The Greatest Songs Ever Written (By Us),
NOFXWhat is there left to say about NOFX that hasn’t already been said? This is a band that have been there, done that and well and truly got the t-shirt in their two decades of playing political and party punk rock anthems. This is a band that had a big part in defining what the So-Cal punk rock scene became. This, then, is their latest release, a greatest hits if you will. The album is entitled ‘The Greatest Songs Ever Written (By Us)’ and features 27 songs, spanning almost an hour of music.
Instead of growing old gracefully like most men their age, NOFX are still as relevant today as they were twenty years ago. You only have to look at the recent anti-Bush campaigning and the last album ‘War On Errorism’ to see NOFX still have something to say. ‘The Greatest Songs Ever Written (By Us) takes us on a musical journey through the career of the band. The nature of greatest hits albums means that you can never satisfy every fans needs but this 27-song set certainly recalls many highlights.
Right from the very first song, ‘Dinosaurs Will Die’, all the memories of how good this band can be came flooding back to me. I’ll be honest and admit I haven’t listened to NOFX in a good while, but this disc re-enforced how relevant they were and still are. For a lot of people my age NOFX will be amongst a clutch of bands that defined what punk rock should sound like. Songs like ‘Linoleum’, ‘Murder The Government’ and ‘It’s My Job To Keep Punk Rock Elite’ are timeless. From the politics of ‘The Idiots Are Taking Over’ to the beer fuelled fun of ‘Bottles To The Ground’, this band have proven time and time again they know how to pen a great song. There is also a solid new song provided for completists in the shape of ‘Wore Out The Soles Of My Party Boots’. In an age where image seems to be the most important aspect of any new punk band it’s refreshing to be reminded that there are still bands out there with their values intact.
The Greatest Songs Ever Written (By Us) proves to be a fitting celebration of one of the most successful and sarcastic punk rock bands of the last two decades. If your record collection is a little short on NOFX albums then this retrospective demands your purchase. Raise your glasses (or cans) to a band that have done so much for the modern punk rock scene…
www.nofx.org
Mark
