Maps of Music

Splinter (2003)

Where the lyrics of Splinter take you, and where it was really made.

The album was first announced under a joke title, Chinese Democracy, the name of Guns N' Roses' repeatedly delayed album.

Key places

Recorded at Henson Recording Studios (2003)

Recording site A&M Recording Studios — Henson Recording Studios in Los Angeles is listed as one of the recording locations for this album. The recording sessions ran from January to August 2003. Google Maps · Apple Maps

How to get there: See the map for directions.

Recorded at Southern Tracks (2003)

Recording site Southern Tracks Recording Studio — Southern Tracks in Atlanta is listed as one of the recording locations for this album, alongside Henson Recording Studios in Los Angeles. Google Maps · Apple Maps

How to get there: See the map for directions.

Crowd voices from Reading Festival (2003)

Live show Reading Festival — The crowd vocals on the opening track Neocon were recorded at Reading Festival in 2002, during the band's set on the main stage. Google Maps · Apple Maps

How to get there: See the map for directions.

Album story

Overview

• Splinter: seventh studio album by American punk rock band the Offspring
• Released 9 December 2003 by Columbia Records
• Recording sessions ran from January to August 2003, the longest the band had spent on one album
• First Offspring album without long-time drummer Ron Welty
• Debuted at number 30 on the US Billboard 200; gold certification two months after release

Background

• The band spent nearly two years supporting Conspiracy of One before starting songs for this album in late 2002
• Ron Welty, drummer on all six previous albums, was fired three weeks before recording began and formed his own band, Steady Ground
• Session drummer Josh Freese played all the drums because a replacement could not be found or auditioned on such short notice
• Atom Willard was hired as the new drummer after the album was finished
• The mix of styles combines the band's usual punk rock with experiments in ska and electronic sounds
• Comedic songs sit alongside heavier themes of fear, paranoia, hopelessness and anxiety

Recording

• Crowd vocals on the opening track "Neocon" were recorded at the 2002 Reading Festival during the band's main stage set
• A song called "Pass Me By" was recorded but left off the album because the band felt it was too heavy for Splinter
• The Enhanced CD portion includes a Da Hui video, a studio tour, wallpapers and two MP3 tracks

Sources: en.wikipedia.org

Artist

Formation

• Formed in Garden Grove, California in 1984 under the name Manic Subsidal; renamed The Offspring in 1986.
• Played a key role in reviving mainstream interest in punk rock during the 1990s.
• Have sold more than 45 million records and are among the best-selling punk bands.

Members

• Dexter Holland (lead vocals, guitar) and Noodles (lead guitar) are the founding core.
• Current lineup also includes Todd Morse (bass), Jonah Nimoy (multi-instrumentalist) and Brandon Pertzborn (drums).
• Greg K. Kriesel, a co-founder, was fired from the band in 2018.

Career

• Released Smash (1994) on Epitaph Records; it sold over 11 million copies and helped push punk into the mainstream.
• Signed with Columbia Records in 1996; Americana (1998) reached number two on the Billboard 200.
• Rise and Fall, Rage and Grace (2008) revived their career, with "You're Gonna Go Far, Kid" topping the Billboard rock charts for eleven weeks.
• Released Let the Bad Times Roll (2021) and Supercharged (2024).

Sources: en.wikipedia.org

Reception

At release

• Metacritic: score of 60 out of 100, based on mixed or average reviews
• Launch.com and other sites: a welcome return to the Offspring's punk roots, citing "The Noose" and "Da Hui"
• The more mainstream songs "Hit That" and "Spare Me the Details" were also praised
• AllMusic's Johnny Loftus: praised punk songs "Long Way Home" and "Lightning Rod"
• AllMusic's Johnny Loftus: called "(Can't Get My) Head Around You" the album's standout
• AllMusic's Johnny Loftus: criticized "The Worst Hangover Ever" and "When You're in Prison" as throwaways
• PopMatters: praised "Head Around You", "Race Against Myself" and other heavier songs
• PopMatters: called "Worst Hangover Ever" idiotic and again criticized "When You're In Prison" and "Neocon"
• PopMatters: criticized the album's short length as wasted potential

Reappraisal

• Loudwire, 2017: ranked Splinter as the weakest album in the entire Offspring catalogue

Records

• Debuted at number 30 on the US Billboard 200 with around 87,000 copies sold in its first week
• Received gold certification two months after its release
• "Hit That" and "(Can't Get My) Head Around You" were the only two singles
• "Spare Me the Details" was also released as a single but charted only in New Zealand

Sources: en.wikipedia.org · es.wikipedia.org

Trivia

• On April Fools' Day 2003 the band jokingly announced the album as Chinese Democracy, a jab at Guns N' Roses' long-delayed album of that name.
• The title Splinter comes from a lyric in "Long Way Home", which the band's frontman said reflects a diverse, splintered record.
• "Pass Me By" was recorded but left off because the band felt it was too heavy for the album.
• Josh Freese was brought in as a session drummer, and the band's frontman said he played all the drums in just a couple of days.
• Former drummer Ron Welty filed a lawsuit against the band for unpaid royalties in 2020, and it was dismissed in March 2023.
• Loudwire ranked the album the weakest in the Offspring's catalogue in 2017.

Sources: en.wikipedia.org

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