Rejected Battery

Greatest hits records for Hardcore bands are weird, and for those us that are diehards, they are absolutely pointless. When it was announced that REV was releasing this compilation of Battery songs, I was prepared to pass it by, and leave it for the completists.

When Chris over at Unwavering Spirit offered to grab a copy for me at Battery's reunion at the Damage City Fest, I figured that adding a limited REV pressing to my collection couldn't hurt, so I took him up on it. Honestly, if this was anything but a special pressing that was basically being laid at my feet, I wouldn't have bothered, but this opportunity was too good to pass up. Too bad this record didn't include the new Battery song, My Last Breath, that the band recorded as they prepare for the reunion show. It would have been a nice addition on this record.

Number 157 out of 200.

Record Store Day 2014 Part 1: Learn To Obey

Somewhere along the way, I stopped caring about Record Store Day releases. It used to be that I would pour over the list each year, memorizing all those new records that I had to have. Then at some point it hit me...a lot of this was just part of the RSD hype machine, and at the end of the day, I didn't need another armful of vinyl repressings that I probably wouldn't care about if it wasn't Record Store Day.

For this year, I gave a passing glance at the list of RSD releases, and decided that there were only a couple of releases that I really wanted to get my hands on. This was the first year that I didn't bother with the lines, and showed up an hour after the doors opened. It was a pretty laid back affair, but as I started flipping through the vinyl, I ended up walking out of the store with much more than I had anticipated.

At the top of my Record Store Day list was the new OFF! 7 inch. Two exclusive songs that aren't on the new LP...it was one of the few things that I would have been bummed if I didn't get it. I let out a sigh of relief when I found a copy.

The one other piece of vinyl that I was on the hunt for was the Clutch/Lionize split 7 inch. I couldn't have cared less about the Lionize side, but a new Clutch song for their side of the record? Fuck yes.

Truth be told, I had completely forgotten that there was going to be a new pressing of Up Front's Spirit LP for Record Store Day. I was happily surprised when I saw it in the vinyl bin. Probably the best thing released on this day. This record completes the trifecta of vinyl that I NEEDED to have. Every new release beyond this point was a bonus, and was something that wouldn't have broken my heart if I didn't buy one.

Let start off the remainder of my RSD haul with the Revelation stuff. I love Farside, and someday I'd like to make a run at building a decent collection. Until then, I'll grab this copy of the band's first 7 inch on blue vinyl.

I skipped REV's RSD pressing of the first Sense Field LP last year. I've always though of it as a bit of a turd, but I do really enjoy Killed For Less and Building. I'm not out to collect multiple copies, but since I didn't already own Building on vinyl, I figured that this was a good opportunity to finally buy one...plus that red vinyl looks great!

Another band that I'd like to get around to collecting someday is Battery. I think that the only piece of vinyl I had for them was the copy of the 7 inch I got a couple years ago. Embarrassing. I happily took this opportunity to grab my first piece of vinyl for Whatever It Takes.

Quick story...I remember sitting outside a show talking to Lacroix from Ten Yard Fight, and he was telling me that Ken Olden was bragging about how easy it was to write a Youth Crew Hardcore record. Apparently, Ken said he could crank one out in 5 minutes. When I first heard Whatever It Takes, I was disappointed with how uninspired it sounded...kind of like the band rushed through it in 5 minutes. The record is okay, and I probably enjoy it more today than when it was released, but let's not kid ourselves...Until The End crushes this one.

At one point, I was a huge fan of Strife. I saw them a few times in Boston back in the day, and they always were great live. In This Defiance hasn't aged that well, and I rarely even bother with it these days, but I never owned it on vinyl, so I figured "what the Hell", and bought one on Record Store Day.

Scott Vogel has done a lot of bands. I liked Despair, and while it has been many years since I've bothered with Terror, I remember digging those first two records. I've never really spent a lot of time with Buried Alive, and figured that the Record Store Day provided a good opportunity to dig into them beyond a casual listen.

Once I had all the Hardcore vinyl that I wanted, it was time to decide what else I wanted to pick up. It seems that each year, there is some "limited" release from Jimi Hendrix. Typically it is some throw away 7 inch that I can't imagine anyone really needs, but this year we got a vinyl pressing of Live At Monterey. I love most of the Hendrix stuff and this is a solid live set. I was in the mood for spending money...plus that cover is too bad ass to resist...so I grabbed myself a copy.

Speaking of spending money...I had an internal debate over purchasing the reissue of The Doors compilation, Weird Scenes Inside The Gold Mine. While not really a Greatest Hits record, there is nothing new here, but it does have a couple of B-sides that I don't own on vinyl. These songs, in addition with how great the vinyl looks, convinced me to spend the money and buy a copy.

Now that I had plenty of new RSD vinyl, it was time to hit the used bins...to be continued...

Bonus Records

Some guys are just good dudes. When I picked up the REV25 LP from an old friend that had gone to the Cali shows, he mentioned that he was going to throw in a few extra records that he had laying around. He no longer collects records, so he saw it as an opportunity to clean out what was left of his old collection and dump it on someone that might appreciate it.

I wasn't really sure what to expect, and while there were some pieces that I already had, I was quite happy to add a few surprises. I've set aside the doubles of the Maelstrom LP, as well as the All Systems Go comp...plus I already had the CR flexi, and the Flagman 7 inch. Everything else was a good score.

The one that I was most excited about from the lot was the Wrecking Crew 7 inch. Mark McKaye from Slapshot originally released this back in 1988, and while there were certainly better records from this time period, I'd still consider this one a Boston Hardcore classic based on historical relevance alone...plus Guts and Glory is a rager of a song.

800 were pressed on black vinyl. Some got red covers...others got grey. Some were numbered...some were not.

Mine was handstamped as number 77.

Seems as though someone was a big fan of Smartfood popcorn, and put a message on the inside sleeve.

The other record that I was very happy to receive was the Battery 7 inch. Released back in 1991, this record has eluded me until now. I've always liked Battery, so how has this 7 inch slipped past my radar? I'm just happy to finally have a copy.

Yeah, these were Battery's early days. Is Brian McTernan wearing lipstick in that photo? And Ken Olden smiling? The last few times I've seen that guy play, he is so damn serious. Dude, when you are playing bass for Youth of Today, how can you not have fun? Weird.

The last piece of vinyl that was a keeper for me was the Rebirth of Hardcore: 1999 comp. This LP was huge at the time. New songs from some of the biggest names in hardcore at the time...and many of these songs are still only available here. Ten Yard Fight, Rain On The Parade, Fastbreak, Atari, and Better Than A Thousand. Plus as a bonus, you get a couple of Shelter songs that don't sound like complete shit.

The packaging for this LP is crap though. For a record sleeve, you basically just get a giant poster that is folded up. Go ahead and keep pulling this out to check the lyrics, unfolding it, and then folding back up...let me know how long it takes until the seams start to split.

I'm feeling pretty good about this small haul. Free records rule.