Christie Front Drive 12"

I used to listen to my fair share of wussy emo in the mid to late 90s. Everyone did. It's just how things were back then. If you were there then you know, if you weren't then you'll just have to take my word for it. But bands like The Promise Ring, Sunny Day Real Estate, The Get Up Kids, Texas Is The Reason etc all used to play to hardcore kids clad in Revelation Records t-shirts. Another example of such band was Christie Front Drive. I remember picking up their 7" from Armed With Anger distro and was immediately captivated by it. Seems like it were yesterday, although somehow it was about 16 years. I guess that's what happens when you get old though eh?

Anyway, I recently picked up a colour vinyl copy of their debut 12". I think this originally went onto my want list circa '97. Prior to that I had a black vinyl copy and never knew that a colour version existed, but the internet revealed the truth to me and I tried a couple of times to trade one from someone on the Revelation Trade Board (RIP) without success. In the years that followed, I watched a couple sell on eBay, but I could never quite bid enough. However, I don't remember seeing one on eBay now for about 5 years... well, aside from the copy that has been up with a bin of $70 for about three years, which is a price I deem too much - and clearly so does the rest of the world seeing as it has never sold. But when one appeared recently with a lower buy it now option I decided that I should finally cross this one off the want list.

Now, I don't know about you, but to me this is definitely a greenish colour. The only info I could find on the internet (HERE) says that there were 1900 made total, with 350 on blue/grey. The one that lives on eBay is definitely grey (see HERE). So I kinda like that mine seems to be a colour variant that is less common, or not officially acknowledged. Helps keep life interesting.

I don't know much about this band. Things were different pre-internet. Back when this came out you would read record reviews in zines and buy records from distro lists with one sentence descriptions. You might then see a pic of the band in a zine. Other than that, if they didn't tour, they remained a mystery. Sure, I can find stuff on the nerd about them now, but it's not the same as reading about them when they were an active band in the mid 90s. I know that they put out two 12"s, one 7", a couple of split 7"s, one split 10" and a few songs on different compilations. However, I'm not sure how big an impression they made. But I assume that they did make a bigger impact than the average backwater emo band of the day seeing as Magic Bullet Records reissued their final LP last year.

Musically, this band has aged well I think. Not that the average hardcore kid in 2011 will give a monkeys. Ok, so they don't make music like this these days (at least, if they do, I have no idea what scene it is a part of or who would be interested), but it doesn't sound old. It still sounds fresh & interesting.

I'll probably get rid of my black vinyl copy now. Get in touch if you are interested...