The Adolescents to Lead the Punks at Respectable Street

More than a decade before Weezer's "Blue Album" toasted undone sweaters, surfboards, and Happy Days, the Adolescents' highly influential debut was well-known for its cerulean cover. Springing up from the ashes of Agent Orange and Social Distortion during the affectionately turbulent days of the Southern California hardcore scene in the...

By Erica K. Landau

January 6, 2011

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More than a decade before Weezer's "Blue Album" toasted undone sweaters, surfboards, and Happy Days, the Adolescents' highly influential debut was well-known for its cerulean cover. Springing up from the ashes of Agent Orange and Social Distortion during the affectionately turbulent days of the Southern California hardcore scene in the early '80s, the band emerged alongside titans like Black Flag, San Francisco's Dead Kennedys, and D.C. luminaries Bad Brains and Minor Threat. The Adolescents fused the energy of hardcore with an attention to melody and a snotty defiance that was 100 percent suburban disenchantment. Gradually they became one of the most adored bands of their era — most notably for the 1981 release of the aforementioned, self-titled "Blue Album." That release featured songs with loads of attitude from singer/snarler Tony Cadena, including the snide diatribe "L.A. Girl" and the can't-get-the-chorus-out-of-your-head punk classic "Amoeba." The LP set their legacy, as much of their follow-up material never measured up, and it remains hugely influential, inspiring bands such as Bad Religion, Pennywise, and NOFX.

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