IT NEVER ENDS #8
WEIRDOS ~ Destroy All Music EP (Bomp 1977)
Despite being really fine, the Destroy All Music EP is often overshadowed by
the Weirdos next 45, the barnstorming "We Got The Neutron Bomb" 7in. (Dangerhouse
1978). The first born, however, takes back a bit some spotlight in the world of
collector nerds. Having said that, the original stock issue of Destroy All Music
is not rare.
Original picture sleeves are easy to spot by the curved top cut.
The original pressing of the vinyl has a squared edge and
includes a machined "Kendun" stamp in the wax. While there are two different labels
for the original pressing (one mostly white with black text, one mostly black with
knock-out white lettering), I've seen no convincing evidence that one necessarily
preceded the other.
The mostly white labels seem to pop up less often. The black look better.
The reissue has a straight-cut foldover sleeve instead of a
glued pocket sleeve. Reissue vinyl has a "sharp" edge instead of
the "squared" edge of the original. Strap on your scuba tank, the time has come
to ease southward into the collecting abyss starting with the elusive fan club
insert...
... and then dive headlong screaming "it never ends!!!" with
the appearance of the much-coveted test pressing with handmade sleeves by the band.
These sleeves include two hastily cut panels sloppily glued onto a standard paper
sleeve. The front panel is primitive color copy process and shows the car wreck
photo used for the standard issue (black & white) picture sleeve. The back panel
is offset litho.
If you see it, grab it. It's likely to be your only chance.
Even the test pressings include above-average (i.e. better than boring old blank)
Monarch Record Manufacturing labels...
It's unknown how many original test pressings with the special sleeve exist, but
it's clear that some of the "test press sleeves" were also distributed on stock copies.
I've seen four such copies while only a couple bonafide test presses complete with
the special sleeve have surfaced. And just when you thought it had gotten ugly enough,
yet another variation of the test press popped up, this time in an amazing scrapbook
purchased by Tony Aguirre in L.A. The sleeve included a different band photo and
a hand-typed back sleeve. Read 'em and weep (I know I am)... why do I exist?
— Ryan Richardson
September 2, 2005
