Hallraker: Live!

Last updated
Hallraker: Live!
Descendents - Hallraker-Live! cover.jpg
Live album by
ReleasedJanuary 10, 1989 (1989-01-10)
RecordedApril 9 and July 13, 1987
Venue
StudioThird Wave Recording, Torrance, California
Genre Punk rock
Length32:16
Label SST (205)
Producer Bill Stevenson
Descendents chronology
Two Things at Once
(1988)
Hallraker: Live!
(1989)
Somery
(1989)

Hallraker: Live! is a live album by the American punk rock band the Descendents, released in 1989 through SST Records. It was their second live album and served as a companion to 1987's Liveage! ; both albums were recorded on the band's spring and summer 1987 tours but feature completely different sets of songs. The recordings for Hallraker: Live! came from an April 9 show at Berkeley Square, Berkeley, California and a July 13 show at First Avenue in Minneapolis. Singer Milo Aukerman left the band after these tours to pursue a career in biochemistry, and the band relaunched itself under the name All.

Contents

Background

The tracks on Hallraker: Live! were taken from two performances: April 9, 1987 at Berkeley Square in Berkeley, California on the band's tour in support of their 1987 album All , and July 13, 1987 at First Avenue in Minneapolis during the last weeks of their "FinALL" tour. [1] [2] The April 9 show was recorded by Pacific Mobile Recorders and engineered by Jim Hibbard, while the July 13 show was recorded by Metro Mobile Location Recording and engineered by Timothy Powell, Mark Harder, and the band's talent manager and booking agent Matt Rector. [1] [3] [4] The "FinALL" tour was so-called because it was to be, at the time, the Descendents' final tour; singer Milo Aukerman was quitting the band to pursue postgraduate education in biochemistry, after which the band was relaunching itself under the new name All with singer Dave Smalley (Aukerman would later reunite with the band in 1995 for further albums and tours under the Descendents name). [1] [5]

Recordings from the July 13 Minneapolis show had previously been released in 1987 as Liveage! , which featured performances of many of the band's most popular songs. [1] [6] A completely different set of songs was selected for Hallraker: Live!, the two serving as companion albums. Drummer Bill Stevenson explained:

Hallraker will be thought of as "the other" live Descendents LP. The Liveage! LP served as a sort of "greatist[ sic ] hits" album, as well as being an accurate documentary of the band in concert. But at the request of fans telling us about all of the songs we "should have put" on Liveage!, we decided to release another album with a completely different set of songs, giving people the entire view of the band, with nothing held back. [1]

The live recordings were mixed February 5–7, 1988 at Third Wave Recording in Torrance, California and engineered by Richard Andrews, who had worked on Liveage! and the band's last two studio albums, Enjoy! (1986) and All (1987). [1] Stevenson served as record producer. [1] The album was released on January 10, 1989. [7] Bassist Karl Alvarez provided drawings for the album artwork. [1] The album's sleeve defines the term "hallraker" as "an unrelenting musical performance, resulting in exodus maximus by all audience members". [1]

Reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
New Musical Express 6/10 [8]

Jeremy Salmon of Allmusic gave Hallraker: Live! three stars out of five, saying that "The recordings here do well to capture the vitality and frenzy of the band in action, even as they were in the final throes of existence. Among the songs that are included, 'Pep Talk', 'Cheer', and 'My World' are the highlights. Other tracks like 'Iceman' and 'Jealous of the World' demonstrate the metal edge that developed in the band's sound in their last couple of studio albums." [2] [9] Jenny Eliscu of Rolling Stone opined that both live albums were "for completists only" and that the selection of songs on Liveage! was superior those on Hallraker: Live! [10]

Track listing

No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Global Probing" Frank Navetta 1:20
2."My World" Milo Aukerman 3:36
3."Hürtin' Crüe"Aukerman, Doug Carrion, Ray Cooper, Bill Stevenson 2:31
4."Hey Hey" Tony Lombardo 1:39
5."Kabuki Girl / All"Lombardo / Stevenson, Pat McCuistion1:07
6."Pep Talk"Stevenson (lyrics), Aukerman (music and lyrics)3:01
7."Jealous of the World"Aukerman3:48
8."Christmas Vacation"Aukerman (lyrics), Stevenson (music)2:41
9."I Like Food"Stevenson0:15
10."Iceman"Aukerman (lyrics), Stephen Egerton (music)3:14
11."Good Good Things"Stevenson2:03
12."Cheer"Stevenson2:53
13."Rockstar"Navetta (lyrics), Lombardo (music)0:38
14."No FB"Aukerman0:34
15."Cameage"Stevenson2:56
Total length:32:16

Personnel

Band [1]
Production [1] [3]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Descendents</span> American punk rock band

The Descendents are an American punk rock band formed in 1977 in Manhattan Beach, California, by guitarist Frank Navetta, bassist Tony Lombardo and drummer Bill Stevenson as a power-pop/surf punk band. In 1979, they enlisted Stevenson's school friend Milo Aukerman as a singer, and reappeared as a melodic hardcore punk band, becoming a major player in the hardcore scene developing in Los Angeles at the time. They have released eight studio albums, three live albums, three compilation albums, and four EPs. Since 1986, the band's lineup has consisted of singer Milo Aukerman, guitarist Stephen Egerton, bassist Karl Alvarez, and drummer Bill Stevenson.

<i>Milo Goes to College</i> 1982 studio album by the Descendents

Milo Goes to College is the debut studio album by the American punk rock band Descendents, released on September 4, 1982 through New Alliance Records. Its title refers to singer Milo Aukerman's decision to leave the band to attend college, and its cover illustration introduced a caricature of him that would go on to become the band's mascot. Milo Goes To College was Descendents' last record with founding guitarist Frank Navetta, who quit the band during the hiatus that followed its release.

<i>Fat</i> (EP) 1981 EP by the Descendents

The Fat EP is an EP by the American punk rock band the Descendents, released in 1981 through New Alliance Records. It was the band's first recording with singer Milo Aukerman and established their presence in the southern California hardcore punk movement, with short, aggressive songs that represented a shift in style from their previous new wave and surf sound. The EP was re-released in later years as part of several compilation albums.

<i>I Dont Want to Grow Up</i> 1985 studio album by the Descendents

I Don't Want to Grow Up is the second studio album by the American punk rock band the Descendents, released in 1985 through New Alliance Records. It marked the end of a two-year hiatus for the band, during which singer Milo Aukerman had attended college and drummer Bill Stevenson had joined Black Flag. I Don't Want to Grow Up was the first of two albums the Descendents recorded with guitarist Ray Cooper, and their last with original bassist Tony Lombardo, who quit the group because he did not want to go on tour. Though recorded quickly and without much rehearsal time, I Don't Want to Grow Up received positive reviews from critics, who praised its catchy songs, strong melodies, and pop-influenced love songs.

<i>Enjoy!</i> (Descendents album) 1986 studio album by the Descendents

Enjoy! is the third studio album by American punk rock band Descendents, released in 1986 through New Alliance Records and Restless Records. It was the band's final album with guitarist Ray Cooper and only album with bassist Doug Carrion, both of whom left the group after the album's first supporting tour. Enjoy! was marked by the use of toilet humor, with references to defecation and flatulence in its artwork, the title track, and "Orgofart". It also displayed a darker, more heavy metal-influenced sound in the songs "Hürtin' Crüe", "Days Are Blood", and "Orgo 51". Reviewers were critical of both the scatological humor and the heavier songs on the album. Enjoy! features a cover version of The Beach Boys' "Wendy".

<i>All</i> (Descendents album) 1987 studio album by the Descendents

All is the fourth album by the American punk rock band the Descendents, released in 1987 through SST Records. It was the band's first album with bassist Karl Alvarez and guitarist Stephen Egerton, who brought new songwriting ideas to the group. The album is titled after the concept of "All" invented by drummer Bill Stevenson and friend Pat McCuistion in 1980. Based on the goals of achieving "the total extent" and "to not settle for some, to always go for All", the philosophy was the subject of the one-second title track, the two-second "No, All!", and "All-O-Gistics".

<i>Everything Sucks</i> (Descendents album) 1996 studio album by the Descendents

Everything Sucks is the fifth studio album by American punk rock band the Descendents, released in 1996 through Epitaph Records. It was their first album of new studio material since 1987's All, after which singer Milo Aukerman had left the band to pursue a career in biochemistry. The remaining members had changed the band's name to All and released eight albums between 1988 and 1995 with singers Dave Smalley, Scott Reynolds, and Chad Price. When Aukerman decided to return to music the group chose to operate as two acts simultaneously, playing with Aukerman as the Descendents and with Price as All. It is considered a return to the band's angrier hardcore punk such as the Fat EP and Milo Goes to College.

<i>Somery</i> 1991 compilation album by the Descendents

Somery is a compilation album by the American punk rock band the Descendents, released in 1991 through SST Records. It compiles songs from their Fat EP (1981) and the albums Milo Goes to College (1982), I Don't Want to Grow Up (1985), Enjoy! (1986), and All (1987).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Frank Navetta</span> American musician

Frank Navetta was an American musician who was the original guitarist of the punk rock band the Descendents, which he co-founded. He formed the band in Manhattan Beach, California with Dave Nolte in the late 1970s and played on their 1979 debut single, the Fat EP (1981), and their first album, Milo Goes to College (1982). Navetta then quit the band and moved to Oregon to become a fisherman. He collaborated with the Descendents again on the 1996 album Everything Sucks, and prior to his death in 2008 had been working on new material with original Descendents members Bill Stevenson and Tony Lombardo. In 2021, the band released this material on the album 9th & Walnut, which has been critically lauded for Frank's songwriting and playing.

Tony Lombardo is an American musician who was the original bassist in the punk rock band the Descendents. He joined the band in 1979 and played on their debut single, the Fat EP (1981), and the albums Milo Goes to College (1982) and I Don't Want to Grow Up (1985). After leaving the band, he performed in other acts and worked for the United States Postal Service until 2005. He collaborated with the Descendents' successor band, All, writing two songs for their album Allroy's Revenge (1989) and teaming up with them for an album of his own songs, New Girl, Old Story (1991), credited to "TonyAll". He also collaborated with the reunited Descendents on their 1996 album Everything Sucks.

Doug Carrion is an American musician, audio engineer, record producer, and music editor. He played bass guitar in the punk rock bands the Descendents and Dag Nasty during the 1980s, and in the hard rock band For Love Not Lisa in the early 1990s, and is currently in the band Field Day. He has had a long working relationship with Brad "Daddy X" Xavier, playing with him in the punk rock bands Doggy Style and Humble Gods, working with his rap rock group the Kottonmouth Kings in the 2000s, and playing on his solo albums. Carrion has also composed, edited, and recorded music for television and films, including several reality television series and game shows during the 2000s. In 2012 he started his own Americana group, Doug C and the Blacklisted.

<i>Allroy Sez</i> 1988 studio album by All

Allroy Sez is the debut album by the American punk rock band All, released in March 1988 through Cruz Records. Following the departure of singer Milo Aukerman from the Descendents, the remaining members—bassist Karl Alvarez, guitarist Stephen Egerton, and drummer Bill Stevenson—recruited singer Dave Smalley and changed the name of the band to All, which was both the title of the Descendents' 1987 album and a philosophical concept invented by Stevenson and friend Pat McCuistion in 1980. Allroy Sez introduced the character of Allroy, who would serve as a mascot for the band and be featured on many of their subsequent album covers.

<i>Live Plus One</i> 2001 live album by All and the Descendents

Live Plus One is a live album by the American punk rock bands All and the Descendents, released in 2001 through Epitaph Records. A double album, it includes one disc by All recorded in 2001 on their Problematic tour, and a second disc by the Descendents recorded in 1996 on their Everything Sucks tour. The two bands are composed of the same musicians—bassist Karl Alvarez, guitarist Stephen Egerton, and drummer Bill Stevenson—but have different lead singers: Chad Price for All and Milo Aukerman for the Descendents. Live Plus One reached #45 on Billboard's Top Independent Albums chart, making it the only All release and the second Descendents release ever to chart.

<i>Liveage!</i> 1987 live album by the Descendents

Liveage! is a live album by the American punk rock band the Descendents, released in 1987 through SST Records. It is generally regarded as one of the best live albums ever. It is the band's first live album, it was recorded July 13, 1987 at First Avenue in Minneapolis during their summer 1987 "FinALL" tour, so-called because singer Milo Aukerman was leaving the Descendents to pursue a career in biochemistry, after which the band was relaunching itself under the name All. Liveage! was followed by a second live album, Hallraker: Live! (1989), which was partly recorded at the same show but featured a completely different set of songs.

<i>Bonus Fat</i> 1985 compilation album by the Descendents

Bonus Fat is a compilation album by the American punk rock band the Descendents, released in 1985 through New Alliance Records. It combines the band's 1979 debut single "Ride the Wild" / "It's a Hectic World" with their 1981 Fat EP and the track "Global Probing" from the 1981 New Alliance compilation Chunks. The compilation's cover combines guitarist Frank Navetta's illustration for the Fat EP with a caricature of singer Milo Aukerman drawn by Jeff "Rat" Atkins.

<i>Two Things at Once</i> 1988 compilation album by the Descendents

Two Things at Once is a compilation album by the American punk rock band the Descendents, released in 1988 through SST Records. It combines the band's 1982 debut album Milo Goes to College with the 1985 release Bonus Fat, itself a compilation of 1981's Fat EP, 1979's "Ride the Wild" / "It's a Hectic World" single, and the track "Global Probing" from a 1981 compilation titled Chunks. Two Things at Once has been described by critics as an essential collection of the band's early years.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ride the Wild / It's a Hectic World</span> 1980 single by the Descendents

"Ride the Wild" / "It's a Hectic World" is the 1980 debut single by the American punk rock band the Descendents. It was the band's first release and displayed a new wave and surf sound. It was recorded at a time when the band lacked a lead singer, so vocals on the recording were provided by guitarist Frank Navetta and bassist Tony Lombardo. With the addition of singer Milo Aukerman in 1980, the band moved towards a hardcore punk sound. "Ride the Wild" and "It's a Hectic World" were re-released in later years on compilation albums.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Guilty (All song)</span> 1994 single by All

"Guilty" is a song by the American punk rock band All, written by drummer Bill Stevenson and released as the second single from the band's 1993 album Breaking Things. The single also includes two more songs recorded during the Breaking Things session that were left off the album: "All's Fair", written by Stevenson, and "Man's World", written by Stevenson, singer Chad Price, and bassist Karl Alvarez.

<i>New Girl, Old Story</i> 1991 studio album by All with Tony Lombardo

New Girl, Old Story is collaborative album between the American punk rock band All and Tony Lombardo, the original bassist of All's precursor band the Descendents. Credited to "TonyAll", it consists of twelve songs written by Lombardo between 1979 and 1989. Lombardo played bass guitar on the entire album, with the members of All playing the rest of the instrumentation. Vocals were split between Lombardo and All singer Scott Reynolds, with All bassist Karl Alvarez also singing one song. Along with their 1990 album Allroy Saves, recorded at the same time, New Girl, Old Story was the last album recorded by All before their relocation from Los Angeles to Brookfield, Missouri.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Descendents discography</span>

The discography of the Descendents, a punk rock band formed in Manhattan Beach, California in 1977, consists of eight studio albums, three live albums, three compilation albums, three EPs, several singles, and four music videos.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 Stevenson, Bill (1989). Hallraker: Live! (CD liner). Descendents. Lawndale, California: SST Records. SST CD 205.
  2. 1 2 Salmon, Jeremy. "Review: Hallraker: Live!". Allmusic . Retrieved 2010-02-10.
  3. 1 2 Liveage! (LP sleeve). Descendents. Lawndale, California: SST Records. 1987. SST 163.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  4. All (CD liner). Descendents. Lawndale, California: SST Records. 1987. SST CD 112.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  5. Sutherland, Sam (2006-01-01). "Descendents Give Their All". exclaim.ca. Exclaim! . Retrieved 2015-02-26.
  6. DaRonco, Mike. "Review: Liveage!". Allmusic . Retrieved 2010-02-09.
  7. "Hallraker: Live! – Descendents – Release Information, Reviews and Credits". AllMusic. Retrieved June 7, 2016.
  8. Lamacq, Steve (24 June 1989). "The Descendents — Hallraker (SST Records)". New Musical Express . London: IPC Limited. p. 37. ISSN   0028-6362 . Retrieved 27 May 2023 via Flickr.
  9. Bogdanov, Vladimir; Woodstra, Chris; Erlewine, Stephen Thomas, eds. (2002). All Music Guide to Rock: The Definitive Guide to Rock, Pop, and Soul (3rd ed.). San Francisco: Backbeat Books. p. 303. ISBN   0-87930-653-X . Retrieved 2015-02-27.
  10. Eliscu, Jenny (2004). "Descendents Biography". Rolling Stone . Archived from the original on 2008-08-21. Retrieved 2010-02-14.