Thursday 17 March 2022

The Mr. T Experience

Next up in my Lookout! Records series is a band called The Mr. T Experience. The band existed from 1985 until the early 2000s and released 12 full lengths (including a reunion record in 2017). They are definitely considered a 'pop punk' band, which means they are not really what I would usually listen to, although I did listen to a fair bit of that stuff back in 1993/94. When I saw their records in my friend's collection, I was keen to play them to see if they brought back any memories, and immediately the answer was 'yes'. I remembered a couple of the songs from the days that we used to play records whilst sitting around and drinking tea, and the nostalgia factor drove me to then play the record a couple more times, and then I quickly started to get hooked. I then got into the another record too, and it was then pretty obvious I was going to have to keep these ones for myself and not sell them.

The first record is the band's debut LP, 'Everybody's Entitled To Their Own Opinion', which is Lookout! Records number 39. This has a pretty cool cover, although this pressing is actually a reissue.

The record was originally released by a label called Disorder Records in 1986, with some copies coming on red vinyl. It was then reissued by Lookout! in 1990 with all copies being pressed on black vinyl.

This record showcases the band at their most 'raw'. There's something about the sound that definitely places it firmly in the 80s.

The second record I kept is the band's 5th album, 'Our Bodies Our Selves', released as Lookout! Records 80 in 1993, although the cover makes it look more like it came out in 1963 I think.

As was the case during this period, all copies came on black vinyl.

This record is super poppy and the whole thing sounds more polished than the first album. By this point the band had been going for 8 years or so, and things were starting to change. A couple of members left and they shrank from a four piece to a three piece. I haven't heard albums 2-4, so I don't know how this one compares, but I love it regardless.

And finally, a 7". This one is titled 'So Long Sucker' and is Lookout! Records number 23, from 1989, and was released between the two albums above.

It feels like whoever was in charge of artwork at Lookout! Records must have been on holiday when this was coming out, so they just went with words on a pink background.

This one also comes on limited blue vinyl, so obviously I want one of those now, but with the state of record collecting what it is right now, it will probably never happen. In fact, the same is true of other LPs by this band. I'd like to get more, but prices these days just seem silly, so who knows if it will ever happen.

Sunday 13 March 2022

Shit Split

Still on the Lookout! Records series of posts. Today's post is Lookout! number 43, the 'Shit Split' 12". Yes, that is the title of the record. This is a split 12" between two bay area bands, Blatz and Filth, and was originally released in 1991. As far as reocrds go, this one is pretty 'punk rock', and a lot less poppy than most other releases in the label's catalog. I didn't really know anything about this record before I checked it out, and I really liked it as it is pretty different to what I would usually choose to listen to.

Blatz sure are an interesting band. Named after a cheap beer, Blatz was a band with 6 members, of which 3 were vocalists, and 2 were female. The female vocals are pretty screamy, and the whole thing is messy and punk as fuck, ending with an anthem titled 'Fuck Shit Up'.

Filth are a harder sounding band. Their feet are placed in the anarcho/crust area, and they sound like they are not messing about. Check the artwork for their side of the record. Spiked hair, 'destroy everything'... you kind of know what you are going to get with this band. And damn, they rule.

The crazy thing about this record is how ignorant I was about it until recently. But since picking this up a few weeks ago I saw someone post on instagram that this is the greatest punk split of all time, and they specifically stated that they ranked this higher than the Faith / Void 12". I also realised that this thing has been pressed a lot of times. The Lookout! press was the first press, and it was then reissued by a label called Life Is Abuse Records in 2000. And then in 2008 it was reissued again by Alternative Tentacles. I may be 30 years late to this record, but still, it earned me a bunch of badly needed punk points in 2022. Just what I needed.

Thursday 10 March 2022

Structure

After a few days of working on other things, I'm back at the blog and continuing my series of Lookout! Records releases that I have picked up recently...

My story with the band Monsula is much the same as my friend Mike's. I have owned their 'Nickel EP' 7" for many, many years but never got around to buying anything else. Fortunately the collection I have been selling for my friend contained the first Monsula LP 'Structure', so it was an easy decision to take it for myself.

This LP was originally released in 1991, which was around the time of me starting out on my musical journey, and which is now (somehow) 31 years ago. Whatever way you look at it, that's a long time. I think that the reason I haven't picked this up previously is the same reason that I didn't buy a lot of records in the past. It was pressed only on black vinyl, and there were probably tens of thousands made. So it was never really a priority.

I'm not sure how I'd describe Monsula to anyone who hasn't heard them. Punk with a bit of melody but also a slight raw edge to it is about as much as I can come up with. They also have a second LP which I have never heard. I imagine that about 3 years ago I could probably have picked one up for less then £10, but no doubt these days they are priced at like £30, which seems to be the minimum price for any record these days. So maybe it will take me as long to find one of those as it took me to acquire this? Come back in 2050 and find out.