Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
ONLY BUY THIS IF YOU ARE A HARDCORE NOFX FAN!!!!, August 4, 2000
Rough vocals, rough music, rough everything. I don't recommend buying this cd unless you are a huge fan. Definitely don't buy this as your first NOFX album. It's fun to listen to every once in a while just to see how far NOFX has come.
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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
This album really lives up to its name, October 11, 2005
A collection of recordings done by Doug Moody of Mystic Records, Maximum Rocknroll certainly lives up to its name for fans of prog-hardcore thrash punk, and most certainly outshoots the wimpy, over regurgitated ska-tinged pop rock that flowed throughout most of No F-X's later releases.
With a solid amount of thrash at the roots, songs like Live Your Life and Too Mixed Up show the band's tendencies to craft together quick, usually up to 15-second long jams of different tempos, beats and guitar tunes together into fast, furious tracks (each track is at the maximum of 2 and a half minutes, with the exception of a cover of Black Sabbath's Iron Man). While the fusion of each of these jams is at times sloppy (give or take lyrics all following in the same vein), they keep the backbone for the album's progressive character that keep the listener coming back for more, while the catchier tracks such as the oi-inspired Hold It Back or the pseudo-suspenseful bass-dominated Bang Gang have enough consistent and mind-sticking bass/guitar tunes to spare. The wide character in some of the album's tracks is best proven with the metal-sounding instrumental track, where each of the band members slowly jam on their instruments together like Led Zeppelin, and at the end of the track one of the band members shouts like a goon, "LET ME DO IT AGAAAAAAIIIIIIIIN."
The band has a pretty basic yet well-crafted plan: Mike's drunken teenage hooligan voice and mostly catchy key-jangling bass tunes meet the fiery, metallic, usually tight and sharp guitar riffs by Eric Melvin. Then it all sews itself together with the rough beats of Erik Sandin, whose typically mid-tempo 2/2 or 3/3 drumbeats are a bit unimpressive until he throws in pulse-pounding machine gun beats that rattle up all the riffs together with loud intensity, making it a screaming, hyper-active frenzy if not with hopping beat (Hit It, On My Mind) or close to funky playing (ID). Of course, this is only further characterized by the snotty vocal feedback (Hit It, Too Mixed Up, Bob Turkee, White Bread), the echo and reverb and the dark, low-note relaxing breakdowns that appear in some tracks to wrap out the thrash-fest with an almost ambient effect (ID, Bob Turkee). Mike's beslubbering and inexperienced vocals add a meaningful accent of their own to the lyrics that have the side of party-crashing goofball humor (Six Pack Girls, Cops And Donuts, Lager In the Dark, Bob Turkee) or mocking and in-the-corner views of lifestyle (Live Your Life, ID). All in all, Maximum Rocknroll is an impressive piece of post-metal thrash punk with an experimental edge. Also, keep in mind: Unlike many later No F-X releases, don't expect poppy melodies here. This album shows the band as proficient hardcore punk rockers that can twist out dark and cutting tunes.
Lastly, check the cover of Black Sabbath's Iron Man. You won't be disappointed.
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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
MRR Review by NOFX on the Web!, December 20, 1998
By A Customer
Maximum Rock 'n' Roll was recorded by members of NOFX in the early days for Doug Moody Productions. It was later released on Mystic Records in 1992. NOFX complains about this recording saying that they were ripped off. Because of this, their next album - Liberal Animation was self-released (DIY style!).Recorded in 1984-1988, it is a compilation of their greatest hits as released on various singles and demos such as the Live Your Life 7", Eric Quacks Like a Duck (demo), and So What if We're on Mystic 7". Of the current members of NOFX, only Eric Melvin and Fat Mike are on this recording. Maximum Rock 'n' Roll is a fast, true, hardcore sound that reflects NOFX's young and brash lifestyle. Much of the album is distorted and difficult to comprehend. It is a sound coming from a band that is just starting out... that is not hard to tell. True NOFX fans are able to see this as the album where NOFX laid down their roots and began what we know now as one of the most successful punk rock careers. This album definitely deserves a good listen. The songs on this album encompass themes such as drugs and alcoholism, teenage rebellion, and non-conformance. The band is still young (late teens), so you won't expect any super-intelligent lyrics. Mom's Rules and Bob Turkee are good examples of this. This album was recorded in the party days of NOFX, probably when they were into some heavy drugs. Just listen to the songs "ID," "Shitting Bricks," and "Drain Bramaged." If you want true, hardcore punk rock and don't like the way NOFX has progressed into punk-pop and ska sounds, you'll like this album. I warn you, it does take some listening too though. Highlights of this album are Six Pack Girls, Iron Man (Black Sabbath), ID, and Memories. Rating: 9/10
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