When in Rome Do as the Vandals
Encyclopedia
When in Rome Do as the Vandals is the debut album by the Huntington Beach
punk rock
band The Vandals
, released in 1984 by National Trust Records. It was the band's first full-length LP
. Its title is a play on the phrase "When in Rome, do as the Romans do", as the Vandals was also the name of a Germanic tribe which had invaded the Roman Empire
and helped lead to its destruction. The album's cover played on this theme by showing the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum
in a state of destruction. It was the band's last recording with vocalist Stevo, who left the band shortly after due to personality conflicts with some of the other members.
On the original LP release Brent Turner is credited as having performed all of the bass
tracks, but by the time of its release Chalmer Lumary had joined the band on the bass
position. Chalmer's name and photo are therefore included on the album sleeve along with those of the other members. The album sleeve also lists the seventh track as being "It's Not Unusual," a cover of a song by Burt Bacharach
. The label on the LP itself, however, correctly lists this track as being a cover of "Hocus Pocus" by the band Focus
. The sleeve also lists the album's sixth track as being spelled "Viking Suite," although the label again corrects this error by spelling it "Viking Suit" (as it is pronounced in the song's lyrics).
The album was re-released in 1989 in CD format along with the band's debut EP
Peace Thru Vandalism
as Peace Thru Vandalism/When in Rome Do as the Vandals
. The CD version was released by Restless Records
(later reissued by Time Bomb Recordings
) and correctly lists the song titles as described above.
Huntington Beach, California
Huntington Beach is a seaside city in Orange County in Southern California. According to the 2010 census, the city population was 189,992; making it the largest beach city in Orange County in terms of population...
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 Vandals
The Vandals
The Vandals are an American rock band established in 1980 in Huntington Beach, California. They have released ten full-length studio albums and two live albums and have toured the world extensively, including performances on the Vans Warped Tour...
, released in 1984 by National Trust Records. It was the band's first full-length LP
Gramophone record
A gramophone record, commonly known as a phonograph record , vinyl record , or colloquially, a record, is an analog sound storage medium consisting of a flat disc with an inscribed, modulated spiral groove...
. Its title is a play on the phrase "When in Rome, do as the Romans do", as the Vandals was also the name of a Germanic tribe which had invaded the Roman Empire
Roman Empire
The Roman Empire was the post-Republican period of the ancient Roman civilization, characterised by an autocratic form of government and large territorial holdings in Europe and around the Mediterranean....
and helped lead to its destruction. The album's cover played on this theme by showing the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum
Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum
The Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum is a large outdoor sports stadium in the University Park neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, at Exposition Park, that is home to the Pacific-12 Conference's University of Southern California Trojans football team...
in a state of destruction. It was the band's last recording with vocalist Stevo, who left the band shortly after due to personality conflicts with some of the other members.
On the original LP release Brent Turner is credited as having performed all of the bass
Bass guitar
The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
tracks, but by the time of its release Chalmer Lumary had joined the band on the bass
Bass guitar
The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
position. Chalmer's name and photo are therefore included on the album sleeve along with those of the other members. The album sleeve also lists the seventh track as being "It's Not Unusual," a cover of a song by Burt Bacharach
Burt Bacharach
Burt F. Bacharach is an American pianist, composer and music producer. He is known for his popular hit songs and compositions from the mid-1950s through the 1980s, with lyrics written by Hal David. Many of their hits were produced specifically for, and performed by, Dionne Warwick...
. The label on the LP itself, however, correctly lists this track as being a cover of "Hocus Pocus" by the band Focus
Focus (band)
Focus is a Dutch rock band which was founded by classically trained organist/flautist Thijs van Leer in 1969, and is most famous for the instrumental pieces "Hocus Pocus" and "Sylvia"...
. The sleeve also lists the album's sixth track as being spelled "Viking Suite," although the label again corrects this error by spelling it "Viking Suit" (as it is pronounced in the song's lyrics).
The album was re-released in 1989 in CD format along with the band's debut EP
Extended play
An EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...
Peace Thru Vandalism
Peace Thru Vandalism
Peace thru Vandalism is the debut EP by the southern California punk rock band The Vandals, released in 1982 by Epitaph Records. It was one of the first releases to be put out by the Epitaph label, founded in 1981 by Brett Gurewitz of Bad Religion. The EP was re-released by Time Bomb Recordings in...
as Peace Thru Vandalism/When in Rome Do as the Vandals
Peace Thru Vandalism/When in Rome Do as the Vandals
Peace thru Vandalism/When in Rome Do as the Vandals is a compilation album by the southern California punk rock band The Vandals. It was originally released in 1989 by Restless Records...
. The CD version was released by Restless Records
Restless Records
Restless Records was started in El Segundo, California in 1981 by Enigma Records and primarly released alternative, metal and punk records. Restless also licensed and released records from Bar/None Records, Metal Blade Records and Mute Records...
(later reissued by Time Bomb Recordings
Time Bomb Recordings
Time Bomb Recordings is a Laguna Beach, California based record label founded by Social Distortion manager Jim Guerinot in a 1994 joint-venture agreement with Arista Records...
) and correctly lists the song titles as described above.
Reception
Track listing
All songs written by The Vandals except where indicatedPerformers
- Steven Ronald "Stevo" Jensen - vocals, scratch box on "Ladykiller"
- Jan Nils Ackermann - 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...
, acoustic guitars on "Mohawk Town" and "Rico" - Brent Turner - bassBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
- Joe EscalanteJoe EscalanteJoseph Patrick "Joe" Escalante is an American musician, record label owner, radio host, film and music video director, and amateur matador, as well as a former television executive and entertainment lawyer...
- 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 ....
, trumpetTrumpetThe trumpet is the musical instrument with the highest register in the brass family. Trumpets are among the oldest musical instruments, dating back to at least 1500 BCE. They are played by blowing air through closed lips, producing a "buzzing" sound which starts a standing wave vibration in the air...
on "Rico" - Chalmer Lumary - backing vocals
Album information
- Record label:
- original LPGramophone recordA gramophone record, commonly known as a phonograph record , vinyl record , or colloquially, a record, is an analog sound storage medium consisting of a flat disc with an inscribed, modulated spiral groove...
release: National Trust Records - CD re-release: Restless RecordsRestless RecordsRestless Records was started in El Segundo, California in 1981 by Enigma Records and primarly released alternative, metal and punk records. Restless also licensed and released records from Bar/None Records, Metal Blade Records and Mute Records...
(1989), Time Bomb RecordingsTime Bomb RecordingsTime Bomb Recordings is a Laguna Beach, California based record label founded by Social Distortion manager Jim Guerinot in a 1994 joint-venture agreement with Arista Records...
(1995)
- original LP
- Produced by Thom WilsonThom 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...
- Art & design by Mike Doud
- Cover photos by Alan Newberg
- Sleeve photos by Mike Leczkowski