Self-esteem (The Offspring) (LP 4470 - 4472)

The Offspring  Smash (CD, Epitaph Records, 1994) ****  

The Offspring  Ixnay on the Hombre (CD, Columbia/Epitaph Records, 1997) ***  

The Offspring  Americana (CD, Columbia Records, 1998) ****  

Genre: Punk rock, pop, punk metal 

Places I remember: St Lukes music shop, Real Groovy Records

Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles: Staring at the Sun (Americana)

Gear costume: Self Esteem (Smash)

They loom large in his legend (The Album Collection playlists): Part 1; Part 2; Part 3; Part 4; Part 5; Part 6; Part 7

Active compensatory factors: I first came across The Offspring on a sampler compilation. Their punkish sound with pop smarts and sense of humour were the factors that endeared me to the band.

Smash delivers on every front. It was their third album and their commercial breakthrough thanks to the successful run of songs - Come Out and Play, Self Esteem, and Gotta Get Away.

Their fourth album - Ixnay on the Hombre continues the guitar riff fun but maybe without so many commercial hooks. Nevertheless, four singles came from the album - All I Want, Gone Away, The Meaning of Life, and I Choose. It wasn't hardcore, and it had enough heavy metal crunch for me to stay current with the band.

The final album on my list was their fifth - Americana. It again contained a lot of bright punk pop moments like the huge hit Pretty Fly (For a White Guy) and She's Got Issues but Staring at the Sun was my favourite track - all boiling energy. Love it! 

Where do they all belong? I lost track of them post Americana.