Greatest Hits
(Sony Music)
By Gabriel Leong
Friendly Advice : Fork out extra for the Dual Disc edition
Official website: http://www.offspring.com/
A greatest hits album is always a double edged sword. On one hand, the album serves to attract new fans by offering the best the band has to offer, and is likely to be commercially viable. On the other, there is little room for creativity and the question "Do you really have enough hits to make a whole new album?" begs to be answered.
With seven albums under their belt and more than 32 million in sales, Offspring latest release features 13 tracks that span slightly over a decade from their 1994 album Smash right up to 2003's Splinter. The punk band bridged the distance between Heavy Metal and mainstream rock with the enormous success of two hit singles, "Come Out and Play", and "Pretty Fly (For a White Guy)".
Their edgy, hard-driving sounds with pulsing strong beats however did little to mask lead singer Dexter Holland's flat vocals. But their playful demeanour resonated strongly with their loud chorus lines, thereby establishing the band's broad appeal to the masses Statewide who began busting their own vocals, screaming along to the catchy lyrics. The Offspring might have been huge in the 90s, but the accessibility of bands like Green Day, Foo Fighters, Blink 182, Good Charlotte and Simple Plan today have pretty much made The Offspring a faint memory.
If you must buy this, be sure to get the DualDisc edition, which contains the DVD side including the full album in 5.1 stereo; in-the-studio audio commentary by Holland and Noodles, offering anecdotes and insight into the stories behind the hits; and an acoustic performance of "Dirty Magic," a song from the group's 1993 album, Ignition.
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