The songs reach increased considerably after Green Day covered it in 1990. But to tell you the truth I never knew what that guy was thinking so who knows. He always watched us and him and Matt were homies. He didn't love our music although I know he thought we were fun. What did Tim Yohannan of Maximum Rocknroll think of the song? Also the song in no way represents Gilman Street, if people glued it on to some kind of Gilman flag that's totally an add-on. There was political people, spiky jacket people, academics, druggy types and just complete weirdos so I understand cynicism about utopian ideas but it is based on a mistake. There were fights and meltdowns every week and there still are. Gilman was totally ridiculous and there were a lot of deeply cynical people involved, believe me. Looking back do you understand some of the cynicism that comes with an idealistic song that some think came to represent the naivety and punk utopian of the Gilman punk scene of the time? You talk about terrible things honestly and then through this weird alchemy of music it becomes a moment of release that somehow goes beyond the petty problems of the world. That was sort of the approach or basic premise of the whole band in a way. Yes, the futility and angst is definitely there and then it turns into an ecstatic thing. The opening lines have a sense of futility but as the song continues it rises as a kind of triumph. I don't claim that it was totally coherent but that's kind of the point. I thought mainstream adults were mostly boring and I felt judged by them for being at loose ends. I was against ideology and falling into life traps. The basic idea was that embracing uncertainty is a power in itself, even if the pressure is on to get a career plan or whatever. If you listen to SLF songs like "Break Out" or "At the Edge," there is this sense of adventurous uncertainty and a rebellion against proscribed norms for young people. My words were very influenced by Stiff Little Fingers. We caught up with Jesse to learn about "Knowledge". Currently he collaborates with clothing label Altamont. As a painter his work has been shown in San Francisco, Los Angeles and NYC. Though they were only around for a couple of years and released just an EP, Energy, released on Lookout! Records, and a couple of compilation tracks, their legacy is still felt and young punks, many who weren't even born in 1989, continue to wear their shirts and singalong to their songs about unity.Īfter Operation Ivy, Jesse played in Common Rider and has worked as a visual artist creating graphics for bands like Filth and Green Day. Michaels, Tim "Lint" Armstrong (guitar, vocals), Matt "McCall" Freeman (bass, vocals), and Dave Mello (drums), formed the band in May 1987 and were one of the first to mix elements of hardcore punk and ska.Īlong with Green Day, The Offspring and later Rancid (who Armstrong and Freeman formed after Op Ivy) and the emergence of Lookout Records, Op Iv were considered a big part part of a new breed of Bay Area bands. Operation Ivy grew up at 924 Gilman Street, or simply Gilman, the East Bay, California venue that became springboard for the 90s pop revival and "Knowledge" became one of the band's many anthems during this time.
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