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Dischord vinyl remasters
In 2002, Dischord Records began a massive project, going through their back catalog to remaster and reissue many of their titles. Some were remastered and reissued on CD, some were remastered and had new vinyl lacquers cut. Some have never been issued on vinyl before. Mastering is a mysterious process, one that I’m not sure I fully understand or care to explain. But one thing is certain – these records have never sounded so good. Since they have 3 reissues coming out this month, I decided to pick some of my favorite vinyl remasters so far and discuss them. Next week (or the week after) I’ll tackle the CD reissues.
Government Issue – Boycott Stabb Complete Session (Dischord)
21 song salute to one of the greatest front men of all time, John “Stabb” Schroeder. This is a man who took great pleasure in fucking with all your preconceived ideals. When the kids started wearing eye makeup and leather jackets, he’d show up in a polyester suit or plaid golf pants. This was their first LP, and became a kind of punk template that many other bands copied from. And I’ll say this for the proverbial record, “Plain to See” is the best hardcore song ever written, ever. The story behind the cover photo is classic Stabb lore – one of his jaded teenage lovers took it upon herself to get revenge with a full can of spraypaint. Remaster features the original LP on side A and outtakes on side B, some of which are truly sick.
Reptile House – I Stumble As The Crow Flies 7” (Dischord)
Dischord put out a bunch of half releases (this one was originally Dischord 15 3/4) in the 80’s, and this one is a great gem. Reptile House was from Baltimore, and features drummer London May, who would later join Dag Nasty as well as Glenn Danzig’s failed supergroup, Samhain. But more importantly, it marks the debut of singer Daniel Higgs, who is still recording with the label for his current band, Lungfish. Even during rudimentary moments of fumbling guitars, it’s easy to see how this record was an important step towards developing that Lungfish sound. Available now online, will be in stores next week.
Artificial Peace – Complete Session Nov 81 (Dischord)
Holy shit. Raw and unhinged punk rock. You might have heard this session, I’m almost positive that this was bootlegged by the notoriously unsavory Lost & Found Records out of Germany. But you can’t compare the two. This version is cleaned up and sounds like it was recorded last week. If you like Deadline, Marginal Man, Void or any of the three songs they did on Flex Your Head, you’ll want to get this pronto.
Dag Nasty – Wig Out At Denkos (Dischord)
Some musicians say that every record you make is a reaction to the last record you made. That with each progression, a band is supposed to learn and adapt from their mistakes and missteps. And if you need proof of this theory, look no further. I can still remember the first time I heard this, it was November 1990 and I bought this on cassette, not knowing anything about it other than the fact that Dischord put it out. It completely floored me lyrically. The band also benefited from the west coast influence of Doug Carrion (second bass player for The Descendants) who had joined the band earlier that year. Brian Baker’s guitar work is off the wall. After Minor Threat, he didn’t just sit around watching Comedy Central. He learned how to play guitar. Like actual rock guitar. The vinyl remaster is nice and bright, and corrects some of the “flattened” sound of earlier pressings.
Faith/Void – Split LP (Dischord)
I’ve spent countless hours debating people about which side is better, but honestly, no matter which band you prefer this remaster on bright purple vinyl is a must have. If you’ve never heard either band – Void are extremely fast, loose and baroque. They pioneered the fusion of metal and punk, and Bubba’s riffs are more challenging to pull off than they sound on first listen. Faith are untamed, intelligent and passionate hardcore. Some people describe Faith’s live performances like they witnessed a religious revival. I love the insert to this record, some of the clip art on the Void side deserves a close inspection: Dracula, WHIPPED CREAM, happy faces and giant insects!
Fugazi – End Hits (Dischord)
End Hits remains the brightest moment in the mid to late 90’s for Fugazi, in terms of recording and songwriting. These thirteen songs flow together unlike any of their other releases, and this remaster is just a fucking monster. “Five Corporations”, “No Surprise”, “Closed Captioned” and “Arpeggiator” are quintessential Fugazi.
Embrace – s/t (Dischord)
The other day I was flipping through the first issue of MRR’s “Book Your Own Fucking Life” from 1992, and something caught my eye. During a write up of Food For Thought (a well known DC restaurant that employed punks) someone said something like “Great food if you can get over the Dischord scenesters. But don’t worry, they won’t talk to you anyway.” This bummed me out so much. Dischord and it’s extended family have been misinterpreted since they began. If you really want to know what’s behind all the shaved heads and the art-rock aesthetics, start right here. The Embrace LP, more than any other Dischord release, attempts to codify and address many of the issues that they faced as aging hardcore kids. Personally, I don’t think that most “transition” records age too well. This is certainly the exception to that rule. Essential.
Gray Matter – Take It Back (Dischord)
Gray Matter started out playing medium tempo three chord punk, but by the time they recorded these six songs in 1986, they had been together for over three years. It always seemed like they were on the verge of making the most amazing post-hardcore ever. The songs reflected a cool confidence that seemed to be more inspired by the 1960’s than the 1980’s. This bottom end of this LP got a nice lift from the remaster, and really makes these songs stand out as their best material. Great artwork as well.
Scream – This Side Up (Dischord)
Scream is one of those bands, it seems like you either love them or you are totally indifferent to them. The first Scream LP, “Still Screaming” is good, but it’s a little under cooked. This is the one they got 100% correct and is basically THE bridge between punk and hard rock. All of the later era bands, Kingface, Soul Side, Rain, all of them owe a huge debt to this record. New artwork, clear vinyl. An amazing record for headphones!
Flex Your Head – Various Artists (Dischord)
Classic 32 song compilation, now available on red vinyl with new cover art. It’s hard to summarize everything that is happening on this record, but it is still the cornerstone of the label’s early releases. Almost every DC hardcore band at the time is represented, everything from slow plodding avant punk to breakneck speed hardcore. I have a ritual with this record. I have to sit down and unfold the poster and read the entire thing while it plays. Because this isn’t a record that you just put on and walk away and go back to doing the dishes. It doesn’t work like that. C’mon. Get with the program.
