So why is NOFX’s Coaster on this best 1,000 albums ever thing?
I think no other band is in NOFX’s class when it comes to combining music that’s right on the edge of where raucous hardcore punk rock meets melodic pop punk and that includes incredible harmonies and a penchant for snarky, clever lyrics that even at their worst and most sophomoric are more memorable than that which most other bands have ever produced.
It also occurred to me that the nasal-y, snarky thing that Michael John Burkett (that’d be Fat Mike to you and me) does with his voice is very similar to the nasal-y, snarky thing that Michael Diamond (that’d be Mike D to you and me) did throughout his career with the Beastie Boys.
“The Quitter” starts off with one of the more crushing bass lines you’ll hear in punk rock (that’d also be Fat Mike), before segueing into a high tempo punk trip. Even deep into their career, NOFX always keeps their songs lean and tight, and this one gets in and out in less than two minutes.
There are more songs about alcohol on Coaster than on your typical NOFX album*, and “First Call” is a super upbeat song about the pretty bleak notion of being the first one to show up when the bar opens. It’s also a really fun listen on a sonic level.
* Which is a pretty high average to be honest. See: “Bob,” “You Drink, You Drive, You Spill,” etc.
I wouldn’t say NOFX is a particularly political band, though they have produced some pretty great songs with a message when their particular mood strikes – such as “The Brews,” which, quoting myself on the entry for Punk in Drublic (#492 of best 1,000 albums ever), is “the greatest punk rock song of Jewish empowerment of all time.”
The messaging isn’t quite as sharp on “We Called It America,” but it’s still a blast of fast paced pop punk. And I take it from the sound bite from Alec Baldwin’s iconic “coffee is for closers” monologue from Glengarry Glen Ross that’s thrown in at the beginning that the song speaks to the ruthless downside of the U.S.A.’s brand of capitalism, but in any event, you know, it’s fun.
Some stats & info about NOFX – Coaster
- What kind of musical stylings does this album represent? Rock Music, Punk Rock, Pop Punk, Punk Revival, Skate Punk, SoCal Bands
- Rolling Stone’s greatest 500 albums ranking – not ranked!
- All Music’s rating – 3 out of 5 stars
- When was Coaster released? 2009
- My ranking, the one you’re reading right now – #420 out of 1,000
NOFX’s Coaster on Spotify
A lyrical snippet from NOFX’s Coaster that’s evocative of the album in some way, maybe
I am a reverend of irreverence, I’m a shill for any sacrilege.
What does the “best 1,000 albums ever” mean and why are you doing this?
Yeah, I know it’s audacious, a little crazy (okay, maybe a lot cray cray), bordering on criminal nerdery.
But here’s what it’s NOT: a definitive list of the Greatest Albums of All-Time. This is 100% my own personal super biased, incredibly subjective review of what my top 1,000 albums are, ranked in painstaking order over the course of doing research for nearly a year, Rob from High Fidelity style. Find out more about why I embarked on a best 1,000 albums ever project.