10 Best Punk Rock Albums Of The 1980s
6. Operation Ivy - Energy
Rancid were one of the best ‘90s US punk acts, one of the few who could utilise ska and reggae rhythms and sounds without embarrassing themselves. The members have a deep love for the genre, and before Rancid they were setting the template for the ska punk genre with Operation Ivy.
Their sole LP, Energy, has a title which doesn’t even begin to do justice to the music within. These tunes demand to be danced to, but all move at such an irresistible clip that you’d be absolutely knackered by the end of it. “Sound System” is perhaps the best example of this, a breakneck skanking number that so many bands tried to copy with limited success.
They’re not all about sheer exuberance, though: “Unity” gets a little more serious, embracing the anti-racist music of the 2Tone bands and their ilk that inspired Operation Ivy so much. They do so in a slightly hamfisted and simple manner, but it’s charming for it, and a killer song.
They even find the space for a punk Lee Hazelwood cover, before the upbeat reimagining became quite so hack. It’s a perfect blend of forward thinking music and pure physical fun.