Reviews (page 4 of 13)
This is peak Offspring
Big feckin energy, great running album
Yep, love this one. Still, the 'fun' songs take away from the urgency of the others.
Give me a sample of the vocals or a guitar riff and I could identify The Offspring 10/10 times. Fun group and album.
Fantastic. Great way to get back into the list.
Ok I am obsessed with the narrator element they have going on here at the start middle and end - Time to Relax had me smiling to myself like an idiot, into the drum roll open of Nitro, wow. The playful and tongue in cheekness was so good, or I guess I should just say the punkness? I’m realising I really like music that demands your attention in the way that stuff like this just does. Are they singing about stupid stuff sometimes? Probably, but I don’t care, and I generally like the intensity of the wall of drum and guitar they have going on. Lyrically, Not the One was also quite a cathartic listen. Wish there was some nuance to the rating system to give scores between whole numbers as I first thought was 3.75 but will round up. When I live out my dream of becoming a drummer I will be returning to learn some of these.
What’s not to love here? I’ve always been a fan of The Offspring and I’m particularly partial to all the whoaaaaa yeahhhh yeahhhhh ohhhhhs, of which there are plenty on this album. The back end is home to a few of my fave tracks (Come Out and Play, Self Esteem). Long live the 90s!!
I love pop punk!!! I’m sure there’s lots of debates around where exactly this fits into the pop-punk-rock continuum but it was a lot of fun. I was worried when the first song was that little skit (I generally hate skits on albums) but after that I really got into this. You do get a pretty good sense of how each song is going to sound and the way the elements are going to come together, but I also love how distinctive Dexter’s voice is. similar critique to a lot of other albums we’ve heard is the songs start to sound a bit the same towards the end. come out and play so fun!! I played this nice and loud and imagined I was another 90’s angsty teen (perhaps a neighbour of the one listening to the garbage album).
You can get away with a lot using only like 3 chords and some simple lyrics. The only thing that really matters is the energy you bring. 90s rock was the best.
Des morceaux iconiques mais un album trop ressemblant 3.5/5
Man, early 90's Offspring was pretty great. "Self Esteem" is one of the all-time punk/rock greats.
I likey
Unsure why this album is getting hate from other reviewers. It's a solid pop punk album, it's a little more on the punk side in style but it's def pop punk. It had some rad classics on it and the offspring rips. Great album.
13 again. Good, solid entry-level punk that takes me back. Even listened to Americana after.
dude it's like im tony hawk
Smashing!
Liked it more than I thought I would!
Pretty nice
The Blue Album and Smash—two huge albums that helped set a course for post-Cobain alt-rock in ‘94—appealed to different types of outcast: the serious (former) and the unserious (latter). There’s a lot of crossover there, but that subtle difference probably explains why the Disneyfication of both bands hit the Weezer fans harder. The Offspring might be singing about gang violence and road rage, but Dexter never had the insight or perspective as a songwriter to make people take it seriously. Rivers had the chops to make us care about sweaters and surfin’. Go figure. So, this record is not Blue. But it’s a solid effort with a few tracks that absolutely rip. “Gotta Get Away” would be a great rock song in any era. “What Happened to You” is primo ska punk. And “Self Esteem,” the cuckold anthem of all-time, is an unironic 10/10 for me. I have to remember not to accelerate when it comes on in the car. (A bad habit, so to speak.) The Offspring never reached the heights of a truly great band, but they demonstrate here that with a few different creative choices, it wasn’t crazy to think they could.
Vraiment sympa. Un mood contestataire un peu qui parle aux jeunes avec de la vraie bonne musique punk.
Awesome, felt like I was 14 years old again, should be mandatory listening for all teenage boys. I want to give it 5 stars, but I think dookie is a better early 90s pop punk album so it has to be a 4, would be 9 out of 10 though
Genial
punk çok sevmem ama güzel bir albümdü.
Knowing Offspring's future work this was a merciful listen. I was familiar with all of the singles just from the radio in the 90's and I enjoyed them then as well as now. The songs I didn't know as well were also enjoyable. This aged a lot better than everything they did later.
Own this one. Listened to it quite a lot in high school.
This one is slightly confusing. I don't love the record but I feel it is generally successful musically. Don't love the random surf rock/middle eastern riff of the giant break in the last track. Mid 3 leaning 4
A classic punk rock album.
Something about this makes me want to get on a skateboard. Does start to get a bit samey, but when the vibe is this much fun, who cares? A perfect time capsule of a very specific era.
'Then you will know what nitro means / You'll live like there's no tomorrow.' Instead of smelling like teen spirit, this is a long swig of 'youth energy,' i.e., 'nitro': it's more than just a smash, it's a demolition, a fucking takeover of mind, body, and spirit. 'You stupid dumb-shit goddamn motherfucker.' At one level, The Offspring are dumb, and not like Ramones dumb but rather Def Leppard dumb. But they're actually pretty smart, not only b/c they have the right attitude towards life - let's get something outta it while we can - but b/c they're musically a (s)mash up of hardcore and grunge: the speed & optimism of the former, the dread/angst of the latter. 'Think I'm on a roll, but I think it's kinda weak / Sayin' all I know is I gotta get away from me.'
I never really was an Offspring guy. It's fast, catchy, fun, but too formulaic. Great hits though, but the rest is album filler imho.
Such a nostalgic album for me for many reasons. I love it, the riffs and vocals come together really well. Favorite track: Self Esteem
4,5
3.5
I think I'm a bit too young to remember this album besides the hits. It was not what I expected based on the later Offspring. Much rawer, more energy. A pleasant surprise.
This album brings me back to my childhood. It brings me back to sitting in front of my radio, ready to hit record on songs as I find the ones I wanna record on my mixtape. Self Esteem was on these tapes. Strangely though I never really listened to the whole album. I heard them so often on the radio I felt that covered what they were. I was partially right. There’s nothing jaw dropping here just good alternative. Lots of songs to rock out to. Songs to understand better now having life experience lol Biggest Hit - Self Esteem Biggest Miss ( if I had to choose) - killboy powerhead Biggest Surprise - Something To Believe In
I had this cd when I was in middle school and played the hell out of it! Is it the best punk record? Definitely not, but it helped shape my music taste as a preteen and opened me to so many other great punk bands/records that I still listen to 30+ years later
Al inicio pensé que no me gustaría pero conforme fueron avanzando las canciones senti que el album se fue desarrollando de mejor manera y a pesar de ser bastantes canciones desde mi punto de vista cada una tiene su toque especial, definitivamente hay muchas buenas canciones escondidas Genocide y Bad Habit creo que fueron mis favoritas
Can’t separate myself from this one. Still remember the first time I heard Come Out and Play. Being 16 when this dropped was the perfect age to consume it.
de volta <3
*Scream and repeat, skate punk Gotta get away Come out and play Self esteem Smash
Lowkey a banger, reminds me of iron maiden.
I like the hollering and screaming, not too far from what I listen to and I can conclude I prefer metal over punk. The drums go crazy omg. Cringe ass monologue, its giving fred durst but much worst. Captured crazy college parties so well.
Pretty fun
Love this album
This album is like a slice of greasy take out pizza. Not particularly well done, potentially bad for your health but ingested at the right time and place it absolutely hits the spot. I listened to this loudly, in headphones, while working out on an exercise bike and that felt like absolutely the right time and place for this album. I think the simplicity of the formula - chugging guitars, double beats on the snare drum and high nasaly vocals, compliment eachother and become something bigger than their parts. Like the pizza, I probably wouldn't want to dissect this album too closely, nor would I want to eat this while craving something more wholesome, but in the right time and place it does its job.
This band is pure nostalgia for me. It’s 1998, I'm 7 years old, and my neighbours just got a PlayStation. We’re sitting there playing Crash Bandicoot and the older brother puts on the Offspring’s Americana. I’m blown away as this is the first time I’m really hearing music other than what my parents normally listen to and it’s just so damned cool! Smash and Americana went on to become the soundtrack to playing PlayStation at their house that summer.
now these are some fly white guys seriously loling at the guy who wants nofx on the list over them. okay bud
Offspring never dissapoints
Класика! Вперше почув ще на збірці "мз3 КОЛЛЕКЦИЯ", які в Харкові продавались на книжковому ринку.
It was fun, very 90's, album. Already knew several of the songs off of this album, but have never listened to the entire thing. Not crazy about the 30 second opening to the album. The secret track stuff at the end was fun back then, but now days I find a little annoying to have that 6 minutes of just silence as the last track continues playing. Overall I'd give this a 7.4/10
4/5 Reminds me of eating dine-in pizza hut with the red cups and going home to play THPS1. Just great aggressive 90s pop punk
great album. transcends traditional punk
Nothing really interesting to say, just some very good pop-punk. High 4.
Punk aint dead, it's just always smelled like that. When I saw i had the offspring today I was not looking forward to it. Fuck me living, thats got some attitude. Certainly one of the longer tracklistings but just so fast paced and manically produced its hard not to head bang along. I was also surpised at the diversity in sound and rhythm, certainly was 90% thrashing drums and hammering chords but there was alot of dwpth and nuiance throughout, even paving the way for some early ska revival and pop punk precursors. Top Tracks: It's Been a Long Time, Not the One, Smash and What Happened to You?
classic chaotic messy skate punk from the 90’s sometimes i forget this band exists but when i do it’s like discovering euphoria again.
Wasn't overly familiar with The Offspring until I heard them, it felt vaguely familiar and remembered they sing Pretty Fly (for a White Guy) — iconic, nostalgic, derogitary (positively). Delighted to know they have other great songs and the 10 minute final track felt like a PRANK.
That's a very good album. Every song on the record is catchy, and 'Self Esteem' is such a punk rock classic. I love the rebellious and critical themes. Talking about the instrumentals, it has very consistent guitars and also an amazing bass line. It's punk at its peak. I don't know if I'll give it a 4 or a 5. Maybe a 4, because it gets a little repetitive.
Sweet
I couldn’t have named an Offspring song before listening, so I was surprised how many of these tracks I’d heard before (Gotta Get Away; Come Out And Play; Self-Esteem). I was prepared to dislike this, expecting something like Korn or some other nu-metal, but it was honestly a lot of fun. A little punk, a little grunge, a little rock, with an aggressive driving energy. There are flickers of Nirvana and Green Day. Not everything works, but it’s easy to see why the hits became hits. It’s junk food, but it’s tasty. Favorite: Nitro (Youth Energy) 3.5
I can see you have to be in the right mood for THIS, AND BOY WAS I!!!!!! Already a great time and then self esteem hits? Directly into my veins please and thank you.
Offspring has a unique sound and this album shows it off well. I was pleasantly surprised with this energized album. The red title on the album art doesn't work but pretty much everything else does. A tremendous soundtrack to the video game 'Crazy Taxi.' Top tracks: "Come Out and Play," "Self Esteem," "Nitro (Youth Energy)," "Gotta Get Away"
--Nitro (Youth Energy)...I like the, uh, energy --Bad Habit...a dumb song about dumb teenage road rage. it's fun --Gotta Get Away...this was my favorite song in 5th grade. I think I had decent taste (trust me, bro). great bass --Genocide...I like the speed --Something to Believe In...sounds similar to earlier tracks. this was probably a fun live show --Come Out and Play...nice crunchy-but-surfy guitars. these hits hold up for me --Self Esteem...the lyrics from previous tracks were pretty juvenile but the lyrics on this are quite clever, in my humble opinion. A solid pop song about a near-universally relatable problem --It'll Be a Long Time...similar "Bad Habit", "Genocide", etc. still fun but a little been there done that --Killboy Powerhead...quick track, the bass shines again -- What Happened to You?...is this ska? it's a booty shaker --So Alone...throwaway --Not the One...the guitars really melt nicely with the bass here. definitely angsty teenage stuff but whatever --Smash...solid song but it doesn't do much different than previous tracks --Genocide (Reprise)...guitar stuff
Excellent pop-punk album.
This was my jam as a middle schooler. And its still pretty good. It has some evergreen type songs that will live on radio and such forever. They are good songs. I wouldn't say everything is too my same likings as when I was 10 though. Im less and less interested in the vocals. The punky guitars and drums are great. The singing is not really my thing. Im not one of those punk was only good between 1983 and 1986 types. Thats annoying but I do think this is at least lesser. Its been sorta watered down and made palatable for the general audience. And thats a good thing. But its not as good for me. I still like this band and this record but maybe not in the same way I used to. Thats getting older ain't it
3.5/5
I didn't realize how old this record was, which speaks to how ahead of its time it feels. Great stuff. 4 stars.
Standout songs: self esteem, something to believe in Strong points of the album: lyrics and themes. Strong social critique themes which are still valid today Good instrumentals (not my cup of tea tho) decent voice (sometimes sounds offbeat and in a rush) 7/10
One of the first concerts I remember was Dropkick Murphys opening for The Offspring June 28, 2009 at Freedom Hill in Metro Detroit. All I wanted to do was play my Nintendo DS but instead the energy exploded, people were moshing, tops were off. It was a crazy experience for a 4th grader... This album has always been one of my Dad's favorites and was frequently on when working in the garage. Personally, its never been my genre or flavor but I can respect it. The nostalgic bias makes this a 4 for me even if some of the songs don't really matter too much to me (Genocide, So Alone). Favorite Songs: Come Out and Play, Self Esteem
I loveee the offspring there was a couple in here i rly liked and its just good punky background music
So nostalgic for me. I really wanted to give this 5 but alas it’s a solid 4. Still very much enjoy this though.
Some great songs on here. A very good album. Love the Offspring
Nostalgische Kindheitserinnerung
When I listen to Offspring I instantly know who I am listening to. They have a sound that is completely unique to them and is fun to listen to. I think that is what makes them so successful, you know you are listening to them and somehow that helps you look past all the little things in their songs that are misogynistic, inappropriate and just a little off. I didn't realize there were so many hits on this album so it was a nice surprise to hear. The one criticism is that you always know you are listening to Offspring because everything starts to sound similar after a while.
It’s not about trends or analysis, it’s just pure nostalgia. Smash takes me back. I even share the same degree Dexter earned later in life, so I feel weirdly connected to it.
A genuine goodone from the olden days
Reminds me of Tony Hawk's Pro Skater, hell yeah I don't understand these final tracks which are 10+ minutes long but the middle 8 minutes are silence. Fave track: Come out and play
(4.5) Released on Epitaph Records, the definitive label for those young punk. this album made the group popular! And that sucked. Popularity sucks. But man it still rocks! I remember a “grange hall” we Colorado punks staged shows, they showed up in a white van, and I never saw the show because back then there was curfew. I hope to see them at the strawberry festival this year, 2026.
extremely pleasant shit. saturated in lathersome fullness with the feeling of being made by people that gave a fuck; has a sweet intro & outro surrounding squealing guitars that tell you to skate and live your life to the fullest. includes a song advocating against genocide. winner!
Haven’t heard this album in a while. It stands up to the test of time. They really had a sharp focus on the target audience.
Punk, the music, is about energy and Smash has that in spades. From start to finish the explosive power chords throughout Smash propel the listener from one track to the next. The songs on consistently solid. Punk, the movement, has its roots deeply imbedded in counter culture. Smash was a major commercial success and brought punk to mainstream audiences, which itself pisses off many purists, because that shit just isn’t punk. Its popularity meant that people pissing about the "authenticity" of The Offspring was inevitable. I don’t think that Smash is the best punk out there, even for the time it was released, but the album is pretty damn good punk. Part of the album’s success was its impeccable timing. The world was ready to embrace punk and this album and this album, chalk full of catchy riffs, scratched the itch. The album remains an important part of modern music history. For good and bad, it influenced music that followed. Because of this, it certainly belongs on this list, but that aside the album also fucking rocks. “Until next time, ta ta.”
Grating and punky and rocky and just awesome.
not bad, some good stuff
Energetic, fast, and hard hitting. Solid.
Pretty fun! Not many greatest of all times, but yeah, The Offspring is fun, and I kind of wish there were more entries of theirs on this list
Straight forward, power chord, rock and roll
I both love and hate the vocals on this album. Well produced
Absolute banger front to back. So punk rock. 9/10
A very listenable punk album. I always thought of it as just a good rock album until I read the preview where the band was labeled punk. Labels aside, they rock.
Pô, fiquei felizão quando vi que era Offspring, sempre daóra de ouvir. Não tem muito o que falar, é Offspringzão mesmo. Várias músicas clássicas que ouvimos desde criança, várias outras também meio genéricas, não dá pra mentir também uheuheuheuhe A minha preferida com certeza é Come Out and Play, baita música divertida. E é isso, Offspring né, divertido pra caralho, nostalgia, ouvimos desde pequeno, várias clássicas. Um 4 bem 4 mesmo.
One thing that I discovered with this challenge is that I am not a fan of punk. But surf pop punk with funny lyrics? Count me in. Always loved The Offspring but never listened to Smash before, and it was fun and funny listen, just what I expected. Easilynone of the best bands of the 90s, and highly influential, even if some people here don't get them. Every teenager in the 90s or 00s do get them 4/5
The first album pull that I’ve already listened to. I first listened to this in my baby punk phase and I’m happy to report it hasn’t lost any of its power in the years since. If anything I appreciate it even more for holding up so well. It’s pretty impressive that this became a legit smash success and the bestselling album released on an indie label even though the band’s core sound really hasn’t changed from their debut, they’ve become better and more dynamic songwriters but they still have that Blackball energy and speed for most of this(and even though the singles slow things down a bit they’ve still got a ton of punch to them. I also like their excursion into Ska Punk for one track.) It’ll Be a Long Time is still my favorite on here. Superpowers flex their wings indeed.
Fun album. There are times where it's some of their hits and you're like hey this rocks. Then when most of the other songs play it sounds like one ubiquitous Offspring song. When I read their bio and it said West Coast Surfer Punk it didn't quote make sense, then What Happened to You came on and it all came together
I mean it's just jam after jam. The spoken word tracks are whatever and unfortunately ruin the flow a bit, but every song is great.
Why do I like this?
Solid album. Some of their hits. All great. Solid 4.
Pretty good punk rock
Phenomenal album. 9/10.
Classic. Used to listen to this one alot when I was in high-school so made me feel super nostalgic
I used to really love the Offspring back in high school with "Americana" being my favorite album by them. Now they're a little cringe to me but it was nice revisiting this album after all these years. I would give this a 3.5 out of 5 but I'll round up out of nostalgia. Favorite track: Self Esteem 3.5/5
3.5 Another album that was an integral part of my youth - it's still fun and upbeat pop-punk, but my kid self definitely felt this was a lot more subversive than it is to me today. Still a great listen, and not just for nostalgia.
Æ vet æ hørte på det, men æ har allerede glemt alt? Det va noen sketsjer med en fyr som snakka, og så va det sanger, og dem va åpenbart på ingen måte minneverdig. Men dem va der, æ vet æ hørte på dem.
Pretty cool honestly, nice sound
A fun nostalgic staple!
Off to see the Offspring next month. Seminal album for me and partly shaped my punk rock future 😀
Enjoyed hearing lots of songs that I don't know from them, while they still had a more punk sound.
One of my fav
a well-loved and worn record of my youth.
This is an easy one. I own this album. Definitely brings back memories of my teenage years since I was 14 when this came out. Even though the singing is a lot of the same (he has a unique voice), meaning every song has the same tone, somehow they change up the music and lyrics in a way that doesn't get boring. I think this is why they hit so big when they came out. This is one of those few albums where every song is good.
Great nostalgia from high school
Great 90's punk album. Great bangers and some genuinely funny writing. Was familiar with it before, but the songs I hadn't heard before were good too.
This still kinda rips! It was one of those genre adjacent albums that broke through to my grunge-o-sphere when I was 14. Even though it spawned pop punk it was close enough to the real thing that it mostly holds up for me today.
This is the album that makes me wish I’d been a skater
I've heard a few Offspring songs here and there, but this was a real treat. Still working on beefing up my knowledge of the punk scene as my angsty teenage music phase was super boring by most standards. The vocals are exactly what I'd expect and enjoy here, and I really enjoyed the instrumentation. There are some great riffs here that I've been humming all day. My favorite was probably "Come Out and Play" which really got me in the groove. I wasn't a huge fan of "What Happened to You" though, it was giving mid-ass anime opening. Stuck between a 4/4.5 here.
Really gets the blood pumping. Pure energy. I also like the recurring bit of the guy introducing the songs, in a sense making this an album within an album. 4/5
Nostalgia
1994 - 14 years old, Kurt gone (not a big fan at that time) and the "void" was filled with mainstream punkrock! Dookie, Smash, Stranger Than Fiction,...Simple, good times...
This is one of those where my nostalgia gets to overwrite my snobbishness. Is this some deep and profound album with heaps of technical skill? no. But do I jam out to it just because its from my childhood? yes,
Self Esteem, Gotta Get Away
This is a band I know pretty well (saw them in concert this past year), but not sure I’ve listened to this album start to finish before. It has multiple hits; Gotta Get Away, Come Out and Play, and my personal favorite Self Esteem. I enjoy when albums have an intro and outro or narrator, adds a bit of personality to the start to finish experience and feels less common in today’s single culture. The ‘bonus track’ towards the end took me back to waiting for the track to run through at the end of an album. Overall, a good an nostalgic listen.
Good
Cool. They sound like the band that I wanted to have in highschool.
Vraiment cool !
La voix du chanteur c'est comme ça que je m'imagine la voix de Rougail en humain, assez stridente et pas hyper agréable. Mais la guitare est super, c'est entraînant, bref comme le nom de l'album : Smash !
Favorite tracks: Self Esteem, Come Out and Play, It'll Be a Long Time, Gotta Get Away Man, what a classic! The singles are well picked on this one, and continue to be my favorite songs on the album. I found another song or two I enjoyed, but for the most part this album was just nostalgic for me. This was great as an angsty preteen/teen, but didn't quite hold up well enough as an adult. I suspect if I was unfamiliar with them I would only give 2 stars, but for the nostalgia I'll happily give them 4.
Some good shit right here
Great, fun album to listen to. Upbeat, with rock / pop punk feel. One song in particular had very profane section — not good for young kids.
Well this was better than expected! Lotta pop punk ragers on the first half of this bad boy, too bad it falls off after the big heavy hitters but the songs arent bad, they just arent as good. And yeah the heavy hitters, self esteem and come out and play are pop/skate punk alltimers. 3.5/5
This album is quite repetitive, but the energetic riffs and vocals make it fun the whole way through. Nothing really impressive, just enjoyable, catchy punk.
Solid
Brought back some memories.
Noisy in a good way. Straightforward. 3 chord riffs and some decent, memorable choruses. Nothing spectacular but it has a charm and a raw energy that makes it a decent listen. When listening to 'Come Out and Play' i realised i'd not heard it for about 20 years and I had a little nostalgic moment remembering a simpler time. Thats what music is all about for me. Favourite track- Self Esteem. 8/10
A smash of teenage memories and nostalgia come flooding back with this album. I was just turning 13 when this album came out and it sounded great then and it still does now. Production is on point for a punk rock band and it allowed them to cross over into the mainstream. This album and Green Day's Dookie were my introduction to my life long love of punk. Yeah I'm biased with this rating but who doesn't like screaming "YOU STUPID DUMBSHIT GODDAMN MOTHERFUCKER"? Best Tracks: Bad Habit; Come Out and Play; Self Esteem
This was one of the first CDs I owned, so it is impossible for me to be objective here. I had a great nostalgia trip listening through this again. It is one of the best and most important pop punk albums, helped define a sound for the 90s-00s, and is The Offspring's best album. There isn't much that is innovative or breathtaking on this album, but it's just catchy pop song after catchy pop song, infinitely sing-a-long-able. Many songs follow the same formula, and Dexter's voice is probably grating to a lot of people, but it just reminds me of my own 7th-grade voice singing and shouting along to it. I'm not a trendy asshole, I don't give a fuck if it's good enough for you, 'Cause I am alive
This one’s a bratty blast of mid-90s skate-punk. Self Esteem and Come Out and Play are classics, and even the early tracks like Bad Habit were super fun. But by the end, the relentless bang-bang-bang drum rhythms started to feel monotonous. Still, the cheeky spoken-word intro and outro gave me a laugh, so I’m rounding up to four stars.
Felt like the same song multiple times, but it wasn't too bad of a song. Fun.
Love the immersion and part that brings you to juxtapose the heaviness of the music.
Never realized this was on Bad Religion’s independent label, though it makes sense when you listen to it. There’s obviously a lot of similarities to BR, though The Offspring have a more accessible sound and Dexter Holland is a better front man. When they first hit more mainstream radio, I thought they were a bit of a novelty act, likely to be a one hit wonder. But man was I wrong. Gotta Get Away, Self Esteem, Come Out And Play all rightfully had a ton of airplay. Excellent songs, and pretty diverse from each other as well as the type of band they evidently were before Smash, which speaks to their talent. And bonus points for them working dweeb into a hit song. It’s still amazing that they sold over 10m copies of this when they didn’t have a major label to push the record. That’s how good this album is and the hits they put out. A great listen.
Great energy. One of my favorite albums, 90s punk with a 70s punk feel.
This was a surprisingly good album. I enjoyed it
Love this album!
Bomb
Loud and fun
Музыка: 8/10 Разнообразие: 7/10 Тематика и вайб: 8/10 Цепляемость (отдельные песни зашли): 7/10 Реиграбельность (можно ли рандомно врубить на фон): 9/10 Итог: 7.8
I know a couple of songs of theirs but The Offspring aren’t a band I’ve ever bothered to go out of my way to listen to. That’s gonna change after this, bloody loved it. Top Tracks - Come Out And Play and Something To Believe In
It’s great, lots of good tunes on here. You’ve heard the hits, many times.
Took me back to my teens. About as perfect as a skate punk / pop punk album could be. 6 or 7 tracks that are perfect examples of the genre - yes, Self Esteem and Come Oit and Play were huge, but Bad Habit and Gotta Get Away are equally huge. Has to drop to a 4 though as there's just not enough depth and variety, and the last 4-5 tracks don't hold up as well. Oh, and the ska track is awful.
The offspring have some good music. Theis album is good but the songs sound the same
Gets off to a great start, and then still has some bangers later on in the album. Rocks really hard. High 4.
A total classic. I remember listening to this for the first time on CD with my mom in our living room in middle school. Let's see how it holds up! Bad Habit just rules. Also I just remembered playing a bootleg copy of Road Rash on my bedroom PC as a kid and The Offspring being on the soundtrack. Genocide playing while chain whipping on a motorcycle. The voiceovers are goofy and so 90's. Really nice crispy bass playing which I guess is a punk thing. Straight into the amp, very roundwound wompy pick tone. Green Day similar. Guitars are just shredding with gain and much looser than metal chugs. Lyrically very punk and it's crusty as hell and very real. More aggressive than the skater vibes of Green Day or later pop punk. I bet these shows were just loud as hell. I will say it is a bit fatiguing to make it through the entire album. I'm not a huge punk fan, this is more a nostalgia album for me. I think it will edge into the 4's based on how classic of a record it is and my familiarity. Smash is a great ending track.
A classic - I remember longboarding my neighborhood hills after school listening to this album all the time. Contains the best song ever written about road rage. Objectively I know it’s not the worlds greatest album, but it was a staple of the time and I still enjoy it just as much as I did when I was a kid.
Grunge era skater punk!
Love The Offspring. Out of the four albums i heard from them in my youth, this is nr. 3, but still pretty great music <3
I like the Offspring singles I've heard, and this lives up to them. I even like the little comedy bits.
I wasn't cool enough to be into real punk when I was younger. All I had was the more mainstream punk and pop-punk. The Offspring was one of the mainstream punk bands I was into. This album definitely has a nostalgic feel to it because of that. I tried to listen to this with fresh ears and I think I like it a bit less than what I thought. A lot of it actually kind of sounds like a Nirvana rip-off which is something I had never thought of before. I think without the nostalgia, I'd give this a 3/5 but due to the nostalgia I think I'll give it a 4/5.
Personally would have gone for Americana but this one is nice Esther way
I listened to The Offspring a loooot over 20 years ago. Really not my favorite kind of music anymore, but nice for the occasional, nostalgic re-visit. It's still pretty good, fun pop-punk (definitely not pure punk or 'real' punk rock [luckily so, as I kind of hate those styles]).
This sounds like my teenage years
Was quite solid, held up well.
Come out and play is the stand out track, obviously. I remember headbanging to this in the alternative section of clubs in the 90s, great times.
Absolutely perfect album for a 13 year old. (Note: I was 13 when this album came out.)
There's a lot of trash but the singles are all iconic.
Friends got a gf and I hate that bish
Every track is a banger. Favourite Track(s): Self Esteem, Bad Habit, It'll Be A Long Time Least Favourite Track(s): Nitro
Good
Call it a sell-out moment if you want, but Smash was an undeniably fun blast of an album when I was a kid. It isn’t as hard or as snarling as the deeper punk catalog, but that’s almost the point - this is the record that proved punk could explode into the mainstream without losing all its bite. It’s fast, melodic, sneering, and accessible in a way that helped define what pop-punk would become. This was a gateway drug for me and a few of my friends: still gritty enough to feel rebellious, but polished enough to get radio play. Foundational, even if punk "purists" rolled their eyes.
The first mainstream punks? I don't know but i love it, it may be nostalgia but i don't care
Usually I don't listen to Punk, but I enjoyed this. Specially the way vocals are recorded and processed, I liked it.
Great album
A good pop-punk album. its fun to think that this was coming out the same time as Nirvana. what a beautiful/ transitional time for rock.
Feels like a kind of thrash punk version of Nirvana which feels especially true with Gotta get away which sounds like about a girl by Nirvana and the lyrics used seem very similar to Cobain’s self loathing style in some parts. The actual album itself was good though, nice riffs, high energy and good vocals. I thought the sound was a bit weird though, I think it was the drums, they just sounded a bit tinny and quiet. Also, so glad i waited like 6 minutes on the last song to get a 1 minute middle eastern ahh beat, what was that about. Anyway, favourites: Gotta get away, come out and play, it’ll be a long time and what happened to you. Overall, 7/10.
The incredible bridge between hardcore punk and pop music sensibilities. This leans more in the hardcore direction but it's the album that launched 1000 bands that littered pop music for a decade.
Loved it when it came out & still like it today.
So many memories of this album. Including when I bought it and my dad made me return it because of swearing in the liner notes.
got that classic 90s rock sound to it.
Good lively music for when you are in the right mood, and I guess I was a lot more often in that mood in the 90s. I enjoyed it but dont really miss this kind of music. 3.7 stars.
Really energetic album but not much from a musicianship standpoint
Loud and gnarly
This is the second punk album I’ve gotten and I enjoyed it much more than Dookie. The guitar riffs were far better and the songs were stronger. The album kept me going right up until the end, and I can see how someone who is much more into punk than me would put this among their favourite albums.
To była moja muzyka, gdy miałam 13 lat. Self esteem to do teraz jeden z moich ulubionych rockowych kawałków. Czy cała płyta jest genialna? Raczej nie, ale jest naprawdę dobra i zabawna. Niektóre z ich tekstów mogłyby być standupem. Mocne (bardzo mocne!) 8/10
I bought this new when I was a freshman in high school. Still loud and fun, all these years later. Some surprisingly sharp lyrics that I didn't always catch back then.
Liked it way more than expected! Loved Smash, solid anchor
Gotta get away was such a great song!
Cool
Wow - make me a 15 year old boy again! This album is fun from start to finish. Now it’s not anything that I would throw in a rotation of must listen to’s but I can see why any teenager at the time played it loud.
I actually really enjoyed this!
noisy. but so talented. and what a voice. a generation-defining sound!
Great album, fun, classic. Reminds me of skating
Very fun listen
Three smash singles and then a collection of great tunes, what’s not to love? I don’t think this is a master piece by any means but I sure do think it’s really good. The drumming throughout the whole album is tight as hell. The highest I can legally go is 4 but it’s scratching that 5.
After seeing most of my favorite Offspring songs on here, I was pretty pumped (not usually a fan). This album was really well crafted and the energy was contagious. Offspring reminds me of the fun times playing Tony Hawk games and others early 2000s video games with classic soundtracks. Had a fun time here. 4
Never been an Offspring band fan, but always liked some of the singles. That being said this album contains like 80% of those singles and makes up a big chunk of the album from them alone. I was surprised at how much I enjoyed this, and totally see how this was a huge success for the band. I do wish there were other Southern California 90s punk on this list but this was a good pick overall. I like the way that they track Dexters voice on here and the overall skate punky sound they got going on here - shout out to the drummer for holding that one beat down. Strong 4/5
Solid album.
I'm not as big a fan of punk music as I once was but The Offspring still scratch an itch for me and this album has some bangers on it.
No private session used for Spotify. This album has lots of classics on it, a bit of filler it seems, but overall it's nice and angry, I can get into it.
This is my comfort music. I don't listen to this a lot these days, but I love these guys. One of the best 90's rock/punk bands that existed. Every song is a banger. I haven't sat down and listened to an album of these guys in a LONG time and my only thing is it's a lot of relentless sound! But it's good noise.
"Gotta Get Away" reminds me of Nirvana with the wailing chorus But it's like a more upbeat Offspringed version and harmonies Loved It'll Be a Long Time - different Offspring Killboy Powerhead is a bit more punky, can imagine playing THPS to it Enjoy what happned to you, it's a bit more ska-punk which I didn't know Offspring could do! A mix of different rock styles Generally 7/10, good punk album. 45 minutes is also an old school album length
This is more like a 4.75. Ferocious, unstoppable, world-at-their-feet behaviour. I guess, -0.75 for the blonde braids.
One of the very best skate punk albums, so many bangers. It sounds so much like 1994. 8.5/10
Zuhause, Heidenheim, Deutschland. Schon viele Banger!
Love listening from the beginning. Time to relax set the mood for what was to come.
This album rocks
This is the first non-classic rock album I remember getting really into and undoubtedly The Offspring's best.
Album starts fast and doesn't stop or slow down. It's a masterpiece in modern punk/surf punk. Even some fast ska on What Happened To You? Good stuff here. I got sick and tired of Self Esteem and Come Out And Play when they were first released, but now as I've gotten older and have seen the exact events played out in Self Esteem with friends of mine, I respect it a lot more. Come Out And Play is a good bar jukebox tune, everyone will sing along. Don't sleep on this one, it's worth a listen. 3.93/5 stars
Fast paced and fun. A lot more punk than alot of so called punk bands from that era. Good times. I would give it a 5 but something is holding me back. 9/10
Awesome
Classic
Quality rage punk rock. Will be a go to for workouts.
Классный альбом с атмосферой и хорошим разнообразием по сей день перемлушиваю его
Good, not great.
Energetic, obnoxious, articulate, and angry. the epitome of SoCal 90s punk. Smoothly mixed and well-produced. this is a great album. Being from the era (ie middle aged) though, I have heard this whole album so many times it annoys me now. I think it’s Dexters whiny style that chips at my patience. On the other hand, the most well-known track on the album (Self Esteem) takes me back 30 years so effectively I can feel the sheepskin seat covers, and smell the old car and motor oil smell of my old boat of a first car.
Not my favorite album of theirs, but still quite good.
This was an amazing album to run to. So angry. Loved Bad Habit and Genicide. Also dude the Fallout sounding old school radio announcer! So fun. I enjoyed. Great rage album. Fun facts from Dixon: their singer has a phd and taught chemistry at ucla. Also Sal shares an air hanger with their plane. Who knew. Dix says more punk than pop punk. I agree
Enjoyed more than I thought I would. Self esteem will always be a banger.
Definitely biased cause I went in already knowing I really like the album, it’s not my perfect Offspring Album because I think the beginning doesn’t start till off as good as it could have but I’d give it a 4.5 if I could.
Punk rock is my favorite genre, and while I'm not Offspring's biggest fan by any measure, this still ruled.
Hell yeah! Damn I miss the ‘90s.
I think I tasted nutmeg
not too long before Pretty Fly (For A White Guy) The Offspring were a pretty respectable punk band! much rougher than the pop punk before or after, Smash still managed to be a huge turning point for the genre. this is closer to My Chemical Romance than Screeching Weasel. and i should probably say that i like pop punk so that's not a bad thing at all. but even if one doesn't, this album will probably manage to do the trick nonetheless deserves to be one of the 1001? probably yes
Self esteem is a banger
Offspring är nästan alltid helt rätt
7.5
Incredibly fun energy. Travel back in time to middle school.
bien punchy, un classique que je n'écoutais pas. Self Esteem of course, et come out and play. Je préfère sum41 par contre
168/1089 - Come Out and Play is far better than all of the other songs on this. Everything else is pretty good too.
There's one thing always keeps me from becoming a super fan of The Offspring: Holland's voice Great music though
La verdad, no se por qué, me daba algo de flojera escuchar este disco y resultó que me la pasé genial al hacerlo. Muy divertido, rock poderoso y ganas de escucharlo de nuevo en cuanto terminó. Muy bien.
Edgy skate punk with enough energy to make you forget the rough parts. Come Out and Play and Self Esteem are the major hits in this one, but the rest of the album is also great, just missing the catchy hooks and melodies needed to become popular. Not quite good enough for 5 stars, but close.
Fast passed frenetic album that has some great songs but maybe just not enough ch change of tempos for how long the album is.
Brings back fond memories of hearing this album for first time. Few memorables songs with great energy, but not much creativity and eventually the next song sounds similar to the previous.
I see Offspring as more punk pop, not really punk, but yes, it's catchy. I prefer their sound in later years and this album kind of wavers into just white noise for me at times. But, "Self Esteem" is on here, and that is such a classic. Just the title already captures so much of that teenage angst, but then there's the guitar riff/wah/las that open up the track, and then driving bass that is keeping it all together. And then the key change/bridge section. The lyrics "The more you suffer, the more it shows you really care. Right?" are universally felt too. There is also some interesting jamming going on in the last track that I appreciate.
this was a good romp, I had fun listening to it. Energy from the beginning to the end. Not much to say on the lyrics though, they felt vacuous but maybe I didn't hear something good
Great memories of this album growing up. Still holds up today. Great energy and a lot of fun
I love the offspring! This is one great album! It's not my favorite but I still love it! Such good old school punk!
4/5. Hate the gimmicky talking parts :(
last song sucked ass. rest of the album was good tho.
85% Best: Bad Habit; Gotta Get Away; Come Out and Play; Self Esteem; Smash Must-Hear? Sure
Love this record. As far as I’m concerned, Offspring could have started and finished their career with Smash (Ignition was good too, but no Smash); after that, I lost a lot of interest as Offspring really started to pander to their audience and seemed very concerned with writing hits to get them on TRL, but Smash is awesome.
Fantastic album, reminds me of playing the original UT on my PC, as I had this as the background music!
Man, this thing still holds up surprisingly well. Radio hits are still good IMO, and most of it is pretty damn listenable. Wikipedia lists it as punk, but I'd call it crossover punk. 4.5 stars on this one. Makes me want to dig back through The Offspring's catalogue.
Not my favorite album ever, but it came along in my formative days, and I still have a lot of it not just memorized, but down to instinct.
Not only punk sell-outs, but punk doctors and punk hot sauce salesmen. Dexter Holland and the Offspring’s journey may have been unconventional, but it was a “Smash” early on. I can’t stand “Pretty Fly (For a White Guy),” but “Self-Esteem” and “Come Out and Play” are fun punk even if lacking in some of the rawness and authenticity of the genre. They feel already built for rock radio, even at this pre-major label stage in their career. That they signed with Columbia after “Smash” and then became progressively blander over time is no surprise in hindsight, though “Ixnay on the Hombre” has some decent tracks, particularly “Gone Away,” which might be my favorite Offspring song. Anyway, “Smash” was and remains a fun, raucous guilty pleasure full of palatable punk and suburb-friendly rage-lite.
One of the rare occasions that I like a band more now than I did when I first heard them.
Extra star for the nostalgia factor
Great album
Onhan tää hyvä poppunk-levy! Selft Esteem on megakova biisi edelleen. Kunnon melodiat ja ajoo vaan. 4/5
I hope to God that there’s someone here that played Crazy Taxi enough to have the songs “All I Want” and “Way Down the Line” etched into their memory banks alongside Bad Religion. Hell, that drum beat at the end of Smash takes me back to the menu theme for the home port of the game. I’m just laying this here, since Ixnay on the Hombre is most than likely not gonna be here. But it’s shows that The Offspring kinda built a nostalgic place in my heart, so I’m pretty biased. Listening to this, I kinda get the whole “sounding like Nirvana” thing. But the punk style of the Offspring definitely sets it apart and Dexter Holland certainly doesn’t come off like Kurt Cobain. It’s just a nice relic of the type of music that saw the limelight in the nineties. It’s fun, frantic and even delves into a serious issue or two. It’s not my personal favorite from the band, but it’s still a good time. Favorite track: Self Esteem Other hits: Come Out and Play, Gotta Get Away, Genocide, What Happened to You?, Not the One, Smash
Voice is a bit grating but it was a fun album with lots of undeniably catchy songs. Was surprised by how much I enjoyed the album. Favorite songs: Self Esteem Bad Habit 8/10
Well that was a plain good time. I never listened to them when I was 12, but if I had, I imagine it would have gone well. The dudes voice is very close to being annoying, but it works. Album cover: (A-) It kinda sucks but also rules. This would look very at home in a zine.
"Nitro (Youth Energy)" is a great start. There's nothing complicated about this. You'll have your whiny 90s punk for dinner and you'll like it. WHEN I GO DRIVING I STAY IN MY LANE. I listened to this song so much in High School. Offspring were high on the roster on my 120GB iPod classic. If I close my eyes I can see the wintery suburbs passing by through the school bus window. "Come Out and Play" is iconic. The little riff near the beginning (you know the one) is so great. "Self Esteem" is the other big hit from the record. It's probably one of the first Offspring songs I heard after "Pretty Fly For a White Guy". "What Happened to You" is an extremely "The Offspring" song. The bouncy guitar and the harmonies are great. I don't know why I love Bryan Holland's voice so much. My logical brain can see that his singing is annoying and whiny, but my 90s/00s punk lizard brain loves it. It isn't art, but it sure is fun. 8/10
hell yea man
Better than I remembered
Smashing
Loved it, but I'm biased as I love their album Americana already
+1 for nostalgia
Gen X pop punk is the American version of the long nineties. Turns out there’s a lot of collapsing middle class families in a nation.
I liked this so much more than I thought i would. Just such awesome energy
I have in the past dismissed this band as just an other run of the mill pop punk band of the era, never really paying too much attention to them. I can't say I've ever taken this genre of music too seriously, though the recent resurgence in music clearly inspired by this era has me rethinking my stance. However it isn't something I've taken too much of a deep dive into. Looking at this as a potential start of a new appreciation for this type of music. Going into this with an open mind, expecting to hear something interesting. Time to Relax That's an absolutely unhinged intro. Unrated/5 Nitro (Youth Energy) Really like the guitar riff here. Also dig the energy of the drums. A short but sweet track that immediately throws you into the album with a fast tempo and an unrelenting energy. The howling vocals pumps you up for what's about to follow. Decent. 3.5/5 Bad Habit Great buildup. The vocals are really unique. Fits really well with the blood pumping chorus. Catchy. Has a lot of charisma. Great. 4.5/5 Gotta Get Away There's a messy garageiness to the instrumental here that's quite fun. Don't love the verses, really don't like the cadance of the vocals. The chorus however works decently well. I really like the fuzzy guitar. Fine. 3/5 Genocide Has some classic punk era energy to it. Especially some of the guitar parts and the general sound of the drums. The chorus is decently effective. Lyrically it's nothing to write home about, there are some questionable lines here that bring down the quality a bit. Decent. 3.5/5 Something to Believe In Really like the way the verse is set up. Has a very interesting structure to it. Love the post chorus guitar passage. Great bass on the bridge. The lyrics are straight forward and easy to follow. Decent chorus. Good. 4/5 Come Out And Play Interesting change in instrumentation with the surf style guitar. Works surprisingly well for this style. Memorable chorus. Great pre chorus. Just all round a fun listen. Great. 4.5/5 Self Esteem Fun bassline. Feels like an archetypical song of this genre. Reject self pity anthem, feels fairly standard for this syle. Honestly kinda works. Can understand why it's popular. Angsty and edgy with plenty of attitude. Makes me cringe, but in a fun awkward way. Very memorable chorus. Aggressively 90's. Great. 4.5/5 It'll Be A Long Time Love the energy. The lyrics tell a story as old as time itself, still relevant today. Love how the tempo gradually increases towards the chorus. Decent. 3.5/5 Killboy Powerhead A bit of a forgettable punk rock track. Doesn't detract from the tracklist, but doesn't exactly stand out. Has a fast tempo and an alright chorus. Performed with the energy you might expect from the rest of the album. Average. 2.5/5 What Happened to You? Love how it gets into the action the moment it starts. Fun instrumental, I like the guitar solo. The uptempo contrasts to the dark theme of the lyrics. Doesn't waste time. Good. 4/5 So Alone Feels a bit unfinished. Would be interesting to hear a full length track of this. As it stands the themes of the lyrics come across pretty clearly, though I think it could've been expanded upon. Average. 2.5/5 Not The One That's a great start. Thoughtful and concise lyrical themes. Love that bassline. The vocals are performed with a logmt of gusto and flavour. Good. 4/5 Smash I like a lot of the guitar playing on this song. The lyrics are whatever. Decent verse melody. I find the inclusion of a hidden track kinda charming - A relic of a bygone era. Decent. 3.5/5 Myself five years ago would've laughed at even considering giving this a decent score. Back then I'd probably dismiss this for not being "artsy" or "organic" enough, dismissing its commercial success as a point against it. Today I feel quite different, yeah it's not exactly high art, but not everything needs to be. Music can be so many things, and one of those is entertaining. And this album is that. It's catchy, it's energetic and it's fun as hell. With large choruses and fuzzy guitars, as well as attitude filled unique vocals it sticks out as memorable and charming. And while I can't give it full score, as there is the problem here and there, I can't dock it too many points as it achieves pretty much what it tries to achieve. If we're to talk about problems, my main issues stem from the lyrics that at times are either a bit awkward, simply poorly written or maybe a bit sparse. This leaves some of the larger moments on the album occasionally falling a bit flat. I'd also say the spoken word is really unecessary, adding nothing to the experience. Overall I'm surprised by this experience, and while not life changing in any way I could see myself returning to it for the occasional listen when I'm feeling an itch for some 90's angst. 3.5/5 Leaning slightly closer to a 4/5.
Great album. This came onto the scene and didn't sound like anything else. "Come out and Play" painted a grim picture in a funny light. And "Self Esteem" highlights the nature of that relationship you just cant escape. Dexters voice (and intelligence) makes this a band to listen to.
Fun
The Offspring rips. The last 5 min of silence is a little odd though.
The Offspring is one of those bands that I like sometimes and other times just find a bit tiresome. They usually have high energy which I like and the tracks on this album are no exception. The album contains a few of their all time biggest hits, but a lot of the other songs disappeared a bit for me. A lot of them sounded similarly enough that I probably wouldn't be able to pick them out. Standouts Come Out and Play Self Esteem What Happened to You? 4/5
This surprisingly really hit the spot and kept me awake for my drive home yesterday
Solid punk-rock album, I liked the voice that came in occasionally that was entertaining. The lyrics were pretty solid especially on the more popular tracks, and the instrumentation had a nice flair to it which kept the album interesting. If I had to critique this I would say it’s a pretty traditional sounding punk-rock album, so it doesn’t really offer anything special sound-wise. Favorite Tracks: Self Esteem, Come Out and Play, and Gotta Get Away.
"Ah, it's time to relax" hahaha... what a great album. The riffs are great, vocals are fun, the narration is funny, the secret song is soooo cool, and so many of these songs I was BLASTING in high school. I think this album could benefit from maybe more variety, but overall....sooo good. "Come Out and Play" and "Self Esteem" are ICONIC. Liked Songs: "Nitro (Youth Energy)" , "Bad Habit" , "Gotta Get Away" , "Something to Believe In" , "Come Out and Play" , "Self Esteem" , "It'll Be a Long Time" , "What Happened to You?" , "So Alone"
Full of energy and dissidence, some felt too 90’s to really enjoy, but some of it really holds up
Good album, Offspring's BEST IMHO!
FINALLY SOME GOOD FUCKING FOOD omg after like 5 consecutive albums of shitty 60s rock bands, I needed some actual bangers. The Offspring makes me think of the imaginary boyfriend I had when I was 14 who was a punk-skater-pianist, so I love it. Miss him dearly.
There’s a funny thing that happens listening to an Offspring album. Despite the high energy, shouty vocals, it’s so on par for them as a band and always quite consistent in what they put out that somehow it is easy listening. It never feels forced and while there’s always a bit of comedy/whimsy, it gets the balance right, for me anyway. I reckon you’re either into it or you aren’t, as it’s a highly homogenous album and I’m hard pushed to pick out individual tracks barring those I knew already, but it just works.
The Offspring were at the forefront of the 90s punk revival and this excellent album shows why. There's not a bad track on it.
It's the Offspring. It's fun. It's catchy. Has some great songs, not as many as later albums, but everything is still massively enjoyable.
The nostalgia is strong with this one. I was 13 when this came out and it feels like it was genetically engineered to imprint directly onto my adolescent brain but here in the year 2025 it doesn't quite measure up to those memories. Like a lot of kids of the era, Smash was my entry point into punk but this didn't really stick with me for the journey. There's a lot of other big punk albums that came out circa 93-95 by NOFX/Rancid/Pennywise/Green Day/etc, that i'd rather listen to these days, but a few of these songs are stone cold classics and still grace my playlists today. Smash also deserves a ton of credit for being such a big hit that it afforded Epitaph records the ability to release a bunch of other great punk music over the years that it might not have had otherwise. 4/5 rose-coloured nostalgic stars, drawn directly onto my social studies binder during study hall.
From my formative years.
4/5
Way better than Dookie.
had a really great time with this. awesome guitars
Very nice album.
If you were going to pick an album from The Offspring for this list, it would probably be this one. Smash is the album that broke the band into the mainstream, propelled by the success of its singles, and helped usher in a resurgence of punk rock music in the wake of grunge. If anything, Smash shares characteristics with Green Day's Dookie and Rancid's ...And Out Come the Wolves, which did well during this time. They're all enjoyable with guitar riffs aplenty, punching percussion, notable basslines, and the attitude and production that feels like opening a time capsule to what the skate culture was like in the mid-90s. Dexter Holland, Noodles, Greg. K and Ron Welty weren't looking to get that ambitious with this record, instead sticking to what they knew, as they weren't expecting the raging success they got. There are hints of a more melodic hardcore approach they might have taken, such as on "Genocide" and "It'll Be a Long Time", but overall, they stuck to their guns and made a fun record. Though I'll freely admit, I'm getting tired of hearing "Self Esteem". Don't get me wrong; the guitar and bass lines on this track are iconic. But Dexter's passive-aggressive lyrics about being stuck in an abusive relationship just feel diffuse to me, which may be the point of the song, but does not mean I enjoy it. I'll take "Come Out and Play" and "Gotta Get Away" any day of the week. What else can I say except Smash lived up to its title, which is again something not even the band expected. Props to them.
Wasn't at all familiar with The Offspring. Really punky and fun album. Lots of swearing :'(
This is really hard to evaluate. On face value they have some strong songs but the 5 star system is hard to evaluate as flip flop between 3 and 4 stars as the score is not granular enough. My reasoning for the strong score would be they are primarily a punk band. I grew up on The Offspring and lapped up their more mainstream fair which is more moderate punk and dimminished their essence despite me liking some of it arguably better. This album is more pure and natural for the band. There is no gloss and they bounce along like tigger on speed. To me this is no different to the Pixies, or Ash or dare I say Neil Young (different genre but same principle). The lead singer in the offspring cant sing to save his life as far as I can tell to my untrained ear and seemingly thrashy at times but it works in the context of their bands music and style. I can see why it has a polarising effect like the other bands I mentioned all for different reasons but they come out on the better end of the scale for me in spite of it almost. One persons micky mouse (Neil Young) is anothers Nightingale. To confirm for the record I like Pixies, Ash and The Offspring. Neil young less so he is a whinning little ear worm.
I've had a real soft spot for the offspring since manually adding 'Splinter' to the radio on GTA 3. They are a bit of a one trick pony but they do it so well with such an infectious energy that I always find myself smiling along. No different with this album which sounded exactly as I was expecting it to but I enjoyed it from start to finish. 'Self Esteem' was a highlight and I thought it was more slightly more nuanced than the rest of the album and I liked the scar sound of 'What Happened to You?'. I accept that they aren't defining any genres or breaking new musical ground, but it's a fun and energetic poppy punk-rock album and for some reason I can't help but enjoy it.
Transported back to the 90s. Have to admit I didn’t realize how important of a band The Offspring were not that their most famous song was actually about race riots. 4/5
I'm a fan of slightly later Offspring, but this album is still a solid listen with mostly good songs and few greats. 4*
I discovered this right as I was starting to play bass and learned each song by ear by repeatedly listing to it over and over again. When I got an acoustic guitar I went back and learned them all over again. I remember playing self esteem with my band in front of our school. Looking back, it was definitely pseudo punk for the masses but it was hard baked into my dna before I realized.
Not quite as iconic of a 90s album as Americana, but still a mostly solid album
Still works
Actually fairly listenable
Love it! Early u2 and mysticism of the doors
Was not time to relax, did not listen via compact disk on my stereo, did not soothe my savage beast. Punk bangers from start to finish, a very fun listen. The kind of music that would probably change my life were I to see it live.
Bangers. Loved this album
More US punk is it.. les go i guess Spoken intro into SHOUTING is a big sell so far Oh i am liking this. Maybe the entire purpose of this website/project is to make me listen to American guitar lads. Guitar guys. Might need to make a cd of this so I can drive 80mph through a school zone. Okay this rocks .if anything it goes on a bit .. I'm still waiting for the bonus track to jumpscare me.. but otherwise I'm absolutely sold nice one.
When you say back to high school. Lead singer is a badass!
6. The intro to the album is kinda funny. I am very nostalgic for this genre of music, this is the kinda music that plays in video games I grew up with, They literally take up half the songs in Crazy Taxi. It's the kind of music that is loud and annoying on purpose, maybe for attention, and I love it. Overall this is a great punk rock album and would be glad to listen to again. Favorite Song: Come Out and Play Least Favorite Song: Killboy Powerhead Overall Score: 7/10
Cool
I remember this album and reminds of my teenager time.
Yes, worth it here. Yes. Sarcastic elbows will complain about the shouting and give it a lower mark. Yes it’s not terribly deep. But it’s fun. And given its surprising success, is a decent artifact of punk in the mid nineties. 3.5
Klassiker
I do think they are growing on me. They certainly have a deeper meaning on a lot of their songs than originally thought.
Not a punk guy but they packed a punch in some of their songs
Okay, love parts of this album. "Come Out and Play" is one of their best songs, takes me back to middle school. "Self Esteem" is another straight banger. Love the fast and furious, really punk feeling songs in the middle. I think the lyrics of most punk bands are really undervalued, which is especially true of The Offspring. This is not the best punk album of the time (I think Dookie is better) nor is it The Offspring's best album (Let the Bad Times Roll is). But it is a very solid album. Don't love the long silence leading into a secret song at the end, but it is very 90's. Only reason this isn't a 5 is cause I know they have better albums, and while I agree this should be on the list, I don't think it is 5 star worthy.
normally punk is not my scene & usually only a song or 2 at a time, but I enjoyed this listen. good variation & not just the super fast banging drums & heavy guitar. like that lyrics have some depth & even some humor.