Coaster

NOFX | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (April 28, 2009)
• Original Release Date: 2009
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Fat Wreck Chords
• ASIN: B001U7ADYA
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (29 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #50,646 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

After recently celebrating their 25th anniversary as a band, NOFX are still firing on all cylinders with the release of their 11th studio full-length, Coaster. Boasting a title that takes a playful jab at the current direction of the music industry, Coaster showcases NOFX's limitless proficiency in crafting songs that simultaneously electrify and entertain. As always, Fat Mike tackles a diverse range of topics including politics, drug abuse, religion, and of course, lesbians. All of which are adeptly fused with the fast, technical and melodic sound that NOFX spawned to create an entire genre of punk rock. In addition to the expected hallmarks of a NOFX album, the band keeps their latest material fresh by embracing the early LA punk rock sound on tracks like "The Quitter" and "We Called It America". There is little question about what has separated NOFX as an enduring force in independent music, and more specifically, as an institution in the punk scene over the past 25 years and Coaster is yet another credit to their legacy. With legions of die-hard fans continually anticipating every NOFX release, Coaster is guaranteed to garner the recognition and success that accompanies every NOFX offering.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars NOFX - Coaster, April 28, 2009

By 

L. J. Penglase "billy gnosis" (allentown PA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Coaster (Audio CD)

Marking their 25th Anniversary as a band, "Coaster" is the 11th release by punk rock legends NOFX. The title is a cheeky reference to the direction the music industry is taking where compact discs are becoming obsolete and not much good to many people except as something to rest your drink on.

I must admit I was excited at the beginning of this month when I found out that in addition to Anti-Flag, Rancid, Bob Dylan, Green Day and many other bands that I enjoy, NOFX would have a new album to kick this summer off. I rushed to the record store right after work and picked up my copy for a steal: $8.

Over the last couple of years and albums, NOFX has embraced their old age, alcoholism and "career" as a punk band and renderred songs on these subjects that range from hilarious ("60%," "Mattersville," "Theme From A NOFX Album") to bland ("Wolves In Wolves Clothing.") "Coaster" is no different, and fans will find few surprises within it's twelve tracks. "First Call" is a festive celebration of the morning after being no reason to stop the party, "Best God In Show" mocks the simple mentality of blind faith in religion, "The Agony Of Victory" is yet another send up of the band's ever-growing age; all firmiliar subjects, packed with a few new twists on the jokes.

As a complete product, the album is enjoyable, though not remarkable. The instrumentation is very good, as would be expected, the production is clear, though not slick (which is definitely on purpose, as the band thanks many early punk bands by name in the liner notes as inspiration over the years) and the songs are catchy without being too bubble gum-y. As far as NOFX albums go, it won't go down in history as ground breaking by anyone's standards, but I'm sure they didn't intend it to. NOFX has not been a band seeking to expand its audience beyond the core that's already on board, and so "Coaster" is not a failure at all, it is just another chapter in the story of an aging punk band.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Won Back This Long-Lost Fan, November 21, 2010

By 

YetAnotherJames (Atlanta, GA, USA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Coaster (MP3 Download)

A long-term NOFX fan since the mid-1990s, I started to lose interest in the band when they released the lackluster So Long and Thanks for All the Shoes and the even worse Pump Up the Valium. By the time they had become a "political" band, I had given up hope. Years went by. A friend of mine, another long-term fan, bought me Coaster and swore I'd love it. He was right.
Coaster starts with a dialog sample, which is a little too 1990s-punk-rock-cliché of a move for me, but at least they chose the sample wisely. It's a dialog excerpt from David Mamet's film Glengarry Glen Ross. The fast-paced "We Called It America" then kicks in, and Fat Mike's mumbly, rambling melody makes a nice juxtaposition over the frantic music. It's catchy, fast, and the guitar work is truly top-notch.
Track two, "The Quitter," employs the classic NOFX vocal harmonies we've all come to love (along with the alcoholism references we've gotten tired of and then grown to love again), and it's in and out before it becomes mundane. Track three, "First Call," is not anything special, but sounds like "single" material and bounces along like a NOFX pop song from the Heavy Petting Zoo era.
The real standout, at least in terms of NOFX breaking new ground, is the introspective "My Orphan Year." Fat Mike divulges key details about his parents' lives and deaths in a certain order that makes for great storytelling. He avoided visiting his ailing father, who ended up dying alone. Just when the listener thinks, "wow, that's cruel," Fat Mike explains how he "nursed and held" his mother as she battled cancer. Now that the listener is wondering why Fat Mike treated his parents differently leading up to their demise, he finally comes out and explains that his mother raised him alone and that his father was hardly ever there for him. The details make it much more poetic than a synopsis like this could do, and the hard-hitting, yet vulnerable, music somehow makes it all even more poignant. Look on Youtube for "My Orphan Year Acoustic" and see how many commenters admit to crying. Once again, this is new ground for NOFX.
The album also includes the blistering "Bruce, Eddie, and Paul," as well as the smarmy "Best God In Show," both standouts as well. There is not a bad song on this album, and the typical track is great.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Surprisingly above average, not one to skip, May 4, 2009

By 

Mike Sheehan (NY) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Coaster (Audio CD)

When I pop in a new NOFX album, I don't expect much, just more of the same. Such as on "Wolves In Wolves Clothing." After a few listens to "Coaster," I actually find the balance to be well suited for the length. Thankfully, they gave us 12 songs and not extra filler tracks. I find the lyrics to be funny in one way or another. Funny in the way of a comedy, and also funny in a mocking sort of way- I find Fat Mike to be a bad choice to take your politics from, however he was probably a stepping stone to more serious issues for many people, which I have to give him credit for. Nevertheless many of the songs are super catchy and "Coaster" is actually in my top NOFX albums, either no. 3 or 4, which means it's definitely worth checking out.