The Decline

Infobox Album
Name = The Decline
Type = EP
Artist = NOFX


Released = November 23, 1999
Recorded = June 1999
Genre = Punk rock
Length = 18:19
Label = Fat Wreck Chords
Producer =
Reviews =
*AbsolutePunk.net (85%) [http://www.absolutepunk.net/showthread.php?t=320585 link]
* Allmusic Rating|4|5 [http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:ss3gtq5z9u4o link]
* Punknews.org Rating|4.5|5 [http://punknews.org/review/10 link] |
Last album = "Louise and Liza"
(1999)
This album = "The Decline"
(1999)
Next album = "Bottles to the Ground"
(2000)

"The Decline" is a punk EP by NOFX. The CD version consisted of only the 18-minute title track, but the vinyl included a different version of "Clams Have Feelings Too" (from "Pump Up the Valuum") on the B-side. "The Decline" is largely a satire of American politics and law, with an overwhelming concern for blind behaviors of the masses, such as complacency, indifference, and conformity, as well as destruction of constitutional rights, and condemnation of the religious right. Although the lyrics are somewhat disjointed, they all refer back to the unifying theme of the "decline" of America. The outro of the song on the trombone is played by Lars Nylander of Skankin' Pickle. [ [http://www.nofxwiki.net/wiki/images/8/8b/Decline_insert.jpgThe insert on the CD version of the Decline lists Lars Nylander] ]

According to the band, the recording of "The Decline" was:

The Subhumans song Fat Mike is most likely referring to is the title track to From the Cradle to the Grave, which is just under 17 minutes in length.

The first 155 copies were pressed on clear vinyl, a version which is no longer available. [ [http://www.fatwreck.com/record/detail/605 The Decline] at the Records section of Fat Wreck Chords.]

The cover of the album is of a boy holding a model airplane. In the Pink Floyd movie "The Wall", 18 minutes into the film (which is about how long "The Decline" is) there is a scene in which a boy runs around with a plane, in the same fashion as the boy on the cover of "The Decline". Some variations of the rumour even suggest that "The Decline" could be played along with "The Wall" in the same way as Pink Floyd's "Dark Side of the Moon" supposedly could with "The Wizard of Oz". Fat Mike, however, when queried on this matter, just replied: "You are insane."

The first 1 min and 20 seconds of a live version of The Decline are played as an encore after Stickin' In My Eye on They've Actually Gotten Worse Live!(2007) before being faded out. [ [http://www.nofxofficialwebsite.com/qa/qa_read.php3?page=1 NOFX Q&A] , October 31, 2001, [http://www.nofxofficialwebsite.com/ nofxofficialwebsite.com] .] The entire song is occasionally played live, often as an encore, although they played it whole several times in their 2006 South American and Canadian tours, and preferred to do so in the smaller venues, as a gift for fans that were aware of them playing in such small venues.

References

ee also

*NOFX
*Punk ideology