Rise And Fall, Rage And Grace [Explicit] | ![Rise And Fall, Rage And Grace [Explicit]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41n7YGWsF%2BL._SL500_.jpg)
| Manufacturer: Columbia
Buy New: $8.99
Rating:  66 reviews
Sales Rank: 154
Genre: pop-music
Media: Music Download
Running Time: 0 Minutes
ASIN: B001AMVN3U
Release Date: June 17, 2008
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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| Customer Reviews: Read 61 more reviews...
 Bob Rock Strikes Again... June 18, 2008
T. Tiraterra (Davis, CA)
11 out of 29 found this review helpful
It's a bit early for me to be reviewing "Rise and Fall, Rage and Grace." I've only heard the album once, and I typically give an album at least three listens or so before I properly judge it, to see how it settles in. My first impression of the album is that there are some solid tracks on here, but that this is definitely an artistic departure for Offspring. This is easily their slowest and most mature album to date, which might be a good thing for my long term view of this album. However, I also haven't found too many stand-out tracks yet. My hope is that this album will pull a "Splinter" (which grew on me) rather than a "Conspiracy of One" (which I now view as kind of a deflated sell-out).
However, more than one reviewer (and only 11 have reviewed this so far) has noted that the album, regardless of its musical strengths, sounds terrible overall. The reason for this can be summed up in two words: Bob Rock. I'm not sure why Offspring decided to hire him, but it was a very bad decision. The band worked well with Dave Jerden and Brendan O'Brian, and should have stayed with one of them. For those who are unaware, Rock is notorious for overproducing music to the point of annoyance, and he was behind Metallica's terrible "St. Anger," which stands as one of the 00's best examples of an album ruined by awful production. Within minutes of me popping in "Rise and Fall, Rage and Grace," I knew that the album did not sound good to me at all. It's easy to blame Rock for this, but as I said, Offspring should also have known better.
My hope is that in the end I will be able to look past the terrible production and find that this is just as good as Offpsring's better career offerings (such as "Smash," "Ixnay on the Hombre," and "Splinter"). Perhaps I will update this review in the future with a more complete opinion on "Rise and Fall, Rage and Grace."
Start to Finish June 24, 2008
Ron (Jersey)
8 out of 10 found this review helpful
I have been a fan of the band since the beginning. From the rough edges, to the more polished sounds of this current album. I'm not sure if this album is full of #1 hits, but it is solid from start to finish. There is usually a song or two on other Offspring albums I just don't like. With this however, I can't find a sound I don't like. It is very rare for me to find an album that I don't skip over songs. Yes, this is a little less hardcore and a little more produced sound, but it is great original material, and a really good Offspring album. I recommend this highly.
A Wise Choice June 28, 2008
EerieVonEvil (The Rabbit Hole)
7 out of 8 found this review helpful
I'd rather not condemn Offspring for changing up their musical style. Ever since Ixnay On The Hombre, Offspring have been incorporating non-punk elements into thier music throughout the years and I always thought that it set them apart from other punk bands. I think this is a fine album from the band and better than Splinter. I mean, how can you expect this band to continue to play the same ol' style after 20+ years? I'm glad to hear something different from them. Nothingtown, You're Gonna Go Far Kid, The O.C. Life cover. Great stuff. Am I the only one who thinks that A Lot Like Me sounds like a Linkin Park song? I dont like Linkin Park, so I have to say that Offspring does LP better than they do. The only song I dont care for is Kristi Are You Doing Ok because it sounds too Emo. Bottom Line, if you have stuck with Offspring through the years, then give this album a chance because it is the best one since Americana in my opinion...minus the EMo song that is! Heh.
 THE OFFSPRING return wiht a solid cd! June 17, 2008
P. Legerski (Corona, CA United States)
6 out of 13 found this review helpful
I'm a bit biased as my brother went to school with a couple of the members and I buy all things OFSPRING...but this cd is a return to glory for the So Cal punks.
I'm not much of a "punk" fan...I lean more towards metal but I have always had an affinity for this band simply beacuse of the way they capture the Orange County, California sound and vibe...some may hate it...most dig it.
This cd has a bunch of quick, uptempo numbers as well as some thoughtful lyrics...put together by a band that just plain rocks.
Definitely worth the 4 1/2 year wait.
Years Go By ... Yet Time Stands Still June 17, 2008
Ryan Matthews (Clifton, NJ, USA)
5 out of 7 found this review helpful
Everyone knows that 'Smash' is The Offspring's best album. That vote is unanimous, so I'm not okay with making comparisons to that record because it was epic. I mean, the album holds the world record for most copies sold on an indie label. You come across a punk record like that once a decade, at the most. It was the 'American Idiot' of the 90's, in other words. So if we can agree on that, we don't have to put 'Rise And Fall, Rage And Grace' up against the impossible. That's a steep hill to climb and it'll just lead to a cliff.
It's been 4 years since the Orange County punkers dropped an LP and as much as I wanted to like 'Splinter', it was considerably short, lacking substance on some levels and not as catchy as we've become accustomed to. I wasn't about to throw in the towel on my favorite band, and they rewarded my patience with 'RFRG.' The Offspring has come alive again with a darker album that focuses more on domestic and global issues than ever before. They've once again expanded upon their musical prowess, implementing the piano into one of their songs, a sound the fan base has never previously heard from the band. I think this is probably the most well rounded album The Offspring has produced in at least a decade. It's an outlet of emotions, a release of stress and a huge step out of the shadows and back into the spotlight. It's the past and the present, it's everything you'd expect and nothing you'd expect. It's Dexter Holland at his absolute peak and Noodles breaking out some of his best guitar work. It's a band that came into the studio with something to prove and an idea of what they wanted to do. They delivered like the Offspring we've come to know and love over the years.
1) Half-truism: 9.5/10 - This is how you put your best foot forward. If you want vintage, this is vintage. This song is the fast paced, lyrically savvy piece with the background vocals and the chorus that sticks to your head. This will be a popular track with the fans because it's what reminds them of the band's rise to fame.
2) Trust In You: 9/10 - You have to know the song on 'Smash' called "I'm Not The One." You may have a flashback when you first hear the lyrics "I AM the one..." This track is about the bridge, in my opinion though. Noodles' guitar solo is absolutely awesome, probably accounting for my favorite moment of the album.
3) You're Gonna Go Far, Kid: 9.5/10 - I'd be surprised if you didn't hear this song on the radio in a couple months. It's probably the catchiest song on the disc as a whole and gives way to one of the more funny/interesting lines on 'RFRG', 'Dance, f***er, dance.'
4) Hammerhead: 10/10 - A lead single about a school shooting? Definitely a change of pace from "Pretty Fly (For A White Guy)", "Original Prankster", "Hit That" ... But a brilliant tone setter for the album, this song front to back gave me chills. If you ask me, it's their most powerful single ever, polished beautifully on all cylinders and for lack of a better word, moving.
5) A Lot Like Me: 10/10 - No mistake, you heard a piano. I gave this song a ten for its originality, much less the absolute face melting singing from Dexter Holland. If I had to make a comparison, I'd say this track is most closely related to "Denial, Revisited" from 'Conspiracy of One', but even that's a stretch. I've already said this song isn't getting the credit it deserves on forums and myspace, so give it a listen and see what you think.
6) Takes Me Nowhere: 9/10 - This is a very generic track for the band, not overly catchy nor memorable, but nonetheless a solid song. This is a track I have to pay my dues to Greg K for the work on the bass. He's a forgotten soul in a band dominated on the front line.
7) Kristy, Are You Doing Okay?: 8/10 - This is the only song I'm not sure where to place. I may be completely off track because I don't really know what the song's about, but this song didn't have a place on the album. At the very least, just by the title of the song, you can rule out anything that's going into your Offspring time capsule. Personally, I don't dislike the song, but for a fan like myself, a neutral feeling is as good as saying you don't like it. However, I could be the crazy one here, you never know.
8) Nothingtown: 9/10 - This is another track that'll go overlooked. I absolutely love the job Noodles did on the guitars with this song. It actually gives the melody a bit of a "She's Got Issues" feel to it. You know how they say an album grows on you? For me, it applies to this song more than any other. It gets better every time I listen to it.
9) Stuff Is Messed Up: 9.5/10 - This is, hands down, the ring tone song of the album. I can't even say much more about it. If I had read the lyrics and had to identify the artist, really, only these guys. It has serious intentions and more substance behind it than most of the band's previous songs of its kind, but I can't help laughing. I'd love to hear Dexter sing the bridge in concert.
10) Fix Me: 9.5/10 - I probably won't be the first, nor the only person you'll hear this from, but if you've heard "Wake Me Up When September Ends", as probably all of you have, this song will sound eerily similar in parts. Don't get me wrong, though. This is one of my favorite songs on the album and for good reason. It's a slow song and a very different song from anything you've heard before. In fact, I can say with confidence that this track will come under criticism for being too pop, too soft and nothing like your typical Offspring. Throw the allegations aside and just enjoy the needle in the haystack.
11) Let's Hear It For Rock Bottom: 8.5/10 - The song strangely sounds like something Vendetta Red would write. However, I'm not complaining. Rightfully so, this won't be one of the more talked about songs on the album, but it's definitely not going to fall under the category of filler.
12) Rise And Fall: 9.5/10 - I actually love this song. It's nothing special, it's nothing too catchy or creative, but it's just this band at their best. I fell in love with the chorus from the get go and haven't gotten tired of it yet. The Offspring always seem to come through with their title tracks, and though 'Americana' and 'Smash' take the gold and silver, this song is not trailing by a great distance.
You may come across a song, even a lyric here and there that may remind you of The Offspring's prior work or a song they didn't even write, but that's what music is all about. It's taking an idea and tweaking/tampering with it until you perfect it. What's so brilliant about this album is that the band gives you a dose of what won over your allegiance in the first place without sacrificing the originality of the music. Those are the albums that thrive in the music business. I don't understand the viewpoint of some people... they chastise you for experimenting with a new style/sound, but if you stay on an even keel, you're critiqued for recycling and reproducing the same music (Pennywise has often been victimized by that type of criticism).
I'd highly recommend this album to both the casual Offspring fan and the die hard fan. It was a fantastic effort and well worth the wait. Pick up the CD and keep supporting the group!
Grade: A-/A
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