That exclusive RSD flexidisc of recently discovered unreleased takes from “Raw Power” found on an 8-track in Bowie’s old Mercedes from the 70s… in an abandoned Berlin garage, still pulls the buyers out on Record Store Day!
Well, well, well. As Record Store Day began to approach this year, I found myself hoping that nothing too “must-have” had found its way into the release lists, and as they were released last week, I’ve gone over them with a loose glance and have discovered that you sometimes can get what you wish for! If I get nothing of what’s on offer from the US/UK/Germany/Canada rosters of releases, I’ll just shrug my shoulders and get on with my life. Hell, I still don’t have some of the foreign releases that I wanted from last year’s RSD! The Simple Minds “Promised You A Remix” 12″ and the Roedelius/Lloyd Cole 12″ for a start!
I am burned out on RSD. Big time. I an dead tired of selling off my music collection to afford concert tickets and travel funds that are all time-sensitive. What looks interesting in America? Well, DEVO are once again at the head of the list. I liked their live LP released on Booji Boy Records from 2012, but was peeved to see that a year later, they were selling a factory CD of it in their webstore. Had I known, I would have waited and not made my own CD of the title. A pressed CD is the ne plus ultra of recorded music, for me, and even a gold archival CD-R is second best; not to mention representative of a heck of a lot of work on my part! Time is short! If I’m going to remaster from vinyl, it had better be something that won’t likely make it to real CD any time soon, much less the next year! Anyway, DEVO have two interesting releases to be had.
DEVO | Live At Max’s Kansas City–November 15, 1977 | LP
This LP captured the band at a crucial point in their juncture; the time when people like David Bowie had gotten wind of what they were doing and was sniffing around; almost bankrolling the spuds. There are 2000 copies of this worldwide and since it’s on Jackpot Records, the chance of it reaching a CD, like the Booji Boy live 1981 album, is slimmer. This might be worth a trek to Harvest Records for [grits teeth].
DEVO | Butch Devo and the Sundance Gig | Pic Disc LP/DVD
This is a queer thing indeed; a combo picture disc LP [yech] plus a DVD! The band played a show to close the 1995 Sundance Film Festival land they played an 11 track set, leaning heavily on the first album. Kind of interesting, but I already have their 1996 Lollapalooza show DVD. That is probably enough for me. As for the Pic Disc, I could care less. I only buy those things for a small subset of core collections artists!
Southern Culture On The Skids + Fred Schneider | Party At My Trouse | 7″
This is kind of interesting! S.C.O.T.S. have [finally] joined forces with the irrepressible Fred Schneider to issue a 7″ and yes, if it were in my reach, I’d want to buy it. Hmm. Maybe I’ll have to go out on April 19th… then again. Maybe not. This might be something I can pick up at my leisure.
ZTT | The Re-Organization of Pop | 7″ Box
The ZTT fetishist within me would love this but I’m betting that this is already priced out of my range in the $50+ range. ZTT is one of two labels where I would like all releases [at least from its first five years], and this actually has a pressing of Act’s über-rare “Chance” 7″, which may be as good as it gets for me, since the original 7″/12″ were withdrawn and among the rarest releases that I would like to own one day.
That does it for the US releases that interest me. Again, given a few hundred in loose change, I would mind having these, but will it get me in long lines coming and going for at least two hours, never mind the mosh pit free-for-all around the holy records themselves? Don’t hold your breath. I suspect that I can pick up the S.C.O.T.S. 7″ after the feeding frenzy. Probably the ZTT box as well, if they bother to order one. But I still expect the ZTT box will be too rich for my blood. What about other nations?
RSD UK
As usual, the UK have releases that I would want very much, but would have to buy as expensive aftermarket records that will cost plenty from poachers. Here’s a non-illustrated list, since the UK RSD site is stingy with images.
- John Foxx | Metamatic | White Vinyl LP – Why not buy one of my favorite albums yet one more time… especially since I basically collect Foxx.
- John Foxx + The Maths | Interplay/The Shape Of Things | 2xLP – In a special twofer pack with a Jonathan Barnbrook print. These have been available on vinyl for a year or so now, I really should own them since they are amazing, even though I have the CDs [1st pressings].
- Grace Jones | Me! I Disconnect From You | 12″ – No word if this is a long remix from the upcoming DLX RM of “Nightclubbing” or if it’s just the LP cut on vinyl. Still, I’d like the chance to find out. I am a bit disgusted [as will be many] to see that this is UK only.
- Sex Pistols | Never Mind The Bollocks… | 7″ Box – At first I thought I wouldn’t care, but apparently, these are alternate takes, for what that’s worth. Again, Probably too costly for my purchase in any case.
Hmm. The German and Canadian lists are non-events. Could it be that the urgency of RSD for acts that I care about has ebbed. I’d be fine with that. Sigh. I tried looking at the Mexican list, but they did not have a handy PDF list on their site, so as intrigued as I am with a Rock En Español take on RSD, the usability of their site was lacking. As for RSD Italy, Belgium, Netherlands, and France… eh. Life’s too short. Can you feel the passion?
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Post-Punk Monk 
Yeah, RSD has served its purpose. It’s just basically a money grab now – and not usually one that lines the pockets of anyone but the labels. Anything that is really cool should get a wide release so it can have the impact it is meant to. That said, I will find myself at Sound Exchange on the Saturday afternoon and probably again on Sunday just to see if there anything worth collecting. I have found that things get bought and returned rather quickly.
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Hello, ol’ friend! Even though I don’t respond to a lot of your posts (the JAPAN posts have been effin’ BRILLIANT!!!)… I always *READ* them! *THANK YOU* !!!
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I’ve never been a fan of RSD and would never go and queue up for it either ! You may remember i picked up the first Simple Minds ‘Themes’ 12″ for £6 a while after the event, which is more than enough for 12″er ! I’ve just checked a store that will be having the Art Of Noise picture disc [ yet another yeuch!] and for the privilage of that 3 tracker they will be charging £25 ! It really is a money spinner and i’m sure its not the stores that are making the most out of it. I’m not against artists/labels/stores making money but RSD just seems an excuse to inflate the prices BEFORE they get onto Ebay
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hmmm Metamatic white vinyl……..i’ll have to keep an eye out for that appearing on Amazon just like the Vienna white vinyl did…..
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Nick – I saw the “Vienna” last year, but “Brilliant” severed the Ultravox cord for me. I couldn’t be bothered to waste music funds on even one of their better albums that I already have in enough versions! Foxx, though, has my upmost respect. I may try for “Metamatic” even though I don’t exactly need another copy. I can still wrap my head around having a large Foxx collection.
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Nick – You hit the nail on the head, there. I like OMD, but that beautiful [but awful sounding] picture disc they released last year has never been available for under US $35 in the last year. Fortunately, they reissued the unique B-side on two of their CD singles so I am happy to let it pass. But every copy on Discogs and ebay seems to be sealed, which speaks volumes. I’ll admit that if I see a disc I know I can re-sell for a substantial profit in a used bin, I may buy it, but normally, I have so little money to buy music that I can’t afford to speculate. I spend infinitely more time selling off the music I bought years ago as the big squeeze continues apace.
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yes iv’e been notcing how much you’ve been selling off ! That is one big DD collection you’ve got/had/ flogging ! Has the Soft Cell box set gone yet ?
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Nick – I heavily collected DD from 92-95, but there was a LOT of that mercilessly marketed band to collect! That was down to three things: my high income level versus my low expenses at the time, hanging around with DD obsessed friends made during that period, and finally the collector’s sickness is strong within me. In an earlier time I would have only bought the releases that offered unique tracks/versions. It’s a paradigm I have returned to now for Duran, a band I still like. And damnit, no. The Soft Cell box is still to be had!! But at least I sold the US promo 12″ of “Planet Earth” last night, so now I can get the Simple Minds DLX 2xDVD/CD/book, and in the nick of time! Which I will do right…now!
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As a CD buyer RSD has limited appeal to me, however I do like to pop into my local record store, RIse in Bristol partly because I appreciate still having a store to visit but also to savour the atmosphere and novelty of seeing a record shop full of people buying stuff! They tend to have bands playing throughout the day, although generally not my cup of tea.
I ended up coming out with Shifting City and Pleasures of Electricity (2 cd versions) for the ridiculous price of £5 each…filling some holes in my JF collection. Also picked up Metadelic this week to hear the Like a Miracle 12 inch. Love the idea of those two comps.
Of course I looked seriously uncool amongst the vinyl buying hipster hordes:)
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Simon H – Good choices, there. I still need the “Shifting City” DLX RM and “Metadelic.” I recently bought the “Pleasures of Electricity” DLX RM [on Amazon] since it was now out of stock in the official Foxx store when I bought the “In The Glow” DVD there last month. The record shop[s] I frequent in town often have lots of people in them, and that’s fine. It’s not uncommon to see women with their children shopping there, which always warms my heart, but on RSD the numbers consist of what I’d call a horde! Fighting to get to the stock and then waiting nearly an hour to check out is soul-deadening to me. How long did you wait in Bristol? And more importantly, why do all record store clerks write down the stock in pencil on a yellow pad, making checking out a time-consuming process? Have these people not heard of computers?! Don’t they know that’s why Satan invented bar code??!!
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Hah! I was lucky, Rise opened at 8, I passed by at 10 and they were still only allowing people to enter in limited numbers with queues for each ‘slot’. I went for coffee and came back later!
Love the design of Metadelic, even though I’m not normally a fan of those double cd boxes I don’t have a problem with this one, need Metatronic now!
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Simon H – I’ve had “Metatronic” for a few years now. The early version of “Burning Car” will scorch your mind! And if you have 5.1 surround sound, Mark Reeder’s 5.1 mix of “Underpass” will thrill you to no end! The live in Sydney concert is no slouch, either!
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No 5.1 but you’ve sold it to me anyway!
I need to rein my purchases in but never seem to manage it, as you say music is the best value entertainment wise!
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Simon H – I’m at work now on a Saturday, but accompanied by music that I just bought as downloads [!] last night and it adds pleasure that can’t be denied. In my world, there’s music and food… then everything else.
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A non religious ‘amen’ to that…but don’t tell my wife!:)
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