Review: The Offspring – Smash
This is where it all started for me and punk music. This CD brought me into the wonderful world that we call punk, rebellion, alternative, or just “fast-talking-noise.” With Smash The Offspring shed the shackles of the underworld to be brought into the eye of society and show that they had more than enough talent to compete with the “talented” bands of the early 90s.
To current day, Smash is the biggest selling rock album from and independent label, Epitaph Records, as well as it should be. Even today songs like “Come Out and Play,” “Self Esteem,” and “Gotta Get Away,” are still tearing up the airwaves a full eight years since they were released.
The three afore mentioned songs are the best on the album, but the CDs title track “Smash” is also my favorite of the disc. So good, in fact, that I based an entire school essay on the lines. “I’m not a trendy asshole / Do what I want / Do what I feel like / I’m not a trendy asshole / Who gives a fuck if it’s good enough for you / because I am alive.” Just those simple lines open so much for discussion and homage.
There may be some that now call the Offspring hypocritical because they are just the thing they said they weren’t, trendy, but I tend to disagree. The Offspring have swayed their style in the past few years to a more light hearted tone, leaving the dark wayward songs of “Come Out and Play,” a take on a gang war and “Self-Esteem” about a man and his user girlfriend looking to score all the time. With the release of Americana and to some extent Ixnay on the Hombre The Offspring have proved that they can change with the times, so they aren’t fazed out, much like grunge was.
The song’s most interesting, and true to life road rage experience “Bad Habit” will have you listening to the words over and over again, as the song is a perfect example of some less than perfect driver “showing his piece.”
Smash is the perfect album for someone looking to enjoy a good 40 minute CD and be introduced to punk music. It is not as hardcore as some of the other punk bands out there, so it is great to ease you in on the experience.
