Smash propelled The Offspring into the mainstream. Many would be nay sayers, but I felt The Offspring still had all of their credibility when Smash came out. Smash set the bar high for both the band and punk music in general. The album smashed (dohoho) records by being one of the most popular albums by a then indie band. Smash in my opinion is their personal best.
Time to Relax
Just the intro. It informs us to relax and enjoy the finer things in life. Not The Offspring's best album intro track (Have to give it Conspiracy of One), but it's still pretty tops.
Nitro (Youth Energy)
This song is just huge. Smash starts out fast and intense. There isn't a slow, dull moment in this song. The fast drum rolls, heavy guitars and wailing vocals are skull crushing. Easily the best Offspring opener. It's rivaled only by Ignition's "Session", but this is faster and louder. It tells one to live life to fullest, and to let go of the past. "Our generations/Sees the world not the same as before/We might as well just throw it all/And live like there's no tomorrow."
Bad Habit
This song starts out simple and slow. The wailing vocals are present, but there is a slow bass line, and it draws you in. It then explodes into full madness. The song is about road rage, and pulling out a pistol whenever a bad driver cuts him off. It isn't deep on any level, but it's both funny and intense. It's a fast, explicative filled ride.
Gotta Get Away
One of the three single from Smash. This song is definitely slower, and more stable. It has a more grunge type feeling to it, and it stands out as the black sheep on Smash. It's still just as good as the other, more pumped up song. The song was written about the pressure of getting the album done recording by 1993. The lyrics are rather grumpy, but it's catchy and has a great bass line.
Genocide
This song is just great. It's has more of a social edge, and is more punk for sure. "Dog eat dog / Every day / On our fellow man we prey / Dog eat dog / To get by / Hope you like my genocide." It's one of the songs that give Smash it's edge. One of the best.
Something to Believe In
The greatness continues on! It begins with some nice bass riffs and drum beats, but the guitar is tad lazy, I suppose. The overtone is centered on religion and it sounds terrific. The chorus is moving, and Dexter's voice is melodic in a way. They lyrical content is sensitive, yet very fast paced and energetic. Great.
Come Out and Play (Gotta Keep 'em Separated)
Another single. Even if you aren't an Offspring fan, you know this one. This song has a certain style that sets it apart from the rest. It's a little more Nirvana-alternative with some surf rock, as opposed to the rib-crushing punk. It has the catchy little "Gotta keep 'em separated!" hook and an excellent main riff. The song is about school violence, I believe. The gangs stake their own campus locale/And if they catch you slippin' then it's all over pal/If one guy's color and the others don't mix/They're gonna bash it up, bash it up, bash it up, bash it up. Excellent song, easily one of the best. What could top it?
Self Esteem
The third single. Self Esteem is a tragic masterpiece. It's about the one-sided relationship, and it works. The memorable "La, la, lala, la, la, lala" intro is strange, yet effective. The song is slower, and the guitars are lower (rhyming). That said, the crunching guitar appears in all the right places and the "yeah" chants all mix with the slow beat to make this. I would say this is the best song off of Smash, and The Offspring's all-time best. It's worth checking out, even if you aren't a fan.
It'll Be a Long Time
Typical Offspring punk song. It rocks literally and metaphorically.
Killboy Powerhead
This is a cover the Digits song. This song doesn't really have any deeper meaning. The lyrics are fast, but "Killboy powerhead" is still sung in glorious Offspring style. It carries on the strong energy and fun from the previous songs, and makes me want to smash something.
What Happened to You?
This song ditches the fast punk and goes for a more up-beast, peppier route. It's got a really catchy sound, and a great chorus only The Offspring can deliver. It's humorous and fast. A bright, fast, peppy song about a friend's drug abuse. I would say this is one of my favorites.
So Alone
A sucker punch. It's got a really short running time of about 1:20, but still is filled the fast-paced Offspring joy. It's a little short for it's own good, really. It's over before you know it.
Not the One
This song is really catchy. It's like Nitro part II, a fast paced punk song which I think talks about how the world got messed up by earlier generations. Standard Smash fair, but still fun to listen to. It's really sad as it is almost the end of the album.
Smash
The final song and namesake of "Smash". It's like Nitro part III, except I prefer it to both of them. It as the typical fast lyrics and catchy chant, sure to be remembered for it's shock value. It's catchy, and has a nice edge. The underdog of the group, and kind of the final commentary.
Soon after, there is the demo for Come Out an Play. More Arabian sounding.
Overall, Smash is fast, fun, edgy, and intense ride, start to finish. The choruses are catchy, the drum beat is fast, the guitar is crunching and the bass is stiff. It can get a little repetitive, and it's not very deep, but the pros outweigh the cons.
Best Track: Self Esteem
Lesser Track: So Alone
Saturday, April 16, 2011
Sunday, April 10, 2011
My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic
Yes, I have fallen into the cute, diabetes inducing trap that is My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic.
The series premise pretty much goes like this:
Twilight Sparkle is a pupil of Equestria's ruler, Princess Celestia, and being seen buried in her book and studies and such, was sent by Celestia to go make friends. Her assistant, a baby dragon named Spike, goes along with her. She meets Applejack, Rarity, Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash, and Pinkie Pie. They pretty much explore the town, and solve various problems. Each episode usually ends with Twilight writing back to Celestia the lesson of friendship she learned.
Twilight Sparkle - A unicorn pony, she is Princess Celestia's dearest pupil and at first considered the pursuit of knowledge to be if higher importance than making friends and socializing, but early on in the series, Princess Celestia orders her to take a break from her studies and visit Ponyville to learn the importance of friendship. This proved to be the key to unlocking the "Elements of Harmony" and defeating Nightmare Moon. She decides to stay in Ponyville and study friendship with her mentor's blessings. Her part in the Elements of Harmony is magic.
Applejack - An earth pony. She is dependable and sensible, but also stubborn and a wee bit selfish. She also comes from a large family of apple-name related members who run an apple orchard and an apple business. Her part in the Elements of Harmony is honesty.
Rainbow Dash - A Pegasus pony. She is brave and bold, but also mischievous and proud, but can be kind of a jerk. She can fly super fast (sound barrier breaking fast), with the help of the other pegasus ponies, has the job of clearing clouds out of the sky and otherwise changing the weather. In addition, she aspires becoming a member of Equestria's aerial flight team, the Wonderbolts. Her part in the Elements of Harmony is loyalty.
Pinkie Pie- An earth pony. She is an obsessive party planner who is a total riot, talkative, and a bit air-headed. She also enjoys singing and playing pranks, with the exception of Fluttershy. Rarely does she not have a smile one her face. Her part in the Elements of Harmony is laughter.
Fluttershy - A Pegasus pony. She is sweet, calm, timid, and very shy in social events (thus Fluttershy), but when pushed, she mans up and can be forceful. Despite this demeanor, she has a great love for animals and is willing to help them at any cost. It was revealed that she is a year older than Pinke Pie. Her part in the Elements of Harmony is kindness.
Rarity - A unicorn pony. She is very stylish and beautiful, as she is interested in fashion and wishes to be the center of attention. She considers herself a lady and often acts sophisticated. She can also be very dramatic and at times distraught. She dreams of becoming a designer for Princess Celestia and marrying Celestia's nephew. In some episodes, Spike is shown to have a crush on Rarity. Her part in the Elements of Harmony is generosity.
This show is just a joy to watch. I mean, fighting space robots are nice, but this show is just nice. I'm going to be honest and say that I like it as much (if not more) that the new Transformers show (Prime). It get's me through Friday. I go through school knowing that when I get home, My Little Pony is there waiting for me. I'm not the only one outside of the target demographic that likes it, it spread through out /co/ like wildfire, and quickly became a legitimate meme on KnowYourMeme.com. It's produced a slew of "Reaction faces", and Derpy Hooves spun off into her own meme, in face. Voted "Best New Show of 2010" by Nick and More. This show draws you in with it's cuteness, and punches you in the gut with it's smart writing forcing you to stay for the season. The art style is really great. It's highly stylized and cute, but not in a crappy way. The facial expressions are great. You can tell the animators were having fun with it. We have Lauren Faust of Powerpuff Girl's fame for this. I eagerly await the second season.
Until next time, bronies.
The series premise pretty much goes like this:
Twilight Sparkle is a pupil of Equestria's ruler, Princess Celestia, and being seen buried in her book and studies and such, was sent by Celestia to go make friends. Her assistant, a baby dragon named Spike, goes along with her. She meets Applejack, Rarity, Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash, and Pinkie Pie. They pretty much explore the town, and solve various problems. Each episode usually ends with Twilight writing back to Celestia the lesson of friendship she learned.
Twilight Sparkle - A unicorn pony, she is Princess Celestia's dearest pupil and at first considered the pursuit of knowledge to be if higher importance than making friends and socializing, but early on in the series, Princess Celestia orders her to take a break from her studies and visit Ponyville to learn the importance of friendship. This proved to be the key to unlocking the "Elements of Harmony" and defeating Nightmare Moon. She decides to stay in Ponyville and study friendship with her mentor's blessings. Her part in the Elements of Harmony is magic.
Applejack - An earth pony. She is dependable and sensible, but also stubborn and a wee bit selfish. She also comes from a large family of apple-name related members who run an apple orchard and an apple business. Her part in the Elements of Harmony is honesty.
Rainbow Dash - A Pegasus pony. She is brave and bold, but also mischievous and proud, but can be kind of a jerk. She can fly super fast (sound barrier breaking fast), with the help of the other pegasus ponies, has the job of clearing clouds out of the sky and otherwise changing the weather. In addition, she aspires becoming a member of Equestria's aerial flight team, the Wonderbolts. Her part in the Elements of Harmony is loyalty.
Pinkie Pie- An earth pony. She is an obsessive party planner who is a total riot, talkative, and a bit air-headed. She also enjoys singing and playing pranks, with the exception of Fluttershy. Rarely does she not have a smile one her face. Her part in the Elements of Harmony is laughter.
Fluttershy - A Pegasus pony. She is sweet, calm, timid, and very shy in social events (thus Fluttershy), but when pushed, she mans up and can be forceful. Despite this demeanor, she has a great love for animals and is willing to help them at any cost. It was revealed that she is a year older than Pinke Pie. Her part in the Elements of Harmony is kindness.
Rarity - A unicorn pony. She is very stylish and beautiful, as she is interested in fashion and wishes to be the center of attention. She considers herself a lady and often acts sophisticated. She can also be very dramatic and at times distraught. She dreams of becoming a designer for Princess Celestia and marrying Celestia's nephew. In some episodes, Spike is shown to have a crush on Rarity. Her part in the Elements of Harmony is generosity.
This show is just a joy to watch. I mean, fighting space robots are nice, but this show is just nice. I'm going to be honest and say that I like it as much (if not more) that the new Transformers show (Prime). It get's me through Friday. I go through school knowing that when I get home, My Little Pony is there waiting for me. I'm not the only one outside of the target demographic that likes it, it spread through out /co/ like wildfire, and quickly became a legitimate meme on KnowYourMeme.com. It's produced a slew of "Reaction faces", and Derpy Hooves spun off into her own meme, in face. Voted "Best New Show of 2010" by Nick and More. This show draws you in with it's cuteness, and punches you in the gut with it's smart writing forcing you to stay for the season. The art style is really great. It's highly stylized and cute, but not in a crappy way. The facial expressions are great. You can tell the animators were having fun with it. We have Lauren Faust of Powerpuff Girl's fame for this. I eagerly await the second season.
Until next time, bronies.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)