Introduction: With the hugely successful albums “Smash,”
“Ixnay on the Hombre,” and “Americana” already under their belts, The
Offspring come back with another great punk rock album. Featuring the first single,
“Original Prankster” along with a bevy of other songs suitable for radio play,
Conspiracy of One may be The Offspring’s best CD from top to bottom.
Track Listing:
1.) Intro - simple intro. Just a voice over.
“When we’re ready to sing, we step up to the microphone and it comes out
something like this.”
Track Value: $0.02
2.) Come Out Swinging - Great, fast opener for the CD. A
pulsing bass riff starts in and eventually is subdued under some fast guitar before a palm
muted verse. A really explosive song that could easily be described as a “pump up
song.”
“Come out swinging. Never alone again. Pain inside leads you through so you’ll
get by.”
Track Value: $1.25
3.) Original Prankster - Following in the path of
“Pretty Fly For A White Guy,” this is one of The Offspring’s more polished,
commercial sounding songs. Some really great sound bites over a tropical/punk type sound
give this song a really enjoyable feel to it.
“Lies, lies. Says he’s down in the Bahamas. Tries, tries bangin’ little
hoochie mamas.”
Track Value: $2.50
4.) Want You Bad - A really great song with a great play on
words for the title, “Want You Bad” is my pick for real album seller. Basically
a song about being in love with a nice girl, but wanting her to loosen up and get a little
dirty every once in a while. Really catchy rhythm to the song.
“I want you all tattooed. I want you bad.”
Track Value: $4.00
5.) Million Miles Away - Some pretty simple lyrics and a
darker mood than the earlier songs, this song delivers the type of sound that The
Offspring made famous with “Gotta Get Away From Me” and “Gone Away.”
Solid song with some catchy sounds to it.
“Each passing day, every passing face seems like such a blur.”
Track Value: $1.00
6.) Dammit, I Changed Again - A pretty decent tune with
another fast paced beat. Simple lyrics don’t offer a whole lot that we haven’t
heard, but it’s a solid song.
“Now I don’t see things the way I did before. (Can’t stand to feel this
way) Things important yesterday don’t matter anymore.”
Track Value: $0.50
7.) Living In Chaos - One of The Offspring’s better
lyrical efforts, “Living In Chaos” delivers with a really catchy beat and a good
production value. One of my personal favorites from the album.
“This world is hard to fight, hitting you once, hit it again.”
Track Value: $2.25
8.) Special Delivery - Another really catchy song with a
sound byte from Blue Suede’s “Hooked On A Feeling.” The
“ooga-chaka’ chorus repeats in the background with some other good bytes added
in throughout the song. Darker lyrics than what was previously on the album, a solid song.
“Can’t break from my sins, cannot pray.”
Track Value: $1.75
9.) One Fine Day - The fastest song on the album, “One
Fine Day” is a song about sports riots. It’s got a really great beat and some
hard hitting lyrics that provide for an enjoyable listen. If “Come Out Swinging”
didn’t pump you up, this probably will.
“I believe it’s my God-given right to destroy everything in my sight. Cuz it
never gets tired, it never gets old, the only thing it gets is more bold.”
Track Value: $2.75
10.) All Along - Sounds like some old school Offspring, more
hard and fast punk rock. Nothing really great here, but another solid song.
“All along, still believed in you. Now I stand here betrayed and broken.”
Track Value: $0.50
11.) Denial, Revisited - A slow relationship song with a
pretty decent lyrical effort. Nothing terribly revolutionary, but another solid song for
the CD.
“But she stands softly, tears down her face. Hitting me, oh God this is the
end.”
Track Value: $0.65
12.) Vultures - Now this is the song that the darker
Offspring fans will love. It’s got a really great, dark sounding guitar riff
throughout and some of the best lyrics of the album. This one’s a must have for any
Offspring fan.
“And in the sun a loaded gun makes for conversation. All the while in denial,
it’s too late for me to change.”
Track Value: $3.10
13.) Conspiracy of One - Another fast song to finish up the
CD. Another good song with some decent lyrics and a driving beat.
“Bring on the night and bring us all to our knees.”
Track Value: $0.65
Conclusion: In all, this is a great CD. If you’re a fan of what I like to
call “The Commercial Offspring,” you’ll like “Original
Prankster,” “Living In Chaos,” and probably “Special Delivery.”
If you’re a fan of the non-commercial stuff that sticks to some darker style punk
rock, then you’ll enjoy “Vultures,” “One Fine Day,” and everybody
should enjoy “Want You Bad.” In all, this is a really solid effort by The
Offspring, who just keep churning out great music year after year.
Album worth: $20.99
Album price: $12.99 |
