Releasing remastered versions of old albums has been common in the music industry for quite some time. Sometimes the need to update the sound is justified, but on other occasions the whole remastering process is a just a cynical marketing ploy to re-ignite interest in older releases. Now this practice has hardly been seen in the world of punk rock. However, all that changed recently when Epitaph released a bunch of classic Bad Religion albums. That must have been a good move, because the very same label is now releasing remastered versions of four Pennywise albums.
So what do you get with a remastered Pennywise album you may be asking? Well, you obviously get an improved sound quality. You also get a slightly altered inlay booklet, and in a couple of cases some new tracks. Perhaps the most important aspect of the reissues is that they are released at a mid-price point, which means you can expect to pay around a tenner for each album. For people yet to own any of these albums, that is undoubtedly the biggest selling point.
Whilst the reasons behind the reissues may be cloudy, the quality of the albums themselves cannot be denied. The seminal self-titled debut album features many of the songs that have gone on to become legends in the band’s live show. The likes of ‘Rules’, ‘Homeless’ and the original version of ‘Bro hymn’ all appear on this album. The reissue also features a new track in the shape of ‘Psycho 89’. ‘Unknown Road’, the band’s second album, took everything that was good about the first album and improved upon it. With classics such as ‘Homesick’ and ‘You Can Demand’, this album was one of the defining of the 90’s So-Cal sound.
Released in 1995, ‘About Time’ refined Pennywise’s main themes and sounds. Themes of positivity and hope were showcased in ‘Every Single Day’ and ‘Try’ and the band’s famous social commentary appeared in tracks such as ‘Perfect People’ and ‘Same Old Story’. However, the best of this impressive quartet, is for me at least, saved until last. ‘Full Circle’ is the emotional and pivotal album that followed the death of bassist Jason Thirsk. Given the nature of the record it manages to be hard, reflective and yet exhilarating and uplifting. It certainly is an accomplishment that I don’t think the band has matched.
The Pennywise reissues then are undoubtedly great albums, but at the same time slightly unnecessary. Those of you who own the originals should think twice before parting with your money. However, for those of you without these classics, the four reissues here deserve a place in your record collection, especially at the cheaper price point.
Mark
