In 2002 the original four-piece line up of the Descendants, Frank Navetta, Tony Lombardo, Bill Stevenson and Milo Aukerman got back together to record the songs they wrote between 1977 and 1980 before the band's first album came out, so they are like a holy grail of songs for Descendants fans and are a damn great collection of 18 Southern Californian pop punk songs that last in total 26 minutes most of which had never been recorded previously. 9th & Walnut was the address of the bands first practice room in the late Frank Navetta's sisters garage in Hermosa Beach.
From the opening blast of Sailor's Choice The Descendants don't hang around this is a short sharp shock of top notch pop punk rebellion as they tell us they won't change there ways as they Yell alone.
Crepe Suzette is a more of a plea than an order as they tell us what they think about someone they know as Crepe Suzette who keeps rejecting them, it has a great 6 second bass solo near the end.
You Make Me Sick is chant along super speedy song of spite and hate that teenagers the world over would happily sing along to complete with barfing sounds at the end.
Lullaby is not really a lullaby as this pounds and flies by with flying guitars and drums that sound like they need nailing to the floor.
Nightage is the longest song on the album and the only one longer than two and a half minutes long and is a speedy plea for love for the girl that spurns them and plays with their hearts, and they wonder if they will make it through the night this should have been a huge hit.
Baby Doncha Know is a post it note sized song of bitter hatred for there latest ex-girlfriend. Tired Of Being Tired is just classic Black Flag style hardcore punk pop with cool sarcastic lyrics and almost cartoonish guitars and drums.
I'm Shaky with the comedowns from the night before sex and drugs and rock and roll events as he has the DT's for you rather than the hots and sort of sounds like an American version of Eddie & The Hot Rods.
Grudge is a great slice of hardcore hate rock perfect for some mad moshpit action, as they talk of politics and homophobia and other sorts of hatred and everyone bounces off the walls this is a great song that has a sort of Suicidal Tendencies meets Black Flag feel to it.
Mohicans is a Powerpop punk bouncy pop banger about the last punks in town who still have Mohicans with cool harmony backing vocals.
Like The Way I Know is super speedy and angst riddled pop thrasher. It's A Hectic World is a properly hectic song that has a great descending bass part before the guitars fly off again.
To Remember is a song of regret for the things you may have said last night while not quite as sober as you are now, this has the feel of them pouring their hearts out when they know they've been kicked out again and just want her to remember how once things really were cool between them.
Yore Disgusting is a great insult song of hatred that flies right in your face as they tell you to get the hell out as quickly as they play this song in just 53 seconds.
It's My Hair and don't you forget it na na na na, yeah it's his hair and not a wig and careful what you do with it as they blast right by you, yeah It's My Hair and I'll comb it if I want too.
I Need Some is a chat up scenario in a song that never stops bouncing around as they tell us how they'll get her to be theirs.
Ride The Wild is a warning to anyone who wants to go out with them they will be Riding The Wild and if they make love as quick as they play, it will be over and done with pretty quickly too, certainly not an all- night thing they promise in this song.
The album closes with a monumentally brilliant cover of Glad All Over with great harmony backing and a proper stomp along through the Dave Clark Five classic, no they don't have the Tottenham sound down but damn this is ready to go mad in the mosh pit too like most of this album is.
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