Before the massive breakthrough success of 1994's "Smash" and their late "pop-punk" period on Columbia/Sony, the Offspring slugged it out in the trenches as a fairly well-known but by no means famous Punk band signed to indie demi-god label Epitaph Records. Released in 1992, "Ignition" is quite simply a great album, and one that I feel needs some much needed critical attention. Let's look at this classic and see what makes it so essential for any music fan.
The machine-gun beat of former long-time drummer Ron Welty starts off a true Punk classic, "Session".Singer "Dexter" Holland shows us the all-to-common questionable sexual encounters that find people hitting lows of personal depravity. The song is musical simple like most of the album, but the solid rhythm section of Welty and bassist "Greg K." is undeniably tight. Dexter has always been a great vocalist, and this song is perhaps the best vocal I believe that he ever delivered. Great song. Next is "We Are One", a fast sing-along of a song with fairly vague lyrics concerning unity and young angst. The song is fairly generic in terms of Offspring material, but by no means terrible. One of the album's highlights for me was "Kick Him When He's Down", a mosh-pit classic telling of aggression and alienation. The song adds little to the Offspring formula, but adds to the overall theme of self-worth that dominates the album. Like any good Punk artist, the Offspring really represented the disaffected youth at this point, a soundtrack for a lost generation if you will. Featuring a anthemic chorus and tasty backing vocals, the song is simply a Punk classic. "Take It Like A Man" continues guitarist "Noodles"very California-esque usage of Middle-Eastern scales to add an element of mystique to his guitar work that would be copied by many a budding guitarist during the 1990s and beyond. The song concerns what I can assume to be the responsibility of being a male and the need for the more aggressive species to fill certain roles in the "mainstream". Dexter's lyrics were much more open to interpretation at this point, and really an element of darkness and anxiety to the album. Welty is in top-form here, and Ignition contains some of the best Punk drumming you are sure to hear.
The album continues on like a punch hitting an Everlast bag with " Get It Right". The song is really about self-loathing and hopelessness, feeling extreme frustration with your lot in life. The song references "The Catcher in the Rye", not a major surprise considering the overall self-esteem (no pun intended) issues that plague our beleaguered vocalist during the course of the album. Ignition is the musical equivalent of bashing one’s head against the wall. “Dirty Magic” really switches up the feel of the album, and shows a much slower side of the Offspring. The guitars are actually quite clear and show, and laden with effects that produce an almost “post-punk” like feel resembling the Cure or Joy Division. The lyrics reference the same sexual entrapment as “Session”. A woman has cast her spell in the song, and the “hero” in unable to let go and severe feelings despite the intense feelings of self-worthlessness felt by the sexual relationship. The guitars are very interesting for the band; and show a clear maturity since their 1989 self-titled debut album. It was nice to see Welty slow down a bit as well, showing that he is a solid drummer at slower speeds as well. Best song on the album. “Hypodermic” is quite similar to “We Are One”, and the songs almost feel like the same song. The song shows a clear anti-drug stance, a position that the Offspring would mostly continue throughout their career. The song is enjoyable enough, but musically it feels very similar to other songs and does not really add anything specific to the album. “Burn It Up” is a sort of precursor to “Smash”, showcasing the fairly aggressive sound that the band would take on that album. The song is about a pyromaniac causing havoc in a neighbourhood, committing various acts of arson. The Offspring has always have a passion for degenerates, and “Burn It Up” is no exception. The song utilizes similar Middle-Eastern scales that would be explored later in their career, but does not feel like a parody at this point. The song was enjoyable, but slightly goofy lyrically.
“No Hero” concerns suicide and the feelings of anger and hostility that often accompany this act. The song is extremely fast-paced in the choruses, and really hammers the listener with aggression like a brick to the face. I could have done without the strange Arabic middle-section, but overall a pretty decent song. The bass is somewhat high in the mix, but is solid and shows that Greg K. is one of the hardest working men in Punk. “L.A.P.D.” is a relic of the time, and the song is concerned with the brutality dished out by the boys in blue of LA during the late 1980s and early 1990s. The song gained infamy with its liberal use of the “N-word” in the chorus, although it was certainly meant as a stark critique of the LAPD as opposed to be used by Holland as a racial slur. The song is the closest the Offspring get to “Hardcore”, and the song is reminiscent of earlier California Punk bands like Black Flag. The song feels very brutal, and one can almost imagine the clubbing of innocent civilians during the race riots of the 1990s. Dexter grunts in pain at one point. Noodles’ metallic and chugging guitar work really adds an atmosphere here, and the overtly political song shows that the band was a much more politically-charged outfit at this point. “Nothing From Something” continues themes of despair, angst, and a general feeling of worthlessness that dominate the album. The song concerns the physical release of these feelings, fighting, breaking shit, etc. The song really does not stray too far from the template of 1990s Offspring, but is enjoyable nonetheless. The song really shows that although the lyrics are bleak, it is possible to make something of a shitty life and escape your surroundings. The album closes with “Forever And A Day”, sounding a lot like “Session” but slightly more like their debut album. The chorus was slightly off for me, sounding tacked on and not really taking the song anywhere different from past song. The song contains a guitar solo, something totally unnecessary for this band this song. Not a highlight.
“Ignition” is a great album. Although it lacks a great deal of musical complexity and variety, the formula works. The Offspring would never again reach these heights in my opinion, and would getting further and further from the dark and brooding nature of this album with each successive release. Although the band has conducted a somewhat return to form lately, “Ignition” and their 1989 debut are really the classic period of the band. Rating-8/10
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