Not RSD '14

As I always say, I have a load of stuff to blog about. I'm gonna jump up the pile a bit though so that this post is at least semi current and also to take four records off the pile in one swoop.

So Record Store Day 2014 has come and gone and on the day in question I looked on in interest (via twitter etc) at the queues outside record stores near me, some fools were queueing from the evening previous. MADNESS!! Me? I stayed in bed, there was only a couple of things I wanted and I just couldn't be bothered with it for the second year running. What I did was wait until the following week like I had done a year previous feeling pretty damn confident that at least two of the three things I had any interest in would still be sat on the shelf waiting for me. And what do you know...

Battery - What Ever It Takes

This was my main want so I was pleased to grab it off the shelf, a repress of Battery What Ever It Takes. This is a good pressing of the record too, I remember having a copy of this before years ago and it didn't sound brilliant. This on the other hand must have been remastered etc because it sounds great. Orange vinyl limited to 700 copies.

Up Front - Spirit

Released originally in 1988 and never having owned a copy previously I was stoked when I heard that Spirit by Up Front was getting the reissue treatment from Smorgasbord Records. I wasn't sure if the shop would actually have this but there it was on the shelf. On paying the guy at the counter said they'd only got one copy of this in and he couldn't believe no one had picked it up on Record Store day. He said it with a shake of the head and we exchanged a knowing look. Great record.

Sensefield - Building

I actually wasn't as bothered about this record as the other two and figured it would probably be my make do record for the lack of Up Front. However, it being there with the others I couldn't help but pick it up too. Not that it's not a fine record, I remember a friend playing this to me back in '95 and me not liking it much at first, but slowly I dug it. I just wasn't excited about it. I am pleased to have picked it up though.

 

On leaving that store I ventured to a non Record Store Day store to see if they had anything worth picking up (the change was burning a hole in my pocket).

 

Pantera - Far Beyond Driven

 

 

I was feeling metal (pronounced Mettttaaaaaalllllll) so it was no surprise that this reissue of Pantera Far Beyond Driven caught my eye. Look at that rather unsavoury originally banned cover. This is on double vinyl and sounds great. I always liked this record, it's not as immediate or anthem filled as Vulgar Display and probably not as angry or forward thinking as Great Southern Trendkill but over the years it grew on me a lot. I once watched a stripper strip to 5 Minutes Alone too so that song has new memory's attached to it now haha. The gatefold features the more well known version of the album cover.

So, Record Store Day, once again I've picked up what I wanted without having to get up at stupid o'clock. Seems to me that unless you're after Bowie reissues or One Direction 7"s (really???) then you can just cruise up to your local store as normal and pick up the RSD releases at your leisure. Which once again raises the question, who exactly is getting in line on Record Store Day??

Old stuff and OLDER stuff

Seems I've been posting up a right mixed bag of stuff recently. I don't know why I've been picking up so much random stuff but I have. I wasn't actually going to write about any of these but I was sitting there looking through the newer harder stuff I've bought recently and my eyes went straight to these four records and I just thought Fuck it! Why not.

In my record store day 2012 post I'm sure at the end of it I mentioned not picking up the Sensefield Killed For Less record. I put it back that day as I felt I'd bought enough already. A few weeks ago I was in a record store and finally picked it up.

 

Good looking Orange vinyl which suits the cover nicely, it's another Revelation reissue I'm pleased to pick up.

 

So I don't know about you but when I'm in an actual honest to goodness record store rather than buying over the interwebs I tend to get a bit impulsive. So on the same day from the same store I also picked up this

 

Jawbreaker Unfun. I like Jawbreaker so it's cool to pick up this reissue of their 1990 debut album. Strangely it's promoted on the front as being on 'Jet Black' vinyl, like they chose black as the colour, maybe they did, it certainly is one of the blackest records I've seen. I'd have liked it to be on colour though, maybe the colour of the JAWBREAKER text on the front cover?

 

 

Okay so I like Jawbreaker so that wasn't that impulsive granted, but this fucking was.

 

So yeah I picked up The Stooges 1969 self titled debut. Now here's an admission, might not be that crazy I dunno but truth is I've never really cared for The Stooges, not one bit, maybe I'm too young who knows. I've met people in the past whose eyes have popped out at that sort of talk, but also people like me who are also a bit meh! about them.

 

 

However, and this is the thing about actually being in a store with all those lovely records infront of you, something about the record, the look, the packaging, the price, called out to me that day. It really is a nicely packaged record and I figured it's a classic and there must be something I'm missing that other people hear so I bought it.

And you know what, it's alright actually, probably not aged that well, I suspect the follow up Funhouse has aged better but it's a decent listen if the mood takes me and another 'classic' for the collection.

Following day I went to a record fair and bought a record that needs no introduction.

 

I'd been looking for a cheap clean copy of this to also add to the 'classics' part of my record collection and I found one. I probably hadn't listened to this record for the best part of 15 years, yeah I'd of course heard tracks off it during that time but I was instantly struck by how fresh and ripping most of it still sounds. Say what ya like about the pistols and god knows they are fairly easy to criticise but this is still a barnstormer of an album.

 

So yeah random shit indeed.