This is by far my favorite song of all time, by any band or genre. Look at how hard they rock, and for so long. That's some serious fucking talent. Metallica comes close but doesn't really hold a candle to The Decline by Nofx. I love Nofx, Fat Mike, Eric Melvin, Smelly and El Hefe. At this point they have been touring and rocking longer than The Ramones, which is saying a lot. They deserve to be hailed as the greatest punk band that ever existed. They've been rocking out since before they were teenagers.
Hard to say that considering the ramones stopped playing when Joey Ramone died of brain cancer i believe. And before him, deedee of a drug overdose. Johnny didn't really want to play with other singers. And Johnny died before there original drummer Tommy. Maybe if Joey survived, the Ramones might have lasted longer. As much as I like NOFX, I just can't call them the greatest ever. That's saying alot and very subjective. The U.K. Subs were together consistently tell a year or three ago. And were an original British punk band. And very intelligent lyrics. And I saw U.K.SUBS live. They played better live than either band. Apples and oranges.
Daniel Solano longevity does not always equal quality. And the ramones were innovators. You saying that years of playing make influence better. The influence of artists like Buddy Holly, who had only been in the music scene for very fews does not lessen his influence on musicians. Besides blues artists, buddy holly was cited as a main influence on the british invasion. One album can impact generations of musicians. Length hasn't improved nofx playing skills. Just the lyrics have much more serious subjects more often. It takes more than years to make a musician or band great. Both bands have lovers and haters. But can't deny how the ramones influences punk in music and image. Even lyrics if you pay attention to them. You can't forget the past. It lays the pavement to the future. Good or bad.
Phillip Carpenter Jr What the fuck? I didn't give you any longevity equals Quality bullshit. I just said that your comment was wrong because you said the Ramones broke up because of joey's dying, which isn't true. And for your information, I couldn't give less fucks about how long an artist is playing. I love the Germs, Minor Threat, Op Ivy and so on.
This song is a freaking Anthem. The lyrics still ring true 20+ years later. I don’t know how anyone can have the stamina to play through this whole song. NOFX legends!
Can you believe NOFX created a 18+ minutes song which is never boring and totally great and enjoyable for every second of the song!? This is a masterpiece.
this is the best song i've ever heard i used to listen to it on a cassette when delivering newspapers at 3 am, now at 32 years old, it makes a lot more sense.
I saw them in Myrtle Beach some years ago. They came out and played this song first. Then they said, "Hey, here's our other good song" and played Linoleum. I felt like I got my ticket's worth in the first half hour.
Awesome...I was there in Montreal that night . No one really expected them to play it....Im pretty sure it was one of the first times they played it live. (I was there for both nights and they played it both nights) But this night was special ...they opened the show with it. So wicked! Those tickets are still pinned to my wall.
I heard from a comment on them performing in warped tour 2004(video is on here) that in 2006 they had to get off and only had time to play three songs because of the rain and how bad it was, so they played The Decline for the time instead. I don't know if it's true, but if you go look on the comments of that video you can ask the dude.
For all their dicking about over the years, this is one of the most accomplished performances i have seen from them over all the years. A masterclass in punk rock performance and a remarkable level of stamina to maintain pace in that song. wonderful.
I find it sad that alot of people I know who claim to know what the fuck they are talking about when it comes to punk judge nofx on shit they did many years ago that they heard on some compilation CD and have no clue what they've been up to since around the time this or Pump Up The Valium came out. They just keep getting better, perfecting what they do and never letting us down. How many bands of any genre have not only been able to do that but kept it up for so long? Gonna be a sad day when they hang it up. I fucking love this band!!!
badfish1111 They are fucking unbelievable!!! And yes: there are a lot of people out there who judge their old stuff in a negative way. They are just super melodic and unbelievable fast & tight!!! 🤘
Masterpiece! I know why i‘m listening to these guys since 30 years. Mike is a very underrated bassplayer & producer. Thanks for the soundtrack of my life! ❤
The Bohemian Rhapsody of Punkrock. This song is 25 years after I bought the CD still legendary. That NOFX are able to pull this off live so well seems like an impossible task. Definitely the best of the best, and this live version is the living proof. I dare to say this is just as good as the version with the orchestra, as they seem to do so much (and sound so big) with just 4 guys. Hats of to Fat Mike for singing so well, as well as the backing vocals by Hefe and Melvin. Also the drumming by smelly is superb; they are all clearly at the top of their game on this one. How wonderful to experience this!
One of my dreams was fulfilled when I moshed to this in Orlando years ago. When I heard that high hat intro I thought they were fucking with us and would stop at any moment.
Considering that he was probably drunk or even high, he did amaizingly well! Also, people tend to overlook smelly. He might be one of the best drummers out there without using a double pedal (said by himself). NoFX can play really good, but again, if it sounds too nice, its not NoFX xD
Born 65 I remember times when they played 12 mins Genesis songs on the radio - and then the Pistols changed everything - was completely struck by the aggressiveness you could put in 2:30 and changed my taste in music forever. Guys, never thought a 18 mins punk song would even be possible. Wow, this is the greatest piece of punk music I have ever heard. Shame on me for discovering it only last year- but listening to it every day. Come to the Frankfurt area again and play this epic stuff. Thanks a million.
I remember seeing NOFX play this song 3 nights earlier in Toronto at the Kool Haus (RIP) with Against Me as the Opening band. The crowd went absoutley insane! It was one of my greatest concert memories as I don't think anybody there expected to see The Decline played that night. I remember Mike saying it was one of the few times they had ever played it live up to that point. Ahhh, how I miss the Golden Days of Punk.
He writes in the book that he's fucked without the band too. They're the reason he cleaned up. Great read. Sandin is definitely the dude in the band I'd most wanna chill with. Seems cool as hell.
NOFX will always be my favorite. I never got to see them play The Decline fully but once at a show they were almost done then I heard, "AND SO WE GO"... they played the last part of "The Decline" Everyone went nuts. I still have dreams about it where Fat Mike pulls me onstage...no homo..
Two moments Montreal has testified epic song performances, songs that are only virtually possible to be played in studio: 1st) Bohemian Rhapisody, Queen, 1982; 2nd) The Decline, NOFX, 2005.
Damn they sound so good in this video that solo at 9:50 is sick. I saw them back in 2001 at ovation or orbit in west palm beach as a tiny little kid but they only played part of this song I'll never forget that show still have the ticket. One of my fav bands of all time.
the first time i ever saw them they started with the Decline and did the entire song without break, i lost my 3 friends for 17minutes while the entire crowd fell down multiple times. would've been around 2004 in melbourne australia at the theatre next to luna park by the beach that got shutdown shortly after their concert. i saw them the next 3 times they came out twice each time they come out and the gimmes once when melven played for them in place of mike who recently had his boy.
Not a huge NOFX fan, but always loved this song since I first heard it.Never would have imagined them playing it live! Amazing!! How do you even write an 18min long song, let alone play it as one continuous piece? I always imagined on the album, they must have done it in sections and edited it together. That said, I am guessing that's probably how the song was written - 2 or 3 different songs that all ended up fitting so well together, they just made it one.
sV3Z1 Nofx are way more diverse than bad religion. BR have not evolved that much since 1987. Their lyrics are certainly superior Greg is the better singer. It’s all a matter of taste
Some of their melodies are similar but they’re from the same era. They diverge a lot otherwise. The message is the same as all that era of punk is. This whole thing we live in is fucking ridiculous.
