Speaking Out On Perfection

I've been wanting to pick up a copy of Bold's LP, Speak Out, for some time now. I didn't care what pressing it was, all I was concerned about was that it needed to have the gatefold sleeve. Sometimes the most common items are the ones that take the longest to get added to my collection. I've been after the red vinyl copy of Stand & Fight's Impact Demo 7 inch for years. Same is true for the black vinyl of Champion's Count Our Numbers record. I've spent years passing them by on eBay. Why? Because I figure that I can get one any time I want. When I saw that Al Barkley was selling his copy of Speak Out, I figured that the time had come for me to finally act...and with a winning bid of $16.00, the time was definately right. This one is the third press with the "Carrot Juice" and "Ha Ha Ha" on the matrix etching.

Man, the layout for this album cover is true perfection. I love everything about it, from the color combinations to the live photos that seem to really capture the youth crew excitement from 1987. As for the music on this album, it kicks ass all over their follow up, more "mature" 7 inch, and I may even like this LP more today than when I first heard it back in the early 90's. The only downside in buying this LP, is that it reminds me that I still have a hole in my collection where the Crippled Youth 7 inch should be. The search continues....