I got my Right Idea
pre-order a week or so ago, and the first thing that I thought was "Wow, Bottled Up have completely lost it, because these look like shit.". The cover for the record looks like some cheap photocopy job of the original React layout. The lyric sheet looks like some old school cut and paste job, where pieces of the lyrics were slapped on to a piece of paper and then photocopied. Plus the record labels themselves appeared to be the original labels from the React pressing, replacing the React logo with the one from Bottled Up, and
X'ing out all other references to the React name. I was thoroughly confused and dismayed.
Figuring that there must be some
explanation for such a shoddy layout, I immediately sent an email off to Jeff at Bottled Up to see what had happened. He explained that the look was
intentional and was meant to have the look of a bootleg of the original React Records press.
Once I found out that the look was intentional, I was relieved and thought that it was a pretty clever idea. The more I sit on it, the more I wonder if maybe the bootleg layout should have just been used for the
pre-order pressing on black vinyl, and the rest of the pressing would have been better suited to a cleaner layout because, really, this looks like shit.
Also with my Right Idea order, I picked up the white vinyl pressing of The First Step's
What We Know Sessions 7 inch. I only ordered 2 copies of the record when it was released, but being the total geek that I am, I needed the white vinyl as well....limited to 250 pressed.
Figuring that there must be some explanation for such a shoddy layout, I immediately sent an email off to Jeff at Bottled Up to see what had happened. He explained that the look was intentional and was meant to have the look of a bootleg of the original React Records press. 
Once I found out that the look was intentional, I was relieved and thought that it was a pretty clever idea. The more I sit on it, the more I wonder if maybe the bootleg layout should have just been used for the pre-order pressing on black vinyl, and the rest of the pressing would have been better suited to a cleaner layout because, really, this looks like shit.
6 comments:
I'm not a fan of this idea at all. But making the pre-order be a bootleg on black makes sense. After all bootlegs don't come on 17 different colors, like this set. That would have been a neat little twist to the release. Unfortunately I think we need to entertain the idea that this was done to save money. On purpose yes, but not to be cool. Which sorta annoys me. Great band though.
Mine showed up today. I got the same as you. For the first time ever, it occurs to me that there is no point in me writing anything. I might as well just link to your blog. Thanks for saving me the time dude! :o)
Marcus, I waited a good week before I finally posted the RI records. I was thinking that maybe you had forgotten to order them again...
The "bootleg" look was not done to save money. In fact, it wasn't even my idea. The guitar player came up with the idea and did the layout. I had covers printed at Imprint and it is a 2/0 color cover. It didn't cost a ton, but also didn't cost $10. So doing only 100 for the pre-orders would have been pointless. And yeah, there are 3 colors. I collect records. I like different colors. Kids today have a problem downloading everything and small labels such as mine end up sitting on records for years because of this. So maybe I do hope that 20 kids will buy all 3 colors. It helps me continue to release records. While I am open to and encourage criticism, I don't appreciate speculation into the reasons I do what I do with the label. I actually wanted to do a Committed rip-off sleeve for pre-orders, but John nixed that idea.
Jeff, thanks for weighing in on this. While I'm not completely feeling the layout on this release, it does not deter me from knowing that Bottled Up releases quality records. Hell, I'm one of the ones that buys every color of the Have Heart demo, so you know that I'll be one of the first in line for multiple color pressings.
I have to say I was a little perplexed when I opened the package of these records as well. It wasn't until I looked at the labels that it made sense and really ended up liking the whole package.
Bottled Up can do no wrong in my book!
Consider yourself lucky, I ordered this the second Jeff posted it and I never got a pre order color on black, just two clear and a green. Damn!
Post a Comment