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NOFX

The Longest Line
1992
Fat Wreck Chords

NOFX - The Longest Line (Cover Artwork)


Review by: VanStu
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Fat Wreck Chords (Logo)

Published on July 3rd 2009

I was checking out NOFX's Punknews band page when, to my disbelief, I saw that this EP hasn't been reviewed yet. This EP is a milestone for NOFX! It was their first release on Fat Wreck, the first release with El Hefe and an initial taste of the fantastic material that would follow in their career.

The EP starts off with a retarded joke that I personally didn't grasp for some time. But they make up for it immediately with the classic: "The Death of John Smith." This song is well-written all around. It's fast, has great lyrics, well-placed harmonies and a great syncopated breakdown that shows off the band as a whole. El Hefe sings solo on the bridge, which is half-timed, giving a sense of buildup for the final verse/chorus.

The title track is arguably the catchiest song on the EP. It's witty, simple and fun. "The Longest Line" is a step out of pace (at the time) from the usual straightforward skatepunk NOFX was writing. It's stripped down in terms of tempo and musicianship. But nonetheless, you'll find it suck in your head after a couple of listens.

The next two songs took a few listens to win me over. "Stranded" is a sleeper for sure. It's one of those songs that takes a while to build. But you once you get there, you see what all the fuss is about. The "ahhhh"s on the chorus are great. The segue from the breakdown into the solo is awesome.

"Remnants" is easier to get into then the previous song. The verses have great melodies that stick with you. NOFX does a great job of building up in this one. It's up and down to get into the second verse, as well as getting into the solo and then eases off into the the last verse. They finally slow it down, get a little metal and pull out the artificial harmonics for the outro.

To finish off the EP is the amusing reggae track, "Kill All the White Man." I would have to say that the repetition and humor of this song will have you singing it for weeks. El Hefe sings this one and does a great job with the faux-Rasta accent. It's pretty straightforward in terms of music and speeds up for a more punk rock outro. I personally think they could have chopped off some bars at the end. But hey, I thought that about "The Decline" as well...

I would recommend picking up this EP. It's classic NOFX. The production is pretty much on par with White Trash, Two Heebs and a Bean and the songs hold some steady longevity.



People who liked this also liked:
Propagandhi - Supporting CasteDescendents - Milo Goes To CollegeNOFX - CoasterDillinger Four - C I V I L W A RBrand New - The Devil and God Are Raging Inside MeNOFX - Punk In DrublicChoking Victim - No Gods / No ManagersNOFX - The DeclineThe Lawrence Arms - Buttsweat and Tears [7 inch]ALL - Mass Nerder



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    Posted by sumwon on 2009-07-06 19:12:53
    My Score:

    Only NOFX could bridge Propagandhi and Sublime in the People Also Liked section. Score's for that.

    Posted by paulrulzdood on 2009-07-06 09:49:33

    "kill all the white man" and "the longest line" are both essential NOFX tracks that shoudl be in any fan's library. The other 3 are kind of filler, solid for the time, but nearly 20 years later, they just sound like average old-school NOFX songs (as does half the material on "white trash" but what do I know).

    but cough up the $2 for those 2 songs for sure. both are pretty simple musically, but lyrically they are hilarious and thoughtful, that classic balance of dick & fart humor mixed with profound social commentary that no other band (vandals, guttermouth, blink182) that has tried it has ever gotten it quite right.

    plus both are classic live NOFX sing-a-longs so you should be familiar with them for that fact alone. like "bob".

    Paul

    Posted by the_other_scott on 2009-07-05 20:21:16

    i'm confused. i never picked this up so i don't know. is the joke about a retarded person or is the reviewer lazy enough that he used "retarded" as a description?

    Posted by kylewagoner on 2009-07-05 16:55:03

    This EP was okay. I'm not a huge old NOFX fan. There were a few songs on White Trash I could listen to but they didn't really get into things I could listen to on repeat until Punk in Drublic. I'm the same with most old Lagwagon or any of the other bands going with the same sound in that time. I prefer the more developed NOFX. So Long is my favorite but I also love the shit out of Pump Up the Valium. Those are my favorites, I think it's safe to say. Whatever, I'm ranting about my personal feelings. I think if NOFX rewrote these songs today, they'd be better melody-wise.

    Posted by bongsmcj on 2009-07-05 11:54:20

    i cant believe this is the sort of mindless bullshit that punknews has been reduced to...

    Posted by cloudkicker on 2009-07-04 09:21:24

    Agreed. Probably the most solid NOFX record. And the art is pretty cool, which is usually hit or miss with these dudes.

    Posted by android on 2009-07-04 04:18:35
    My Score:

    I love this record but I can´t listen to "Kill AllThe White Man" anymore...

    Posted by xcarlupanddiex on 2009-07-04 03:24:19
    My Score:

    if NOFX put these tunes on White Trash, I think we'd have the best punk rock record ever.

    Posted by LeightonESmith on 2009-07-03 23:43:51
    My Score:

    One of the best EPs ever. Fuck NOFX was good back in the day!

    Posted by BarleyPat on 2009-07-03 23:10:20

    Damn, it just occured to me how long it's been since I listened to this. Great EP.

    Posted by ehx82 on 2009-07-03 20:42:52
    My Score:

    "You'll find it suck in your head after a couple listens."

    Greatest typo ever.

    Posted by m1tch on 2009-07-03 19:20:12

    the death of john smith is one of the greatest songs these guys have ever put out.

    Posted by whoostin on 2009-07-03 19:05:19

    Stranded was my favorite song when I bought this, now I would kill to see them play the Death of John Smith

    Posted by wentz_equals_death on 2009-07-03 16:32:28

    absolutely no offense intended, but what is hard to grasp about the joke at the beginning? i always thought it was funny btw

    Posted by fallingupwards84 on 2009-07-03 15:27:17

    Two of the five songs aren't very good according to the review, including one sleeper; and yet it gets 9 stars.

    Posted by android on 2009-07-03 15:18:52

    wasn´t the re.issue of "the PMRC can suck on this" their first FAT release?

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