albums. the others have some good tracks but also a lot more complete misses (like Pretty Fly (For A White Guy))
my mum use to listen to the offspring. i think she still does every now and then. I will always have this memory of when i was maybe 13 and was listening to You're gonna go far kid, and my mum said she liked the song. I looked at her with utter shock going 'you know The Offspring?' and she gave me this incredulous look and said 'Hazel I've been listening to them before you were even born'. I was born in 1998, I like to believe she was talking about this album.
Absolute classic. Top to bottom inspired, politically biting, aggressive, scream-along, and funny too.
Quin fenomen místic o planetari va passar en les vides dels components de Green Day i Offspring al 1994 no el sabrem mai, però per la raó que sigui totes dues bandes van donar aquell any llum dos dels discos més importants de la década, van donar fi als anys del grunge i van encetar una nova etapa en la vida social i musical dels '90. Tot el que van fer abans i després està molt lluny del que van aconseguir aquell any. Això és més clar en el cas d'Offspring, els discos dels quals precedents i posteriors a 'Smash' queden tan per sota d'aquest que un es pregunta si realment pertanyen a la mateixa banda. 'Smash', però, és una obra perfecta del punk hardcore, ram de singles contundents i vibrants que van donar vida i èxit a tota una generació de bandes que vivien de la repetició del patró, de vegades amb certa gràcia, la majoria copiant amb insistència una mateixa idea. Aquest, però, és EL disc del génere i una obra per ser disfrutada sempre
4.5 stars. Fantastic album. Could do with fewer "ooohhoohhh's and yeaaaheeaaahhs" but this is just a great punk rock album. Lots of energy, catchy choruses. Takes a little edge off of some of the rawer punk, but not overly pop-y. Standouts are "Bad Habit", "Gotta Get Away", and "Self Esteem".
Great album, solid throughout with practically no filler. Every song is a banger
Classic, proto-Nirvana style rock. A lot of known hits in this album, which get better on a second listen.
Better than I thought it was going to be, I knew a few songs but as a whole a great record.
Killer album. Singles are amazing, rest is great driving punk inspired rock.
At first I found jarring but by track 5 it had grown on me, once I got past the shouty shouty frontman
Turns out I knew very little of the offspring. The only thing I knew was the weird al covers. I enjoyed this correction
Brauch ich gar nicht anhören. Mein Favorit ist zwar Americana, aber Smash macht mich auch ziemlich hibbelig. Ich möchte Menschen schubsen, mich in fremdem Schweiß wälzen, in Bier duschen und ein bisschen Skateboard fahren. Merkel, mach Clubs auf, ey.
First time listening. Quick 45 album with some familiar songs and “The Offspring” vibes
Just as important as Dookie for reviving my punk rock, this great album is edgier with far more guitar riffs and licks giving the Offspring their special brand of pop punk. Great run time but the vocals can be a bit annoying, sounding almost like a Weird Al parody of punk at times.
Ruido del que sí me gusta, en general, pues toda la vibra noventerona y una que otro lyric a gusto. Yo digo que "Self Esteem" sí es la mejor y por eso es la más escuchada en Spotify (por muchísimo). La otra que me gustó es "What Happened To You?". En sí, me gustó más la segunda mitad. 8/10
90s punk. Pretty good; I never really cared for The Offspring but this album is better than I expected. Couple familiar songs on this album (Come Out and Play, Self Esteem). 8/10.
I was pleasantly surprised by “Smash”. The album came out in 1994, The Offspring I grew up with never seemed to take themselves seriously with songs like “Pretty Fly (For a White Guy), and “Original Prankster”. Smash made me realize why people revered the band so much. Dexter Holland’s vocals are so recognizable and are a force on their own throughout the album. Noodles Wasserman, Greg K, and drummer Ron Welty worked masterfully together. Welty’s drumming really set the tone with him keeping the tempo at a blistering pace. Again I was more than surprised by the album and works give it an 8.3 out of 10.
Harder than I typically listen to. Has the "Gotta keep 'em separated" song - and Genocide was pretty good.
Jane’s was right, this is a good album and completely new to me so that’s nice treat for my ears
C'est péchu, j'aime. Mon adolescence telle qu'elle aurait pu être rock
This album has a driving and biting sound that helped push and draw in new audiences to the 90's punk / alternative scene. With several larger singles, even the B-sides are solid.
Possibly one of my most listened to albums ever. Feels like I know every note on the album, yet there's still a lot of nostalgia when listening today. Brings me back to riding my bike everywhere in the summer between 8th grade & freshman year. This album and Green Day "Dookie" were the ones in my ear when biking to football practice & then to Muirfield to caddy. These are the kinds of albums that I listened to non-stop as a kid, but for some reason fell into the "guilty pleasures" category after that. Probably because I discovered so much music and went through so many listening phases that I felt like anything I listened to in middle school/high school is sub-par just because I liked it before my music taste "matured".
some great bangers in there. love the random guy who pops up with a short commentary from time to time. really makes you feel like youre sitting on the floor in your living room in the 90s and listening to the album while doing nothing else haha
Great album and brings me back to the Summer of my Sophomore year. No each time I add Gringo Bandito to my eggs or Wahoo's fish tacos I hear Bad Habit in my head.
Offspring is good for some things: running, do pogos and, apparently, rage-writing your thesis. This album is not an exception.
Sounds like music that would be in a Tony Hawk game. Not always a fan of the vocals but there are some classics on here. 7
7/10. The album cover really made me think I was going to dislike this. Honestly I probably would have liked it a bit less if there hadn't been some familiar songs that helped me get into it a bit more.
задорный скейт-рок, панк рок, в целом однотипно, не излишне музыкально, не цепляет, но в то же время сделано грамотно и интересно
I use to listen to some of their top songs all the time, but am not a huge fan of this album as a whole. Come Out and Play and Self Esteem are awesome, but all the other songs kind of sound the same.
Great way to nudge punk a little to the radio. It gets a little samey all at once, but that's the only knock. All trax are pretty good!
Great album for the most part. Some of the tracks don't hold up as well as I remember. Still enjoyable.
Great skate punk/hardcore album. This album is not terribly groundbreaking, but it’s tons of fun and enjoyable all the way through.
I always leaned more to the Green Day side of the 90's punk revival, and have always heard these guys music as like an angry cousin to Green Day's poppier sound. I dig the rapid downstroke palm-muting vibe these guys use in their songs. Definitely the best album they ever did. I enjoyed revisiting this album a lot more than I expected.
If I'm the drummer of Offspring, I'm ripped, super toned and worn out af after each concert. High energy music that lacks some of the later production qualities. This was Offspring before they sold out. Also includes the ultimate college youth song, Self Esteem. This song alone propels it into 4-star territory.
A very nostalgic, typical Offspring sounding album. Very bouncy music, fun lyrics to sing along to. An enjoyable listen throughout, especially the singles.
90's post punk here with a nod to the past (Damned/Ramones) Some good tunes here my favourites aare "Bad Habit" "Gotta Get Away" & "Self Esteem" Not in my collection, but not bad.
One of The Offspring's good albums. I don't listen to it often, but enjoy it when I do.
Oh the memories this album brings. I listened to it on repeat while playing Sonic the Hedgehog on Sega Gamegear. I didn't bother listening again, but I'll give the album 4 stars.
Rating: 8/10 Best songs: Nitro, Gotta get away, Genocide, What happened to you?
I believe that all these albums that remember me of my teenage years turn on some nostalgic critical sense that gives me much less independence. I know that I don't have any idea if these songs are really good, but they were good for younger me and when I listen to them, I respect that opinion.
I had forgot about albums with silences at the end of them! Definitely a nostalgia hit for me, went in very sceptical that is required listening, but it is an album that knows what it is.
really liked this album, but not as much as when i was in middle school
Arga pojkar. Klassisk album. Come out and play, Self esteem är klassiska punkhits. Likt Green Day.
Etant un habitué des albums de musique, j'avais avant même de lancer l'album reperé le derneir son de 10mn, et savait déjà que l'objectif était de cacher une chanson, comme de nombreux illustres groupes l'ont fait par le passé. Cette pratique extrêmement chiante il faut bien le dire, permet toujours au groupe l'utilisant de caler un sample egyptien de pyramide dans la plus grande discrétion. Ici, The Offspring vont plus loin, se déguisant absolument tous en sphynx, et restant immobiles a quates pattes pendant de longues minutes. L'un des membres va même jusqu'a se couper le nez. Un spectacle original, se déroulant donc dans l'intimité la plus totale d'une fin d'album des plus secrètes. Un délice.
Great album, the best in Offspring's career. It is the best-selling album of all time by an independent record label, and that's something. Come out and play introduced me to Offspring's universe and I am thankful for it.
Sono già gasato, probabilmente perché li conosco da tempo. Sonorità caratteristiche e note, ma le canzoni non le conosco perfettamente. Bellissima 'Self Esteem', ma all'album manca quel quid in più: 4 stelle onestissime.
Stellar album. Almost all the songs are excellent. Sound is unique, but fun and immersive. Only critique is maybe that some songs sound a bit too much like another.
I saw The Offspring at a festival in the mid-90s. At that point, it was all about waiting for them to play "Come Out and Play". Listening to this album was a bit like that too, but at the same time there are plenty of good tunes before and after. It's very much the soundtrack of teen boys in the mid 90s - and kudos to The Offspring for capturing that vibe.
Man, this guy has such a distinct voice. I hadn't listened to much Offspring aside from the big hits that came when we were in middle school (I was more of a Green Day guy) and I really enjoyed this. On this album, they're hardcore but also playful, and the songwriting is pretty tight and focused. A lot of the songs are pretty poppy too (the classic "Self Esteem" is so catchy). Punk is the driving energy here but there's a little grunge on the early tracks and they even dip into ska a bit ("What Happened to You?"). I also have a soft spot for "CD albums" - the intro track invites you to enjoy this "compact disc" and there's a hidden track! P.S.: Dreena yelled at me for playing this album too loud so that's how you know it's good.
At first was a bit unhappy with this album being my listen for the day - but it turns out to still hold up well - with surprisingly lucid lyrics and some classic tunes which might have lost a little luster with being overplayed back in the day yet are still great tracks. Almost every song is a banger. Unfortunately it went downhill for the band after this but don’t fault this album for that.
Quite enjoyable. Gets an extra star for being the only decent album this week
Punk Rick normally lands up aggravating me but the Offspring has a special place in my late teenage bones
Even though the album suffers overall from multiple songs that sound like each other (not a massive surprise with this band), this album has two loved hits in Come Out and Play and Self Esteem. That brought my total from 3 to 4.
Listening to ‘Smash’ with fresh ears 30 years after it was released, I’m struck by how well it stands up. The Offspring may have ended up becoming something of a novelty act later on, but in 1994 they were hungry and had something to prove. ‘Smash’ does what it says on the tin, striking the right balance between anger and apathy, but with humour and urgent, catchy power punk riffs, all whilst extending a middle finger and a big fuck you to the world.
Honestly surprised on how well this album holds up. This was one of the first CDs I ever purchased, and although I liked it quite a bit, I didn't think it was as good end to end as the other CD I bought at the time (Nirvana Unplugged). Happy to relieve it today though. 4/5
Það þótti ekki kúl í minni kreðsu á sínum tíma að fíla Offspring svo ég laumaðist bara með mitt fíl. Drulluskemmtileg plata. Stundum þarf bara að öskursyngja.
Love this album - a lot of pump up songs on this one including Bad Habit and Come Out and Play. Gotta Get Away is so good and Self Esteem is an all-time classic (I will never get sick of hearing it). Not quite as good as the other big punk revivalist album of 1994 (Dookie) but the non-hits are still solid. Best are Genocide, Something to Believe In, and What Happened to You? (probably could have been hits). Great energy, grungy punk sound, and satirical lyrics.
I had this album for a time and got rid of it. I honestly think I did not "get it" at the time. This is not an album to be taken seriously, but I was taking it too seriously. It's a "punk" album but the band is a bunch of punks. Listening to it years later, I have remorse for getting rid of the album. This is a lot better than I gave it credit. The stuff you hear on some of their later hits is really all here: "Why Don't You Just Get A Job?" is just like "What Happened To You?". "The Kids Aren't Alright" is like a few of the songs, probably a cross between "Bad Habit" and something else. So it's interesting to see that they haven't really evolved. Going to have to find this one again.
Great way to nudge punk a little to the radio. It gets a little samey all at once, but that's the only knock. All trax are pretty good!
This was surprisingly better than I thought it would be. Really enjoyed it.
More of a 3.5 for me, but since that’s not an option and I enjoyed the later tracks more than the earlier ones, I’m rounding up. Overall had fun listening to it.
First heard on the California beach with a 6 or 7 month pregnant Lisa. Extra half star for nostalgia!
The Offspring is a fantastic band with lots of memorable jams. I really enjoy this album and it invokes fond memories from my child hood and young adolescence growing up in the 90s.
I don't know if it's a feeling I get at the end of a long and stressful work week, but this really matched my energy. I wish I had been born when this was released. That would have been rad to experience listening to this during that time.
Good and fun but never as good or as fun as Pretty Fly for a Rabbi, the Weird Al Offspring Parody
skateboards, shopping carts, women. Nothing is safe while this is blasting
Hadn't really listened to the album but had heard Come Out and Play / Self Esteem (the two big singles off the album) a fair few times over the years. It's very much the 90s skate-punk style, imo. Was expecting All I Want to be on there before checking the tracklist, since it's the track I associate most with 90s-era Offspring.
Lekkere muziek. Stem licht schreeuwerig, niet altijd even fijn. Maar er staan zeker wat klassiekers op.
I do like Dexter Holland’s voice. And his name. And The Offspring’s blend of the angsty/angry and the funny/silly. IMO they perfected the formula on Americana but I’m biased because that’s the one I grew up with. Good album though, and one that clearly helped shape the 90s/00s pop-punk movement.
This is really really good. As someone who was raised on punk and continues to love it into my 20’s, I was surprisingly late to The Offspring so to finally hear a full album is really exciting. The performances and energy are so passionate, and the instrumentation is straight up awesome; so glad I was given this so early into the challenge.
i actually rly liked this, i shall be listening again !! - been watching tons of halloween movies and chillin in bed. right now i ate a chicken salad sandwich which was actually pretty good. my appetite’s been a little off and everything seems unappetizing to me lately so i was kinda surprised i finished that tbh
[12/09/2022] Good vibing Somewhere between 4 and 4.5 stars The day was stressful and my head hurts but this album made it all kinda better
I always enjoy this group, and yet...never bought a single thing they put out. In hindsight that is really bizarre...thought by Americana I would have at least had jumped on the bandwagon and bought that one...so maybe I am a closeted fan?
The overall sound gets a bit grating at times, but that’s just the 90s for you. Great songs that prepare you for more great songwriting to come from these guys!
My Offspring are much worse than this. They are amongst the worst people I know. A hive of cunts. In contrast, this record is very charming and gives me hope that one day my bastard children will die horrible deaths.
Yeah, straight down the middle offspring. exactly what was expected, if not slightly better.
Always liked these guys though I never had any of their CDs as a teenager. Really enjoyed this one. Just a great example of raw early 90s pop punk.