Beach Blvd is a seminal compilation album featuring early Californian punk rock bands.

Beach Blvd
Compilation album by
various artists
ReleasedSummer 1979
RecordedNovember 1978 – July 1979
StudioMedia Art
Genre
Length31:39
LanguageEnglish
LabelPosh Boy
ProducerRobbie Fields

Overview

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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

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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

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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

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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

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1979 LP release

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Side A
No.TitleWriter(s)ArtistLength
1."Kirsty Q"Jay LansfordSimpletones2:50
2."I Have a Date"Lansford, Richard W. ScottSimpletones2:29
3."Tiger Beat Twist"Lansford, Eric Kiertzner, David PerrySimpletones2:02
4."Black and Red"Craig GrayRik L Rik3:56
5."Meat House"Will Shatter, Craig GrayRik L Rik2:44
6."Suzy Is a Surf Rocker"The CrowdThe Crowd1:21
7."Living in Madrid"The CrowdThe Crowd1:20
8."Trix Are for Kids"The CrowdThe Crowd0:51
Side B
No.TitleWriter(s)ArtistLength
1."Modern Machine"The CrowdThe Crowd1:29
2."New Crew"The CrowdThe Crowd1:16
3."I Got Power"Rik L Rik, Craig GrayRik L Rik1:31
4."Mercenaries"Shatter, GrayRik L Rik2:36
5."Atomic Lawn"L Rik, GrayRik L Rik2:07
6."Don't Bother Me"LansfordSimpletones2:16
7."California"LansfordSimpletones2:51
Total length:31:39

1981 MC edition

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Side A
No.TitleArtistLength
1."Kirsty Q"Simpletones2:50
2."I Have a Date"Simpletones2:29
3."Tiger Beat Twist"Simpletones2:02
4."Black and Red"Rik L Rik3:56
5."Meat House"Rik L Rik2:44
6."I Got Power"Rik L Rik1:31
7."Mercenaries"Rik L Rik2:36
8."Atomic Lawn"Rik L Rik2:07
Side B
No.TitleWriter(s)ArtistLength
1."Suzy Is a Surf Rocker" The Crowd1:21
2."Living in Madrid" The Crowd1:20
3."Trix Are for Kids" The Crowd0:51
4."Modern Machine" The Crowd1:29
5."New Crew" The Crowd1:16
6."Cover Band"Greg HetsonRed Cross1:25
7."Annette's Got the Hits"S. McDonald, J. McDonaldRed Cross1:08
8."I Hate My School"J. McDonaldRed Cross0:57
9."Clorox Girls"S. McDonald, J. McDonaldRed Cross0:58
10."S & M Party"Hetson, J. McDonaldRed Cross0:56
11."Standing in Front of Poseur"J. McDonaldRed Cross0:58
12."Don't Bother Me" Simpletones2:16
13."California" Simpletones2:51
Total length:38:01

1990 CD edition

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No.TitleWriter(s)ArtistLength
1."Introduction" (live spoken language) Dirk Dirksen (emcee)1:00
2."Do the Nihil" (live)Rick L Rick, Dim WankerF-Word!1:55
3."Out There" (live)L Rick, WankerF-Word!1:42
4."In the Haze" (live)L RickF-Word!2:11
5."Government Official" (live)L Rick, WankerF-Word!2:37
6."Shut Down" (Germs live cover)Darby CrashF-Word!3:39
7."Kirsty Q" Simpletones2:50
8."I Have a Date" Simpletones2:29
9."Tiger Beat Twist" Simpletones2:02
10."Don't Bother Me" Simpletones2:16
11."California" Simpletones2:51
12."I Like Drugs"Jay Lansford, Jerry KoskieSimpletones2:10
13."Dead Meat (Killer Smog)"Lansford, KoskieSimpletones2:23
14."TV Love"LansfordSimpletones1:34
15."Rock 'n' Roll Star"KoskieSimpletones2:18
16."Disco Ape" (The Dickies alternate version)Chuck Wagon, Stan LeeSimpletones1:52
17."Nasty Nazi"LansfordSimpletones3:14
18."Black and Red" Rik L Rik3:57
19."Meat House" Rik L Rik2:44
20."I Got Power" Rik L Rik1:32
21."Mercenaries" Rik L Rik2:37
22."Atomic Lawn" Rik L Rik2:08
23."Modern Machine" The Crowd1:29
24."New Crew" The Crowd1:16
25."Suzy Is a Surf Rocker" The Crowd1:21
26."Living in Madrid" The Crowd1:20
27."Trix Are for Kids" The Crowd0:51
28."Right Time"James KaaThe Crowd2:33
29."Desmond and Kathy"James Kaa, Jay DeckerThe Crowd2:34
30."Melody Hill" (The Archies instrumental version)Ritchie Adams, Mark BarkanThe Crowd1:55
Total length:1:05:20

2005 Digipak CD edition

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No.TitleArtistLength
1."Kirsty Q"Simpletones2:50
2."I Have a Date"Simpletones2:29
3."Tiger Beat Twist"Simpletones2:02
4."Don't Bother Me"Simpletones2:16
5."California"Simpletones2:51
6."I Like Drugs"Simpletones2:10
7."Dead Meat (Killer Smog)"Simpletones2:23
8."TV Love"Simpletones1:34
9."Rock 'n' Roll Star"Simpletones2:18
10."Disco Ape"Simpletones1:52
11."Nasty Nazi"Simpletones3:14
12."Black and Red"Rik L Rik3:57
13."Meat House"Rik L Rik2:44
14."I Got Power"Rik L Rik1:32
15."Mercenaries"Rik L Rik2:37
16."Atomic Lawn"Rik L Rik2:08
17."Modern Machine"The Crowd1:29
18."New Crew"The Crowd1:16
19."Suzy Is a Surf Rocker"The Crowd1:21
20."Living in Madrid"The Crowd1:20
21."Trix Are for Kids"The Crowd0:51
22."Right Time"The Crowd2:33
23."Desmond and Kathy"The Crowd2:34
24."Melody Hill"The Crowd1:55
Total length:52:16

Personnel

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Notes

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  1. ^ "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]
  2. ^ The American-born, British educated Robbie Fields, a former aspiring journalist, was the founder of Posh Boy Records.
  3. ^ Done at Media Art Studio in Hermosa Beach, California.
  4. ^ a b Posh Boy #PBS 3
  5. ^ Posh Boy #PBS 4
  6. ^ Posh Boy #PBS 102
  7. ^ Posh Boy #PBC 102
  8. ^ Posh Boy #PBS 1010
  9. ^ Posh Boy #PBCD 88102-2
  10. ^ a b Posh Boy #PBS 101
  11. ^ a b Posh Boy #PBS 106
  12. ^ Posh Boy #PBS 108
  13. ^ Posh Boy #PBS 88101-1
  14. ^ Posh Boy #PBS 119
  15. ^ a b Get Back #GET 114

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f g 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.
  2. ^ a b Blush, Steven (2001). American Hardcore: A Tribal History. Second ed., 2010. Feral House. ISBN 9781932595895. p. 80.
  3. ^ Spitz, Marc; Mullen, Brendan (2001). We Got the Neutron Bomb: The Untold Story of L.A. Punk. Three Rivers Press. ISBN 9780609807743. p. 181.
  4. ^ a b c d e f g 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.
  5. ^ a b c d e Vodicka, Gabe (August 6, 2009). "1979: Various Artists: Posh Boy - Beach Blvd.". tinymixtapes.com. Retrieved June 10, 2015.
  6. ^ Blush, Steven (2001). American Hardcore: A Tribal History. Second ed., 2010. Feral House. ISBN 9781932595895. p. 327.
  7. ^ Robbins, Ira. "Crowd". Trouser Press. Retrieved June 24, 2015.
  8. ^ The Crowd, cover art Archived 2015-07-14 at the Wayback Machine. recordcollectorsoftheworldunite.com. Retrieved June 26, 2015.
  9. ^ (July 5, 2000). "Obituaries: Rik L Rik; Pioneering Punk Rocker". latimes.com. Retrieved June 19, 2015.
  10. ^ a b c Rabid, Jack. "F-Word". Trouser Press. Retrieved June 24, 2015.
  11. ^ a b MXV (February 6, 2006). "Selections from The Punk Vault (F-Word)". punkvinyl.com. Retrieved July 18, 2015.
  12. ^ 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.
  13. ^ a b c "Negative Trend Three". negativetrend.net. Retrieved June 19, 2015.
  14. ^ "Beach Blvd LP"[usurped]. killfromtheheart.com. Archived from the original[usurped] on March 4, 2016.
  15. ^ a b Simpletones, cover art Archived 2015-06-26 at the Wayback Machine. recordcollectorsoftheworldunite.com. Retrieved June 24, 2015.
  16. ^ a b c Rik L Rik, cover art Archived 2015-06-26 at the Wayback Machine. recordcollectorsoftheworldunite.com. Retrieved June 24, 2015.
  17. ^ Beach Blvd, 1979 LP release cover art Archived 2016-03-14 at the Wayback Machine. recordcollectorsoftheworldunite.com. Retrieved February 16, 2016.
  18. ^ a b c Beach Blvd, 1981 MC edition cover art Archived 2015-05-29 at the Wayback Machine. recordcollectorsoftheworldunite.com. Retrieved October 11, 2015.
  19. ^ Tonooka, Tim (Fall 1981). Red Cross, Red Cross (EP), review. Ripper (5).
  20. ^ Beach Blvd, 1990 CD edition cover art Archived 2015-07-09 at the Wayback Machine. recordcollectorsoftheworldunite.com. Retrieved February 16, 2016.
  21. ^ F-Word!, Like It or Not Live!. poshboy.com. Retrieved June 26, 2015.
  22. ^ Various artists, Rodney on the ROQ. allmusic.com. Retrieved June 25, 2015.
  23. ^ Rodney on the ROQ, compilation series cover art Archived 2015-06-27 at the Wayback Machine. recordcollectorsoftheworldunite.com. Retrieved June 26, 2015.
  24. ^ Various artists, Rodney on the ROQ. poshboy.com. Retrieved August 24, 2015.
  25. ^ The Crowd, A World Apart. poshboy.com. Retrieved June 26, 2015.
  26. ^ Rik L Rik, History of Rik L Rik. poshboy.com. Retrieved August 24, 2015.
  27. ^ Rik L Rik, The Lost Album. poshboy.com. Retrieved June 26, 2015.
  28. ^ Beach Blvd, 2004 LP reissue cover art Archived 2016-03-14 at the Wayback Machine. recordcollectorsoftheworldunite.com. Retrieved February 16, 2016.
  29. ^ Beach Blvd, 2005 CD edition cover art Archived 2016-03-14 at the Wayback Machine. recordcollectorsoftheworldunite.com. Retrieved February 16, 2016.
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