We’ve been watching the Skafish reissue program unfold patiently over the last handful of years as the artist first obtained the rights to his I.R.S. masters and then set about remastering and rebuilding the package for a stunning reissue that cut no corners. The first album made a splashy return in 2019, and we’ve watched the gears turning for his second album, “Conversation.” The decision was made to not merely reissue the album as it reached stores but to also include the full original album of material that Miles Copeland had balked on issuing for…any number of reasons.

The package now includes 21 songs; the original eleven abetted with the eight rejected songs, and two live tracks which completed the Skafish picture. One of the live tracks is the widely known live recording of “Sign Of The Cross” from “Urgh! A Music War” soundtrack, so this second project will draw a neat and tidy bow on the whole I.R.S. era for Skafish. Here are the contents of the reissue.

DISC 1/LP SIDES 1+2

1. Secret Lover
2. Wild Night Tonight
3. Made Up In The Dark
4. Victims Of The Night
5. She Lives For Love
6. Mother Is Waiting
7. Lover In Masquerade
8. She’s Taking Her Love Away
9. I Might Move In Next Door
10. Bad Feelings Have Died
11. In Another Time In Another Place

DISC 2/LP SIDES 3+4

1. Let’s Play Doctor
2. You Invited Me Here
3. Barbie Doll Dream House Single Monologue
4. Executive Exhibitionist
5. Home Invader
6. We’ll See (The Chicago Cubs Baseball Game)
7. Five O’Clock Face
8. Barbie Doll Dream House Double Monologue
9. Beefcake Touch (Live In France)
10. Sign Of The Cross (Live From URGH!)

I’m happy to report that the Kickstarter campaign began yesterday and the project is already funded at 150% of the modest $1,000 goal, which surely was only the cost of reproduction and not taking into account any of the considerable back end costs [remastering, design, etc.]. That’s not too surprising as people need their challenging to obtain Skafish musical nutrients, but there are 20 days left for all and sundry to pledge for what is an authoritative reissue program with the following levels of rewards. All formats include extensive liner notes and full lyrics and the CD booklet is a digipak™-busting 40 pages which becomes a 44 page PDF booklet with the download version.

CROWDSOURCE PACKAGES

• Download album [with 44 page PDF lyrics and liner notes] – $13.00
• 2xCD [250 edition, original album + Rejects, includes DL album] – $18.00
• Autographed 2xCD [250 edition, includes DL album] – $25.00
• Gatefold 2xLP [100 edition, 180g – red/yellow wax, includes DL album] – $45.00
• Autographed Gatefold 2xLP [100 edition, 180g – red/yellow wax, includes DLl album] – $55.00
• Autographed test pressing 2xLP [2 edition, includes autographed 2xCD, DL album] – $150.00

The ultrafan test pressing package is already long gone, daddy-o, but the other packages are still plentiful. And the intriguing difference to this Kickstarter campaign is the salient fact that the prices for the reissues will be lower than the retail price of the goods after the campaign. It’s a surprising reversal of the normal crowdsource paradigm of having initial buy-in costs at a premium which are then undercut in the marketplace following the campaign. So it behooves us to get in on the ground floor of a good deal! That CD is the apple of my eye, of course. For numerous reasons, I’m in such a tight period lately that we’re squeaking, but I will try my best to find an extra eighteen… or maybe twenty five dollars in seat cushions to put my money where my mouth is. For your part, you know the deal…D.J. hit that button.

-30-