Red Rockers

The Louisiana Band’s 1981 Debut Album Reissued on Vinyl For the First Time

Features Previously Released and Unreleased Bonus Tracks

Available on LP, CD and Digital Formats

In 1983, New Orleans-based rock band Red Rockers garnered recognition for their new-wave hit, “China.” Not quite as well-known, however, are their original punk rock days, which are highlighted on their overlooked 1981 debut album, Condition Red. The 12-track album is a series of high-energy, political, and angsty punk rock ragers, that include some of the most catchy songs and melodies to come out of an early 80’s punk album.

From the first track, “Guns Of Revolution,” listeners know what album they’re getting into. Heavy riffs, pounding drums, and snarled vocals come together to create the perfect setting for its urgent, politically charged lyrics. The chorus also boasts vocal harmonies that prove just how skilled the band is at creating memorable melodic hooks, just as they are at bringing rebellious punk energy. Songs like “Teenage Underground” and “Can You Hear” somehow double down on this balance through catchy hooks mixed with angst-driven lyrics that feels like a precursor to bands like the Descendents who would emerge after Condition Red was released.

No song on the album feels more like a mission statement for the Red Rockers than “Know What I Think.” The track contains many memorable guitar lines and meta references to the band themselves, with “you die a rocker, you die red” acting as a tagline. Later on, longer songs such as “Dead Heroes” and the epic closer, “Live Or Die,” feel like powerful statements to back up this claim. The former could very well be a punk rock anthem for the United States of America, as it advocates for revolution and creating a better society. On the other hand, the latter is easily the most ambitious of the 12-track bunch, as it boasts a complex song structure and ultimately feels like a cathartic finish for this thrilling ride.

Not the only example of the variety the Rockers show on the album, Condition Red also includes a cover of Johnny Cash’s 1953 timeless classic, “Folsom Prison Blues.” Here, the band takes a legendary, blues-inspired rock-n-roll song and brings it seamlessly into a punk rock context. Punk and rock-n-roll alike have had a long history of songs about going to prison for committing a crime, so hearing this cover would likely trick you into thinking the Rockers wrote it themselves. Also, listen closely for the cameo appearance from Jello Biafra of the Dead Kennedys, which sounds like a punk interpretation of yodeling, only adding to the fun that everyone is clearly having.

If you’re looking for something more thought-provoking, check out “Peer Pressure” (a song about struggling to belong in society when everyone just wants to fight), “Condition Red” (depicts an emergency situation that can’t be run away from), and especially “White Law.” The latter song is about racism and discrimination against groups like black people leading to more violence and suffering for those groups, hence the chilling refrain (“Who killed the man, it was a white man / “Who killed the man, you are a black man”). Tracks like these prove how the Rockers were willing to address serious issues, no matter how controversial some of them might be. Meanwhile, songs like “Grow Up” and “Hold On” dive deep into the human psyche, where our protagonist has no desire either to change his way of living or “hold on for much longer.” The Rockers are about as smart and thoughtful as they are fun and throttling.

This reissue also includes five bonus tracks, some of which have been released before and others that are being released for the first time. The first is an interlude, “Don Pardo,” where the titular announcer introduces the Rockers, making this portion of the album feel like a separate EP. Following that is “Nothing To Lose,” a track originally released on the B-side of the Guns Of Revolution 7” single from 1980. This is a fast-paced and snarled yet oddly catchy punk rocker that goes down in a solid minute-and-a-half. Then there’s “Red Star,” originally released on the 1980 punk compilation No Questions, No Answers, where the band’s Beatles worship is at its most pronounced. Angsty lead vocals and charging guitar, bass, and drums are balanced out with a catchy chorus and rich vocal harmonies, to make this sound poppy while still carrying that unapologetic punk ethos.

The album finishes with two never-before-released tracks that end things on a strong note. “Missing In Action” pairs the energy we’ve been getting so far with an interesting groove and chilling lead guitar melody that eventually gives way to a harmonized guitar solo. Then the closer, “United We Stand,” is about as politically charged and fast-paced as a classic punk rock anthem can get, all the way to its opening refrain of “united we stand, divided we fall.”

Condition Red is an overlooked gem of 80’s punk rock that should be considered one of the best of its kind for its raucous energy, catchy hooks and melodies, and smart, thoughtful songwriting. Its 12 tracks cross many gametes of message and style from pre-Descendents pop punk to heavy country blues on their “Folsom Prison Blues” cover, and also from politically-charged statements to simply struggling to belong in society. This album could very well beat any assumption one might make about classic punk rock being nothing more than strong political opinions backed up by aggressive, hard-charging riffs. The Red Rockers proved that creating a strong and memorable pop song is every bit as important as making a powerful statement and bringing raw energy to this new-at-the-time genre.