Adolescents (album)

Adolescents
Studio album by Adolescents
Released	May 1981
Recorded	1981
Genre	Skate punk, hardcore punk
Length	28:01 (original) 34:51 (1997 reissue) 70:58 (2001 reissue)
Label	Frontier Records
Producer	Adolescents, Mike Patton, Thom Wilson
Adolescents chronology
Adolescents (1981) Brats in Battalions (1987)

Adolescents (often called The Blue Album) 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 bassist Steve Soto; and a previously unknown singer named Tony Cadena. It was the only Adolescents album co-produced by Mike Patton (not to be confused with the lead singer of Faith No More) and Thom Wilson, 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 single to promote the album. Adolescents is now considered a classic punk album by fans and critics alike. In California punk sales, it second only to the Dead Kennedys' Fresh Fruit for Rotting Vegetables.

Reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic	[1]

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 Thunders-derived solos of the two Agnew brothers, Rikk and Frank. These soaring, ripping parts still sound great today."^[2]

Legacy and influence

• "Amoeba" was featured in the film SLC Punk, MTV's Fantasy Factory, Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3 and on the radio in Grand Theft Auto V.
• A cover of "Who Is Who", performed by the Dropkick Murphys, was featured on Tony Hawk's American Wasteland.
• NOFX covered "No Way" in 2005 on the May release of their 7" of the Month Club. Their album So Long and Thanks for All the Shoes also featured a track titled "Kids of the K-Hole," a reference to "Kids of the Black Hole."
• "Creatures" was featured in the skate video "Born Dead" by Creature Skateboards during the Fiends section.
• "Kids of the Black Hole" was featured in the skate video "Mind Field" by Alien Workshop during Anthony Van Engelen's part.

Track listing

1. "I Hate Children" (Tony Cadena, Steve Soto) – 1:44
2. "Who Is Who" (Frank Agnew, Cadena, Soto) – 1:22
3. "Wrecking Crew" (Cadena, Soto) – 2:06
4. "L.A. Girl" (F. Agnew, Cadena) – 1:46
5. "Self Destruct" (Cadena, Soto) – 0:47
6. "Kids of the Black Hole" (Rikk Agnew) – 5:26
7. "No Way" (R. Agnew) – 2:00
8. "Amoeba" (R. Agnew, Casey Royer) – 3:02
9. "Word Attack" (R. Agnew, Cadena) – 1:05
10. "Rip It Up" (R. Agnew, Cadena) – 2:10
11. "Democracy" (R. Agnew, Soto) – 2:07
12. "No Friends" (Cadena, Soto) – 2:29
13. "Creatures" (R. Agnew) – 1:57

The initial CD version of Adolescents, appended the Welcome to Reality EP (and sometimes guitarist Rikk Agnew's 1982 solo album All By Myself) to the CD as bonus tracks.

Credits

• Tony Cadena – Vocals
• Steve Soto – Bass
• Frank Agnew – Guitar
• Rikk Agnew – Guitar
• Casey Royer – Drums

References