Blink 182: quality from the start

By Nate Seltenrich

Blink 182 has achieved pop punk stardom in recent years thanks to their last two studio albums, "Take Off Your Pants and Jacket" and "Enema of the State." On a smaller scale, 1997's "Dude Ranch" was also a hit.

But how many of Blink's new fans are familiar with what they did before '97?

The answer to that is "Cheshire Cat" and "Buddha," neither of which achieved the commercial success of their later records.

Nevertheless, these earlier recordings certainly contain the same Blink charm that has recently endeared them to the masses.

"Buddha" is an especially interesting and noteworthy album, as it was recorded just six months after the band formed. The 14 songs on this 30-minute album are a collection of the band's earliest studio recordings.

The record introduces a young band that already has a recognizable talent for angst-ridden, silly, whining, catchy teenage pop punk. Whether or not that's a good thing is up to the listener to decide.

Either way, it can't be denied that this is Blink 182 in their purest, rawest form. Lyrics about misdirected love and broken hearts abound from "21 Days" ("My mind wanders as I'm trying not to fall in love with you") to "Sometimes" ("Sometimes it seems like all I hope for / Just gets thrown down on the floor") and back again.

And the same old Blink instrumentation that we've come to love or hate - simple, distorted rhythm guitar parts and lead hooks, come-and-go bass lines, and quick-fire punk drums - is present in spades.

"Buddha" proves that the Blink 182 of today are more than just pop posers. They're essentially still doing the same thing they were doing in 1995.

The bottom line: a purchase of "Buddha" should be worth the money to Blink fans and sell-out skeptics alike. B+