Take Off Your Pants And Jacket [PA] - Blink 182

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13 - Please Take Me Home - 3:04 - A house.

This, the last track from the unlimited version album (I think). A slightly darker sound to this track, the riff running throughout the song. What seems to a contradictory song about having the best time but wanting to go home. It would seem the bloke sees it as a bad time, but the girl sees the time out they had as good. The song ends, the track ends, then the album starts counting ...
...that it lasts, give in, forget the past, be strong when things fall apart, honest, this breaks my heart."


14 - Bonus One - 3:13 (play time)

This first bonus track is reached by forwarding to track fifteen, then rewinding to fourteen, otherwise you’ll just be holding down the buttons for ages! The acoustic track is probably one of my favourites on the album. Just an acoustic track with a soft keyboard ... more

After the amazing success of ‘Enema of the State’ two years ago, the fun American lads are back once again to show that they are a band to be reckoned with.

‘Take Off Your Pants and Jacket’ is the new album, and I had it delivered on my door a couple of days after release, ordered from CD-WOW.com (see op) for just £8.99. I have the limited edition CD, but I know that there are quite a few of them! I think the unlimited version does not have the two bonus tracks, and perhaps the fantastic sleeve the CD comes in.

On the strength of hearing just one song, ‘The Rock Show’ I knew that Blink 182 were continuing along the lines of their last album, and that was a good thing. After listening to their latest release a few times, I think it is clear that they have progressed musically, producing what seems to be a more mature sound, although some of the lyrics are as immature and funny as ever!

The album opens with ‘Anthem Part Two’ a follow on from their last album where ‘Anthem’ was the last track…….

1 - Anthem Part II - 3:48 - Flag with Number ‘2’ in it.

This is a typical Blink 182 song, but with better lyrics. The song is about how adults vote for politicians who create rules for the young who are "young but not stupid". The song does actually have a serious message, (maybe the band are taking to the ‘Rage Against The Machine’ way of political music?! - unlikely!) with nice guitars and the track seems to have been put together very well. I did think production was slightly lacking in their last album.

"We really need to see this through, we never wanted to be abused, we’ll never give up, it’s no use, we’re f*cked up, you’re to blame."

2 - Online Songs - 2:25 - A computer

A bass riff to open with an almost ska-like following with prominent drums and a ‘happy’ guitar riff, and the song becoming a fast-singing tune with a ‘let’s forget about the past’ type tune. A fast but not too loud track until a great chorus which explodes into the song which is very much needed, more of an album track than a potential single I think.

"Why am I still hanging around, when I know it brings me down, I’m hating everything."

3 - Fist Date - 2:52 - Condom

Most people have gone through the torture of a first date, and unsurprisingly this is what this song is about. A different sound from Blink to start off here, very light, but of course a slightly heavier chorus. I do think that whenever the words ‘forever’ are in a song it may have some meaning, which is true here. A bloke scared sh*tless that things are going to go wrong on this date, but wanting the night to last ‘forever’ with his date.

"I dread the thought of our very first kiss, a target that I’m probably gonna miss."

4 - Happy Holidays, You Bastard - 0:42 - Stocking with a bottle in it.

The next song is a ‘don’t play in front of any young kids or in front of any older people if you are young’ type track!! A very short and snappy song, with funny lyrics (see below) which will just make you smile with surprise! This is about someone’s despair about having to be with his family over the holidays, and the torture he is going through. I am hoping this did NOT actually happen… although it would be quite funny!

"Unless your dad will suck me off, I’ll never talk to you again, Unless your mum will touch my cock, I’ll never talk to you again, ejaculate into a sock…"
and
"It’s Labour Day and my Grandpa just ate seven f*ckin’ hotdogs, and he sh*t, sh*t, sh*t his pants, he’s always f*ckin’ sh*tin his pants, and I’ll never talk to you again."

5 - Story Of A Lonely Guy - 3:40 - Loosely clenched fist. (you work it out!)

A slower entrance here, a nice calm-down from the previous song, a song sounding like that from the last album, with just short spangs from the guitar with vocals over the top, and a raised tempo for the chorus. A tale of a lonely boy who does not have the skills to communicate with girls I think, and because of this his self confidence is low, and he sees himself as worthless. Another song with meaning, a tad slower than he rest of the album, but that is not a bad thing at all.

"She makes me feel like it’s raining outside, and when the storms gone I’m all torn up inside."

6 - The Rock Show - 2:52 - Hand sign for ‘rock on’.

This is the first single released, more vintage Blink. This is a perfect first single tune, relating to this girl he met at a rock show, and how they got along. A nice catchy chorus which most fans of this music will sing along too (I always check the house first!) as well as a nice catchy guitar riff. More meaning in this song, meeting somebody and not wanting to forget about them.

"She said ‘what’ and I told her that I didn’t know, she’s so cool, gonna sneak in through her window, everything’s better when she’s around, can’t wait ‘till her parents go out of town..."

7 - Stay Together For The Kids - 3:59 - Figure of adult and child.

A quiet riff and drums about a divorce looming relationship, filled with regret and bitterness. I am sure those who have gone through a divorce will be able to relate to those feelings of hurt, and those feelings of ‘why?’. A banging chorus though, one to surely play at gigs for the attendants to start jumping around too, with vocals full of passion, and even a little keyboard thrown in to give the song more depth. This also has a great video where the band were given money by their record company to do what they wished, and they ended up touring the streets paying people to shave their head, throwing money from a rooftop and giving a tramp a scrub-up and a suit!!

"I’m ripe with things to say, the words rot and fall away. What stupid poem could fix this home, I’d read it every day."

8 - Roller Coaster - 2:48 - Roller coaster with person inside.

Fast drums and a nice little riff… roller-coaster is written in the lyrics and the speed in the music. A song full of nervous expectations about a girl. The roller-coaster referring to the fun ride that is the asking out of a girl and the date. The roller-coaster of emotions that run through the adolescent veins, adrenaline flowing. Destined to be the second single.

"Breathing Deeply, walking backwards, finding strength to call and ask her, Roller Coaster favourite ride, let me kiss you one last time."

9 - Reckless Abandon - 3:06 - Handcuffs.

A nice fast song, catchy chorus and verses. Not entirely sure what this song relates to, but just seems to be about the kids having a fun summer and getting up to all sorts of stuff. The album needs this kind of song to balance out the slower songs, with this track starting distant before coming in strong, relative to the album.

"Sip a drink of alcohol, end up kneeling in bathroom stalls, eyes are red and movements slow, too high, got vertigo."

10 - Everytime I Look For You - 3:05 - Binoculars.

The previous track seems to blend in slightly with this track. This track is another fast rhythm kinda track about how a girl dumped a guy, and how he is searching for her, and her forgiveness, but he just can’t find her, looking all day and night until the sun goes down. This song reaches a crescendo with the guitars and drums reaching a definite peak before the chorus is repeated and the song fades out.

"Everytime I look for you the sun goes down, and I stumble when this whole thing runs aground."

11 - Give Me One Good Reason - 3:19 - Middle Finger Up.

A nice riff running through the whole of this song, explaining about why ‘we need to be like them’ and the answer is we don’t. I am pretty sure the message is be yourself and do not try and be like the jocks, the preps and hippies. Kids will be kids and will try and not fit in. A nice little number, well placed near the end of the track.

"So give me one good reason why we need to be like the, kids will have fun and offend, they don’t want to and don’t fit in."

12 - Shut Up - 3:20 - Face, with Cross over mouth.

A cracking song which should have really have a slightly extended title and been called ‘Shut the f*ck up’!! Simply due to f*ck being said a few times. Using the word f*ck puts emphasis on what is being said, lyrics about a couple breaking up, the bloke arguing he being shouted at too much, all his friends are gone, and he wants to leave. Simply to think about the past once he had left, and the good times when the couple ‘got through’ it all.

"F*ck off I’m not listening to you, I’m not coming home, I’m never going to come back home, I’ll run away."

13 - Please Take Me Home - 3:04 - A house.

This, the last track from the unlimited version album (I think). A slightly darker sound to this track, the riff running throughout the song. What seems to a contradictory song about having the best time but wanting to go home. It would seem the bloke sees it as a bad time, but the girl sees the time out they had as good. The song ends, the track ends, then the album starts counting backwards to track fourteen.

"Buy hope, hope that it lasts, give in, forget the past, be strong when things fall apart, honest, this breaks my heart."

14 - Bonus One - 3:13 (play time)

This first bonus track is reached by forwarding to track fifteen, then rewinding to fourteen, otherwise you’ll just be holding down the buttons for ages! The acoustic track is probably one of my favourites on the album. Just an acoustic track with a soft keyboard in the background. I could and do listen to this track over and over again because I can relate to it in some ways. The track is about a bloke who has been in a relationship which he cannot get out of despite the fact he hates most things about the relationship. "You f*cked up my life" as the song goes. Not my last relationship but a previous one, where, like in the song, the bloke is kicking out to get out, with the relationship having turned bad after it was so good…. You have to listen to the track to understand it all, and it is a track to everyone’s sensitive taste.

"I can’t forgive, can’t forget, can’t give in, what went wrong ‘cos you said this was right. You f*cked up my life."

15 - Bonus Two - 1:26

The second and last bonus is just a laugh. Sung and recorded without any mixing etc. the song is raw vocal. Do not read further if you have no sense of humour…cya then! A nice little riff is accompanying the vocals which are sung with deep meaning… about f*cking a dog in the ass. I’ll leave the words below and you can make up your own mind about it!!!

"I… wanna f*ck a dog in the ass,
<background vocals> He wants to f*ck a dog in the ass
I Wanna f*ck a dog in the ass,
That’s right kids

I… tried to f*ck your mom in the ass
Tried to f*ck your dad in the ass
Could only find the dog……and his ass

(many sing) We… wanna f*ck a dog in the ass
We… wanna f*ck a dog in the ass
We wanna f*ck a dog

I… tried to f*ck a f*cking pirate in the ass,
<Ah me end me first mate a scurvy cur> (in a pirate accent)
Tried to f*ck a f*cking pirate
But I found a dog
<Ah that was no pirate man, that thi own sister> (pirate accent)

(many sing) We… wanna f*ck a dog in the ass
We… wanna f*ck a dog in the ass
Wanna f*ck a dog

F*ck you!"

An entertaining song, the reason behind my title and not one to be played in front of anyone slightly prudish!

Total CD time: 46:42 - A good length in my opinion.

The album sleeve is top notch also. A CD case usually comes with a plastic base and lid, but not here. The base where the CD sits is made of plastic, but the bottom of that is stuck to thin cardboard, which is also what the lid of made of. The words and some funny pictures of the band is in a sleeve that slots out of the lid (confused yet?!). The lid as you open it up has thirteen holes in it, (one for every song) and when the sleeve is in, a symbol represents each song, which is what I have written next to the song title and length above. Very clever and different anyways!

The album overall is a big step forward in my eyes for the band. The last album was good musically, and the lyrics were fun, but there were not as many songs with as much meaning as in this album. Keyboards add an extra dimension in some tracks, and the album overall has a much more serious vibe, but there are still songs on it of Blink 182 of old - immature and funny!

The songs themselves come from quite a wide variation of sounds, some slightly slower/faster and louder/softer than the others which gives the band an album that sounds slightly the same in some respects, but the variation is there for those who do not like just fast or just slower songs.

In a sentence this album is "A great follow up which is more mature lyrically and musically, and shows us the band are progressing in the music world."

Ta

DAN

P.S. Apparently, the CD case I refer to is called a "digipak". That is what my best mate Moose_Smells has told me, and I appreciate his help on the matter as I didn't know they had a different name. If he'd written any ops, I'd go and read them all, that's how much I appreciate the info.... ;-)
 

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