The Offspring - Let The Bad Times Roll (April 16, 2021) • Page 5

I think I and the audience at Roseland Ballroom in NYC in 2000 are the only people who have ever heard them play "Living In Chaos" live. Love that record even if "Original Prankster" is merely a "Pretty Fly" rewrite.

 

I think they played it a few times on the North American leg of that tour. I remember seeing them at some arena type thing in Detroit in late 2000 where they played that one too.

 

I love Living in Chaos.

 

That was the one and only arena tour the Offspring has ever done in North America. For some reason, when it came to NYC they opted to do 2 nights at the 3500-capacity Roseland Ballroom but I guess that was likely due to lack of an arena availability as this was pre-Barclays Center and we were in the midst of Hockey/NBA season for the 3 area arenas.

 

I've been going through their discography for the first time in years getting ready for the new one and most of the albums honestly hold up really well (besides the joke songs like I said). They make some of the best mainstream punk out there I think

 

There was a Stereogum piece of Americana tsk-tsk'ing it because the lyrical content didn't age well in 2018's new age of wokeness. I can understand the argument but I felt their article was a bit mean-spirited and the writer was likely not of age in the late 90's when the Americana subjects were really relevant.

On another note, I can totally understand why the band opted NOT to play "L.A.P.D" when they did their Ignition 20 year anniversary shows. The use of the n word in that song was a bit awkward even in 1992 when Dexter was singing from the point of an LAPD officer so feels much more gross now.

 

Agree, they are underrated and very solid for the most part, throughout their whole discography

 

The Offspring's Dexter Holland on Cali Punk Pride and Why We've Seen the Worst of Covid

 

Would love to see Dexter on Hot Ones.

 

His voice doesn’t sound like his voice all the time anymore. I still think I’m way more of a classic Offspring/select songs fan, but I’m always happy to see bands like this keep making content. Also, as a big face to face fan, happy to see Pete drumming.

 

Hassan Chop is probably one of my favourites of theirs all time.
And the bass parts on here are much better than what Greg put down on the previous 3 records imo, Dexter did a good job there.

 

So I guess it wasn't the leak quality, the mixing on this is just downright terrible.

Bob Rock strikes again.

 

Production and mixing aside, I enjoy the album. Despite a few clunkers (I'm looking at you, "We Never Have Sex Anymore"), it's the most energetic the band have sounded since Splinter. However like Splinter, the album is far too short, especially after a 9 year wait. I can’t help but feel if it was fleshed out a little more with another song or two, it’d be a real return to form.

Highlights: "This Is Not Utopia," "Army of One," "The Opioid Diaries," and "Hassan Chop."

 

Roughly my thoughts. In terms of quality, it is definitely more good than bad. I'd go so far as to say there is nothing I outright dislike, even if I still am not a fan of the title track. And the good songs are properly good, on a par with their very best.

But as a whole it's clearly an EP that's been padded out with filler - and blatant filler at that. If this were an up and coming band rather than veterans of the scene, I don't think anyone would look at it twice.

 

Honestly I’m so disappointed with this. 9 years is a hella long time to wait for such a short album for one that also contains filler songs.

The songs that do shine and bring the classic Offspring sound are let down due to the production/mixing choices. Overall I’m not a fan of the effects on Dexter’s vocals at all either. Understandably his voice has changed given his age but something just seems really off and roboty throughout?

Not the return to form I was hoping for.

 

Woke up this morning and put this album on for my morning commute and couldn't help but smile with nostalgia at the opening track. Blasted the volume for the next few tracks, actually really enjoyed this album a lot more than I thought

 

WTF is up with his voice on the first song lol

 

Yeah, I don't know if it's the mixing or his voice, but the first song just felt very, very off.

 

Sorry to all the fans who deserve more than this lazy thing. Multiple non-real songs, 20-year-old material pulled out of a vault, already released songs ... yikes.

 

The first song is what threw me off as well but I can’t say the rest is much better either.

 

Echoing the first song being heavily Bad Religion influenced which is a good thing, but I had to think...is that Dexter? Weird.

This is better than a band just breaking up. I get every complaint, and probably agree with almost all of them, but it’s better than bands just pulling the plug too early because obviously this means a lot to some people. Production is way off hahaha

 

Judging from social media, people seem to really like it.

 

I'd say it's mostly harmless. As someone who hasn't really listened to The Offspring since the early 2000s, it's not awful by any means, but it's not an album that is going to keep me coming back for more.

 

I think people are just happy to have new music/harmless distractions at this point.

They played off a bit nostalgia, punk roots, old styles, old gimmicks, and so on. I don’t get the production sounding weird in 2021, but overall it’s harmless and those who love it will love it, and others will just move on.

 

Wtf is going on with Army of One...did they upload a transcode of a transcode?