Unknown Road

Last updated
Unknown Road
Pennywise - Unknown Road cover.jpg
Studio album by
Pennywise
ReleasedAugust 17, 1993
Recorded1993 at Westbeach Recorders in Hollywood, California
Genre
Length33:33
Label Epitaph
Producer Joe Peccerillo
Pennywise chronology
A Word from the Wise/Wildcard
(1992)		Unknown Road
(1993)		 About Time
(1995)

Unknown Road is the second studio album by American punk rock band Pennywise, released on August 17, 1993, through Epitaph Records. After frontman Jim Lindberg briefly left the band during touring in support of its previous album, Pennywise (1991), Pennywise began the recording sessions for their second album. Released a year before the success of punk rock in California [ clarification needed ], Unknown Road gained Pennywise supporting slots on national and world tours with bands such as The Offspring (who was just about to hit the mainstream with then-new album Smash ). Some archived footage of the Unknown Road tour dates can be seen on the band's 1995 documentary Home Movies .

Contents

Background and recording

In 1989, Pennywise released the vinyl only EPs A Word from the Wise and Wildcard (which were both re-released on CD in 1992). Thanks to the success of the EPs, Epitaph Records (a label owned by Bad Religion guitarist Brett Gurewitz) saw the band's potential and signed them in 1990. In the following year, Pennywise managed to release their first album for the label, which is self-titled. The album quickly spread throughout the punk community, earning the band some nationwide recognition. Lyrics in the album endorsed a positive mental attitude, helping promote progressive ideals for Generation X. Lindberg left the band soon after the debut record. Bass player Randy Bradbury joined the lineup as Thirsk took over lead vocal duties. In 1992, The Vandals lead singer Dave Quackenbush took over on vocals for a brief stint. Bradbury left the band and Thirsk returned to bass (Bradbury would rejoin Pennywise permanently after Thirsk's death in 1996, which retroactively made this the first album recorded with the band's present lineup). During the 1991-1992 tour, Pennywise began writing their second album, entitled Unknown Road. After Lindberg returned to the fold in 1992, they managed to begin recording their new album at Westbeach Recorders in Hollywood, California with producer Joe Peccerillo.

Reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [1]
Punknews.orgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svg [2]

The Allmusic review by Paul Henderson awards the album 4 out of 5 stars and states: "Unknown Road is an inspired effort by the reunited and recharged Pennywise, the first consistently solid release of their career." [3]

Track listing

All songs by Pennywise.

No.TitleLength
1."Unknown Road"2:46
2."Homesick"2:17
3."Time to Burn"2:19
4."It's Up to Me"3:16
5."You Can Demand"2:17
6."Nothing"2:33
7."Vices"2:03
8."City Is Burning"2:12
9."Dying to Know"3:04
10."Tester"3:14
11."Try to Conform"2:40
12."Give and Get"2:01
13."Clear Your Head"2:51

The track "Slowdown" is after "Clear Your Head" (track 13) on the original album pressing. It is its own track on the 2005 remastered edition.

The piano on the track "Unknown Road" is extended after the silence on the closing track, "Bro Hymn Tribute", of the album Full Circle . This piano piece is taken from the 1992 movie Poison Ivy.

The tracks "Homesick" and "Dying to Know" were featured on the 1997 arcade game Top Skater .

Personnel

Related Research Articles

<i>Ignition</i> (The Offspring album) 1992 studio album by the Offspring

Ignition is the second studio album by American punk rock band the Offspring, released on October 16, 1992, by Epitaph Records. Issued during the alternative rock and grunge era, the album brought the band small success in Southern California as they started to gather a following. This success would continue to grow with their next album, Smash (1994).

<i>Pennywise</i> (album) 1991 studio album by Pennywise

Pennywise is the debut studio album by the American punk rock band Pennywise, released on Epitaph Records on October 22, 1991.

<i>About Time</i> (Pennywise album) 1995 studio album by Pennywise

About Time is the third studio album by American punk rock band Pennywise, released on June 13, 1995.

<i>Full Circle</i> (Pennywise album) Album by Pennywise

Full Circle is the fourth studio album by the American punk rock band Pennywise. It was released on April 22, 1997 and was digitally remastered on March 8, 2005 on the original label. This is the first Pennywise studio album to feature Randy Bradbury, who replaced bassist Jason Thirsk, who had died from suicide on July 29, 1996. The entire album was dedicated to the memory of Thirsk, who had been a key songwriter for Pennywise until his death, and a close friend of all of those in the band.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jason Thirsk</span> Musical artist

Jason Matthew Thirsk was the bass player of the California punk rock band Pennywise from 1988 through his death in 1996. He grew up in Hermosa Beach, California.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jim Lindberg</span> American singer-songwriter

James William Lindberg is an American singer and guitarist. Active since the 1980s, when he played in local bands in his early career, he is best known as the songwriter and lead singer of the punk rock band Pennywise, which he fronted from 1988 to 2009, and has again since 2012. He also founded The Black Pacific, who released a debut album in 2010.

<i>The Fuse</i> (album) 2005 studio album by Pennywise

The Fuse is the eighth studio album by American punk rock band Pennywise. It was released on August 9, 2005.

<i>From the Ashes</i> (album) 2003 studio album by Pennywise

From the Ashes is the seventh studio album by the American punk rock band Pennywise.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Randy Bradbury</span> Musical artist

Randy Bradbury is the current bass guitar player for the Californian punk band Pennywise. He joined in October 1996 when founding bass player Jason Thirsk took a leave of absence to go to rehab for alcohol addiction. Bradbury was supposed to switch to rhythm guitar when Thirsk returned, but it never happened due to Thirsk's suicide in 1996. Bradbury played bass for early punk pioneers The Falling Idols, bass for the last Tender Fury album, as well as playing bass on the first two albums by One Hit Wonder before leaving to join Pennywise. He has a tattoo of Jack Bruce on his arm.

<i>Land of the Free?</i> 2001 studio album by Pennywise

Land of the Free? is the sixth studio album by American punk rock band Pennywise. Produced by Joe Barresi, the album was released on June 19, 2001. After the commercial success of their previous album, Straight Ahead, Pennywise entered the studio in early 2001 to record a follow-up. Land of the Free? received positive reviews from critics and was well sold worldwide, reaching number 67 on the Billboard Top 200, and number 21 on the Australian ARIA Albums Chart. "Fuck Authority" was released as a single to promote the album.

<i>Straight Ahead</i> (Pennywise album) 1999 studio album by Pennywise

Straight Ahead is the fifth studio album by the American punk rock band Pennywise, released in 1999 via Epitaph Records. It contains the single "Alien."

Down by Law is an American punk rock band formed in 1989 by former All frontman Dave Smalley, who is the only remaining original member. The band has recorded seven studio albums. They stayed on Epitaph Records until 1998 and have since switched to other labels. Down by Law has never achieved substantial commercial success, but a number of largely popular acts cite them as influential, and they have an underground following. After several lineup changes, the band went on hiatus from touring and recording in 2003, but resurfaced in 2008 before beginning work on new material and embarking on their first tour in six years in 2009. In 2017, the band reunited their Punkrockacademyfightsong lineup and are currently active and touring.

One Hit Wonder was an American punk band, from Long Beach, California.

<i>Reason to Believe</i> (Pennywise album) 2008 studio album by Pennywise

Reason to Believe is the ninth studio album by the American punk rock band Pennywise, which was released on March 25, 2008 as a worldwide free digital download on MySpace. MySpace Records released the album within the United States as a standard CD and a limited-edition vinyl version with two bonus tracks not available in any other format. The album was available in Europe on March 24 through Epitaph Records. Originally to be released in 2007 based on the two-year gaps between the last eight studio albums, a tentative title for the album was Free for the People, but the title was scrapped.

98 Mute was an American hardcore punk band from Hermosa Beach, California, United States. They were formed in 1993, and signed to Theologian Records in 1995. Their first, self-titled album was released in 1996, and the band was featured on several skate videos and compilations of Californian punk. The group had toured with bands like The Offspring, Blink-182 and Pennywise. A second album on Theologian followed in 1998 before the group was picked up by Epitaph Records. They released two albums on Epitaph before breaking up in September 2002, shortly after the release of their fourth full-length, After the Fall.

<i>98 Mute</i> (album) 1996 studio album by 98 Mute

98 Mute is the debut release by the hardcore punk band, 98 Mute. It was released on May 3, 1996, on Theologian Records. It was co-produced by Pennywise's guitarist Fletcher Dragge and features Justin Thirsk on drums, the brother of the late Jason Thirsk, Pennywise bass player. It was the first of four albums before the band split up. They followed this album with Class of 98 in 1998.

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

Pennywise is an American punk rock band from Hermosa Beach, California, formed in 1988. The band took its name from the antagonist in Stephen King's horror novel It known as Pennywise the Dancing Clown.

<i>All or Nothing</i> (Pennywise album) 2012 studio album by Pennywise

All or Nothing is the tenth studio album by the American punk rock band Pennywise, which was released on May 1, 2012. It is Pennywise's first album since Reason to Believe (2008), their longest gap to date between studio albums. This is also the band's only recording with vocalist Zoli Téglás, who replaced Jim Lindberg from February 2010 to October 2012, as well as their first release on Epitaph Records since 2005's The Fuse. "Let Us Hear Your Voice" impacted radio on April 17, 2012.

<i>Yesterdays</i> (Pennywise album) 2014 studio album by Pennywise

Yesterdays is the eleventh studio album by the American punk rock band Pennywise, which was released on July 15, 2014. It contains previously unrecorded compositions by their late bassist Jason Thirsk. Yesterdays is also Pennywise's first album with singer Jim Lindberg after he left the band in 2009 and returned in 2012. "Violence Never Ending" was released to radio on June 23, 2014.

<i>Never Gonna Die</i> 2018 studio album by Pennywise

Never Gonna Die is the twelfth studio album by the American punk rock band Pennywise, which was released on April 20, 2018.

References

  1. 1 2 3 Allmusic review
  2. 1 2 Punknews.org review
  3. ↑ Paul Henderson. "Review for Unknown Road". Allmusic.com . Retrieved 2010-05-31.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.