Operation Ivy: Jesse (vocals); Lint (vocals, guitar); Matt McCall (vocals, bass); Dave Mello (vocals, drums).

Recorded at Sound And Vision, San Francisco, California in January 1989 and Dangerous Rhythm, Oakland, California in September and November 1987.

Lyricists: Jesse; Lint .

Operation Ivy: Tim "Lint" Armstrong (vocals, guitar); Dave Mello (vocals, drums); Jesse Michaels (vocals); Matt "McCall" Freeman (bass guitar).

Personnel: Lint (vocals, guitar); Dave Mello (vocals, drums); Jesse Michaels, Jesse, Matt McCall (vocals).

Audio Mixer: Kevin Army .

Audio Remasterers: Kevin Army ; Gene Grimaldi; John Golden .

Recording information: Dangerous Rhythm, Oakland, CA (09/1987/01/1989); Sound And Vision, San Francisco, CA (09/1987/01/1989).

Author: Jesse Michaels.

Photographers: Murray Bowles; Vivian Saykes.

Bay area ska-punks Operation Ivy can't be blamed for the legion of pale imitators that followed in their wake. During their short existence, they welded gritty street-punk to jumpy ska rhythms in a way few American bands had up to that point, picking up the torch dropped by the Clash years before. Members went on to form the immensely popular and influential Rancid and found Epitaph records subdivision Hellcat, on which this digitally re-mastered edition now appears. Composed of basically everything the group ever recorded, OPERATION IVY combines the group's only LP, ENERGY, with the 7" HECTIC and two songs from a 7" EP compilation, and makes a strong case for them as one of punk's most unique and enduring voices.

The album opens with the legendary one-two punch of KNOWLEDGE and guaranteed party-starter SOUND SYSTEM, which together tell the story of the band's sound fairly succinctly. They manage to squeeze as much color and flavor as possible out of the middle area between punk orthodoxy and rudimentary rude-boy reggae. The common thread is Matt Freeman's nimble bass lines, propelling the songs on a rusty set of tracks while Tim Armstrong strums photocopy-crude versions of Jamaican rhythms. Throughout, Op Ivy confronts social injustice, promotes unity, and keeps the flag waving for crusty, homegrown musical rebellion. Their legacy of boundless energy is long overdue for a lavish reissue.

After Operation Ivy called it quits at the end of the '80s, Lookout put together this compilation of all of the recorded studio material ever released by the group. Much like Minor Threat's Complete Discography, this follows the recorded history of a band that burnt out quickly and had a relentlessly creative view of punk music. The underground classics are all here: "Take Warning," "Unity," "Freeze Up," "Junkie's Runnin' Dry," and 23 other prime tracks. Being one of the first bands to pursue the ska punk sound in California, Operation Ivy was a trailblazer in a genre that quickly became generic due to a glut of like-minded artists. But this should not be held against the group because they made fantastic music for the short time they existed. The CD comes complete with the lyrics to all of the songs, and several good pictures of the band. Countless bands would ape this sound without any creative improvement throughout the '90s, and two of the members would go on to lead the more punk-influenced Rancid. This might be the best ska punk collection by a single band committed to disc, and anyone with even a passing interest in the genre should do themselves a favor and buy this album right away. ~ Bradley Torreano

OPERATION IVY is the definitive collection from the ska-punksters who helped lay the groundwork for the commercial success of such '90s bands as Green Day and Sublime. What's most impressive about this 27-song collection is the range of musical styles into which the band ventures. "Bankshot" contains a jangly guitar melody that sounds like an homage to '50s surf. "Junkie's Running Dry" has a strangely winsome and anthemic feel--somewhat incongruous considering the gravity of its subject matter. The track also features one of the more mix-forward bass parts one is likely to find on record.

Such tracks as "Take Warning" and "Unity" bear the earmarks of ska: smooth basslines, punchy horns, beefy vocals, and the toe-tapping rhythmic anchor of a jittery, clean-tone guitar. The terrific "Bad Town" sounds almost like a slacker rock melding of Pavement and the Steve Miller Band. "Gonna Find You" and "Jaded" are barnstorming rockers that could very well serve as theme songs for the impressive Operation Ivy.