Agent Orange - This Is The Voice

Original Release Date

1986

Release Information

US LP 1986 (Enigma - ST 73209)
Holland LP 1986 (Enigma - 3209-1)

A1 Voices (In The Night) 2:23
A2 It's In Your Head 2:59
A3 Say It Isn't True 2:49
A4 Fire In The Rain 3:19
A5 In Your Dreams Tonight 5:02
B1 Tearing Me Apart 3:09
B2 ...So Strange 2:19
B3 Bite The Hand That Feeds (Part 1) 5:30
B4 I Kill Spies 2:45
B5 This Is Not The End 4:08

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US/Holland CD 1986 (Enigma - CDE 73209-2)
US CD 1993 (Restless - 7 72540-2)

1 Voices (In The Night) 2:23
2 It's In Your Head 2:59
3 Say It Isn't True 2:49
4 Fire In The Rain 3:19
5 In Your Dreams Tonight 5:02
6 Tearing Me Apart 3:09
7 ...So Strange 2:19
8 Bite The Hand That Feeds (Part 1) 5:30
9 I Kill Spies 2:45
10 This Is Not The End 4:08

Chart Placings

None

Credits

Mike Palm - Vocals, Guitars
James Levesque - Bass
Scott Miller - Drums

Produced by Daniel R. Van Patten
Engineered and Co-produced by Michael Eric Hutchinson
Mixed by Joe Chiccarelli
Cover Photography by Mofo
Cover Concept and Design - Agent Orange

Reviews & Opinions

PUNKY GIBBON: Listening to the over-produced, over-processed 80's sound on this belated follow-up one can scarcely believe it's the same band who apparently flipped because Robbie Fields put too many handclaps on their first LP!! They maintain the original surf/pop motifs but develop a more reflective, autumnal style similar to T.S.O.L’s second album, with Palm’s voice soaring Greg Graffin-style over echoing music. But the main problem is the songs, which are for the most part pretty boring, with Palm singing virtually identical melodies on each. 'Tearing Me Apart' and 'I Kill Spies' are not exceptions, but are far and away the best songs. To me this is a major disappointment, but here's some other opinions:

MARK PRINDLE: This, to me, is the epitome of what "pop punk" should be. No snotty Juanny Rotten-wannabe vocals. No tinny Archers of Loaf guitars. No overdone sugary Vaselines doodoo log. But full, bold guitar tones, lovely singing that's not too high but not too low, bold brisk production that's kilometers past the last coppola records, and melodies all full of '60s-style Outsiders Beau Brummels The Choir pop goodness. I suppose the vocal hooks can seem a bit samey at times - truthfully, this warrants more an 8.5 than a 10, but I thought I'd round up out of respect for a band that managed to pull off an album I love in a genre I hate. Pop punk just isn't my thing. Maybe the reason I enjoy this one so much is because it sounds to me like what a punk album by The Monkees would sound like. They're not trying to sound like a bunch of incompetent children such as a Beat Happening or early Green Day. They're just playing beautiful, catchy music to enjoy - some fun, some serious, some sad, some dark, some beautiful. Is it punk? Hell no. But it's got a lot more distorted guitars in it than normal pop music, so I can't think of another moniker that fits quite as well.

ROBERT PAYES/IRA ROBBINS, THE TROUSER PRESS RECORD GUIDE, 1991: A dynamic collection of high-energy vocal numbers that benefit greatly from (ex-Berlin) Daniel Van Patten's crisp electric production. The echo on Palm's strong voice, the lush guitar roar and the stiff-backed power drumming collectively suggest a slight '60s/'80s mod influence, but this impressive outing has a sound all its own. The record steers clear of punk overdrive to stand as Agent Orange's finest and most popular-sounding release.

Additional Notes

This has been reissued on CD as part of Sonic Snake Sessions (although the songs are completely re-sequenced and mixed up with tracks from other releases)

US LP 1986 (Enigma - ST 73209). Click here for more

Holland LP 1986 (Enigma - 3209-1). This is the edition available throughout Europe, including UK. Click here for more

US/Holland CD 1986 (Enigma - CDE 73209-2). Click here for more