In 1977, Dangerhouse was one of the first independent labels to jump into the fray and document the burgeoning West Coast punk rock scene, and all these years later their taste and judgment seem damn near faultless -- they released records on many of California's finest first-wave punk bands, including
X,
the Avengers,
the Weirdos, and
the Dils, and future members of
Wall of Voodoo and
the Gun Club were lurking among the members of Dangerhouse's other acts. Thankfully, the folks behind the label were also mindful of production quality, and were able to make great sounding records despite limited means -- their stuff simply sounded better than what most indie labels were offering in the early stages of the game. Dangerhouse, Vol. 1 collects 12 classic cuts released between 1977 and 1979, including stone classics like
X's original recording of "Los Angeles,"
the Avengers' anthemic "We Are the One,"
the Dils' blazing "Class War,"
Black Randy and the Metrosquad's superbly perverse "Trouble at the Cup," the darkly hilarious "Let's Shoot Maria" from the Deadbeats, the peerless
Weirdos' "Solitary Confinement," and what may have been the label's true anthem,
the Randoms' "Let's Get Rid of New York." Even the lesser-known bands contribute strong material, and this disc's only real flaw is that it is too short -- especially since all the stuff from this album and the second volume (released a year later) would easily fit on one CD. But beyond that quibble, Dangerhouse, Vol. 1 is a raucous and wildly entertaining look at what was one of America's most vital punk rock scenes, and few collections can match this for sheer power and lunatic joy. ~ Mark Deming