So Long & Thanks for All the Shoes

NOFX

Product Details

• Audio CD (November 11, 1997)
• Original Release Date: November 11, 1997
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Epitaph / Ada
• ASIN: B000001IU1
• Also Available in: Audio Cassette  |  Vinyl  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (102 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #8,396 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

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Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

As long as there are bands like NoFX, punk rock needn't worry about requiring life support. Ten years into a remarkable run of smart, snotty, cynical, hopeful, and always in-your-face-albums, Fat Mike and his crew still maintain a winning percentage to rival the Harlem Globetrotters'. Snippets of ska and outright pop enter the mix here and there on this eighth full-length release, but whatever the sound, the mood is as thoroughly smart-ass as ever. More often than not, NoFX's barbs are directed inward--as you might expect from a band with a concert disc entitled I Heard They Suck Live. That giddily defeatist mood is captured perfectly on lunatic sneerfests like "It's My Job to Keep Punk Rock Elite" and "All Outta Angst." --David Sprague

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A solid CD, one of their best., May 31, 1999

By A Customer

"Heavy Petting Zoo" kind of threw a lot of NOFX fans. The songs were slower and more obviously alt-rock derivative than anything else the band had done. Several songs clearly aped the style of Nirvana and other then-popular Seattle bands. It looked like the beginning of the end to some of us.

How wrong we were. This album is a blast, and falls just behind "Punk in Drublic" and "White Trash..." in terms of quality. They picked up stylistically where "Punk in Drublic" left off, and most of the better songs ("Kids of the K Hole," "It's My Job to Keep Punk Rock Elite," "The Desperation's Gone") are in that vein. There are a couple of ska songs, but this is not the dominant flavor of the album by any means. The variations ("All Outta Angst," the cool reggae "Eat the Meek") only serve as breathers between the more raucous, standard-issue NOFX punk songs.

If you have to buy only one punk album, make it "Punk in Drublic." But if you're buying a few, think seriously about this one too. Personally, I can't wait for their next album, and I think people who believe this one to be as weak as "Heavy Petting Zoo" should open their ears and realize that they are seriously in error. (Like I was.)

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One of the best NOFX albums ever, March 23, 2002

By A Customer

I've been a big NOFX fan for a 6 or 7 years now and i just got this cd. Every song is great except for I'm Telling Tim. Theres not a day that goes by that i dont listen to this cd. But i was surprised with the lack of profanity and offensive material that usually makes its way in every NOFX album. I'm going to write a review on each song despite how [dumd] it is to do it.

1. It's My Job to Keep Punk Rock Elite - Awsome song, not very long, but it has a lot of energy and good lyrics. One of my favorites.

2. Kids of the K-Hole - Another great one. One of the Top songs of the whole cd. Again, alot of energy and fast drum playing.

3. Murder the Government - Funny song to listen to if your "Anti" really short. I dont listen to it that much but its still great.

4. Monosyllabic Girl - Kind of a dumb song that just talks about a girl who speaks in one syllable words. Catchy but gets boring.

5. 180 Degrees - The best song on the whole CD. I heard this song about 2 years and bought the CD because of this song. Its a good anti song. A lot of energy. It drifts in and out of a punk and Reggae/ska sound.

6. All His Suits are Torn - Really cool song that old NOFX fans will appreciate more than the newbie poser NOFX fans

7. All Outta Angst - Catchy ska song. Really good.

8. I'm Telling Tim - This song [stinks]. I dont know why they put it on here. It starts out alright but it gets [dumd] when Fat Mike starts singing.

9. Champs Elysees - Really cool song. The funny part is its all in French. The beggining starts out great, then it shifts into a more ska type of song.

10. Dad's Bad News - Great song, One of the best. Its really catchy with a cool chorous and good guitars.

11. Kill Rock Stars - Awsome song. One of the more punk songs on the cd. Fast drums and guitars. really good.

12. Eat the Meek - This song is a great reggae/ska song. It talks about corporate take over or something like that. Pretty cool.

13. The Desparation's Gone - Great song. Another More Punk song. Starts out like some indie song. But it gets good when Mike starts singing

Flossing a Dead Horse - This songs alright. Its a jazzy type song that gets heavier as it progresses.

15. Quart in Session - Catchy sing-a-long song about beer and stuff.

16. Falling in Love - Really good song. The only bad part is how short it is. Has a short howars stern thing at the end which is pretty cool.

Hope this helped. This Cd is great.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars So Long and Thanks for Another Great Album, August 18, 2001

By	Brian (Ohio) - See all my reviews

In the age of MP3's, CD burners, etc...buying the same CD twice would seem quite ridiculous, right? Well, this album was one of the first punk CD's I ever bought, and after owning it for a year I lost it like an idiot. The album and the band are so great I decided to go out and give the legends my support. It was not a bad decision, as I still listen to it on a regular basis; I still like it just as much as I did the first time I heard it.

So Long and Thanks for all the Shoes is simply the best of the best. After NOFX released 'Punk in Drublic' in 1994, they established themselves as the best punk band currently around. Trust me, punk does not get any better than NOFX. And this is easily their best album. The first track, 'It's my Job to Keep Punk Rock Elite' delivers a short and sweet message to MTV and commercial radio stations: Don't play our music, leave us alone, and leave punk rock alone. Lyrically, this album is a masterpiece. Songs like 'Kill Rock Stars', 'Eat the Meek', and '180 Degrees' deliver a serious and important message; whereas songs like 'Monosyllabic Girl', 'All Outta Angst' and 'Quart in Session' display NOFX's wity sense of humor. The album is strongly focused on encouraging people to stop being apathetic and to start caring.

You don't listen to a CD for the lyrics though, do you? Musically this is also NOFX's best release. Fat Mike provides great bass and enthusiastic vocals. The guitars (complement of El Hefe and Melvin) are very heavy in all but three songs, and are simply incredible as always. What really makes this album a standout compared to NOFX's others is the drumming. Erik gives the CD his best performance yet, with fast drums and a great beat.

I bought this album twice, so you really should give these guys some support. It is anything but a waste of money, and it will get you hooked to NOFX.