Metallica — Live Shit: Binge and Purge

Author: tracysigler | Posted: April 25th, 2008 | | Tags: , , , , , , | No Comments »

Metallica -- Live Shit: Binge and Purge

A package this big needs at least two pics…

Metallica -- Live Shit: Binge and Purge

My personal rule for all the music I’m posting is that I have to listen to the entire thing and decide whether to keep it. I’m not going to pretend that I’ve consumed the entirety of Metallica’s over-the-top-box-set Live Shit: Binge and Purge (1993), again. It’s almost nine hours of live music! There are three VHS tapes and three CDs. I don’t even have a VCR any more. They released it later with DVDs but I couldn’t wait for that. Actually, this was a birthday present, I believe, and it was stupid spendy. But worth every penny!

That package is the coolest. It even has little metal hinges on the back. In addition to the audio and video stuff there is a small stencil, a moss pit pass from the tour, and a great book. The book has tons of photos and photocopies of set lists, and some serious, but humorous, memos about what the band can and can’t do on stage in various countries, and much more.

I got to see them play at least once on this mega-tour, but I can’t find the ticket stub. This package is an even better memento. Happy birthday to me, and as they say the introduction in the book, “Happy Overdose”!

You can read all about Metallica’s Live Shit: Binge and Purge at Wikipedia.


Mark Mothersbaugh — Musik for Insomniaks (Limited edition Japanese boxed cassette with deck of cards)

Author: tracysigler | Posted: December 16th, 2007 | | Tags: , , , , , , | 3 Comments »

Mark Mothersbaugh -- Musik for Insomniaks (Limited edition Japanese boxed cassette with deck of cards)

  • Artist: Mark Mothersbaugh
  • Title: Musik for Insomniaks (Limited edition Japanese boxed cassette with deck of cards)
  • Year: 1985
  • Format: Cassette
  • Rating (1-10): 6
  • Owner: Tracy
  • Acquired: 1985? – I must’ve been working at a record store…
  • Keeper: Yes

All the nerds in the house say, “Hey!” This one is for you. I know I promised something for the nerds the other day, but I’ve been planning on posting Mark Mothersbaugh’s Musik for Insomniaks since I saw him playing “guest programmer” on TCM a couple weeks ago.

Mark had some interesting movie choices. I didn’t see his entire shift. I wonder if Robert Osborne asked him about Devo. Anyhow… Of course, Mark has made many soundtracks and that’s pretty much what Musik for Insomniaks sounds like. It’s a little too staccato to be considered truly soporific (false advertising!) but it does get boring at times. And those times really depend on the listener because all of the “songs” sound similar. I thought I was playing the same side of the tape by mistake for a minute, but it turned to be side 2 after all. Even the names of the songs are similar: “XP25”, “XP31”, etc. To be fair, the collection is really more like a film score where the pieces are variations of the core theme. It’s all instrumental, with no drums or guitar, that I could tell.

What makes this piece interesting enough to keep is the total package. This version was a Japanese import produced as limited edition boxed cassette with a deck of cards. Mothersbaugh completely covered this thing with art and quirkiness. The text on the cover is in gold leaf box, the cassette itself is metallic gold, there is a comic inside the box top, and included is a letter in kanji signed by Mark. I saved the best for last, there is also a full deck of playing cards, to play some sleep-inducing Solitaire I assume. All the cards have a different picture of Mark. For each suit he is wearing a different suit of his own. I don’t know who the woman is with him on one of the Joker cards.

Mark Mothersbaugh