Following the release of their 1996 debut CHESHIRE CAT, Blink 182 returns with a satisfactory sophomore effort. Clearly influenced by the likes of Green Day and Weezer, Blink 182 provides fast, aggressive punk that is also melodic and fun. The trio's lyrics are filled with the angst and alienation that teens can relate to, while injecting humor also. "A New Hope" is an ode to Princess Leia and the Star Wars gang, while "Waggy" is a word bassist Mark Hoppus came up with while belching. Hard-core fans of the band will not be disappointed, as "Degenerate" is a re-recording from their demo tape, and "Lemmings" is from a split 7". All the songs on the record are catchy and infectious and hit single potential abounds. The musicianship is also there, as the chops are tight and worthy of comparison to any great punk band. Overall, DUDE RANCH proves the continued viability of punk-pop in the late '90s.

Aug 2006

Dude Ranch is a great album from Blink 182 that was released before they hit mega stardom with their "All The Small Things" single. It shows the talent that was about to make them famous with the funny and funky collection of pop-punk songs made before pop-punk was really a style of music. From the brilliant stand-out tracks "Dammit" and "Enthused" to the Star wars inspired "A New Hope" we see a band who can really write catchy and fun pop songs. Along with the clever satire "Emo" almost a decade before it became the fashion trend it is today and the biting "Pathetic" we see a band that is not only goofy and fun but that have real intelligence behind their lyrics.

Ryan Evans, HMV Newport

Blink 182: Tom DeLonge (guitar, vocals); Mark Hopper (bass, vocals); Scott Raynor (drums).
Additional personnel: Mark Trombino (piano, keyboards); Scott Russo.
Recorded at Big Fish Studios, Encinitas, California.
Following the release of their 1996 debut CHESHIRE CAT, Blink 182 returns with a satisfactory sophomore effort. Clearly influenced by the likes of Green Day and Weezer, Blink 182 provides fast, aggressive punk that is also melodic and fun. The trio's lyrics are filled with the angst and alienation that teens can relate to, while injecting humor also. "A New Hope" is an ode to Princess Leia and the Star Wars gang, while "Waggy" is a word bassist Mark Hoppus came up with while belching. Hard-core fans of the band will not be disappointed, as "Degenerate" is a re-recording from their demo tape, and "Lemmings" is from a split 7". All the songs on the record are catchy and infectious and hit single potential abounds. The musicianship is also there, as the chops are tight and worthy of comparison to any great punk band. Overall, DUDE RANCH proves the continued viability of punk-pop in the late '90s.

California skate-punk trio Blink 182 employed a snappy mix of punk-pop and humour that appealed to a whole new generation of rock fans too young to have fully appreciated Green Day's initial impact. These third- (or fourth-) generation punks became the linchpin of an entire movement; any late-1990s/early-2000s kid whose life revolved around skateboarding, the Vans Warped tours, and multiple body piercings probably made a place of honour in his collection for the colourfully titled ENEMA OF THE STATE and TAKE OFF YOUR PANTS & JACKET. The band went on indefinite hiatus in 2005, and guitarist Tom Delonge introduced his new band, Angels And Airwaves, in 2006. In 2009, Blink 182 reunited for a much anticipated tour, with Weezer slated as one of the opening acts.