(Punk/Pop Punk) NOFX - The Decline

[Kif]

Tracks:

01: The Decline

What other band has an 18 minute song? Wait, let me rephrase that. What other band could pull off an 18 minute song? Not many, yet NOFX have done it. This is NOFX's symphony and it is very well done. At first it sounds like it could be split up into several songs, but after you hear it again and again, you realize it wouldn't be the same if it was cut up.

This song has a part almost anyone will like. There are fast guitar parts, slow parts, a lot of bass sometimes, horns at the end and a few solos in the song. Lyrically this song is very good as well. The opening lyrics "Where are all these stupid people from, and how'd the get to be so dumb?" is great because it asks a question and you want to hear the rest to try and find some sort of an answer.

All in all, this one song is very well written and, even though at sometimes is quite boring and plain, it still makes you want to listen to the end.

I give it 4/5

[Drunk Hobo]

I'm looking for a NOFX record, and I was looking at this one because it was quite cheap. I thought it was a full album or an EP or something. I'll check it out though.

[FillInTheBlankHere___]

Progressive punk = :thumb:

I'm not a big fan of punk, yet I love this song. I think it's excellent, and it flows very well together.

[simplephotographinthesun]

imo, this is an amazing song.

[rancidpunk]

havent heard it many times because its a 20 minute cimittment but yes it was very good and nofx comtinues to amaze me

[Burford Redneck]

Amazing song

[sweboy]

Indeed.

[brycey]

great song.
great band.
great review. :thumb:

[guitarded_chuck]

Great song, but who would buy a record with one 18 minute long song on it? Especially with the price of CD's these days. Although I guess it wouldn't be as expensive, but still...has anyone actually bought that?

[simplephotographinthesun]

i doubt its over 5 bucks, if it is *shakes fist*

[Ganondorf]

I downloaded it

[wheelz]

i have so much respect for a band like nofx trying something like this.

[londoncalling]

It's a good song, but **** nofx and **** fat mike. not to say the music is bad, but they are bad. they sold their friends on fat wreck to interscope records. in case you don't know, that basically means that they sold all those good punk bands to fred ****in durst. how much lame can you get. blink 182 sucks, guinness owns.

[deadmilkmen5]

it is awsome

and it's worth every penny

[spoon_of_grimbo]

i dont care about the price thats one hell of a good song, and londoncalling, you obviously dont know what you're talking about because fat wreck chords do one album deals, so fat mike didn't "sell" anyone, the bands you are referring to just made the one album they signed a contract for, and then left the label.

[Vietnow]

I dont like nofx and I dont like "The Decline". Everyone goes crazy for this song and i honestly dont know why?

[rancidpunk]

Because its amazing lyrically and has amzing instrument playing, like nofx or not this is the greatest song ever.(IMO)

[wasting_space46]

I have the vinyl, but no turntable. [/pathetic]

[Drunk Hobo]

It's a good song, but **** nofx and **** fat mike. not to say the music is bad, but they are bad. they sold their friends on fat wreck to interscope records. in case you don't know, that basically means that they sold all those good punk bands to fred ****in durst. how much lame can you get. blink 182 sucks, guinness owns.

Shut up you knob. Label can't force bands on their roster anywhere, all they can do is drop them.

Out of curiosity, who did they sell to Interscope?

[collectersedition]

this is without doubt the best song in history og music... AHHHHH!!! its so good...

[Vietnow]

If you think this is the best song, ever in exsistence.. then you obviously have never heard alot of music. I'm not bashing people who like this song.. because people have there own tastes.. but seriously.. the best song in history?

[PDWAB]

If you look on the back of the CD, it says "Do not pay more than $11.00 for this album"

[thisistj]

its worth every penny

[rancidpunk]

I paid 14 dollars :upset: but i think the 11 dollars is American currency so that IS like 14 dollars haha!

[peber]

anyone want to see the analysis i did of the song??

[jimmymcmahon2001]

Progressive punk = :thumb:

I'm not a big fan of punk, yet I love this song. I think it's excellent, and it flows very well together.
Its not "Prog Punk", just because its long, doesnt make it prog.

To me, this song is so "meh". I cant see why people see it as the greatest song ever. Or even a great song at all.

[GooseFilms.net]

ph. The Decline's a good song, but the album can eat my ***.
Let's see, first of all, the whole CD is 18 mins long. 18 minutes. 18 mins is barely gonna get me anywhere.
Second, it's not priced down dramatically or anything. My friend bought it (and i dont know why) for $18. That's the retail price. They're selling it at a dollor a minute. More than a cent a second. I've got a kickass CD thats about 72 mins long, whch i got for 16 new. And, well 16 and 4 is 40... and 24... so thats what... 64... and 9... what, 73? so there you have it. a dollar for each 4.5 minutes. All I'm saying is that if you want the Decline, just get the MP3 from wherever.
Lastly, I personally don't have the attention span to get through a single song for 18 minutes. but maybe thats just me.
1/5

[DFelon204409]

ph. The Decline's a good song, but the album can eat my ***.
Let's see, first of all, the whole CD is 18 mins long. 18 minutes. 18 mins is barely gonna get me anywhere.
Second, it's not priced down dramatically or anything. My friend bought it (and i dont know why) for $18. That's the retail price. They're selling it at a dollor a minute. More than a cent a second. I've got a kickass CD thats about 72 mins long, whch i got for 16 new. And, well 16 and 4 is 40... and 24... so thats what... 64... and 9... what, 73? so there you have it. a dollar for each 4.5 minutes. All I'm saying is that if you want the Decline, just get the MP3 from wherever.
Lastly, I personally don't have the attention span to get through a single song for 18 minutes. but maybe thats just me.
1/5

Well. Your terrible attention span and ignorance is no reason to rate this song poorly. First of all this CD is an EP. EPs can range from 10-25 minutes. Did you yell at NOFX for releasing the 14 minute long Surfer or **** the Kids EPs? Also, NOFX's CDs vary in length from 28 minutes to 35 minutes so it's not like an 18 minute song is any less than half a CD. Your friend is an idiot. He bought 18 dollars worth of music for 18 dollars. That doesn't mean the song is bad. About the whole attention span thing, that CD has so many different sections that it varies more than NOFX's acutal full lengths. So Long and Thanks for All the Shoes, which in my opinion is the least varied NOFX CD has 16 songs and is about 32 minutes long. That straight 32 minutes of similarity is way more monotonous and demanding of a good attention span than 18 concise minutes of many different movements. Aside from my flaming you for being an idiot, I think this is a great song. One of my top 3 ever.
5/5

[our_dead]

NOFX- THE DECLINE

This song is 20 minutes long, It's just one CD with one Song. THe Decline is a 20 minute song about the problems in america. NOFX's Epic is one of their best, if the not THE best, song I have heard from them. It starts with a dark guitar riff and ends with the sounds of footsteps playing over the outro. A trumpet (at least that's what I think it is) part that is ahrd to forget. The song deals with gun control, TV, and any other problem that america has. And though this song is mainly about Maerica it concerns the entire human race.

5/5


Here are the lyrics:

Where are all the stupid people from?
And how'd they get to be so dumb?
Bred on purple mountain range
Feed amber waves of grains
To lesser human beings, zero feelings

Blame it on
Human nature, mans destiny (mans destiny)
Blame it on the greediocracy (greediocracy)
Fear of God
The fear of change
The fear of truth

Add the Bill of Rights, subtract the wrongs
There's no answers
Memorize and sing star spangled songs
When the questions
Aren't ever asked
Is anybody learning from the past?
We're living in united stagnation

Father what have I done?
I took that 22
A gift to me from you
To bed with me each night
Kept it clean
Polished it well
Cherished every cartridge, every shell

Down, by the creek, under brush, under dirt
There's a carcass of my second kill
Down, by the park, under stone, under pine
There's a carcass of my brother William
Brother where, have you gone to?
I swear, I never thought I could
I see so many times
They told me to shoot straight
Don't pull the trigger, squeeze
That will insure a kill
A kill is what you want
A kill is why we breed

The Christians love their guns
The church and NRA
Pray for their salvations
Prey on the lower faiths

The story book's been read
And every line believed
Curriculum's been set
Logic is a threat
Reason searched and seized

Jerry spent some time in Michigan
A twenty year vacation, after all he had a dime
A dime is worth a lot more in Detroit
A dime in California, a twenty dollar fine

Jerry only stayed a couple months
It's hard to enjoy yourself while bleeding out the ***
Asphyxiation is simple and fast
It beats seventeen fun years of being someones bitch

Don't think (Stay)
Drink your wine (Home)
Watch the fire burn (Be)
His problems not mine (Safe)
Just be that model citizen

I wish I had a schilling
(For each senseless killing)
For every senseless killing
I'd buy a government
America's for sale
And you can get a good deal on it
(A good deal on it)
And make a healthy profit
Or maybe, tear it apart
Start with assumption
That a million people are smart
Smarter than one

Serotonin's gone
She gave up, drifted away
Sara fled, thought process gone
She left her answering machine on
The greeting left spoken sincere
Messages no one will ever hear

Ten thousand messages a day
A million more transmissions lay
Victims of the laissez faire
Ten thousand voices, a hundred guns
A hundred decibels turns to one
One bullet, one empty head
Now with Serotonin gone

The man who used to speak
Performs a cute routine
Feel a little patronized
Don't feel bad
They found a way inside your head
And you feel a bit misled
It's not that they don't care, yeah

The television's put a thought inside your head
Llike a Barry Manilow, jingle
I'd like, to teach the world to sing
In perfect harmony
A symphonic blank stare, yeah
It doesn't make you care (make you care)
Not designed to make you care (make you care)
They're betting you won't care (you won't...)

Place a wager on your greed
A wager on your pride
Why try to beat them when, a million others tried?

We are the whore
Intellectually spayed
We are the queer
Dysfunctionally raised

One more pill to kill the pain
One more pill to kill the pain
One more pill to kill the pain
Living through conformity

One more prayer to keep me safe
One more prayer to keep us warm
One more prayer to keep us safe
There's gonna be a better place

Lost the battle, lost the war
Lost the things worth living for
Lost the will to win the fight
One more pill to kill the pain

Na na na na na
La na na na na
Na na na na na
Na na na na na

The going get tough, the tough get debt
Don't pay attention, pay the rent
Next of kins pay for your sins
A little faith should keep us safe

Save us
The human, existence
Is failing, resistance
Essential, the future
Written off, the odds are
Astronomically against us
Only moron and genius
Would fight a losing battle
Against the super ego
When giving in is so **** comforting

And so we go, on with our lives
We know the truth, but prefer lies
Lies are simple, simple is bliss
Why go against tradition when we can
Admit defeat, live in decline
Be the victim of our own design
The status quo, built on suspect
Why would anyone stick out their neck?

Fellow members
Club "We've Got Ours"
I'd like to introduce you to our host
He's got his, and I've got mine
Meet the decline

We are the queer
We are the whore
Ammunition
In the class war
We are worker
We love our queen
We sacrifice
We're soilent green

We are the queer
We are the whore
Ammunition
In the class war

[Bartender]

Review already done; threads merged.

[The JoZ]

Psh. Dream Theater has A Change of Seasons which is 23 minutes long, and 6 Degrees of Inner Turbulence, which is a whole disc by itself, and ultimately, a 42 minute song.

I've never heard this, but I hate hearing people go "OMG it's 18 minutes long it roxx0rz"

Length does not = quality.

[Bartender]

As 6 Degrees proves.

[The JoZ]

Yeah, 6 Degrees the song is not that great.

I like parts of it, but parts of it seem to drag on incessantly. Like, most of it.

War Inside My Head is a great movement...and the Overture would be great if it were about 3 minutes long...

The rest...not that special.

[cbmartinez]

Good review. I wanna' hear this song.

Edit: Kif's review.

[Bartender]

Yeah, 6 Degrees the song is not that great.

I like parts of it, but parts of it seem to drag on incessantly. Like, most of it.

War Inside My Head is a great movement...and the Overture would be great if it were about 3 minutes long...

The rest...not that special.

Yeah, I only like about half of them. Some of them I really like though.

Anyway, this is a NOFX review.

[our_dead]

Psh. Dream Theater has A Change of Seasons which is 23 minutes long, and 6 Degrees of Inner Turbulence, which is a whole disc by itself, and ultimately, a 42 minute song.

I've never heard this, but I hate hearing people go "OMG it's 18 minutes long it roxx0rz"

Length does not = quality.


Hey I like it cuz I like it, not cuz it's 18 minutes long.

[Four Ton Mantis]

anyone want to see the analysis i did of the song??
okay...


I'm not a huge fan of NOFX these days, since I pretty much stopped listening to punk all together 3 years ago. But the Decline is an exception. By far thier best song, and not just becuase of the length. If you broke the entire thing up unto 3 minutes parts those parts would still **** on most of thier other songs.

The lyrics are good too.

[RIPJoeStrummer]

Great song, not an amazing song but still great. Probably my favourite NoFX song but definetly not one of my favourite songs of all time.

[The JoZ]

Hey I like it cuz I like it, not cuz it's 18 minutes long.


More power to you.

But I've encountered alot of people who go, almost literally

"The Decline is awesome, it's an 18 minute song, omfg it r0xx0rz my boxx0rz and u should too! lol!"

Liking the song/group isn't bad, but basing it off it's length is rather dumb.

[Kif]

Wow, this is an old review. Pretty crap compared to my regular ones.

[Tangy zizzle]

I like this song.

[weezerfan]

omg, honestly.....its a masterpiece, and not because of the length. fat mike's voice is one of the better voices in punk.....(lol other than jello), and the lyrics are ****ing great. the transitions between the small, idk what to even call them, (mini verses??) are great. the small, instrumental parts are one of the best things about this ep, and the variety is fantastic. It goes from dark, dreary parts, to music that sounds like it could be the sesame street theme song (towards the beginning, "arent ever asked, is anyone learning from the past"....etc). all in all a great song, that everyone should give a listen to. 5 out of 5, hands down.

[ScorpSath]

How much does it cost?

[Neoteric]

the problem with 20 minute songs is that barely anyone would listen to it the whole way through

[Knifeboy]

Its not "Prog Punk", just because its long, doesnt make it prog.


I haven't heard the song, but I am pretty darned sure it's prog.. I can't see how you can have an 18 min long song without it being a progression from one point to another. Unless it's a boring song. (And, according to the replies, it isn't boring.. hehe)

[Mozzletoffed]

Enjoyable,one of my favorites at the moment..but impossible to play...