For me, this song was the moment NOFX hit their stride. Ribbed was an awesome album, very raw, funny, quasi-political, a different kind of sound. But The Longest Line into White Trash into Punk in Drublic to me is when NOFX was absolutely untouchable. I was like 13-16 for the span of these three albums, and they along with some other classic albums from some other classic bands really meant something to me through my formative years. The first time I heard the Death of John Smith, I was hooked to that sound. Different from what they had been doing up to that point. It sounded cleaner, more produced but in a good way. It was more complex, dare I say it more mature. Groundbreaking really. Nofx basically created New School Punk. Bad Religion, Operation Ivy, The Descendents all had a hand in it too, but it was those vocals. Fat Mike's vocal and the harmonies that really defined the sound. Every punk band making a living on the radio since that time has owed a huge chunk of their sound to NOFX, from Blink 182 to Sum 41, to Fall Out Boy. The Longest Line was the first time that sound as it exists today was heard.
And the first time I listened to those lyrics, fuhgedaboutit. They always reminded me of my father and exactly what I didn't want to do with my life.
Fucking excellent.
For me, this song was the moment NOFX hit their stride. Ribbed was an awesome album, very raw, funny, quasi-political, a different kind of sound. But The Longest Line into White Trash into Punk in Drublic to me is when NOFX was absolutely untouchable. I was like 13-16 for the span of these three albums, and they along with some other classic albums from some other classic bands really meant something to me through my formative years. The first time I heard the Death of John Smith, I was hooked to that sound. Different from what they had been doing up to that point. It sounded cleaner, more produced but in a good way. It was more complex, dare I say it more mature. Groundbreaking really. Nofx basically created New School Punk. Bad Religion, Operation Ivy, The Descendents all had a hand in it too, but it was those vocals. Fat Mike's vocal and the harmonies that really defined the sound. Every punk band making a living on the radio since that time has owed a huge chunk of their sound to NOFX, from Blink 182 to Sum 41, to Fall Out Boy. The Longest Line was the first time that sound as it exists today was heard.
And the first time I listened to those lyrics, fuhgedaboutit. They always reminded me of my father and exactly what I didn't want to do with my life.
Fucking excellent.