Love It To Death

Ebay mistake. Judging from the photo on eBay, this copy of Alice Cooper 'Love it to Death' looked like it was in decent shape. I threw a bid on it for $5.00, and then after the fact I noticed that the write up mentioned water damage. It also stated that it was in Very Good or Very Good+ condition. Sounded like it might still be okay. I received the package in the mail and the guy did the worst packaging job that I have ever seen. I opened up the box and see the condition of the record. Shit. The inside gatefold and back cover have big sections where the cover has ripped away and is falling apart. I should have read the eBay description more closely before bidding. Oh well, it was just $5.00. The vinyl is in great shape, but I need the packaging to be of quality as well. Damn it, I'm going to need a better copy of this record.

This copy has the green Warner Brothers label, and the controversial "thumb" cover. The record was originally released on Frank Zappa's Straight label. The cover photo has Alice sticking his thumb through a hole in his cape. The thumb looks like a penis, and soon after Warner Brothers re-released it, the photo was airbrushed to remove the offensive thumb. Rock out with your cock out.

What We Pre-Order

I was quite relieved to receive my First Step 'What We Know' pre-order from Rivalry Records. I had ordered the package deal to get both colors of vinyl and a CD. I had been hearing from other people that they had ordered as soon as the pre-orders were available, and yet they didn't get both colors and ended up getting two blue. This record sold out fast. Thus, I was very happy to open my package and see both the red/pink vinyl as well as the blue. This record is limited to 235 on pink, and 605 on blue with the regular cover.

I have been listening to this album daily since I've received the CD. This is destined to be a classic. It has some tough competition for Album Of The Year with new records dropping this summer for Have Heart, Triple Threat, Betrayed, and Verse...but this one may take the prize.

Ceremony Ruined Hardcore

I was browsing at Newbury Comics and was surprised to see the Ceremony 'Ruined' 7 inch for sale. The vinyl selection at Newbury's has been less than impressive lately. I saw this one, and even though the price tag of $6.00 was a bit excessive, I bought it. I had previously downloaded a few songs from their demo and I remember liking what I had heard. Ceremony play some ripping hardcore...fast paced shit that does not let up. The lyrics are kind of negative in the same vein as Tear It Up with the "I Hate Everyone" mantra. Not exactly my mindset but still good for those pissed off days. The record is limited to 800 on banana yellow.

Classic Priest

I have been loving Judas Priest recently, especially the real early stuff. Funny because when I was growing up, the early stuff was not my favorite. I picked up the 'Hero, Hero' double album from eBay for $15. The album is pretty much a collection of the first two Priest records with different production. Gull Records released it in 1981 after the band was breaking it big with the release of British Steel. I'm sorry, but the portrait of the band on the inside gatefold sleeve is hysterical. With all the pastels it looks like it came right out of a New Kids On The Block CD. Ian Hill looks like a freakin' BeeGee, and Glenn Tipton looks like Rick Springfield. Hilarious.

This is one of the few bands that I have never seen live. For the Turbo tour, Priest came to Portland while I was away with my family camping and I was too young to drive back home for the show. For the Ram It Down tour, Priest was supposed to play at the Ballpark in Saco. The show got cancelled. For the Painkiller show at the Civic Center I got kicked out for slamdancing to Megadeth. Finally, the Angel Of Retribution tour comes to the State Theater in Portland, but I skip it because I am low on cash and I had plans to go to the Ghostface Killah show later that week. Priest would have been a better show.

Open Hearts Are Blue

The First Step are going to be freakin' huge once their new album drops. I can't believe that it has been four years since their last record was released. I picked up the Open Hearts and Clear Minds CD at the last Back To School fest back in 2002. Sweet Pete told me that I should check them out because they have an old school sound similar to Insted...very positive. I have liked TFS ever since then, but hearing their new album puts them on a whole other level. After recently seeing them play a show in Massachusetts, I was searching eBay and came across the Open Hearts 12 inch on blue. I had the clear vinyl pressing that I had ordered from Livewire records years ago, but I didn't know there was a blue pressing as well. I checked with Livewire board for posting info and someone replied that their were 220 of the clear vinyl for pre-orders and 220 of the blue for a tour pressing. Sounds like there is also a black pressing of 350 and then 50 that were released with a messed up cover. I got this one for $15.50.

Korean Volume

A couple of posts back I mentioned that I had been on a Black Sabbath kick, that is further proven by this purchase. I already own the Earmark Records vinyl re-issue of this album, but I couldn't resist picking up this Korean pressing of the classic Volume 4. I saw the auction on eBay...there was a couple of minutes before it ended and there were no bids. I figured that picking it up for $5.00 from some dude in New Hampshire was a deal that I couldn't pass up. The sleeve for the album is kind of cheap (paper with a plastic overlay), and the seller had indicated that Korean albums are known for their poor sound quality, but who cares?!?! This is such a great addition to my collection, with the Korean symbols on the cover and album, with the alternate back cover...damn, this is pretty cool.

Undisputed Collection

I recently got the purple vinyl for Some Kind of Hate's 'Undisputed' album. This completes the collection. It is a very solid hardcore album, but it doesn't seem to get much recognition. I've seen them play a couple of times, the last time was when I saw them open the 7 Seconds / Champion show in Massachusetts. The crowd never seems to be very into them. While the band pours all their energy into the live set, the kids in the audience just stand and stare.

I picked up the purple vinyl on eBay for $2.75. The purple is limited to 300. The spray painted cover is from their 2003 west coast tour and is limited to 150. The white vinyl is limited to 700.

Best of Sabbath

I've been on a big Black Sabbath kick lately, and this purchase is a result of that. I actually saw this record for sale at Newbury Comics about six months ago. I carried it around the store, but ended up putting it back because I really didn't have the money to spend. Took a trip back to Newbury's last week and told myself that if they still had it, then I would buy it. I love the cover of this record. The image is just so dark, so intense. Sabbath had so many great songs that it is nearly impossible to limit the best to 4 albums worth. Of course the main focus on these records is Ozzy, but Dio and Gillian get a couple of songs thrown in on the fourth record. Nice gatefold packaging with a great write up of Sabbath's history on the inside cover. I have no idea how many of these were made, but this collection is from the year 2000 and my copy is numbered 5502 from a limited pressing.

The Addiction Grows

Here is the European pressing of the Betrayed EP. Dead and Gone Records released it as a 12" for the bands European tour. Limited to 500 on black vinyl. Between the currency conversion and shipping, this record was a little expensive, but I definitely needed it for the collection. Dead and Gone ship stuff so fast, I had this within a week. Pretty cool to see the record on the 12 inch format.

In addition to the Betrayed record, I also ordered the Fifty On Red 7 inch. It is the second pressing, on green vinyl. Limited to 500. Descent Euro straight edge hardcore.

Records, Rain and Red Sox

Took the day off on Tuesday to go to Boston for a Red Sox / Yankees game. Fun road trip with Paul, Rob and Heidi. Whenever we are in the neighborhood of Fenway park, we have to stop in at Nuggets record store. Huge selection of used vinyl and cheap CD's. I typically browse the vinyl selection, but usually don't buy anything because I either can't find anything I want, or there is too much wear and tear for my liking. This trip I managed to make some very good finds...all were in the $5 or $6 range.

• GBH - Midnight Madness and Beyond : Decent punk record. Not my favorite by them, but I only had this on cassette and needed to get it on a better format.
• Judas Priest - Screaming For Vengeance and Defenders of the Faith : By coincidence, as I was hanging out at the house in the morning I was struck by a strong urge to listen to some early Priest, and brought out their first three albums. When I saw these two, and the great condition that they are in, I knew I had to buy them. I had Defenders of the Faith on cassette and needed to replace that with vinyl. Screaming for vengeance I own the CD, but it is such a classic I had to buy it on vinyl for the collection.
• Rainbow - Self titled first record : I had never heard this album. I really liked the other two Rainbow albums with Dio, plus the first record has Man on the Silver Mountain so how could I go wrong. Plus this thing was in great shape, gatefold cover, and a German pressing.
• Dokken - Tooth and Nail : Another coincidence. As Paul and I were driving down he made a joke about Dokken, and I joked that I never really could get into Breaking the Chains until we had seen them live. Then at Nuggets I found they had that album for sale. I like Tooth and Nail better so I bought that one instead.
• UFO - Strangers in the Night : I heard this band for the first time about a month ago. Jeff played me a song and I loved the guitar sound. Great 70's rock. I downloaded this live album and was glad to get the double album on vinyl.
  

The record that I was most excited about was the live Alice Cooper bootleg, One Halloween Night. Recorded in 1978, I was tenative to buy this...I wasn't sure how great the quality was and the price tag was $15. They had both the Killer and Constrictor album for sale as well, and I almost bought one of those instead. Then, for the Hell of it, I slide the live album out of it's sleeve and I saw the colored wax. I was sold. I listened to a few songs when I got home and the quality of the live recording is excellent. I'm glad I picked it up.


After Nuggets and dinner at Bertucci's we headed over the bridge to Fenway for the Red Sox / Yankees game. It had rained all day and we were nervous that the game was going to be called. We got inside the ballpark around 6:00, and the field was covered to keep the water off. It wasn't raining anymore, and we were hopeful that the game would go on as scheduled. The game was delayed and we sat and waited it out. It was cold so I went and bought a new winter hat. Then at 7:45 it started to rain. We got out our ponchos and sat in the rain. Soon it was announced that the game was postponed until August 18th for a 1:00 game. Hmmm, spending a Friday afternoon in August watching the Sox and Yankees go at it sounded perfect and suddenly it didn't really matter that the game was cancelled...plus it wasn't a wasted trip since I had a bunch of new records to keep me happy.

Think Fast!

Received the order that I placed with Think Fast! Records through MerchNow. Didn't really get what I ordered. I had originally wanted to place the order to get the latest color of the Have Heart record. Better to get it before it's gone and I'm left getting it through eBay. While I was ordering that one, I noticed that The Geeks record was available on colored vinyl as well so I figured that I'd pick it up...I've been wanting to hear that band. Lastly, I ordered the Wake Up Call record on colored vinyl. I have been really impressed with this record and listening to it daily. I received my order very quickly. I rip open the box to inspect the records. What the Hell? Have Heart is on black vinyl! Goddamn, so is The Geeks. Thankfully the Wake Up Call was the color that I ordered...especially since I already had that one on black vinyl.

Wake Up Call is green colored vinyl with purple splatter and limited to 220. Have Heart is the 5th pressing on black and limited to 330. The Geeks is the 2nd pressing on black and limited to 330.