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Now, for the songs. The best songs, in terms of how well they were performed, are as follows: 1.Going Away to College 2.Dammit 3.Aliens Exist 4.All The Small Things 5.Adam's Song 6.Carousel. All the songs are well performed, but those six especially stand out. If you only recently heard of Blink, and only own Enema of the State, you will not be disappointed with their other efforts. I strongly suggest buying both Cheshire Cat, and Dude Ranch. As I said before, the only regretable omissions are Josie (one of my personal favorites) and Wasting Time (another one of their best). Also, Man Overboard is an excellent song that is well worth the time on the cd, even though it's not a live recording.

I feel I must mention one other thing before I end this review. There are still a few poor, misguided souls out there that doubt the musical talent of Mark, Tom, And Travis. Mark while an adequate bassist, really shines in the vocal department. He is always on key, and has a distinct tone quality to his voice that is unmistakable. Tom, is quite simply one of the best Guitarists in music today. Listen to M&M's on Cheshire Cat, and What's my Age Again on this cd. They are both incredibly difficult songs to play. Tom recorded M&M's when he was 19. One cannot doubt his musical ability. His singing also adds much to the bands songs, and it almost seems like some of the songs were tailor made just for him to sing. It all fits together nicely. Travis is THE best drummer in modern music (well, rock drummer anyway). It's hard to pick out a specific instance of greatness, simply because there are so many. Do yourself a favor and go to ... and listen to an interview with the band. That should give you some tiny idea of how into music Travis is. Overall, even if you don't like Blink's music, one must accept that they are very talented, and good at what they do. ...

The Mark, Tom, and Travis Show kicks on so many different levels. Buy it imedialtely. You won't be disappointed.


Crappy punk rock rocks!   November 24, 2000
 16 out of 16 found this review helpful

I went to the blink-182 concert this summer at the Gorge in George, WA. It was so rad, when I heard that blink was putting out a live alblum...oooh man. I new it would own. So i went and bought it the day it came out, and I wasn't dissapointed. A lot of bands sound really bad in concert, but in a few cases, blink actually sounds better live. "Going Away To College", "Aliens Exist", "Voyeur", "Carousel", "What's My Age Again?" and "Pathetic" almost sound better live than they did in there original alblum versions. "The Mark, Tom and Travis Show" is non-stop entertainment from begining to end. You get a perfect blend of music and potty humor in just over an hour and ten minutes. The only dissapointment would be the ommision of "Josie" and "M+Ms", two of blink's finest efforts. However, the absence of these songs is made up for by an outstanding live version of "Dammit" and the great new studio track "Man Overboard", plus seven minutes of Mark & Tom talkin smack to each other. This is one cd that'll stay in my system for months to come. Get it now before it's too late.


Pure Blink 182.   November 11, 2000
 12 out of 13 found this review helpful

Wow. This is a fabulous CD. Right off the bat, you realize what you have- a CD that totally embodies what the band Blink 182 is all about, that being girls, potty humor, and punk rock. The boys do great live versions of some of their best hits, "Dammit," "All the Small Things," and "Dumpweed" standing out, though I was disappointed that their early hit "Girl Next Door" wasn't included. That aside, they did a great job on this CD. They sound great live, and aren't one of those bands that needs numerous studio tricks in order for you to like them. Mark's bass solos are great, and make the songs that much more of unpredictable and fun ride. Tom's recognizable lead guitar chords jump out at you, and as you hear them a smile comes on your face knowing what the song is. Travis's drumming is as phenomal as ever, never missing a beat and rocking hard. These three big kids mixed together have a style that is impossible to resist. They blend their love for girls, bathroom jokes, and their token punk rock in one desirable package. A real treat on the CD is their latest single "Man Overboard." Totally Blink's style, it has all the guys at their best, with catchy lyrics, plenty of times for each one of them to shine, and an overall tone that's impossible to resist. Another aspect of the CD fans will love are the last minutes of the CD, devoted entirely to commentary made by Mark, Tom, and Travis at their live shows. It includes outrageous dares, hysterical dips into their pasts, and even a visit from Satan. Simply put, if you love Blink 182, this CD is a must-have. You will laugh, sing along, and when it comes to "Adam's Song" maybe even cry on the wild trip with the guys of Blink. So get this CD. It's worth the money, and you'll love it guaranteed.


A shameful abomination.   March 26, 2001
 11 out of 16 found this review helpful

Three years after the release of "Dude Ranch," which I still regard as one of the great punk albums of all time, it is wholly startling and sad to see how far this band has actually digressed.

This is a CD which just shouldn't have been made. For a band that had released a mere three studio albums before this...a band that was coming off a relatively low point in their careers creatively (Enema of the State)...Blink should have been working hard on new material and honing their songwriting skills instead of releasing this pile of complete and utter schlock.

Basically, this CD consists of a well-sampled selection of songs from Blink's three previous releases, most of which come from the aforementioned "Enema" album. Unfortunately, what is really an impressive performance musically is overshadowed by the band's embarrasing inter-song banter and a number of pitifully bad 30-second "joke songs." Five years ago, when the boys were in their early 20s, this kind of thing was somewhat charming, and often amusing. This time around, with co-band leader Mark Hoppus pushing 30 and (judging by the sound of the crowd) much of the audience being made up of 13 year-old girls (Blink's new TRL-influenced fan base), the so-called "humor" comes across as somewhat pathetic.

The lone studio track on this album, "Man Overboard," is the highlight of the album, and outshines almost anything you will find on "Enema." Travis' amazing drum tracks are also a highlight, and as mentioned before, the band does perform the songs extremely well (even though, as mentioned in an earlier review, the band had to humiliatingly return to the studio to re-record parts of this album, which does not speak well of their proficiency as a live band).

In closing, if you are a fan of toilet humor, are in your early to mid-teens, and have no problem with a band that is more interested in discussing the nutritional value of dog semen than actually putting out a good record, than this CD is for you. If you want to see the band at the pinnacle of its career musically and creatively, skip this one and go straight for 1997's "Dude Ranch."

I can only hope the new album will be a more mature and concerted effort musically, as I know what great things this band is capable of. The title of the new record, coincidentally, "Take Off Your Pants and Jacket," does nothing to raise my hopes.