Various Artists - Radio Tokyo Tapes Vol. 3

This is a real mixed bag of stuff that I found for $4.39 at In Your Ear Records. It's a test pressing, too, which is kind of cool. It would be much cooler if I liked the album more, I think.

Anyway, It's an acoustic themed album of local LA artists. Radio Tokyo was a studio that put these compilations out every so often in the early-mid 80's. There's a wide range of styles here, going way outside of my usual comfort zone. Folky stuff from Phranc to a D. Boon-less Minutemen track.

Also, the cartoon album cover with two chicks in their underwear talking about the bands in their really stilted and forced dialogue is just creepy and weird. 

Some highlights:
The Knitters were 3 members of X with a different guitarist doing country/roots music. Ironic in that X guitarist Billy Zoom was the country influenced guy. It's a nice medley of two different country songs that were hits around the same time, and one was a counterpoint to the other.

Henry Rollins treats us to his parricidal fantasies over a tuneless acoustic guitar track. This is one of the reasons I bought this record. It's really not that good. Cringeworthy, even, but my friends Mitch and Paul at UMass had a copy of this from somewhere, and they would make fun of how Hank says "trachea" quite a bit. They also burned "2/13/61" into the cieling of their dorm room with zippos.

Chris D. of the The Flesh Eaters has a good song on here, and I'll listen to anything of his, even though his vocals are an acquired taste. Go get yourself a copy of A Minute to Pray, A Second to Die if you haven't heard that yet.

The Balancing Act song is solid.

The Minutemen cover Richard Hell's "Time". It's strange to hear Watt sing with such a high-pitched voice, he sounds a lot different now. 

Enjoy!