The Offspring
The Offspring
»
The Offspring
The Offspring
Nitro, 1989
RiYL: Green Day, Pennywise, NOFX |
The release is full of very raw tracks that throw back to the days before punk bands became household names and "Self-Esteem" became a teen anthem. Beginning with "Jennifer Lost The War," the album gives listeners a taste of the best the Offspring has to offer. The band's trademark fast-paced guitars help Dexter Holland's vocals reach their now well-known levels. The album lays the foundation for what would eventually become the Offspring sound.
Guitarist Noodles shows off his Middle-Eastern affinity on "Tehran." The first epic Offspring song, it has political lyrics revolving around the Persian Gulf War and the necessary break in momentum that distinguishes the Offspring from other Southern California bands. "Demons" demonstrates the raw nature of the group's sound. Bassist Greg K. and drummer Ron Welty lead into the song waiting for Noodles' guitar. Then the whole thing breaks down into a slower groove where Holland's lack of vocal training is noticeable.
"Elders" and "Crossroads" are precursors to Ignition, the band's second album. Somewhere between the two records, the Offspring learned how to stretch this unrelenting punk rock into an entire album.
The group did not forget to be less than serious on its debut. "Beheaded" shows the band's twisted sense of humor in its classic opening line, "Mommy doesn't have her head anymore." The track sounds like a good theme for a "Highlander" episode, detailing decapitation graphically. "Kill The President" is another song in which the band takes a stand on politics, turning it into something really disturbing.
Following the band's subsequent success, bootleggers had been known to charge $30 or more for a copy of this previously rare album. But the re-release on Holland's own label, Nitro Records, has made the Offspring's great debut available to the public.
DAVID THOMAS |