Years after its release,
Teenage Warning still crackles with the punk energy that infused it. Gang-shouted choruses and references to A Clockwork Orange confirm that the Upstarts were forerunners of Oi! and harder edged street punk. However, alongside bar-room gems like "I'm an Upstart" and "Leave Me Alone," are socially conscious compositions that give the band their identity. The most notable of these is "Liddle Towers," which recounts the death of a young man at the hands of brutal police. Perhaps that is what makes
Teenage Warning such an enduring punk classic: its balance between the fun and serious, all delivered with unapologetic sneer and enthusiasm. ~ Matthew Kantor