sub pop. sp 23 / 2 tracks / 1989

RI: UK: “sub pop. sp 23” / 1993

1200 made, all on black; first 1000 are hand numbered on the back, the other 200 are unnumbered and have just a red marker stripe where the others are numbered. (There has been some dispute whether these are real or fake, but I think it has been settled with the verdict “real”). One counterfeit (could be the UK one, I’m not sure) is just like the original, down to the labels, but it just has “sub pop sp 23” in the inner grooves, the original has some additional writing (On side A: “Why Don’t You Trade Those Guitars For Shovels? L-31540”).

Debut 7” by this highly obscure Seattle band. Good & original grunge rock, not as boring as the generic “alternative rock” crap that was later forced upon us by the majors. Still more hardcore than 70s rock, A side (a Shocking Blue cover) also has a nice oriental touch. Very good. [8]

Debut-7” von einem der Aushängeschilder des Sub-Pop-Labels. Eigentlich schon typischer Grunge-Rock, der hier aber noch meilenweit von der nervenden Gleichheit der späteren 70s-Rock-Kasper ist; kommt noch wirklich frisch und originell, und ist auch noch eher Hardcore als Rock. Auf der A-Seite zudem noch ein unwiderstehlicher orientalischer Touch… Sehr gut.