The Adolescents (album)
Encyclopedia
Adolescents is the eponymous debut album
by the Orange County
punk rock
band the Adolescents. The album boasts an all-star cast, featuring three past Social Distortion
members (Rikk Agnew
, Frank Agnew
and Casey Royer
), former Agent Orange
guitarist Steve Soto
and a previously unknown singer named Tony Cadena
. It was the only Adolescents album produced by Mike Patton (not to be confused with the lead singer
of Faith No More
) and Thom Wilson
, as well as the first being self-produced, and was released in May 1981, on Frontier Records
. It was also the band's only album released before their five-year hiatus.
Released during the breakthrough era for hardcore punk
, the album brought the band a small amount of success in their hometown as they started to gather a following. "Amoeba" was released as a radio hit to promote the album. Adolescents is now considered a classic punk album by fans and critics alike. In California
punk sales, it is the second only to the Dead Kennedys
' Fresh Fruit for Rotting Vegetables
.
-derived solos of the two Agnew brothers, Rikk
and Frank
. These soaring, ripping parts still sound great today."
The initial CD version of Adolescents, for some unknown reason, appended the Welcome to Reality EP (and sometimes guitarist Rikk Agnew
's 1982 solo album All By Myself) to the CD as bonus tracks.
Album
An album is a collection of recordings, released as a single package on gramophone record, cassette, compact disc, or via digital distribution. The word derives from the Latin word for list .Vinyl LP records have two sides, each comprising one half of the album...
by the Orange County
Orange County, California
Orange County is a county in the U.S. state of California. Its county seat is Santa Ana. As of the 2010 census, its population was 3,010,232, up from 2,846,293 at the 2000 census, making it the third most populous county in California, behind Los Angeles County and San Diego County...
punk rock
Punk rock
Punk rock is a rock music genre that developed between 1974 and 1976 in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Rooted in garage rock and other forms of what is now known as protopunk music, punk rock bands eschewed perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock...
band the Adolescents. The album boasts an all-star cast, featuring three past Social Distortion
Social Distortion
Social Distortion is an American punk rock band formed in 1978 in Fullerton, California. The band currently consists of Mike Ness , Jonny Wickersham , Brent Harding and David Hidalgo, Jr...
members (Rikk Agnew
Rikk Agnew
Richard Francis Agnew, Jr. , more commonly known as Rikk Agnew, is an American guitarist who has played in some of the most influential bands of the Orange County hardcore punk scene, as well as the influential deathrock band Christian Death.- Biography:With Casey Royer, Agnew played in Social...
, Frank Agnew
Frank Agnew
Frank Agnew is an American guitarist, best known for being a member of punk band The Adolescents.Agnew joined The Adolescents in 1980 after leaving Social Distortion. He left when The Adolescents broke up in the summer of 1981, and joined the band Legal Weapon with Steve, and then played with TSOL...
and Casey Royer
Casey Royer
Casey Royer is an American musician who began his career playing drums for punk band, Social Distortion at age 21 in 1979. He then moved on to play for The Adolescents from 1980–87. While The Adolescents were on hiatus from 1981–86, Casey went on to form D.I. in 1982, a Southern California punk...
), former Agent Orange
Agent Orange (band)
Agent Orange is an American punk rock band formed in Orange County, California in 1979. The band is one of the first to mix punk rock with surf music. They first gained attention with their song "Bloodstains" which they released on their own 7" E.P. An early demo of the song was presented to...
guitarist Steve Soto
Steve Soto
Steve Soto is an American musician. He was once part of California punk band Agent Orange, and joined The Adolescents in 1980.When The Adolescents broke up, Soto, together with Frank Agnew, joined the Los Angeles based band Legal Weapon....
and a previously unknown singer named Tony Cadena
Tony Cadena
Anthony Brandenburg — also known by the stage names Tony Cadena, Tony Montana, Tony Adolescent, and Tony Reflex — is an accomplished punk rock singer/songwriter and poet....
. It was the only Adolescents album produced by Mike Patton (not to be confused with the lead singer
Mike Patton
Michael Allan "Mike" Patton is an American singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, producer, and actor, best known as the lead singer of the metal/experimental rock band Faith No More. He has also sung for Mr...
of Faith No More
Faith No More
Faith No More is an American rock band from San Francisco, California, formed originally as Faith No Man in 1981 by bassist Billy Gould, keyboardist Wade Worthington, vocalist Michael Morris and drummer Mike Bordin. A year later when Worthington was replaced by keyboardist Roddy Bottum, and Mike...
) and Thom Wilson
Thom Wilson
-Thom Wilson:Thom Wilson is a now-retired American punk rock record producer and engineer.-Career:Wilson began his musical career in the mid-1970s, engineering recordings by soft rock artits Burton Cummings and Seals & Crofts. He began working on punk rock albums in the early 1980s while producing...
, as well as the first being self-produced, and was released in May 1981, on Frontier Records
Frontier Records
Frontier Records is an independent record label, started in 1980 in Los Angeles by Lisa Fancher, a former employee of Bomp! Records and writer of the liner notes for the first album by The Runaways....
. It was also the band's only album released before their five-year hiatus.
Released during the breakthrough era for 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...
, the album brought the band a small amount of success in their hometown as they started to gather a following. "Amoeba" was released as a radio hit to promote the album. Adolescents is now considered a classic punk album by fans and critics alike. In California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
punk sales, it is the second only to the Dead Kennedys
Dead Kennedys
Dead Kennedys are an American punk rock band formed in San Francisco, California in 1978. The band became part of the American hardcore punk movement of the early 1980s. They gained a large underground fanbase in the international punk music scene....
' Fresh Fruit for Rotting Vegetables
Fresh Fruit for Rotting Vegetables
Fresh Fruit for Rotting Vegetables is the debut album by the American hardcore punk band Dead Kennedys. It was released in September 1980 through Faulty Products in the United States and through Cherry Red Records in the United Kingdom.It has been certified by BPI gold.The best selling and...
.
Reception
The album has received positive reviews. The Allmusic review by Jack Rabid awards the album 4.5 stars and states: "The debut from these five Orange County kids established the mid-tempo, punk-pop 'Southern Cal sound,' led by the long, great, pummeling, Johnny ThundersJohnny Thunders
Johnny Thunders, born John Anthony Genzale, Jr. , was an American protopunk guitarist, singer and songwriter.He came to prominence in the early '70s as a member of the New York Dolls...
-derived solos of the two Agnew brothers, Rikk
Rikk Agnew
Richard Francis Agnew, Jr. , more commonly known as Rikk Agnew, is an American guitarist who has played in some of the most influential bands of the Orange County hardcore punk scene, as well as the influential deathrock band Christian Death.- Biography:With Casey Royer, Agnew played in Social...
and Frank
Frank Agnew
Frank Agnew is an American guitarist, best known for being a member of punk band The Adolescents.Agnew joined The Adolescents in 1980 after leaving Social Distortion. He left when The Adolescents broke up in the summer of 1981, and joined the band Legal Weapon with Steve, and then played with TSOL...
. These soaring, ripping parts still sound great today."
Legacy and influence
- "Amoeba" was featured in SLC Punk and on Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3, often abbreviated to THPS3, is a skateboarding video game in the Tony Hawk's series. It was developed by Neversoft and published by Activision in 2001 for the Nintendo GameCube, Nintendo 64, Game Boy Color, PlayStation 2, and PlayStation. In 2002, it was published for the...
. - A cover of "Who Is Who", performed by the Dropkick MurphysDropkick MurphysDropkick Murphys are an Irish-American punk rock band formed in Quincy, Massachusetts in 1996. The band was initially signed to independent punk record label Hellcat Records, releasing five albums for the label, and making a name for themselves locally through constant playing and yearly St....
, was featured on Tony Hawk's American WastelandTony Hawk's American WastelandTony Hawk's American Wasteland, abbreviated to THAW, is a video game that was released for the PS2, Xbox, Xbox 360, Nintendo GameCube and PC on October 18, 2005. Part of the Tony Hawk series, the game was developed by Neversoft and published by Activision.The PC version of the game was ported and...
. - "Creatures" was featured in the skate video "Born Dead" by Creature Skateboards during the Fiends section.
Track listing
- "I Hate Children" (Tony CadenaTony CadenaAnthony Brandenburg — also known by the stage names Tony Cadena, Tony Montana, Tony Adolescent, and Tony Reflex — is an accomplished punk rock singer/songwriter and poet....
, Steve SotoSteve SotoSteve Soto is an American musician. He was once part of California punk band Agent Orange, and joined The Adolescents in 1980.When The Adolescents broke up, Soto, together with Frank Agnew, joined the Los Angeles based band Legal Weapon....
) – 1:44 - "Who Is Who" (Frank AgnewFrank AgnewFrank Agnew is an American guitarist, best known for being a member of punk band The Adolescents.Agnew joined The Adolescents in 1980 after leaving Social Distortion. He left when The Adolescents broke up in the summer of 1981, and joined the band Legal Weapon with Steve, and then played with TSOL...
, Cadena, Soto) – 1:22 - "Wrecking Crew" (Cadena, Soto) – 2:06
- "L.A. Girl" (F. Agnew, Cadena) – 1:46
- "Self Destruct" (Cadena, Soto) – 0:47
- "Kids of the Black HoleKids of the Black Hole"Kids of the Black Hole" is a song by The Adolescents. The song was recorded in 1980 and released on their debut album, The Adolescents . It also appears on the follow-up live album, Return to the Black Hole...
" (Rikk AgnewRikk AgnewRichard Francis Agnew, Jr. , more commonly known as Rikk Agnew, is an American guitarist who has played in some of the most influential bands of the Orange County hardcore punk scene, as well as the influential deathrock band Christian Death.- Biography:With Casey Royer, Agnew played in Social...
) – 5:26 - "No Way" (R. Agnew) – 2:00
- "Amoeba" (R. Agnew, Casey RoyerCasey RoyerCasey Royer is an American musician who began his career playing drums for punk band, Social Distortion at age 21 in 1979. He then moved on to play for The Adolescents from 1980–87. While The Adolescents were on hiatus from 1981–86, Casey went on to form D.I. in 1982, a Southern California punk...
) – 3:02 - "Word Attack" (R. Agnew, Cadena) – 1:05
- "Rip It Up" (R. Agnew, Cadena) – 2:10
- "Democracy" (R. Agnew, Soto) – 2:07
- "No Friends" (Cadena, Soto) – 2:29
- "Creatures" (R. Agnew) – 1:57
The initial CD version of Adolescents, for some unknown reason, appended the Welcome to Reality EP (and sometimes guitarist Rikk Agnew
Rikk Agnew
Richard Francis Agnew, Jr. , more commonly known as Rikk Agnew, is an American guitarist who has played in some of the most influential bands of the Orange County hardcore punk scene, as well as the influential deathrock band Christian Death.- Biography:With Casey Royer, Agnew played in Social...
's 1982 solo album All By Myself) to the CD as bonus tracks.
Credits
- Tony CadenaTony CadenaAnthony Brandenburg — also known by the stage names Tony Cadena, Tony Montana, Tony Adolescent, and Tony Reflex — is an accomplished punk rock singer/songwriter and poet....
– Vocals - Steve SotoSteve SotoSteve Soto is an American musician. He was once part of California punk band Agent Orange, and joined The Adolescents in 1980.When The Adolescents broke up, Soto, together with Frank Agnew, joined the Los Angeles based band Legal Weapon....
– Bass - Frank AgnewFrank AgnewFrank Agnew is an American guitarist, best known for being a member of punk band The Adolescents.Agnew joined The Adolescents in 1980 after leaving Social Distortion. He left when The Adolescents broke up in the summer of 1981, and joined the band Legal Weapon with Steve, and then played with TSOL...
– Guitar - Rikk AgnewRikk AgnewRichard Francis Agnew, Jr. , more commonly known as Rikk Agnew, is an American guitarist who has played in some of the most influential bands of the Orange County hardcore punk scene, as well as the influential deathrock band Christian Death.- Biography:With Casey Royer, Agnew played in Social...
– Guitar - Casey RoyerCasey RoyerCasey Royer is an American musician who began his career playing drums for punk band, Social Distortion at age 21 in 1979. He then moved on to play for The Adolescents from 1980–87. While The Adolescents were on hiatus from 1981–86, Casey went on to form D.I. in 1982, a Southern California punk...
– Drums