The first official release to feature Michael Knott. His pariticpation in this project seemed to be minimal at best. The Lifesavors were an early New Wave/Punk band – one of the first Christian bands to ever have this sound. The vinyl release had a different track order on the back of the jacket than on the record labels and the actual record. The 1999 CD release used the jacket song order. The intro studio chatter was also snipped off of “Young.” The 2012 digital release reverted back to the original song order.
Review: “Long before many Christians had ever heard about punk and hardcore, Mark Krischak, Chris Wimber, Kevin Annis and Mike Knott had made a record that you could put with your Ramones records without any diffidence. Strong against the grain vocals connected with even stronger against the grain guitars in irresistable songs…” (Music and Art) “Us Kids is a classic CCM release from the days of (very early) alternative Christian music, the time of such acts as The Lifters, Weber and the Buzztones, Andy McCarrol and Moral Support and some no-names like the 77s, The Altar Boys, Undercover, and Youth Choir. Krischak provides the lead on vocals and guitar, while he penned most of the numbers. Chris Wimber, of the Vineyard Wimbers, is also a real presence here providing bass and other guitars. There is a heavy British punk influence here…” (source unknown)
Other information:
Re-released in 1990 on Key Records. Re-released in 1999 on M8 Records with bonus tracks. Re-leased in 2012 to digital outlets like Spotify and iTunes.
| Label: | Swing Records |
| Format: | Vinyl, Tape |
| Released: | 1981 |
| Genre: | Power Pop / Punk Rock |
| Producer: | Thom Roy |
| Re-Issue: | CD, 1999, M8 Records |
| Re-Issue: | Digital, 2012, Xchak Records |
| Mark Krischak: | Lead Guitar, Lead Vocals, BGVs |
| Michael Knott: | Rhythm guitar, BGVs |
| Chris Wimber: | Bass, Acoustic Guitars, Rhythm Guitars, BGVs |
| Kevin Annis: | Drums, Percussion, BGVs |
| Ray Herson: | Rhythm guitar, BGVs |
| Joe Taylor: | Keyboards |
| Ric Alba: | Keyboards |
| 01) | Young | 1:30 | Krischak | |
| 02) | Operation | 2:20 | Krischak | |
| 03) | Where You Going | 0:54 | Krischak | |
| 04) | Blue | 1:57 | Krischak, Wimber | |
| 05) | Oh Yeah | 1:37 | Krischak | |
| 06) | I Am | 2:55 | Wimber, Krischak | |
| 07) | Take Me Over | 2:12 | Krischak | |
| 08) | New | 1:38 | Krischak, Wimber | |
| 09) | Isaiah 36 | 1:47 | Krischak | |
| 10) | Christianity | 2:02 | Krischak | Live version previously released on 3-14-81 Live |
| 11) | Life | 1:56 | Wimber | |
| 12) | Genocide | 3:26 | Wimber, Krischak, Annis, Herson | |
| 13) | Jetstream | 1:40 | Wimber | |
| 14) | Us Kids | 2:44 | Wimber, Krischak | |
| The 1999 M8 re-issue song order: | ||||
| 01) | Where You Going | 0:55 | Krischak | |
| 02) | Jetstream | 1:43 | Wimber | |
| 03) | Life | 1:55 | Wimber | |
| 04) | Oh Yeah | 1:38 | Krischak | |
| 05) | New | 1:43 | Krischak, Wimber | |
| 06) | Young | 1:20 | Krischak | |
| 07) | Blue | 1:59 | Krischak, Wimber | |
| 08) | Operation | 2:21 | Krischak | |
| 09) | I Am | 2:57 | Wimber, Krischak | |
| 10) | Us Kids | 2:48 | Wimber, Krischak | |
| 11) | Take Me Over | 2:08 | Krischak | |
| 12) | Genocide | 3:21 | Wimber, Krischak, Annis, Herson | |
| 13) | Isaiah 36 | 1:48 | Krischak | |
| 14) | Christianity | 2:04 | Krischak | Live version previously released on 3-14-81 Live |
| The 1999 M8 re-issue includes these bonus songs: | ||||
| 15) | In My Room | 2:49 | The Jaded | |
| 16) | I Have a Car | 3:40 | The Jaded | |
| 17) | Lotsa Girls | 3:04 | The Jaded | |
| 18) | A Lot Like You | 2:43 | The Jaded | |
| 19) | My Life | 4:30 | The Jaded | |
| 20) | Down Again | 3:51 | The Jaded | |
| 21) | Go Around | 4:54 | The Jaded | |
| 22) | Little Maids | 3:35 | The Jaded | |
| 23) | Fighter | 1:49 | The Jaded | |
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the first real christian punk rock album ever made….
Question about this – Why is the song order different from the original LP?
LIFESAVERS music save me from doing some stupid thangs in the 80’s
Power Pop. X.
Us Kids was one of the first christian music I ever listened to. Great stuff. I also started listening to Undercover shortly after.
Regarding the bonus tracks on this album. These songs were not songs from the band “The Lifesavors”. They were songs from a band called The Jaded, which Mark Krishcak was also the singer and frontman. They were from the Fullerton/Orange area and played around from 1990 to 1992. The Jaded was not a Christian band. Why these songs were added to another bands album as bonus songs is a little strange. The band members for this recording was: Mark Krischak – vocals, Phil Hanson – drums (Phil went on to play in Gameface and Starpool), Brett Rasmussen – bass (Brett went on to form Ignite), Mike Field – guitar. Other members to play and/or record with The Jaded during that era were Mark Hine – drums (The Dead Armadillos from Oklahoma), Doug Osterkamp (Spinning Fish) and briefly Ron Welty (Offspring). None of The Jaded recordings were ever officially released.
Mike Knott stopped me on my bike as I rode by his house in 79′ (I lived around the corner). He played some songs for me. Sev months later I saw The Lifesavors live at cccm. Years later we all enjoyed Idol Lovell at The Golden Bear in Huntington Beach and once in Hollywood I think. Got in a band myself – Mike borrowed our Yamaha Speakers and Microphones for a show at the Costa Mesa Community Center and they were returned with Idol L white clown make-up smeared over everything. I was so pissed. But looking back, that was the the good stuff – the precious memories of friendship. White clown make-up! Really?! Yes, i’d smear it everywhere right now if I could only find Mike Knott. Thanks for the fun music that made life Amazing !!