Americana

The Offspring

Product Details

• Audio CD (November 17, 1998)
• Original Release Date: November 17, 1998
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Sony
• ASIN: B00000DHRZ
• Also Available in: Audio Cassette  |  Vinyl  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (789 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #4,509 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

  Popular in these categories: (What's this?)

  #18 in	Music > Alternative Rock > American Alternative > American Punk
  #35 in	Music > Alternative Rock > Hardcore & Punk > Punk Revival
  #49 in	Music > Alternative Rock > Hardcore & Punk > Punk-Pop

Track Listings

1. Welcome

2. Have You Ever

3. Staring at the Sun

4. Pretty Fly (For a White Guy)

5. Kids Aren't Alright

6. Feelings

7. She's Got Issues

8. Walla Walla

9. End of the Line

10. No Brakes

11. Why Don't You Get a Job?

12. Americana

13. Pay the Man

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

Maybe hanging out with Jello Biafra put the fun-loving spring in Offspring's step. Or perhaps it was just the royalty checks, hot babes, and fast cars. Whatever the case, the band's fourth record, Americana, is its most lively offering to date, replacing angst and rage with energy and sarcasm. The novelty single "Pretty Fly (For a White Guy)" matches infectious riffing and shout-along vocals with fly-girl chants of "Give it to me, baby" and lyrics about wannabe scenesters; and a storming punk-rock version of Morris Albert's "Feelings" sees the band hitting a new level of, er, (in)sensitivity. Elsewhere, the humor is slightly more subtle; "She's Got Issues" cops a new-wave guitar line from the Cars songbook, "The Kids Aren't Alright" opens like an Iron Maiden anthem, and "Why Don't You Get a Job?" is a blatant reggae-style spoof of the Beatles' "Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da." Musically, Americana offers no real revelations, but the songs are a bit craftier and more diverse than the rest of the Offspring oeuvre, veering haphazardly between anthemic punk metal, blistering hardcore, and near-psychedelic experimentation. --Jon Wiederhorn

USA Today

Most bands would be skewered for failing to mature from one album to the next, but arrested adolescence is a virtue in the Offspring's case.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars The Offspring - Americana, February 14, 2000

By	Stephen Horne (Aberdeenshire, Scotland) - See all my reviews

Criticism is abundant when it comes to this release from Dexter and the boys. "They've sold out"..."They're turned into a pop group". Nonsense, I say. Admittedly, a lot of the tracks are far less raucous than their previous work, but if people were to look past this, they'd find that the lyrics are just as intelligent and witty as ever.

'Pretty Fly (For A White Guy)' is a long-awaited mockery of the hip-hop culture, 'Walla Walla' deals with crime and the consequences and 'Americana' shows us that The American Dream isn't all it's cracked up to be. While it may not be up to scratch with neither 'Smash' or 'Ixnay On The Hombre', this is still a great listen and deserves to be included in every Offspring fan's collection.

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Punk Sucks!, November 26, 1999

By	"damiel" (DSM, IA, USA) - See all my reviews

With all the "punk" fans out there trashing Americana, I'm not so sure I WANT to buy the other Offspring CDs. Every track on Americana is awesome, like Pretty Fly, Why Don't You Get A Job, Walla Walla, The Kids Aren't Alright, and Feelings. Everyone should buy this CD. It rocks!

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars yeah, they sold out. but -, July 5, 2006

By	joker in the pack "amanda" (CA) - See all my reviews

the offspring has completely changed compared to their older albums (smash, the offspring, ignition), but this is a good CD still. but "pretty fly (for a white guy)", and "why don't you get a job?", in my opinion kill it! i mean "pretty fly" can be a good song - but if you heard the offspring before like i did - you would reject them for awhile!

welcome: 10/10 i don't really know why though
have you ever: 9/10 two part song - i think the second part is better
staring at the sun: 7/10 not a favorite. i get bored of it really easily.
pretty fly (fly for a white guy): 7/10 okay i guess, but a sell-out
the kids aren't alright: 10/10 awesome song! the intro is just fricken' awesome - and there's just so much truth to the song! real fun to play on guitar!
feelings: 7/10 once again not a favorite...little emo.
she's got issues: 10/10 one of the better songs on the album.
walla walla: 10/10 good speed and good lyrics
the end of the line: 8/10 good song, but it just doesn't hit me as a great one, but it also has good lyrics.
no breaks: 9/10 the chorus draws you to listen to the song
why don't you get a job?: 5/10 good lyrics - but to me the ska they have to it kinda make it sound like: what the f***? but nothing against ska - trust me!
americana: 10/10 i like the intro to this one too. the overall song has a great sound and tone. the lyrics are awesome.
pay the man: 10/10 once again the intro wins it over for me! but when the song actually starts, it has a good sound to it.

so overall, good CD, but if you want to hear the genuine offspring, listen to: the offspring, ignition, and smash!