Game Theory - Dead Center, etc. Reissue

Omnivore's comprehensive reissue campaign of Scott Miller's seminal 80s band Game Theory continues on November 24th with the reissue of the band's 1984 French compilation LP, Dead Center. Omnivore will also reissue the two EPs that much of Dead Center's material was drawn from, Pointed Accounts of People You Know and Distortion, on 10" vinyl EPs for Record Store Day Black Friday on November 28th. The music on these releases represent a critical, but often overlooked, period in Game Theory's history.

Pointed Accounts Of People You Know (1983).

Game Theory followed their home recorded debut, 1982's Blaze Of Glory, with a studio recorded six-track EP, Pointed Accounts Of People You Know in 1983. This was followed in 1984 by the Michael Quercio produced, five-track EP, Distortion in 1984. Both these EPs were transitional efforts that featured some outstanding new songs from rapidly maturing songwriter Scott Miller, including the wistful "Penny Things Won't" and "Metal And Glass Exact" from Pointed Accounts, and "Nine Lives To Rigel Five" and "The Red Baron" from Distortion. These are brilliant songs that can stand proudly alongside anything that came out of the American independent underground in the 1980s and remained staples of the band's live sets for years. "College Rock," "Alternative," "Indie Pop," "Power Pop," "Paisley Underground," call them whatever you want, these songs conform in some ways to each of these labels but are also what Duke Ellington liked to call "beyond category" (his highest compliment and mine).

Distortion (1984).

The EPs also feature several songs from the band's bass player Fred Juhos, including "I Wanna Get Hit By A Car" from Pointed Accounts and "Kid Convenience" from Distortion. Juhos was a fine songwriter, but he was not Miller's equal, and his songs do not always sound of a piece with Miller's which gives the EPs a slightly disjointed quality. There are worse things than a young band with two talented songwriters moving in different directions.

Later in 1984 the French label, Lolita, who had taken an interest in the California "Paisley Underground" scene to which Game Theory was tangentially connected, decided to re-release some of the EP material on a compilation LP. Dead Center includes two songs recorded specifically for the LP, "Dead Center" (which had also been released in an entirely different version on a flexi disc) and a cover of The Box Tops' "The Letter." All of Juhos' material, save "37th Day" was dropped from the LP, and the result is a more coherent sounding release, which one could almost consider Game Theory's second album, depending on how much of a discographical purist you are.

Dead Center (1984).

Omnivore's reissues of Pointed Accounts Of People You Know and Distortion will be available only on vinyl, and will match the track listings of the original releases precisely. Omnivore chose to break from strict historical accuracy by shrinking the records' size from 12" to 10" and pressing them on colored vinyl. Each EP will include a digital download card that allows the purchaser access to MP3s of the recordings featured on the EPs, plus the eleven bonus tracks featured on the Dead Center reissue (more on that in a moment). These are being released as part of Record Store Day's Black Friday event and will be limited edition pressings.

Dead Center will be reissued on CD only with slightly different artwork than what was featured on the original Lolita LP. The Dead Center reissue does not feature any of the Fred Juhos penned songs from the EPs (my understanding is that this was done by Fred's request), and will include all of the Scott Miller songs from the EPs, plus the two songs recorded specifically for the LP. It also includes 11 bonus tracks, 10 of them previously unreleased. These include live cuts, covers (including Badfinger's "No Matter What," Roxy Music's "Mother of Pearl," R.E.M.'s "Radio Free Europe," and Them's "Gloria"), as well as the flexi disc version of "Dead Center." If you are confused, that's perfectly understandable. I present the track listings for each release below.

UPDATE 11/28/2014: The MP3 downloads for the two RSD EPs contain the contents of respective EPs only (no bonus tracks).

Dead Center (release date 11/24/14) CD/digital track list:

1. NINE LIVES TO RIGEL FIVE
2. PENNY, THINGS WON’T
3. DEAD CENTER (French LP Version)
4. THE RED BARON
5. THE LETTER
6. SHARK PRETTY
7. METAL AND GLASS EXACT
8. SELFISH AGAIN
9. TOO LATE FOR TEARS
10. LIFE IN JULY
11. NO MATTER WHAT (Demo)
12. MOTHER OF PEARL (Live)
13. NINE LIVES TO RIGEL FIVE (Live)
14. TROUBLE (Live)
15. SHARK PRETTY (Live)
16. GLORIA (Live)
17. TOO LATE FOR TEARS (Michael Q’s “George Martin” Rough Mix)
18. RADIO FREE EUROPE (Live)
19. PENNY, THINGS WON’T (Live)
20. SAY IT AIN’T SO JOE (Radio Session)
21. DEAD CENTER (Flexi Disc Version)

 Pointed Accounts Of People You Know (release date 11/28/14) vinyl 10" EP track list:

Side 1: 1. PENNY, THING WON’T
2. METAL AND GLASS EXACT
3. SELFISH AGAIN
 
Side 2:
1. I WANNA GET HIT BY A CAR
2. LIFE IN JULY
3. 37th DAY

Distortion (release date 11/28/14) vinyl 10" EP track list:
Side 1:
1. SHARK PRETTY
2. NINE LIVES TO RIGEL FIVE
3. THE RED BARON
 
Side 2:
1. KID CONVENIENCE
2. TOO LATE FOR TEARS

Have eBay Flippers Ruined Record Store Day?

I see grumbling along these lines every year: "Record Store Day is supposed to be about getting people back into brick and mortar record stores, but everything just ends up on eBay for crazy prices. eBay flippers have ruined Record Store Day for everyone!"

It's a fair point, and one that has gotten a lot of attention this year especially after Stereogum listed "The 10 Most Expensive Record Store Day '14 Flips On Ebay," and Paul Weller, disgusted by eBay profiteering, announced he would no longer participate in Record Store Day in the future. Stories like these might lead you to conclude that everybody that waits in line on Record Store Day is doing so merely to flip what they buy on eBay for big profits. But is that really what's happening?

First off let me state that if you waited in line on Record Store Day and missed out on a release you really wanted, only to see it going for high prices on eBay, that's really annoying. I'm sorry that happened to you. But if you take a step back and look at it statistically, I think you'll see that eBay sales, while numerous and sometimes profitable, only account for a small percentage of Record Store Day action.

Let's take one release as a case study. It's one I was very happy to score a copy of, and seems to have generated a lot of post Record Store Day eBay sales: Devo Live At Max's Kansas City, November 15, 1977.

So far, by my count, 119 copies of this release have sold on eBay for prices ranging from a high of $107.50 to a low of $32 (I bought mine at retail for $20). In addition, there appear to be 28 copies currently listed for sale on eBay. That's a total of 147 copies sold or listed on eBay so far. That's a lot, but considering the release was limited to 2,000 copies it still only accounts for about 7.4% of the total. The vast majority of the other 1,853 copies have likely made it into the praying hands of happy Devo fans or are still sitting in brick and mortar retailers waiting for happy spud boys and girls to discover them. Of course it's likely that more copies will find their way onto eBay in the future, but I doubt it will ever amount to more than say 15% of the total pressed.

By contrast, a less in demand title like Grant Hart's Every Everything LP+DVD set has generated a mere 15 sales on eBay so far, but I was no less excited to score a copy of it on Record Store Day. There are currently another 11 copies for sale on eBay (some with a "buy it now" price below what I paid in store last Saturday). Despite the fact that only 1,500 copies of this title were pressed, eBay sales account for less than 2% of the total at the moment.

It would take a far more patient person than myself to do a rigorous statistical analysis of what percentage of Record Store Day releases end up being flipped on eBay. I'm fairly confident however that the actual number would be fairly small, likely below 10%.

I realize this is cold comfort to you if you missed out on the one Record Store Day 2014 release you really wanted. If you find yourself in this situation, I would urge you to be patient. Every year immediately after Record Store Day certain items go for big money on eBay, and every year those prices come back down to earth within a week or two. Before bidding on eBay, I would recommend calling some record stores listed in the Record Store Day registry and ask if they still have copies of what you want in stock. You would be surprised how much Record Store Day inventory (even the more in demand titles) doesn't sell on Record Store Day. Bigger stores like Bull Moose and Amoeba list their unsold stock online the day after Record Store Day for retail price (plus shipping of course). If you do end up going the eBay route, I strongly recommend waiting a week or so when there is a very good chance you'll find what you want for only a moderate markup.

I've helped out at my local independent retailer--In Your Ear Records in Warren, RI--the past few years, and I've seen first hand that they do an enormous amount of business on Record Store Day--far more than normal. Most of people who come into the store seem only marginally interested in the limited edition Record Store Day releases, and are happy to browse and soak up the fun ambiance of the day as local DJs spin tunes and local artists play their music. Many of these customers come to the counter with large stacks of new and used records and/or CDs. Hopefully some of them will come back on other days of the year.

The folks who run Record Store Day have penalties in place for record stores that flip on eBay (they can lose ordering privileges), and most record stores limit the number of copies of Record Store Day merchandise individual customers can buy. Beyond that, there is very little that can be done about eBay flipping. All other solutions amount to throwing the baby out with the bathwater. The bottom line is that Record Store Day really has been good for record stores (if it weren't, you would see more stores refuse to participate) and eBay flipping is little more than a minor sideshow (albeit an annoying one). And if you're desperate for the R.E.M. Unplugged box set, remember it's going to be released digitally eventually anyway.

Record Store Day 2014: DJ Set

Here's the first hour of the set I DJ'd at In Your Ear Records for Record Store Day. Unfortunately, if you wanted to hear the part where I played the Fat Boys you had to have been there. Let that be a lesson to you.

DJ will.i.is - Record Store Day 2014 - In Your Ear Records by Pete Bilderback on Mixcloud

Record Store Day 2014: The Zombies

Varèse Sarabande will reissue two LPs by one of my favorite British Invasion bands, The Zombies, this Record Store Day. The first, I Love You, is a compilation LP that was originally issued only in Europe and Japan and earns its first U.S. release this Record Store Day. Most interestingly, it will be issued in mono. Personally, I tend to prefer mono mixes from this era as stereo mixing was still largely a hit or miss affair for pop music in those days. The second release is a stereo reissue of their final LP, Odessey And Oracle. I rarely see copies of this much beloved title on vinyl, so this is sure to be a popular choice. 

Varèse Sarabande has a good reputation with its Record Store Day vinyl, and if the quoted prices I'm seeing at sites like Bull Moose Music are accurate, these also look to be relatively affordable. 

Record Store Day 2014: Mudhoney - On Top!

This is one Record Store Day release that I can guarantee you I am going to get by any means necessary, up to (and possibly including) felony offenses. Back in July Mudhoney played live on top of the Seattle's famed Space Needle to celebrate legendary indie-label Sub-Pop's 25th anniversary. KEXP recorded it, and now Sub-Pop is making the audio available via a limited edition LP.

You may have questions about this release: "Was the LP cut from an analog source? Did the mastering engineer maintain a 100% pure analog signal throughout the cutting process? Is the LP pressed on 180 gram virgin vinyl?" Fortunately, I have an answer for all those questions and more: "Shut up! This is Mudhoney. Live. On the Space Needle. Buy it!"

Mudhoney live on the Space Needle photo by Morgen Schuler.

Record Store Day 2014: OFF! - Learn To Obey

Another fantastic looking release for Record Store Day 2014, hardcore punk rock supergroup OFF! teams up with artist Shepard Fairey for a limited edition 7"single, "Learn To Obey." More than just a case of an artist providing cover art for a release, the artwork and music are said to be "thematically intertwined influenced by one another."

Record Store Day 2014: Grant Hart - Every Everything

Here's another Record Store Day release that caught my eye, it's a DVD/LP package that includes the documentary Every Everything: The Music, Life & Times of Grant Hart, directed by acclaimed filmmaker Gorman Bechard, along with a solo career spanning compilation LP entitled Some Something that includes several rare and unreleased tracks.

Vinyl and DVD packaged together exclusively for RSD. The DVD is a brand new, bold documentary of Hüsker Dü's Grant Hart soberly analyzing the 1980s while rummaging around in its soul. It all comes out with rare archival and new footage, told by an articulate, alienated and ill-tempered chronicler. The vinyl includes a collection of Grant's finest, with several rare and unreleased tracks. 

TRACK LISTING: Now That You Know Me, Roller Rink, Wheels, California Zephyr, Ballad #19, Charles Hollis Jones, Khalid, Little Nemo, Nobody Rides For Free.

Despite his sporadic (but brilliant) solo output, Hart remains a singularly fascinating and important figure in the rock music world. Bechard received excellent notices for his previous film Color Me Obsessed, a documentary about the Replacements that notably lacked any interviews with (or even footage of) the band. By contrast, it sounds like Every Everything gets up close and personal with its subject (perhaps too close for comfort sometimes). It nevertheless sounds fascinating, and I'm looking forward to seeing it.

Additionally, Rhino will reissue Hüsker Dü's major label debut, Candy Apple Grey, on grey vinyl. I'm not sure I need to replace my 80s vintage vinyl of this title, but it's essential listening for anyone interested in the way what is known as "alternative rock" sprung from the 80s hardcore punk rock movement. For that matter, it's essential to anyone who enjoys loud, melodic music made by a group of brilliant, iconoclastic and influential artists.

Record Store Day 2014: The Everly Brothers

Record Store Day is just under a month away and I wanted to share what I think look like some of the more interesting upcoming releases. Two of the first things that struck my eye were these Everly Brothers reissues, 1958's Songs Our Daddy Taught Us from Varese Sarabande, and 1968's Roots from Rhino. 

These are two thematically similar records in which brothers Phil and Don explore their influences, recorded ten years apart at opposite ends of their career together (Roots was in fact the final Everly Brothers album). These albums were "roots" music long before anybody else understood we needed such a thing. These albums are a timely reminder of how great, and simultaneously forward and backward looking, the Everly's could be.

I don't know if the two labels coordinated these releases, but they are perfect counterparts to one another, and an excellent place to start an Everly Brothers collection after moving on from greatest hits collections. Both Rhino and Varese Sarabande have excellent reputations when it comes to pressing vinyl, so these are both heartily recommended. 

The full list of Record Store Day releases is available here.