Orange County's
Mad Parade has existed for nearly 20 years, but has never made it far beyond the Orange curtain like so many of its contemporaries have (
Agent Orange,
CH3, and Social Distortion). This collection of early recordings will hopefully attract fans of this genre to check them out and see what they've been missing.
Mad Parade's self-titled debut from 1984 is impressive, but the band hadn't solidified its own musical personality yet. Vocalist Billy Ledges is still finding his own voice while sounding similar to
John Lydon, or to a lesser extent
Jello Biafra (listen to "Court Jester" or "Hollywood Vampires" for proof). Influences come shining through, including bands like
Chelsea and
999, but the band is smart enough to filter these influences, not copy them. Joey Kelly's guitar riffs are fast, thick, and furious as he mixes his love for British punk guitar heroes while keeping both feet firmly planted in Orange County street punk. By the time the band's second album A Thousand Words was released in 1987, the band's direction hadn't changed, but it sounded far more confident. Ledges' voice had begun to sound unique (although he still had a touch of the
Lydon/
Biafra quiver). The band made huge steps forward on the songwriting front, pounding out some fine anthemic punk rockin' songs like "Animal Riot," "Calling Out," and "Talk to Me." Also featuring two singles from 1986, this 23-track collection will hopefully set things straight for the band and offers a fascinating look into its early days. ~ Steve Schnee