The Inner Sleeve of DOOM!

Garbage bag, meh.

Garbage bag:
Neil Young and Crazy Horse - Life - This record purchased at the DC Record Fair in Rosslyn,VA got the VVers one step closer to completing their 80's Geffen-era Neil Young collection.  Life is a decent album with a good variety of synth weirdness, pop, folk, and songwriting excellence.  The inner sleeve however looks like a black garbage bag and not even the heavy duty type of bag at that.  It's some super-thin scrap which would never protect that delicate vinyl.  Horse-apples!  It looks like hell and is probably disintegrating into the grooves at this very moment.  The thought process from the record label must have been "hey Neil, I hate you" and that's how the garbage bag happened.  Thanks David Geffen.

Sleeve shortage:
In the early days, the VVers were highly focused (really?) on gathering totally random and unusual looking records with little concern for what condition they were in (read: maximum a dollar per LP and often less).  Thrift shops and bargain bins provide plenty of fodder for the budding vinyl enthusiast if you don't mind the dust of a crumbling sleeve getting on your sweatshirt.  The vast majority of these early purchases got ejected from the VVers home stash very quickly, and those that made the cut were usually lacking an inner sleeve.  The cheap records probably melted them.  Bargain bin gems will do that you know!  So the VVer's asked at local Joe's Record Paradise to buy some replacement sleeves and what did Joe's provide?  Ten cents each for used sleeves in various states of decay.  Can't complain... but these modern day, upscale VVers have moved on to ordering brand new static free sleeves.  Classy!

An inch of paper:
Faith No More - The Real Thing - VVer #1 has been pining for this LP for so long.  He grew up on the CD and really wanted to get his pathetic, little, grease-stained mitts on it.  It's one of those albums that was practically the soundtrack for his sordid youth... and it's amazing so don't judge!  After many a failed attempt to get a copy in person VVer #2 took pity on VVer #1 and found a sharp looking promotional copy on Discogs.  YAY!  The inner and outer sleeve both look amazing until you actually try to remove the vinyl from the sleeve.  Alas, the inner sleeve is perforated on all sides by the LP.  Thin paper and sharp, skinny 80's vinyl don't seem to get along.  This is made more so when the paper is cheap "it's 1988 and we're a record company that could care less about vinyl anymore" quality.  About an inch of unripped paper on the corners is the only thing keeping this thing from splitting wide open.  Handle with care.

Plastic sleeves:
Just like handles on heavy paper grocery bags, plastic inner sleeves never hold up.  It's the absolute worst thing you could ever do to your beloved LPs.  It's like wrapping a freshly made sandwich in duct tape.  Yeah it holds it together, but would you ever try to put it back in?  Would you trust it to not leave residue all over the place?  Would you try and print liner notes on it?  Noooooo.  These things are wrinkly in every which way imaginable which makes inserting and removing your cherished vinyl a major chore.  It can be so frustratingly awkward to get the plastic to lay flat that most times the VVers just recycle the plastic and risk going "sleeveless" till they can get hands on a paper one.  It's the right choice.

Paper picture sleeve = perfection

45s:
Why bother!?!  How many times lately with new vinyl have you run into this?  It's such a pain to have to deal with these little, itty-bitty inner paper sleeves!  They are so mini it's like being trapped in the microverse.  Even worse with 45s is when the inner barely fits into the outer sleeve and gets all wiggly and caught on the edge of the outer sleeve!  This is just bad planning.  C'mon people!  This should not be so difficult.  All people want is a nice picture outer sleeve and the 45.  Double paper seems like a waste.

Overly complex sleeves:
Was this the precursor to those stupid CD security spine stickers that absolutely suck!  All you want to do is listen to the music!  Overly complex sleeves that you can't figure out which way is up and which side unfolds in what direction are the pits!  Sure, at first glance it might look fancy, but this is actually a deterrent to playing the dang record.  Too much thinking.

Outer outer:
So this particular blog is about inner sleeves, but it seems this is as good a place as any to mention outer plastic sleeves.  While there is some virtue in preserving the paperboard on a valued record it's got to be mentioned that plastic outer sleeves are highly annoying.  Not knowing a good alternative we vinyl enthusiasts are stuck with them.  What makes them so bad?  Well, for starters they almost always bunch up when being shelved.  When the shelves start getting tight this becomes a major bummer.  Think of a condom that won't stay where it's meant to.  It's sort of like that.  Ewww.

Tune in next time for "The Inner Sleeve of Greatness!"

Neil Young - Re-ac-tor - 1981

Re-act-or:  the beginnings of Neil Young's awesome and much maligned 80's albums, a noisy precursor to Trans, and recorded with Crazy Horse.  What's not to like here?  Re-ac-tor is loaded with heaps of fuzzed-out electric guitar, from Frank Sampedro, ridiculous percussion from Ralph Molina, and thudding bass from Billy Talbot.

There's "a story of Surfer Joe, who caught the big one and let it go" that exemplifies Young's folky, storytelling talents.  This is only to be followed by the bold and brash, "T-Bone," where Neil sings about mashed potatoes and T-Bone steaks.  Yes, you read that right.  It's a pretty silly track, but who cares?  It's fun to listen to and very few lyrics.  Literally, "Got mashed potatoes, Ain't got no T-Bone" repeats endlessly over this nine-minute jam session with the Horse.  Yes.

Side-B is full of trains and cars.  The train-track, "Southern Pacific," sounds like it could fit easily on Neil and Crazy Horse's retro covers album, Americana, due to its rootsy pace, dark lyrics, haunting back-up vocals, massive guitar mashing, and bass line.  Some people might listen to "Motor City" and think it's strange how Young sings so crankily about his car, but seeing as cars are a giant part of his life the song makes total sense.  It's a funny and simple 50's style track with a great sing-a-long "who's driving my car now?"  From reading his autobiographical book, Waging Heavy Peace, you would know how driving huge, old cars on the open road is just about his favorite pastime (after making music and playing with toy trains).  "Rapid Transit" is prescient of his yet to come Landing on Water, not sure why.  His vocals are playful; he's scatting a bit, and doing some lip drum rolls, and yowling too.

Album closer "Shots" could make a guest appearance on Le Noise, Young's recent album that sounds like a "feedback drenched apocalypse."  "Shots" is far ahead of its time.  It's grungy.  Really gritty.  All kinds of machinery sounds are made here with nasty guitar feedback.  Stunning.  Young's singing laid on this backdrop is spot on.  Neil and the Horse are in an intensely focused jam till the end of this track when it just crumbles in chaos.  Total destruction.

Re-ac-tor has howls, kazoos, oohs, ahhs, wood block, cow bell, hand claps, whubba whubbahs,  and the occasional whooh.  As an album it's brimming with reckless abandon.  It's messy at times and frankly lacks in musical focus.  It's Neil and the Horse possibly well loaded and joyously jamming out.  Crazy Horse brings out ripping sounds and fiery intensity on each and every one of these tracks.

Seems like a lot of the music here could perfectly fit into other great Neil Young albums that he later created.  Was this album ahead of its time?  Then why is it that Re-ac-tor is not highly regarded by the general public?  These VVer's don't care about that kinda stuff and like what they like.  It has been in their collection for quite a few years and there it will remain.

2013 in Vinyl

Thanks for checking us out here at Vinyl Vagabonds for another year full of variety and record hunting.  Please try to check out some of the albums that we wrote about; we think it will be worth your time.  Also, make sure to "follow" the site so you never miss a post.

Now, the list.

New Album We Plan To Spend a Lot of 2014 Listening To

Savages Silence Yourself
We got this one from VVer #2's brother for x-mas.  He's typically pretty low key, but he has a great ear for new tunes.  He picked us out a few winners over the years and this one might be the new top banana.  Silence Yourself evokes elements of Patti Smith, PJ Harvey, and Sonic Youth.  It's dark and rageful at times; not exactly a "FUN" record, but certainly a lot to chew on.
Silver Medals - Mark Lanegan and Duke Garwood Black Pudding, The Julie Ruin Run Fast, Kurt Vile and the Violators It's a Big World Out There (and I am Scared)


Most Local Album
Charlie Byrd Trio Travellin' Man at the Showboat, Washington DC
VVer #1's parents used to go check this guy out when he played at a now defunct Silver Spring basement club named "The Birds Nest."  From the performance you can tell he's a classy guitar man, adept at jazzin' it up.  At times he gets way up on the Django scale.  Oh, by the way it's a suitcase.  Also, how can you be a "Trio" and a "Man" at the same time?  It's impossible... or is it?
Silver Medals - The Shirks Action Men/Gimmie Less/Chinese Heels, Trouble Funk Live in DC, Deathfix self-titled

Album Your Parents Will Hate

Melt Banana Fetch

Haha.  VVer #2's mom: "Why do they sound like chipmunk's?"  Hardcore, long form, sing-a-long, Japanese, punk, experimental... MEOWCH!  Take that, face!

Silver Medal - Melvins Live at Third Man Records

Album Cover Most Likely To Offend Your Grandma

Devo Hardcore Devo Vol. 1 and also Vol. 2 
Deep hurting.  These are two rich collections of rarities and early takes of some of Devo's biggest early hits.  It's a mixed bag of punk, experimental sound effects, and goofballery.  Very catchy too.  What's with the crazy album covers?  Bondage sex weirdness.  Are we not men?
Silver Medal - Big Band Polkas Helena Polka Band

VVer #1 thought with a cover this awful there would be some redeeming value hidden within.  Total fail.

Best Album to Complete the 10 for 1 Purchase

Stevie Wonder In Square Circle

It's true, on occasion Joe's Record Paradise will have an insane sale.  All records priced $2 and under: 10 for $1.  The best way to finish off your booty?  Buying a Stevie Wonder album only because it has "Part-Time Lover" on it.  Hooray for synth 80s!  In truth we were stocking up on (choke) Christmas vinyl for the holiday visit of VVer #2's brother, aka "MR. CHRISTMAS."

Most Embossed Cover

Antibalas self-titled

We caught this world-music ensemble at the Black Cat a few months back.  Not bad. Album cover is beautiful!  Strikingly staged and lovingly embossed.  Shiny even!  Exceptional tactile-ness!

Silver Medal - Europe The Final Countdown, Stevie Wonder In Square Circle

2012 Album That We Forgot About Until Just Last Month
Neil Young Sleeps with Angels
VVer #2 snagged this rare disc on a business trip to Northampton and we sort of lost it.  Most likely because the plastic sleeve got wedged too far back on our shelf (but more likely it's that we just have way to many Neil Young records!) it's been hiding in the shadows.  Thanks to some recent house cleaning it was unearthed.  Sleeps with Angels is a dark toned and resonant album with several long form compositions loaded with ambient distortions and feedback.  It's pristine Crazy Horse sonic territory, though not as crushing as their last few 80's collaborations.  It has a bit of that early After the Gold Rush feel.  Next to last track "Piece of Crap" is more of a punk sort of thing, weird.

Best Basement Find
A Tribe Called Quest Revised Quest for the Seasoned Traveller
Hippity-hop remixed and found in a basement in Brooklyn; does it get any better?


Album that Caused the Most Arguments
The Muppets The Frog Price
VVer #1 is too close to this record to be partial.  It is damn adorable.  VVer #2 isn't interested in a second spin.  Let us never speak of it again.

Best Cover to Feature Wings & Things

Johnny Hodges & Wild Bill Davis Wings & Things

The finest in slouch-core jazz.

Best Moral Quandary Record
The Black Angels Indigo Meadow is a stellar album.  Problem is, thanks to the digital download card that came with the vinyl, VVer #2 find herself listening to it mostly on her pod instead of on the VVers obvious preferred format.  This little, evil card that now is ubiquitous with newly released vinyl is neat-o to have and allows you to enjoy music EVERYWHERE, but is this really necessary?  It doesn't sound as good as the format you intentionally bought it on.  When looking for a record to play, Indigo Meadow often gets skipped over because it was just listened to it on the bus on crappy headphones.  But, when it does get put on the spinner, it sounds amazing!  Quandary!

Best Anchorman Reference
RDGLDGRN self-titled

This local band from VA who's 45 features "I Love Lamp" and "Million Fans" is a nice combo of hip-hop and pop.  Kudos for the Anchorman shout-out, but in truth the B-side is the preferable song.  Strangely the band wants us to play their 45 at 33 1/2 speed, at least that's how it is printed on the label.

Best Handmade Cover

Barkitecture Quarry

Beautiful hand screened cover for local band playing some serious instrumental jazz/rock.  The vinyl itself is white/green marbled.  Purty.

Silver Medal - Static Eyes/Drugs Dragons

Most Rewarding Record
Judas Priest Rocka Rolla
Prepared for some drudge metal and we ended up with something altogether different and richer.  A surprise.

Best Find of the Year

Manu Dibango Soul Makossa

The VVers already wrote about this one.  Read it.  Listen to the record.

If you're still reading you might be asking yourself "did these guys just list the records they bought this year and come up with awards for them?"  The answer to that is, sort of.  Many albums came into our possession that we did not write about this year and of these most were put immediately back out into the world through trade, sale, or donation.  Some are still in the house waiting for another spin; their fate is uncertain...