Complete History Volume Two is a compilation album

Compilation album

A compilation album is an album featuring tracks from one or more performers, often culled from a variety of sources The tracks are usually collected according to a common characteristic, such as popularity, genre, source or subject matter...

 by the Washington, D.C.

Washington, D.C.

Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....

 hardcore punk

Hardcore punk

Hardcore punk is an underground music genre that originated in the late 1970s, following the mainstream success of punk rock. Hardcore is generally faster, thicker, and heavier than earlier punk rock. The origin of the term "hardcore punk" is uncertain. The Vancouver-based band D.O.A...

 band Government Issue

Government Issue

Government Issue was an American hardcore punk band from Washington, D.C. active from 1980 to 1989. The band experienced many changes in membership during its nine-year existence, with singer John Stabb as the only consistent member in an ever-fluctuating lineup that at various times included...

, compiling the band's recordings from 1987 to 1989. It was released January 22, 2002 through Dr. Strange Records

Dr. Strange Records

Dr. Strange Records is a record label and record store located in Alta Loma, California. It started out as an apartment-based distro in 1988 and became a record label in 1989, run out of the "Doc's" apartment until 1997 when the store was first opened....

 as a sequel to 2000's Complete History Volume One

Complete History Volume One

Complete History Volume One is a compilation album by the Washington, D.C. hardcore punk band Government Issue, compiling the band's recordings from 1982 to 1985. It was released March 28, 2000 through Dr. Strange Records, with a companion album, Complete History Volume Two, released in 2002...

. Together, the two Complete History albums collect nearly all of the band's recorded output. While Volume One included contributions from a number of musicians—as singer John Stabb and drummer Marc Alberstad were the band's only constant members from 1980 to 1986—Volume Two is entirely composed of recordings by the band's final lineup of Stabb, guitarist Tom Lyle, bass guitarist J. Robbins

J. Robbins

James Robbins is an American rock music artist. He began his career as a bassist for Government Issue, and has also led four of his own bands: Jawbox, Rollkicker Laydown, Burning Airlines, and Channels. He was a touring bassist for Scream and played bass on the debut 7" from Jack Potential, which...

, and drummer Peter Moffett.

Reception

Jack Rabid of Allmusic gave Complete History Volume Two three stars out of five, calling it "a rare case where a Volume Two is the far superior" and attributing the addition of Robbins and Moffett with completing Government Issue's evolution from "an inferior hardcore-thrash band" to something more unique. He cited You as the turning point, calling it "a quantum leap in hefty, precise, pure power" and stating that "[Robbins and Moffett's] added harmonies (especially), superb playing, chops, and dexterity fit perfect with Stabb and guitarist Tom Lyle's clear plan to cut all ties with lame hardcore cretins — while maintaining the big-guitar edge and bomb-running melodies of their punk roots." He noted elements of psychedelic rock

Psychedelic rock

Psychedelic rock is a style of rock music that is inspired or influenced by psychedelic culture and attempts to replicate and enhance the mind-altering experiences of psychedelic drugs. It emerged during the mid 1960s among folk rock and blues rock bands in United States and the United Kingdom...

 in the music and hints of The Damned

The Damned

The Damned are an English gothic punk band formed in London in 1976. They were the first punk rock band from the United Kingdom to release a single , an album , to have a record on the UK music charts, and to tour the United States...

 in Stabb's singing, and remarked that the addition of Crash and the second disc of live recordings "makes [Volume Two] an even more rock-solid pick-up."

Disc 1

Disc 2

Band

• John Stabb – lead vocals
  Singing
  Singing is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments...
  
  
• Tom Lyle – guitar
  Guitar
  The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
  
  , producer
  Record producer
  A record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
  
   (tracks 1–11 and 13–22 on disc 1)
• J. Robbins
  J. Robbins
  James Robbins is an American rock music artist. He began his career as a bassist for Government Issue, and has also led four of his own bands: Jawbox, Rollkicker Laydown, Burning Airlines, and Channels. He was a touring bassist for Scream and played bass on the debut 7" from Jack Potential, which...
  
   – bass guitar
  Bass guitar
  The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
  
  , lead vocals on "Crash"
• Peter Moffett – drums
  Drum kit
  A drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
  
  , mix engineer
  Audio mixing (recorded music)
  In audio recording, audio mixing is the process by which multiple recorded sounds are combined into one or more channels, most commonly two-channel stereo. In the process, the source signals' level, frequency content, dynamics, and panoramic position are manipulated and effects such as reverb may...
  
   (tracks 13–22 on disc 1)

Production

• Jim Fox – recording engineer (tracks 1–11 and 13–22 on disc 1)
• Chris Biondo – additional recording (tracks 1–11 on disc 1)
• Eric L. – mix engineer (tracks 13–22 on disc 1)
• Rob Bowers – recording engineer (tracks 1–13 on disc 2), mix engineer (tracks 28 and 29 on disc 2)
• Jerry Williams – mix engineer (tracks 14–27 on disc 2)
• Doug Johnston – recording engineer for this compilation
• Jeff Caudill – art direction and design