TELL ME THE TRUTH: What´s going on with the band?

["Melyssa K" Kennedy]

But very, very few albums are selling well right now, if you didn't notice. Mumford and Sons and Taylor Swift and that's about it.

Ewww, Taylor Swift!

Dexter and Greg are nearing 50. Grant the guys a little slack.

And Noodles is only months away.

[_Lost_]

Whoops! I was thinking he was 50 already, not 49.

["Melyssa K" Kennedy]

Whoops! I was thinking he was 50 already, not 49.

Haha, don't rush the man! Hmm, I wonder if we should put something together for him for his 50th. That's half a century; it's pretty special. Are people just going to laugh at this idea? *looks around*

[ppronni]

The album didn't sell insanely well; that's not exactly something they can control.

I don't agree with that. There's always a certain uncertainty when releasing a new album but in the end quality and a good merchandising strategy usually prevail. And the band and its entourage have made several unfortunate decisions contributing to the lack of sales and media coverage.

First, the album itself doesn't have any strong song that could be used as a powerful single. Days Go By was intended as that song, and maybe the idea was good, but the outcome is boring and disappointing.

Second, the singles' selection was terrible. Almost everyone in here loved Secrets, Future is Now and the last two tracks. Maybe some others, but the core was clear. Instead, we got three singles that are among the worse tracks on the album. Turning into You is slightly above the other two but come on...it's a mediocre track, can't imagine it on a Greatest Hits album.

Third, everybody's perception of the album was ruined in advance when they heard this musical abomination called Cruising California. Apart from being the worst track they've ever done, it blows up their image as a serious band, and discourages future interest on the album. I've got many friends (most of them) who haven't heard the album at all but strongly criticise it due to this song. It's absurd to criticise the sum just for one of the parts, but the message is clear: People were so appaled of this track that didn't want to know anything else about the album or (even) about the band.

It's not that I dislike the album, I sincerely think that it deserved better sales or coverage and that it contains some of the best tracks they've done since the 1990s, but most of the fault of the crash is the band and their entourage's fault.

[cool 2 hate 681]

I don't agree with that. There's always a certain uncertainty when releasing a new album but in the end quality and a good merchandising strategy usually prevail. And the band and its entourage have made several unfortunate decisions contributing to the lack of sales and media coverage.

First, the album itself doesn't have any strong song that could be used as a powerful single. Days Go By was intended as that song, and maybe the idea was good, but the outcome is boring and disappointing.

Second, the singles' selection was terrible. Almost everyone in here loved Secrets, Future is Now and the last two tracks. Maybe some others, but the core was clear. Instead, we got three singles that are among the worse tracks on the album. Turning into You is slightly above the other two but come on...it's a mediocre track, can't imagine it on a Greatest Hits album.

Third, everybody's perception of the album was ruined in advance when they heard this musical abomination called Cruising California. Apart from being the worst track they've ever done, it blows up their image as a serious band, and discourages future interest on the album. I've got many friends (most of them) who haven't heard the album at all but strongly criticise it due to this song. It's absurd to criticise the sum just for one of the parts, but the message is clear: People were so appaled of this track that didn't want to know anything else about the album or (even) about the band.

It's not that I dislike the album, I sincerely think that it deserved better sales or coverage and that it contains some of the best tracks they've done since the 1990s, but most of the fault of the crash is the band and their entourage's fault.

agree columbia records did not do a very good job on it they should have put out another single in august and put the album out on vinyl they also should have not decided to put a parental advisory sticker on it and make a edited version of it when only two song use profanity (one not even in english)

also it's the worst offspring album im sure there were casual fans who heard cruising california in april and made the decision not to buy the album in june when it came out based on that song

[Little_Miss_1565]

I don't agree with that. There's always a certain uncertainty when releasing a new album but in the end quality and a good merchandising strategy usually prevail. And the band and its entourage have made several unfortunate decisions contributing to the lack of sales and media coverage.

I've had a great deal of experience marketing albums of very high quality and solid merchandising strategy. Sometimes, things just aren't up to you. Sometimes great records sell below your hopes/expectations. You're free to disagree with me, but I base this on years of working in distribution in the music industry.

First, the album itself doesn't have any strong song that could be used as a powerful single. Days Go By was intended as that song, and maybe the idea was good, but the outcome is boring and disappointing.

No song on this album was tailor made for radio on the level that radio is on right now.

Second, the singles' selection was terrible. Almost everyone in here loved Secrets, Future is Now and the last two tracks. Maybe some others, but the core was clear. Instead, we got three singles that are among the worse tracks on the album. Turning into You is slightly above the other two but come on...it's a mediocre track, can't imagine it on a Greatest Hits album.

"Secrets" was a single, as was "The Future Is Now," right? "Slim Pickens" and "Dividing By Zero" would have fared much worse at radio -- the only radio station they'd make sense on would be KROQ since they're basically the only station in the US that regularly plays Bad Religion and Pennywise.

Third, everybody's perception of the album was ruined in advance when they heard this musical abomination called Cruising California. Apart from being the worst track they've ever done, it blows up their image as a serious band, and discourages future interest on the album. I've got many friends (most of them) who haven't heard the album at all but strongly criticise it due to this song. It's absurd to criticise the sum just for one of the parts, but the message is clear: People were so appaled of this track that didn't want to know anything else about the album or (even) about the band.

I'm by no means stoked on CC. But people seemed to like it, especially here. One song doesn't kill an album's sales in this age of iTunes.

It's not that I dislike the album,

Are you sure?

I sincerely think that it deserved better sales or coverage and that it contains some of the best tracks they've done since the 1990s, but most of the fault of the crash is the band and their entourage's fault.

The band's management doesn't tell them what kind of an album to make, nor do they do things the band isn't comfortable with. They get paid based on how the band does; it's in their vested interest to do everything they can for the band. Also, how is the album "good" in your eyes but this is still the band's "fault"?

[cool 2 hate 681]

"Secrets" was a single, as was "The Future Is Now," right?

I wish they were

actually im surprised Secrets from the Underground was not a single since it says on the sticker of the cd ''featuring the new songs Days Go By, Cruising California (Bumpin' in My Trunk), and Secrets from the Underground''

Slim Pickens" and "Dividing By Zero" would have fared much worse at radio -- the only radio station they'd make sense on would be KROQ since they're basically the only station in the US that regularly plays Bad Religion and Pennywise.

also wish more stations were like kroq haha

[jacknife737]

I think Slim Pickens is quite frankly one of the best songs the band has written; though I think it would have been an absolutely awful single.

I'm still admittedly perplexed why Secrets from the Underground hasn't been released as a single though.

I'd say part of the reason that this album hasn't quite caught on as much as the others (though Days Go By did pretty well as a single in terms of charting and radio play): is that Alt-rock and (pop)punk really isn't really the "in thing" in terms of mainstream music. The most popular rock music that gets radio play seems to be folkish stuff like Mumford and Sons. The Offspring isn't the only band to be affected by this - i hate to mention their name in this side of the form - but the general public's collective reaction to the two recent Green Day albums (Uno, Dos) has been a collective "meh".

[Greekoldfan]

I don't want to write a lot about their management and their record company but I'm happy that the contract with columbia is finished.My personal opinion is that they didnt make a good job with the band after co1.look what warner did with green day... their merchadise,their promotion.they made top hits songs that weren't good enough! and how many of us and other people who aren't fans of the offspring saying about underestimated songs and band... even epitaph put out vinyls on different colors or special combinations ... when rafrag tour started and they played in greece for the first time (july!) they just had only 2 or 3 new t-shirts to sell by then...

[cool 2 hate 681]

I think Slim Pickens is quite frankly one of the best songs the band has written; though I think it would have been an absolutely awful single.

I think dividing by zero by itself would have done very good just like your gonna go far kid did

The most popular rock music that gets radio play seems to be folkish stuff like Mumford and Sons.

yeah that sucks I hate folk music of any kind that isn't alternative rock to me

the general public's collective reaction to the two recent Green Day albums (Uno, Dos) has been a collective "meh".

I think that might be because those albums were bad? I don't know I haven't heard them but Oh Love sounded awful on the radio they played it like crazy and It was too long and boring if you ask me