The Offspring really hit the big time in the UK with this album ‘Americana’. Certainly I had not heard of them till then, and the single ‘Pretty Fly’ was the first I ever heard of the America punk rockers. This album was released a few years back by the foursome, and ... Read review
Maybe hanging out with Jello Biafra put the fun-loving spring in Offspring's step. Or ... more
perhaps it was just the royalty checks, hot babes, and fast cars. Whatever the case, the band's fourth record, Americana, is its most lively offering to date, replaci...
Postage & Packaging: Free! Availability: Usually dispatched within 24 hours...
Maybe hanging out with Jello Biafra put the fun-loving spring in Offspring's step. Or ... more
perhaps it was just the royalty checks, hot babes, and fast cars. Whatever the case, the band's fourth record,Americana, is its most lively offering to date, replacin...
Postage & Packaging: £1.21 Availability: Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days...
Advantages: Good, high energy music, plenty of guitars and drumming Disadvantages: Some may not like the new pop from punk style
The Offspring really hit the big time in the UK with this album ‘Americana’. Certainly I had not heard of them till then, and the single ‘Pretty Fly’ was the first I ever heard of the America punk rockers. This album was released a few years back by the foursome, and really set them up as one of the CD I could not stop playing.
Basically the Offspring are a punk band, toned down. Their music is alive, consisting ... ...solid backing. The album consist of 12 music tracks, with one small into. All are fast moving and full of energy, that will make you get up. Maybe they are not the best of singers, but Noodles, Dexter, Greg and Ron don’t just make a loud noise.
The one thing that can be said about the Offspring is a definite change in direction for the style of their music. If you listen to some of their older stuff it is more stronger and core ... more
The Offspring really hit the big time in the UK with this album ‘Americana’. Certainly I had not heard of them till then, and the single ‘Pretty Fly’ was the first I ever heard of the America punk rockers. This album was released a few years back by the foursome, and really set them up as one of the CD I could not stop playing.
Basically the Offspring are a punk band, toned down. Their music is alive, consisting of strong lead guitars and bass and drums giving a solid backing. The album consist of 12 music tracks, with one small into. All are fast moving and full of energy, that will make you get up. Maybe they are not the best of singers, but Noodles, Dexter, Greg and Ron don’t just make a loud noise.
The one thing that can be said about the Offspring is a definite change in direction for the style of their music. If you listen to some of their older stuff it is more stronger and core punk, while ‘American’ especially shows them to have turned more commercial to appeal to other people their music has become more pop than rock. Their lyrics are similar, they are not going to be the smoothest in the history of music, but work well, are funny, if a little childish. Personally I don’t have any problems with these guys, I have listened to all their older stuff and I like is just as much, and it is good music, real guitars and drumming.
The album itself is worth getting just for the artwork. Each track has all the lyrics printed, and an individual cartoon or still. They are all amusing, though some may find them offensive. I really like them, they are good and add a little individuality to the song, and all the cartoons have appeared in the promotion for the singles. Price wise this will set you back the normal for a chart CD, between £10-£15, though I have spotted it on offers like Virgins two for £22. The CD itself is nice, a cigarette being stubbed out looks a bit abstract but fun.
1. Welcome
As on all Offspring albums there is a nice quirky start to the album, with a humorous message. This time it is the style of a electronic phone message, nice bit of a funny and light hearted start.
“Welcome to Americana. Please make your selection followed by the pound sign, now”
2. Have You Ever
This is a slightly strange song; it is split into two parts with a soft pause in the middle. Starts well with a guitar and drum mixing, and the song is catchy enough with a nice chorus, but I like the second part better, it has more energy and is quicker moving. Good lyrics, this is not just a noise there is more to the Offspring than that.
“Some days, my souls confined and out of mind, sleep forever. Some days, I’m so outshined and out of time. Have you ever”
3. Staring at the Sun
A good song, to continue a good start to the album. Not unlike the first, as it is quick moving, full of guitars and drumming the underlying beat. Again very meaningful lyrics that are well sung and look at them carefully they do have more to them than to fill the gaps.
“There’s more to living than only surviving, maybe I’m not there but I’m still trying”
4. Pretty Fly (For a White Guy)
The first Offspring song I heard, and I was instantly caught by the strong guitars, smart words, humor, and the backing drumming. This song really is one of my favourites in here, it is a great song, and is a real taste of what I like about these guys. Lovely.
“If you don’t rate, then overcompensate. At least you know you can always go on Ricki Lake”
5. The Kids Aren’t Alright
Another superb song, just piped to my favourite by the excellent Pretty Fly. Another great guitar song, this is quite a short song with lots of time taken up by some powerful guitar solos. The lyrics are again great, all about people having their lives screwed up by society, powerfully put across in musical terms.
“What the Hell is going on. The cruelest dream, reality”
6. Feelings
Nice song, though not quite up to the high standards set by the earlier songs. Short but sweet, the vocals are never any good here or on the rest of the album but it is again full of guitars backings, and it ends on a great electric guitar solo.
“Feelings like I wanna deck you, Feelings like I’ve gotta get you out of my life”
7. She’s Got Issues
Like on the previous track the vocals are never going to live up to much, but it is another feel good song, the guitars pick up the song. The lyrics are great, funny if you read the inlay, but without any bad language. Well not too much bad language that is
“And I know she’s afraid to commit, but it’s only our second date”
8. Walla Walla
Another one of my favourite tracks from the album. Electric guitars are not as apparent, letting the lyrics carry the song, before cutting in the chorus. The lyrics are great as usual, I could not resist putting in the one below and it does seem to be a very good feature of this album.
“That car looked so tempting, so easy to drive. Just like that apartment you burglarized. You started to run, but didn’t get far. Cause under your arm was a VCR”
9. The End of the Line
A slight change, it is slower paced, more of a depressing and sad tone, as the title may suggest. The guitars are active, but it does not come off to well, I prefer the full blast, quicker tracks such as ‘Walla Walla’ or ‘Pretty Fly’.
“Please stay now, you left me here alone – It’s the end of the line ”
10. No Brakes
I like this, it is quicker and aggressive but within my taste limits. The guitars push it along, at a quick tempo, and the lyrics suit the song. Not a bad song, and a nice change of direction for the album, but is still a guitar driven track.
“Save it now, don’t save it for my sake. Someone said it’s alright.”
11. Why Don’t You Get a Job? A single released from this album to follow up on ‘Pretty Fly’, ‘The Kids Aren’t Alright’ and is a good quality song, though placed near the end of the album. The lyrics tell a story, it is funny to listen along to, while it is still good guitars and music in general, though the brass band adds a little extra to this.
“Well I guess it ain’t easy doing nothing at all”
12. Americana
The title track for the album is not the best on the album. A drumbeat starts the song, before electric guitars kick in. The vocals are slow to start, when they do they are the same quick and well backed, but I just don’t like this as much as some of the others.
“My futures determined by thieves, thugs and vermin, its quite an excursion but its ok”
13. Pay the Man
Very slow to start with a long guitar intro for about 2 minutes, then starts to get a bit louder. I don’t like the waiting, the music is quality, but to end the album I would have liked something explosive to send it off. The lyrics are dark and moody, while it is too soft and never gets going for me.
“Shut up you talk too much, pay the man, shut up you talk too much”
Overall I love this album. I discovered the Offspring from this and I went from here to discover their other works. Their new offering ‘Conspiracy of One’ is great, as good if not better than ‘Americana’ in my opinion, but have a listen to some of their older stuff. ‘Smash’ and ‘Ixnay on the Hombre’ are classics, and the Offspring have converted well to a punk to pop style that fits with me, and several million others, as record sales for this shows. I recommend this all the way.
Advantages: one of their best albums Disadvantages: created a lot of teeny boopers
...a really cool tune.
AMERICANA (3.15) - i have a buring passion of hate for this song i really dont like it, the guitar tune at the beggining reminds me of old AC DC kind of guitar tunes, this song is out of place on a punk rock album.
PAY THE MAN (10.19) - offspring have turned eygiptian on this song, well thats how it sounds to me lol, the beginning drum beat is rather cool, then the gutiar kicks in and comes out with a smooth riff, the bass is ... ...but when it gets into ot this song is a blast, the tune is amazing i love it and the lyrics are cool too, a good song to beat ya head to lol
OVERALL:
This like most albums has some amazing songs but then it also has some you wish they hadnt put on, but this is a decent album over all its got some real cool riffs and some rather fast upbeat songs to listen too.
PRICE:
I got my copy from track records for £8 though in place like HMV it is alot ...
grimworld 12.08.2005
· Read full review
Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Americana [ECD] - Offspring (The)
Advantages: A couple of big tunes Disadvantages: Little variation
“Americana” came in 1998 as the fifth album from the Punk Rock band The Offspring (whose debut had come nine years earlier). As the one which would succeed it (“Conspiracy Of One”) and their third (“Smash”) it stood as one of the Dexter Holland-led band’s most popular records, and was the Pop breakthrough for the act as they dropped “Pretty Fly”, amongst a few other successful singles. 1. “Welcome” (Intro) 2. “Have You Ever?” After a short introduction, ... ...and I have to say that it didn’t really come out with results anywhere close to what was expected as they come with a pretty typical Punk approach with an apparently over-crowded set and lots going on, but at the foundation level, things such as the off-beat vocal deliver annoyed me as I couldn’t easily engage with the music. **One Star** 3. “Staring At The Sun” They adapt their style for this one as you see that they are able to escape a lot of ...
XICripZ 03.10.2009
· Read full review
Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Americana [ECD] - Offspring (The)
Advantages: superb all round music Disadvantages: high paced!
The Offspring Americana
The offspring have been around a while, but earlier albums (such as smash) were far lesser known before the release of this album! This is the album that put the Offspring from localised fame to global recognition! They combine the use of excellent lyrics with superb soundtracks to form songs that you can relate to and play over and over again! After seeing the Offspring at Wembly resently it is clear how popular they have ... ...audience that equals the likes of U2, Greenday and other hugely succesful groups! *The playlist*
There are 13 tracks on the album sorted into an order that mixes all the different types of song together! The complete list is:
*Welcome
*Have you ever
*Staring at the sun
*Pretty fly (for a white guy)
*The kids aren't alright
*Feelings
*She's got issues
*Walla walla
*The end of the line
*No brakes
*Why don't you get a job
*Americana
*Pay ...
demongit 05.03.2001
· Read full review
Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Americana [ECD] - Offspring (The)
Advantages: Accessible to Pop charts Disadvantages: a complete change in styles from heavy rock to unashamed pop
Offspring are a METAL band turned poppy. I HATE that. Their first couple of albums were great and I was looking forward to Americana. I bought it, listened to it and was surprised to find that Offspring were no longer a metal band, not even a rock band , but this music was twinkly pop. Sure the tunes are good and the music is definately better than what is in the pop charts at the moment but they should have stuck to Metal or rock. OK so they wanted ...
jezallan 20.08.2000
· Read full review
Review of Americana [ECD] - Offspring (The)
Advantages: glorious, fast music Disadvantages: to many people have it
the album that truly made the offspring a world wide band is not that bad actually. although "Smash" had become the biggest selling album from an independent record label, it got no where near as big as this. this is mostly due to the songs on the album. it must be said that their, probably, most selling single ever ("Pretty Fly (for a white guy)")was by no means a bad thing for the sale of the album.
the album itself is a glorious collection of ... ...(the reminder of punk is almost gone on this album which makes it no worse). the songs themselves are a mix of fast, rocking tunes and some slightly slower but still quite fast tunes. the offspring have managed to create an excellent contrast between the two and at no point throughout the album does one think that something is wrong (unless you are not a fan of course in which case this may be the wrong music). the songs on the album are all good ...
loosing_faith 15.02.2001
· Read full review
Ciao members have rated this review on average: helpful Review of Americana [ECD] - Offspring (The)
Product Information for "Americana [ECD] - Offspring (The)" »
Product details
Title
Americana [ECD]
Performer
Offspring (The)
Genre
Rock & Pop
Sub Genre
Punk Rock
Release Date
05/02/2001
Recomended Retail Price
16.99 GBP
Original Release Year
1998
Label / Distributor
Columbia / Sony Music/Arvato Services
Engineer
Bryan Carlstrom
Producer
Don Jerden
Pieces in Set
1
Studio / Live
Studio
Stereo
Stereo
Format
Performer
EAN
5099749165625
Catalogue Number
4916562
Additional notes
Album Notes
AMERICANA is an enhanced audio CD which contains regular audio tracks and multimedia computer files. Offspring: Dexter Holland (vocals, guitar); Noodles (guitar, background vocals); Greg K (bass); Ron Welty (drums). Additional personnel: John Mayer, Higgins "X-13", Heidi Villagran, Nika Futterman Frost (vocals); Calvert "Larry Bud Melman" DeForest (spoken vocals); Derrick Davis (flute); Gabe McNair, Phil Jordan (horns); Jack Grisham, Davey Havok, Jim Lindberg (background vocals). Mariachi Campestre: Carlos Gomez (guitar); Raul Garibay (guitaron); Miguel Gonzales (violin); Pedro Pina (trumpet); Alvaro Macias (bihuela). Recorded at Eldorado Recording Studio, Burbank, California. AMERICANA continues the contradiction fostered by the Offspring with IXNAY ON THE HOMBRE; that of an anarchistic punk band signing up with and using the resources of a mighty recording industry monolith. Diatribes aside, these southern California punks have continued concocting breakneck-paced songs that combine intelligent lyrics with rapid-fire rhythms and shredding guitar. Going beyond their punk credentials means the Offspring mix in a few curves that keep the listener guessing. "Why Don't You Get A Job" uses horns and a steel drum to underline misgivings about awarding alimony for either sex. "Pay the Man" uses Middle Eastern chord changes to achieve an Arabic feel that eventually gives way to a punkier arrangement. Even on"Feelings," the schmaltzy lounge lizard anthem, Dexter Holland's style of spitting out the words gives the slight number new life. The cleverly wrought "Pretty Fly (For A White Guy)" looks at white kids emulating an inner-city life style through the prism of daytime talk shows. Despite this experimentation, the Offspring cling to their punk roots with a steadfast determination that defines songs dealing with the pitfalls of growing up in the '90s ("The Kids Aren't Alright") and the emotional baggage brought into relationships ("She's Got Issues").
Album Reviews
Rolling Stone (12/10/98, pp. 121-123) - 3 (out of 5) - "...pogo-pony polka beats; bass lines that fly on a carpet of eighth notes; zooming, solo-free guitar riffs; and lots of 'whoah-ohhh' sing-along parts..." CMJ (11/23/98, p.3) - "...the songs on AMERICANA are classic Offspring, not just because they're marked by thick guitar chords and the familiar tone of Dexter Holland's voice, but also because they're packed with the cheeky humor that made the band's breakthrough, SMASH, such a hit..." Entertainment Weekly (11/20/98, p.132) - "Any post-punk ESPN2 band can bash the crap out of its instruments, but the Offspring do it up right, with crafty yell-odies and winky lyrics. On their fifth, they sound as volatile as ever..." - Rating: B+
Titles on disc 1
1.
Welcome
2.
Have You Ever
3.
Staring At The Sun
4.
Pretty Fly (For A White Guy)
5.
Kids Aren't Alright
6.
Feelings
7.
She's Got Issues
8.
Walla Walla
9.
End Of The Line
10.
No Brakes
11.
Why Don't You Get A Job
12.
Americana
13.
Pay The Man
Ciao
Listed on Ciao since
13/06/2000
Compare Americana [ECD] - Offspring (The) to other similar Rock & Pop »
![Americana [ECD] - Offspring (The)](http://imagesa.ciao.com/iuk/images/products/normal/334/product-38334.jpg)
![Overall user rating: Americana [ECD] - Offspring (The)](http://images.ciao.com/ide/images/stars/2003/stars45.gif)
![River Is Wide, The [Remastered] - Forum (The)](http://imagesb.ciao.com/iuk/images/products/small/251/prod_small-6006251.jpg)
![One Nation Under [ECD] [PA] - From Zero](http://imagesb.ciao.com/iuk/images/products/small/309/One_Nation_Under_ECD_From_Zero__6061309.jpg)
![Conspiracy Of One [ECD] - Offspring (The)](http://imagesb.ciao.com/iuk/images/products/small/281/Conspiracy_Of_One_ECD_Offspring_The__6036281.jpg)
![Rise And Fall Rage And Grace [Digipak] - Offspring (The)](http://imagesb.ciao.com/iuk/images/products/small/719/Rise_And_Fall_Rage_And_Grace_Offspring_The__6892719.jpg)
