blink-182: Take Off Your Pants and Jacket

Why "Take Off Your Pants and Jacket" is blink-182's Best Album

I was 10 when blink-182’s Take Off Your Pants and Jacket came out. Back then, my mother was still buying me Spice Girls and Aaron Carter CDs. Ready to take the plunge into pop-punk/punk (because what was cooler to a pre-teen girl than rebellion), I borrowed the CD from a neighborhood kid and never gave it back. TOYPAJ has without a doubt molded me into the person I am today and hopefully will be forever. I never put the album down, even now. To this day, they’re still one of my favorite bands, and if it wasn’t for them, I could very well be a total lame who listens to country music or worse (reggae). This album is not only my favorite blink-182 album, it’s their best album.

From start the finish, the record is an ode to adolescence life and rebellion. If you’re anything like me, you were a rebellious young punk too. This era is where the modern day scene started to develop into what it is today. This certified double platinum album set the standard of pop-punk and most importantly, made the genre accessible for anyone who wanted to be "different." I strive to critique music for a living, the alternative scene especially, and this record is the crème de la crème, the pièce de résistance; TOYPAJ is the Great Bambino of blink-182.

The songs “First Date,” “The Rock Show” and “Stay Together For The Kids” were all huge hits. While they weren’t as big as their previous record, Enema of the State, they were more refined and more mature (though, the first two not by much) than their predecessor. With catchier bridges and bolder, cleaner guitars than their previous albums, the trio still bring in hints of this record to some of their newer material.

Join us next week when Geoff shares his reasons on why Dude Ranch is blink-182's best album.