For an Orange County band that released its records on the legendary U.K. punk label No Future (Posh Boy in the U.S.), it's a shame that it isn't as fondly remembered as O.C. peers like
Social Distortion,
the Adolescents, and
Agent Orange. In
Mike Magrann,
Channel 3 had an extremely talented songwriter, capable of making punk sound and feel as emotional as it was supposed to be. With his partner in crime
Kim Gardner on second guitar and backing vocals,
Channel 3 churned out some of the most exciting punk records imaginable, taking power and fury and adding melody and subtle flair. Imagine
Agent Orange with a few extra chords borrowed from
the Monkees. This compilation gathers practically everything the band released on Posh Boy Records (and No Future) from 1981 to 1983 and is a very powerful collection. "Out of Control," "Manzanar," "Fear of Life," and "You Make Me Feel Cheap" were instant classics out of the box and never fail to please. And the other 22 songs aren't too shabby, either. Calling it "The Skinhead Years" may turn a few people off, but the liner notes clearly separate the band's involvement in the punk/skinhead musical movement from the heavily racist, white supremacy skinhead movement.