Triple Triple BBB

Here's three records I picked up from Triple-BBB a little while ago. I'd been meaning to pick them all up sooner but for some reason just didn't get round to it for a while.

Clear - Demo

First up the 2nd Pressing of the Clear 7" from 2012 on Clear Yellow of 400. I'd had this on my iTunes for ages but this is the first time I've gotten round to picking a copy of the record up.

Rude Awakening - The Awakening

I picked up a copy of Rude Awakenings The Awakening off the back of their side of the split with Death Threat, I liked what they did on that a lot and felt compelled to get a physical copy of this record. This is the second press on Clear Orange again out of 400.

Friend Or Foe - Outsider

And finally Friend Or Foe - Outsider. First pressing this time round on Clear Orange out of 500.

Hectic In A '69 Newport

Most of you think like me I'm sure. We're simple folk right? Recently an Operation Ivy track came on whilst I was listening to my iPod and it occurred to me (read panicked) that I didn't have much Op Ivy on wax. I immediately hunted some down and found two 7"s being sold by the same seller. I won them and everything was right with the world.

Operation Ivy - Hectic E.P

Truth be told I've never been the biggest ska punk fan in the world, sure I likes me some Clash, The Specials, Rancid, Suicide Machines etc but then again that's like people who don't really like metal having a Black Sabbath or Iron Maiden record right? Anyway, I have always liked Operation Ivy, they were a fine band. The first record I found was the Hectic E.P on Lookout Records. I believe this is an original 1988 press of the record on black vinyl with the booklet included. The booklets a nice touch actually, with pictures and song explanations and the like.

Operation Ivy - '69 Newport

I also got a copy of the '69 Newport single on red vinyl. I must admit I'm not entirely sure if this single was a proper release or not, I don't think it was, I believe it's a bootleg or something. What I do know is that it has two tracks on it that I didn't previously have (on the compilation LP of the Hectic E.P and the Energy LP), so it's a big win in my book.

Past Our Means

I'd got back on track a bit in December with trying to catch up on my blog posts but the new year has brought the same old problem. More records than I have time to post about. Is that a problem? depends which way you look at it I suppose. That being said here's a quick one.

Ignite - Past Our Means

I picked this up in a second hand record store for a couple of quid. This was literally the only decent record in the entire place, in fact I have no idea what it was even doing there. Nothing special just the boring black version of the E.P but who doesn't pick up a Rev record for a couple of quid when it's right in front of them?

Solid enough record if by no means my favourite Ignite material. Another Rev record crossed off the non existent list too.

The Camel Clutch

Do you ever decide you don't like a band without hearing them? I do it all the time, although I probably do it less these days, I've had it bite me on the ass too many times over the years. It happened again recently. I'd decided I didn't like Iron Chic, I don't know why, I suspect it had something to do with their name and the artwork they use on their releases but what ever it was I didn't like them. No sir! Then one day recently I was at a friends place and some music was playing, a song came on that I was nodding my head to, I should have stayed quiet but I had to ask who it was didn't I? "Iron Chic" came the reply. Fuck!!

Iron Chic - The Constant One

 

So obviously I was then forced to check out the bands latest album online. Yep, annoyingly I liked it. I searched out a trusty UK distro that carried the release and just like that I'd just purchased an Iron Chic record. I still don't much care for the bands name or artwork but when the music is this infectious who gives a rats ass right?

 



Being stylishly late to the party I of course picked up the most common of the first press of the record. This nice looking half Orange / half Blue is out of 1000.

I now need to get stuck into the bands earlier releases too. I'd like to tell you that I've learnt from this experience and I wont be so hasty to dismiss bands in the future but after all these years I'm sure I'll be writing another similar post again before too long!

Time Warriors

Back in October I posted about Kadavar and their record Abra Kadavar , they along with this group are my favourites doing the 70's rock Sabbath doom thing at the moment.

Horisont - Time Warriors

I think I first heard Horisont around the time of their second LP 'Second Assault' being released and I loved what the band were doing straight away. For some reason I'm yet to pick that record up on vinyl so this is the first release I've picked up in it's physical form and it doesn't disappoint.

This is another quality release from the band and another quality package from Rise Above. I managed to pick up the Die-Hard Gold Vinyl version of the record Limited to 150 copies. It comes on a great looking gatefold sleeve and a poster and I think the Gold vinyl really goes well with the rest of the record. It looks superb.

The record also came with a Rise Above dog tag which is a nice little extra although I think it was supposed to come with a Horisont tag like the ones Mike is showing off here . I think the Horisont one is cooler than this one (where they supposed to originally be a set I wonder? A Horisont one and a Rise Above one together?) but never mind. It's still a nice little extra.

When I was in the Rise Above store I also added a copy of the excellent and frankly bonkers single Writing On The Wall to my cart when I saw they had copies left. Mainly for the hell of it, but it is a quality song.

Strangely I can't find the pressing info for the Purple version. Clear (Limited to 100 copies) ,Orange (Limited to 100 copies) , Black (Limited to 300 copies). Let's just say Purple is ultra limited and have done with it haha!

El Diablo

Back in May 2012 I wrote about a couple of Will Haven records I'd picked up here . At the end of the post I said I needed to start my search for El Diablo the bands debut full length on red vinyl. Truth is though that I'd already been looking and it had eluded me.....Until now!!

Will Haven - El Diablo

This did appear one time before on eBay but I somehow missed the end of the auction and it slipped through my fingers, although it did go for more than I'd have wanted to really pay for it. Recently when it appeared again for the first time in forever on UK eBay (trust me I know, it was the first thing I'd search for every day in 2013) I wasn't going to let it go again. I scored it at the opening bid price despite putting in a bid of double so was delighted when the auction ended.

This was released in 1997 by Revelation Records sister label Crisis Records and I can't tell you how much I love this record. It's definitely the bands best output for my money, listen to 'I've Seen My Fate' for any proof needed on how great this record is and how good this band were around this time. I have no idea how many were pressed on red vinyl anyone help me out here with a number? I'd guess between 500 and 1000.

I always found the back cover and inlay picks of the guy in the devil mask really eerie and creepy, especially the hallway one, in fact I have always thought either would have made better covers for the record. I'm delighted to finally have all Will Havens records on colour vinyl and I can cross this baby off my ever expanding wants list.

Deathlike

Another post and another mention of Marcus' Endless Quest Blog ,as it was there that I first heard of this band Ancient VVisdom. Marcus wrote about the band and catching them live way back in April 2012 and I was intrigued to check them out. I liked what I heard and then, as is often the case, didn't actually get round to buying anything by them until a few weeks ago.

Ancient VVisdom - Deathlike

 

I was searching eBay just putting in random bands to see what came up when I entered Ancient VVisdom and their latest LP Deathlike appeared, it had no bids so I stuck in a maximum I wanted to pay and waited. It turned out nobody else bid and I got this at a super cheap price.

 

 

I actually didn't realise until after I'd won the auction that this is the rarest colour the record was released on too. This is the Clear with Black Smoke version limited to just 90 copies. It suits the theme of the record and layout of the sleeve really well.

 

 

I like this record alot and Ancient VVisdom have such a great and unique sound. Kind of melodic acoustic doom is my best attempt to describe it although granted that doesn't give too much away as to how interesting and catchy this band are. I need to get a copy of the bands previous offering A Godlike Inferno now.

 

 

 

How the record actually looks!







Water, Solutions and Tin Can Phones

Let's start the year with two records, one of which is one of my favourite records ever!

 

 

Far - Water and Solutions

Far's two major label records were recently given the vinyl treatment for the first time ever. As much as I wanted them I didn't pounce straight away because of the cost of the record and postage from Shop Radio Cast the company responsible for the repress, but after seeing Marcus post up a picture on his Instagram that contained one of the records It was the push I needed to finally cave in. I did at least manage to get them from Amazon UK which saved me some coin on the postage.

I can't tell you how much I love this record, every track is fantastic and for me it's the very definition of emotional guitar driven rock music and Jonah Matranga has one of the best voices for this kind of style too.

The record it's self looks absolutely killer with this gatefold packaging. Despite it looking Green here this is the Coke Bottle Clear (makes sense with the title of the record) press of the record limited to 500. There's also another 500 on Clear with Blue Smoke with the rest of the press on Black.

 

 

So that's all the good news, and now for a little moan. And I really can't help but feel let down. To start with the record was supposed to be on 180gram vinyl and isn't, not a biggy but considering the price worth mentioning. SRC also quite proudly I must say, promote this record as 'Mastered From The Original Master Tapes By The Famous Stan Ricker'. I have no idea who Stan Ricker is but Stan fucked up (or someone did)! This is the first record I think I've ever owned that has some of the music missing. A few bars of the opening track Bury White are non existent (really off putting if your at all familiar with the song), it's really weird, I have no idea how this could have happened. The pitch of the record is off too. All my other records play fine on my deck without me having to adjust the pitch but with this record it sounds way too fast, unless you drop the pitch down to about -6 old Jonah sounds like a 17 year old pop-punker. What did they do with the Test Presses? Did they bother with Test Presses? Disappointing.

 

Far - Tin Cans With Strings To You

 

 

Tin Cans fairs a little better in the music department although is still by no means in my eyes a perfect press. This was the record that proceeded Water and Solutions and is less 'commercial' sounding but I love this record too. In fact 'What I've Wanted To Say' might have over time become my favourite Far song.

 

 

The packaging is again really striking and well done here. This record also has a gatefold sleeve but comes as a double LP album. The pressing details are Yellow press of 500 and Purple press of 500 with the rest on Black. I presume this is the Purple press but neither record are actually Purple, one is Brown and one is a kind of Mustard colour.

 

 

Overall I'm really pleased to add these to my collection and finally have them on vinyl but I do just wish that Water and Solutions press had been given a little more care.