Rip (The Label) Off
I'm not one to start trying to put together coherent thoughts about a record after one listen -- that's why I'm not a music journalist (no cigar-puffing bigwig standing over my desk and telling me to write reviews for this stack of cd's NOW!), but I can't help but throw out my first bit of praise for the new Times New Viking record NOW!
So I skipped over to the record store this evening to get a copy of Rip It Off, and after a solid dinner of Mediterranean Chicken at good ol' Easy Street Cafe (whose deep menu is much appreciated -- that one's for you, Bone Fresh!), I made a beeline for the turntable so I could delve into some TNV wax.
And what's the first thing that grabs my attention? Well, I'll be . . . if they haven't gone and out-foxed the foxiest foxes in the forest! You got it -- they marked over the label from side one of Slanted and Enchanted to make the label for side one of Rip It Off. I even pulled out my copy of Pavement's Matador debut for confirmation (though I was totally sure when the Version) part of Summer Babe (Winter Version) wasn't fully blotted out). TNV already had my undying love and affection, but now it's even more . . . undying.
This is what all those kids who were listening to leaked MP3's last month are missing. Nothing like that moment of recognition triggered by "WEA" being blacked out. Untamed, untranslatable, the barbaric yawp of us record-buyers is something I won't stop sounding over the roofs of the world any time soon.
In other news, I think Used Kids still has a copy of the original LP "model" for the Watery Domestic EP artwork floating around in Dollarland somewhere.
