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They were dead wrong. Ixnay On The Hombre is the best CD by The Offspring, and I think it's because there's more variety. Don't get me wrong, Smash is another great 5-star CD (And I don't give those easily) but Ixnay's better. You never hear the same thing.

Disclaimer: Guy whose voice sounds like it belongs in Monty Python explaining how offensive the record is. Funny too.

The Meaning of Life: Pure punk. The kind of stuff you find on their self-titled album.

Mota: The kind of spin-off punk that make The Offspring so damn good. Shows the life of the junkie.

Me & My Old Lady: Like "Pay The Man" in some respects, filled with the cynicism The Offspring is known for.

Cool To Hate: There are people like this out there, and Dexter Holland gives us a 100% accurate impression of what they're like. (I know, people. Believe me, I know)

Leave It Behind: Ugh. This song is like the blemish on the face of Heather Graham.

Gone Away: Offspring songs with pain cannot match any other. This is one of the best examples.

I Choose: I can't think of another Offspring song that makes you clap your hands. Imagine Blink 182 at a Moderato tempo and this is it. Not that bad, either.

Intermission: You have to wonder this person's doing at "Intermission." Taking a leak? Injecting? We'll never know.

All I Want: Short and sweet. Fast and raging, this song is over before you know it and gives you the feeling you get when you hear Limp Bizkit's "Break Stuff."

Way Down The Line: The Offspring's 3rd best song. (I believe the other two are Smash and The Kids Aren't Alright) Will we end up like our parents? As much as we hate the thought, we probably will.....

Don't Pick It Up: Like "What Happened To You?" on Smash. Thinking of dabbling in a little ska, are we Dexter?

Amazed: The Offspring's best slow song. This one triggers really sad emotions that can only be matched by No Doubt's "Don't Speak."

Change The World: A great intro on this song. Ultra-Offspring cynicism on this one. (Wait for a hidden line at the end of the CD)

So, if you've listened to ANY type of punk at all and liked it, or if you've heard ANYTHING by The Offspring at all and liked it (Except "Why Don't You Get A Job?") buy this. If you like No Doubt, Korn, pre-14:59 Sugar Ray, or Smash Mouth's "Fush Yu Mang" you will LOVE this and you must buy it immeadiately.

I've only given 5-stars to two other albums, by the way. This one really earned it.


Am I in heaven?   November 17, 2000
 6 out of 6 found this review helpful

When I'm listening to this perfect album I sure am. A while ago, I thought Smash was the best Offspring CD. Boy was I wrong! This album is a heck of alot better than Smash. It shows raw power and talent, meaningful lyrics in a world where good lyrics are hard to find, and the Offspring have a style all their own. Not too poppy as with, say Blink 182, or not too hardcore, for example Pennywise. This album contains may of their hits, such as "All I Want" and "Gone Away", both of which are AMAZING songs. But to tell you the truth, every song is good. The stand-outs on this album are "The Meaning Of Life", a raw, blazingly fast punk song, "Gone Away", one of the most powerful songs since Pearl Jam's "Black", "Way Down The Line", a great song that asks the question, will we end up like our parents?, and "Cool To Hate", a funny song about somebody who hates EVERYTHING from jocks to Doc Martens. The only sub-par cut on this record is "Don't Pick It Up", a ska-ish song minus the brass section. It just doesn't fit in with the whole feeling of the album. If you are a newer Offspring fan, and have picked up Conspiracy Of One, you will find that this album VERY closely resembles it. The only thing is, nothing matches this album. Perfection. Pure perfection. Do yourself a favor; grab a few dollars and go pick up this totally under-rated gem. Y ou will not be dissapointed


Offspring rules . . . . what more is there to say?   August 23, 1999
 5 out of 5 found this review helpful

This is really the best of Offspring. It's too bad that it didn't get as much recognition as Smash, because it is just as good if not better. One of the really interesting things about Ixnay is how it compares to Americana. You can pair up songs from the two albums based on musical style. For example, "Me and My Old Lady" has a lot of similarities to Americana's "Pay the Man". "Leave it Behind" has the same feel to it as "No Brakes". "Cool to Hate" compares well to "Staring at the Sun". However, Ixnay also has some of Offspring's most unique songs ever. "Amazed" is a somewhat slower song, but unlike regular slow-ish songs, "Amazed" has tremendous power and strength both in the drums and in Dexter's voice, especially on the chorus. "Don't Pick it Up" has more of a ska feel to it that can't be found in any other Offspring songs. Anyway, if you are a fan of The Offspring, this cd is cool to compare to their other stuff. If you are just a punk fan looking for an addition to your collection, this is a good representation of The Offspring's best work ever.


Pretty Good...NOt as good as Smash   November 9, 1999
 5 out of 6 found this review helpful

Had a few weak points...namely "Me and My Old Lady" and "Mota". Interesting...I'm finding all these weird inter-connected guitar riffs. "Come Out and Play" has the "Pretty Fly" thing going. The little riff in Come Out and Play was in Pay the Man. Change the World has the same riff as Genocide. Don't Pick it Up is a lot like What Happened to You? And Way Down THe Line sounds a lot like Why Don't You Get a Job. An overall stronger CD than Americana...but less outstanding songs.


Pop punk while keeping the strength   April 25, 2001
 5 out of 5 found this review helpful

Face it, Offspring isn't exactly Bad Religion, Black Flag, or Dead Kennedys. But with this album beginning with a PSA by Jello Biafra (DK), you know that they must have something special going on. This is my favorite Offspring CD, and I really think it is a cut above their other albums. They take the songs here a bit more seriously, lyrically; balanced with a wonderful musical intensity that surpasses "Smash", and wasn't quite matched in "Americana".

The highlight of the CD for me was "Gone Away", a song about loss. This song is one of the most personal and powerful songs ever written. I saw them perform it live at the Benefit for Dennis Dennal (of Social Distortion), and saw several people in the crowd whipping the tears from their eyes. The CD is worth it for this song alone... in fact, that song is why I bought the CD. To my pleasure, not only was the rest of the CD not a disappointment, but it surpassed all expectation.

I am really bothered by the weakness of music lately, and it's nice to have Offspring around. Though I am a lover of the harder/political punk, it's nice to see a band that doesn't need to have an issue 100% of the time. The Offspring are having fun. Yet, in that fun the "punk rock social consciousness" message still gets through in a subtle way...once you dig deeper, past the radio hits. This applies to all of their CDs. Though Offspring is a lighter punk band, they aren't weak (a weak band is Blink182...which I can't believe are even allowed to pretend that they're punk...more like Backstreet Boys meet Weezer, but I digress...).

If you like this CD, may I please recommend that for your next step into the punk world, try "Stranger than Fiction" and "Generator" by Bad Religion. If you like those, then "Get Some, Go Again" and "Life Time" by the Rollins Band. Once you have these CD's you'll know where to go from there. ("Fruits and Veggies" by Dead Kennedys and "Damaged" by Black Flag)