Energy is the only studio album by the American ska punk band Operation Ivy. It was released on vinyl and cassette in May 1989 through Lookout! Records with the catalog number LK 010. The album itself was eventually released on CD, all of the tracks were featured on the career-spanning compilation Operation Ivy issued by Lookout in 1991. Despite achieving no mainstream success, Energy is considered one of the most important albums of ska punk and is frequently cited as an influence by many later bands of the genre.
Background and recording
Shortly after returning from a short US tour in June 1988, the band played a show at Humboldt State University in Arcata, California with Crimpshrine, Isocracy and the Lookouts. Following the show, the band stopped at a local burrito shop with Lookout Records owners Larry Livermore and David Hayes to discuss future plans. Livermore and Hayes suggested recording a follow-up EP to their debut Hectic, but the band members revealed that they intended to do a full studio album.
| rev8 = Pitchfork
| rev8score = 9.1/10
In a retrospective review, Adam Bregman of AllMusic considered Energy among the best albums of the ska punk genre.
Many artists have covered the songs on Energy (and Hectic), including the tribute album Take Warning: The Songs of Operation Ivy. The Leftöver Crack song "Gay Rude Boys Unite" is a parody of "Unity" and the introduction music is deliberately similar to that of "Yellin' in My Ear". Split Lip's 1996 compilation album Archived Music for Stubborn People: Songs You May or May Not Have Heard Before included a cover of "Unity."
Goldfinger covered the song "Smiling" on their live album Foot in Mouth. Hollywood Undead covered the song "Bad Town" on their album Desperate Measures. "Knowledge" has been covered by Green Day on their Slappy EP (later featured on the 1,039/Smoothed Out Slappy Hours collection) and Millencolin on their Skauch EP.
The American punk rock band Energy named themselves after this album.
Certifications
Track listing
Personnel
Credits are adapted from the album's liner notes.
- Jesse Michaels – lead vocals, backing vocals on "Bad Town"
- Lint – guitar, backing vocals, lead vocals on "Bad Town"
- Matt McCall – bass, backing vocals
- Dave Mello – drums, backing vocals
Additional performers
- Pat Mello – backing vocals, "meditation instructor"
- Paul Bae (credited as Paul Bany) – saxophone, backing vocals
Production
- Kevin Army – production, engineering
- Operation Ivy – production
- John Golden – mastering
- Jesse Michaels – front cover, graphics, additional artwork
- Ken Coffelt – back cover photo
- Joy – photography
- Ian – photography