No, The Boys Sleepover Party Doesn't Take Place in Michael Jackson's "Ranch"

This is my favorite Blink album of all time because it’s just so friendly and it handles like a dream. The songs are of the highest caliber with amazing lyrics and a quantity of quality that would make The Offspring proud. This is the best Blink album because the all the band members (Tom Delonge, Mark Hoppus, and Scott Raynor) don’t annoy me one bit like their present self (AKA “Take Off Your Pants and Jacket). All the songs are catchy without being too poppy for my tastes and I actually listen to all the songs instead of skipping a few. That’s a great thing and one of the finest points of the record. No matter what you think or have thought about Blink 182, you should at least give this record a try. Skip “Cheshire Cat”, “Enema of The State”, “Buddha”, and especially “Take Off Your Pants and Jacket” and give this CD a definite try because it’s the best one they’ve ever made. Thanks for reading.


JiggyJay



Just kidding, by the way. You see, a lot of people think that “Enema of The State” was their breakthrough record, and it was, but “Dude Ranch” was their REAL record that made them big. It went platinum, what, three or four times? That’s awesome and once you actually listen to it, you will understand EXACTLY what I’m talking about. The humor is wonderful and completely not like their recent stature and you will definitely smile. On the end of the CD there is a “bonus track” where there are sound effects of Mark peeing into a doggy dish and then the dog drinks it while Mark is egging the dog on. It sounds cruel and bizarre but once you hear it, you will love it and laugh as much as I have. There’s a good mixture of comedic tracks with serious tracks so like I said earlier, there is a lot of variety.

This record has more in common with their debut CD, “Cheshire Cat” and I like that a lot because I was a big fan of “Cheshire Cat”. In fact, I’m going to go out on a limb and say that the only downside is that some songs sound similar to ones of the previous album, so it sort of drags the freshness down, but not by much.

The sound quality is good, but not as much as their recent releases. In some parts, there is a sort of fuzzy sound that is evident and the guitar work sometimes sounds muggy and faded. It’s not a big thing, but I can still hear it. It’s nothing that drags the CD down because I’m sure not that many people will notice it, which is a good thing.

Something I noticed after a while of hearing the CD was that Tom and Mark’s voices were harsher and punker than what they are now. Their voices were pre-puberty sort of, like squeaky and without depth—sort of like Ska music. Their voices sounded great and amazing compared to the let down of their voices now. Their singing is mumbled instead of high musical notes that they are known for now, so I had a musical Nirvana while hearing this album. Something that you will definitely notice throughout listening to this record is that the drumming somehow a little different. The reason is that Blink had another drummer, a guy named Scott Raynor. His drumming is way more unique than their present drummer, Travis Barker. Now, with all respect to the Amazing Travis, Scott’s drumming takes advantage of the snares and the rest of the drums instead of a lot of cymbal use. In fact, the cymbal use isn’t at all that spectacular but that doesn’t make his drumming any more worse. The energy that he brings is amazing and adds to the overall flavor of the music. If you asked me which drummer was better, I couldn’t be able to answer it.

FAVORITE SONGS

1) Pathetic

This isn’t just a great opening track it’s also an overall awesome track. Tom and Mark’s vocals bicker with each other and switch most of the song so they are both singing most of the time and their vocals are some of the best of the album. The catchiness is at a huge high and sounds awesome.

13) Degenerate

This is one of the funniest songs I’ve EVER heard Blink sing. The line “The police came and took me away, I saw Ben Dover again and he’s still gay” hovers inside my brain because it’s so ingenious and hilarious. The lyrics are vivid and humorous and they weave a story that is fun to hear. The bass and drum work is awesome while the aggressive guitar chords ravage the song with hardcore-ism. This song is one of the best also with the chorus being a little Tom rap that sounds cheesy but is actually really cool.

15) I’m Sorry

If I do a cover song from Blink 182, I would do it with this song because I connect with it the most. The lyrics can sort of be centered on divorce, but can also be about a relationship and that’s smart and a great thing. The lyrics have a kind of sentimentality that Blink has lacked over the years and the sincerity is at a new high. The chorus is one of the best I’ve heard them do also. The punchy rhythm from the guitars is catchy and smooth while the bass outlines the songs complexity with steady riffs. The drums are simple, but fast paced and full of fun. The melody and harmony of this song is the best I’ve ever heard in a Blink 182 song. This is the song that every Blink fan should hear because it is sensational and moving

SONGS

1) Pathetic--10/10
2) Voyeur--8/10
3) Dammit--10/10
4) Boring--8/10
5) Click Lips--10/10
6) Waggy--10/10
7) Enthused--10/10
8) Untitled--9/10
9) Apple Shampoo--7/10
10) Emo--10/10
11) Josie--10/10
12) New Hope--10/10
13) Degenerate--12/10
14) Lemmings--10/10
15) I’m Sorry--20/10

JAY’S FINAL THOUGHT

As you can probably see, the whole CD is fabulous. I love this CD because of all the catchiness and wonderful variety. If you can only buy one Blink CD, definitely buy “Dude Ranch” because it mixes the best of rock and roll with harmonic vocals and marvelous instrument play. The sort of “punk” flavor is a nice change from the poppy stuff that they are known for and I’m sure that if you are a fan of “Cheshire Cat” and “Enema of The State”, you will positively love this CD. Thanks for reading and have a jolly good day.

JiggyJay