Dangerhouse was one of the first independent labels to document the burgeoning West Coast punk rock scene. Started in 1977 and collapsing by the end of 1980, it was a short-lived enterprise, which nonetheless left an indelible mark on the punk rock history. Established by David Brown and Pat "Rand" Garrett, who were both members of the punk rock band Black Randy and the Metrosquad, the company operated on a limited budget, supported by the more conventional typesetting and aerospace jobs of the founders. Black Randy himself got a day job in telemarketing and joined the effort as a business partner. Despite its scarce resources, Dangerhouse was notable for its production quality. They released records on many of California's finest first-wave punk bands, including X, The Eyes, The Bags, The Alley Cats, Avengers, the Weirdos, and the Dils. In its brief existence, Dangerhouse Records put out only 14 7-inch vinyl records, one LP, and one compilation 12-inch EP.
In 1977, Dangerhouse was one of the first independent labels to jump into the fray and document the burgeoning West Coast punk rock scene, and all these years later their taste and judgment seem damn near faultless; they released records by many of California's finest first-wave punk bands, including X, Avengers, the Weirdos, and the Dils, and future members of Wall of Voodoo and the Gun Club were lurking among the members of Dangerhouse's other acts. Thankfully, the folks behind the label were also mindful of production quality, and were able to make great sounding records despite limited means -- their stuff simply sounded better than what most indie labels were offering in the early stages of the game. Dangerhouse, Vol. 1 collects 12 classic cuts released between 1977 and 1979, including stone classics like X's original recording of "Los Angeles," the Avengers' anthemic "We Are the One," the Dils' blazing "Class War," Black Randy and the Metrosquad's superbly perverse "Trouble at the Cup," the darkly hilarious "Let's Shoot Maria" from the Deadbeats, the peerless Weirdos' "Solitary Confinement," and what may have been the label's true anthem, the Randoms' "Let's Get Rid of New York." Even the lesser-known bands contribute strong material, and this disc's only real flaw is that it is too short; especially since all the stuff from this album and the second volume (coming next year) would easily fit on one CD. But beyond that quibble, Dangerhouse, Vol.1 is a raucous and wildly entertaining look at what was one of America's most vital punk rock scenes, and few collections can match this for sheer power and lunatic joy.
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Agreed; a fascinating snapshot of 24 months or so... Visually, "Decline of the Western Civilization" (part one) would be an eye-opening companion!
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