Were they punk, power pop, or surf rock? After listening to Rhino Records' reissue of Agent Orange's classic 1981 debut Living in Darkness, that's probably what the listener will be wondering. By incorporating all three musical elements into one, this influential Orange County, CA. band showed that they were a step ahead of the rest of the punk/hardcore pack. By adding seven hard-to-find cuts (including pre-debut singles and an interview from 1981) to the original album, this reissue of prime Agent Orange material is by far their best release, and the most appealing for newcomers to the band. The group gained some attention in the mid-'90s when it became public knowledge that alterna-punks the Offspring were huge fans of the band, which led to speculation that they lifted the Middle Eastern motif contained in Agent Orange's "Bloodstains" for their breakthrough hit "Come Out and Play (Keep 'Em Separated)." The comparison was debatable, but A.O. had lots of other great material, some showcased here -- a cover of Dick Dale's "Miserlou," "Too Young to Die," "No Such Thing," and of course the aforementioned "Bloodstains." You'd be hard pressed to find a better compilation of Agent Orange material than this reissue of Living in Darkness. ~ Greg Prato
Recorded at Devonsound Studios in 1979, and Brian Elliot Recording, North Hollywood, California in September, 1981. Includes liner notes by Mike Palm.
Engineers: David Hines, Paul Lewis, Chris "Arfy" Velasco.
Personnel: Mike Palm (vocals, guitar); Scott Miller (drums); James Levesque, Steve Soto (background vocals).
Audio Mixer: David Hines .
Audio Remasterers: Ken Perry; Bill Inglot.
Liner Note Author: Mike Palm.
Recording information: Brian Elliot Recording, North Hollywood, CA (??/1979-09/1981); Devonsound Studios (??/1979-09/1981).
Arranger: Mike Palm.
Agent Orange: Mike Palm (vocals, guitar); James Levesque, Steve Soto (bass, background vocals); Scott Miller (drums).
Producers: Robbie Fields, Jay Lansford, Daniel R. Van Patten.
(*) MP3 for this song is from a different CD. Listen to the sound sample to be sure this is the version you're looking for.
Living In Darkness Music Review
Customer Living In Darkness Reviews
Average Rating: (4.3 out of 5 stars)
SMOKES! HIGH ENERGY You wont be disipointed in this one! BUY IT! Submitted by DAVO (THE SWAMPS OF SO,FL) Was This Review Helpful? YesNo
why are you giving it 3 stars if you like it dont be a lazy sob and give it 5 stars ya foo Submitted by nobody (nowhere USA) Was This Review Helpful? YesNo
agent orange great album from some classic kali nomads makin music from within Submitted by jo smoe (Chicago) Was This Review Helpful? YesNo
great great old school punk album. it could have been better but its a great cd. Agent Orange is a sweet band Submitted by fatkidssuck (minnesota) Was This Review Helpful? YesNo
SMOKES! HIGH ENERGY
why are you giving it 3 stars if you like it
great
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