Discography & Re-issues

On tour during the cold months at the end of last year a then recently released discography hit the shelves at one of my favorite record dealers which i had to order so i felt like throwing in a bunch of re-issues that were on my list for quite a while already. none of it is anything special pressing wise. i see them for sale quite often but usually i find something a little more interesting to waste my dough on. but not this time

ok. let's take a closer look at each one of those starting with the piece of vinyl that got this ball rolling:

Headfirst - the complete recordings 1987 - 1992 3LP - Indecision Records IND90

Discography releases are tricky. Usually I am not too into those. Especially if they press multiple versions right away like they did for Turning Point, Judge, Underdog, etc. I love all of those bands and collect them so on one hand these releases should be in my collection but then again they are somewhat of an equivalent to Best of… records and I really hate those. 

The Underdog one was a no brainer because of the book that came with it and this beautiful thing here also won me over right away. First of and obviously mainly so for the two unreleased songs from the 'back in control' recording session plus the included two demo tapes i had never even heard of. The other reason is that there is only this one pressing, apart from maybe a test pressing that i'm generally not into. That way I don't have to throw too much money at a recent compilation of old releases while I'm still missing a few OG pressings while still being on a good way towards a truly complete vinyl collection instead of just a collection that feels complete to me but actually isn't.

The most needed of the Re-issues I threw in the cart is this one:

Supertouch - the earth is flat - Revelation Records REV21

With all those represses Rev churns out I'm slowly getting to back the 'Revelation can suck it' thing but this one here is a whole lot different. From what I know this is what the record was actually supposed to look like. Maybe not the vinyl itself but the packaging. But due to financial problems the original release looks the way we all know it. I think it's great that after all these years they were able to finally make the vision of how to present their music come true. No way I would pass on this one. Discogs says there were 550 pressed on opaque blue vinyl. Well, mine is clear and not mentioned on there. Anybody know what that's all about? Another one of those cases where they ended up with a lot of different 'shades' of vinyl? Or maybe some kind of transitional pressing? 

Of course Rev already repressed this release on a different color and at first I thought i definitely don't need that but meanwhile I'm not too sure. That white vinyl version looks a hell of a lot better than this blue one.

Followed by this one:

The Make-Up - destination: love. live at cold rice - discord DIS99V remastered 2012 pressing

The Make-Up are one hell of a band. I went to a lot of shows and most of them I don't remember anymore but I clearly remember seeing them on what I think was their first euro tour in support of this, their first full length, release. Definitely one of the best shows I ever saw. Why I didn't pick up this LP back then escapes me. The only reason I can think of is that I didn't have the funds at the time. Took me only about 17 years to finally get my shit together and it's not even the original pressing. Usually I wouldn't mind as I'm not into collecting certain pressing of this band but the fact that this release was remastered somehow doesn't sit too well with me. Looks like I'm in the market for the first mix which to my ears probably doesn't sound any different.

And then this one:

H2O - s/t - Bridge Nine B9R158

This record was a little too melodic for me back when it was released. I liked it but was never bothered to actually pick up a copy until years later. And for an even longer time I didn't feel the need to own any later H20 releases but that changed with the 'Nothing to prove' record. That one I bought and like almost as much as the first full length. 

After I finally decided to pick up a vinyl copy it kept eluding me. It felt like the record was saying 'you neglected me for that long now I don't want to be with you'. And even now that I finally do own one it's on the ugliest vinyl color it was released on. But I'm ok with that. I don't deserve any better.

Last but not least is this killer KBD 7"

Nubs - job / little billy's burning 7" - Last Laugh Records HAW-033

I got a real late pass on everything KBD which is why none of those releases mean anything special to me. I mean I love the music but they didn't influence me like say UC's 'screaming for change' which had me turn straight edge about 20 years ago.
I'm glad I don't have a special connection with any of those releases because otherwise my desire for OG pressings would be a lot higher.
This is one of the best of the genre and one of many re-issues on Last Laugh Rec. If you have a soft spot for this kind of music you need to check out this record and if your pockets are as shallow as mine you should check out the label. Some of their releases you can order from my shop GIHC.



But wait there is one more 7" in that picture.

Trephine - reprogram…recondition 7" - +/- Records PMR-004

This one was a freebie and the only original pressing on this heap. A lot of times those free records are crap that no one cares about and while no one might care about this record too it definitely isn't crap.
Great 90s militant vegan sound in the vein of Green Rage. I almost put this in the distro without even listening to it. Good thing I didn't. I might not take this one out for a spin too often and if I do it sure won't be the first of the genre that comes to mind but once in a while when I'm in the mood for that sort of stuff it will be a great addition to the playlist.

Sheer Terror for a good cause

well what's there to say about Sheer Terror? they are one of my favorite bands and i'm really curious about their latest full length. i can't wait until it arrives on my doorstep. meanwhile i got these:

Sheer Terror - kaos for kristin pic.7" - Dead City 017

although i'm not into picture discs and even though musically it is one of the most superfluous records, since all the songs are covers, i still didn't hesitate but ordered it right away.

one reason for ordering is that i'm set on owning every piece of vinyl they officially released. and the other is that it is a benefit release. for more info check the info from the "backcover" in the picture below.

not long after i came across the above release i discovered the european version of this release.

Sheer Terror - kaos for kristin 7" - Randale Records 155

luckily this one is a real piece of vinyl with cover and all. 

limited to 1000 copies on yellow splattered vinyl in a printed innersleeve.

at least that's what it says on discogs. i left my copy sealed because i probably won't even be listening to the picture vinyl again so what's the use opening it? but then again i'm a little curious what the innersleeve looks like. maybe one day...

and here you have both versions side by side in the same picture

Quality Control HQ Arms Race Shame

at the end of last year there was a slew of really great demos coming out. this is one of them

Arms Race - demo 2013 - Quality Control HQ 010

dirty and raw hardcore the way it is supposed to be.

limited to 200 copies and appears to be sold out from the label

while ordering from Quality Control HQ i checked out what else they had and threw this great 7" in with it:

Shame - wasted time 7" - Quality Control HQ 006

Shame indeed. it's a shame that this one isn't sold out yet. 

great hardcore punk and the download that comes with it also features the 3 tracks from their demo that didn't make it onto this record.

go get one!

down with the Down & Outs

during those 7 weeks on tour last winter i spent quite a while online.
this is another gift i sent myself from tour.

Down & Outs - lifeline LP - All In Vinyl 026 / Yo Yo 75

first it takes them 6 years to write a new record and then they release two full lengths within about a year. well, why complain? each one is great! now i only have to see them live again.

first and only time was at Ninja Fest. i think it was 2006. we went there to hang out with friends from austria and to see Cold World. great weekend and a Down & Outs fan ever since.

i ordered the LP from All In Vinyl in the UK and at the same time they had this available:

Down & Outs / Dan Padilla - split 7" AIV 023

it's one out of a series of split 7"es on that label but the other are not of interest to me. not sure if i even listened to Dan Padilla yet. probably not. yes i'm ignorant.
silk-screened quarter-back fold-over cover.

one more praise to ANNA CALVI

Anna Calvi truely is one of the greatest artists of our time. here's the latest of her 7"es which also was waiting for me when i got back home from tour in january this year. meanwhile a new 12" with cover songs only is available for pre-order. among them is Suicide's - ghost rider. can't wait to hear her take on it.

Anna Calvi - suddenly b/w fire 7"

some of you might be asking themselves if that B-Side is a cover or an original track. well, it is Anna's interpretation of a Bruce Springsteen song. 

Finishing the Zürich haul - United Mutation / Blindfold / Jimmy Cliff

ok. getting back on schedule with these last three 7" pick ups from my work related stay in Zürich, Switzerland.

first off the United Mutation - götterdämmerung 7" - L&F 028
this is one of two 7"es on Lost & Found Records. it features 5 live songs from a show at the East Side Club on 09/17/1987 and 2 songs from a 1982 recording session at Inner Ear Studios with Don Zientara. the other 7" features 9 songs from that same recording session at that legendary studio plus 1 song recorded at the same show.
why mix the recordings like that instead of doing a live 7" and one with what might have been the bands first recordings. well i guess that's just what you can expect from a shitty rip off label like L&F. they probably thought they could sell more copies like that.
does anyone know if they ever put out a demo tape? were these the recordings for something like that?
share your knowledge!!

next up is the Blindfold - world of fools 7" - Machination Records 05
this is one of the last releases by these legendary belgians. prior to this one they had already dropped their old school hardcore influences to become one of if not the best emo band in europe so this record doesn't hold any surprises. 2 great songs, stamped innersleeve, and a beautiful lyric insert.

last but as usually not least is the Jimmy Cliff - vietnam / she does it right 7" Island Records 6014 003
yes, this is another odd one out. i am generally not much of a reggae fan but this guy did some great stuff. as far as i know this was his biggest hit. it originally appeared on a s/t LP in 1969.

and while taking a group shot of the 3 I realized all of them have some kind of religious thing going on. weird coincidence that i kept those for one last post of everything I bought in Zürich.

The eagle has landed - Stop & Think

for my first post on here in 4 months i moved two records slightly up the pile to make sure i'm coming back with somewhat of a bang.

when i came back home from tour in january one of the few and off the top of my head my most recent ebay score had arrived already:

Stop & Think - both demos LP - PKR-002 / LOR-0004

regular edition /748       ||      Straight Ahead tribute sleeve /300

ever since its release i tried to get my hands on either of those but somehow they always eluded me because they sold out too fast and i wasn't willing to pay enough to win either on the bay.

but then while being bored on tour these two popped up as one auction. usually that's not a good idea for the seller and it proved to be true in this case too. i figured why not put down a bid that is kinda half way between what i've seen the rarer version go for and what they would maybe go for in two separate auctions. as you can see this train of thought went to the right destination.
with vinyl noize postings having gone done quite a lot the price of these probably did too but it's still one of the best records from that era and any serious collector should know that and be able to appreciate it.

i would have been totally fine with owning either one and somehow i'd still be although it feels pretty good to own both. but for a trade i'll remember you can pry whichever one you're after away from me.

Edgewise

Yo!
Everything that piled up while I wasn't at home from mid November to early January has been taken care of. Things look like they might be working out alright and I feel just fine today so I'll pick up where I left off. Posting about the last of the purchases I made in Zürich.

It was one of those 'Oh, I didn't even know this record exists' moments. Not sure how I generally feel about these situations but this time it wasn't just another variation of a record I already own and it was cheap so I didn't hesitate.

What I picked up is the last LP by Edgewise. A band not many people seem to care about. In my book though they are a solid band that I enjoy once in a blue moon. This being said I have to admit I'm not the biggest fan and therefore am happy with now owning a copy of each release listed on discogs minus the discography which I would never listen to anyway. Most of all because it was only released on CD.

Instead of just showing you the one release LP I picked up lately I want to feature both LPs and the 7" because I feel they don't get the appreciation they deserve and I didn't see them appear on any blog before. So here we go:

EDGEWISE - silent rage 7" - 1990 - Smorgasbord Records #3

Their earliest release is pretty much rooted in the Youth Crew genre with some heavier NY influences and at times reminiscent of Clevo bands like Integrity or Confront.

I love the big foldout cover and overall look of the layout.

Something not too many bands still do these days.

This is the 2nd press on clear vinyl out of 500 copies. 

EDGEWISE - massacre of the innocent LP - 1993 - Harvest Records HARV 030

Their 1st full length is quite a step away from the 7". Cleveland is still here though but late 80s NY got upped in the mix on account of the Youth Crew style which is not really to be found anywhere anymore. Therefore you can certainly hear the 90s shine through. Not unlike they do with early Refused, Undertow and a bit of Unbroken. Altogether this makes for a pretty unique record. 

EDGEWISE - s/t LP - 1997 - Gain Ground Records GG 9b

This is the 3rd and last output which again got heavier. There is definitely no Youth Crew anymore but Integrity still come around now and then. The vocals are rougher and the whole sound more metallic. The faster parts are mostly gone and they slow it down so far at times that they border on Beatdown when they do so. But this doesn't mean they dropped their typical 90s influences. Occasionally I get reminded of Snapcase even. Not a mix you hear to often. Now, things you don't hear too often can be rare for a reason. Most bands fail terribly at it but Edgewise don't. Although I don't like them enough to put them on regularly when I do it is always a pleasure. A lot of bands from the 90s didn't hold up too good but I like them just the same today as I did when I first heard them. Solid stuff you might want to check out.