Hey yall. Long time no post. Back in April I felt I was set to dig into the board thing again, but alas, my focused changed. A relationship ended and I went through a binge of socializing. It's become a wealth of source material for stories to frighten my children with, if, god forbid, I ever breed. Lots of shows and traveling - Minneapolis (Walt Mink reunion show, Heliotrope 2 and rollercoasters), and San Francisco (hiking, biking, running, bachelor party, wedding, yoga). I spent my birthday at Intonation, and also went to Lollapalooza.

Anyway, to the topic at hand. Lots of interesting reissues coming out.

The Adverts * Crossing The Red Sea With the Adverts (Devils Jukebox) 78
The Adverts * Cast Of Thousands (Devils Jukebox) 79
Some of the best, most underrated punk around. Ideal Copy doesn't have these, but I got my copies from the import bin at Tower for less than $20. Cast of Thousands comes with an extra disc of BBC sessions, and is remastered -- I had the vinyl in college but I didn't truly appreciate how interesting it was til hearing the remaster. There's parts that sound just like the Arcade Fire, among other contemporary bands!

Chelsea * Urban Kids: A Punk Anthology (Castle UK) 79
Though they were part of the original wave in 1976, gigging with The Damned, Sex Pistols, Buzzcocks and Clash, their album wasn't released until 1979. This includes that album and much more. Sounds a lot like a mix between Fear and The Dictators!

Killing Joke (EG) 80
Killing Joke * What's THIS For...! (EG) 81
Killing Joke * Revelations (EG) 82
I have to hear these before I consider replacing my original CDs. Their first one is a particular favorite. Hear their influence in Steve Albini's work, Ministry, many others.

Martha and the Muffins * This Is The Ice Age (Dindisc/Virgin) 81. Influencial album by Canadian new wavers, with Daniel Lanois breaking his teeth in production.

Coming August 2:
The Associates * The Affectionate Punch (Fiction) 80. This is the first Associates album never before available on CD. After searching for
years, I finally got a hold of some MP3s, and I love it. Before they
were lush and arty, they were spare and prickly, more similar to Joy
Division than their later fusion of Bowie, Roxy and Scott Walker.

August 9:
Orange Juice * The Glasgow School. This has already been reviewed in
most of the UK mags -- all of their Postcard singles, along with a
previously unreleased full album! Juicy. Next I'd like to see all
the Postcard singles by Aztec Camera.

Edit: Now here's a nice surprise, none other than my favorite rock album ever. I never got the Rhino Handmade box set that came out a few years ago, because there is such a thing as too much Funhouse, but I was wondering why a remastered single disc wasn't coming out (these come with an extra disc of choice alternative takes).

August 16:
The Stooges (Elektra) 69
The Stooges * Funhouse (Elektra) 70

SIOUXSIE & THE BANSHEES's entire album back catalogue has been digitally re-mastered and will be reissued over the next year.

The series will kick off with the re-release of debut 'The Scream' on
October 3. Originally released in November 1978, 'The Scream' featured the tracks 'Switch', 'Jigsaw Feeling' and a cover of The Beatles' 'Helter
Skelter'.

The second bonus CD will include the first ever release of the early
Banshees live favourite 'Make Up To Break Up', the two 1978 John Peel
sessions, the band's first two single 'Hong Kong Garden'
and 'Staircase (Mystery)' as well as five prototype tracks from 'The
Scream', recorded at Pathway Studios.

The full tracklisting for the reissued 'The Scream' is:

`Pure'
`Jigsaw Feeling'
`Overground'
`Carcass'
`Helter Skelter'
`Mirage'
`Metal Postcard'
`Nicotine Stain'
`Suburban Relapse'
`Switch'

Disc Two

`Make Up To Break Up' (Riverside Session)
`Love In A Void' (Peel Session)
`Mirage' (Peel Session)
`Metal Postcard' (Peel Session)
`Suburban Relapse' (Peel Session)
`Hong Kong Garden' (Peel Session)
`Overground' (Peel Session)
`Carcass' (Peel Session)
`Helter Skelter' (Peel Session)
`Metal Postcard' (Pathway Session)
`Suburban Relapse' (Pathway Session)
`Staircase (Mystery)' (Pathway Session)
`Mirage' (Pathway Session)
`Nicotine Stain' (Pathway Session)
`Hong Kong Garden' (7" Single Version)
`Staircase (Mystery)' (7" Single Version)

Anyone heard anything about the Talking Heads reissues? I lost my
copy of Remain In Light and am curious to see what they include for
bonus tracks.

hey, how was walt mink?

i truly think the end of the band was a travesty, soooo talented.

Welcome back, Tony.

Walt Mink were amazing. After being apart for eight years, they only had three rehearsals, and totally decimated the audience for two solid hours. Definitely solidified my opinion that it wasn't just nostalgia when I remembered them as one of the best live bands ever.

That may be the last time they ever play, as John has a kid on the way and is focusing on soundtrack work, and Candice has a kid and is getting a Ph.D. in public health. Luckily, everyone will get a chance to see the show for themselves -- there were four cameras using real 16mm film stock. See http://www.waltminkthemovie.com for details.

Great to have you back, Tony!

Hey, I saw you at Intonation during the Andrew Bird set and went I looked back over 5 minutes later, you were gone.

The first Adverts record is top notch, the second not so much (although it's a lot more consistent that TV Smith's Explorers). "Crossing" is kind of clunky, especially when you compare the Stiff version of "One Chord Wonders" to the album version. "Up On The Roof" remains one of my favorite songs of all time.

Chelsea was kind of hit or miss. Their first record was very fine punk (as was just about everything on the Step Forward label), but nothing that really stands out from their contemporaries. They then dabbled with almost a heavy metal (and not very effectively) sound by the time "Evacuate" came out. Soon after they cranking out power pop--their album "Original Sinners" contains some real gems (Let's The Side Down, Monica Monica, et al).

The Associates were wonderful, and Morrissey's an ass. 'nuff said. RIP Billy. Their Fiction stuff is their best, on the label that also housed The Passions, and that other band whose name escapes me.

Never really had much use for Killing Joke.

You can never have too many Orange Juice compilations in print.

Glad to see these things are seeing the light of day again.

Wasn't Gene October the guy that led the gang beating on Henry Rollins during Black Flag's first tour of the UK?

And wasn't Billy Idol the original singer for Chelsea?

It was only 30 years ago - kinda surprised I don't remember these things more clearly.

I never heard that, but it could explain why Rollins became a weightlifting-obsessed muscle head. So no one would ever kick sand in his face again...

October was always the singer, but Albert Michael Broad did play guitar for them originally, before changing his name to Billy Idol and taking Tony James with him to form Generation X. Mick Jones played in that early incarnation before joining The Clash, and later Brian James of The Damned played guitar with them.

Speaking of which, I also picked up reissues of Generation X. The first album is great, including the British cuts that were left off the original American version. Valley Of The Dolls (79) was pretty good, though it sounded more glam rock than punk, but Kiss Me Deadly (81) was pretty poor.

Nice commentary Billz, I should come by more often.

Wasn't there already a remastered/bonus tracks version of Crossing the Sea With the Adverts? I've been looking for it everywhere but I haven't come across it yet.

I'll pick up the Killing Joke reissues if they're cheap enough.

I've looked at Best Buy, Tower, Plan 9, and Barnes & Noble, and I cannot find it. Maybe we can go to BK Music this weekend and see if it's there if you'd like, but if we find it and there's only one copy I get it since I brought it up.

I posted first, I get it.

Fuck you, no you don't. I brought up the trip. I will drive. If I spend my money on gas to get there then I get it. Plus, i'll race you to the section like I do with Nick Cave at Plan 9. Not that you have done it that recently, well you have, just to be a dick. but that's not the point. I will drive. I will chain you to my car, I will run in and purchase the only copy. You just remember you got The Birthday Party live used during the 20% off sale and I bitched about how much I wanted that, asshole.
You don't get it this time, I do.

I doubt they even have it. I'll probably eventually order it.

Those Bill Fay reissues are fantastic. I'm also really looking forward to the Cymande reissues next month.

Now here's a nice surprise, none other than my favorite rock album ever. I never got the Rhino Handmade box set that came out a few years ago, because there is such a thing as too much Funhouse, but I was wondering why a remastered single disc wasn't coming out (these come with an extra disc of choice alternative takes).

August 16:
The Stooges (Elektra) 69
The Stooges * Funhouse (Elektra) 70

Sweeeet.

I believe we're still supposed to be getting a deluxe edition of Sonic Youth's Goo this year, as well as a slew of Replacements reissues.

Hey Tony, et al. Was just digging deeply in my site traffic, found this bb and signed up. Just wanted to say THANKS to everyone who came out to Mpls to see the Walt Mink reunion shows. I'll post footage, images and everything else I can soon...

Butler

Reunions suck.

Thanks!

You're welcome, Christopher.

Thx. KIR.

Having OPA around =

Is that from Dirty Rotten Scoundrels? How appropriate.

FnB, when are you gonna update your "best of 2005" list?