Project 1001: Smash by The Offspring
I may be dumb / But I'm not a dweeb / I'm just a sucker with no self-esteem.
I remember first hearing The Offspring way back in 1994 and thinking they were a vibrant new band with lots of energy. And they seemed to be angry at everything, as did so many of the generation that came up right after I did. Their anger bewildered me. I didn’t get it. At least it produced a lot of great music anyway!
It had been a long time since I listened to Smash and I’m glad it popped up in the rotation because I love this album and it was good hearing the whole thing again.
My Rating:
In 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die, Robert Dimery wrote: “… back in 1994, when every ounce of their energy was directed at extending a middle finger to the world, it was difficult to ignore their sincerity.”1
From Entertainment Weekly: “The days when punk implied seediness appear to be gone; this is music for young men with long hair and muscular torsos. But are the Offspring a new wave or this year’s Ugly Kid Joe? Ugly Kid who?”2
From Rolling Stone: “Call 'em punks if you want to, but a song (Come Out and Play) this cannily designed, arranged and executed is worthy of the best rock-songwriting tradition.”3
Charts
• Smash peaked at #4 in October of 1994.4
• None of the singles released off this made the Billboard charts.
• RIAA certification: 6x Platinum | May 3, 20005
Released on April 8, 1994. Here’s what else was happening:
Pop Culture
• Number one song: The Sign by Ace of Base6
• Number one album: The Sign by Ace of Base7
• Number one movie: Major League II by David S. Ward8
• Most watched TV program: Home Improvement9
• NYT bestseller, fiction: The Celestine Prophecy by James Redfield10
• NYT bestseller, non-fiction: Embraced by the Light by Betty J. Eadie with Curtis Taylor11
Other albums released that month
• Crash! Boom! Bang! by Roxette
• The Bleeding by Cannibal Corpse
• Live Through This by Hole
• Weight by Rollins Band
• Whistling In The Wind by Leon Redbone
• Let Love In by Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds
• Illmatic by Nas
• In My Wildest Dreams by Kenny Chesney
• Well... by Katey Sagal
• Anarchy by Chumbawamba
• Parklife by Blur
• Santa Monica '72 by David Bowie
• American Recordings by Johnny Cash
• A Date with The Smithereens by The Smithereens
• The Fatherless and the Widow by Sixpence None the Richer
• Read My Mind by Reba McEntire
• Southernplayalisticadillacmuzik by OutKast
• This Is Me by Randy Travis
• Throwing Copper by Live12
Sport
• Apr 3 Women's Basketball Championship: North Carolina beats Louisiana Tech, 60-59; Tar Heels first NCAA title on 3-point shot by Charlotte Smith as time expires.
• Apr 3 1st roster of Silver Bullets (all-female pro baseball team) announced.
• Apr 4 NCAA Men's Basketball Championship: Arkansas beats Duke, 76-72.
• Apr 4 1st game played at Jacobs Field, Indians beat Mariners 4-3 in 11 innings.
• Apr 10 Masters Tournament: José María Olazábal wins the first of 2 Masters titles, 2 strokes ahead of Tom Lehman; 6th winner from Europe in the past 7 years.
• Apr 22 Michael Moorer beats Evander Holyfield in 12 for heavyweight boxing title.
• Apr 24 David Robinson scores ties 7th highest total in the NBA - 71.
• Apr 27 Twins righty Scott Erickson no-hits Brewers 6-0,13
Notable Births
• Apr 5 Simona Tabasco, Italian actress (The White Lotus), born in Naples, Italy.
• Apr 12 Saoirse Ronan, Irish American actress (Brooklyn, Ladybird), born in The Bronx, New York.14
Historical Events
• Apr 4 Netscape Communications founded as Mosaic Communications.
• Apr 6 Liberal Supreme Court Justice and author of Roe v Wade, Harry Blackmun resigns.
• Apr 6 Plane carrying Rwandan President Juvénal Habyarimana and Burundian President Cyprien Ntaryamira is shot down by surface-to-air missiles, abruptly ending peace negotiations and sparking the Rwandan Genocide.
• Apr 7 Vatican commemorates The Holocaust for the first time with an orchestral concert in the Sala Nervi.
• Apr 8 Japanese Prime Minister Morihiro Hosokawa resigns.
• Apr 14 Turner Classic Movies cable channel launches.
• Apr 19 Rodney King awarded $3,800,000 compensation by the Los Angeles County for his police beating.
• Apr 19 US Supreme Court outlaws excluding people from juries because of gender.
• Apr 20 Serbian army bombs hospital in Goradze Bosnia, 47 killed.
• Apr 21 The first discoveries of extrasolar planets are announced by astronomer Alexander Wolszczan.
• Apr 22 Borge Ousland is the 1st person on a solo and unsupported journey to reach the North Pole.
• Apr 23 Libertarian party nominates Howard Stern for Governor of NY.
• Apr 25 14" of snow in Southern California.
• Apr 26 1st day of voting in first ever multi-racial elections in South Africa, Dr Nomaza Paintin in NZ is 1st black South African to vote.
• Apr 28 Aldrich Ames, former CIA officer and his wife Rosario plead guilty to spying for the Soviet Union and Russia.15
Notable Deaths
• Apr 3 Jerome Lejeune, French geneticist (discovered chromosome responsible for Downs Syndrome), dies at 67.
• Apr 5 Kurt Cobain, American singer (Nirvana), commits suicide at 27.
• Apr 10 James L. Lyons, American jazz promoter (Monterey Jazz Festival, 1958-92), dies of a heart attack at 77.
• Apr 15 John Curry, British figure skater (Olympic gold, World C'ship gold, European C'ship gold 1976), dies from AIDS at 44.
• Apr 16 Ralph Ellison, American writer (Invisible Man; Shadow and Cast: Juneteenth), dies of pancreatic cancer at 80.
• Apr 18 Bill Rexford, American auto racer (NASCAR Grand National Series championship 1950, youngest Cup champion [23]), dies at 67.
• Apr 22 American politician (37th US President, 1969-74; Vice-President, 1953-61; US Senator from California, 1950-53) and navy veteran, dies of a stroke at 81.
• Apr 29 William "Bill" Quinn, American actor (Star Trek, The Birds, Rifleman, All in the Family), dies of natural causes at 81.16
Enjoy and listen without prejudice. Cheers!
All the videos from this playlist: You're Welcome 107; Smash by The Offspring
Playlist on Prime: 107. Smash by The Offspring
This playlist is so strong I had to make a second one! 107. v2.0 Bonus!!
Dimery, Robert, 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die, p. 734.
“CBS is the victor in the ratings race”, USA Today, April 18, 1994.
Ibid.