After 20 years in which they managed to release 13 albums and 17 EPs, NOFX have decided to release a greatest hits album. ‘The Greatest Songs Ever Written: By Us!’ is packed full of some of the tracks that made NOFX what they are today.
Made up of bassist/singer Fat Mike, guitarists Eric Melvin and El Hefe and drummer Erik Ghint, NOFX have not only made a mark on the punk rock scene but inspired many of the big names in punk rock today.
The CD includes 27 tracks that span NOFXs time as a band, and a special booklet that tells you when they started and when they released their albums, along with some hilarious pictures and captions to go with it.
All of the songs on the album are brilliant, and here I'm gonna go through them track by track:
Dinosaurs will Die: Off of the album 'Pump up the Valuum,' this is one of NOFX's more serious songs. Its about bands getting publicised and popular just to make money, and not caring about the music. A good song to kick off the album.
Linoleum: Fast paced and catchy, this is a song off of NOFXs biggest selling album 'Punk in Drublic.' I think that its about going through a *** time in your life and relying on heroin, but im not sure. Anyway its a really good song, one of my favourites.
Bob: This song is as good as it is funny. From the album 'White Trash, Two Heebs and a Bean,' Bob is about a man who has a drinking problem and his liver explodes so that he can't drink anymore. From the reggae trumpet interlude to the fast paced hardcore verse, this song is weird, but awesome at the same time. Listen to the outro and try not to laugh.
The Seperation of Church and Skate: Fast paced complicated riff, bratty and sarcastic vocals and a mindblowing solo, this is NOFX to the bone. Off of their latest album 'The War on Errorism,' this song is all about new bands turning punk rock into a scene of kids who listen to Busted and McFly and wear a helmet while skating on the sidewalk.
Murder the Government: It may only be 45 seconds long, but it made it on to this album! A track off the album 'So Long and Thanks for all the Shoes,' its pretty self-explanatory what this song is about.
Bleeding Heart Disease: This is a good song, but I dunno what its about. However I can tell you that its off of 'Heavy Petting Zoo,' and that its an excellent song.
Bottles to the Ground: This songs about getting drunk, like a lot of songs by NOFX. It’s another wonder off of 'Pump up the Valuum.'
180 Degrees: Starts off with a ska intro, the main part of the song is punk rock, and then a ska outro. Typical NOFX then. It’s not that great song but I can still listen to it, this is another track off of ‘So Long and Thanks for all the Shoes.’
Party Enema: This is an average NOFX song, but good considering it came off of their outtakes album ’45 or 46 songs that weren’t good enough to go on our other albums.’
What’s the Matter with Kids Today: This is quite a good song once you get around to liking it. Another self explanatory one, another track off of ‘Heavy Petting Zoo.’
Reeko: This song has cool lyrics, but its not that great compared to some of the other tracks. It starts off with a ska-ish intro with the lyrics about a guy who doesn’t want to clean up after a party, then after a cool solo it breaks into a hardcore ending which compares this lazy guy to the president, who has done all this stuff but never bothered to sort it out after its gone terribly wrong. Its off of ‘Punk in Drublic.’
Stickin in My Eye: This is one of the highlights of the album, starting off with a cool bass intro, and breaking into the main riff, a much heavier, more hardcore part of the song. Its off the album ‘White Trash, Two Heebs and a Bean.’
All Outta Angst: A cool ska song with trumpet and offbeat guitar, its yet another song off of ‘So Long and Thanks for all the Shoes.’
Leave It Alone: One of NOFX’s more famous songs, this is a pretty good song that a lot of people like, but its not my favourite. It’s off of ‘Punk in Drublic.’
Green Corn: This is maybe the heaviest on the album, and one of the best. The only track off of the album ‘Ribbed,’ I dunno why because Ribbed is an awesome album. Mind blowing solo.
The Longest Line: this is the softest song on the album, but still really good. Its off of the EP ‘The Longest Line.’
Thank God Its Monday: Its good the first time you listen to it, but after a few times of listening to it I find it gets a bit boring. Still, it’s ok I guess, and quite funny. It’s off the album ‘Pump Up the Valuum.’
The Idiots are Taking Over: Cool bass intro, cool song. Political lyrics about the government being ***. Its another one off of ‘The War on Errorism.’
Don’t call me White: This is probably the most famous song by NOFX. Yet another one off of the popular album ‘Punk in Drublic,’ its about racism and about not being able to help what your born into.
Day to Daze: This is a pretty good song, I never liked it at first. It’s the only track from ‘S&M Airlines,’ on the album.
Soul Doubt: This is a good song, kind of similar to ‘Green Corn’ and ‘Stickin in my Eye.’ Pretty good track, and off of ‘White Trash, Two Heebs and a Bean.’
Philthy Phil Philanthropist: This is a cool song, one of my favourites. The glockenspiel is not an instrument I’d choose for a punk rock song, but hey, it works! This song is kind of punk rock/ska, and its awesome. Its another track from ‘Heavy Petting Zoo.’
Shut Up Already: I never used to like this track, but now its definitely one of my favourites on the album. It’s funny, because this song is about vegetarians moaning about meat-eaters, and now bassist/singer/song-writer Fat Mike is a vegetarian. Anyway, this song is off NOFX’s second album ‘Liberal Animation.’
It’s My Job to Keep Punk Rock Elite: This is another track about punk rock becoming to accessible. It is YET ANOTHER track off of ‘So Long and Thanks for all the Shoes,’ and the last.
Franco Un-American: Now this is a cool song. Full of weird guitar effects and catchy riffs, this track is unique and not what you’d expect from NOFX, but excellent in its own way. The song is a sarcastic look at the government’s point of view. Its off the album ‘The War on Errorism.’
Kill All the White Man: Hilarious, the first time you hear it. After that it isn’t funny, but you realise what a good song it is even without the humour. It starts off reggae style, with a mock Jamaican accent from guitarist El Hefe. And the outro is punk rock. Brilliant song from ‘The Longest Line.’
Wore Out The Soles of my Party Boots: It seems that NOFX have left the best until last. Exclusive to this album, this song is about having a blast in the punk rock scene while you’re young, but once you get older its not so fun anymore. Awesome song, perhaps my favourite on the album.
So there you have it. 27 songs that highlight NOFXs career so far. I rate it 4 out of 5 as they missed out on some classics (Moron Brothers, The Brews, Liza and Louise?), however most of the songs on the album definitely deserve to be on there. So go out and buy this CD, its well worth the money.