Adolescents – Adolescents LP

Description

The first and best wave of L.A. punk bands from 1977-1979 all broke up under-documented and unsigned, with the exception ofX,the Germs, and, to a lesser extent,the Plugz. But the legacy of incredible pioneers such asthe Weirdos,Dils,Controllers, andScreamerswas the wide success of the harder, faster, younger bands that followed. The interest the 1977 bands awakened not only inspired the formation ofBlack Flag,Circle Jerks,T.S.O.L.,Social Distortion,Agent Orange,Fear,the Adolescents, and others, but helped create a national market, enabling the newer bands to find labels, put out albums, and tour regularly. The Adolescents were perhaps the first of this second wave to put out an LP widely distributed throughout the U.S., selling well over five digits in 1981 (following on the heels of San Francisco’sDead Kennedys, who broke the doors open with their immortalFresh Fruit for Rotting Vegetablesthe previous year). Produced byMiddle Class‘ Mike Patton, the debut from these five Orange County kids established the mid-tempo, punk-pop “Southern Cal sound,” led by the long, great, pummeling,Johnny Thunders-derived solos of the two Agnew brothers,RikkandFrank. These soaring, ripping parts still sound great today. As important, songs such as the anthemic “No Way,” the classic “Amoeba,” the schizophrenic “Kids of the Black Hole,” and the glorious “Creatures” endure precisely because they’re not just aggressive and speedy: they’re super-catchy, heavy-riffing rock & roll, proving again that punk was the true heir to the likes ofChuck Berry,Larry Williams,Bo Diddley, andEddie Cochran. For the longest while, L.A. teenagers had the spirit, verve, moxie, and zeal to play charged, zippy punk. Hundreds of other bands formed right asthe Adolescentsrecorded, such asBad Religion,Shattered Faith,Youth Brigade,Aggression,M.I.A., andChannel 3! In so doing, L.A. helped resist the diluted explosion of thrash hardcore that swept the rest of the U.S., particularly on the East Coast. -All Music Guide