Straight Ahead was released in mid-1999 and was the follow-up to the successful 'Full Circle'. The album was released with 17 tracks in the US and most parts of the world, but the Australian and New Zealand releases contained a bonus track which is a cover of the Men At Work classic 'Down Under'.
Pennywise fans generally regard Straight Ahead as some of the band's strongest work, with favourite tracks typically being 'Alien', 'Victim Of Reality', 'American Dream' and 'Badge Of Pride'. The album offers up 50 minutes of forceful, assertive Punk Rock and there are certainly some nuggets of gold nestled into the longest album Pennywise has ever released (not including the live album and discounting the piano tribute from 'Full Circle'). The most striking thing about Straight Ahead to long-time fans (which I profess to be) is the additional producing and refinement Darian Rundall has brought to the album. Rundall played a much larger role in the production, engineering and mixing of this album, and his influence is unmistakable. He had worked with Pennywise previously, being credited on 'Full Circle', but he took the reigns solely on Straight Ahead and was the chief mixer and sound engineer. The result is a continuation of the refinement of the Pennywise sound established on 'Full Circle' as the band seemed to have found the best way to record and produce its songs. Straight Ahead benefits from Rundall's increased influence and the fine line between polishing and fine-tuning a sound and over-producing it is walked with unwavering precision.
The album starts off with the socially-motivated '
Greed' in which Jim Lindberg discusses the insatiable desire and self-indulgence of the modern-day corporate world (and society). The collaboration between Randy Bradbury on bass and Byron McMackin on the tubs is especially prominent in 'Greed' and the following track, '
My Own Country'. Another politically-motivated song, the fast, no-nonsense feeling fashioned in the opening is carried throughout and it's a definite favourite of the infamous Pennywise mosh-pit. Jim is defiance and resistance personified in this song: “Fools run the government… Their hands are green… Taxes that makes us slaves, Don't believe a word of it, Ignore the fu
cked up things they say. I'm gonna make it on my own, Make my own philosophy, U.S. of Me.”
The social commentary continues powerfully into the third song, '
Can't Believe It', and the lyrics continue in much the same vein as 'Greed'. The lyrics are, however, rather generic and don't specifically say anything. Rather, Jim just serves up throw-away line after throw-away line and consequently, lyrically this is one of the weakest songs on the album. 'Can't Believe It', however, does highlight the tightness of the band, and the album generally follows this trend. Pennywise had been together for 11 years by the time Straight Ahead was released, so it is nothing more than one should expect. The drumming of Byron has been singled out for particular attention by critics as being the stand-out musical aspect of the band.
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Victim Of Reality' is undoubtedly one of the strongest tracks on the album and an undeniable fan-favourite and Pennywise classic. The coy drum intro brings an air of anticipation and this song certainly delivers on that. The correlation between the instruments on this track is particularly strong, and the track is one of Jim's strongest vocal efforts on the album. A defining song of the album for many, the song shows the change in Pennywise's sound from 'Full Circle' and you can hear the difference Rundall has made most notably in the guitar and bass sound and the catchy chorus.
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Might Be A Dream' is the first song from Straight Ahead to tackle the issue so prominent on 'Full Circle', that of personal opportunity and failure. The lyrics from this song are in the style of the Jason Thirsk-directed lyrics* of 'Full Circle' but nonetheless do not feel out-of-place on Straight Ahead. '
Still Can Be Great' continues the sentiment of 'Might Be A Dream' and carries over the 'Full Circle' theme of optimism and hope, and overwhelmingly, that it is never too late. One of the faster and heavier songs from the album, it perhaps fails to encapsulate the feeling exuded in the menacing intro.
So we come to the title-track, and one of the highlights of the album, '
Straight Ahead'. The typically heavy Pennywise chorus is juxtaposed to the auspicious verse where Randy's ominous bass provides the backing for Jim's attack on the squandering and wastefulness of opportunity. Fletcher's guitar is the base for the song and the backing vocals are particularly outstanding on this track.
Another of Jim's self-determination lyrics is set over one of the album's faster, heavier tracks in '
My Own Way'. This is one of the lesser known or acknowledged tracks, but certainly adds to the depth to the album, in particular the first-half, and keeps the energy and feeling flowing. In this sense, 'My Own Way' is similar to '
One Voice', which is possibly the fastest song on the album. Fletcher's lingering power-chords after the chorus help make this song the evocative and poignant track it is. 'One Voice' is again another fine offering of Randy's and Fletcher's backing vocals, but unfortunately this track is largely overshadowed by 'Alien'. At the very least it provides a strong lead-up to the most widely-known song from the album.
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Alien' was released as the single from the album, and the song received considerable radio air-time and the video was also relatively well embraced. The slow verses in the song had some 'fans' yelling “sell-outs” the moment they heard it, but the reality is that 'Alien' is one of Pennywise's strongest songs of the '90s. It is innately more catchy than the majority of their earlier work, but the tale of disbelief in the modern world which Jim portrays over the powerful lead-guitar and solid-as-ever rythym section merge into one of the most authoritative and compelling songs on the album.
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Watch Me As I Fall' is Jim's first-person take on society and missed opportunity but – like 'One Voice' – is largely in the shadow of 'Alien'. The pace remains the same though, and there are few pauses through this section of the album. The dark and heavy intro to '
Just For You' mellows by the time Jim comes in, and this song finds it hard to distinguish itself from several others on the album, most notably 'Still Can Be Great'. '
Can't Take Anymore' possibly falls into the same category, but the charismatic bass intro is an undoubted feature.
Jim's social commentary continues in confronting style in '
American Dream' and the track is a certain favourite at live shows and with the loyal fan-base. One of the catchiest songs Pennywise have recorded, 'American Dream' moves between the powerful verses and infectious chorus before Fletcher breaks out into solo. Byron's drumming makes the chorus so likeable and Randy's bass does enough to keep the musical ears interested. The song ends with an edited version of what I think is JFK's famous speech (forgive me, but some of the US fans will certainly know), but instead he says, “Ask not what you can do for your country, Ask what your country can do for you”.
The blistering nearly minute-long intro to '
Need More' provides a chance for Byron, Randy and Fletcher to step into the limelight for a moment and show what a well-oiled unit they really are. From someone who doesn't drum, even I can tell that Byron's drumming on this track is superb, and only confirms his reputation as one of the finest drummers in Punk Rock. '
Never Know' takes on a slightly different approach as the verse bounces along contrasting the heaviness of the chorus. Fletcher lays down his finest guitar solo of the album in this track.
The strong end to the album owes a lot to the anthem which is '
Badge Of Pride'. Jim is at his finest vocally and although his lyrics are again somewhat generic they serve the purpose of this song rather proficiently. The song moves between the absorbing chorus and the stuttering verse in one of the slower songs from the album (which is still relatively fast!). The bass on this track holds the song together brilliantly for what is undoubtedly one of the strongest 3½ minutes of Straight Ahead.
The original 'Down Under' has been adopted in Australia as a makeshift national anthem at sporting events and the like (see 2006 World Cup qualifier, Sydney) and holds a special place in the heart of the Australian psyche. (I cannot comment on the relationship between New Zealand has with the song.) Pennywise's interpretation of this classic song continued their tradition of recording exceptional covers, and 'Down Under' fits nicely into the Pennywise catalogue of covers, next to 'Surfin' USA', 'Minor Threat' and 'Stand By Me', among others. 'Down Under' is a strong end to an undeniably strong album.
Byron, Randy and Fletcher lay down cacophonous tracks full of power and provide the platform for Jim to give us his spiel on society, politics and the individual. Straight Ahead is full of fast, heavy, rockin' Punk Rock without any of the rawness or lack of refinement of the Pennywise albums of the early '90s. Straight Ahead is one of the symbolic Punk albums of the '90s and a definite classic from one of California's finest exports.
*Jason Matthew Thirsk, 1967-1996, was the former bassist and founding member of Pennywise. He committed suicide in the middle of 1996, and the band directed many songs from 'Full Circle' towards his life and death.
