Beach Blvd
Beach Blvd is a seminal compilation album featuring early Californian punk rock bands.
Beach Blvd | |
---|---|
Compilation album by various artists | |
Released | Summer 1979 |
Recorded | November 1978 – July 1979 |
Studio | Media Art |
Genre | |
Length | 31:39 |
Language | English |
Label | Posh Boy |
Producer | Robbie Fields |
Overview
An influential sampler LP, Beach Blvd helped to usher in the hardcore punk movement in suburban Southern California,[nb 1] aided by DJ Rodney Bingenheimer, who gave the record its first airplay on his weekly radio show.[1][4]
Conceived by the controversial Robbie "Posh Boy" Fields,[nb 2][1][4][5][2][6] the album gathers three acts with quite different musical styles: the Crowd[7][8] from Huntington Beach, Rik L Rik[9][10][11] from West Covina, and the Simpletones from Rosemead.[1][5][12]
The record title advertised the music's suburban origins: California State Route 39, named Beach Boulevard in the stretch that crosses Orange County, ran inland from the Crowd's hometown to Rik L Rik's.[4]
Production
Produced by Fields,[1][4][5] all songs on Beach Blvd were recorded and mixed between November 1978 and July 1979 at Media Art Studio in Hermosa Beach, California.
The tracks credited to Rik L Rik, are remixes[nb 3] of five demo songs recorded in November 1978[13] by the third lineup of San Francisco punk rock band Negative Trend,[10][14] where he was lead singer. These versions feature bass overdubs by Jay Lansford, who also added a new guitar track on "Atomic Lawn".[13]
Beach Blvd was mastered by Lanky Linstrot at Wally Heider's Mobile Recording Truck, based in Hollywood, California.
Release
Only three songs featured on Beach Blvd were previously released: Simpletones' "California" was the lead tune on their eponymous 7-inch single record[nb 4][15] from early 1979; while "Meat House" and "I Got Power" were issued as a Rik L Rik 7-inch single[nb 5][13][16] in mid-1979.
Accompanied by liner notes provided by Bingenheimer,[4] Beach Blvd was originally released in the summer of 1979 on Posh Boy Records, in 12-inch LP format.[nb 6][5][17] The album was also the Crowd's recorded debut.
Reissues
In 1981, Posh Boy Records issued a rare edition of Beach Blvd on cassette tape,[nb 7][18] which included, as bonus tracks, the entire Red Cross EP[nb 8] by Redd Kross from Hawthorne, California.[19]
The original release on 12-inch vinyl disc was repressed in 1986.
In 1990, Posh Boy issued a 29-track extended version on CD[nb 9][1][20] featuring liner notes by Fields and Tony Cadena. Bonus tracks included almost half of Like It or Not Live!,[nb 10][21] the only album by Rik L Rik's first band, the short-lived West Covina four-piece F-Word!,[10][11] recorded live at San Francisco's Mabuhay Gardens in the spring of 1978 and released posthumously that same year. The 1990 CD edition also added six more Simpletones songs: "I Like Drugs", the B-side of the single "California"[nb 4] from 1979; "TV Love" from Rodney on the ROQ,[nb 11][22] the first of Bingenheimer's compilations,[23] originally issued in 1980;[24] "Disco Ape" (aka "You Drive Me (Disco) Ape"), an unreleased Lansford arrangement of the Dickies' "You Drive Me Ape (You Big Gorilla)" from 1978; and tracks 13, 15 and 17, all released for the first time. The 1990 edition closed with three additional cuts by the Crowd: "Right Time", also taken from Rodney on the ROQ,[nb 11] "Desmond and Kathy", and an instrumental rendition of the Archies' "Melody Hill" from 1969, both taken from band's first studio album, A World Apart[nb 12][25] from 1981.
In 1991, the original compilation was included in Richard Elerick's numbered 3-LP box set History of Rik L Rik,[nb 13][16][26] in conjunction with F-Word!'s album Like It or Not Live![nb 10] and Rik L Rik's The Lost Album[nb 14][16][27] from 1991.
In 2004, under license from Posh Boy, the Italian label Get Back re-released the 1979 12-inch LP.[nb 15][28]
The following year, Get Back released a 24-song Digipak CD edition,[nb 15][29] an abridged version of the 1990 edition.
Track listings
1979 LP release
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Artist | Length |
---|---|---|---|---|
1. | "Kirsty Q" | Jay Lansford | Simpletones | 2:50 |
2. | "I Have a Date" | Lansford, Richard W. Scott | Simpletones | 2:29 |
3. | "Tiger Beat Twist" | Lansford, Eric Kiertzner, David Perry | Simpletones | 2:02 |
4. | "Black and Red" | Craig Gray | Rik L Rik | 3:56 |
5. | "Meat House" | Will Shatter, Craig Gray | Rik L Rik | 2:44 |
6. | "Suzy Is a Surf Rocker" | The Crowd | The Crowd | 1:21 |
7. | "Living in Madrid" | The Crowd | The Crowd | 1:20 |
8. | "Trix Are for Kids" | The Crowd | The Crowd | 0:51 |
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Artist | Length |
---|---|---|---|---|
1. | "Modern Machine" | The Crowd | The Crowd | 1:29 |
2. | "New Crew" | The Crowd | The Crowd | 1:16 |
3. | "I Got Power" | Rik L Rik, Craig Gray | Rik L Rik | 1:31 |
4. | "Mercenaries" | Shatter, Gray | Rik L Rik | 2:36 |
5. | "Atomic Lawn" | L Rik, Gray | Rik L Rik | 2:07 |
6. | "Don't Bother Me" | Lansford | Simpletones | 2:16 |
7. | "California" | Lansford | Simpletones | 2:51 |
Total length: | 31:39 |
1981 MC edition
No. | Title | Artist | Length |
---|---|---|---|
1. | "Kirsty Q" | Simpletones | 2:50 |
2. | "I Have a Date" | Simpletones | 2:29 |
3. | "Tiger Beat Twist" | Simpletones | 2:02 |
4. | "Black and Red" | Rik L Rik | 3:56 |
5. | "Meat House" | Rik L Rik | 2:44 |
6. | "I Got Power" | Rik L Rik | 1:31 |
7. | "Mercenaries" | Rik L Rik | 2:36 |
8. | "Atomic Lawn" | Rik L Rik | 2:07 |
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Artist | Length |
---|---|---|---|---|
1. | "Suzy Is a Surf Rocker" | The Crowd | 1:21 | |
2. | "Living in Madrid" | The Crowd | 1:20 | |
3. | "Trix Are for Kids" | The Crowd | 0:51 | |
4. | "Modern Machine" | The Crowd | 1:29 | |
5. | "New Crew" | The Crowd | 1:16 | |
6. | "Cover Band" | Greg Hetson | Red Cross | 1:25 |
7. | "Annette's Got the Hits" | S. McDonald, J. McDonald | Red Cross | 1:08 |
8. | "I Hate My School" | J. McDonald | Red Cross | 0:57 |
9. | "Clorox Girls" | S. McDonald, J. McDonald | Red Cross | 0:58 |
10. | "S & M Party" | Hetson, J. McDonald | Red Cross | 0:56 |
11. | "Standing in Front of Poseur" | J. McDonald | Red Cross | 0:58 |
12. | "Don't Bother Me" | Simpletones | 2:16 | |
13. | "California" | Simpletones | 2:51 | |
Total length: | 38:01 |
1990 CD edition
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Artist | Length |
---|---|---|---|---|
1. | "Introduction" (live spoken language) | Dirk Dirksen (emcee) | 1:00 | |
2. | "Do the Nihil" (live) | Rick L Rick, Dim Wanker | F-Word! | 1:55 |
3. | "Out There" (live) | L Rick, Wanker | F-Word! | 1:42 |
4. | "In the Haze" (live) | L Rick | F-Word! | 2:11 |
5. | "Government Official" (live) | L Rick, Wanker | F-Word! | 2:37 |
6. | "Shut Down" (Germs live cover) | Darby Crash | F-Word! | 3:39 |
7. | "Kirsty Q" | Simpletones | 2:50 | |
8. | "I Have a Date" | Simpletones | 2:29 | |
9. | "Tiger Beat Twist" | Simpletones | 2:02 | |
10. | "Don't Bother Me" | Simpletones | 2:16 | |
11. | "California" | Simpletones | 2:51 | |
12. | "I Like Drugs" | Jay Lansford, Jerry Koskie | Simpletones | 2:10 |
13. | "Dead Meat (Killer Smog)" | Lansford, Koskie | Simpletones | 2:23 |
14. | "TV Love" | Lansford | Simpletones | 1:34 |
15. | "Rock 'n' Roll Star" | Koskie | Simpletones | 2:18 |
16. | "Disco Ape" (The Dickies alternate version) | Chuck Wagon, Stan Lee | Simpletones | 1:52 |
17. | "Nasty Nazi" | Lansford | Simpletones | 3:14 |
18. | "Black and Red" | Rik L Rik | 3:57 | |
19. | "Meat House" | Rik L Rik | 2:44 | |
20. | "I Got Power" | Rik L Rik | 1:32 | |
21. | "Mercenaries" | Rik L Rik | 2:37 | |
22. | "Atomic Lawn" | Rik L Rik | 2:08 | |
23. | "Modern Machine" | The Crowd | 1:29 | |
24. | "New Crew" | The Crowd | 1:16 | |
25. | "Suzy Is a Surf Rocker" | The Crowd | 1:21 | |
26. | "Living in Madrid" | The Crowd | 1:20 | |
27. | "Trix Are for Kids" | The Crowd | 0:51 | |
28. | "Right Time" | James Kaa | The Crowd | 2:33 |
29. | "Desmond and Kathy" | James Kaa, Jay Decker | The Crowd | 2:34 |
30. | "Melody Hill" (The Archies instrumental version) | Ritchie Adams, Mark Barkan | The Crowd | 1:55 |
Total length: | 1:05:20 |
2005 Digipak CD edition
No. | Title | Artist | Length |
---|---|---|---|
1. | "Kirsty Q" | Simpletones | 2:50 |
2. | "I Have a Date" | Simpletones | 2:29 |
3. | "Tiger Beat Twist" | Simpletones | 2:02 |
4. | "Don't Bother Me" | Simpletones | 2:16 |
5. | "California" | Simpletones | 2:51 |
6. | "I Like Drugs" | Simpletones | 2:10 |
7. | "Dead Meat (Killer Smog)" | Simpletones | 2:23 |
8. | "TV Love" | Simpletones | 1:34 |
9. | "Rock 'n' Roll Star" | Simpletones | 2:18 |
10. | "Disco Ape" | Simpletones | 1:52 |
11. | "Nasty Nazi" | Simpletones | 3:14 |
12. | "Black and Red" | Rik L Rik | 3:57 |
13. | "Meat House" | Rik L Rik | 2:44 |
14. | "I Got Power" | Rik L Rik | 1:32 |
15. | "Mercenaries" | Rik L Rik | 2:37 |
16. | "Atomic Lawn" | Rik L Rik | 2:08 |
17. | "Modern Machine" | The Crowd | 1:29 |
18. | "New Crew" | The Crowd | 1:16 |
19. | "Suzy Is a Surf Rocker" | The Crowd | 1:21 |
20. | "Living in Madrid" | The Crowd | 1:20 |
21. | "Trix Are for Kids" | The Crowd | 0:51 |
22. | "Right Time" | The Crowd | 2:33 |
23. | "Desmond and Kathy" | The Crowd | 2:34 |
24. | "Melody Hill" | The Crowd | 1:55 |
Total length: | 52:16 |
Personnel
Simpletones[15]
Simpletones (1990 CD edition)
Rik L Rik
The Crowd
Red Cross (1981 MC edition)[18]
F-Word! (1990 CD edition)
|
Production
Additional production (1981 MC edition)
Additional production (1990 CD edition)
|
Notes
- "The Beach Boulevard compilation came out ... just as the suburban hardcore attitude was beginning to kick in ... it sort of documented the rise of suburban punk."
– Rik L Rik[3] - The American-born, British educated Robbie Fields, a former aspiring journalist, was the founder of Posh Boy Records.
- Done at Media Art Studio in Hermosa Beach, California.
- Posh Boy #PBS 3
- Posh Boy #PBS 4
- Posh Boy #PBS 102
- Posh Boy #PBC 102
- Posh Boy #PBS 1010
- Posh Boy #PBCD 88102-2
- Posh Boy #PBS 101
- Posh Boy #PBS 106
- Posh Boy #PBS 108
- Posh Boy #PBS 88101-1
- Posh Boy #PBS 119
- Get Back #GET 114
References
- Boehm, Mike (July 19, 1991). "Punks to Revisit Beach Blvd : 3 Suburban Groups Will Play in Huntington to Mark Release of Compilation CD" (page 1/2). latimes.com. Retrieved May 29, 2015.
- Blush, Steven (2001). American Hardcore: A Tribal History. Second ed., 2010. Feral House. ISBN 9781932595895. p. 80.
- Spitz, Marc; Mullen, Brendan (2001). We Got the Neutron Bomb: The Untold Story of L.A. Punk. Three Rivers Press. ISBN 9780609807743. p. 181.
- Boehm, Mike (December 31, 1998). "Alt.Rock.OC: 20 Years of Suburban Struggle: Essential Albums, '78-98" (page 2/5). latimes.com. Retrieved June 10, 2015.
- Vodicka, Gabe (August 6, 2009). "1979: Various Artists: Posh Boy - Beach Blvd.". tinymixtapes.com. Retrieved June 10, 2015.
- Blush, Steven (2001). American Hardcore: A Tribal History. Second ed., 2010. Feral House. ISBN 9781932595895. p. 327.
- Robbins, Ira. "Crowd". Trouser Press. Retrieved June 24, 2015.
- The Crowd, cover art Archived 2015-07-14 at the Wayback Machine. recordcollectorsoftheworldunite.com. Retrieved June 26, 2015.
- (July 5, 2000). "Obituaries: Rik L Rik; Pioneering Punk Rocker". latimes.com. Retrieved June 19, 2015.
- Rabid, Jack. "F-Word". Trouser Press. Retrieved June 24, 2015.
- MXV (February 6, 2006). "Selections from The Punk Vault (F-Word)". punkvinyl.com. Retrieved July 18, 2015.
- Spitz, Marc; Mullen, Brendan (2001). We Got the Neutron Bomb: The Untold Story of L.A. Punk. Three Rivers Press. ISBN 9780609807743. pp. 181-182.
- "Negative Trend Three". negativetrend.net. Retrieved June 19, 2015.
- "Beach Blvd LP"[Usurped!]. killfromtheheart.com. Archived from the original[Usurped!] on March 4, 2016.
- Simpletones, cover art Archived 2015-06-26 at the Wayback Machine. recordcollectorsoftheworldunite.com. Retrieved June 24, 2015.
- Rik L Rik, cover art Archived 2015-06-26 at the Wayback Machine. recordcollectorsoftheworldunite.com. Retrieved June 24, 2015.
- Beach Blvd, 1979 LP release cover art Archived 2016-03-14 at the Wayback Machine. recordcollectorsoftheworldunite.com. Retrieved February 16, 2016.
- Beach Blvd, 1981 MC edition cover art Archived 2015-05-29 at the Wayback Machine. recordcollectorsoftheworldunite.com. Retrieved October 11, 2015.
- Tonooka, Tim (Fall 1981). Red Cross, Red Cross (EP), review. Ripper (5).
- Beach Blvd, 1990 CD edition cover art Archived 2015-07-09 at the Wayback Machine. recordcollectorsoftheworldunite.com. Retrieved February 16, 2016.
- F-Word!, Like It or Not Live!. poshboy.com. Retrieved June 26, 2015.
- Various artists, Rodney on the ROQ. allmusic.com. Retrieved June 25, 2015.
- Rodney on the ROQ, compilation series cover art Archived 2015-06-27 at the Wayback Machine. recordcollectorsoftheworldunite.com. Retrieved June 26, 2015.
- Various artists, Rodney on the ROQ. poshboy.com. Retrieved August 24, 2015.
- The Crowd, A World Apart. poshboy.com. Retrieved June 26, 2015.
- Rik L Rik, History of Rik L Rik. poshboy.com. Retrieved August 24, 2015.
- Rik L Rik, The Lost Album. poshboy.com. Retrieved June 26, 2015.
- Beach Blvd, 2004 LP reissue cover art Archived 2016-03-14 at the Wayback Machine. recordcollectorsoftheworldunite.com. Retrieved February 16, 2016.
- Beach Blvd, 2005 CD edition cover art Archived 2016-03-14 at the Wayback Machine. recordcollectorsoftheworldunite.com. Retrieved February 16, 2016.
External links
- Beach Blvd. poshboy.com.
- Boehm, Mike (July 19, 1991). "Punks to Revisit Beach Blvd : 3 Suburban Groups Will Play in Huntington to Mark Release of Compilation CD" (page 1/2). latimes.com.
Reviews
- Vodicka, Gabe (August 6, 2009). "1979: Various Artists: Posh Boy - Beach Blvd.". tinymixtapes.com.
- Boehm, Mike (December 31, 1998). "Alt.Rock.OC: 20 Years of Suburban Struggle: Essential Albums, '78-98" (page 2/5). latimes.com.
- Clark, Jenna (February 12, 2014). "Vinyl of the Week - Claude Coma, Beach Blvd. - KCR College Radio". kcr.sdsu.edu.