Kids on the Street

Overview

By 1996, the Cherry Poppin' Daddies had established themselves as a staple of the West Coast third wave ska scene, carving out a steady touring niche alongside bands such as The Mighty Mighty Bosstones and Reel Big Fish. As such, the Daddies' next album would inevitably stray from the brass-heavy swing and funk which dominated their first two releases in favor of further exploration into punk and ska.

With lead singer Steve Perry now assuming a role as a rhythm guitarist, Kids on the Street predominantly features guitar-driven ska and punk, though also branches into such genres as southern rock ("Luther Lane"), western swing ("Silver-Tongued Devil") and jazz ("Here Comes the Snake"). Perry has stated that the abundance of straightforward rock and punk songs on the album in place of the manic eclecticism of their previous records was partially due to his playing guitar on the album, as he described his guitar skills as "limited".

Release and reception

Released in the midst of the American ska revival which had begun to reach its commercial peak in 1996, Kids on the Street wound up becoming the Daddies' then most successful album. Distributed through noted indie label Caroline Records, the album sold 25,000 in its first week, charting on The Rocket's Retail Sales Top Twenty for over seven months and eventually making its way onto Rolling Stone's Alternative Chart. Several of the album's songs appeared on numerous mid-1990s ska compilations, helping spread the Daddies' name further outside of their Northwest-centered fanbase.

Two contemporary reviews in Eugene's The Register-Guard both gave Kids on the Street a positive reception. One reviewer called the album a "great CD" that was "suitable for just hanging out and doing homework" to and for "long, boring car trips", while another reviewer, though claiming that Kids occasionally branched into "the monotony of 'alternative'", noted that it "definitely would be possible to derive pleasure from listening to this CD. The music is wonderful!"

Despite the total absence of the swing sound that the Daddies would soon become internationally known for, Kids on the Street is often considered by fans of the band to be their best album, something which has been acknowledged by the Daddies themselves, noting that the anthemic punk song "Irish Whiskey" is possibly the band's most requested song to play live.

Track listing

All tracks written by Steve Perry.

Alternative versions

Credits