Fear of a Punk Planet (album)

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Fear of a Punk Planet

Studio album by The Vandals
Released	1990 (re-released 2000)
Genre	Punk Rock
Length	original: ~32:38 re-release: ~43:33
Label	Triple X Records Kung Fu Records
Producer(s)	Bob Casale
All Music Guide link
The Vandals chronology
Slippery When Ill (1989)	Fear of a Punk Planet (1990)	Sweatin' to the Oldies: The Vandals Live (1991)
Alternate cover

Slightly altered cover of the 2000 anniversary edition re-release

Fear of a Punk Planet is the third album by the southern California punk rock band The Vandals, originally released in 1990 by Triple X Records. It was their first album to include the lineup of Dave Quackenbush, Warren Fitzgerald, Joe Escalante and Josh Freese, solidifying the band's roster after several years of fluctuation. This lineup would remain intact for the rest of the band's career, and for this reason Fear of a Punk Planet is considered by many fans to be the first proper album by the "new" Vandals. The album returned the band to their punk rock sound, after having played mostly in a country style on their previous album Slippery When Ill. The band would stick to a punk rock formula throughout the rest of their career. The album's title called to mind the rap album Fear of a Black Planet by Public Enemy, released that same year. It featured guest appearances by Dweezil and Moon Unit Zappa, Scott Thunes and Kelsey Grammer. An independent music video was filmed for the album's first track, "Pizza Tran."

The album was re-released with bonus tracks in 2000 by the band's own label Kung Fu Records in order to celebrate its tenth anniversary.

1 Track listing
2 Performers
3 Album information
4 Song information

[edit] Track listing

"Pizza Tran" (Escalante/Fitzgerald/Quackenbush/Freese)
"The Rodge" (Escalante/Fitzgerald/Quackenbush)
"Join Us for Pong" (Escalante/Fitzgerald)
"Hey Holmes!" (Escalante/Fitzgerald/Chris Lagerborg)
"Girls Turn 18 Every Day" (Escalante/Fitzgerald/Quackenbush/Freese)
"Kill My Tenant" (Escalante/Quackenbush)
"Summer Lovin'" (Escalante/Jim Jacobs/Warren Casey; originally from the musical Grease)
"The Day Farrah Fawcett Died" (Escalante)
"Anti" (Fitzgerald/Quackenbush)
"Teenage Idol" (Jack Lewis; originally performed by Ricky Nelson)
"Small Wonder" (Escalante/Fitzgerald/Quackenbush)
"Phone Machine" (Escalante/Fitzgerald/Quackenbush)
"Shi'ite Punk"* (Quackenbush/Jan Nils Ackermann)
"China Town"*
"Working for the Man"*
"Kokomo"* (Mike Love/Scott McKenzie/Terry Melcher/John Phillips; originally performed by The Beach Boys)

*Tracks 13-16 are included on the 2000 anniversary edition re-release only.

[edit] Performers

Dave Quackenbush - vocals
Warren Fitzgerald - guitar
Joe Escalante - bass
Josh Freese - drums
Dweezil Zappa - lead guitar on "Hey Holmes!"
Moon Unit Zappa - female vocals on "Summer Lovin'"
Scott Thunes - bass on "Kill My Tenant"
Kelsey Grammer - piano and vocals on "Phone Machine"
DJ Gary - sampling on "The Rodge"

[edit] Album information

Record label:
- original release: Triple X Records
- Anniversary Edition re-release: Kung Fu Records
Recorded at Paramount Studios in Hollywood, California and Master Control in Burbank, California
Mixed by Gary McGachan and Andrew Ballard at Master Control Assistants.
Produced by Bob Casale
Tracks 1 & 5 written by Joe Escalante, Warren Fitzgerald, Dave Quackenbush, and Josh Freese. Tracks 2, 11 & 12 written by Joe Escalante, Warren Fitzgerald and Dave Quackenbush. Track 3 written by Joe Escalante and Warren Fitzgerald. Track 4 written by Joe Escalante, Warren Fitzgerald and Chris Lagerborg. Track 6 written by Joe Escalante and Dave Quackenbush. Track 7 written by Joe Escalante, Jim Jacobs and Warren Casey. Track 8 written by Joe Escalante. Track 9 written by Warren Fitzgerald and Dave Quackenbush. Track 10 written by Jack Lewis. Track 13 written by Dave Quackenbush and Jan Nils Ackermann. Track 16 written by Mike Love, Scott McKenzie, Terry Melcher, and John Phillips.
Art direction:
- original release: Steve Martinez
- re-release: Sergie
Cover art by Rudolph Schwarzkogler, courtesy of the Gallery Krinzinger in Vienna
Photographs by Mollye Moore, assisted by Elena Ray and Melody
All songs published by Puppety Frenchman publishing SESAC except "Teenage Idol" by Nelson Music ASCAP, "Summer Lovin'" by Edwin H. Morris Music ASCAP, and "Kokomo" by Buena Vista Music Co., Clairaudient Music Corp., Daywin Music Inc. & Spirit One Music.

[edit] Song information

All information listed here is derived from song lyrics, album liner notes, and band member interviews and commentary (particularly those in the video Sweatin' to the Oldies: The Vandals Live).

"Pizza Tran" (Joe Escalante, Warren Fitzgerald, Dave Quackenbush, & Josh Freese)

This song is the story of a Vietnamese girl named Tran who delivers pizza in Orange County. The narrator in the song has a crush on her.

"The Rodge" (Joe Escalante, Warren Fitzgerald & Dave Quackenbush)

The song describes a dance move named after Roger Thomas.

"Join Us for Pong" (Joe Escalante & Warren Fitzgerald)

This song is about the home video game Pong, and compares playing it to an act of rebellion.

"Hey Holmes!" (Joe Escalante, Warren Fitzgerald & Chris Lagerborg)

The song plays on rap and gang slang words.

"Girls Turn 18 Every Day" (Joe Escalante, Warren Fitzgerald, Dave Quackenbush, & Josh Freese)

This song tells of a man's troubles with his girlfriends, but he is encouraged by the fact that more girls are turning 18 (the legal age of consent) each day.

"Kill My Tenant" (Joe Escalante & Dave Quackenbush)

This song tells of a landlord's headaches with his lazy tenants.

"Summer Lovin" (Joe Escalante, Jim Jacobs & Warren Casey)

A parody of a song from the musical Grease. In the original version, John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John's characters tell conflicting stories of their summer relationship. While the woman's story tells of a sweet and innocent romance, the man's version is much steamier and full of machismo as he attempts to impress his friends. Underneath, however, it is obvious that they are both infatuated with each other. The Vandals' version begins with the "he said/she said" male/female vocal tradeoff of the original, but then the man's voice takes over and tells his friends how he slept with the girl and then left her. He also tells of other sexual conquests and how he gives the girls a fake telephone number and address. In the end, though, the woman has the last laugh as the man seems to have found someone he generally cares for, but then she leaves him for someone else.

"The Day Farrah Fawcett Died" (Joe Escalante)

A fictional tale of the death of model and TV actress Farrah Fawcett. In the song several explanations for the actress' death are given, but the singer suspects a conspiracy and theorizes several other explanations for her demise. In reality Fawcett is still alive and continues to act on television and in movies.

"Anti" (Warren Fitzgerald & Dave Quackenbush)

This song uses a lot of wordplay with the pro- and anti- prefixes and declares many things that the singer supports and disapproves of.

"Teenage Idol" (Jack Lewis)

A cover of a song originally performed by Ricky Nelson, who was himself a television and music star and teen idol. It tells of the difficulties of being a young person in the spotlight.

"Small Wonder" (Joe Escalante, Warren Fitzgerald & Dave Quackenbush)

Based on the 1980s sitcom of the same name, this song tells the tale of a robotic girlfriend that runs amok at night with programmed lust. The song contains an interpretation of the main motif of "Mars, the Bringer of War," the first movement of Gustav Holst's suite "The Planets."

"Phone Machine" (Joe Escalante, Warren Fitzgerald & Dave Quackenbush)

A humorous answering machine message beginning with a mellow piano tune and a polite greeting by Kelsey Grammer, which then launches into a loud and angry message telling off the singer's boss, his school and anyone else who might be calling him. It gets polite again, however, when he addresses his grandmother. The song ends with an actual humorous answering machine message left by Quackenbush's grandmother.