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Blink-182
There are few things worse than finding the perfect name for your group only to learn somebody else has it. That happened to Nirvana but they managed to hang on to their moniker. Blink formed in Poway, CA. After releasing an EP and a couple of indie CDs, "Buddha" and "Cheshire Cat," Blink found there was an Irish band with the same name. On top of that, the Irishmen had lawyers and were ready to use them. So Blink became Blink-182. The name change did them good. They spent 1996-97 on the Warped Tour being embraced by the skaters, surfers and snowboarders.
"Dude Ranch," rolled out in '97 and captured the attention of MCA Records. Now stardom beckoned. But there was a slight bump in the road. Blink-182's original drummer, Scott Raynor, abruptly departed. As a result, Travis Barker who was touring with his band, the Aquabats, was asked to fill in. In approximately two hours Barker learned Blink-182's set, some twenty songs, and hit the stage that evening. Having won Mark Hoppus and Tom DeLonge's undying appreciation, Barker was asked to join, which of course, he accepted.
"Enema Of The State" arrived in the summer of '99 and was still going strong a year later led by the brilliant "What's My Age Again." The front cover photo had a nurse, who looked like the daughter of the teacher in Van Halen's "Hot For Teacher" video. Pure marketing. Some things never change. "The Mark, Tom And Travis Show," a live set featuring their hits and pre-fame material, came next. "Take Off Your Pants & Jacket" was released the following year, in '01, and continued the group's hot streak.
After a break for side projects (Boxcar Racer and the Transplants) Blink-182 took a slightly different tack on their self-titled '03 release. Led by the single "Feeling This" the group stretched a bit with some fans embracing the change and others disowning it. That's the risk you take.
Whether due to the album's negative reception, internal disputes or just plain weariness, Blink-182 ceased. There was some backbiting between DeLonge and Hoppus but little else. Still, Blink 182 owns a unique place in Rock annals. They may not have been the first to meld power pop with Punk sensibilities (or was it Punk with power pop sensibilities?) but they certainly were the most successful and imitated.
Post Blink-182, DeLonge founded Angels & Airwaves. That kept him occupied but not nearly at Barker's level. Barker, whose personal life often overshadowed his musical endeavors, stayed very busy following Blink-182's demise. His marriage to former Miss USA Shanna Moakler was featured on MTV's Meet The Barkers ('05-'06). Predictably, the marriage hit the skids in '06 which more or less put an end to the series. Barker was next seen briefly in the company of Paris Hilton (yes, the notorious Hilton Hotel heiress). Musically, Barker was on firmer ground as part of Box Car Racer with DeLonge and +44 with Hoppus, among numerous other projects.
On September 20th, '08 Barker landed (hard) in the news. He was seriously injured when his plane, a Learjet 60, crashed during take-off following a free concert in West Columbia, SC (University of South Carolina). A blown tire was the suspected cause. Two members of Barker's personal staff, the pilot and co-pilot died in the accident. Barker and his musical partner DJ AM (Adam Goldstein) survived by sliding down the craft's wing. Both were listed in critical but stable condition. Barker was later moved to the Joseph M. Still Burn Center at Doctors Hospital in Augusta, GA, where he spent nine days being treated for severe burns.
"My biggest fear ever is to be involved in a plane crash, so when that happened . . . well, I'm just thankful to be alive," said Barker.
Charging in from the Alt. Rock/Punk side of the tracks, Blink 182's first two CDs "Dude Ranch" and "Cheshire Cat" are good with "Dude Ranch" being the better of the two. The group continued to improve with each studio outing. There have been dozens of songs about the trials and tribulations of being a teen. Aging Rockers even managed to come up with songs about being an adult. But "What's My Age Again" is the only song to nail the twenty-three year old male experience. The lyrics have a humorous edge. The song Rocks. "My friends say I should act my age. What's my age again." Perfect.
"Enema Of The State" with "All The Small Things," "Adam's Song" and the inescapable "What's My Age Again" tops the short list. Blink 182 Rocks hard through the CD. And good old angst driven lyrics are a perfect match for the churn and burn guitar.
The guitar, bass and drums line-up offers lean, economic Rock. When these groups play live there is an opportunity for extended jams. The whole point of recording a live performance is to embellish the studio versions and perhaps add new material. "The Mark, Tom And Travis Show" doesn't do that. What separates this from their studio work is the extensive stage banter and toss-off bits featuring scatological humor. The good news is Blink 182 can play live. They Rock through their repertoire at two California shows recorded in late '99. They definitely have the vocal and instrumental chops to deliver the goods. It's a twenty-track set that also includes the aforementioned toss-off tracks. The straight trio attack wears a bit thin but that's not the point. It's followed by nearly thirty tracks of stage banter (in addition to what's already between the songs). The CD's sole purpose is to present Blink 182 as a fun-loving, rebellious, party band. If you want to hear Blink 182 do faithful renditions of their studio material get this CD. If you have a taste for obscene laced humor delivered with energy and zest get this CD. If you think Mark, Tom and Travis are unbelievably cute, get this CD for the picture book.
On "Take Off Your Pants & Jacket," Mark, Travis and Tom's juvenile-punk-smart-mouth approach still clicks. The CD opens with "Anthem Part Two" containing a hot Hoppus bass riff. "The Rock Show," features DeLonge's high-energy riffs and Hoppus' thrashing vocals. Here and on "Stay Together For The Kids," the group attempts to say something meaningful. But why? This is a crank it up, have a blast group. In a sense, captured by their success, attempts to move beyond their reach sound naïve. But with speed Rockers "First Date," "Online Songs" and "Roller Coaster" there's more than enough to recommend.
Either tiring of their previous approach or feeling their fans were, "Blink 182" signals a change. The snotty sophomoric humor has been replaced by a more serious demeanor. Not only that, the midtempo "I Miss You" employs strings while "Violence" is a finger poppin' track. Blink 182 cranks through "Feeling This," "Obvious" and "Stockholm Syndrome" but the album has very little of the manic energy that made them excessively popular.
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