Review Summary: 20 years later, and "Ixnay on the Hombre" still holds up as an excellent punk album with some of The Offspring's most memorable songs.
20 years ago, The Offspring released their fourth studio album, "Ixnay on the Hombre." It was much anticipated, as its predecessor was the band's breakthrough commercial success, 1994's "Smash." Although this album did not sell as well as "Smash" or 1998's "Americana", it was still a commercial success, and is widely considered one of The Offspring's best albums by fans, and for good reason.
Every member of the band gets their chances to shine on "Ixnay", but what stands out most may just be the lyrics. The extremely fun and catchy "I Choose" contains some of the most interesting lyrics that frontman Dexter Holland has ever written, and really shows how great of a songwriter he can be when he puts his mind to it. However, it's the more serious songs where the lyrics really help bring the song to life. "Gone Away" is undoubtedly one of the band's best songs, and was also one of their most commercially successful songs. But this song goes far beyond the silly singles that The Offspring have sort of become known for. This is a very sad song in which Dexter sings about losing a loved one. When he sings about how "it feels like heaven is so far away", it is easy for anyone who has lost a loved one to relate. This emotional track is certainly the biggest highlight of the album. "Amazed" and album closer "Change The World" are also standouts, and the lyrics are also strong points in these tracks. "Amazed" also contains perhaps Dexter's best vocal performance on the album. The song seems to be about feeling stuck in the same place in life, and feeling that there's "no more hope for better days." In "Change The World", Dexter sings about people who claim that they want to make a difference in the world, but really just care about themselves.
While every track mentioned so far is longer than a typical Offspring song, "Ixnay" still offers some short, fast-paced punk songs. "All I Want" and "The Meaning Of Life" are great examples of this. The former clocks in at under two minutes, and is exactly what a punk song should be. It moves at a furious pace as Dexter shouts about not wanting to be controlled, and just wanting to live his own life. The latter has a similar meaning, and also contains some of Noodles's best riffs on the album. Speaking of Noodles, his performance is strong throughout. He really adds to the mood of "Gone Away", but also creates some memorable moments in the more lighthearted tunes, such as "Mota" and the wonderfully weird "Me And My Old Lady." His strongest performance comes in "I Choose." The main riff is quite catchy, and the solo found in the bridge extremely well done. In each song, the guitar work just seems to fit perfectly. Bassist Greg K. also has his shining moments. His performance is especially notable on "Amazed" and "Change The World", which happen to be the album's last two tracks. Ron Welty, who left the band in 2003, provides steady, solid drum work. He dominates the openings of "Mota" of "Gone Away."
Another strong point of "Ixnay" is its consistency. Unlike more recent efforts from The Offspring, this album doesn't really have any tracks that feel skip-worthy. "Way Down The Line" and "Don't Pick It Up" may not be the strongest tracks on here, but they are far from bad. They are both fun to listen to, and "Don't Pick It Up" contains some pretty humorous lyrics. It's also the most ska-influenced song, sounding reminiscent of a track from "Smash" titled "What Happened To You?" "Cool To Hate" is an extremely sarcastic song in which Dexter pokes fun at people who simply hate everything. It may seem repetitive to some, but it's a nice sing-along . I mean, I for one think it's pretty fun to sing along with lyrics like: "Yeah, I hate everything. I even hate you too, so *** you!" The album does contain one track that's pretty forgettable. "Leave It Behind" is a fairly bland song, and could easily be given the dreaded "filler" tag. Although it's not very good, it's not terrible. It also lasts less than two minutes, so it is certainly bearable. The opening "Disclaimer", as well as "Intermission" are also worth mentioning. Both of these tracks are used mostly for comic relief. "Disclaimer" is a funny and sarcastic warning about what the album contains, while "Intermission" is a very short...well...intermission. It's also pretty funny.
This album is strong in just about every area. The guitar riffs are powerful but catchy, the bass and drums fit in well with each song, and the lyrics are just outstanding. The members of the band complement each other so well, resulting in a great listen. The mix of catchy and funny songs, along with emotional and hard-hitting songs, is what really makes this album what it is. It's easy to see why many fans consider this to be one of, if not the very best effort from The Offspring. But the best way to measure an album's impact is to see if it withstands the test of time. "Ixnay on the Hombre" certainly has.
Top Tracks:
Gone Away
I Choose
All I Want
Amazed
Change The World
