The Mark, Tom and Travis Show (The Enema Strikes Back!)

The Mark, Tom and Travis Show (The Enema Strikes Back!) is the first and only live album by the American pop punk band Blink-182. Produced by Jerry Finn, the album was released on November 7, 2000 through MCA Records. The album contains songs from three of the band's studio albums: Cheshire Cat, Dude Ranch and Enema of the State, mainly focusing upon Enema tracks as they were touring that album release.

"Man Overboard" is the only studio track on the album, initially recorded during the sessions for Enema of the State, which peaked at #2 on U.S. Modern Rock Tracks. The album saw a limited release, and in recent years the album has become increasingly rare due to its lack of availability. The album received mixed reviews from professional critics.

Background and recording

The album is a live album based on tracks recorded in November 1999 in both San Francisco and Universal City, California.^[1] Although the album’s name references blink-182’s highly publicized summer 2000 tour (The Mark, Tom and Travis Show Tour), the album was actually recorded on the Loserkids Tour (during the tour’s arena shows early on in the tour) in 1999.^[2]

"Man Overboard", the only studio track for the album, was initially written and demoed for blink-182’s previous album, Enema of the State. The band entered the studio to record a final version of the song in mid-2000.^[3] The song first saw release streaming for one month (starting September 1, 2000) on the band’s official website, MTV.com, and KROQ.com.^[4]

Following "Man Overboard", the album returns to a live environment with twenty-nine hidden tracks collectively known as Words of Wisdom. These document examples of Mark and Tom's stage banter towards one another. Their toilet humor jokes are something the band is renowned for and are exampled here. The album also features previously unreleased material, including toilet humor songs, such as "Family Reunion" (released on Short Music for Short People in 1999), "Blow Job" and "The Country Song".

"Dick Lips" is censored as "Rich Lips", and "Blow Job" is censored as "Blew Job" on the track listing on the back cover, however they are written correctly on the inside of the American edition. The adult-themed songs were omitted from listening booths at various mainstream music stores such as HMV.

Song changes

• In "Don't Leave Me", Mark says, "Just like last night" instead of "Just like last time".
• In "Aliens Exist" Tom changes the lines, "I got an injection/of fear from the abduction/my best friend thinks I'm just telling lies" to, "I got an injection/of love from the erection/my best friend thinks I'm just humping guys." When Tom sings the last line, "I'm not like you guys, twelve majestic lies", Mark chimes in afterward, singing "Tom has sex with guys".
• In "Going Away to College," Mark sings "But you're so beautiful, Skylee" (from his wife's name Skye Everly), instead of "But you're so beautiful to me." At the end of the song, Mark sings, "But you're so beautiful" which is where the song would end on the studio album, but he adds, "To Travis!"
• In "What's My Age Again", Mark changes the words "What's my age again" to "Where's my Asian friend" the second time he says it in each chorus, then repeats the changed lyric at the end of the song. Also in "What's My Age Again", Mark changes the line "What the hell is..." to "What the fuck is..." in each chorus. During the bridge, he yells "It's the slow pretty part!"
• In "Voyeur", there are two lyric changes. In the first verse, "The lonely guy I am, I wait for her to change" is changed to "The lonely guy I am, I like to watch her change." In the bridge, "He kicks my ass so much, that filthy white inbred" is changed to "He kicks my ass so much, that fucking white inbred," although the same cannot be said about the second time around. Also, right before Mark's solo, the band pauses so that he can get ready, confusing the audience, but also giving him and Tom time to crack a couple jokes. The audience comes across as understanding, and jovial to this intermission. The rest of the gig continues.
• Mark changes the words in "Carousel" from "I guess it's just another," to "I had sex with your mother." The second time, he rolls his tongue and screams "Brrr stick 'em!". This way, the lyrics go "I guess it's just another/I guess it's just another/Brrr stick 'em!" This a reference to The Fat Boys song "Human Beat Box"
• In "The Country Song" Mark makes a reference at the end to South Park Bigger Longer and Uncut, by singing "...shut your fucking face, Uncle Fucker!", which is part of the lyrics in the song "Uncle Fucker" in the movie itself.
• In "Dick Lips" Mark chimes in on the second chorus right before the bridge, repeating the lyrics Tom sings at a slightly higher pitch.

Release and reception

The album debuted at number eight on the U.S. Billboard 200 chart, with first-week sales of 110,000 copies.^[8] The album was released November 6, 2000, and generally received mixed reviews from professional music critics; in recent years, it has seen increased popularity and positive reception among Blink-182 fans.^[9] Sputnikmusic touted the album as 'Blink-182 at their best',^[7] while NME described the album as "the tragic sound of three men so desperately trying to avoid growing up".^[6] For many years, it has been speculated and criticized, that, like Kiss's live album Alive! and multiple live albums before it, the album was overdubbed in the studio.^[10]

When released in 2000, only one million copies were printed.^[9] The album became "rare" due to its lack of availability. Since July 2006 many copies appeared in shops like HMV . It has since then gone back into print in Australia since January 2007 with as many as 3 copies being in stock at JB Hi-Fi music outlets across the country packaged in the original Digipak with the original limited edition sticker. It is believed this was a move conducted by their former record label to combat scalpers of the original 2000 issue selling their old copies on online auction site eBay for hundreds of dollars a copy. Online retailer Amazon.com is sourcing new copies from Australia for sale through their website. The record is also available on the Scandinavian e-store CDON. Later on at 2005, it was a bonus disc on the Korean Deluxe version of the Greatest Hits album. In March 2011, Hot Topic announced plans to press a limited-edition vinyl version of blink-182’s The Mark, Tom, And Travis Show, the band’s infamous live release in celebration of touring Enema Of The State. The vinyl release featured a double LP with the first disc being transparent blue and the second disc being transparent green; the D side contained the joke portion of the original release. The vinyl was limited to 2000 copies and sold for $20.

Track listing

All songs written and composed by Blink-182. 

• All songs are live, excluding "Man Overboard".
• The tracks starting at 21 are hidden tracks and consist mainly of jokes, known collectively as Words of Wisdom.

Personnel

• Mark Hoppus - bass, vocals
• Tom DeLonge - guitar, vocals
• Travis Barker - drums

Charts

Release history

References