21. Smash - The Offspring 1994
Forget Green Day's 'Dookie', this album is punk as f**k! Despite having sold over 13 million copies worldwide, and being the biggest selling album, ever, to be released on an independent record label, 'Smash', is regarded as one of the finest Punk Rock records of all time. It is snotty, dark, sarcastic and cynical, all while possessing fantastic melodies and hooks. Heavy both musically and in mood, the Offspring were four Orange County kids from fairly normal middle class backgrounds who were just bored and pissed at the world around them. There aren't many snapshots of life for youth in the 90's, than this, nigh on perfect, collection of high adrenaline SoCal Punk Rock gems. Dexter Holland, the band's vocalist, rhythm guitarist and songwriter, is on fire vocally, with his stupidly broad vocal range doing acrobatics. His super-unique voice fits the band like a glove. In fact, the whole band is on fine form on 'Smash', playing with bags of attitude and aggression. 'Genocide', is intense and hyper fast, with the band locked in tight. Ron Welty, although a very unspectacular drummer, has an extremely fast right foot, never using a double kick pedal. Noodles' has long been a criminally underrated guitarist, embellishing Holland's compositions with tasty leads. Holland, is also no slouch and has a fast and solid right hand. Not many Punk Rock guitar players can palm mute as convincingly, Pennywise guitarist, Fletcher Dragge, is an exception. 'So Alone', is the albums speediest tune and, again, has the band on their a-game. Bear in mind, the majority of the album was recorded live, bar some guitar overdubs, and vocals. The track that kicks things off though, 'Nitro', is perhaps the best representation of where the band were at back then. It is full of urgency and is a rallying call to "like there's no tomorrow", and millions of teenagers were instantly onside. Of course, You cannot get away writing about this world-owning release, without mentioning it's three singles. Ironically, the slowest trio of the 13 songs, but all still none-more-punk. 'Come Out and Play', with its tales of school yard violence, driven by a strange, but compelling, Arabian influenced riff. 'Gotta Get Away', is a tale of how Holland was feeling when feeling the pressure of the studio deadline and the album delivery date. The bass and drums only intro that carries the rest of the number, is worth the admission alone. These two singles were hits, but it was 'Self Esteem', that truly announced the arrival of the band into the world's conscience. A very Nirvana style track, all stop-start guitars and busy drumming, set the backdrop for Holland's tale of an unhealthy and mentally abusive relationship that one of his male friends was forced to endure. The subject matter and the style it is delivered in made it a true anthem for young males being made a fool of by their female objects of desire. "The more you suffer, the more it shows you really care, right?" With that, Holland had a generation of youthful punks agreeing with him, "right!" The albums strongest track is arguably, 'Genocide', which is just the kind of Skate Punk style track that makes you want to go out and hurt yourself doing some form of extreme sport or other. The epic mid-section is still up there as one of the bands best moments, with huge sounding drums and reverse effect cymbals adding to the tension. The infamous story from Epitaph records owner and Bad Religion founding member, Brett Gurewitz, about how he had to rent extra warehouse space in downtown L.A. to house literally hundreds of pallets, stacked with copies of 'Smash', at the height of its popularity, is fascinating. This one record single-handedly propelled Epitaph from a moderately successful, small independent record label, to a powerhouse that every aspiring Punk Rock band wanted to get signed to. This is one of those records that just doesn't ever date. Re-discover it and remember why.