Americana was the first album I owned growing up and The Offspring were one of the first bands I thought was cool. Punk rockers with a decidedly 90s flavor, they were one of the first groups I remembered hearing described as "alternative" as well, which really become a huge thing as the years went on. Their alternative sounds introduced me to a lot of what I still love about music and they're still great to jam out to two decades later.
420 to 30: A Music Retrospective
Here's 7 of my favorites from The Offspring.
Week 35: THE OFFSPRING
#238/420 - The Offspring, “The Kids Aren’t Alright”
Off the first cassette tape I owned as a kid, not all the kids were as alright as me and my cool cassette player with this dope album. Kids like Jamie, who had a chance (yeah, he really did, okay?) but instead dropped out of school and a had couple of kids. Kids like Mark, who still lives at home and has no job, just plays guitar and smokes a lot of pot. Kids like Jay, who committed suicide, or Brandon, who overdosed on drugs and died. You may ask yourself, “What the hell is going on? (Cruelest dream reality.)” and you’d be right. But for many it’s hard, hard to see. Fragile lives. Shattered dreams. (repeat)
#239/420 - The Offspring, “Hit That”
One of their later but greater songs from the early 00s, this is perhaps a bit crude sounding at glance for today’s social/political climate, but like many Offspring songs, the words are actually filled with a lot more commentary and advisories than a track that repeats “I know you wanna hit that!” would seem to. While my attention towards The Offspring was waning by this time, this song definitely reenergized it for a bit longer as I recall agreeing with friends in 8th grade that this was a nice comeback for the group. It’s a fun, bouncy, catchy, pop-punk song that rightly belongs on any Offspring playlist.
#240/420 - The Offspring, “Why Don’t You Get a Job?”
He’s got two friends, they’re both dating each other, and they’re both assholes. Hey, that’s something everyone can enjoy!
#241/420 - The Offspring, “She’s Got Issues”
Little did I know when I was nine years-old how many such women I would go out with in my life! This was ultimately my favorite single from Americana. A little less goofy than “Pretty Fly” and “Why Don’t You Get a Job?” and not quite as angsty as “Kids”, this one has held the most long-term listenability for me with its bangin’ guitar and screechy “yeah-yeah”s. Gonna pay indeed.
#242/420 - The Offspring, “Gotta Get Away”
This album was popular driving music with my dad following its release so it is definitely a key cog in the soundtrack of my childhood. While Americana stepped into more tongue in cheek parody at times, Smash just rocked and this has one of the best riffs of them all. The drums and guitar are super good here, charging in with some great pounding energy. It’s a realll “smash”, if you will, that certainly prompts loud volume listening and some head bangs. Also, thematic within the album as a whole, Offspring dives into some interesting psychology with the lyrics. One of the great rockers of the 90s.
#243/420 - The Offspring, “Come Out and Play (Keep ‘Em Separated)”
A favorite in the family sedan in the mid 90s for us, even my baby sister was rocking in her car seat to this one. It’s the quintessential Offspring song in my opinion featuring everything they excelled at with snotty, catchy lyrics, pointed and deliberate drumming, and infectious punk guitar riffs. The lead single from Smash, it remains a mainstay on many alternative rock channels for good reason.
And a sunny day today to come out and play.
#244/420 - The Offspring, “Pay the Man”
The final and best song on Americana and also the best song in The Offspring discography is one that influenced my taste in music to come quite a bit. It was my introduction to progressive rock, hidden bonus tracks, and lyrics that my mother didn’t want me repeating in, “shut-up, you talk too much!” My best friend and I loved it and it remains my favorite from the group.
It’s a long one at over eight minutes, made longer at over ten when including the mariachi reprise of “Pretty Fly”, a feature present in what now rank as my top 2 favorite albums of all time, Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band and Kid A. It is fitting that my first full album experience echoes this.
What drew me to this song was that it was very notably different from the rest of its album in its style, its length, and the directions and phases it took. While I enjoy simple beauty the short and uncomplicated songs bring, a complex anthem like this is impressive in a different way and was a lot of fun to blast in my headphones back in the day.
While the pace of my life and my overall calm disposition don’t always or often lend themselves to this style of music anymore, the memories and influences The Offspring has had in my life are irreplaceable and ones I always make a point to come back to here and there.
Next week, it’s way back to the 1950s for another childhood favorite of mine. He found his way into one of my favorite movies as a kid and much of the rest of his music became equally nostalgic for me over the years. It’s the crazy vocals and manic trumpet playing of jazz legend, Louis Prima.
420 to 30: A Music Retrospective
Week 2: The Jackson 5/The Jacksons
Week 3: A Tribe Called Quest
Week 4: Weezer
Week 5: Bob Dylan
Week 6: Led Zeppelin
Week 7: 2Pac/Makaveli
Week 8: Billy Joel
Week 9: Electric Light Orchestra
Week 10: Elvis Presley
Week 11: Dr. Buzzard’s Original Savannah Band
Week 12: The Jimi Hendrix Experience
Week 13: Nirvana
Week 14: The Doors
Week 15: The Rolling Stones
Week 16: Gnarls Barkley
Week 17: Gábor Szabó
Week 18: Galaxie 500
Week 19: Simon & Garfunkel
Week 20: Gorillaz
Week 21: Ennio Morricone
Week 22: The Moody Blues
Week 23: Koji Kondo
Week 24: Rob Zombie/White Zombie
Week 25: Paul McCartney/Wings
Week 26: George Harrison
Week 27: Phil Spector
Week 28: John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band
Week 29: Public Enemy
Week 30: The Love Language
Week 31: Barry White
Week 32: Frank Sinatra
Week 33: David Bowie
Week 34: Queen
View the full list of "420 Songs" here: https://tinyurl.com/y8fboudu (Google spreadsheet link)
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