Blink 182 - Greatest Hits

You’d probably be hard pressed to find a music journalist to argue that Blink-182 is a ground breaking or important band, but what makes them a success is that you’d be equally pressed to find a Blink band member to argue the same. The boys in Blink make fun and catchy rock music without apologies, and while that might ring shallow on an album to album basis, the greatest hits forum serves as a perfect showcase for what they do best. I don’t think this album will challenge the Eagles for greatest hits sales, but it will serve as a sugar shot of fun during the musical lulls of your listening life. Ninety percent of this album is straight up fun pop rock. “What’s My Age Again?,” “All The Small Things,” “The Rock Show” and all the bands TRL hits are here, providing a smile-inducing dose of rock goofiness. If you’re not a big Blink fan then the tracks off their early albums might be new to you and maybe of little interest, but every track after “Dammit” is recognizable to even the most casual radio fan. The serious moments come during the heart of the album, tackling the subjects of divorce (“Stay Together For The Kids”) and suicide (“Adam’s Song”) and showing that the band can get serious when it wants to address something important. A couple new releases cap off the album to draw in the fans that already own the other songs on previous releases and also promote Travis Barker’s show on MTV. Listen, this isn’t a nominee for album of the year, but who cares? Its fun and it’s lighthearted, just like the band. I never understood why people hate on bands that are just having fun and being successful, but I am sure some will hate on this album for just those reasons. Me? I like a little fun in my life, so I take this album for what it is, a collection of songs from one of the most successful radio acts of our time. [www.blink182.com]