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Class 6(66)

The Offspring: Smash

02/11/12  ||  Habakuk

Introduction

It’s not like I am completely into this nostalgia thing, but I do consider myself somewhat lucky I actually grew up without the internet, still used tapes (even if that was before I reached my teenage years) and actually lived through all these digital technology changes more or less consciously. You know, LAN parties where you actually carried a tower and a huge ass monitor to a friend’s house only to find out you had to be the one using the “BNC port” which you didn’t have a cable for, got one, and then spent a day configuring the network: “I can see you, but can you see me?” – then, Counter-Strike. Or a little earlier even, chatrooms (does this shit still exist?) instead of social networks, taping shit you heard on the radio, Walkmen, then Discmen, then Mini Disc,…. you know. All that stuff. Well, maybe I did actually just get a little nostalgic.

And I still remember having this old tape from a friend’s uncle with weird comic figures on it. I remember the house I was in when I listened to it, and since we had just moved there, it must have been 1995. I was hence… 8 or 9. And the album was “Smash”, released one year earlier. It was then listened to bits, which was probably even a literal possibility with tapes. The Offspring were the only band I knew, and it was good that way. It would not be okay today, for these guys maybe manage to produce a catchy track once in a while, but in general suck it – doesn’t take away from “Smash” though. And as the comprehensive Tome of the ‘kuk will reveal to anyone interested, this is one of the most important albums for me, next to Dog Eat Dog’s All boro kings. Well, “Dookie” was cool, too, but I have actually never owned that. For shame.

Songwriting

9. I know you (read: you people of my age) all have rocked out to “Self Esteem” at some party because it was the only thing that resembled the music you liked, because normally you’d only dance to metal anyway to avoid credibility loss. Or you were too shy and had no self esteem hoo-ayyyyooooyeahh, but could sing the lyrics to this one like a boss. Or all of the above. Then you found out that song actually sounded like “Smells like teen spirit” or basically any other catchy track. Sobbed once. And at the next party you did it again. And again. And again. And this song just never went away. Not to say it’s a bad one, a great commercial flagship track for the album actually, but the rest of the album is actually a lot better.

So after kicking it off easy with “Time to relax”, the five tracks from “Nitro (Youth energy)” to “Something to believe in” are some of the best simple, aggressive things you can create with 4 guys in a rehearsal room. The album then branches out into multiple directions with catchy crowdpleasers, the ska-driven “What happened to you”, a cover song and the misanthropic 1 minute anthem “So alone” – but all is kept together by two awesome tracks in the vein of the disc’s beginning, namely “It’ll be a long time” and “Smash”, and of course those classy spoken word relaxation interludes. We could go over every single track here now, but I’ll just content myself with these: “Nitro” is probably one of my favorite tracks to kick off an album ever – it’s able to turn your life into a skateboarding video within seconds. The overall brilliance of “Bad habit” stands uncontested until today, and “Genocide” is just something that sends me into compulsive sing-along mode. This is definitely a big driving album. And a doing-everything-else album.

Production

9. Punchy, snappy, dry and in a good way transparent. These guys got an absolutey stellar sound together here, and it doesn’t seem in any way over-professionalized. You hear the hi-hat pedal bounce, the amps crackle and fingers slide over the fretboard, but everything is pronounced and balanced perfectly. And what a bass sound. More of that, later. Complaints to file: none at all.

Guitars

8. I remember hearing “Noodles” (yeah, punk name fo’ shizzle) in some guitar magazine absolutely screwing up his guitar school, but on here, he and frontman Dexter Holland show no weakness but tear through chord progressions that definitely have to be placed above the average three notes Ramones riff, yet just shortly below reinventing guitar play. Yeah, and there are a couple of lead sections, most notably probably that “signature” orientally styled thing in “Come out and play”, which I have to say I don’t really dig too much. There are other, better ones of course. And they’re definitely rather song-motivated than for show.

Vocals

9. You stu-pid dumb-shit god-damn MOTHERFUCKER!! With that delivery, this is probably one of the best lines ever conceived. And Dexter Holland has a distinct voice that has melody but enough edge to avoid being whiny, and on the other hand is unobtrusive enough to package some rage without hurting your parents feelings too much – in short, the perfect mix for success among teenagers and everyone who remembers being one. Love it or hate it for being commercially effective, it fits this band like a glove.

Bass

8. Greg Kriesel is one of two founding members of the band besides Mr Holland, and his playing is integral for the album, despite two guitars to compete against. He’s got an awesome sound, maybe not what you’re used from a metal album and low on heaviness, but giving a trebly yet round topping to the riffs instead of serving as a base, and it works really, really well. There’s no fretboard magic to find, just an overall great addition to the instrument mix.

Drums

7.5. What I ask from a punk drummer: d-beat, snare fills, consistency, speed and a bit of variation.
What Ron Welty does: see above.
If I could drum like this, I could die happy, but I can’t even hold a beat for shit.

Lyrics

8. In general, the lyrics are definitely not exactly “punk” anymore, retaining just a little anti-establishment furor, but actually being void of any kind of political direction. This is Punk Rock after all, let’s face it. Which is cool with me, don’t get me wrong. And the really general, blurry “anti-whatever” lyrical stance probably played a big part in making this album work for so many people. It’s just great to shout along, and unless you still hold a grudge against them for bringing some money into the whole punk thing, you might just agree.

Cover art

2. I guess this might have become somewhat iconic, but that would definitely be due to the musical content and not owed to the artwork with that run of the mill X-Ray picture (wait, when did that stop being cool?), or that low-contrast album title in, what, Arial? No no no. No.

Logo
2. They omitted the “The”, and covered that typewriter font with snow. Eh, sure? If I have to find something that at least might be interpreted as “neutral” about it, then I’ll say it looks like a typical nineties layouting job. Good thing I don’t.
Booklet

6. Even though it’s lying back home in Germany, I can still remember parts of that booklet. Pictures of some yellow barrels or something, lyrics and thank yous. There must be a thank you to NOFX as well somewhere, for I remember checking them out due to that fact as a kid. And hating them.

Overall and ending rant

I’m done arguing. Awesome awesome awesome. And either you’re feeling me on this one, or don’t even bother.

9.5

  • Information
  • Released: 1994
  • Label: Epitaph
  • Website: www.offspring.com
  • Band
  • Dexter Holland: vocals, rhythm guitar
  • Noodles: lead guitar, backing vocals
  • Greg Kriesel: bass, backing vocals
  • Ron Welty: drums, backing vocals
  • Tracklist
  • 01. Time to relax
  • 02. Nitro (Youth energy)
  • 03. Bad habit
  • 04. Gotta get away
  • 05. Genocide
  • 06. Something to believe in
  • 07. Come out and play
  • 08. Self esteem
  • 09. It’ll be a long time
  • 10. Killboy powerhead
  • 11. What happened to you?
  • 12. So alone
  • 13. Not the one
  • 14. Smash

Class 6(66) -reviews

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