Customer Reviews

Sink With Kalifornija

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

While Oi! was transforming the UK punk scene, hardcore was doing the same in the US. Youth Brigade was somewhere in between the two, certainly a US hardcore band but their fast, fist-pounding songs actually had a melody that you could sing along with. In a scene dominated by nihilism, they were a voice for unity, and they saw a chance for punks to do something good. Youth Brigade expresses despair and exasperation with the world's problems without preaching, much like Bad Religion, but they are different in that they offer an alternative: that we can maintain hope and work together for a better future. Musically, this album is actually a bit slower, on the whole, than much of their later stuff. It has more variety, as well, there is no single beat to this album, unlike the vast majority of punk albums in existence. Unfortunately, not all of the songs are equally catchy, and I have found that this album doesn't stand the test of time as well as others. In particular, the band sounds better on the faster songs, and although Sean Stern has a great voice, on the slower songs he wavers a bit at times and sounds off-key. The production quality is poor -- the sound is thin and tinny -- but that's par for the course for the era, when it cost a lot of money to make a good-sounding record and even the best punk bands were too strapped for cash to afford it. Turn up the volume and you'll forget about it. This is a great album, but I would reccomend Someone's Got Their Head To Believe In Something and To Sell the Truth ahead of it; on those records the band has a tighter sound and the singing sounds more self-assured. (Note that the former is actually a compilation, but has a number of Youth Brigade songs that aren't published elsewhere.)

Needed to get some good old school punk, and I am glad I have this CD! Go get it, if you like old school. While the days may be gone, the music still fits the bill these days. Good solid sound!!

I REALLY ENJOY THIS CD. IT HAS ALL OF THEIR SONGS FROM THE MOVIE "ANOTHER STATE OF MIND." IT ALSO INCLUDES 8 LIVE SONGS ( or 9 depends on your player ) FROM FENDERS BALLROOM IN '85. I THINK IT WAS THEIR LAST SHOW @ THE TIME ( that is whats announced ). ANYWAY, THEIR SOUND HAS CHANGED MUCH, AND I LIKE THIS ONE BEST. JUST LISTEN TO THE SONG VIOLENCE ON "...BELIEVE IN SOMETHING"(BYO026CD) IF YOU LIKE IT, BUY THIS CD NOW. IT'S PUNK ROCK TO BUY YOUTH BRIGADE CD'S. ESPECIALLY FROM AMAZON. I HOPE I GET A FREE CD FOR THAT.

The first half of this album was originally released as "Sound and Fury" in 1982. The other half is from "Something to Believe In" and I'm not sure where the live tracks are from.

This was one of my favorite albums in high school (early 80s) along with Battalion of Saints 'Second Coming', Nip Drivers 'Destroy Whitey', Bad Religion 'How Could Hell Be Any Worse', Misfits 'Walk Among Us', Minor Threat, etc.

Well, I don't know what to say.......since I haven't heard this album in a very long time....but I did see these guys open a show for D.O.A. in 1984 in Portland Oregon.......and I can say even though the bass player was totally hammered.......THEY ROCKED!!!

This cd will make you want to get off your seat and thrash. These guys rapped about police abuse while NWA were still in diapers.

A classic punk record. You must add this to your collection......and that's all I have to say about that.