Offspring Raise Middle Finger

F--k Authority

*

Ladies and gentlemen
Welcome to the disclaimer
That's right the disclaimer
This American apple pie institution
Known as parental discretion
Will cleanse any sense of innuendo or sarcasm
From the lyrics that might actually make you think
And will also insult your intelligence at the same time
So protect your family.
This album contains explicit depictions
Of things which are real.
These real things are commonly known as life.
So, if it sounds sarcastic, don't take it seriously.
If it sounds dangerous,
Do not try this at home or at all.
And if it offends you, just don't listen to it.

And that is how Ixnay On The Hombre begins. The much overshadowed album by the often over-popped, often overrated and often underrated (pop)punk band, The Offspring.

Before the glamour of Americana and its pretty fly singles which secured the band in questions status in the mainstream,and after the smash hit album which still holds the record for biggest indie-album there was another. This bastard child of the band was hailed as somewhat of a commercial failure despite the fact that it sold around two million copies (quite a far cry from the 11 million copy[to date] selling Smash). This album will not be remembered as The Offsprings "edgiest/punkest" album, that title will go to either Ignition or The Offspring. This will definitely not be remembered as their breakthrough (Smash), nor their point of (so called) selling out. We can thank Americana for that. It will probably not even be remembered by most. Nevertheless, this album is far from mediocre. The sharp guitar riffs held together by a thick bass while the drums are beating into your brain filling you with life which is then sugar coated with raw socio-political lyrics make up a f--king killer of an album.

The reason I am writing this article is because people often look at The Offspring as pre-Smash or post-Smash. This album is often looked at by people (often dumbasses) as just some sort of filler. Now if only every band could produce a "filler" of this magnitude. This is almost comparable to Faith No More's Angle Dust, which was a commercial failure next to The Real Thing. Both these (A-dust, and Ixnay) are albums of incredible quality which are almost "Anti-Sellout" albums (Ironic
considering The Offsprings next release - Americana). Or maybe I am completely wrong and The Offspring wanted to create an Americana-like album but failed? In any case, what resulted was an underrated beauty.

Lets Take A Look At This Album OK?

Disclaimer (0:44) - Ladies, and gentlemen, welcome to the disclaimer. This obvious mockery of censorship is not only funny and true but the speed of this social commentary(fast paced guitar) is not wasted as the album shoots through to the next track:

Meaning of life (2:55) - "I gotta go make my own mistakes" - Dexter tells us what the meaning of life should be as opposed to what it is. Lyrics aside this fast paced song which makes the blood rush is a quality song of which the likes are hard to find off Conspiracy and Splinter. This is the bands way of telling people not to accept things as they are told to you ("Open wide and they'll shove in Their meaning of life"), basically - think. The song has a great fast paced sound, which has a deep underlying message and the gravity of the topic is prevalent in the heavier sound. I really recommend reading the lyrics to this song if you have not read them yet.

Mota Boy (2:56) - Hypnotizing drums...Bass kicks in...Guitar kicks in... MOTA! Aaah, a typical day in the life of a stoner who just does not give a f--k. These lyrics are a truly funny commentary on destructive habits ("I take a hit but it smells like a clove/Oh f--k I got a baggie of oregano") and a destructive lifestyle. Once again the music almost mimics the subject matter by being almost comical but almost sincere. Another quality song.

Me and My Old Lady (4:31) - a cynical look at a (married) couples life and love. Its pretty much an anti-love song. Its about how a couple doesn't seem to show each other too often that they love one another but really underneath it all, they love each other and they don't care that they aren't this typical, orthodox couple, - "we don't care". The guitar sounds particularly good on this track.

Cool to Hate (2:47) - "I hate everything i even hate you too, so f--k you" pretty much a song about how destruction is so much easier than creation. Also how it easier to just sit and complain rather than make a change - "I like to hate stuff Cause then I don't have to try and make A change"

Leave It Behind (1:56) - Bottled up rage... anger burns you up. Can you forgive? Can you forgive a friend who has betrayed you? A relatively short and heavier song off the album.

Gone Away (4:27) - This song is about the death of a loved one. It is both beautiful and sad. As usual all the instruments flow together perfectly and the strong vocals on top make it all that much better.

I Choose (3:53) - A bit more on the pop side of things, but still a quality song - one of the best. About the choices we are forced to make throughout our lives. It also has a killer solo (by killer i just mean it sounds awesome and fits in amazingly with the rhythm of the song). The lyrics are funny but there is also an extended metaphor which makes the lyrics very effective. The drums are different and light hearted, much like the guitar and the lyrics which deal lightly with a heavy subject matter.

Intermission (0:48) - Buuuuuuuh "intermission"? Fits in with the comical sort of theme.

All I want (1:52) - You have to shout out to the powers that be so that you will get noticed and not be controlled. Dexter does some really good singing in this song.

Way Down the Line (2:38) - Just about the cycle of f--kups that get repeated over and over way down the line....A very nice ska ending too.

Don't Pick it up (1:52) - The ska ending of the previous song fits in perfectly with this ska-like song. Lyrics are about picking bad things up - bad "candy bars" off the ground, diseases, "girls". Very funny lyrics in true Offspring style.

Amazed (4:21) - Amazing song, with amazing lyrics. A more solemn song about the difficulties of life and the desolation that is felt along the way and how hard it is to sometimes get through to see tomorrow.

Change the World (6:23) - I'm a sucker for tomwork so this song has a big place in my heart. The song starts off with awesome tomwork and works its way onto guitar and then bass. This song is perfect... well close to it.

Well, this album was not a huge commercial success when compared to their biggest selling albums, but it was definitely not a flop. I suppose the band felt like they lost out by not repeating the sales of Smash and that they were doomed to be labelled a one-hit-wonder band, but (to use a line from the album) Losing out just never felt so right.

* Why did i write "f--k authority" as the title? Well, its what Ixnay On The Hombre basically means - f--k the man, the man is the authority.

POSTED: 07/16/2005 - 04:01 am

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Comments

[The UG Squirrel]

And?

[The UG Squirrel]

Someone did something like this about the offspring not that long ago, as well...

[firdaus125]

who cares about the offspring?

[DisgruntledDuck]

I didn't see the point of the article, but I'm a huge Offspring fan so it was nice to see a fellow fan talk about an often overlooked album with some passion. Personally, I think that with the exception of "Pretty fly", Americana was a fantastic album, just for the record....but yeah, well written but pointless article about a good album.

Too opinionated. ANd highlighting your opinions in brackets doesn't hold up so well to be subtle. Grammar errors and spelling mistakes also. Kind of an odd choice for an article discussion.

[powerhead]

Nah, wasnt trying to be subtle hehe, just wanted to show my opinion somehow and thats just how i did it .

[Abe]

Is there a point to this?

[ianhr]

I liked it. I feel just like you. I have a place in my heart for this very underrated album. It's amazing. Nice article!

[rusted embrace]

thanks.

[Alien_from_a_cd]

HEy, you actually got a point. Americana sold like hot dogs, when IMO Ixnay is just as good, although I like it more cause I hate the two biggest hits on Americana. It's virtually impossible to get Ixnay in my country, but Americana is in every single record store. I totally agree. And Gone away is such a great song.

[lost_it_again]

the offsrping are one of the worst bands i've ever heard, they're only out done in badness by even popier pop punk bands, the musics just stupid, and this article was pretty pointless, i'm not being biased because it's an offsrping article, if it was well written i would have raited it alot higher, i wont tell you what my raiting was, i'll let the average speak for itself

[atc228]

ixnay is my favorite offspring album, i like every one of the songs so i dont have to keep skipping around, but this was a pointless article... sure a lot of it sort of makes sense but the article just had no purpose. through the title i figured u would be talking about some stunt one of the guys pulled or something. it should have been titled something like Underated Offspring Album. it doesnt flow but it makes more sense than Offspring Raise Middle Finger.

[tw17ch35]

It wasn't a pointless article, it was a review of an album. It's point was to give an overview of Ixnay On The Hombre.

[sgeiger]

Wait, wait, let me get this straight - there are people who actually DON'T see the offspring's change to a sort of "mexican humour" sound as an atrocity? Smash was a great album, almost everything since has been hard to listen to.

[bearded_rainbow]

That was really well written. But that doesn't make it a good topic for an article. I'd give it a 3, but everyone else is gonna give it a 1 or a 2, so I'll give it a 4 to help balance things out.

[jklsadj;sadjfak]

awww man, i thot this was gonna be like a news thing either about how the offspring flipped off some famous guy, or they were working on a new cd called raise your middle finger.

[hen]

I thought smash was their debut. what the *** is pre smash

[psychodelia]

Ixnay is actually the only Offspring album I own, its pretty good.

[ibanez666]

the offspring are amazing. and i don't think they sold out. maybe they just changed their music because they themselves changed. and i love americana, it was the first offspring cd i bought.

[jimmyjazz03]

shouldnt this be under cd reviews?

[atc228]

hen:
I thought smash was their debut. what the *** is pre smash

smash wasnt their debut, first there was their self titled, then ignition, then smash. (im almost positive im corect there-but its late so i might be forgetting)

[pete_mack]

nah you're right.
self-titled, ignition, smash, ixnay, americana and so on...

[Roostashag]

Offspring Suck. All their shit sounds the same.

[OffspringPhreak]

hrmm... ok, nice article, but i don't like people telling me what songs mean(everybody is supposed to have their own opinions--i skipped that part...which was basically the whole thing). and i think it's weird how that album is considered their "worst"(before Conspiracy of One). because it was my favorite for a long time.

if your a true fan you can buy any random album by them and be satisfied. then again everybody has their own taste(i actually like all of them--though Conspiracy of One i didn't like as much as the others). nice article though, liked how you pointed out how their extremely overrated on one end, but on the other end they are extremely underrated. so true.

[slashs_snakepit]

I loved their album. Their lyrics are by far the best

[Emenius Sleepus]

I agree with you dude, Ixnay was a great album in its own right, I'm surprised that it is in fact overlooked... But if I was writing this article I'd make it a bit longer, better constructed, more info and what not. But good job, and this might induce more people look into it

[SingingSabre]

A funny thing you missed...many musicals have the irreverent, fun songs before the intermission, and the serious songs after.

[Iceman86]

U ***in retard ixnay on the hombre doesnt mean *** the man it means DOWN with the man. try gettin ur lingual correct.
~Ice~

[Avenged7X]

Ixnay is my favourite Offspring album!!!!

It has some of their best songs on it!

ie - The Meaning of Life and Gone Away. It's a fantastic album

[Letterbomb11]

The song is called Mota, not Mota Boy. Why wasn't this a CD review instead of a guest column. And the Title "Raise Middle Finger" was a real misleader. I was under the pretense of a new release. If you have info on that, please post that instead of this (i'm not criticizing the article, i agree with it, i think it was just pleaced under the wrong category). The Offspring rule. Americana was a great album, overcriticised by the fans because they "sold out". I'm not even going to discuss my opinions on that. I can't wait for their next release.

[monkeyspks]

I'd have to agree that Ixnay on the Hombre was their best album..

but this article really has no point.

[kurush]

^ Thos article does have a point... he's trying to get people who havent heard the album to listen to it. And i think i will.

[kurush]

*This

[Vinura]

is there a band that is as cool as the offspring?

[scarified53]

yeah i love amazed and gone away, and the albums great to, I dont see why some people give it shit all the time. good article at least theres some of us who like Ixnay

[rabbicd]

why can't anyone talk about how crap simple plan is and then praise offspring like god

[rabbicd]

think how crap can offspring get when there's still bands out there like simple plan

[VelvetÆnema33]

Why didn't you just post a review of this?

[arsenal_arsenio]

The Offspring are good but a lot of their songs sound the same. Doesn't the new single, Can't Repeat sound a lot like Long Way Home? It just seems to be a shorter version of Long Way Home's intro.....

[we_all_rock]

I gotta buy ixnay of the hombre.

[we_all_rock]

thank you for the review dude now i really gotta buy it!

[metallica10169]

wats the point

[Voodoo8868]

your dumb kid

[GoodCharloteSux]

Awesome album but why is this an article not a review.

[scumfuc_69]

first of all, Offspring are NOT punk....well wait, isn't that saying enough?

[ak50324]

*** punk

[firdaus125]

Offspring are not punk, they are a bunch of PUNKS

[zeppelin420]

great album and damn good point

Mr. Clean wrote:

this article licks balls

Warned.

[tobi-n-roonz]

Wat a bunch of middle aged fukin wankers. i'd rather cut my arse and sit in vinegar than listen to their shit music. Fukin grow up lads. GET A GRIP!!!!!

[Dritte Wahl]

cool

[14GreenDay]

tobi-n-roonz wrote:

Wat a bunch of middle aged fukin wankers. i'd rather cut my arse and sit in vinegar than listen to their shit music. Fukin grow up lads. GET A GRIP!!!!!

i wodnt reccomend it, it causes infections

[Swinger]

duh duh who cares!

[randman21]

tobi-n-roonz wrote:

Wat a bunch of middle aged fukin wankers. i'd rather cut my arse and sit in vinegar than listen to their shit music. Fukin grow up lads. GET A GRIP!!!!!

I, however, would recommend it, douche. You deserve that pain. I suppose you like Keane, Coldplay, Fall Out Boy? Stop watching MTV, and listen to real music.

Ixnay rocks!

[a-fmaster15]

ixnay of the hombre is the best album. offspring rocks

[coulter_goldtop]

smash rules

[Nilcerise]

dude offspring sucks
everysong they make sounds the same they dont change they dont rock, they cant write music period

[Nilcerise]

Vinura wrote:

is there a band that is as cool as the offspring?

yea its called every band but

[Shredlet]

Nilcerise wrote:

dude offspring sucks
everysong they make sounds the same they dont change they dont rock, they cant write music period

If offspring suck so much why do u click on something which has the word offspring on it? I think u suck

[Nilcerise]

Shredlet wrote:

Nilcerise wrote:

dude offspring sucks
everysong they make sounds the same they dont change they dont rock, they cant write music period

If offspring suck so much why do u click on something which has the word o
offspring on it? I think u suck

why do you care?, like men or what?
over half the people in here made fun of it and you are on the gay half reetboy

[HGF]

The Offspring introduced me to the MUSIC, when I was 5. Now I like better stuff, but Offs still beaing one of my favs. Yes, it's not as succesfull as others, but in my opinion, it's the best Offs has done...