Sonic Youth - Sister (1987)

Blast First! BFFP20

This was the second Sonic Youth album I bought after Dirty. I'm not too sure why I got this on vinyl to be honest - I think it just came down to price. If it was a quid cheaper, I would have gone that way back then.

What I didn't know about this album was that several songs were used on the Santa Cruz video Streets on Fire, which I'd watched over and over along with Powell Peralta's 'Attack' and H-Street's 'Not The New H-Street Video' at my mates.
I'd had VHS to C60 dubs of that video so I could listen to it on my walkman and at first it was odd hearing Catholic Block or White Kross without the skate noises over the top. I still rerun quotes in my head from certain videos throughout songs as I knew them first that way. Claus wins the day!

To tie the skate trivia in even more - it was Geoff Rowley who recently pointed out that I had the version of this release with the original cover. Disney threatened SST and Sonic Youth with a lawsuit if their photo of the Magic Kingdom wasn't deleted from all releases.

There you go - an entire note on an amazing LP which purely talks about skating. I get the feeling a lot of this blog may go this way.

Don't skip: Schizophrenia, (I Got A) Catholic Block, Pipeline/Kill Time, White Kross

Dead Kennedys - Bedtime for Democracy (1986)

Alternative Tentacles VIRUS50 UK Release

The DK's last proper album. I had this on CD originally. I will get that up on here at some point, I guess. I should as it was my entry point into the Dead Kennedy's.

The main reason I picked this up was for the artwork. The cover is amazing and you just couldn't get into the detail on the CD. The vinyl also has a mock newspaper included but I blew it here as this second hand version doesn't seem to have that included. Whether this is some later pressing which doesn't include that, I don't know.

Bedtime for Democracy is a step back to a time before Frankenchrist. Five minute plus jams are out. Aside from two or three songs everything on here is roughly two minutes or less in length.

The pace is frantic throughout and probably deserves a little more attention that previous releases which I reckon you can enjoy without giving over your full focus...Honestly. You can listen to Police Truck or California Über Alles and probably learn all the lyrics within a couple of listens whilst also doing the cooking or playing video games. 

Bedtime for Democracy really works in a far better way if you take the time to sit down and listen on your own. Give it a shot.

Don't Skip: Dear Abby, Cesspools in Eden, Gone With My Wind, Anarchy For Sale

Butthole Surfers - Piouhgd (1991)

Rough Trade R260-1

This is the Rough Trade original release. I was always surprised that the London-based store had a record label. I just knew it as the place beneath Slam City Skates with all of the signatures on the ceiling and a healthy dose of punk rock records.

This was the second release from the Butthole's that I owned after the Hurdy Gurdy Man CD single...and it's kind of surprising that I continued buying releases from these guys after this. Hurdy Gurdy Man is a straight Donovan cover which I loved - so I was after more of the same; but this was all a bit too out there. Or lazy. I guess that depends on your viewpoint.
Hurdy Gurdy Man is by far the best track here. Blindman and Something aren't bad and Lonesome Bulldog (Which is clearly a piss-take) is cool in it's own odd way but I'm not too sure of the need for it to be on here four times, despite clearly getting more twisted with each play. It's just a gag which doesn't work too well. 

Piouhgd is just not a record I went back to often. I sort of wish I liked it more, but the Butthole Surfers definitely have far better releases out there.

Don't skip: Hurdy Gurdy Man

Hüsker Dü - Metal Circus (1983)

SST Records ‎SST 020, Reflex Records ‎REFLEX G

This would have been a late 90's purchase from Notting Hill Music and Video Exchange while I was working at Playstation Skatepark. 

It seems like a natural follow up to the Dinosaur Jr. release I posted yesterday - not only were they label-mates at one point (and I'm sure they would have played some shows together, too) but they also had a song in Blind Skateboards "Video Days" release from the early 90's.

That video ended up on rotation at the skatepark when Ralph - another guy working there - brought his copy in and entrusted it to the long line of shitty VHS players we had. By donating your player to the park you were basically giving it a death sentence no matter how good you claimed your find was.
I spent most lunch breaks between Notting Hill Gate Music & Video Exchange and the original Rough Trade store always looking for something marked down.

Hüsker Dü were a band I'd always heard of but never really listened to until this point. An ex-girlfriends best mate was really into them and always had cassettes lying about with hand drawn strike-through logos which never really looked quite right. Being that they are a massive link between early 80's hardcore and late 90's alternative I have no idea how I managed to avoid them.

'Real World' - The opener - was the track this EP was purchased for. However, 'Diane' is the real killer. Much lighter in tone (Along with 'It's Not Funny Anymore' - both sung by Grant Hart) than the hardcore side shown by Hüsker Dü up until this point.

I can listen to that song over and over.

Don't skip: Real World, Diane

Dinosaur Jr – Just Like Heaven (1989)

Blast First BFFP47

I really don't remember where I got this. I've never been one to buy 7's unless they are something really special. I guess it was probably some Dinosaur Jr. phase crossed with a 99p sale purchase or something.

In all likelihood the purchase was probably just a cheap way of getting a copy of Just Like Heaven which had been in Blind Skateboards "Video Days" VHS and was at the time probably etched into my mind from repeat viewings at my fake cousing Ben's house (We used to say we were cousins to everyone. Not sure why...We were good mates who knew each other through our dads who were good mates from school).
I never liked the way that song just ended in the video, so wanted the full thing. Turns out that was the full thing. I've always been surprised at Dinoasur Jr. settling on that ending. It's not that I don't like it...I am just left wanting more. What happened after the cut? Noise doesn't just end. Does it?

Throw Down is a forgettable little number clocking in at under a minute and Chunks (A Last Rights Song) is a classy hardcore blast from start to finish. Randomly, I didn't actually know this was a cover until about five minutes ago. "A Last Rites Song" refers to it originally being written and put out by the band Last Rites, as opposed to some sort of execution related ditty.

Don't skip: Just Like Heaven, Chunks (A Last Rights Song)

Melvins / Totimoshi – Suicide In Progress Live / Waning Divine (2012)

Volcom Entertainment VEVC0025

I was genuinely excited when I heard that Totimoshi were doing a split with the Melvins on the Volcom Entertainment Vinyl Club. It meant that through my friend at Volcom, I might actually get one of these limited Melvins releases which I rarely can justify buying at inflated eBay costs.

For this release Totimoshi seem to have gone back to their original sound (by which, I mean that of ¿Mysterioso? as I haven't heard their original self-released CD), which is a good thing in my opinion. Waning Divine is a bit of a heavy Bullhead/Stag era Melvins song in style and a little less heavy than usual on the Native American influence for which I never particularly cared for when it came to studio recordings of these guys. Maybe this is the Scott Kelly/Brett Hinds influence as I think both of these guys are on this track.
Hopefully they'll kick this one around live, somehow. Totimoshi really are great to go and see play and have always kept the show fiery.

As for the other side of the 7" - Suicide in Progress continues the recent Melvins tradition of putting out a lot of live releases (after the 5xLP Endless Residency and the Sugar Daddy Live releases). This is a version sounding pretty damn close to the studio original, albeit with a slightly rawer feel. It's probably better than the studio version although I'm not totally settled. I think played at volume, this one will win out though. It's the Melvins doing what they do. Live, fast, slow, heavy, melodic.
I think that outside of Chicken Switch, you'll probably not find a bad Melvins review on this blog. I can't get enough of them.

Thanks to Kurt at Volcom Entertainment for this hook up. It's 14/100, in case you are interested.

Don't skip: Suicide in Progress

Slayer - Reign In Blood (1986)

London Records LONLP34

I didn't come into Slayer via 'Angel of Death' which seems to be the natural route but via 'South of Heaven'. Nick Swan, a kid in my class at school used to make metal tapes for me trying to get me into heavier stuff than the punk rock I was listening to through all of that time. I think it was the words "Cunting Daughters" which got me. I'm deep like that.

This was the second Slayer album I owned. I just had tape dubs for the longest time, upgrading to MiniDisc copies during the late 90's only actually purchasing the CD's from about 2001 onwards.

The vinyl was only bought recently as I saw it cheap. I'm not a massive fan of anything beyond Divine Intervention so had pretty much stopped looking at Slayer sections in record stores but recently started again as I'm going to see them for the fifth or sixth time next month when they play the entirety of Reign In Blood at ATP's I'll Be Your Mirror festival here in London. Melvins are there, too and I'll also get to see Sleep for the first time.

I can't wait.

Don't skip: Angel of Death, Jesus Saves, Criminally Insane, Postmortem, Raining Blood

Witch - Soul of Fire (2005)

Damaged Goods ‎– DAMGOOD 259, Tee Pee Records ‎– DAMGOOD 259

This would have been the first release Witch brought out - and the last thing I bought of theirs to date. The version of Rip Van Winkle is a different version to that on the 2006 S/T LP; as noted on the record - it is from an earlier recording session. This version also showed up on the Invaders compilation a year later.
The lead guitar is pretty raw and fiery on it and is well worth checking out.

Don't skip: Soul of Fire

Lard - The Power Of Lard (1989)

Alternative Tentacles VIRUS72

I first heard The Power Of Lard on the intro of the 1996 Toy Machine video "Welcome To Hell" after which I promptly went out and bought the CD version. I picked up this vinyl version recently on eBay with one of my single bid only gambles.
The version on the Toy Machine video chops away the intro of the song and only uses the following minute and a half, roughly. It's lyrically probably the best part of the song but I would say that as Welcome To Hell is hands down my favourite skate video ever so it's largely bias at work here. Jello Biafra is on point here. Like, Dead Kennedy's on-point. Yup.

The songs on this EP are exclusive to this release. The second track 'Hellfudge' is a little forgettable - although whenever I see fudge, I tend to think of this band so perhaps it's not entirely forgettable (If a bit random)?

The final track 'Time to Melt' is a long slow burning 32 minute jam which took a while for me to get into. I bought the CD originally for the pre-skate hype on my walkman so this lengthy beast wasn't exactly what I was looking for at the time. However, if you want a more industrial (Ministry's Al Jourgensen is part of Lard, so what did you expect) take on Sludge Metal then this will be right up your street.

Don't skip: The Power Of Lard

Black Flag - My War (1984)

SST Records ‎– SST 023

I always thought this release was four or five deep in the Black Flag album lineage. I guess they released a good few 12" EP's between Damaged and here, losing me in the mix somewhere.

This album was my first Black Flag favourite - I got into Damaged and the Keith Morris stuff a few years later as this was the only recording I owned of theirs for a long time. I originally had it on tape, which I still have somewhere. I picked up this upgrade from cassette pretty cheap as I missed listening to the album.

My War - probably more than any other Black Flag record - covers the changes in their sound and style totally from start to finish. Side A only slightly moves on from the Damaged era punk rock whereas Side B is clearly influenced by the Black Sabbath's of this world and probably became the precursor to the likes of Flipper, Melvins and Nirvana.

Good shit. Keep it looping.

Don't skip: My War, Beat My Head Against the Wall, Nothing Left Inside