Continuing the theme of 'records that I am the last person in the world to get', here's the Off! 'First Four EPs' boxset that finally arrived on my desk last week.
I was trying to pick this thing up for weeks with no luck. I wanted to get it from within the UK so as to avoid paying the shipping charges required to get it here from the States. The problem was that it just wasn't available anywhere. It was either listed as not being out yet, or sold out. I even went into a couple of shops and had to communicate with actual human beings in my quest to get this, but to no avail. All I got was meaningless waffle wrapped in lies atop a pile of bullshit. Yet somehow, people I knew had managed to get one of these things. Typical.
I got it eventually though. I went to lunch at the local Thai eatery and found that they were giving away an Off! boxset with every phad thai, all for the bargain price of £5. Top stuff!
See the sticker on the front? I noticed something wrong with it almost immediately. It brags that the band contains some dude called Mario Rubalcaba, and tells you that he was in some bands called Rocket From The Crypt and Hot Snakes. Yet it somehow completely forgets to mention that he was in some good bands too. Most notably, 411 and (a personal favourite that nobody else in the world likes) Metroschifter*.
Still, as we know, nobody buys a record for the drummer, and we all know that the main point of interest in this band is Keith Morris, who is apparently now 55 years old and who still feels the need to piss in the punchbowl. And he can still jump too, as the photo in the color booklet clearly demonstrates:
I also realised when I was taking photos that I never wrote up the first Off! 7" that I also acquired late. It seems pretty pointless buying it now if you don't have it because if you want the boxset you'll just be buying it again. It's the same as the one in the box except for it comes with a big fold out poster and a different sticker on the front.
I think we can safely say that if you like early Black Flag then you're going to be into this. If you don't then... hello?
*Somehow I own two of the ten tests of the first Metroschifter 7". I might be persuaded to let one go if someone wants to trade.
9 comments:
I take personal offense to your "a personal favourite that nobody else in the world likes" comment...you damn well know I love the 'schifter as well!!!
1) i'm dying to see the original artwork for this boxset and being you collect every variant of almost every record, i'm hoping you get one just so i can see the art haha. i'm assuming the changing of the artwork for the cover was the reason this boxset was delayed. anyway, musically the boxset is great but i think the packaging is 'meh'.
2) i'm a closet Metroschifter fan. i saw them play Philly in '94 with Die 116, Four Walls Falling and Earth Crisis and they were just incredible. them and Die 116 were the best bands that night. i have the 'capsule' LP with a hand-made cover and it's probably my fav. release of theirs. though, truth be told, i haven't heard any of their material post 'fort saint metroschifter'.
It might be a wee bit "art-core" but I love Metroschifter. Although it took some time for me to gain an appreciation.
In keeping with the theme of not talking about OFF! in the comments, I will say that I never liked Metroschifter, but I will add that your post contains some tasty look pad thai.
*looking
When this came out I wanted it real bad but refused to pay the silly postage costs from the states.
So, there I was in Oslo, Norway for the weekend of Integrity gigs, perusing the many record stores that grace that fine city, when I find a store with an ample stock of the OFF! box sets cheaper than I could buy from the states! Something cheap from Norway, who'd have thought it!?!?!?!
Good to see some metroschifter appreciation coming through in the comments. Of all people, I would never have guessed cja to be a metroschifter fan. Gotta say though, you are missing out on their finest work, which is the '4' LP. Still sounds good today in my opinion.
Never noticed you were in the UK! I love the tracks but the packaging is crappy - the printing is poorly done, the blacks vary from 7 inch to 7 inch - it would have been nice to have some color variation on the vinyl - and c'mon, no poster by Pettibon?
i'm into more than just metal, tho, these days and for the past 10 years, it's pretty much all i listen to. what got me into Metroschifter was seeing them live and it didn't hurt that Initial was sending me their albums gratis for a zine i did way back when. i'll look around for their '4' album.
in regards to OFF!, i agree with Jazz's comment about the packaging. i remember the email about the delay due to the packaging/production so i figured it was going to be semi-outrageous. after months of waiting and it finally came in the mail, i took a look at it for 2min and just tossed it on the shelf.
i know it's the music that matters, but overall i felt the box set to be rather bland. the aesthetics make sense as the band themselves are pretty cut and dry (black and white) but imo it (the packaging) needed something more visually appealing. maybe more Pettibon art or a poster would have been cool. my copy came with a patch and pin, both of which i could care less about.
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