NOFX – A-H

We all know that NOFX are no more, despite there being a tendency amongst veteran Punk bands to reform in the most unlikely circumstances it would seem that there is a definitive full stop in the case of NOFX. Of course not existing any more doesn’t usually stop things leaking out of the vault, of course the reason they weren’t released in the first place tends to be because the band didn’t think they were good enough, didn’t like them, had gone their separate ways shortly after they were recorded or they appeared on an obscure single. Which brings us nicely to A-H, the first instalment in the triple album that will become an A-Z of NOFX, which promises to unearth unreleased tracks, rare singles and demo versions, the latter of which front man Fat Mike acknowledges “are not nearly as good as the album versions”.

This first instalment delivers eight rare and (mostly) unreleased cuts from NOFX’s history, including three unreleased or rare tracks, two demos, two tracks from previous EPs and a track recorded ‘live at My Space’, the latter of which will confuse some younger people and may cause flashbacks in their older fans. It seems appropriate to start at the beginning of the alphabet, so A is for The Audition, which is a track from La La Land that’s been given the NOFX treatment. If you weren’t in the singles club you probably won’t have heard this, I hadn’t, and this gets a firm stamp of approval. B is for Barcelona, the lead single from this collection and the last track recorded by the band after the farewell shows, if you liked Single Album & Double Album then this will hit your sweet spot. C is for Cigarette Girl, I presume this is a previously unreleased cut as I can’t find any reference to this online, either way I’ve never heard it before and it sounds like a later recording, I mean that in a good way.

D features the first demo recording, Don’t Count On Me from Double Album, it’s a slightly rawer version of the track, which shouldn’t surprise anyone who knows what a demo recording is. E features the EP cut Everything In Moderation (Especially Moderation) which has been culled from the Never Trust A Hippy EP and The Longest EP collection, it’s widely available which begs the question as to why it’s included, but regardless it’s fine and frantic vintage NOFX. F gives us Fleas, that is the aforementioned live recording from MySpace, we all know this song as it’s taken from their breakthrough album Punk In Drublic, if you don’t know it then go listen to that album and then come back here. This is a live and surprisingly together flashback, thought he slurred speech at the end might indicate otherwise.

G gives us a demo of Generation Z, the final version of which appeared on the much underrated First Ditch Effort album, again it’s a demo recording so I refer you to my previous comments on these things, but I do love this track and this will be of interest to hardcore fans. Finally, H gives us Hardcore 84, which originally appeared on the Regaining Unconsciousness EP and is also available on The Longest EP collection, so I’m not dwelling on this raw full tilt EP cut. And that’s the first instalment from the NOFX alphabet and I look forward to the next two instalments of the A-Z of NOFX. The demo versions are pretty typical demo versions, the EP cuts are probably already known to their established fans, but the rare and unreleased cuts are what makes this compilation series intriguing, and for those of us who are long time fans it eases the withdrawal after their final tour concluded last Summer.

A-H will be released on the 5th December on vinyl and through streaming platforms via Fat Wreck Chords.