Here we are again, diving into my record collection. Hopefully there are some cool takeaways from this post, in that you get to see what I have lurking in my record boxes, and I get to yap about why I love physical music so much. So it's more of a win win for me, but hey it's my blog I can do what I like really...Enjoy!
The End, So Far - Slipknot - Pink Pre-Order Misprint
This one is really funny to me, not only because it has a story behind it, but also because it shows that sometimes, even the biggest bands can seriously fuck stuff up on a corporate level. I pre-ordered this record very soon after the announcement came that Slipknot were coming out with new material. The pink variant was the first of a shit tonne that came after this pre-order was fulfilled. Then came the two piece kicker that made this pre-order one to remember. First off, my record was bent in such a way that it looked like it had been kicked by whoever delivered it, leaving a nasty crease on the packaging and actually warping the record inside - Evri sucks - but also on the front of the record, the name of the album was 'The End, For Now' instead of the actual title of the record. And how had the higher ups decided to cover this up? A sticker...on the outside cellophane of the record. *facepalm*
Omens - Lamb of God - Clear/Black Splatter
I was lucky enough to see Lamb of God a little while ago with one of my best mates and his partner at the live music venue I work at. Not only was it a killer show with killer company, but it was so memorable that I decided to pick up my first and currently only Lamb of God record to date - and by that, ask my partner who was heading into town to pick me up a copy whilst I was out at a lecture. I saw them on the 'Omens' tour, so it only felt right that was the record I ended up grabbing. I remember pretty vividly showing up to the bar at the venue, and my friends behind it telling me 'management have told everyone working to put in ear protection because apparently this band is loud as fuck'. They were very right, they were loud, but that's what made the show so cool.
Location Sessions - Twenty One Pilots - 2020 Record Store Day Grey
2020 was the first year I really heard about Record Store Day, and I remember this record, the Twenty One Pilots 'Location Sessions' being the only one I was really interested in. However, once again I couldn't make it out to my local store on the day, and this one was fresh out of stock almost everywhere when I went online to grab a copy. Everywhere else was selling it at a crazy price on resale, so I resigned myself to the fact I wouldn't be adding it to my collection. One day, when I was out with one of my friends driving around the country lanes around where I'm from, we pulled over next to a park, and I checked my phone for a moment, and saw this record being advertised by a small record store in Edinburgh, still in stock. After having a small heart attack, I followed the link and kept it in my safari, and as soon as I got home, I bought it.
Hello, I Must Be Going - Phil Collins - Original Pressing
Phil Collins is an artist me and my Dad bonded over enjoying. This record is a stand out to me because it was recorded just post his very public divorce with his wife, and is much more raw than his previous works - even rawer than 'Face Value' in my opinion. Evolving from his more pop stylings, it goes in odd and differentiating styles, with some real highlights being 'Like China' and 'I Don't Care Anymore'. Before I got this record, I just enjoyed it on streaming, mainly in my Dad's car. However, when I was in a record store looking for new CD's for my Walkman, I saw this record in their window and had to bring it home with me. I later found out it was an original pressing, and for £8, it was a bit of a no brainer.
Seventh Son of a Seventh Son - Iron Maiden - Original Pressing
I absolutely love this album for a lot of reasons, a few of them being too personal to really talk about on this blog, but apart from the mushy emotional stuff, I found this record, and this band, at a crucial time in my life. At a point in my life that was extremely turbulent and formative for me, this record helped me deal with the slew of new emotions I was feeling at the time, helped by my Dad's love for Iron Maiden too. Then, when looking around a town near where he lives, we found a store called Jimmy Cuba's, which was a record store ran by the brilliant...you guessed it... Jimmy Cuba, who was a real legend and stand out bloke. The store was tucked away from the rest of the town, and Jimmy sat chatting to the people leafing through the records, but at this time, it was just post COVID, so he was asking what people were looking for and grabbing it for them. Obviously, I asked whether he had any Maiden, and he appeared with a stack of vinyl. Everything from picture disks of interviews to live albums, it was a treasure trove. And in amongst the pile was this, my favourite album by Iron Maiden. After a quick trip to the cash point, this record was mine. An original copy of my favourite record.
So, there's my next instalment of this fun little series, hope you enjoy the stories behind some of my records. It's really fun, so even if you physically and vehemently hate it all, it makes me happy putting together all my fun memories together over my favourite pastime. Cheers for reading if you have, see you on the next one.
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