Craft Recordings is celebrating the 25th anniversary of The Vandals’ seminal Punk Rock record Hitler Bad, Vandals Good with a vinyl reissue. The 1988 album features tracks “My Girlfriend’s Dead,” “Idea for a Movie,” “Euro-Barge” and “People That Are Going to Hell,” and has been pressed on limited-edition White/Blue Splatter vinyl which will arrive on July 21st, 2023.
One of the longest-running bands on Southern California’s Punk circuit, The Vandals emerged in 1981, bringing humor into their musicianship. The Huntington Beach group in 1995 signed with Nitro Records (founded by Dexter Holland and Greg K. of the Offspring). Over the next three years, the band built an international following, thanks to albums like Live Fast, Diarrhea (1995) and The Quickening (1996), non-stop touring with acts like No Doubt, as well as film and TV song appearances, including tracks in the Glory Daze soundtrack, Walker Texas Ranger, and The X-Files.
By 1998, when they released their seventh studio LP, Hitler Bad, Vandals Good, the band was at their height. Produced by guitarist Warren Fitzgerald and mixed by Jerry Finn (Morrissey, Green Day), the album featured the Vandals’ current lineup, including Fitzgerald, singer Dave Quackenbush, studio drummer Josh Freese, and bassist Joe Escalante, who remains the longest-running member of the group.
Joining them were a variety of guests, including multi-instrumentalist Gabe McNair (No Doubt, Green Day) who played trombone on “F’d Up Girl”, and No Doubt drummer Adrian Young, who served up bongos on “If the Gov’t Could Read My Mind.” Hitler Bad, Vandals Good remains the band’s most successful title.
Bassist Joe Escalante says:
We loved the current crop of punk bands that were part of the ’90s resurgence so we worked hard to create our best record possible to keep up with the excellent song writing coming out of bands like NOFX, Lagwagon, Bad Religion, Green Day, Rancid, etc.
The Vandals have an upcoming cruise ship festival with Flogging Molly, Pennywise, and Stiff Little Fingers in November of 2023.
On the horizon is a documentary highlighting the band’s 2003/2004 tour of Iraq during the war in the Middle East, and an accompanying soundtrack.
Hitler Bad, Vandals Good tracklist:
Side A
1. People That Are Going To Hell
2. Café 405
3. My Girlfriend’s Dead
4. I Know, Huh?
5. Money’s Not An Issue
6. I’ve Got An Ape Drape
7. If The Gov’t Could Read My Mind
Side B
1. Too Much Drama
2. Come Out Fighting
3. Euro-Barge
4. Fucked Up Girl
5. An Idea For A Movie
6. OK
7. So Long, Farewell
