CD Reviews - JerseyBeat.com

Filled with tightly wound tunes, this reissue (which includes 1989's "Energy" LP, '87's "Hectic" EP, and two cuts from the "Turn it Around" compilation) boast punk rock rave-ups with some hard ska rhythms that take a few cues from old-school British 2-Tone groups like The Specials or Madness. There's a push/ pull cadence between the band's hard punk leanings that is evident on the much-covered opener "Knowledge," which is a fiery tune that kicks into a ferocious anthem.

OpIvy's band members have gone on to groups like Rancid and Common Rider but when the band started playing out in the late 80's (Jesse Michaels- Vocals; Tim Armstrong-guitar, vocals; Matt Freeman-bass, vocals; and Dave Mello-drums, vocals), they were pioneers of a sound that had to compete with the straightedge hardcore beatdowns of the day.

The songs here - which bring together pretty much all of OpIvy's back catalog - concern typical punk-rock subject matter ("Unity," "Big City," "Bad Town"), but the utter lack of self-consciousness produces more openness and introspection than you've probably heard in a long time. Operation Ivy mix socially and politically aware lyrics with infectious hardcore dance rhythms. You might just want to slam dance to a tune like "Room Without a Window," which is a near-perfect example of melodious, riffing punk, just oozing with rock 'n' roll.

From the piledriving "Missionary" to the swaggering "Junkie's Runnin' Dry," Operation Ivy created gritty, punk rock classics. They not only stuck to their rock 'n' roll guns, but over time, reached a measure of mainstream acceptance in the process. Twenty years later, they are revered as a band that is considered a template for what a good punk rock stands for. Operation Ivy made essential punk rock music that has stood the test of time, and sounds just as exciting and powerful today as it did way back when.

Prototypical punk without compromise, this reissue includes almost everything you need to hear by Operation Ivy. This is not just for diehards only. If you what to get a heavy dose of what punk was like back in the late 80's, here's a great place to start!

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