Egg Hunt — Me and You

• Artist: Egghunt
• Title: Me and You
• Year: 1986
• Format: Vinyl 7 in.
• Rating (1-10): 9
• Owner: Tracy
• Acquired: 1986 – Bought it when I worked at Mother’s Records in Hampton, VA
• Keeper: Yes

I’ve always loved this record. Egghunt was a too short-lived project by Ian MacKaye and Jeff Nelson, both from Minor Threat. “Me and You” has an excellent groove and a really big sound. The vocals/spoken words are intentionally on the verge of being completely inaudible. The flipside, “We All Fall Down” is very different but just as good. It’s rocked out in a melodic hardcore way. This really is an excellent record. Too bad there weren’t more.

Etched in the run off margins:

Side 1 – TOMAS IS INCENSED
Side 2 – LE CTEL TOMBE

You can get the full scoop on Egghunt at Wikipedia.

Depeche Mode — Shake the Disease

• Artist: Depeche Mode
• Title: Shake the Disease
• Year: 1985
• Format: Vinyl 7 in.
• Rating (1-10): 6
• Owner: Mary
• Acquired: 1985 – “I was in art school at the time, you couldn’t be in art school and not buy Depeche Mode back then.”
• Keeper: Maybe

Ah man, I was just about to trash this single and then I listened to it again. I’ve always been sorta neutral on Depeche Mode, but I did buy one album early on. “Shake the Disease” has a cool minor key melody that to me screams for a heavy metal makeover. I know, I say that about every other decent pop song. This time I really mean it. The flipside “Flexible” has a curiously upbeat thing going on that doesn’t sound like Depeche Mode to me. Both songs are good. Lemme see those horn Depeche Metalheads!

The Cars — Since You’re Gone

• Artist: The Cars
• Title: Since You’re Gone
• Year: 1981
• Format: Vinyl 7 in.
• Rating (1-10): 6
• Owner: Mary
• Acquired: ?

I really liked The Cars when I was a teenager. I even bought a couple albums, but they’ve never been a big part of my life. That said, I always enjoy their music whenever I hear it. “Since You’re Gone” was a radio hit, maybe it still is on the “classic rock” stations or XM. I dig it and the flipside “Think It Over” is a more upbeat rocker with a very 1980s sound, a sound created by them as much as anyone. This single was from their fourth album Shake It Up and came out in 1981.

Even if The Cars never existed Ric Ocasek will always be my hero for his work on the early Bad Brains records.

Bananarama — The Wild Life

• Artist: Bananarama
• Title: The Wild Life
• Year: 1984
• Format: Vinyl 7 in.
• Rating (1-10): 5
• Owner: Mary
• Acquired: “Used… later at Plan 9.”
• Keeper: Maybe

The pop just keeps comin’. I think I spelled their name right, so many letter ‘A’s to keep track of. I don’t remember either of these Bananarama ditties, “The Wild Life” and “The State I’m In” on the back. I think I like the latter the most. It has a 1960s-Supremes vibe to it. Both of them are sort of middlin’ as far as Bananananananarama tunes go. Sorry, lost count there for a sec. Anyhow, Mary thinks she wants to keep this record.

From looking at the record queue it appears the parade of pop records won’t stop until we get to “E.” Stay tuned.

a-ha — The Sun Always Shines on T.V.

• Artist: a-ha
• Title: The Sun Always Shines on T.V.
• Year: 1985
• Format: Vinyl 7 in.
• Rating (1-10): 5
• Owner: Mary
• Acquired: No information available
• Keeper: No

“It’s not bad, it’s just not super.” That’s from the owner herself, and I think it sums it up. I’m no a-ha historian, but I don’t think “The Sun Always Shines on T.V.” was even a hit. The flipside is “Driftwood.” Either one ring any bells?

Various Artists — Alive and Kicking

Various Artists -- Alive and Kicking

• Artist: Various Artists
• Title: Alive and Kicking
• Year: 1985
• Format: Vinyl 7 in.
• Rating (1-10): 7
• Owner: Mary
• Acquired: 1985 – “Probably at a show…”
• Keeper: Yes

OK, that was a pathetically long lay off. Work gets in the way. We’re back with some more DC hardcore. Alive and Kicking is a six song, six artist 7 inch in cool milky clear vinyl. The bands are United Mutation, Gray Matter, Beefeater, Mission Impossible, Cereal Killer, and Marginal Man. I like pretty much all of it. Some of it is straight-up hardcore and some songs, like Beefeater’s “Wars in Space” with someone playing “out” on sax, are more art-edge punk.

And, no, this wasn’t put out by Dischord. It was released by WGNS Recordings and Metrozine. Mary thinks she got it at a show, but says she knew so many of the people in the bands that she may have bought it from one of the guys.

Various Artists — Flex Your Head

• Artist: Various Artists
• Title: Flex Your Head
• Year: 1982
• Format: Vinyl 12 in.
• Rating (1-10): 8
• Owner: Mary Earle
• Acquired: 1982 – Some record store in Rockville, MD

This is going to be a mega post, keep scrolling. This is supposed to be about the label Dischord‘s no. 7 release called Flex Your Head. And it is. But I have a couple related stories and graphics to share.

Is this music special? That depends. If you weren’t really interested, or old enough, when it was new, probably not. If you were there and into the scene then yes, absolutely. There was something exciting about punk and hardcore, the shows at any place people could gather, no matter how unlikely, and the whole by-the-kids-for-the-kids vibe that I haven’t seen again in the last twenty years. I know, that sounds like an old geezer talking. But has there been another truly grassroots music scene like that? Tell me.

My wife, Mary Earle, was on the scene at the D.C. shows way back when. She’s seen most of the bands on this compilation more times than she can remember. She’s still the most punk rock woman I’ve ever met. And I mean that in the best way. She does it her way and doesn’t care what people think. And I mean that in the best way too. She’s not cocky, just independent and above putting on airs, and the most naturally honest person I know. Punk rock.

Mary took this picture of Sab Grey, the singer of Iron Cross. They are on side two of Flex Your Head. Keep scrolling…

This is a flyer Mary saved. It’s from around the same time. Most of the bands listed are also on this record, except for Scream and Gang Green. I never saw Scream in D.C. but I did get to see them in London, believe it or not. Anyhow, click this flyer to get a bigger image, print it out and pretend you were there.

Anecdote time… Mary and some friends were hanging out one evening when John Stabb, singer of Goverment Issue, coined the term “Beef Edge” in a surrealistic, or maybe just sarcastic response to Straight Edge. Continuing the surreal sarcastic theme they collectively came up with a Beef Edge logo: The Black Flag bars logo with a cow’s head on one end and a tail on the other. Mary even made it into a t-shirt that her friend Mike Ryan wore. I like the logo concept so much I’m tempted to get some more shirts made now.

Back to the record… Eleven bands and 33 songs on a single LP. If you don’t like a song, at least you know it will be over soon. My favorite bands are Minor Threat and State of Alert. Everyone knows about Minor Threat. SOA had Henry Garfield on vocals, later known as Henry Rollins. The album included a photocopied set of pages for each band. I’ve included a handful of them below the album jacket pics. Check out Henry and Ian Mackaye in the bottom corner of The Teen Idles page.

These were good times. Kids, it’s time to start another the do-it-yourself music scene.

Etched in the run out margins:
Side 1 — From nothin’ to nowhere
Side 2 — Don’t let it go to your head

Zodiac Mindwarp and The Love Reaction — Planet Girl Picture Disc

Zodiac Mindwarp and The Love Reaction -- Planet Girl Picture Disc

• Artist: Zodiac Mindwarp and The Love Reaction
• Title: Planet Girl Picture Disc
• Year: 1988
• Format: Vinyl 10 in.
• Rating (1-10): 6
• Owner: Tracy
• Acquired: 1988 – Probably at our store RIP Records in Norfolk, VA
• Keeper: Maybe

I selected “Vinyl 10 in.” for the format on this one but I suppose it depends on how you measure it. This Zodiac Mindwarp and The Love Reaction single “Planet Girl” is a solid rocker. The flipside song “Dog Face Driver” is a lot more electronic, like it’s a demo, but not bad. The most interesting part is the most obvious: a picture disc that’s also cut in the shape of a cross. One-time fanatic that I was of course I had to have this. Now, I don’t know. I think these versions of both songs are on other records I have. And who wants to be a completist? That’s for nerds. Weeding out my record collection in public in nerdy enough.

XTC — The Big Express

XTC -- The Big Express

• Artist: XTC
• Title: The Big Express
• Year: 1984
• Format: Vinyl 12 in.
• Rating (1-10): 7
• Owner: Mary
• Acquired: ? Looks like she got it used…
• Keeper: Yes

Uh… I never really know what to say about XTC. Some of their stuff is exciting and some is, as the kids say, “meh.” For me, The Big Express is somewhere in between. I’ve played it a few times in the last couple days. Now, I don’t want to play it ever again despite that a couple songs are stuck in my head. I’m sure Mary wants to keep it…

Second pic is from the liner, not the back of the record cover which is sorta meh.

Muddy Waters — Rare and Unissued

Muddy Waters -- Rare and Unissued

• Artist: Muddy Waters
• Title: Rare and Unissued
• Year: 1982
• Format: Vinyl 12 in.
• Rating (1-10): 7
• Owner: Tracy
• Acquired: 1982 ? Not sure where, this was near the beginning of my blues education.

I took the dog out for a minute after I started side 1. When I got back Mary told me I “missed the part about him waking up in the morning.” Good one. Anyhow, I just played the whole thing again, and then again.

The only thing better than a Muddy Waters record is two Muddy Waters records. So, I’m glad I have Rare and Unissued even if it’s not my favorite by the ultimate blues maestro. Still, I plan to keep it. You can never get rid of the blues.

There’s more about the original Mannish Boy at MuddyWaters.com.