dolt

I'm debating on driving over to Looney Tunes to get the blue-vinyl TBS release, but they're nearly an hour away from me and I bet it won't be worth it no matter how early i get there. They're letting in VIPs an hour before everyone else, but anyone can be a VIP...if you pay $25 to become one. LAME. Taking care of your regulars? I get it and I respect it. But a full hour? There won't be a damn thing left by the time you let it everyone else; the VIPs will march up to the register with 10 TBSs apiece. Throwing on an extra $25 charge just to get the one record you can't get elsewhere is just extorting your customers. Actually, it's called "say 'screw it' and go to our competitors instead," because that's probably what I'm going to do.

That must have taken like two hours to write. Good stuff!

Is the Morrissey 10" still happening? I got a copy of Alliance's distro list and it's not in there. (also it says the soundtracks are 2,000 pressed, not 5,000, FWIW). Very bummed if the Morrissey record has evaporated (though that'd be fitting, eh?).

Just got a press release on this: Night wish’s Limited Edition Trials of Imaginaerum 10” Picture Disc Available on Record Store Day, April 21, 2012 DETAILS: Two sides + four unreleased demos Limited Edition Track List: “Storytime” ”I Want My Tears Back” “The Crow, The Owl and The Dove” “Slow, Love, Slow” Available at Record Store Day Retailers. Fine Print: Purchase also includes the option to receive an unreleased track digitally.

It's a frustrating year so far, in that most everything I'm interested in is acts that I'm sort of into--there's no "I GOTTA HAVE IT" releases: -Morrissey remixed by Sparks 10" -The Knack 1978 live 10" (they were a damn good live band) -Carolina Chocolate Drops/Run-DMC 7" -MC5/Bambatta 7" -Whatever City & Colour release eventually gets announced ...and maybe the "controversial" (not) Fleetwood Mac 45 rpm reissue. During last year's RSD, I was on vacation so my pal of 20 years who owns the local shop took it upon himself to put a lot of stuff aside for me, including a few items that I didn't ask him for--like the "Rumors" re-release on 45. Since he'd done me such a great favor on all the other stuff, I kinda HAD to buy it...and dang if it wasn't the best thing I picked up. It really sounds amazing. My only regret is that he had 2 of 'em, and I wish I'd bought the other one so I could foist on to eBay--when I last looked a few months ago, they were going for $150. The upside on being on vacation last year was that I was in Hawaii, so I went to RSD in paradise at Hungry Ear Records on Oahu—picked up some good stuff, made some new friends in the owners Ward and Dennie, and met Todd Rundgren who was doing an in-store there that day (signed the vintage Something/Anything promo LP I brought from home, too). No RSD will ever beat that for me, I suspect.

Strut is reissuing an old psych album by Ugly Custard. No mention of it on their site, but they sent me a press release on it 2 weeks ago. Here's the info: Strut Prepares Vinyl-Only Record Store Day Title UK Psychedelic Classic Ugly Custard Features Library Legend Alan Parker This April, Strut celebrate Record Store Day 2012 with the limited edition, vinyl-only re-release of a rare, funky psychedelic classic; the self-titled 1971 LP from Ugly Custard. The album will be the first in a series of limited edition vinyl-only releases. Ugly Custard has become a cult classic among vinyl diggers – a dense, heavy, psyched-out set from a short-lived side project put together by UK library and film music composer, Alan Parker (known to savvy collectors for his work on the legendary KPM 1000 series, as well as recordings w/ Donovan, David Bowie, and others). The album reunited Parker with leading session players and fellow members of the band Blue Mink including Herbie Flowers (bass) and Roger Coulam (organ) alongside prolific drummer Clem Cattini (The Tornados, T-Rex, Hot Chocolate). The album features Parker in top form, re-arranging known standards into open, wigged-out jams including Paul Simon’s "Scarboro’ Fair" and Stephen Stills’ "Hung Upside Down." Side 2 focuses on original Parker compositions including the sitar-drenched "Cry From The Heart" and a co-composition between Parker and The Mohawks’ Alan Hawkshaw on "Custard’s Last Stand." Ugly Custard is pressed on heavyweight vinyl and features new sleeve notes including an interview with Alan Parker. Originally issued on Kaleidoscope (KAL 100) in 1971. + + + + + My two cents on Disturbed vs. "the true meaning of RSD": I think we can all agree that Disturbed sucks, but the real "true meaning of RSD" is to keep the proveribal RSes in business, and if that means selling an expensive box set of shovelmetal to some kid, I'm ok with that. With no RSes, we don't get RSD, so it's a small price to pay. And for better or worse, a lot more Disturbed boxes will get sold on April 21 than some releases already on this list.