The events of Feb. 22, 2005 painted a black, emo stripe on the hearts of punk rock fans across the nation.
No, there was not a shortage of stud belts at the local skate shop, and no, Dashboard Confessional was not embarking on a tour with Green Day, but rather, the boys of Blink-182 announced plans for an "indefinite hiatus."
Pierced lips quivered and mohawked heads shook in disbelief at the news that Mark, Tom and Travis could no longer "stay together for the kids."
It's been almost nine months since that fateful day, and each respective Blink member has gone on to at least one new project, or many, in the case of drummer Travis Barker, but now thanks to Geffen Records, devoted fans can relive more than 10 years of punk rock's favorite pranksters through Blink 182: Greatest Hits.
Although it is daunting to see Blink's career condensed to just 17 tracks, the album provides a fulfilling timeline spanning from the band's second full-length CD, Cheshire Cat, to their final album, Blink-182. Each passing track draws fans along the band's journey, from sodomy-referencing teenage jackasses to tattooed and pierced fathers.
The chronological album starts off in the unrefined, pre-Barker era, when Scott Raynor manned the drums, with tracks from Cheshire Cat and Dude Ranch like "Carousel" and "Josie." This portion also features the driving tempo of "Dammit," an anthem for those pained by the prospect of adulthood, with each passing bittersweet chorus of "I guess this is growing up."
Pseudo-Blink fans will be most familiar with the featured material off the band's 1999 pop-punk breakout album, Enema of the State. Listening to the catchy hooks of tracks like "What's My Age Again?" and "All the Small Things," help bring fans back to the less serious side of Blink, a time of streaking and satirizing boy-band videos on the daily TRL countdown. The upbeat sounds of Enema create the perfect segue into the Take Off Your Pants and Jacket portion, which continues Blink's ever-present themes of juvenile summer fun and of course, hot girls with tracks like "Rock Show" and "First Date." Ironically, the bitter "Stay Together for the Kids" also makes an appearance on the album, as if to show what can happen if people with strong differences try to stick together.
Finally, the album ushers in the experimental sounds of Blink-182, which showcased a sense of maturity among the San Diego punk rockers. This portion features the call-and-response vocals between Mark and Tom in "Feeling This" and the deeper emotional content of "Down," — a far cry from their earlier material that called moms "whores" and discussed the joys of porn.
Overall, Blink 182: Greatest Hits does an adequate job of highlighting the key moments of Blink's career. As with many greatest hits albums, it certainly leaves fans wanting more or wondering, "why wasn't 'Lemmings' on the album?" or "what about 'Dumpweed' or 'Going Away to College'?"
The list could go on; however, the album does offer three tracks that have received limited exposure, like "Man Overboard" a song found on Blink's live album, The Mark, Tom and Travis Show (The Enema Strikes Back!), and "Not Now," which was featured as a bonus track on the U.K. version of Blink-182. Finally, the band's modern cover of 1970s punk rockers The Only Ones' "Another Girl, Another Planet," closes the album on a high note. MTV enthusiasts might recognize this song as the theme to Travis Barker's punk rock version of "Newlyweds," his reality show, "Meet the Barkers."
Reality TV stint aside, since the announcement of Blink's hiatus, Barker has certainly been making the rounds in the music industry. The drummer can't seem to turn down a project. He spent his summer in familiar territory, on the Warped Tour with his new band, The Transplants, he collaborated with Nicole Richie's fiancé, DJ AM, formed another band with Transplants rapper Rob Aston and rapper Paul Wall and still has time for an additional band, Plus-44, with Blink-182's Mark Hoppus. Whether Barker will have time to sleep or participate in activities not involving a drum set has yet to be seen. At this rate, a new band featuring Barker and Mariah Carey would not even seem that far-fetched.
In addition to his work alongside Barker on the piano and electric drum-driven sound Plus-44, Mark Hoppus has also tried his hand in different areas of the studio. Hoppus helped produce piano-punks Motion City Soundtrack's latest, Commit This to Memory.
Perhaps the most elusive of the group, guitarist Tom DeLonge recently revealed that he too has a new band in the works. With utmost confidence, DeLonge is touting the work of his new group, Angels and Airwaves, as the greatest album of his career. Hopefully his music can back up his mouth.
Until the day when the world is shocked and amazed by Angels and Airwaves, Blink fans can still find comfort in the Blink-182: Greatest Hits CD, or the DVD version, which contains 13 of the band's music videos and promotional clips for hits like "Josie" and "Rock Show."
Grade: B
