A friend of mine described Bad Religion as "punk with a thesaurus." And that's accurate, to a certain extent: how many other punk bands have a vocabularly which includes "sallow," "dichotomy," and "sagacious," or lyrical nuggets like "languid wills and torpid minds" or "poignant morose wonder"?

Nonetheless, this is by no means dispassionate intellectualism. Bad Religion may have a penchant for five dollar words, but there is powerful emotion behind them. Anger, yes, of course, is dominant: there aren't many tranquil punks. But, as Bad Religion chronicle and judge the follies of mankind, they convey a wide range of feeling: pity, sympathy, scorn, remorse, and equal parts hope and resignation, all backed with dark and ironic humor.

Sadly, this was Brett Gurewitz's last album with the band as a full-time member. The best songs here are his work: the title track (If I could fly/High above the world/Would I see a bunch of living dots/Spell the word "Stupidity"?), "Incomplete," "Better Off Dead," "Infected," "Hooray for Me...," "21st Century (Digital Boy)" -- all Gurewitz compositions, all insightful, funny, blistering, without drifting into joyless polemic as Greg Graffin has been known to do.

Final advice: crank up the volume, and play frequently.


Don't hold the genre against it   October 17, 2001
 6 out of 34 found this review helpful

Let's face it, folks--punk rock has gotten stupid. I mean straight up, down and out stupid, and this album is no exception. If you read the lyrics to the songs, you'll get the standard flow of I-don't-want-to-grow-up anti-establishment rhetoric that's come to be the signature of the genre. If you absolutely can't tolerate that sort of thing, then Bad Religion isn't for you.

This album is not meant to be enjoyed on a philosophical level, however, and as an exercise in pure brute music, I must admit that it's very effective. While the subject and message may not be notably original, the songs are catchy, quick, and to the point, all of which helps this album toward success. To tell you the truth, I'd be hard pressed to tell you just what it is that I like about Stranger Than Fiction except to say that I do like IT. I don't like the writing (music is an extention of poetry--songs like Inner Logic and Television read more like juvenile anarchist diatribe), I don't find any of the performers to be exceptional, and I'm not particularly involved in the genre, but I do like this music, and I think that the same fact will hold true for many listeners, especially those who might be put off by the more "hard core" (read as "untalented") punk bands. All things considered, it's an excellent piece of work that I would recommend for any person's collection.


The last GREAT BR album   June 17, 2005
 6 out of 6 found this review helpful

The last Bad Religion album wich deserves 5 stars. They managed to release 6 masterpieces in 7 years. Of course it had to end someday. But before Brett's departion, and dropping into Mediocrity. They released my favourite Bad Religion album, Stranger than Fiction.
It's my favourite because Greg's songwriting is at peak level here, the vocals NEVER HAVE BEEN BETTER. Wich you can hear immediatly after the opener "Incomplete".
"Slumber" is their best ballad ever, the best track "Inner Logic" is so great because of the catchy chorus.
This is BR's best album, even the terrible Rancid infested "Television" can't ruin that for me.
The european version is WAY superior to the US release, it has got two extra songs, "News from the Front" and "Markovian Process" wich makes sure the closes with a BLAST (and not with a rerecording of "21st centruy digital boy")


Ok album overall   April 5, 2006
 6 out of 13 found this review helpful

Ok I understand this band is a classic in the punk scene, but it doesnt make their music any less boring. It feels like they're using the same chords over and over in different orders in each song, and also id like to know, is Tim Armstrong singing in Television? If yes please rate this review as useful if not then rate it as unuseful.


One of the best by BR, but not THE best   April 20, 2005
 5 out of 5 found this review helpful

This was the very first Bad Religion album I had ever heard, just as I was starting to get into punk in 7th grade. Years later, I am a huge Bad Religion fan, and if it wasnt for this album, that would not be the case. That being said however, let me make it clear that this is not their best album. Its not even in the top 3. Dont get me wrong, it is a great cd, but in comparison to their earlier recordings on Epitaph, well, it just doesnt compare. Lyrically however, Bad Religion remain on top of their game, despite what some other reviewers on this website say. You CANNOT look at this cd, or any other Bad Religion cd for that matter solely on the basis of music, or you will be missing half of the total package. The strong beliefs and sincerity of the lyrics have influenced me far more than the music has, and I can easily say that I have forgotten about other cds that have sounded like this musically, but just dont compare from a lyrical and intellectual standpoint. If you are a avid Bad Religion fan looking for another album to wet your appetite, then I strongly suggest this record. If you are a new fan looking to purchase your first BR album, then I would have to recommend either Suffer, No Control, or Against the Grain. A great cd none the less, and the one that started my affliction with Bad Religion.