Quick, name the first modern punk band to pop into your head. Was it NOFX? It probably was since you’re reading a NOFX review, but if it wasn’t I’ll bet it was Rancid. Bad Religion, maybe. Or Alkaline Trio, perhaps. Whatever. My point is that after 20 years, 11 studio albums (bear in mind that this figure includes two released after this greatest hits collection), relentless touring and probably a million beer bongs along the way, NOFX are more or less synonymous with punk these days and have been for quite some time. Whether or not you agree with their lifestyle choices and/or their politics you have to respect a band that has been consistently turning out music of NOFX’s calibre for so long. Not many bands who release ‘greatest hits’ compilations do so out of necessity , but with the SoCal quartet it is most certainly deserved and, importantly, essential.
For newcomers to the band this is probably the best place to start, although their live albums are certainly not to be overlooked. Featuring some of their most well-known songs such as
‘Linoleum’,
‘Bob’ and
‘Dinosaurs Will Die the collection attempts the near-impossible task of representing their mammoth discography without going overboard. Indeed, many fans would argue that the collection is missing some vital songs – ‘Lori Meyers’, ‘Eat The Meek’ and ‘The Brews’ for example. However, ‘The Greatest Songs…’ does give the listener a good indication of what to expect when investigating NOFX’s discography – bratty punk rock with the occasional spattering of ska thrown in, covering topics of drugs and alcohol, politics, the state of the music industry and race.
The song which arguably best embodies the collection is
‘Reeko’. The song comprises two distinct sections, reflecting NOFX’s typical punk rock sound as well as their regular forays into ska. The first section revolves around a relaxed reggae-ska theme with lyrics about the morning after a debauched house party. The second is a fast and furious political tirade concerning the state of America, acting as a counterpoint to the state of the house after the party. ‘Reeko’ showcases NOFX’s ability as musicians, songwriters and lyricists and explores recurrent lyrical themes such as partying and politics.
Other notable highlights include the bouncing ska of
‘All Outta Angst’; the conscientious punk fury of
‘Don’t Call Me White’ which astutely recognises that racism can indeed be directed towards white people; the synth-led pop-punk stomp of
‘Franco Un-American’ and the always amusing
‘Bob’ which combines aspects of all of the aforementioned songs. In fact, there’s hardly a
bad song on the album though it must be said that there are songs from NOFX’s back catalogue more worthy of a space on a ‘greatest hits’ collection than the slightly lacklustre
‘Bleeding Heart Disease’ and the monotonous
‘The Longest Line’.
Nevertheless, ‘The Greatest Songs Ever Written (By Us)’ does give the uninitiated a quick, yet accurate, insight into one of the most important punk-rock bands of all time. For this reason alone it is pretty much a mandatory purchase for any punk fan not acquainted with NOFX (are there such people?) or anyone vaguely interested in the band or the genre. There is a reason why NOFX have become synonymous with punk over the course of their career, and there is a reason why they have been able to have such a long and accomplished career – they are a very, very good band. This is a better reason why ‘The Greatest Songs…’ is pretty much a mandatory purchase.
