The Offspring released Smash through Epitaph on 8 April 1994. Thom Wilson produced it at Track Record in North Hollywood on a budget far closer to an underground punk release than the major-label albums it would eventually outsell.
Come Out And Play, Self Esteem And Gotta Get Away
Come Out and Play has that clipped guitar cue. Self Esteem slows down enough to let every bad decision in the lyric sink in. Gotta Get Away gets its tension from the drums and descending riff. They're easy songs to get into without being comfortable ones.
Eleven Million Copies On Epitaph
Smash sold more than eleven million copies worldwide. That success strengthened Epitaph and gave punk bands a striking example of how far an independent release could go without signing to a major.
Go Beyond The Singles
Bad Habit, Genocide and the title track are rougher than the singles might lead you to expect. If Smash was your way into punk, those songs were waiting once you got past the hits. The sarcasm, speed and frustration haven't worn off.
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