Record Store Day 2012: Best Album Cover Ever

George Jones - I Wanta Sing

I found this gem in the basement of In Your Ear Records in Warren, RI while helping set up for Record Store Day tomorrow. As if you don't already know, George Jones' 1977 album, I Wanta Sing, features the best cover art in the history of the long playing record album.

I found a lot of nice records down there that will be going out specially for Record Store Day tomorrow, including some really desirable records by James Brown, Miles Davis, The Dead Boys, Pentangle, Metallica, The Sex Pistols, Blondie, Django Reinhardt, Talking Heads, The Velvet Underground, Sun Ra, Sly & the Family Stone, Madonna, Neutral Milk Hotel, The Meatmen, The Who, Iggy & the Stooges, Otis Redding, Funkadelic, The Clash, and many others. Also, in honor of the late, great Levon Helm I pulled a whole bunch of records by The Band (check out Moondog Matinee, it's truly under-rated).

Of course, In Your Ear also got a bunch of Record Store Day exclusives (all of which look really nice) as well as some very impressive (non RSD related) free swag that you will have to see to believe.

Record Store Day 2012: David Bowie

But where can I buy the outfit?

Speaking of David Bowie, Virgin Records will release a limited edition 7" picture disc single of "Starman" in honor of Record Store Day 2012, and also to mark the song's 40th (!) anniversary (it was originally released on April 28, 1972). The a-side features the original single version of the song, while the b-side features a live version recorded for the Top of the Pops television show.

This release is limited to 2,000 copies, and I'm sure the RSD eBay flipper brigade are drooling at the prospect of the profits they can turn on this one.

Additionally, Virgin will release a David Bowie "Mick Rock Tins" 7" + book set. The colored vinyl single will feature "Starman" and "Suffragette City" and the book will feature 128 pages of Mick Rock photos. This release is not exclusive to Record Store Day and will be released to other retailers at some point in the future. It's also listed as limited to a pressing of 2,000, though it's not clear to me if it is "limited" only for Record Store Day, and then will be re-pressed later.

Record Store Day 2012: Freakwater

Thrill Jockey is reissuing Freakwater's third album, Feels Like The Third Time, on LP in honor of Record Store Day 2012. I already own this one on LP, and according to the press release, I guess I'm kind of lucky:

1993 : Thrill Jockey releases Freakwater’s Feels Like the Third Time, an undisputed classic of the alt-country/Americana scene. In print on CD since its release, the vinyl version has been sadly unavailable since the early 90’s, as the record plant burnt down after our initial order of vinyl arrived. Also included for the first time is a free download card.

With stone-cold classics like "Drunk Friend," "Crazy Man," and an unforgettable cover of the late, great Conway Twitty's "You've Never Been This Far Before," this album really is essential listening for any fan of Americana/alt-country/whatever. Actually, it's worth it for any open-minded music lover who just wants to hear some fantastic music. This will sound great in any format (I'm listening to it at my computer right now), but there's no doubt in my mind it's music that was meant to be heard on LP.

Record Store Day 2012: Here's Little Richard!

There have been many, many recordings released on a variety of formats in the Rock and Roll idiom since Here' Little Richard was released on LP in 1957 by the Specialty label, but I'm not sure any of them are better. Different? Sure. Better? Not in my opinion.

In honor of Record Store Day 2012 Specialty (now owned by the Concord Music Group) is re-releasing this album in its original vinyl LP configuration. Sure, the songs have been reissued many times since 1957. I own a CD with all of them plus many more Little Richard classics. But look at that cover! Don't you want to hold a full size copy of it in your hands so you can clearly see the sweat beaded up on Little Richard's brow? Don't you want to hear the needle of your turntable make a gentle pop as it settles into the LP groove just before that earth shaking, paradigm shattering, "A-wop bop-a loo-mop, a-lop bam-boom!" Damn, I know I do.

This reissue was "remastered from the original session tapes" and I bet it sounds great. The only problem with it I can see is that bringing home the music of this flamboyant African-American will most likely no longer have the power to shock uptight parents. Perhaps if the original lyrics were restored it still might. If for some reason there is a pressing problem with this LP and the spindle hole is too tight, just remember to follow Little Richard's original advice: "If it don’t fit, don’t force it / You can grease it make it easy."

Record Store Day 2012: Ryan Adams Does Bob Mould

Ryan Adams will release a limited edition 7" single covering two Bob Mould songs ("Heartbreak A Stranger" and "Black Sheets Of Rain") with a cover that looks like a Hüsker Dü album in honor of Record Store Day 2012. Memo to Ryan Adams, there were three members of Hüsker Dü: Bob Mould, Grant Hart and mustache bass player guy.

Just kidding, I have tons of respect for Greg Norton. But why cover Bob Mould solo material and slap a faux-Hüsker Dü cover on it? Probably because all of Bob Mould's solo albums feature visually undistinguished artwork, unlike the iconic images that grace the Hüskers' albums. That's no doubt because Grant Hart, the other great songwriter in Hüsker Dü, designed the groups' album covers.

Record Store Day 2012: London Calling (Remix)

Sony is releasing a 2012 remix of The Clash's "London Calling" with an instrumental version of the same song for the b-side on a limited edition 7" 45 RPM record in honor of Record Store Day 2012. I believe the remix was done by Mick Jones, but I could be wrong about that. This might be interesting, or it might be a disaster. I like the artwork.

Record Store Day 2012: Rhode Island

 

Even though we hail from the littlest state, Rhode Islanders will have quite a few options to choose from on Record Store Day this year. Okay, technically some of these shops are in Massachusetts, but you barely even have to cross the border to get to most of them.

In Your Ear (Warren, RI): Like the Big Blue Bug, Coffee Milk, Del's Lemonade, and Buddy Cianci's toupée, In Your Ear is a Rhode Island institution. I was just in the store yesterday (because for me it's pretty much always record store day), and they had some free RSD swag kits they were assembling, as well as a big RSD sign in the window. Owner Chris Zingg told me he still wasn't sure what limited edition releases they would get. He usually puts out a nice selection of $1 records and brings up some crates from his super secret basement stash in honor of the day as well. After battling your fellow Rhode Islanders to score the Afrika Bambaataa/MC5 split 7", stop into Del's for a refreshing iced lemonade (they're once again open for the season on weekends).

Olympic Records (Providence, RI): Olympic will be getting some of the limited RSD special releases, and their pinball machines will be operational as well. Just down Wickenden Street, Round Again Records will not be officially participating in RSD, but Steve will be there selling records just as he has nearly every Saturday since opening the store in 1979.

What Cheer! Antiques (Providence, RI): This funky little antiques and record shop in the Wayland Square neighborhood is right across the street from my old apartment. Be sure to pay your respects (note, the plaque commemorating my four year residence at the location is currently being refurbished). They usually mark everything down in honor of RSD and they'll be getting some limited edition RSD releases.

Newbury Comics (Providence, RI and N. Attleboro, MA): I just can't see heading to the Providence Place Mall for RSD, but I have no doubt that local independent chain Newbury Comics will get a good selection of limited edition releases.

Armageddon Shop (Providence, RI): This is the place in Providence for punk rock, heavy metal and other assorted forms of rock and roll mayhem. It's actually a rather sedate little shop on Broadway with a super polite owner who won't toss you out of the store if you're shopping for Pointer Sisters records. They will be getting some of the limited releases as well. Analog Underground is just down the street, and while they are not on the official RSD list, I'm sure they have something planned as well.

Luke's Record Exchange (Pawtucket, RI): I could swear I've read four or five articles in the Providence Journal about how the closing of Luke's Record Exchange marks the end of an era. But there they are on the official RSD 2012 list. Are they still there? Kinda, sorta, not really. Luke's retail shop has been closed for a while now, but I spoke to Luke and he told me he'll be open at the old location this Saturday, April 14 to sell off some of his remaining stock and personal collection. However, he doesn't think he'll be open on RSD, and is not participating this year and will not have any of the RSD limited edition releases. Got it?

The Time Capsule (Cranston, RI and Seekonk, MA): Both Time Capsule locations will be participating in RSD this year.

Sunset Records (Somerset, MA): Sunset is a tiny shop that is little off the beaten path, but it's a terrific spot for fans of 60s psychedelia and garage rock.

Update: Music Box in Newport, RI and Looney Tunes in Wakefield, RI are also participating in RSD 2012. Another "border shop" close to Rhode Island that is participating is Mystic Disc in Mystic, CT. Willimantic Records in Willimantic, CT is not too far from certain parts of Rhode Island as well.

Record Store Day 2012: Sundazed

As usual, Sundazed has some interesting releases lined up for Record Store Day this year.

Gene Clark fans should be particularly pleased to see a trio of 7" single releases featuring the late Byrd. Recorded under Gene Clark's name, "One In A Hundred"/"She's The Kind Of Girl" is actually something of a long-lost Byrds reunion. Recorded in 1970, the other four founding members of the Byrds backed up their former leader for these recordings. This single features the songs in their "unsweetened" form, sourced from the surviving, original rough-mix mono reels. "Why Not Your Baby"/"Lyin' Down The Middle" features two non-LP b-sides from Clark's post-Byrds project, Dillard & Clark, recorded between the duo's two wonderful albums. The single was cut from the original A&M mono masters. Finally, there is The Byrds' "I'll Feel A Whole Lot Better"/"It's No Use," both cut from the original Columbia mono masters.


Other limited edition releases from Sundazed include a double 7" issue of the two singles Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band recorded during their brief, early career, stint at A&M, "Diddy Wah Diddy"/"Who Do You Think You’re Fooling" and "Moonchild"/"Frying Pan." Dave Aguilar’s original vocal is restored to the Chocolate Watchband's "In The Midnight Hour" and "Psychedelic Trip" is a previously-unreleased instrumental version of the band's "No Way Out." 


Sundazed will also release limited edition 7" singles by The Martin Denny Orchestra, The Neanderthals, Paul Revere & The Raiders, The Blues Project and The Blues Magoos especially for Record Store Day 2012. Try not to trample anyone in your rush to grab them from your local wax merchant.

Record Store Day 2012: Public Image Ltd. "One Drop"

Another potentially interesting Record Store Day 2012 release: One Drop EP by Public Image Ltd, their first new material in 20 years. John Lydon describes the track as "a reflection of where I grew up in Finsbury Park, Lon-don. The area that shaped me, and influenced me culturally and musically, a place I will forever feel connected to." 

Record Store Day 2012 Sparks Unrest

UNREST Perfect Teeth / 7" Box Set from Teen-Beat on Vimeo.

Record Store Day 2012 is less than a month away (it falls on April 21, so it's precisely 29 days away). There is an official list of releases up on the RSD website, but I'm not sure if it's complete. It's certainly long. I haven't looked at the list too carefully, but a couple items immediately jumped out at me as looking interesting.

First is a re-issue of Unrest's 1993 album Perfect Teeth in its original 6 X 7" vinyl boxset formation. It's also available for pre-order directly from Teen Beat. I bought this when it came out (if memory serves, the singles boxset premiered a couple months before the CD was released on 4AD), but I ended up selling it on eBay. A few things probably factored into my decision to let this go: First of all, it's kind of inconvenient to have to flip the singles every couple minutes. Second, if I remember correctly, the original vinyl was kind of noisy. And of course, I'm sure I needed the money. Perfect Teeth is still one of my favorite albums from the early to mid-nineties, and it's good to see it back in print and getting special treatment, hopefully on quieter vinyl this time around.

Another release that looks interesting is a Shuggie Otis 7" of "Inspiration Information" coupled with a non-LP b-side that is "previously unreleased and comes from Shuggie's personal archive of the Inspiration Information sessions." This sounds intriguing for a few reasons, not the least of which is that it indicates that Shuggie Otis has personal archive of the Inspiration Information sessions.

I'll mention other releases that look interesting, and discuss what various stores in the Providence, RI area have planned over the next few weeks.