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[Full Album] BAD RELIGION | "Stranger Than Fiction"

Going into Stranger Than Fiction, I assumed it would be another derivative of Generator: solid, but a greener version of the band’s sound I initially heard. I came in thinking The Process of Belief was safe and untouchable at the top spot.

Yeah. Nah.

This record really took me by surprise. Every track landed. No filler. For my next listen, I won’t be skipping a single song. That’d be a complete disservice to its pacing and flow. Where "Process..." was colorful and varied, Stranger Than Fiction feels like cruise control at the perfect speed. I didn’t have to think about the gas, I didn’t have to think about the brakes - I just looked out the windows and took all the scenery in. I was riding in the driver's seat. That’s how effortless it felt.

And, Jay Bentley? For all the claims I read that state he “doesn’t do too much,” the bass parts constantly jumped out at me and announced their presence. I don’t know, was he drinking a ton of coffee in the studio? I didn’t expect to be talking about the bass lines as much as I did.

TIMESTAMPS
0:00 - Intro
2:46 - “Incomplete"
10:43 - “Leave Mine to Me"
19:53 - "Stranger Than Fiction"
25:17 - "Tiny Voices"
32:17 - "The Handshake"
39:30 - "Better Off Dead"
44:42 - "Infected"
54:45 - “Television"
1:00:00 - “Individual"
1:02:54 - "Hooray for Me..."
1:08:06 - "Slumber"
1:15:57 - "Marked"
1:20:03 - "Inner Logic"
1:27:33 - "What It Is"
1:33:03 - "21st Century (Digital Boy)"
1:39:04 - Final Thoughts

[Full Album] BAD RELIGION | "Stranger Than Fiction"

Comments

This record got me into punk. Epic record. Thanks for the reaction

Jonathan Wells

This reaction made my appreciate this album way more, never noticed the cool bass stuff. "Jimmy Buffet guitar solo's" cracked me up. The solo's get way better on the next album and onwards with the addition of Brian Baker.

Frank B.

Something fun about the title track, I've seen them play "Stranger than Fiction" twice live and both times the line was "Life is the shittiest book", not "crummiest book". IDK why they changed it or if they made a radio version without swearing that then went on the album, but it always makes me giggle when I hear the song!

Dylan Eldred

Your comments during tiny voices for some reason remind me of weird Al’s song Hardware store. The whole choral back ups vibe.

Jeff Harstead

This is my absolute favorite Bad Religion album 😆 I blast this on the beach in SF riding my skimboard 💀 can’t wait to watch and listen to this!

Rama

GLAD YOU ENJOYED THIS ONE SO MUCH, ANOTHER GREAT BAD RELIGION ALBUM. IVE FOUND THAT ALOT OF BAD RELIGION LYRICS HIT HARDER THE OLDER YOU GET. I THINK THEY ARE A BAND THAT YOU CAN GROW WITH, THERE WAS STUFF THAT REALLY RESONATED WITH ME WHEN I WAS A TEENAGER AND STUFF THAT RESONATES WITH ME NOW IN A DIFFERENT WAY. ANOTHER EXAMPLE OF HOW INCREDIBLE THIS BAND IS AND HAS ALWAYS BEEN

JONNY

The insane thing about this album is the b sides are just as, if not even better, than the album. News from the Front, Leaders and Followers. Just a banger of an album. I would listen to this album on repeat in 8th grade. I used to take my disc man to my friends parents houses whenever they forced me to go and would sit in a corner listening to this album on repeat. Really brought me back!

Kashif Shaikh

I saw Bad Religion at Warped Tour with Rancid (‘98, ‘99??) and was super disappointed that Tim didn’t come out to sing it during their set. I pretty much expected it to happen.

Llloyd

Yes.

Matt Payne

I came here to say this too!

Shane Brady

Oh Jeff I love me some AWS and they are criminally underrated, but BR were my gateway band into the entire world of punk rock and melodic hardcore. So I had to do it... I'm seeing AWS in London later this month and cannot wait. I promise I'll vote for Partycrasher next time, even if it's up against another BR album.

Alex Hawkins

I looked up that Top Guitar Album of 1994 award, and it was an online poll, so don't take it too serious :D I might even have participated in that, as I was active on "The Bad Religion Page" back in 2011 when that poll would have happened, and most likely someone linked that poll over there.

Michael Palmes

Agreed, so BR looked at their back catalog, and I guess Brett always though that song was the "radio hit" type of song they had back on Against The Grain, so they just said, "ok we got you covered Atlantic" and just re-recorded a song they already did on their own label 4 years before 😅

Floyd Hill

Brett Gurewitz does sing in Infected and 21st Century Digital Boy, in short parts or in canons. His voice is distinctive from Greg's. Those are 2 of his songs, because until that album, a bit like Slayer, they co-wrote the music on songs on Suffer like Slayer did on Reign in Blood, but afterwards, it was half the album are Greg songs, the other half, Brett songs. Brett's the more adventurous writer, at least back in the 80's and 90's typically, Greg is clinical, no surprise, being the scientist in the band.

Floyd Hill

I got this album the year it was released with my friend Chuck with my paperboy money on CD (we just got a Pentium 100 computer with a CD-ROM with a headphone jack on it, otherwise my dad's stereo only had a tape deck and a vinyl player, no CD's still, I think it took him until after my parents divorced in 2000 to get a CD player on his stereo, like in 2003 lol, he'd just hook up the sound card to the sound system's auxiliary and yeah, it worked fine, but the sound cards were just getting acceptable for CD playback then, barely. I remember we went to play mini-golf and then with the money we had left we took the bus to the mall, to HMV (all Canadians will remember how HMV's knew what was popular with teenagers and would have all the punk, hardcore, metal stuff all the old people didn't buy, their biggest market was people our age in the mid/late 90's (teenagers). I remember I bought it (in Canada, so I had the regular version first, about the third or fourth album I owned on CD then, I had tons of cassette tape albums which I still have for the most part, some choice cuts like Lagwagon's Duh and Propagandhi's HTCE, basically had Fat's 2nd and third release straight up on cassette tape, it showed, the ink type, the "Printed in Canada" because hey, that 90's exchange rate was even worse for us back then, but great for Americans, something like 0,63 USD (I miss 2002-2015 USD<->CAD conversion prices so much, basically the same for 12-13 years 😢). I remember picking STF because it was cheaper than most other BR albums, the reason? Major label release, my friend owned Recipe For Hate on cassette too, on Epitaph, before they sold the rights to Atlantic, so STF is the real first major label release, they would only make good on that major label money for a whole album one other time with their new (but old school, eminent punk/hardcore guitarist Brian Baker replacing Brett). I'm surprised Mark didn't notice Rancid's singer in Television, when he says he has problems following vocals, I believe him now, geez. I never liked that song though. Songs like Inner Logic and What It Is and Individual and Marked are more effective long term, I guess it shows a lot as a novelty track at first, hence why I was like "ehhh" when I heard Tim sing most of the lyrics of "Television", I was already sick of Rancid after listening to the first album and Let's Go! in particular, so, damn, fucking often, and Let's Go! has like 25 songs, I was a bit sick of Rancid by then, at 15/16, yeah, jaded beyond belief. I remember a time where liking NOFX was suddenly uncool, as much as liking Green Day because they were sellouts, that didn't last, it was just that teenager pressure "oh, you got a nofx t-shirt, like half the school, *golf clap*" I knew you'd like it, but PCL would have brought that challenge I see you react to with such intrigue when doing Propagandhi albums, last album as a 3-piece, but definitely recorded with 2 guitar tracks, the band being envisioned as a 4 piece since the beginning according to Chris, so it made a lot of those songs, mostly Chris' songs, a lot of em unplayable live without cutting out what one hears on the record, he said "I look terrified playing "Iteration" on youtube, good job on the guy catching us playing it as a 3-piece because it didn't happen often until Dave (the Beav) joined in 2007" they barely toured for PCL at first because of that, but when Beav joined, they went ahead and played some shows, not ones I could catch. Oh well, next time I guess, you should really do both albums Mark, for fairness, 2 votes? That's within the margin of error! (jk, I guess this poll is not very complex so it is as scientific as it gets). One day though...

Floyd Hill

Great episode as always. Looking forward to Recipe for Hate!

DrippingPuddles

This was a very satisfying watch. My favorite BR record. Still hits me today the way it hit you. Wall-to-wall incredible writing and listenability. Lyrical themes (like Propagandi), just as relevant as ever and ahead of their time. Your analysis was spot on.

Andrew Seraphin

Isn’t the early stop at the end of Incomplete meant to make the song itself incomplete?

Steve Duff

I don't have a BR favorite album, because it's a 3-way tie. This, "Grey Race" and "The Empire Strikes First" are all my favorite albums. I even like "Into the Unknown", the album they basically disowned. I can listen to this entire album for weeks on end. I knew you'd love it. I really enjoyed watching how I felt the first time I listened.

Kris Ferrell

Loved this! You gotta review Gray Race!

NoControl

I bought this album the day it was released and I think it’s great overall, but for me Suffer and No Control are the pinnacle. 15 tracks each - 26 minutes each - I bought them both on cassette at first and listened to them constantly throughout high school until I wore out the tapes and eventually had to replace them with CDs.

S C G

You said No Control, which means you now have to review that album. Keep going back, it's the way to go. Although in saying that, you really need to do the Gray Race. That album is amazing

Chris M

This record changed my life 😭 I remember listening to more pop rock standard radio stuff. Then I played Tony Hawks Underground 1 and I was hooked to the song "Big Bang" so I went to the record store to purchase "No Control" However they didn't have it and got this album instead. I still have it 20 years after and get so emotional listening to it. Thanks for bringing it to the channel!

Abraham Suárez Olay

I'm glad you got to this one. Generator is easily my least favorite BR album from the last century, so it is nice to see you back exploring their better material. In terms of their pre-major label stuff, Suffer and Recipe for Hate are the essential ones with No Control not far behind. I got this one right when it came out and still enjoy it quite a bit.

Tomas

Hey Mark, just wanted to say as someone who has minimal musical experience, it always piqued my interest when they would do musical things that I knew were happening but didn’t understand, like the key change in the bride of Tiny Voices. The way you explain things is really cool. So yeah, thanks! Love the vids!

Clay1389

surprised you didnt catch tim armstrong on television

Dan P

🤘

Chris

Mark’s a savant

Chris

i'm imagining a different timeline where Bad Religion played an 'MTV Unplugged' session. Also, put me down for all 14 albums>

David

Mark calling it oozin aahs… one of us one of us. From a bass playing perspective this is a top 3 Jay album for me. Thanks for breaking this one down. I never had a way to describe those tension parts like you mentioned in Television but that’s definitely a trick they’ve had in different songs throughout their discography.

Randy

Listening to you listen to songs like Tiny Voices and Infected for the first time, trying to find the pivot chord and layered harmonies, is both a true joy and also so validating. I've spent countless hours on the guitar or on a keyboard trying to figure out what was going on for myself. You got way further than I did in mere minutes. I'd watch you spend an hour breaking down that one simple modulation in Tiny Voices. Although that would admittedly be pretty niche content. Never change, Mark!

Lucas DuSablon

Great video! I was sad you didn't do the bonus songs because "News from the Front" is probably my favorite BR song ever! I hope you cover it in a future video.

Christopher

Dude! Rachel had this album in her 1995 green Isuzu Rodeo. School and back every day, sophomore year, we had a half hour drive to Tampa and we’d play this album every morning. In my Top 10 happiest memories. Forgive my sharing but Bad religion gets me in the feels. Mark, please be careful which albums you make me listen to that I haven’t heard in forever. You’re stirring up some old memories. Now on to business. This is a Mt. Rushmore album. Of course it’s thoughtful and catchy as hell, but finding perspective today in a song written 30 years ago? C’mon man. Thanks for this one Mark!

Christopher Kelly

Great job on this one. Really takes you back a few years. Loved the cameo of Tim ( Rancid) on Television. Can't wait till you hear Recipe for hate.

Ben Romain

Well...it finally happened Mark has been infected by "Stranger than fiction" When I got the alert on the full album review at work - I knew Mark was in for a treat! I don't play any instruments but I am always pleased when someone not only gives punk a chance but appreciates it and analyses it very well on a first listen. Mark's reaction is something we all wish we saw growing up when this came out. You're lucky if a friend knew " infected" from the radio. You would get shit for this music until someone actually took the time to give it a shot. You have to tune your ears and give it another listen. I am happy to say that most people I know when they actually give BR a real chance they then tend to like it. But you- Mark actually give them the attention and respect they deserve and we all appreciate that. Thank you for telling everyone that told us Punk Sucks through the years that we don't care what you think. We do care when someone like you not only gives them a chance but notices how great they were and will forever be.... one if not the best ever. Make it to 50 years guys you CAN do it!! Mark - check out "Do What You Want" the BR story and NOFX's book. Or do the audio which has its perks. Thanks again for sharing and keeping an open mind while finding something positive in every review!

Joseph Vitucci

I sure did! That’s actually what I was referencing when I said “21st Century (Digital Boy)” was from the previous album! I read everything. 😉

Mark Michell

Is somebody cutting onions?? 🥺

Mark Michell

Let's not forget Bobby Schayer's phenomenal drive and steady groove. I know Wackerman is a much more technical and accomplished drummer, and do love his run behind the kit, but to me Schayer will always be THE Bad Religion drummer.

Drums McGee

Technology revolutions have been used historically to gain power over the people, to alter influence…ultimately to manufacture consent…. In time those same technologies were co-opted by the people to unify and stand against their oppressors. “Freedom” has been defined for us, and ingrained into us, long before we’ve had the time to put it to context with history, with power, and with our own life experience. There is toxicity in social media, but there is also opportunity… a chance to unravel the narrative of lies woven to betray us, opportunity to unify, to organize, and to once again, withhold our consent…with confidence.

Cory Burgess

Well said. It’s given me a whole different appreciation and seeing all of these albums from a different lens. Finding myself listening to more Rancid, Bad Religion, and Nofx lately as a downstream effect of these reviews.

Drew Coryer

This album came out my freshman year of HS and I was already hooked on Recipe for Hate, so didn’t appreciate it as much at the time… it’s aged very well. Great review Mark!

Drew Coryer

I’ve listened to random bits of punk and specifically Bad Religion since the 90’s, even played Infected in our 11th grade talent show in rural Idaho. But this channel has exposed me to so much that I just never listened to! I’d never listened to a full bad religion album prior, discovering some bands for the first time, including somehow Propagandhi, all bc of this channel and this community. I appreciate y’all so much. Seeing Jeff Rosenstock live this Saturday!

Cory Burgess

Digital boy, Disconnected by Face to Face, and Bro Hymm by Pennywise are the peak of rereleased punk songs yeah?

gas coins

No Tim Armstrong shout out? Thought he’d recognize his voice immediately lol.

gas coins

It’s a little sarcastic too…”the next time I create the universe I’ll make sure we communicate at length, just in case”

CJ LoBaido

Funny because I just realized it. I never knew till I just heard it and I owned this album. Probably because I didn’t get into rancid until a few years later. Crazy. Fun.

Justin Schroeder

Idk if Mark realized that was Tim Armstrong singing on Television😂

Robert Ramirez

Fun fact: Better Off Dead was a Brett song written from the perspective of God, addressing the complaints and problems of humanity for all the ways he messed up when he created the planet (real or not).

Mark Campbell

Imagine being a nerdy, bookish, bit rebellious 14 year old who grew up on Beach Boys and Beatles and has been listening to alternative rock but not quite feeling it the same way...and then "21st Century Digital Boy" comes on MTV one night and having an entire perspective shift. Also, Bad Religion is pretty much the only band in the genre I know of who does the dual vocals thing like on "Infected" and "21st Century Digital Boy" where the lead vocals and backing vocals sing different lyrics. I'm sure there's a word for that, but I've never been able to find out what it is. But yea, I guess now you know the "I got into Bad Religion then got a thesaurus" thing, moreso than Generator and Process of Belief. Just wait until you get to Suffer though...

Gamer's Tavern

One track to try that effect: "Red City Radio - Show Me on the Doll Where the Music Touched You" At 0:25min I get this almost every time 😊 should vote for this as well. Man, so many songs in my head, that I want Mark to hear 😎

HansWurstSenior

Does anyone know that feeling when music gives you goosebumps on your headskin? The phenomenal, intense ending of Infected does it time and time again. There are not that many songs, that can do it.

HansWurstSenior

I think he has not noticed 😊

HansWurstSenior

As you say Mark, we've been seeing these themes unfold as predicted for the last 30 years. And not all of it has turned out bad. A lot of this stuff has made it to public awareness and is being debated. But punk rock called it first. Back when there was no place for these topics, not in mainstream media, not on the radio, and there was no internet. You heard it only at live shows, in underground magazines, on records you couldn't find in any record store. And it felt important!

Johan B

As someone who first heard this album in or around 96 and still considers BR as a top 10 band of all time, I don't really listen to full albums of theirs anymore. I have a playlist of all my favorite songs that I just listen to whenever I wanna hear them (same with NOFX). After 10 or 15 years of just listening to the playlists, you kinda lose two things. 1) The impact of the album as a whole and 2) The nuances of the songs in general. Especially when you know the songs so damn well, all of that stuff gets accidentally stripped from them and they just become background music in a way. I hope I'm making sense here, but the lyrics are definitely impactful in today's climate. Especially Television and 21st Century... Greg could really see the where things were going with specificity and accuracy. Overall, as I've already stated in another comment, you've given these songs a new coat of paint for me. You've polished up the rusty, dungy metal and made is shine again. I couldn't be more appreciative of that if I tried. I'm so glad I've found your channel and this community. I find myself saying things like "I love music" all the time out of habit, but you have a way of making me actually feel that sentiment again.

Ceej

Great review, Mark. My favorites are Better off dead, Infected, Slumber, 21st Century, Marked, and Incomplete. BTW, I don’t think you read my comments from the poll post mentioning a few things about the album…?

Juan Manuel Morales

I'm pretty sure the addition of 21st Century Digital Boy was just because the label (this was their first release on Atlantic) wanted the song on the album.

Ceej

Just started, but I can answer your first question: they HAVE done the all-major swap in another song! "Destined for Nothing" on Process of Belief (which, despite the title, is actually an optimistic song 😂)

Mors Codefood

There are a few acoustic songs on the deluxe edition of New Maps of Hell

Daniel Baunach

Liked it a lot!

Daniel Baunach

I'm only a third of the way through the video, but I just have to say that Mark has an amazing way of taking songs/albums that have become almost subliminal to me because I know them so well and giving them a fresh coat of paint to where I love them more than I ever did. Of all the things I get from this patreon (and there is A LOT), that's probably my favorite thing. It genuinely makes me just wanna give Mark a big ole bear hug.

Ceej

Hmm. How do I feel about listening to it and reflecting on where we are today compared to back when ??? I don't know? Hopeless? Back then it at least we felt we are discovering and revealing something that others didn't see... -but we're gonna make them. We can make them... Now it just all so openly blatant and un-vieled and it seems no one really giving a shit although everyone knows... It sucks, and - I regret having kids..

... and the Virtually Experienced

Guess you'll need to buy a thesaurus now Mark, if you don't have one around yet. hehehe

Mihael Dreo

No BR acoustic album, though Graffin has released 3 solo records

Lamb

Half through. Love to see how Mark likes it so much! Did you noticed the voice of Tim Armstrong in Television, Mark? 😅

Daniel Baunach

The correct terminology is "oozin' aahs"

Chris P

What a great video! Greg is here on Patreon, awesome! In that year 1994 Bad Religion became my favorite band, and nothing can change that till today! I‘ll never forget an album review, it was the German magazine Metal Hammer, they said listening to Bad Religion makes one eye tear up because of the lyrics of sad, brutal, undemocratic, unfair, antisocial themes, and the other eye tear up due to the greatness of melodic overflow and the vocal harmonies! That’s the case with me. Thanks for you analysis! Jay is such a great bass player, doing just perfectly what the song needs!

Achim Esser

that's hilarious that greg is on the patreon telling you to not review his album 😂 hi greg! i met you years ago in chicago when you were doing your solo stuff and me and my gf got kicked out because I let her sneak some booze when she was not yet of age! Good times lol

J Reid

Thank you so much for this! So much fun listening to this and getting back my memory from back in the day. This was my first Punkrock album (following by greenday dookie). If you want some more good choral stuff, american steels "Destroy their future" would be great! I will vote for it next time 😊

HansWurstSenior

https://youtu.be/waBctq1EHVI?si=sPfGEnZa3AkERCOC Long interview, but an a-ma-zing insight into Brett's mind and his songwriting process...I am sure you would love it, Mark 🙌🏻 All of which on Chris's podcast (from Less Than Jake) 😊

Mat Hammer

Despite "Greg's" comments, I really love this album! Let's go!

Dustin Roberts

Controversial LP. This solidifed their jump to the big leagues in the Soul Doubt era. But, it had a lot of bangers nobody could deny. Can't wait to soak this episode up.

Jeff Farley

A far cry from Partycrasher. 😞 I’ll still watch, it’s actually The only bad religion album I got into.

Jeff Harstead

Really chuffed for this. My favourite BR record

Gav Chap

Brilliant 😂 I hope Greg doesn't sue for defamation 😂

Guy

Look ma I’m famous…

Mariana

Here we go!

CJ LoBaido

So excited! Reading Punk Paradox by Greg G at the moment. Highly recommend.

Paul Barry

And they still got it. They put on a phenomenal performance Saturday night.

Mitch Moar


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