Band: MxPx
Album: The Ultimate Collection
Genre: Pop Punk
Label: Tooth and Nail
Tracks:
1. Secret Weapon
2. Do Your Feet Hurt
3. GSF
4. Teenage Politics
5. Chick Magnet
6. Role Remodeling
7. Punk Rawk Show
8. Dolores
9. Middle Name
10. Want Ad
11. Doing Time
12. Today is in My Way
13. Do & Don't
14. Small Town Minds
15. Study Humans
16. Money Tree
17. The Opposite of Intellect
18. Americanism
19. New York to Nowhere
20. Sugarcoated Poison Apple
21. You're On Fire
22. The Wonder Years
23. Southbound
To say that MxPx are legends in the pop punk scene would be an understatement. It's hard for anybody in the industry to stay relevant for 5 years, lets alone the 16 years that MxPx have been together. Over the course of 8 albums, 1 live record, and numerous eps this three piece have etched themselves a place in punk history that's not liekly to be erased ever and the best part of all this is that they're still going strong. Their latest album of new material was released last year, but this review is focusing on their most recent release entitled The Ultimate Collection. This 23 track collection spans the group's career on Tooth and Nail Records and perfectly demonstrates why MxPx have been able to keep going all these years.
Anyone familiar with MxPx will instantly recognize a lot of the group's "hits," are not on this album, but that is because this collection only contains songs released through tooth and nail records [anything from Panic for instance, is not found here]. The opener is the lead single and title track from their most recent studio album, Secret Weapon. It's fast, raw punk with a soaring chorus that sounds destined for packed night clubs and summer festivals. It's a stunning portrait of the band as it is all about self empowerment and gives a message of hope, which is one of the pillar's to MxPx's songs. From here, MxPx take us back to the mid-late 90's as we pump our fists to songs from Life in General, Let it Happen, Teenage Politics, Pokinatcha, and the Small Town Minds 7". Some highlights from the 1st disco would be the original cut of the timeless, "Punk Rawk Show," which is much looser and raw than the version we received on the previous hits compilation Ten Years Running and the timeless anthem, "Teenage Politics." These two tracks alone serve as reason to bow before MxPx because even over a decade after their release, they're still disgustingly catchy and addictive.
The Second disc plays much like the first, fast and leaving little room to catch your breath between series of 3 to 4 chord songs. Yuri stands out on drums, as you wonder how one man could keep up these ridiculous tempos for so many years, but having just seen them in concert, I can tell you they all still have it. This disc is literally half filled with songs from Teenage Politics and it's in that fact that we find a problem. I love compilation albums, but at times I felt like I wasn't hearing essential songs as much as filler to make 2 discs of songs. The music is great, but when about 1/2 an album appears on your ultimate collection, it jsut seems thrown together. However, this disc does offer up the newer hit, "You're on Fire," which fits right in amongst the classics, even though it was literally just released last year. The music flows great for being from different time periods and by the end of the second disc, you'll begin looking for a third because you're not ready to stop shouting along and moving your feet.
The Ultimate Collection from MxPx is more like a sampler of their Tooth and Nail releases, but it's a solid collection regardless. Whether you're a seasoned fan or a newcomer, these discs hold something for you to cherish for years to come. There's a dozen new bands in the scene every other day, but if you want to hear pop punk done right, look no farther than this record right here.
GRADE: 9/10
MYSPACE
*WE RECENTLY HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO CONVERSE WITH YURI FROM MXPX AND BELOW YOU CAN FIND THE TEXT TO THE INTERVIEW.
On April 19th, 2008, UTG James [J] and UTG Meaghan met and interview Yuri[Y] from MxPx outside the Orbit Room in
J: Hey, this is James with Meaghan and YURI from MXPX here in
Y: Hey, what’s going on everybody?
J: So you guys just released your Essential Collection, could you tell us a little bit more about how it came to be and like what input you had on it, like if you got to choose which tracks were used and whatnot. where the band will be opening for Chiodos in just a little while. Do you want to say hi?
Y: Well the label we’re on, Tooth and Nail, wanted to release it and EMI were on board as well. We didn’t have a lot to do with it really, and that happens like with our record Let it Happen, we really had no input on it. They basically just picked the best songs from our catalog on Tooth and Nail. They do well I think, it’s a lot of music for not a lot of money. Let it Happen came out like 10 years ago and people claim it’s their favorite record and it’s funny to hear people tell you their favorite albums is basically a collection of rough cuts and b sides.
J: So did you guys have any choice on what songs were on the album? I noticed that a lot of Teenage Politics were on the album.
Y: We definitely had some input. We had to choose from our Tooth and Nail albums, but we definitely got to choose. They asked us what we wanted to have on the album and we basically went back and forth with compromise, but we had some choice in the songs.
J: You just returned to Tooth and Nail for Secret Weapon after being on Side One Dummy for the past few years. What was your reason for coming home to Tooth and Nail?
Y: We had done a re-release for Let it Happen with them and they asked us if we wanted to record some new songs for it and we did. So we worked with them on that and in the process they basically asked us if we were interested in hearing a deal from them. There’s a lot more because of the whole falling out in 1997 which lead to us not talking for many years, but we were able to figure out our differences and get to a point where we could work together again.
J: Secret Weapon came out about a year ago and you guys are still touring off of the album. Are there any hidden messages in the album? I know that, “You are your own secret weapon,” is an obvious message, but are there any other messages on the album that you want people to take away from it?
Y: Every song has a message, but that’s for everyone to kind of figure out on their own. But I think we always try to make our songs fall into a category where we convey hope or the idea of hope. I think that’s important.
J: So you have 8 studio albums, numerous eps, and one live album. Do you think you’ll ever do another live album boasting more than 20 tracks?
Y: That’s something we’ve been wanting to do for awhile. We’ve been kicking the idea around, but it’s not on the docket per say.
J: What is on the docket for 2008 for MxPx?
Y: We’re working on putting out another cover record out. More touring. We’re working on putting together a headlining tour this fall.
J: Will this be a headlining tour?
Y: You know, I don’t know. Maybe a co-headlining tour. I’m not sure because it’s still in the infant stages.
J: It’s a little strange to me that you’re opening for Chiodos right now since you’ve been around since the early 90’s. Is it weird for you to go on tour with a young band like this and find yourself opening?
Y: No, it’s just part and parcel. It’s just the music industry. Band, even if they’re been around forever, it just doesn’t work that way. For instance, Good Charlotte opened for us and they kept telling us how we were big inspirations and then two years later we were opening for them. It’s just how it goes, what goes up must come down. Some bands are gonna blow up and disappear and others will keep going. It’s interesting because we’ve been around for so long we’ve seen genres grow and shrink, but we’re still around so it works for us. It’s cool because this is such a diverse tour, but the fans seem to be really into it.
J: With so many albums, how do you pick a set list for a show, especially when opening?
Y: Since we’ve had more than four records we can only play a few songs from each record and only on a long headlining set do we get back into Pokinatcha songs. Even then, we only know like two songs from that album and yea, some of our records we only know 10% of the material and that’s just because some songs catch on and those are the ones we know how to play. I guess in one sense it’s easy because we pick like one song from each record, but it doesn’t work like that always. We basically try to pick the popular songs from the popular records. Recently, we’ve been cutting songs like, “Chick Magnet,” to try and play a harder set.
J: Does it ever bother you when people tell you their favorite album is one that came out ten years ago when you’re still making music you feel passionate about now?
Y: Not particularly. I guess maybe it did in the past, but now I’ve had time to think about it and come to conclusions about it. It’s funny because people will tell us they like the new album, but Life in General is better because it’s a classic, but it’s only a classic because it’s been out forever. Who knows, in ten years maybe Secret Weapon will be a classic. I have bands that I could say that about as well, like The Cure. I love The Cure, but there are a few albums, mainly from the early 80’s that I just love and it’s not that I don’t like all their albums, those ones just connect with me best.
J: One last question: What bands do you think need more attention?
Y: There’s a band from our home town that I’ve been really into for awhile. This band, they are called Alligators, and they are just different and the singer has a great voice and that’s what hooks me into a band. If the singers are bad, it just turns me off from band, but yea, they are definitely good and I’d love to see them be able to do this because they are really talented.
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