Turn Back the Clock: The Offspring - “Smash”

Every once in a while when I’m choosing CDs to listen to at work I stop and notice one that, for one reason or another, never quite registers as an eligible selection. This morning I decided that the Offspring’s breakthrough album Smash should get a fair shake. Good gracious I’m glad I did. Maybe it took me back to the very awkward time around the Turn of the Century when I first got into it, but so have some fairly fond memories of my cassette days. It was pretty much the album I needed to hear around one o’clock this afternoon, and I wanted to share a few of my favourite cuts with you guys. “What Happened to You?” is the most skankable Offspring track I know and has a block rockin’ guitar solo; “Gotta Get Away” is a delightful showcase of fuzzy guitars and drug-induced paranoia. Actually, both of those are on the theme of drugs screwing your life up (see also “Mota” from 1997’s Ixnay on the Hombre). Chances are this is an album that won’t see much light again for weeks, if not months, but it was a great fling with an old flame.