Operation Phoenix (album)
Encyclopedia
Operation Phoenix is the fourth album by the Santa Cruz, California
-based hardcore punk
band Good Riddance
, released May 4, 1999 through Fat Wreck Chords
. It marked a change in recording location and production team for the band: their previous three albums had been recorded in San Francisco with producer
and recording engineer Ryan Greene, but for Operation Phoenix the band traveled to Fort Collins, Colorado
to record at The Blasting Room with Jason Livermore and Descendents
/All
members Bill Stevenson and Stephen Egerton
. This marked the beginning of a long-term working relationship: Good Riddance would record all of their studio material at The Blasting Room using the same production team until 2003, when the band slipped into inactivity and singer Russ Rankin
started Only Crime
with Stevenson. Stevenson and Livermore would return to record and produce Good Riddance's final studio album My Republic
in 2006, which was recorded in San Francisco. Rankin later commented that working with The Blasting Room team was a major turning point in recording for the band:
Operation Phoenix was Good Riddance's last album with drummer Sean Sellers until 2006. Following his departure in late 1999, Lagwagon
drummer Dave Raun
filled in with the band until Dave Wagenschutz of Kid Dynamite
joined as a permanent replacement. Sellers would return to Good Riddance in 2006 for My Republic and Remain in Memory: The Final Show.
Santa Cruz, California
Santa Cruz is the county seat and largest city of Santa Cruz County, California in the US. As of the 2010 U.S. Census, Santa Cruz had a total population of 59,946...
-based 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 Good Riddance
Good Riddance
Good Riddance was a punk rock band from Santa Cruz, California. They released seven full-length studio albums on Fat Wreck Chords, and their final album was a live recording of their farewell concert in 2007. Led by vocalist Russ Rankin, the band's longtime lineup included guitarist Luke Pabich,...
, released May 4, 1999 through Fat Wreck Chords
Fat Wreck Chords
Fat Wreck Chords is a San Francisco, California based independent record label, focused on punk rock. It was started by Fat Mike and his ex-wife, Erin, in 1990....
. It marked a change in recording location and production team for the band: their previous three albums had been recorded in San Francisco 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...
and recording engineer Ryan Greene, but for Operation Phoenix the band traveled to Fort Collins, Colorado
Fort Collins, Colorado
Fort Collins is a Home Rule Municipality situated on the Cache La Poudre River along the Colorado Front Range, and is the county seat and most populous city of Larimer County, Colorado, United States. Fort Collins is located north of the Colorado State Capitol in Denver. With a 2010 census...
to record at The Blasting Room with Jason Livermore and Descendents
Descendents
The Descendents are an American punk rock band from Hermosa Beach, California. As of 2011, they have released six studio albums, three live albums, three compilation albums and three EPs. The Descendents broke up and reformed several times over the years, sometimes with different musicians...
/All
ALL (band)
All is an American punk band originally from Los Angeles, currently residing in Fort Collins, Colorado, formed by Descendents members Bill Stevenson, Karl Alvarez, and Stephen Egerton.-Formation and Cruz Records Years:...
members Bill Stevenson and Stephen Egerton
Stephen Egerton
Stephen Patrick O'Reilly , better known as Stephen Egerton , is an American guitarist, best known for his work playing with The Descendents and All....
. This marked the beginning of a long-term working relationship: Good Riddance would record all of their studio material at The Blasting Room using the same production team until 2003, when the band slipped into inactivity and singer Russ Rankin
Russ Rankin
Russ Rankin is an American singer from Santa Cruz, CA. He has recorded and played in such notable bands as Good Riddance and Only Crime.-Musical Biography:...
started Only Crime
Only Crime
Only Crime is a melodic hardcore group formed by Good Riddance singer Russ Rankin and Bane guitarist Aaron Dalbecin 2003. The band plays melodic but hard-hitting punk rock that borrows heavily from early-1980s hardcore bands such as Black Flag.-History:...
with Stevenson. Stevenson and Livermore would return to record and produce Good Riddance's final studio album My Republic
My Republic
My Republic is the seventh and final studio album by the Santa Cruz, California-based hardcore punk band Good Riddance, released June 27, 2006 through Fat Wreck Chords...
in 2006, which was recorded in San Francisco. Rankin later commented that working with The Blasting Room team was a major turning point in recording for the band:
We did our first three albums with Ryan Greene and Ryan Greene is a great engineer and a really great guy and we learned a lot about being prepared to record ... his studio know-how was top-notch, his demeanor was top-notch, and we learned a lot, but when we decided we wanted a change, and we went to the Blasting Room, it was like...so different ... they knew what we were trying to do ... Also, the way they recorded...it was completely out of the ordinary...we'd been through the culture where you'd lay down the drums first, then you lay down the bass, then you lay down the guitars, and then you do the vocals...and we get to the Blasting Room and once the drums were done it was like, all bets are off, Chuck [Platt, bassist] would go in for a couple hours, then I would go in, then Luke [Pabich, guitarist] would go in, and we'd just be chipping away at these songs ... it was definitely a new approach for us anyway, we'd never done anything like that before...so I think that those guys really brought out the best in us, they challenged us, but they also, I think, had a really innate sense of knowing what we were trying to get done.
Operation Phoenix was Good Riddance's last album with drummer Sean Sellers until 2006. Following his departure in late 1999, Lagwagon
Lagwagon
Lagwagon is an American punk rock band originally from Goleta, just outside Santa Barbara, California. They formed in 1990 and went on hiatus and reunited several times over the years...
drummer Dave Raun
Dave Raun
Dave Raun a resident of Fresno, California, is the drummer for the seminal California punk rock band Lagwagon. He also filled in on drums for a short period of time for Sean "SC" Sellers of Good Riddance. Additionally, Raun drums for the punk rock cover band/supergroup Me First and the Gimme...
filled in with the band until Dave Wagenschutz of Kid Dynamite
Kid Dynamite
Kid Dynamite was a Philadelphia-based melodic hardcore band consisting of drummer Dave Wagenschutz, guitarist Dan Yemin, vocalist Jason Shevchuk, and bassist Michael Cotterman, who replaced original bassist Steve Farrell. The band put out two full-lengths before lead singer Jason Shevchuk left the...
joined as a permanent replacement. Sellers would return to Good Riddance in 2006 for My Republic and Remain in Memory: The Final Show.
Reception
Steve Huey of Allmusic gave Operation Phoenix three stars out of five, remarking that the album "doesn't deviate much from Good Riddance's established pattern of stinging melodic punk and raging socially conscious lyrics, but it's a fine, well-executed take on that formula that ranks with the best of their work."Track listing
Personnel
- Russ RankinRuss RankinRuss Rankin is an American singer from Santa Cruz, CA. He has recorded and played in such notable bands as Good Riddance and Only Crime.-Musical Biography:...
– vocalsSingingSinging 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...
, bass guitarBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
on "My War" - Luke Pabich – guitarGuitarThe 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...
- Chuck Platt – bass guitar (excluding "My War")
- Sean Sellers – drumsDrum kitA 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 ....
(excluding "My War") - Bill Stevenson – producerRecord producerA record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
, recording and mix engineerMix engineerA mix engineer, also referred to as "mixing engineer", is a person who, once all instruments, voices, and sounds, etc., have been recorded, creates what is called the final version of a song, hence the term "mix engineer"...
, drums and additional guitar on "My War" - Stephen EgertonStephen EgertonStephen Patrick O'Reilly , better known as Stephen Egerton , is an American guitarist, best known for his work playing with The Descendents and All....
– producer, recording and mix engineer - Jason Livermore – producer, recording and mix engineer
External links
- Operation Phoenix at Fat Wreck ChordsFat Wreck ChordsFat Wreck Chords is a San Francisco, California based independent record label, focused on punk rock. It was started by Fat Mike and his ex-wife, Erin, in 1990....