MRR Presents: Turn It Around!, 1987 (now with FULL booklet!!)

To see my list of ten (more) great Lookout Records singles, please visit The Big Takeover!


We'll end the series commemorating the final end of Lookout Records (more HERE), with a compilation that was actually released by the fanzine, Maximumrocknroll. Of course, this 1987 double 7", was compiled by Lookout records co-founder David Hayes ("It was a Gilman benefit paid for by MRR but I disorganized it" he later claimed).  Soon enough, eight of the thirteen Gilman St. mainstays herein would end up on Lookout Records and help to define the label's sound and aesthetic.

In fact the record explains much  much of the nineties, like a vinyl Rosetta Stone. Here we have Operation Ivy single-handedly creating third-wave ska, Sweet Baby Jesus clearing the way for pop-punk in general and Green Day in particular, No Use For A Name setting up the Fat Wreck-Chords dynasty and The Yeastie Girlz sparking the Riot Grrl Revolution. Heady stuff.



Tracklist
A1     Corrupted Morals –  Where Is He?  1:43    
A2     Sweet Baby Jesus –  She's From Salinas     2:01    
A3     Isocracy –  Confederate Flags     2:07    
A4     No Use For A Name –  Gang Way     2:00    
B1     Crimpshrine –  Another Day     2:40    
B2     Operation Ivy –  I Got No     1:15    
B3     Stikky –  Fun On The Freeway     1:49    
B4     Nasal Sex –  Freezer Burn    1:48    
C1     Yeastie Girlz –  Yeast Power    0:35    
C2     Rabid Lassie –  Contragate     1:42    
C3     Sewer Trout –  Wally & The Beaver Go To Nicaragua     2:11    
C4     Isocracy –  ZBHR     0:56    
C5     Operation Ivy –  Officer     1:55    
D1     Sweet Baby Jesus –  Pathetic     1:49    
D2     Crimpshrine –  Rearranged     1:58    
D3     Stikky –  Moshometer     1:23    
D4     Buggerall –  Two Taps     2:25

 

Let us know your favourites from this seminal compilation in the COMMENTS section (which is where you'll find the Turn It Around link).

Common Rider: Thief in a Sleeping Town 7" (2001)

Last week on MRML, we mentioned that, "Jesse Michaels former lead singer of Operation Ivy (more HERE), Big Rig and Common Rider has unleashed a powerful full-length from his new band, Classics of Love.

 

That notice reminded me to backtrack and review Jesse's longest-running band, the only one to have made more than two releases, Common Rider. The band was anchored by Dan Panic of Screeching Weasel (more HERE) and pop-punk producer, Mass Giorgini on bass. However, on this 2001 single from Lookout Records (more HERE) Billie-Joe Armstrong from Green Day (more HERE) pitches in on guitar/BGV's alongside a rotating cast.

 

The lyrics (see above) are as insightful as ever and the hooks still hit hard. A rip-rockin' release from a man who remains his vitality to this day.

Let us know what you think of the Common Rider era of Jesse Michaels' career in the COMMENTS section (which is where you'll find the Thief in a Sleeping Town 7").

Classics of Love: S/T (2012)

Jesse Michaels former lead singer of Operation Ivy (more HERE), Big Rig and Common Rider has unleashed a powerful full-length from his new band, Classics of Love.  





After a promising e.p and a strong single, Micheal's & co. have found their fighting form. It's a surprisingly fast and aggressive sound reminiscent of Stiff Little Fingers, Minor Threat, The Adolescents and, of course, Operation Ivy. While some of us listeners may long for even more of the walking bass and scratching guitar Michael's so often incorporates into his music, we can be happy to have his sharp words and mighty choruses propelled by such a fiery band.  (Stream the entire album here)







Let us know what you think of the Classics of Love in the COMMENTS section.
                                       
                                             
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Operation Ivy: Uncut Gilman St. Demos

Y'know Lookout records (more HERE) sure didn't start out a pop-punk label. In fact, it almost started out as a vanity label, what with it's first release being an LP by its co-founder, Lawrence Livermore and his band The Lookouts! That LP, One Planet, One People, once described as "Bob Dylan meets MDC", along with the Plaid Retina 7" that followed it as well as the Stikky LP and Plaid Retina single that came out not too much later) marked Lookout as a Maximum-Rocknroll-styled hardcore-holdover label. However it would be the three releases that I've skipped, Operation Ivy's Hectic, Crimpshrine's Sleep, What's That? and Isocracy's Bedtime for Isocracy (Lookout 3, 4 and 5 respectively), that would realy define the label's direction.

I wore mine down to the threads

While I've talked about Operation Ivy impact on me personally (see HERE), I'd like to add that I think that they were the viral band of the label's early days, the one whose records spread the Lookout brand of independently-minded but pop-friendly punk rock to the world beyond Berkley, California.





While we've offered you up a bevvy of boots of Op Ivy (see HERE) I'd like to add these Uncut Gilman St. Demos to the mix as they show the band's development well without in any way jeopardizing the need for every decent man, woman and child to own the real deal,  Energy.

So how were important were Op Ivy to the success of Lookout? Let us know in the COMMENTS section (which is where you'll find the Uncut Gilman St. Demos link).



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Operation Ivy: Lint Rides Again

Like it says on the tin, this is "Last Show" by Berkley ska-punk legends Operation Ivy.


If you want to hear way more unreleased stuff by OP IVY, the band who caused the third wave of ska, browse the MRML archives HERE.

Leave us a comment on what you think is OP IVY's place in the history of ska.

Speaking of which, the Lint Rides Again link is in the comments


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Basic Radio: Roots Radicals

Here's the demo (plus some live tracks) of the heavier ska of Operation Ivy/Rancid's Matt Freeman and Tim Armstrong first band, Basic Radio, from all the way back in 1986. Not perfect but much of the demo sounds pretty decent and is better than this live footage (whose existence is, in and of itself, kinda impressive).

Roots Radicals link is in the comments

Speaking of comments, let us know what you think of Basic Radio.

Operation Ivy - Unity: The Complete Collection

This big boot compiles all the little boots into one place!


Tracks 1-4 Plea For Peace 7"
Track 5-6 69 Newport 7"
Tracks 7-9 Lint: The King Of Ska 7"
Tracks 10-13 Live At Gilman 7"
Tracks 14-19 Ramones EP 12"
Tracks 20-22 East Bay EP 7"

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Operation Ivy: Seedy

Loved all the great OP IVY comments, so here's some more rare and unreleased material from a Very Small Record label that was not in fact based out of Moosejaw, Saskatchewan.


For a quick explanation of the sources of the material, refer to the "liner notes" below:

And, what the fuck, here's another boxy-sounding live track:

Seedy link is in the comments

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Operation Ivy: Radio Daze

Two radio broadcasts from the brief life of OP IVY.

Speaking of "Sound System" (see above) there are many who claim it's Operation Ivy's emblematic song (with Tim "Lint" Armstrong's vocals dominating it is certainly more Rancid-like). Others, Like Green Day, would claim it's "Knowledge" that is their defining moment. So MRML readers, it's time to weigh in with some more incisive comments as to, "Which is the defining OP IVY song and why?"



Radio Daze link is in the comments


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Operation Ivy: Unreleased Energy

Periodically I go back in time musically. When the present seems a bit dire, as it surely did in back 1989 (Slayer, New Kids on the Block, Bobby Brown - pas merci), I go retro. Then it takes the shock of the new to jolt me out of my state of nostalgia. That's what finding Operation Ivy's Energy in the L.P. racks of Track Records in Vancouver in 1989 did for me. I played that album a thousand times and taped it (sorry it's true) for a thousand people. Energy with those punked-up ska rhythms in songs like "Sound System, those biting lyrics in songs like "Jaded" and those indelible choruses on almost every damn song, just exuded a feeling of now. Now in this now it's a classic - and so it goes.

Unreleased Energy is a cleverly-titled bootleg built around the first session for the Energy album which were scrapped and re-recorded. These rawer version sport different, sometimes extended arrangements and occasionally, as in "Unity", have horns added. A fine document of band who got put on ice before things got Rancid.


Unreleased Energy link is in the comments.

Speaking of Comments give us your take on OP IVY and let us know if you want to hear more rarities.

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