The Offspring - Ixnay On The Hombre [A Diamond in the Rough].

Before I leave for the day, I would like to go over one more old favourite of mine – Ixnay on the Hombre by The Offspring.

Album: Ixnay on the Hombre

Artist: The Offspring

Released: February 4, 1997

Genres: Punk rock
Obtained: Last month, handed down by my father, who purchased the CD in 1998

OVERVIEW

This album, whose title is a skewed translation of “F**k The Man,” a protest against authority/societal standards, didn’t chart quite as high as Smash, but came in probably close second or third (next to Americana from 1998). This track I found to have a lot more hidden treasures than smash-hit singles.

The song from this album that most people might recognize (“Gone Away”) is a mournful tribute to lead singer Dexter Holland’s former girlfriend, who he lost in a car accident. As harrowing and heart-wrenching as the lyrics and story behind them are, it’s not something I would put on my mp3 player and walk around listening to, despite my guilty pleasure for emotional ballads and the like.

While most listeners might say that “Gone Away” was the only single on the album worth listening to more than once, I found my love for this album in the more unorthodox skater-punk style tracks such as “Mota,” an ode to numb-brained potheads, and “Cool To Hate,” whose title speaks for itself.

Tracks like those remind me of Smash and its rebellious yet introspective themes. They appear to be angsty and immature at first listen, but underneath the crude jokes and insults are words that bring insight into the ways of people and experiences that many of us can relate to, such as the like-parent-like-child theme of “Way Down The Line.”

If you don’t own this album already, I’m not urging you to go out and order it now; I’m merely paying respect to some of the band’s less appreciated songs and showing them the love they deserve.

Thank you for reading, and have a great weekend. =)

Favorite Tracks:

1. Mota

2. Me & My Old Lady

3. Cool To Hate

4. Way Down The Line

5. The Meaning of Life