So why is NOFX’s I Heard They Suck Live on this best 1,000 albums ever thing?
By way of the NOFX albums that I’ve covered on this here best 1,000 albums ever project, it’s pretty clear that I’m a big fan of these SoCal punk rockers.
And now we’ve come to I Heard They Suck Live, a live set comprising 19 tracks that runs just over 40 minutes or so, a fun-filled blast of an experience that I hereby rate as the greatest NOFX album of them all.
There are a number of reasons for this.
While NOFX’s studio albums do a good job of capturing the band’s exuberance and energy, this live album shows off their goofy sense of humor in addition to how well they can deftly pivot into “serious” punk rocking mode when the occasion calls for it. And then from a production standpoint, the music sounds simply incredible end-to-end.
The live performances are top notch as well. And here’s an example of the dynamic I mention above as packaged within a single song – a feat accomplished throughout I Heard They Suck Live.
“Life O’riley” first appears on NOFX’s second album, S&M Airlines, back in 1989, and it’s a decent track with some flashes of raw talent. Cut to I Heard They Suck Live, and the first section is a lively, boisterous ska punk jaunt, which would be fantastic as just that. But then it launches on a dime into a ferocious punk section that is ludicrously exciting.
Which is another way of stating that it’s so rare that live albums to capture the visceral thrill of actually being at a live concert from a band or performers who are delivering their very best*.
* Side note that that’s partially why I “weight” truly superior live albums pretty heavily in terms of the ranking process for the best 1k albums ever project.
There’s also plenty of (though not too much) banter between songs, lending more to the feeling that you’re at a live show or, even better, hanging out while the fellas are messing around in the rehearsal studio. Example:
“Boy, did you mess up that time,” Fat Mike says at the end of “Life O’riley.”
“Yeah Mike, I did,” El Hefe (I believe) retorts.
And then the two playfully argue about whether or not that song is “going on the album.”
And then in terms of song selection, the band faithfully and expertly rips through popular songs like “Linoleum” and “Soul Doubt” – and sound fantastic in the process – but then find time to sharply change gears to get into sophomoric but admittedly funny material like “Together on the Sand” and “Buggley Eyes.” The latter songs, it should be noted, showcase how vastly rangy NOFX is versus 99% of any other rock or punk band you can think of.
And then of course I must always find a place to shed light and praise on “The Brews,” the greatest song of Jewish empowerment in punk rock (and flat-out music?) history.
Some stats & info about NOFX – I Heard They Suck Live
- What kind of musical stylings does this album represent? Rock Music, Punk Rock, Pop Punk, Punk Revival, Skate Punk, SoCal Bands, Live Albums, Ska Punk
- Rolling Stone’s greatest 500 albums ranking – not ranked!
- All Music’s rating – 3 out of 5 stars
- When was I Heard They Suck Live released? 1995
- My ranking, the one you’re reading right now – #221 out of 1,000
NOFX’s I Heard They Suck Live on Spotify
A lyrical snippet from NOFX’s I Heard They Suck Live that’s evocative of the album in some way, maybe
They are the moron brothers, don’t get along with others.
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.