Tuesday, October 11, 2011

Fat Mike, I Think I'm a Sofa


NOFX
So Long and Thanks for all the Shoes
1997, Epitaph
produced by Ryan Greene

Fat Mike - vocals, bass
Smelly - drums
Eric Melvin - guitar
El Hefe - guitar, trumpet

singles --
  • All of Me/ Desperation's Gone
  • Timmy the Turtle/ The Plan
This band was pretty much my first look at punk rock. Not a bad initiation. This album is the height of their Ska era and fit right into the Mighty Mighty Bosstones, Less than Jake, Rancid trend.  I had seen friends wearing the t-shirts and decided to give it a shot.  I liked the rebellious fuck you attitude (I was 14, this was angsty and cool). The album cover is neopolitan and the title is borrowed from The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy and references NOFX fans that throw shoes onstage, lost by crowd surfers, skankers, and assholes in the pit.  

The music has a ska influence. In fact, it is different than anything else they have done since. Musically diverse, lyrically clever, I would argue this was, and continues to be, their best album. Shortly after, they released a song called We Don't Play Ska Anymore, but they were pretty good at it. Murder the Government, and I'm Telling Tim are reworked tracks from their Fuck the Kids EP, which was released the year previous.  

The band photos for the album are pictures of other guys from other bands. Howard Stern is included at the end of the album telling his DJ that they should be called No Talent. The liner notes are pretty clever too.  

I love this album, and it's definitely on my top punk albums of all time list.


punk can be pink too

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