Smash : The Offspring : Review : Rolling Stone

No amount of digital remastering can hide the fact that Smash was recorded entirely on the red end of the dial. The vocals and guitars still distort and crackle throughout, but the fuzz doesn't detract from the exuberance that drove the 1994 album to go platinum six times and become the best-selling independent-label album ever. That troika of inescapable mid-Nineties singles — "Gotta Get Away," "Self Esteem," and "Come Out and Play (Keep 'Em Separated)" — retains some of its bounce, but the real pleasures are in the songs that weren't pounded into dust on rock radio, like the breakneck "Nitro (Youth Energy)," the jaunt into ska on "What Happened to You?" with its cute little guitar solo, and the anti-conformity ode "Smash." The album remains a fun artifact from the year of Dookie, and even though the Offspring's output would later devolve into novelty songs and Rob Schneider samples, it's nice to be reminded there was a time when the band was capable of writing tight, no frills fist-pumpers that swept up a swarm of pimply eleven-year-olds.

CHRIS STEFFEN

(Posted: Jun 16, 2008)

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Review 1 of 3

5of 5 Stars

Classic. No doubt about who listens to the radio anyway. This album is yes the best selling independent albumm of all time. Led to Columbia singing the Offspring for alot of money. These guys were young and dangerous with a killer album their third in fact. It even contains a cover of the Didgits track Killboy Powerhead and Offspring do a great version. Bad Habit is a great fist pumper, good to sit back and pop open some fine beer and listen to the album run.

Sep 8, 2008 22:02:37

Review 2 of 3

1of 5 Stars

This album was responsible for some of the weakest, most annoying dork-punk to suckify the radio during the 1990s.

Jul 18, 2008 15:17:44

Review 3 of 3

4of 5 Stars

I think this deserves more then 3 stars. This whas the album that made Offspring famous for the public and the first "mainstream" album. Even though this is a little sell out compared to their earlier album "Ignition" it is still a good album. "Self esteem" will be their best known song ever even it is not my personal favorite.

Jun 1, 2007 01:12:32

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