Friday, March 09, 2007

X-ing Up Strongly Suggested

It has been too long since I've added some hardcore vinyl to the collection. I was killing some time on eBay and saw a first pressing of Champion's first 7 inch, Come Out Swinging. Picked it up for $4.34. I'm not sure how many were pressed on clear vinyl, but I'm going to have to find out. Edit : I checked with Aram and he thinks there were 300 pressed on clear and 700 on black vinyl.
Before it was re-pressed on Bridge Nine, this record was released by Platinum Recordings on vinyl and Phyte Records on CD. I remember when this was first released...it had Timm McIntosh from Trial in the band so I was excited to check it out. I saw the CD at Newbury Comics and was checking out the packaging. The back of the CD case was designed like the credits on a movie poster...complete with a rating. Rated SE, X-ing up strongly suggested, contains straight edge hardcore that may incite finger pointing. Yes! I didn't hesitate to buy this CD. Unfortunately it didn't move me the way that I'd hoped, and I never really got into the band until they released Promises Kept. This record isn't nearly as strong as that LP, but it has grown on me and I can appreciate it for what it is...the starting point of a great band.

2 comments:

Tyler said...

I was the same way, i never really got in to Champion until Promises Kept. Since then i've gone back over their other releases and let them grow on me. It makes me appreciate Promises Kept that much more, knowing where the band started as and what they progressed to and eventually ended as.

xroldx said...

I think Promises Kept was by far the best Champion record and doubt if they could have made a better one if they didn't break up.

So Mike is the heartfelt package in already?