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Review Summary: There are great songs on “Wolves” that would make for a sensational EP. The problems are that none of them can be played consecutively, and everything in between is disastrous. NOFX crossed the line with “Wolves in Wolves’ Clothing.” Can they afford to cross the line? OF COURSE THEY CAN, THEY’RE NOFX! In developing punk label giant Fat Wreck Chords and working collectively with bands like Lagwagon, Strung Out, and Propagandhi, NOFX has established a firm foundation in the realm of punk rock. The phrase “reputation aside” almost seems like it cannot be employed when referring to NOFX because of their contributions to punk outside of their music. Their work in “Punk in Drublic,” “So Long and Thanks for All the Shoes,” and “White Trash, Two Heebs, and a Bean” have been praised as some of the finest modern punk albums. They have been successful and attracted young punks and made lifelong fans because their music has relevance and a very humorous appeal. So what did they do wrong? Oh, about half of the album.
Absurd punk rock is a guaranteed component of a punk’s listening experience. Whether it’s “Do the Freddy” by Adolescents or “I Wanna be a Bear” by Descendents, absurd punk rock is usually full of the offbeat humor that punks love. The songs are usually short and very fitting for the circle pit. NOFX has thrown in plenty songs like “She’s Nubs,” “Clams Have Feelings Too,” and “I Live in a Cake” to round out their songs about nothing much at all. Does NOFX try their hand at more absurd songs in “Wolves”? Indeed they do. “Benny Got Blowed Up” and “Getting High on the Down Low” are solid efforts. However, there’s something quite different about the rest of these apparent absurd songs. There’s almost nothing wrong with their music as their efforts have been fine tuned for decades. The problem is with the content. There’s far too much detail into songs like “Seeing Double at the Triple Rock,” where the problem is not that the song is silly, it’s that it’s unnecessary. Songs about drinking are fun and fine, except when they are designed to showcase a joke metaphor on a 19-song album. As Fat Mike says on “You Will Lose Faith,” “wrong place at the wrong time.” It qualifies as filler in its purest form. “Cantando en Espanol” is another “canto de mierda.” It was not surprising when “Instant Crassic” also qualified for the loser’s bracket. “Crassic” is easily the worst NOFX love song ever made because of its awful lyrics. Though it’s a love song about how it feels to be without someone, there are infinite other alternatives for getting a point across than:
“I'm swimming in a sea of pee
I'm hiking up a big mountain of poo…
…I'm diving in a bowl of puke
I'm fly fishing a stream of puss”
“The Marxist Brothers” is perhaps the worst song on the album and opens a new can of worms with NOFX. This song in particular is absolutely unnecessary. What makes it so intolerable is that it’s self-indulgent. Protests are great if you believe in the cause. Driving a hybrid car deserves appreciation. However, it should raise some eyebrows that NOFX developed the song into a self-indulgent anthem. This is why the opener 60% and its reprise, songs mainly about NOFX and their career, are such loads of garbage. Punk isn’t about self-indulgence, or pretension. This isn’t Indie rock (sort of kidding).
Though this album has tremendous shortcomings, there are still roughly half of the songs on the album to sort through and enjoy. “USA-holes,” “We March to the Beat Indifferent Drum,” and the title track are all great songs because they take stabs at the United States government with both humor that results from convincing arguments and disappointing truths. “Doornails” is an honest song about paying tribute to buddies who have passed on or made “black marks on us all.” It’s a fine ballad with well-meaning.
As far as intangibles, it was unfortunate to see an attack on Propagandhi front man Chris Hannah, but NOFX did have a point about what an angry little man Hannah was becoming. However, public humiliation cannot be credited with much class. There’s also a neat hidden track that will delight dedicated fans.
There are several conclusions that can be drawn from listening to this album. First, NOFX is still capable of making great music. Second, no matter what NOFX releases, fans will likely flock to the material in eager anticipation and judge the work based on how many jokes Fat Mike tells. There will be plenty. Furthermore, NOFX has their best material behind them. It would have been difficult to make this determination immediately after the release of The War on Errorism, but it is very clear because of the new style NOFX is taking on. Unless NOFX quits their self-indulgent crap and unnecessary filler material, they will not improve and will only retain fans with blind faith that will stick around until the last hike up the big mountain of poo.
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Album Rating: 3.5
good review. i hope they have a couple more solid albums left in them. something on the level of the decline. you nailed it with this album though.
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Can't get into this very much, but NOFX are a funny bunch of little kids.
| | | Album Rating: 4.0
Sorry, but this is your worst review yet. You claim that you are well aware that the album is filled with absurd humor, but still take The Marxist Bros and Instant Crassic like they are serious songs?
And since when has NOFX not written about being complete musical slackers. "We Ain't Shit"? "Theme From a NOFX Album"? So you can't really put 60% at fault for that.
That, and you mention nothing about the music itself. On top of that, the fact that punk is supposed to remain without pretension doesn't really matter in regards to the music.
| | | Album Rating: 4.0
You Will Lose Faith is one of the best songs on this album, and few people seem to notice that.
I completely agree with everything Intransit said
| | | Album Rating: 3.0
Sorry, but as a longtime NOFX fan and punk rock fan in general, no one in their right mind can disagree that the band hit a particular low-point on this album, musically. It's just f*cking BORING in general and the great songs (USA-Holes, WIWC, 100 Times Fuckeder, etc.) are few and far between. If you like the "newer" NOFX, stick with Pump Up The Valuum or The Decline, and remember when NOFX used to be the best punk band ever with albums like SLATFATS, Punk In Drublic, and White Trash instead of the tired self-parody they are now.
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Yeah, how can others think that this is a great album. I mean StrizzMatik has the correct opinion.
| | | Album Rating: 3.5
actually your review--in attempting to cite what nofx have done wront--actually solidifies what they have done right with this album: how to offend.
in particualar your analysis of "marxist bros." and "60%" verify this: you don't like their 'self-indulgence' (i.e. holier than though cocky attitude)
now, if nofx have learned one thing from the 20+ career in the industry, its that nothing probably offsets or disturbs the irony-ridden gramcian logic of most punks than being 'self-indulgent'
and that in itself is fucking punk, and they know it.
/0.02
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You're absolutely right mordant, I definitely dislike their self-indulgent attitude.
Specifically, I didn't like the way they brought their point across. To mention effort of other bands and declare themselves markedly superior is not worthy of a song on a record. It could have probably qualified as a note in the jacket. Is that the theme of the record? Aren't we talking about the United States? What was their goal? If it's not part of making good music, I don't see why it belongs on the album other than to keep NOFX happy with fans just buying the material and attempting to make sense of it.
When NOFX loses their focus for the sole purpose of entertainment and showmanship, their albums begin to suck. There's not much higher meaning in the punk world, and almost everything should be taken at face value. This would have been a great album if it wasn't designed to give them a monster set-list at their next show. It's not an album as much as it is a display of power. And who the hell cares about that? Why the hell should I care as a listener? Tracks 1, 3, 5, 12, 14, and 18 are for frickin' tools, man.
Lastly, thanks for the comments my fellow NOFX fans. I know we have a sharp difference of opinion and that leaving out music descriptions in this was quite a mistake, but I felt that content stuck out to the point of determining the rating.
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Sorry, but this is your worst review yet. You claim that you are well aware that the album is filled with absurd humor, but still take The Marxist Bros and Instant Crassic like they are serious songs?
And since when has NOFX not written about being complete musical slackers. "We Ain't ****"? "Theme From a NOFX Album"? So you can't really put 60% at fault for that.
That, and you mention nothing about the music itself. On top of that, the fact that punk is supposed to remain without pretension doesn't really matter in regards to the music.
I don't take Marxist Bros as serious, but I'm serious when I analyze it. I declared it a self-indulgent anthem because this subject matter is a trend that friends of mine and myself have begun to take part in. I don't need an anthem. It's obvious that Crassic is not a serious song, but it really is awful. I don't mind if NOFX writes about musical slackers, and I am well versed in their entire discography, but they went beyond that on 60%. Who do they think they are lately? Jay-Z? That's a good record choice, how good they are.
I didn't write much about the music because I focused solely on the content, which is truly a fault. The music is the same and I had no problem with it. They still get my air drums going.
| | | Album Rating: 3.5
Specifically, I didn't like the way they brought their point across. To mention effort of other bands and declare themselves markedly superior is not worthy of a song on a record. It could have probably qualified as a note in the jacket. Is that the theme of the record? Aren't we talking about the United States? What was their goal? If it's not part of making good music, I don't see why it belongs on the album other than to keep NOFX happy with fans just buying the material and attempting to make sense of it.
This continues to verify why this album works so well: the self-indulgence (which i believe Nofx are entitled to given their recognition as one of the most successful punk bands in history) gets under the skin of overzealous punks- uh not that I'm accusing you of that or anything.
however, you seem to be to obsessed with the "theme" of the record. there is no theme, Nofx records rarely have a theme and other than "The Decline" I'd prefer that didn't. Their music works best when its:
a) a grab-bag of different styles and attitudes of songs (angry, political, dumb, upbeat, etc.)
b) they work their tongue-in-cheek sarcasm to the throes, all the while underlaying that despite all this "ain't shit"
This album does both wonderfully IMO.
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I agree with your a) and b) and I feel that they have fulfilled each qualification in the past, but I also feel that the songs that qualified for those categories this time around could have been much better. If they're going to be self-indulgent, at least do a good job.
If NOFX doesn't want to get serious, they should stop being so preachy, conducting cheap attacks on groups and individuals, which I did not even bother to address in detail. I love these guys, honestly, and their material up until this album (hell, I even liked their political songs on this album). This is just not good punk rock. I know over-zealous. I make sure that I evaluate every punk album that comes my way with a level head.
Maybe I just didn't get it after the first 30 or so listens. What's good about Marxist Bros? What's good about Crassic? Anything? It tries to be funny but it's not clever. These songs are lazy and boring, and as I said before, unnecessary. I don't need NOFX taking a dump into my computer. Like I said in my description, the album's problem is songs that the listener could do without. Take out the songs that waste time, cut the album down and you have a solid effort.This Message Edited On 06.25.07
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I was an asshole when I wrote this and was really defensive.
Still kind of a 2 though.
| | | Album Rating: 3.5
albums pretty good
| | | Album Rating: 3.5
and woah descendents1 sighting
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