Broke out the Walkman today, just to make sure it still works… and it does… perfectly (I know you were concerned). Though my cassette collection is a fraction of what it used to be, as you can see, I held on to the essentials. Presented here is the first EP by the Beastie Boys, Polly Wog Stew (which I’m convinced is a bootleg, but that a topic for another time), and the 1994 compilation, Some Old Bullshit. That is all.
Category Archives: 1994
Souls
I remember visiting California in late 1999 from Wisconsin, and heading down to Huntington Beach for seafood and discovering a little hole-in-the-wall record shop adjacent to the staple restaurant. Ducking in while we waited for a table, I was floored to discover the rainbow of plush, punk records, cheap, and ripe for the picking. We didn’t have near enough time to dig through everything, but I was able to procure the first album by The Bouncing Souls, The Good, The Bad, and The Argyle. The picture presented here is the non-lyric side of that 1994 album’s insert.
Plastic World
I’m finally starting to round out my Naked Aggression collection, thanks in large part to whiskey and Discogs. Recorded in Cottage Grove, WI, Plastic World is a walloping attack in five bursts from way back in 1994. Every single track is simple, yet blinding punk which is just as fitting now as it was the time in which it was released. For $6, not including shipping, you could add this to your collecting, and let me tell you, you absolutely should.
World
Hats off to Tomato, the London-based art collective, for not only the otherworldly cover design to Underworld’s dubnobasswithmyheadman, but also the four-sided insert sleeves. dubnobasswithmyheadman is certainly a work of art, judging by the progressive house music alone, but the overall experience is exemplified by this gorgeous artwork. dubnobasswithmyheadman is, without question, an absolute must-have.
Do It
Do It is the 1994 single by Swiss geniuses (and mentally stable types) Dieter Meier and Boris Blank, aka Yello. 8x versions of this catchy synch-pop-dance track spanning two records, and for only $2.99 (Amoeba circa: 2008?), makes for a perfect value-meal purchase. When asking yourself, the answer should always be, Do It.
Seal the Deal
Hidden beneath a thin shield of formed plastic is Luscious Jackson’s 1994 single, Deep Shag. Released on Grand Royal Records (GR 011), this 4-track 12″ contains three remixes of the single, and the previously unreleased track, Daddy. I own not one, but two sealed copies of this record. Why? I couldn’t for the life of me tell you, especially when they fetch for only $0.98 on Discogs. May have to finally set one of these free today.
Hot Topic Exclusive
The day isn’t green, I’m just happy not to have to worry about acquiring this damn album ever again. Been holding out for the, ANY, green vinyl version of Green Day’s Dookie, and little over a year ago, I finally pulled the trigger. Happy Monday from the Caribbean, kids.
Know Your Chicken
Silk screened back cover to Money Mark’s debut 10″ Performing Chicken is a little lost piece of Beastie Boys (related) history that I recently discovered among my mountain of 10″ records this overcast Tuesday morning. From 1994 on Love Kit Records / Fido Speaks Music, Performing Chicken is classic, groovy downbeat with a bit of modern Latin flair. This mini-album is just the perfect tone and length for summer afternoon strolls to the hardware store for nubbins, or a quick trip to Kwik Trip for bagged milk. I’ve not heard anything that Mark Ramos-Nishita has touched that I haven’t fallen in love with, and I encourage you to give it a spin on your next trip to Jewish deli for turkey pastrami.
Compulsiv for Two
Another rung notched off the RFTC belt… Call it a Clue from the Compulsiv for Two 4-track comp from 1994 (yes, 22 years ago!) is the latest check off the (never-ending) list.
Busy re-re-watching The Wire tonight, so let’s spin this bitch tomorrow.
Sublimed
I saw Sublime’s self-titled album at Barnes & Noble recently and I got to thinking, why the hell don’t I own all of their albums yet? I mean, there are only three of them, and I already own their second offering, 1994’s Robbin’ the Hood (featured here). They seem to reissue all three of these with some kind of color variant every few years or so. I think I’m going to jump on the next round, or at least strongly consider it. Sublime was on heavy rotation during my pizza delivery days which was, unfortunately, after frontman Bradley Nowell had passed. A buddy of mine swears we saw them back in 1995 at a Warped Tour, but I think he’s nuts as I would certainly have remembered seeing them. Anyway, as a general rule of thumb, if a band only releases three albums, and you already own one of them, it’s damn time to round out their discography.Pogs
The cover to the 1994 reissue of RFTC’s Boychucker captures the short-lived fad of mid-90s youths with custom, RFTC cutout Pogs. Remember Pogs? Nah, neither do we. The back cover comically spotlights Speedo (Swami) furiously destroying a couple of grade school infants at this forgotten and aggressive activity. Get the original, but checkout this reissue. LONG LIVE POGS!
Smoky Trash
Back when Lagwagon’s sophomore album, 1994’s Trashed was rereleased on colored vinyl (2008), buyers were not told which colored vinyl version they would receive. Fat Wreck Chords didn’t indicate the varying array of colors, so nobody knew how many variations of the 765 reissues there were. Then pictures started popping up on forums showcasing a coke bottle clear vinyl version. Having already owned the original, black vinyl version of Trashed, and having received a blue vinyl reissue, I decided it made plenty of sense to order another and try my luck at the coveted coke bottle clear version. What I received was this muddy purple version, and then all 765 were sold out. For the past 7 years I’ve been hunting for that damn coke bottle clear version, but those lucky bastards aren’t selling, and rightfully so. The last one sold on Discogs on 11/13 for a whopping $85, so the hunt for a reasonably priced copy continues. On a side note, I’ve since acquired yet another copy of Trashed with 2011’s Putting Music in its Place box set. It’s a great album, but I may be obsessing just a bit…
Brooklyn Dust Music
Majestic and righteous, all in one cohesive and awe-inspiring logo. File under Album Ass, or best logo of all time. On a side note, mainly because I don’t yet own it on vinyl, but how much does “fresh meat” in Underworld’s stellar Mmm, Skyscraper, I Love You sound like “Presley” during the line, “Elvis, fresh meat, a little whip cream?” Intentional? I’d say, yeah! Happy Monday.
Drunk in Public
Arguably the soundtrack to my 1994 summer, NOFX’s fifth studio album Punk in Drublic saw a slight cover variation between the compact disc and the vinyl release. For unknown reasons, the CD had a pink sky behind the floating rodeo queens and the pervie kid below, while the vinyl version (as you can plainly see here) has a light brown sky.
Serving (more or less) as the band’s greatest hits album (though, as previously stated, is a proper studio album), Punk in Drublic features the following personal favs: Scavenger Type, Lori Meyers, The Brews, Linoleum, Don’t Call Me White, and Punk Guy. A dubbed cassette version of this album (the B-side being Pennywise’s 1995 classic, About Time) lived inside my truck for a solid three years, and was constantly turned down (or off) by frequent riders as being “not universally enjoyable.” Oh, what I wouldn’t give to experience this album fresh for the first time again.
The Prudent Groove 