Live at the House of Blues (Adolescents album)

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Live at the House of Blues
Adolescents - Live at the House of Blues cover.jpg
Live album and concert film by
the Adolescents
ReleasedFebruary 24, 2004 (2004-02-24)
RecordedOctober 3, 2003
Venue House of Blues at Downtown Disney, Anaheim, California
Genre Punk rock
Length52:37
Label Kung Fu (78824)
Producer Joe Escalante, Nate Weaver
Adolescents chronology
Unwrap and Blow Me!
(2003)		Live at the House of Blues
(2004)		 The Complete Demos 1980–1986
(2005)

Live at the House of Blues is a live album and concert film by the American punk rock band the Adolescents, released in February 2004 on Kung Fu Records as part of the label's The Show Must Go Off! series. It marked a reunion of the band after a twelve-year breakup, and features songs from their original 1980–81 run and from their then-upcoming reunion album OC Confidential (2005).

Contents

Background and recording

The Adolescents had disbanded in April 1989, following the release of their third studio album, Balboa Fun*Zone . [1] [2] The band's 1980–81 lineup of singer Tony Brandenburg, bassist Steve Soto, drummer Casey Royer, and guitarist brothers Rikk and Frank Agnew (who had recorded their 1981 debut album, Adolescents , also known as The Blue Album) reunited for a performance that December, which was released eight years later as the live album Return to the Black Hole . [3] [4] In the years following the breakup, the members were involved in other musical projects: Soto formed the parody group Manic Hispanic in 1992, and he, Frank Agnew, and former Adolescents drummer Sandy Hanson simultaneously started a band called Joyride. [5] [6] Frank Agnew soon left to focus on his family life and maintained a low-profile musical career in subsequent years, playing on albums by Tender Fury, Rule 62, and Mr. Mirainga. [1] [6] [7] Soto and Hansen continued with Joyride until 1996, then formed the band 22 Jacks. [6] [8] Royer, meanwhile, resumed his other band, D.I., while Brandenburg started a new group, Sister Goddamn, and Rikk Agnew briefly rejoined the gothic rock band Christian Death and released two solo albums in the early 1990s. [9] [10] [11]

In 1992, Brandenburg and Rikk and Frank Agnew joined other Southern California punk musicians for Pinups, an album of cover versions of punk rock songs from the 1970s and early 1980s on which Soto sang backing vocals. [12] Brandenburg (now using the stage name Tony Reflex), Royer, and Rikk Agnew also formed ADZ; the group's name was a shortened form of Adolescents. [1] [13] Royer and Agnew both left ADZ after the band's first album, Where Were You?; both had substance abuse issues. Royer was addicted to heroin, while Agnew abused a variety of drugs and drank alcohol excessively throughout the 1990s and early 2000s, becoming obese in the process. [1] [13] [14] Royer resumed D.I., while Rikk Agnew again briefly rejoined Christian Death. [15] Brandenburg continued with ADZ throughout the 1990s with other members (Frank Agnew played lead guitar on five tracks on the band's 1995 album Piper at the Gates of Downey). [13]

The Adolescents' Blue Album lineup reunited in 2001. Royer soon left to continue D.I. and was replaced by Derek O'Brien, formerly of Social Distortion, D.I., and Agent Orange. The band began writing new material and issued an EP titled Unwrap and Blow Me! in 2003, limited to 100 copies and consisting of six new songs: "Hawks and Doves", "Where the Children Play", "California Son", "OC Confidential", "Pointless Teenage Anthem", and "Within These Walls". They were approached by Kung Fu Records to record a performance for the label's series of concert films, The Show Must Go Off! The performance took place at the House of Blues at Downtown Disney in Anaheim, California on October 3, 2003. [16] It was filmed with a seven camera setup using 24p digital video, and a 24-track recording system to capture the audio. [16] The set included songs from Adolescents, the Welcome to Reality EP (1981), and the new songs "OC Confidential", "California Son", "Lockdown America", "Hawks and Doves", and "Within These Walls". [16] [17] Rikk Agnew left the band by the end of the year, and they recorded their reunion album, OC Confidential (2005) without him. [14]

Release and reception

Live at the House of Blues was released February 24, 2004 by Kung Fu Records as a combination DVD and compact disc; The CD includes the audio portion of the concert presented as a live album, while the DVD includes the concert film as well as audio commentary by the band, a multi-angle feature allowing the viewer to switch between the seven camera angles, a gallery photographs from the Adolescents' early years, and footage of the band performing a seven-song set in 1982. [16] [18] Scott Heisel of Punknews.org rated the package 2.5 stars out of 5, saying "the crew over at Kung-Fu's video department have put out another quality compilation of footage for their 10th release in the Show Must Go Off series. Editing is once again top-notch, as I hardly recall seeing any of the cameramen pop in the shots. The cuts are quick on the rash edgy So-Cal punk songs and the clips flow great among the members during the set. The sound of the show is admirable as well [...] The only [fault] I find production-wise is the brightness of the footage; it's rather dark and dreary. This could very well be a lighting issue from the club". [18]

Track listing

Writing credits adapted from the studio albums' liner notes. [19] [20]

No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."No Way" Rikk Agnew 2:34
2."Who Is Who" Tony Reflex, Steve Soto, Frank Agnew 1:18
3."Self Destruct"Reflex, Soto0:53
4."Democracy"Soto, Jim Housman2:33
5."OC Confidential"Reflex; R. Agnew; Frank Agnew, Jr.3:29
6."Creatures"R. Agnew2:04
7."Welcome to Reality"Reflex, Soto, F. Agnew2:06
8."California Son"Reflex, Soto3:47
9."Wrecking Crew"Reflex, Soto2:10
10."Lockdown America"Reflex, Derek O'Brien 3:11
11."L.A. Girl"Reflex, F. Agnew1:48
12."No Friends"Reflex, Soto2:34
13."Things Start Moving"Reflex, F. Agnew, Steve Roberts3:07
14."Rip It Up"Reflex, R. Agnew2:38
15."Hawks and Doves"Reflex, R. Agnew1:59
16."Within These Walls"Reflex, F. Agnew2:07
17."Word Attack"Reflex, R. Agnew3:02
18."Amoeba"R. Agnew, Casey Royer 1:52
19."Kids of the Black Hole"R. Agnew3:15
Total length:52:37

Personnel

Credits adapted from the concert film's credits reel. [21]

Related Research Articles

Adolescents (band) American punk rock band

The Adolescents are an American punk rock band formed in Fullerton, California in 1980. Part of the hardcore punk movement in southern California in the early 1980s, they were one of the main punk acts to emerge from Orange County, along with their peers in Agent Orange and Social Distortion. Founding bassist Steve Soto was the sole constant member of the band since its inception until his 2018 death, with singer Tony Reflex being in the group for all but one album.

<i>Adolescents</i> (album) 1981 studio album by the Adolescents

Adolescents, also known as The Blue Album due to its cover design, is the debut studio album by American punk rock band the Adolescents, released in April 1981 on Frontier Records. Recorded after guitarist Rikk Agnew and drummer Casey Royer joined the band, it features several songs written for their prior group, the Detours, including "Kids of the Black Hole" and "Amoeba", which became two of the Adolescents' most well-known songs. Adolescents was one of the first hardcore punk albums to be widely distributed throughout the United States, and became one of the best-selling California hardcore albums of its time. The band never toured in support of it, and broke up four months after its release. The Blue Album lineup of Agnew, Royer, guitarist Frank Agnew, bassist Steve Soto and singer Tony Brandenburg reunited several times in subsequent years, but only for brief periods.

<i>Brats in Battalions</i> 1987 studio album by the Adolescents

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<i>Return to the Black Hole</i> 1997 live album by the Adolescents

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Rikk Agnew

Richard Francis "Rikk" Agnew, Jr. is an American singer, songwriter, composer, multi-instrumentalist, record producer, and visual artist.

Tony Reflex American musician (born 1963)

Anthony Brandenburg is an American musician best known as the lead singer for the punk rock band the Adolescents. He has used the pseudonyms Tony Cadena, Tony Montana, and Tony Adolescent, and since 1992 has most consistently credited himself as Tony Reflex. Active in music since 1980, he has fronted several bands in addition to the Adolescents—including the Abandoned, the Flower Leperds, ADZ, and Sister Goddamn—and has performed on over 20 studio albums.

Casey Royer

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Steve Soto

Steve Soto was an American musician. Soto was a multi-talented instrumentalist, a founding member of California punk rock band Agent Orange in 1979, and a founding member of Adolescents in 1980 performing on bass guitar in both bands. Soto was also a member of Legal Weapon, Joyride, Manic Hispanic and the punk supergroup 22 Jacks. Soto fronted his own band, Steve Soto and the Twisted Hearts and he also became a member of Punk Rock Karaoke in 2001.

<i>Ancient Artifacts</i> 1985 studio album by D.I.

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<i>Balboa Fun*Zone</i> 1988 studio album by the Adolescents

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<i>Live 1981 & 1986</i> album by Adolescents

Live 1981 & 1986 is a live album by the American punk rock band the Adolescents, released in 1989 on Triple X Records. It consists of live performances recorded during the band's original 1980–81 run and during their 1986 reunion.

<i>The Complete Demos 1980–1986</i> 2005 compilation album by the Adolescents

The Complete Demos 1980–1986 is a compilation album of demo recordings by the American punk rock band the Adolescents, released in March 2005 on Frontier Records. It includes the band's first three demo tapes, recorded between March and July 1980; one outtake from the recording sessions for their 1981 EP Welcome to Reality; and two songs recorded during their 1986 reunion as demos for their second album, Brats in Battalions (1987). The first eight tracks are the only material recorded by the Adolescents' original lineup, which included guitarist John O'Donovan and drummer Peter Pan. The remaining tracks include their replacements Rikk Agnew and Casey Royer.

"Amoeba" is a song by American punk rock band the Adolescents. It is the eighth track on their self-titled debut album Adolescents, released in April 1981 on Frontier Records. It is the band's signature song.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Huey, Steve. "Adolescents Biography". allmusic.com. Allmusic . Retrieved 2016-10-16.CS1 maint: discouraged parameter (link)
  2. ↑ Reflex, Tony (1989). Live 1981 & 1986 (CD liner notes). Hollywood, California: Triple X Records. 51015-2.
  3. ↑ Rabid, Jack. "Review: Adolescents – Return to the Black Hole". allmusic.com. AllMusic . Retrieved 2016-11-07.CS1 maint: discouraged parameter (link)
  4. ↑ Return to the Black Hole (CD liner notes). Los Angeles: Amsterdamned Records. 1997. 51225-2.
  5. ↑ Prato, Greg. "Manic Hispanic Biography". allmusic.com. Allmusic . Retrieved 2016-10-16.CS1 maint: discouraged parameter (link)
  6. 1 2 3 Huey, Steve. "Joyride Biography". allmusic.com. Allmusic . Retrieved 2016-10-16.CS1 maint: discouraged parameter (link)
  7. ↑ Boehm, Mike (1998-12-31). "Essential Albums, '78–98". Los Angeles Times . Retrieved 2016-10-31.CS1 maint: discouraged parameter (link)
  8. ↑ Ankeny, Jason. "22 Jacks Biography". allmusic.com. Allmusic . Retrieved 2016-10-16.CS1 maint: discouraged parameter (link)
  9. ↑ Mason, Stewart. "Review: Christian Death – Sleepless Nights: Live 1990". allmusic.com. Allmusic . Retrieved 2016-10-16.CS1 maint: discouraged parameter (link)
  10. ↑ Mason, Stewart. "Review: Rikk Agnew – Turtle". allmusic.com. Allmusic . Retrieved 2016-10-16.CS1 maint: discouraged parameter (link)
  11. ↑ Blush, Steven (2001). American Hardcore: A Tribal History . New York City: Feral House. pp. 90–91. ISBN   0-922915-71-7.CS1 maint: discouraged parameter (link)
  12. ↑ Rabid, Jack. "Review: Pinups – Pinups". allmusic.com. AllMusic . Retrieved 2016-10-16.CS1 maint: discouraged parameter (link)
  13. 1 2 3 Ankeny, Jason. "ADZ Biography". allmusic.com. Allmusic . Retrieved 2016-10-16.CS1 maint: discouraged parameter (link)
  14. 1 2 Jackson, Nate (2014-06-20). "Rikk Agnew: Adolescent No More". OC Weekly . Costa Mesa, California: Duncan McIntosh Co. Retrieved 2016-10-14.
  15. ↑ Raggett, Ned. "Review: Christian Death – Iconologia". allmusic.com. Allmusic . Retrieved 2016-10-16.CS1 maint: discouraged parameter (link)
  16. 1 2 3 4 Live at the House of Blues (CD liner notes). Hollywood, California: Kung Fu Records. 2004. 78824-2.
  17. ↑ "Adolescents: Live at the House of Blues". Allmusic . Retrieved 2016-10-10.CS1 maint: discouraged parameter (link)
  18. 1 2 Heisel, Scott (2004-06-22). "Review: Adolescents – Live at the House of Blues". Punknews.org. Retrieved 2016-11-12.CS1 maint: discouraged parameter (link)
  19. ↑ Adolescents (CD liner notes). Sun Valley, California: Frontier Records. 1981. 31003-2.
  20. ↑ OC Confidential (CD liner notes). Orange County, California: Finger Records. 2005.
  21. ↑ Escalante, Joe (Director); Martinez, Kris (Director) (2004). Adolescents – Live at the House of Blues (DVD). Hollywood, California: Kung Fu Records. 78824-2.CS1 maint: discouraged parameter (link)
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