The Offspring | ||||
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Studio album by | ||||
Released | June 15, 1989 | |||
Recorded | March 1989 | |||
Studio | South Coast Recording in Santa Ana, California (USA). | |||
Genre | Punk rock [1] | |||
Length | 31:25 | |||
Label | ||||
Producer | Thom Wilson | |||
the Offspring chronology | ||||
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Singles from The Offspring | ||||
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Alternative cover | ||||
The Offspring is the debut studio album by American rock band the Offspring,released on June 15,1989,by Nemesis Records. [2] After being out of print for years,the album was re-released by Nitro and Epitaph Records in 1995 with a different album cover. Both the re-releases on the two respective labels are nearly identical. The Offspring has rarely played any songs from this album live since the Ignition tour finished in 1994.
After recording a demo tape in 1988,the Offspring began preparations for their first full-length album. They recorded it in March 1989 at South Coast Recording in Santa Ana,California,with Thom Wilson producing. During the sessions,the band re-recorded their early songs "I'll Be Waiting" and "Blackball",which both originally appeared on the band's 1986 single "I'll Be Waiting".
The album was released on June 15,1989,in limited numbers by Nemesis Records,only in 12" vinyl and cassette format. When it was released,the album initially sold 5,000 copies and it took the band two and a half years to sell them all. The album's closing track "Kill the President" was met with a great deal of controversy and as a result,one of the copies was destroyed by Wally George at his show Hot Seat in 1992, [3] thus leaving only 4,999 copies left. This song was removed from the reissues after 2001. Some copies also have the Cargo Records logo next to the Nemesis logo on the back cover. To support the album,The Offspring embarked on a six-week national tour,but Noodles was stabbed during a performance at the Hollywood anti-nuclear benefit. [4] Following the small success of The Offspring,the band signed with Epitaph Records in 1991.
"Beheaded" is the only song of the album that is still played live on special occasions and has been played at least 46 times as of August 2023. The Offspring has rarely played any songs from the rest of the album.
Review scores | |
---|---|
Source | Rating |
AllMusic | [5] |
The Rolling Stone Album Guide | [6] |
The Offspring received mixed reviews. AllMusic writer Stephen Thomas Erlewine stated that The Offspring "is a rawer,harder-edged collection than their breakthrough set, Smash ,but that doesn't necessarily mean it's a better record",and that it "lacks the metal guitar crunch that dominated Smash.". [5]
The Offspring did not initially reach the Billboard 200 chart or become a commercial success. However,when the album was reissued in 1995,it reached a peak position of number 85 on the Dutch Chart for three weeks. [7]
The Offspring was reissued several times,with formats in different countries,and with different labels (see the table below). The album was reissued on CD (and again on vinyl and cassette) in 1995,a year after the Offspring's commercial success with its third studio album Smash . This version is nearly identical to the one released on Nemesis. It features a different artwork instead of the controversial "Guitar Alien" front cover artwork,designed by Marc Rude. The album was reissued once again on Nitro in 2001,with "Kill the President" omitted;according to frontman Dexter Holland,it was removed to prevent legal pressure falling upon the band and Nitro. Coinciding with Record Store Day,The Offspring was reissued in 2017 on blue translucent vinyl;like the 2001 reissue,it does not include "Kill the President".
Region | Date | Label | Format | Catalog # | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
United States | June 15,1989 | Nemesis Records | 12" vinyl Cassette | NEMESIS 6 | First pressing. Cassette release includes bonus track "Hey Joe". |
Europe | November 18,1995 | Epitaph Records | CD 12" vinyl Cassette | 86460 | First CD pressing;features an alternative cover. |
United States | November 21,1995 | Nitro Records | CD 12" vinyl Cassette | 86460 | First CD and cassette pressing;features an alternative cover. |
Poland | 1996 | Audio Max | Cassette | 704 | Rare collector's item,released without The Offspring's consent;features an alternative cover. |
United States | June 26,2001 | Nitro Records | CD | 15803 | Does not feature the last song "Kill the President";features the same cover as 1995 reissue. |
United Kingdom | July 16,2001 | Nitro Records | CD | Does not feature the last song "Kill the President";features the same cover as 1995 reissue. | |
United States | April 22,2017 | Nitro Records | Vinyl | NTO00001 | Does not feature the last song "Kill the President";features the same cover as 1995 reissue. |
Two covers of this album exist. The original version features an image of a man's body exploding as the xenomorph from the Alien franchise holding a Fender Stratocaster emerges from his chest. There is a report,which remains unconfirmed,that the album was banned from retail stores due to the "grotesque" cover. [8]
The 1995 re-release shows a different image which features a blurry black-and-white picture of a person's face. It was later admitted that the band and their studio never really liked the original cover and the re-release gave them an opportunity to change it.
The shadows on the back cover of the 1995 reissue also appear on the cover of the "I'll Be Waiting" single.
All tracks written by Dexter Holland,except where noted.
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|
1. | "Jennifer Lost the War" | 2:35 | |
2. | "Elders" | 2:11 | |
3. | "Out on Patrol" | 2:32 | |
4. | "Crossroads" | 2:48 | |
5. | "Demons (A Mexican Fiesta)" | 3:10 | |
6. | "Beheaded" | Holland, James Lilja | 2:52 |
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
7. | "Tehran" | 3:06 |
8. | "A Thousand Days" | 2:11 |
9. | "Blackball" | 3:24 |
10. | "I'll Be Waiting" | 3:12 |
11. | "Kill the President" (excluded on rerelease versions since 2001) | 3:22 |
Total length: | 31:25 |
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|
12. | "Hey Joe" | William M. Roberts | 2:31 |
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|
1. | "Jennifer Lost the War" | 2:35 | |
2. | "Elders" | 2:11 | |
3. | "Out on Patrol" | 2:32 | |
4. | "Crossroads" | 2:48 | |
5. | "Demons (A Mexican Fiesta)" | 3:10 | |
6. | "Beheaded" | Holland, James Lilja | 2:52 |
7. | "Tehran" | 3:06 | |
8. | "A Thousand Days" | 2:11 | |
9. | "Blackball" | 3:24 | |
10. | "I'll Be Waiting" | 3:12 | |
11. | "Kill the President" (excluded on rerelease versions since 2001) | 3:22 | |
Total length: | 31:13 |
Notes
Adapted from The Offspring liner notes.
The Offspring
Additional personnel
Technical personnel
Chart (1995) | Peak position |
---|---|
Australian Albums (ARIA) [9] | 84 |
Dutch Albums (Album Top 100) [10] | 85 |
The Offspring is an American punk rock band from Garden Grove, California, formed in 1984. Originally formed under the name Manic Subsidal, the band consists of lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist Bryan "Dexter" Holland, lead guitarist Kevin "Noodles" Wasserman, bassist Todd Morse, multi-instrumentalist Jonah Nimoy and drummer Brandon Pertzborn. The Offspring is often credited for reviving mainstream interest in punk rock in the 1990s. During their 40-year career, the Offspring has released 10 studio albums and sold more than 40 million records, making them one of the best-selling punk rock bands.
Ignition is the second studio album by American punk rock band the Offspring, released on October 16, 1992, by Epitaph Records. Issued during the alternative rock and grunge era, the album brought the band small success in Southern California as they started to gather a following. This success would continue to grow with their next album, Smash (1994).
Smash is the third studio album by American rock band the Offspring, released on April 8, 1994, through Epitaph Records. After touring in support of their previous album Ignition (1992), the band recorded their next album for nearly two months at Track Record in North Hollywood, California. Smash was the band's final studio album to be produced by Thom Wilson, who had worked with them since their 1989 debut album The Offspring. Smash was put together on the spot in the studio and there was no systematic work behind the recording of the album.
Ixnay on the Hombre is the fourth studio album by American rock band the Offspring, released on February 4, 1997, by Columbia Records, as the band's first album on the label. After the massive commercial success of their previous album, Smash (1994), the band entered the studio in the middle of 1996 to record a new album. The title combines Pig Latin and Spanish to convey the message "fuck The Man", as in "fuck authority".
Bryan Keith "Dexter" Holland is an American musician, singer, songwriter, virologist, and businessman. He is best known as the co-founder, lead vocalist, rhythm guitarist, main songwriter and composer, and only constant member of the rock band the Offspring. He is also the co-founder and former owner of the record label Nitro Records, creator of the hot sauce Gringo Bandito, and holds a PhD in molecular biology.
Kevin John Wasserman better known as Noodles, is an American musician who serves as the lead guitarist and backing vocalist for the Offspring. He earned the nickname "Noodles" for his frequent noodling (improvising) on the guitar.
Recipe for Hate is the seventh studio album by American punk rock band Bad Religion, released on June 4, 1993. It was their last album on Epitaph Records for nine years and the band had switched to Atlantic Records, who re-released the album several months after its release.
Americana is the fifth studio album by American rock band the Offspring, released on November 17, 1998, by Columbia Records. Following a worldwide tour in support of Ixnay on the Hombre (1997), the band commenced work on a new album in July 1998.
S&M Airlines is the second studio album by the American punk rock band NOFX. It was released on September 5, 1989, through Epitaph Records. It was also the group's first release on Epitaph. A music video was made for the title track. The album was recorded and mixed in only six days at Westbeach Recorders. Bad Religion's Greg Graffin and Brett Gurewitz appear on the final track, a cover of the Fleetwood Mac song "Go Your Own Way". They also did harmonies on a few other songs. Bassist/singer, Fat Mike considers it to be the first real NOFX album. It was heavily inspired by Bad Religion and Rich Kids on LSD, and showed the band moving more towards a melodic and metallic sound. The album sold 3,500 copies upon its release.
Baghdad is a 7-inch EP, released by American punk rock band the Offspring on May 15, 1991. It is currently out of print, but sold 3000 copies within one week of its release. Although Baghdad has never been reissued on CD in its entirety, the title track, "Baghdad", a re-recorded version of "Tehran" from the band's debut studio album, was included on the Rock Against Bush, Vol. 1 compilation from Fat Wreck Chords. The band's official website does not list Baghdad in the discography.
"Come Out and Play" is a 1994 song by the American punk rock band the Offspring. It is the seventh track on their third album, Smash (1994), and was released as its first single. Written by frontman Dexter Holland, the song was the second single to be released by the band, after "I'll Be Waiting" (1986). It is considered the Offspring's breakthrough song, as it received widespread radio play, with first attention brought by Jed the Fish of KROQ-FM, and reached number one on the Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart, bringing both the band and the punk rock genre to widespread attention.
Greatest Hits is a 2005 compilation album by the American punk rock band The Offspring, compiling hit singles from five of their first seven studio albums along with the previously unreleased songs "Can't Repeat" and "Next to You", the latter a cover version of The Police song included as a hidden track at the end of the album. Greatest Hits peaked at no. 8 on the Billboard 200, with 70,000 copies sold in its first week of release, and has been certified Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America.
"Smash It Up" is a song by English punk rock band the Damned, released as a single on 12 October 1979 by Chiswick Records. It is considered the band's unofficial anthem.
Black Sails EP is an extended play by the American rock band AFI. It was released on April 27, 1999, through Nitro Records. Only 5,000 copies were pressed. It is a sampler of the band's fourth studio album Black Sails in the Sunset.
All Hallow's E.P. is an extended play by American punk rock band AFI. It was released on October 5, 1999, through Nitro Records. It contains three original songs and a cover of the Misfits song "Halloween".
Dance with Me is the first full-length album by the American hardcore punk band T.S.O.L., released in 1981 though Frontier Records. While the band's eponymously titled debut EP, released earlier that year, had been filled with radical leftist lyrics, Dance with Me moved away from politics in favor of horror film- and gothic-inspired subject matter. The album includes T.S.O.L.'s most well-known song, the necrophilia-themed "Code Blue". Following the punk rock revival of the 1990s, Dance with Me was re-released by Epitaph Records in 1996 and by Nitro Records in 2007.
"I'll Be Waiting" is the first single by punk rock band the Offspring released in 1986. A re-recorded version of the song appeared as the tenth track on their self-titled debut album, which was released three years later. It was the band's first official release and is the only single issued by the band with original drummer James Lilja.
Happy Hour! is a Japanese exclusive compilation album by the American punk rock band the Offspring. It was released on August 4, 2010. The album chronicles tracks from approximately 15 years of the band's career. It is The Offspring's first record that wasn't made available in America.
"Let the Bad Times Roll" is a song by American punk rock band the Offspring. It is the title track from their tenth studio album of the same name and was released as the album's second single on February 23, 2021. The single topped the Billboard Mainstream Rock chart, making it the band's third song to do so following "Gone Away" (1997) and "Coming for You" (2015). It also reached the top 10 on Alternative Airplay and peaked at No. 29 on the Hot Rock Songs chart. On the album, the song is reprised as a modified version on the closing track "Lullaby".
Unlike the group's first two releases, which were close to hardcore punk in genre, this third independent album leans more towards the emerging grunge rock and pop punk sound..
Works cited
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