DRI Dealing with it LP

The reissues keep coming-today's instalment is DRI's classic 'dealing with it' LP. Released back in 1985 this became an instant classic and was the band's official album debut (the previous 'LP'' was their 7" pressed onto a 12"). From start to finish this thing doesn't let up. 'My fave track is 'Nursing home blues', that still knocks me silly now whenever I hear it. I love that front cover too-as a kid it was artwork like that what defined hardcore punk for me. Beer city have done the job here-1100 on red vinyl. This is an essential album for any hardcore collection-consider yourself officially shit if you don't own it.

How much art can you take?

Went to Liverpool yesterday to see the Raymond Pettibon exhibition. I was hoping to get some of my album sleeves scribbled on by the great man but alas he wasn't around. Damn!! Anyway check out some of this stuff.

Urban blight-Total war 7" Red

Static Shock records just released the new Urban blight 7", right in time for their recent UK tour. 125 on red and 375 on black and already they're nearly gone. A repress is on the way apparently. Anyway it's good shit-more UK 82 style than US 82 I'd say. The sound is very rough and raw. It even comes housed in a old crass style poster sleeve. I caught them live in Birmingham and they ripped (see pic below).

Soul control-Fundamental forces 7" Test press

Soul Control are a band I've only just started getting into and funny enough, one of my first records by them is one of their rarest-a test pressing of the 'fundamental forces' 7" on Dead but dreaming records. This is number 12 of 18. I don't even have a regular copy to compare this to. I'm asuming that's just one sided with the one track like this one. Since this, the band have signed to and released stuff on Bridge nine so that makes them officially cool.

Black breath-Heavy breathing LP

Man, it's been a glorious year so far for new music. Some great records and one of my favourites has to be the full length debut album from Black breath. Much better than the 12" they released previously, this time around, although the Motorhead and Discharge influences are still evident, this sounds uncannily very much like the first classic Entombed album (Left hand path). It's almost as if they went to the sound guy in the studio and gave him a copy of that CD and told them that was the exact sound they wanted. Well anyway that's what they got, especially with the guitars. This is full on from start to finish. Southern lord reased this on clear and blue the first time round. The clear version was actually a European exclusive so I feel quite blessed there. I missed the blue one though until the repressing came along in blue and purple. At time of writing this, they're still available so get on it before it vanishes again. They're touring the UK in November, can't wait!!!!

DRI Crossover LP

Here is a record very close to my heart. Back in 1987 I was a spotty chubby 15 year old with a mullet listening to thrash metal and just about to embark on my life long journey into hardcore. I remember getting a tape of this (with SOD's speak English or die on the other other side) and being blown away. I was already really into Suicidal Tendencies and Agnostic front so I wanted more hardcore/metal and this was just the ticket. The name 'Crossover' sums this album up perfectly. Many hardcore bands were crossing over into metal and many metalheads like myself were going the other way-getting more in to hardcore punk-both the music and the ideals. 23 years after it's first release on Roadrunner/Roadracer, Beer city have repressed this amazing record (along with 'dealing with it' and the two 7"s-all of which are on my shopping list). 1100 pressed on red. That seems a high number now but funny enough back in the day it wasn't-vinyl was still the main format. CDs were still very new and only really bought by Dire Straits fans and Yuppies (same thing really) and it was long before people started stealing music online. This was a huge seller at the time. I normally begrudge re-buying represses of records I already have (not that it deters me of course) but I don't feel bad about this and sticking this on the turntable reminds me how I got here in the first place.

Orange 9mm-s/t 12" Light green

Although this probably isn't the most valuable record I own it could possibly be the rarest as according to the rev discography there are just only 3 of these in existence (and yes this has been compared to a dark green one). Check it out at
http://www.revelationrecords.com/pressing/rev31
When this came out in 1994 the youth crew era which Revelation had earlier doccumented with their first few releases seemed like ancient history (bear in mind this was before the late 90's revival and before any of the reunions). This was a part of the post hardcore sounds that Rev were commited to putting out around then. Personally I was never blown away by this band. I felt there were many much better bands and records out around the time and even on Rev (like the criminally underrated and long forgotten 'Filter the infection' 12" ep by Statue). That was just my opinion anyway as they were signed up to a major not long afterwards and released a full length album (which I still have in my collection somewhere). Listening to it again now I'm still pretty much under the same opinion. It's not bad at all but it's certainly no classic. It's very groovy and sounds extremely very 90's but it does have some sort of freshness about it still. Either that or I'm just stuck in a time warp. Saying all that, I am pretty chuffed to own a copy of this. Makes me feel very exclusive. I wonder who owns the other two.

Black flag-Nervous breakdown 7" second press

A few weeks I did a post about my scoring of a third pressing of Black flag's Nervous breakdown (on red vinyl). Well today's posting is one that deals with the second pressing of the same record (with a red sleeve!!). Of course I don't need to give anyone a history lesson here but it's nice to grab this and maybe I'm closer to getting a first pressing? Well stranger things have happened.