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Rating: After their greatest masterpiece, NOFX make a very courageous decision. They could have made a second "Punk In Drublic," and sold out to MTV, a major label, and made tons of cash.
But no: in 1996 "Heavy Petting Zoo" comes out, an album softer and less powerful and fast than their previous works, and still slightly inferior to the latter. This album would then lead to the conception of perhaps their best album the following year: "So Long and Thanks For All The Shoes," a CD full of musical nuances, very fast and at the same time melodic.
This "Heavy Petting Zoo" wants to be, first and foremost, a huge FUCK YOU to MTV, the radio stations, major labels, and everyone who paid no attention to them before and now see Fat and company as a new sensational band, to be squeezed out for lots of money. But they don't care, they don't need these "tricks" to be famous. Anyway, let's get back to the CD. The beautiful opening track ("Hobophobic") seems to take us directly back to "Punk In Drublic": a brief 50 seconds of intense punk fury. However, from here on, every song seems to be immersed in a strange tranquility, even if musically similar to those of the past. It continues with "Philthy Phil Philanthropist" and "Freedom Like a Shopping Cart," melodic and very engaging. The fourth song, "Bleeding Heart Disease," which alternates the slow-fast rhythm typical of this album and has lyrics not as ironic as usual (...Happiness was killed we watched it bleed, some say it died from hate, Some say from bleeding heart disease...), is certainly the best on the record. "HotDog In A Hallway" somewhat alienates you from the rest of the album. "Release The Hostages" (fast and furious) returns to the steps of "Hobophobic." Then comes the wonderful "Liza," which continues the legendary saga of "Liza & Louise," and the defiant "What's The Matter With Kids Today?," a direct attack on all the well-behaved and perfect kids (...They disregard civil disobedience, They'd rather do what they're told... They're never late, don't smoke or break rules, They eat right, study hard, They like school...). This is followed by "Love Story," where the Californians lose themselves a bit, "The Black And White" starts with an almost Hard Rock guitar riff that then flows into their wild and splendid punk-hc, and "Whatever Didi Wants" returns to being calm and rhythmic. The album closes with "August 8th" and "Drop The World," both beautiful, the first slow, the second melodic and at the same time sharp.
An album not in their usual style, but still beautiful, engaging, also symptomatic of a desire to renew and make their albums talked about in a way never obvious. An interesting fact: the album was also released under the name "Eating Lamb" and sparked quite a bit of controversy for its cover depicting a farmer and a sheep in an explicit position.
Tracklist Lyrics and Videos
01 Hobophobic (Scared of Bums) (00:49)
Hobo - I'm hobophobic so what ah ah ah scared of bums
not just because they stink bad not just because they're
crackers from drinking too much lysol let them be just
don't get fuckin near me scared of bums ah ah infested
with microscopic bugs and endocine systematic doo doo
why don't they get a job
02 Philthy Phil Philanthropist (03:10)
Bleurgh!
Bleurgh bleurgh!
There's something wrong with mass consumption,
Why do we want what we don't need,
Alchol burn it clean, asphalt methamphetamine,
will make it seem alright,
It's gonna make it seem alright,
Living in the hunger underground,
Some people say I got a problem with authority,
So what if I do man,
It beats relinquishing control.
Philthy phil philanthropist,
You've taken what you shoulda give away,
Philthy phil you gave to us,
What we can not repay.
There's something grand about being nothing,
There's something lame about being grand,
Alchol squirting gun, no holidays in the sun,
That's me not being you, that's me not being you,
Either part of the solution or the problem,
Can there not be a middle ground for just the anybody,
Replace superman with Joe ordinary.
Philthy Phil Philanderer,
You've taken when you shoulda give away.
Philthy Phil you gave to us,
We cannot repay.
Philthy Phil Philanthropist,
You've taken when you shoulda give away.
Philthy Phil you gave to us,
We cannot repay,
We cannot repay,
Bleurgh!
03 Freedom Lika Shopping Cart (03:43)
A Christian, an anarchist slash prostitute, figures out the true meaning of freedom
Not freedom like America, freedom like a shopping cart
Kick back, no tense, you got a bag of grub it cost you about 50 cents
No fear, no fuckin' feats, malt liquor tastes much better on the streets
Crustin, a way of life for heroines and heroes who hitchhike the road to Eden
Not Eden like the garden state, Eden like the state of mind
Kick back, cheap thrills, you'll do anything for a laugh even if it kills you
The bridge you took it out, the ticket takers suddenly lost count
Sleeping under rays, your teeth crumbling away, say goodbye
To all responsibility, you never wanted it man
Wasting time whenever you get the chance
Which happens to be all the time
Kick back, free meals
A couple of times a day you make a couple of shady deals
No work, no fucking pay
Cardboard condominium by the bay
You're between the red and black, you're never goin' back
Say goodbye, to all responsibility
You never wanted it man
05 Hot Dog in a Hallway (02:51)
He'll have another piece of pie
she'll have a double reuben rye
she works hard at eating well
that's why I love her
She's got a couple of pony kegs
her arms are bigger than my legs
and when she holds
me I can't breathe
that's why I love her yeah,
I'm her butter she's my bread
she's like mobile waterbed
and when I get on top of her
I can't touch the mattress
And when her flesh begins to sag
she's like a human sleeping bag
I feel so cozy safe and warm
she's my insulation
I always know where she sat
and when she's on me I get flat
some broken ribs a punctured lung
that's why I love her
She's my phillie, I'm her stud
her bean is bigger than my pud
it's like feeding a tic-tac to a whale
that's why I love her
06 Release the Hostages (02:29)
Stop
Have a beer it's on me
Has anyone ever told you
That you look like star
Innocent at the bar
So i drink 'cause it makes me
Happier than bein' alone
My good friend Jhonny Walker
Keeps me warm like a cunt
Seems like everybody's got
Something i have not: a reason not to die
So i say death to mister right 'cause that's not me
11 Whatever Didi Wants (03:02)
I wouldn't walk 500 miles when I could fly coach but almost
anything I wouldn't swim across the nile cause I could get a
moebic disentary, I would d almost anything for you,
Cause if there's anything you want
I'll probably get it you tell me what you need I'll try not to forget
if you need someone to blame I'll say I said it cause whatever
Didi wants, she's gonna get it I wouldn't climb the highest mountain
could get a blister, but almost anything I wouldn't throw coins
in a fountain It might be needing to make a phone call,I'd call you collect
when ever i could, Cause if there's anything I'll probably get , just tell me
what you need I'll try not forget , if you need someone to blame i'll i said
it, Cuz what ever Didi whats I'll probably get it, You are so beautiful, you
are so beautiful to me, we're gonna try to get it right
I doesn't seem like you're a million miles away, no, but maybe
one or two that doesn't mean, I never loved you me love you
long time, when you're on top of me. I love you as much as anyone could.
Cause if there's anything you want
I'll probably get it you tell me what you need I'll try not to forget
if you need someone to blame I'll say I said it cause whatever
Didi wants, she's gonna get it. Whatever Didi wants, she's gonna get. Whatever Didi wants she's gonna get it. Whatever didi wants, she's gonna get it. Whatever Didi wants, she's gonna get it!
Pick it up, Pick it up!
12 August 8th (01:35)
Birds sing, theres not a cloud in the sky, august 8th is a beautiful day,
I see, a bunch of hippies crying, yeah august 8th is a beautiful day.
Like waking up from a real bad dream, suddenly everything is ok,
The storm has passed, the sun is shining, yeah august 8th is a beautiful day.
What's going on? What's going on? Is something bummin your scene?
There's something wrong, there's something wrong, im not trying to be mean.
The air is sweet, the summer flowers blooming, nowhere in sight is there anything grey,
Feelings of joy, are filling the street, yeah august 8th is a beautiful day.
Like waking up from a fucked up dream, suddenly everything's looking good,
There's been no permanent damage done, yeah august 8th came right when it should.
What's going on? What's going on? Is something bummin your scene?
There's something wrong, there's something wrong, im not trying to be mean.
Poor Jeff, poor little Timmy Turtle, staying home on such a beautiful day.
13 Drop the World (03:22)
He won the race the judges concluded he was the betterman
he'd come from victory a hesitation a one time show or place
his self would not allow he had to be the best He had denied his
urges cause they would of drained his strength that battle had been
won with side effects a few he may have dropped the world he could
not let us down dana has gone away I hope she's in a better place
She aced the test a grade above the rest of the class felt the curve
a 93% was not enough to feed her fix she needs that perfect score
the endorphin rush she loved it would opiate her She had denied all
allegations of her loneliness that battle had been won with scars still
under wraps she may have dropped the world she would not let us down
endorphin rush she loved she may have dropped the world
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