SpenniesNOFX - The Decline
July 21st 2006 05:49
NOFX
The Decline (1999)
Fat Wreck Chords
NOFX's "The Decline" is arguably considered some sort of modern day punk rock masterpiece. Basically, it's one 18-minute song that pretty much encapsulates everything NOFX is known for, commenting on the state of the USA in a political and religious sense. Topics it muses on during it's concourse includes gun control, widespread apathy and conditioning, condemning the religious right-wing and anything that ties in with the underlying theme of the countries decline.
The song itself sounds like a NOFX song; actually, it sounds like a whole bunch of NOFX songs, all strung together and cohesive. You see, The Decline has no real typical structure - there's no identifiable chorus or verses, it just keeps going into different sections and moving on. There are a couple of parts that repeat the music, but the lyrical themes jump around. I think there was a lot bassist/singer Fat Mike wanted to say, or maybe he just thought that such a long song would be boring if the same things keep coming up all the time (In saying that, the only boring part I think here is the outro, which is just 3 straight minutes of the same riff). For the most part, The Decline is all fast typical NOFX punk rock, there's heaps of great guitar riffs, mile-a-minute drumming and vocal melodies and harmonies all over the place. However, they also see fit to mix it up and bring the pace down with some slower jazzier stuff, poppier punk and a big long spooky interlude. I guess what I am trying to say is that it is by no means boring, it's an incredibly well-penned piece of music, and listening to the whole thing goes by so quickly - you really want more parts to listen to!
The lyrics also play a huge part in The Decline, I actually think they're a lot more important than the music. For everyone who writes off NOFX as an immature cheap punk band, this really shows they know what they're talking about. They're clever, relevant and deliver the timeless message that America stinks perfectly.
If you have never listened to this, I suggest you rush out and grab one of the greatest things to come from the 90's punk movement. It really is fantastic.
The Decline (1999)
Fat Wreck Chords
The song itself sounds like a NOFX song; actually, it sounds like a whole bunch of NOFX songs, all strung together and cohesive. You see, The Decline has no real typical structure - there's no identifiable chorus or verses, it just keeps going into different sections and moving on. There are a couple of parts that repeat the music, but the lyrical themes jump around. I think there was a lot bassist/singer Fat Mike wanted to say, or maybe he just thought that such a long song would be boring if the same things keep coming up all the time (In saying that, the only boring part I think here is the outro, which is just 3 straight minutes of the same riff). For the most part, The Decline is all fast typical NOFX punk rock, there's heaps of great guitar riffs, mile-a-minute drumming and vocal melodies and harmonies all over the place. However, they also see fit to mix it up and bring the pace down with some slower jazzier stuff, poppier punk and a big long spooky interlude. I guess what I am trying to say is that it is by no means boring, it's an incredibly well-penned piece of music, and listening to the whole thing goes by so quickly - you really want more parts to listen to!
The lyrics also play a huge part in The Decline, I actually think they're a lot more important than the music. For everyone who writes off NOFX as an immature cheap punk band, this really shows they know what they're talking about. They're clever, relevant and deliver the timeless message that America stinks perfectly.
If you have never listened to this, I suggest you rush out and grab one of the greatest things to come from the 90's punk movement. It really is fantastic.
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Comment by Anonymous
I have yet to find a well written anti-Decline review, though I have found some ignorant ones in support of the song.