Punk-O-Rama, Vol. 4

• Artist: Various Artists
• Release Date: June 22, 1999
• Total Time: 820:02
• Type: Collection (various artists), Enhanced CD-ROM
• Genre: Rock

Review

It would be inaccurate to say that Epitaph's Punk-O-Rama compilations cater to punk purists 100 percent of the time. Not everything on Punk-O-Rama, Vol. 4, which Epitaph assembled in 1999, is hardcore punk -- some of the material is simply alternative rock with a strong punk influence. But it is safe to say that Vol. 4 is punk-oriented, and it is also safe to say that the CD is, at five dollars, a bargain for North American consumers -- when Vol. 4 came out in 1999, five dollars was less than one would typically pay for a used CD. And even though not every tune on this disc is a five-star gem, most of the tracks are decent or competent; there are no outright duds. Fans of a hardcore punk sound -- as opposed to poppy emocore or punk-influenced alternative rock -- should have no problem getting into Agnostic Front's "It's My Life," the Dwarves' "I Will Deny," or Union 13's "A Life's Story." Meanwhile, the Voodoo Glow Skulls' "They Always Come Back" is an abrasive, forceful example of ska-punk. And the most metal-minded track is Zeke's "Twisted," which could be described as Aerosmith by way of Iggy Pop. There is even a track by singer/songwriter Tom Waits: "Big in Japan." Waits isn't the first name one would expect to see on a punk-oriented compilation, but "Big in Japan" has enough of a punkish edge to fit in -- the tune doesn't sound out of place, and it is one of the best things on the CD. Punk-O-Rama, Vol. 4 isn't ideal but, at five dollars, it isn't a bad way to get acquainted with Epitaph's late-'90s roster. ~ Alex Henderson, All Music Guide

Tracks

Track Title	Composers	Performers	Time
Fight It [#] (Lyrics)	Randy Bradbury	Pennywise	(2:15)
Second Best (Lyrics)	Pulley	Pulley	(1:49)
Faster Than the World (Lyrics)	Toby Morse, Rusty Pistachio	H2O	(2:17)
1998 (Lyrics)	Tim Armstrong, Howie Pyro	Rancid	(2:46)
The Will the Message	Richard Anderson, Mårten Cedergran	Bombshell Rocks	(2:37)
Hopeless Romantic (Lyrics)	Greg Attonito	The Bouncing Souls	(2:07)
The Getaway	Dennis Jagard	Ten Foot Pole	(3:41)
Think the World	Bill Stevenson	All	(1:21)
Snap Decision (At Rope's End)	Eric Davidson	New Bomb Turks	(2:23)
Generator (Lyrics)	Brett Gurewitz	Bad Religion	(3:19)
I Will Deny		Dwarves	(1:39)
Let's Do This		Straight Faced	(1:23)
It's My Life (Lyrics)	Rob Kabula, Roger Miret	Agnostic Front	(2:29)
Weakend Revolution (Lyrics)	59 Times the Pain	59 Times the Pain	(2:19)
Summerholiday Vs. Punkroutine		Refused	(4:02)
They Always Come Back (Lyrics)		Voodoo Glow Skulls	(3:23)
Twisted	Michael Halaas, Abe Zanuel Riggs III	Zeke	(1:56)
Don't Panic	Gas Huffer, Don Blackstone, Joe Newton	Gas Huffer	(1:46)
Big in Japan	Tom Waits, Kathleen Brennan	Tom Waits	(4:04)
Someone to Love	Jack Grisham, Angry John DiMambro	Jack Grisham	(2:52)
A Life's Story	Edward Escoto	Union 13	(2:09)
Picture This		Mute	(2:05)
Lucky (Lyrics)	Dave Benitez	Osker	(2:14)
Mr. Clean (Lyrics)	Mathias Färm	Millencolin	(2:39)
Kids of the K-Hole (Lyrics)	Fat Mike	NOFX	(4:49)

Credits

Union 13 (Performer), 98 Mute (Performer), New Bomb Turks (Performer), Jack Grisham (Performer), Gas Huffer (Performer), Dwarves (Performer), H2O (Performer), Zeke (Performer), Mute (Performer), The Bouncing Souls (Performer), All (Performer), Tom Waits (Performer), Pulley (Performer), Bad Religion (Performer), Ten Foot Pole (Performer), Pat DeLuca (Photography), Pennywise (Performer), Jeff Abarta (Producer), Voodoo Glow Skulls (Performer), Adam Deluca (Photography), Bombshell Rocks (Performer), NOFX (Performer), Times The Pain (Performer), Millencolin (Performer), Eddy Schreyer (Mastering), Rancid (Performer), Straight Faced (Performer), Refused (Performer), Jeff Abarta (Executive Producer), 59 Times the Pain (Performer), Agnostic Front (Performer), Osker (Performer)