''Americana'' is the fifth studio album by American rock band
the Offspring
The Offspring is an American rock band from Garden Grove, California, formed in 1984. Originally formed under the name Manic Subsidal, the band's current lineup consists of lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist Bryan "Dexter" Holland, lead guit ...
, released on November 17, 1998, by
Columbia Records. Following a worldwide tour in support of ''
Ixnay on the Hombre
''Ixnay on the Hombre'' is the fourth studio album by American rock band the Offspring, released on February 4, 1997, by Columbia Records. After the massive commercial success of their previous album, '' Smash'' (1994), the band entered the stud ...
'' (1997), the band commenced work on a new album in July 1998.
''Americana'' was a major success, debuting at number six on the
US ''Billboard'' 200 and selling over 175,000 copies in its first week. It is the band's second best-selling album after their 1994 breakout,
''Smash'', and has sold over ten million copies worldwide.
[THE OFFSPRING HISTORY](_blank)
offspring.com/thehistory. Retrieved February 19, 2015. ''Americana'' spawned the hit singles "
Pretty Fly (for a White Guy)
"Pretty Fly (for a White Guy)" is a song by American punk-rock band the Offspring. It is the fourth track from the band's fifth studio album, ''Americana'' (1998), and was released as its first single in November 1998. The song peaked at number ...
", "
Why Don't You Get a Job?
"Why Don't You Get a Job?" is a song by American rock band the Offspring. The song is the 11th track on the Offspring's fifth studio album, ''Americana'' (1998), and was released as its second single on March 15, 1999. The song also appears as t ...
" and "
The Kids Aren't Alright
"The Kids Aren't Alright" is a song by the Offspring. It is the fifth track from the band's fifth studio album, ''Americana'' (1998), and was released as its third single. It became another top 10 hit on the US Modern Rock Tracks chart.
The so ...
", and was promoted with a worldwide tour and an appearance at the
Woodstock '99
Woodstock '99 (also called Woodstock 1999) was a music festival held from July 22 to July 25, 1999, in Rome, New York. After Woodstock '94, it was the second large-scale music festival that attempted to emulate the original 1969 Woodstock fe ...
festival.
Background and recording
After the unexpected success of ''
Smash'' (1994), the Offspring were signed to
Columbia Records in 1996, releasing the fourth studio album, ''
Ixnay on the Hombre
''Ixnay on the Hombre'' is the fourth studio album by American rock band the Offspring, released on February 4, 1997, by Columbia Records. After the massive commercial success of their previous album, '' Smash'' (1994), the band entered the stud ...
'' (1997). Although ''Ixnay on the Hombre'' was not as well received as ''Smash'', it managed simultaneous gold and platinum certifications in the
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...
in April 1997. After touring in support of ''Ixnay on the Hombre'', the Offspring began writing new material for their next album. Frontman
Dexter Holland
Bryan Keith "Dexter" Holland (born December 29, 1965) is an American musician who is the lead vocalist, rhythm guitarist, primary songwriter and last remaining original member of the American rock band the Offspring. He is also the creator of t ...
told ''
Rolling Stone
''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first known for its ...
'' in August 1998, "I wanted to write a record that wasn't a radical departure from what we've done before. I feel like we have managed to change stuff up from ''
Ignition
Ignition may refer to:
Science and technology
* Firelighting, the human act of creating a fire for warmth, cooking and other uses
* Combustion, an exothermic chemical reaction between a fuel and an oxidant
* Fusion ignition, the point at which a ...
'' to ''Smash'' to ''Ixnay''. We're in a place where we more or less set the boundaries where we can do a lot of stuff without having to stretch it out farther ... and do a swing song or something."
Recording took place from July to September 1998 at Eldorado Recording Studios with producer
Dave Jerden
Dave Jerden is an American record producer, engineer, and mixer who has worked with artists in various genres including alternative rock, punk rock and metal. However, Jerden has stated that he dislikes the term "producer", preferring to refer t ...
, who also produced ''Ixnay on the Hombre''. Holland told ''
Guitar World'', "The idea wasn't to reinvent the wheel. We expanded our horizons on our last record and that's okay, but I don't feel like you have to be a completely different band on every record." While most songs are the regular punk rock the band popularized, others such as the Latino-influenced "
Pretty Fly (for a White Guy)
"Pretty Fly (for a White Guy)" is a song by American punk-rock band the Offspring. It is the fourth track from the band's fifth studio album, ''Americana'' (1998), and was released as its first single in November 1998. The song peaked at number ...
" and the
psychedelic "Pay the Man" add variety, "so that there's enough in there so people don't get bored".
[ "Pay the Man" was even left off ''Ixnay on the Hombre'' for sounding too different from anything else the band had currently made at that time. The structure of the song more resembles ]progressive rock
Progressive rock (shortened as prog rock or simply prog; sometimes conflated with art rock) is a broad genre of rock music that developed in the United Kingdom and United States through the mid- to late 1960s, peaking in the early 1970s. In ...
(having no repetitive sections and no continuous musical theme). Holland also contributed the song "Too Much Drama" to the Vandals
The Vandals are an American punk rock band, established in 1980 in Orange County, California. They have released ten full-length studio albums, two live albums, and have toured the world extensively, including performances on the Vans Warped ...
' album ''Hitler Bad, Vandals Good
''Hitler Bad, Vandals Good'' is the seventh studio album by the southern California punk rock band The Vandals, released in 1998 by Nitro Records.
Composition
Much of the album is characterized by the pop-punk music and humorous lyrics for whi ...
'', which was released five months before ''Americana''. The chorus melody is reused on this album on the song "Walla Walla".
Composition
''Americana'' contains themes of unhappy American lifestyles. Speaking of the album shortly after its release, Holland explained, "The songs on ''Americana'' aren't condemnations, they're short stories about the state of things and what we see going on around us. We want to expose the darker side of our culture. It may look like an episode of ''Happy Days
''Happy Days'' is an American television sitcom that aired first-run on the ABC network from January 15, 1974, to July 19, 1984, with a total of 255 half-hour episodes spanning 11 seasons. Created by Garry Marshall, it was one of the most su ...
'' out there in America, but it feels more like ''Twin Peaks
''Twin Peaks'' is an American mystery serial drama television series created by Mark Frost and David Lynch. It premiered on ABC on April 8, 1990, and originally ran for two seasons until its cancellation in 1991. The show returned in 2017 for ...
''." He detailed that ''Americana'' was not thought right away as a concept album and "this really cool social statement", though once the band recorded a few songs complaining about 1998 America, "then we realized we had a theme".
Holland also explained that ''Americana '' served as "a commentary on American culture", satirizing hypocritical lives and political correctness. One of the influences was ''The Jerry Springer Show
''Jerry Springer'' is an American scripted syndicated tabloid talk show that aired from September 30, 1991 to July 26, 2018. Produced and hosted by its namesake, Jerry Springer, it aired for 27 seasons and nearly 5,000 episodes. The television ...
'', with the band even considering naming the album after the show's news ticker
A news ticker (sometimes called a "crawler", "crawl", "slide", "zipper", or "ticker tape") is a horizontal or vertical (depending on a language's writing system) text-based display either in the form of a graphic that typically resides in the lo ...
s such as "Stripper Wars". A major source of inspiration was seeing the people in Holland's hometown of Huntington Beach
Huntington Beach is a seaside city in Orange County, California, Orange County in Southern California, located southeast of Downtown Los Angeles. The city is named after American businessman Henry E. Huntington. The population was 198,711 duri ...
, such as the "wigger
''Wigger'', or ''wigga'', is a term for a white person of European ethnic origin, who emulates the perceived mannerisms, language, and fashions associated with African-American culture, particularly hip hop. The term is a portmanteau of ''whit ...
s" who were mocked in "Pretty Fly (for a White Guy)". Despite dealing with aimlessness and disillusionment, derived from how the generation that had just got to adulthood was having problems in getting jobs and sustaining themselves, Holland declared that "I didn't want it to be a record that made you feel hopeless. At the end of the day I hope that you can get something positive out of it."
Release and reception
''Americana'' was released on November 17, 1998, and peaked at number 2 on the ''Billboard'' 200 album chart, the highest position the band attained at the time, and their highest thus far. Shortly after its release, the album was certified gold and then later platinum.
The album received positive reviews, Michael Gallucci of Allmusic
AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databa ...
described the album as a "raucous ride through America as seen through the eyes of a weary, but still optimistic, young kid". Gallucci praised the music as "a hearty combination of poppy punk" and a "blend of salsa and alterna-rock sounds", stating the band's music was taking a different direction. The album received a rating of three out of five stars, while "Pretty Fly (for a White Guy)
"Pretty Fly (for a White Guy)" is a song by American punk-rock band the Offspring. It is the fourth track from the band's fifth studio album, ''Americana'' (1998), and was released as its first single in November 1998. The song peaked at number ...
", "Why Don't You Get a Job?
"Why Don't You Get a Job?" is a song by American rock band the Offspring. The song is the 11th track on the Offspring's fifth studio album, ''Americana'' (1998), and was released as its second single on March 15, 1999. The song also appears as t ...
", "The Kids Aren't Alright
"The Kids Aren't Alright" is a song by the Offspring. It is the fifth track from the band's fifth studio album, ''Americana'' (1998), and was released as its third single. It became another top 10 hit on the US Modern Rock Tracks chart.
The so ...
" and " She's Got Issues" earned the Offspring its heaviest airplay on MTV and radio stations to date. ''Americana'' is the 224th best selling album of all time according to ''Billboard'' as of 2009. The album was included in ''Rock Sound
''Rock Sound'' is a British magazine that covers rock music. The magazine aims at being more " underground" and less commercial, while also giving coverage to better-known acts. It generally focuses on pop punk, post-hardcore, metalcore, punk, ...
''s 101 Modern Classics list at number 79. The album was included at number 23 on ''Rock Sound''s "The 51 Most Essential Pop Punk Albums of All Time" list. BuzzFeed included the album at number 15 on their "36 Pop Punk Albums You Need To Hear Before You F——ing Die" list. ''NME
''New Musical Express'' (''NME'') is a British music, film, gaming, and culture website and brand. Founded as a newspaper in 1952, with the publication being referred to as a 'rock inkie', the NME would become a magazine that ended up as a f ...
'' listed the album as one of "20 Pop Punk Albums Which Will Make You Nostalgic".
The album was named at the 2000 Juno Awards as one of the best-selling albums that year.
Packaging
Artist Frank Kozik
Frank Kozik (born January 9, 1962 in Madrid) is an American graphic artist best known for his posters for alternative rock bands.
History
Kozik has worked with Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Soundgarden, Stone Temple Pilots, the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Me ...
was hired to do the artwork for the album, as Holland found that his concert tour posters "had all the connotations we associated with ''Americana'': very glossy, innocent and 1950s, but with a twisted aspect." Kozik, who had known the singer for a long time, was reluctant to work for the band due to the reception his fans would have, eventually demanding $75,000 to do the ''Americana'' illustrations. The album's cover art features a blond boy with an orthopedic boot seated on a swing holding a sand flea with a tentacle reaching out to him. Kozik had originally done said illustration for a Nebraskan band, Ritual Device, and reused it as the cover of his book ''Man's Ruin: The Poster Art Of Frank Kozik''. On the booklet, which Holland described as "a little Kozik picture book", every song has its own accompanying illustration.
Some pressings of ''Americana'' are also enhanced CDs and contain the karaoke
Karaoke (; ; , clipped compound of Japanese ''kara'' "empty" and ''ōkesutora'' "orchestra") is a type of interactive entertainment usually offered in clubs and bars, where people sing along to recorded music using a microphone. The music i ...
videos of "Staring at the Sun", "Pretty Fly (for a White Guy)
"Pretty Fly (for a White Guy)" is a song by American punk-rock band the Offspring. It is the fourth track from the band's fifth studio album, ''Americana'' (1998), and was released as its first single in November 1998. The song peaked at number ...
" and "Why Don't You Get a Job?
"Why Don't You Get a Job?" is a song by American rock band the Offspring. The song is the 11th track on the Offspring's fifth studio album, ''Americana'' (1998), and was released as its second single on March 15, 1999. The song also appears as t ...
", and the previous MTV music video
A music video is a video of variable duration, that integrates a music song or a music album with imagery that is produced for promotional or musical artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a music marketing device ...
s from its predecessor, ''Ixnay on the Hombre
''Ixnay on the Hombre'' is the fourth studio album by American rock band the Offspring, released on February 4, 1997, by Columbia Records. After the massive commercial success of their previous album, '' Smash'' (1994), the band entered the stud ...
''.
Track listing
All songs written and composed by Dexter Holland
Bryan Keith "Dexter" Holland (born December 29, 1965) is an American musician who is the lead vocalist, rhythm guitarist, primary songwriter and last remaining original member of the American rock band the Offspring. He is also the creator of t ...
, except where noted.BMI Entry
* "Pay the Man" ends at 8:10, followed by the
hidden track "Pretty Fly (Reprise)" at 9:15. The track is a
mariachi reprise of the song "Pretty Fly (for a White Guy)". The online download release of ''Americana'' has "Pay the Man" as track 13 and "Pretty Fly (Reprise)" separately, with the reprise of "Pretty Fly (for a White Guy)" as track 14. The main riff on "Pay the Man", particularly the drum part, is the same as found on the title track of ''
Smash'' during the acoustic version of "
Come Out and Play".
Charts
Weekly charts
Year-end charts
Decade-end charts
Certifications
Personnel
The Offspring
*
Dexter Holland
Bryan Keith "Dexter" Holland (born December 29, 1965) is an American musician who is the lead vocalist, rhythm guitarist, primary songwriter and last remaining original member of the American rock band the Offspring. He is also the creator of t ...
– lead vocals, rhythm guitar, lead guitar on "Pay the Man"
*
Noodles
Noodles are a type of food made from unleavened dough which is either rolled flat and cut, stretched, or extruded, into long strips or strings. Noodles are a staple food in many cultures (for example, Chinese noodles, Filipino noodles, Ind ...
– lead guitar, backing vocals, rhythm guitar on "Pay the Man"
*
Greg K.
Gregory David Kriesel (born January 20, 1965) is an American musician known as the bass guitarist and backing vocalist for the rock band the Offspring from 1984 to 2018.
Biography
Greg K. was one of the founding members of the Offspring alongs ...
– bass, uncredited backing vocals
*
Ron Welty
Ronald Welty (born February 1, 1971) is an American musician and the former drummer for the American punk rock band The Offspring. After The Offspring, Welty formed Steady Ground.
Career The Offspring
In July 1987, 16-year-old Welty join ...
– drums
Additional musicians
* Carlos Goméz – guitar on "Why Don't You Get a Job?" & "Pay the Man"
* Derrick Davis – flute on "Why Don't You Get a Job?" & "Pay the Man"
*
Chris "X-13" Higgins – vocals (background) on "Pretty Fly (For a White Guy)"
*
Gabrial McNair
Gabrial McNair (born September 8, 1973) is a musician and composer, most famous for his work in No Doubt since 1993 as a trombonist, keyboardist, and backing vocalist. He recorded and toured with Green Day during the ''Nimrod'' and '' Warning'' t ...
– horn on "Why Don't You Get a Job?" & "Pay the Man"
* Alvaro Macias – vihuela on "Why Don't You Get a Job?" & "Pay the Man"
* Phil Jordan – horn on "Why Don't You Get a Job? & "Pay the Man"
*
Calvert DeForest - vocals (background) on "Why Don't You Get a Job?"
* Heidi Villagran - vocals (background) on "Why Don't You Get a Job?"
*
Davey Havok
David Paden Marchand (born David Paden Passaro, November 20, 1975), known professionally as Davey Havok, is an American singer and musician who is the lead vocalist of the Rock music, rock band AFI (band), AFI, the synth-pop band Blaqk Audio, the ...
– vocals (background) on "Pretty Fly (For a White Guy)", "Why Don't You Get a Job?" & "Pay the Man"
*
Jack Grisham
Jack Grisham (born July 22, 1961) is an American rock vocalist, musician, raconteur and political activist from Southern California. He is the vocalist for the punk rock band T.S.O.L. (True Sounds of Liberty), which emerged from the late 1970s ...
– vocals (background) on "Pretty Fly (For a White Guy)", "Why Don't You Get a Job?" & "Pay the Man"
*
Nika Frost – vocals (background) on "Pretty Fly (For a White Guy)", "Why Don't You Get a Job?" & "Pay the Man"
* John Mayer – vocals on "Welcome", vocals (additional) on "Pretty Fly (Reprise)"
Production
* Dave Jerden – producer, mixing
* Bryan Carlstrom – engineer
* Annette Cisneros – assistant engineer
* Eddy Schreyer – mastering
Artwork
* Sean Evans – art direction
* Justin Beope – artwork
*
Frank Kozik
Frank Kozik (born January 9, 1962 in Madrid) is an American graphic artist best known for his posters for alternative rock bands.
History
Kozik has worked with Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Soundgarden, Stone Temple Pilots, the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Me ...
– artwork
References
Notes
Sources
*
Bibliography
*
*
External links
Official page for the album''Americana''at
YouTube
YouTube is a global online video sharing and social media platform headquartered in San Bruno, California. It was launched on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim. It is owned by Google, and is the second mo ...
(streamed copy where licensed)
{{Authority control
1998 albums
Albums produced by Dave Jerden
Columbia Records albums
The Offspring albums