Green Day – BBC Sessions

Just like with the previous Oakland Coffee exclusive vinyl release (Billie Joe Armstrong’s solo cover 7”), their second and third exclusive releases eventually found their way onto an album. I wasn’t surprised, upset or angered by this eventuality. I fully expected it, and will admit I bought those Green Day BBC Sessions 7”s solely from a collector/completionist standpoint. In the grand scheme of things, having this album come out is a nice thing, because it collects all of the band’s BBC Sessions onto one album, and an official release at that.

BBC Sessions contains four separate sessions recorded at the BBC’s Maida Vale Studio from 1994 up through 2001 for BBC Radio 1’s Evening Show hosted by Steve Lamacq.

There are a few variants for BBC Sessions, three in total. There is the standard black pressing that is available everywhere, a band exclusive on blue and pink (LP 1 on transparent blue, LP 2 on opaque pink) limited to a whopping 10,000 copies, and an indie record store exclusive on milky clear. Pressing info has only been released for the band’s exclusive, which is better than nothing I guess considering most major labels never release any bit of pressing info. But at 10,000 copies, is that really limited in any true sense? Yes, Green Day is a very popular band with a massive collector following, but 10,000 copies is typically the total for an entire run; not just a single variant out of an even larger pressing.

Considering retail price on this album is $35 before shipping (should it apply), odds are this record will take a long time to sell out of any of the variants let alone go out OOP. Overall this is a nice release, which is another refreshing thing. Typically major labels opt to cut costs wherever they can while still charging top dollar for vinyl releases. Double LPs used to cost $25 not so long ago; you can’t chalk up inflation, the pandemic, licensing fees (if they apply for this release) or any other logical reason for this record costing $35 in 2021. I bought this for $17 shipped during what will hopefully not be Target’s final B2G1 sale.

All copies come in a gatefold jacket and that’s it. No printed dust sleeves, no insert, no download card/code.  Surprisingly only two variants have hype stickers, which are the same basic circle hype sticker, with the exception that the colors of it differ. The black variant has a pink sticker, while the milky clear has a blue sticker. For whatever reason the blue and pink does not have a hype sticker. But at least it’s still easy to differentiate the variants if you’re after a certain one and are inclined to buy a brand new, sealed copy.

Green Day – The BBC Sessions Pt. 2 7″

I not a fan of subscription services. You’re forced into paying for things you may not want, just because you want maybe one thing. And as a result you pay way more money for that one thing. When Oakland Coffee, a coffee shop in Oakland owned by the three main members of Green Day, started offering up exclusive vinyl releases and/or variants, I took notice. But because of my fairly hard line stance against joining subscription and/or membership services, or crowd funded anything, I was both cautious, and a tad annoyed.

Initially they only had an exclusive variant of Billie Joe’s first solo release, a 7” single featuring songs of his cover album that he released during the pandemic and resulting shutdowns. Eventually they offered up an exclusive release, a 7” featuring two songs from Green Day’s 1994 BBC Session. Even then I held off on subscribing, despite this 7” not becoming available on its own.

Even further down the road a second 7” was released, and became part of a package offered only to new subscribers. Combine that with a 25% off discount code, and they finally suckered me in to subscribing.

It was speculated that there would be multiple 7”s released for this BBC Session, based solely on the fact that the first one released has “Pt. 1” in the title. So it was strongly implied, but never confirmed until the Pt. 2 was formally announced in mid September 2021. Part. 1 was released in June 2021.

The good thing about these records is that they weren’t pre-orders. They shipped relatively quickly. I mentioned this is a subscriber exclusive, but it’s not solely set aside for new customers. Anyone who is already a member has access to purchase either of these 7”s. New subscribers eventually did get a nice welcome package that contained these two 7”s included in the fee. So there was no need to pay for the subscription, and then tack on one or both of these records, which would cost an additional $20.

And therein lies one of my big issues with some subscription services. At some point, you may get screwed.  Had I joined the club to get the first record, the Billie Joe solo 7”, I would’ve had to keep my subscription going for close to a year, while Oakland Coffee allows you to skip shipments and not get charged for them in the process, other subscriptions don’t allow this luxury. The coffee isn’t cheap either. It costs $15 for a 12 ounce bag. I’m not a coffee snob, I buy big cans at the grocery store for around $5 that last me a month. But I will say the Father Of All… Dark Roast is damn good, and I highly recommend getting a bag or cups.

The new subscription box cost $80, and thusly qualifies for free shipping. With the 25% off coupon I paid $60. And for those prices you get both BBC Session 7”s, three 12 ounce bags of ground coffee and an envelope containing a welcome card, a sticker pack consisting of three pointless stickers and two guitar picks that are basically promo pieces for Oakland Coffee. So in the long run, you literally save only $5 by being a new subscriber.

Part. 2 is pressed on purple vinyl and has “Basket Case” on the a-side and “When I Come Around” on the b-side. The session was recorded in either August or May of 1994. I’m not sure which month because the British list the day before the year and in American we list the month before the day. So I’m not sure if this 7” took that into account and listed the date in the American format. But the back of the jacket say 8/6/1994. These songs have been floating around online for decades, and have probably been pressed on vinyl in the form of bootlegs countless times. But these two 7”s mark the first time any of the songs from this BBC Session were officially released on vinyl.

Green Day – The BBC Sessions Pt. 1 7″

I not a fan of subscription services. You’re forced into paying for things you may not want, just because you want maybe one thing. And as a result you pay way more money for that one thing. When Oakland Coffee, a coffee shop in Oakland owned by the three main members of Green Day, started offering up exclusive vinyl releases and/or variants, I took notice. But because of my fairly hard line stance against joining subscription and/or membership services, or crowd funded anything, I was both cautious, and a tad annoyed.

Initially they only had an exclusive variant of Billie Joe’s first solo release, a 7” single featuring songs of his cover album that he released during the pandemic and resulting shutdowns. Eventually they offered up an exclusive release, a 7” featuring two songs from Green Day’s 1994 BBC Session. Even then I held off on subscribing, despite this 7” not becoming available on its own.

Even further down the road a second 7” was released, and became part of a package offered only to new subscribers. Combine that with a 25% off discount code, and they finally suckered me in to subscribing.

It was speculated that there would be multiple 7”s released for this BBC Session, based solely on the fact that the first one released has “Pt. 1” in the title. So it was strongly implied, but never confirmed until Pt. 2 was formally announced in mid September 2021. Part. 1 was released in June 2021.

The good thing about these records is that they weren’t pre-orders. They shipped relatively quickly. I mentioned this is a subscriber exclusive, but it’s not solely set aside for new customers. Anyone who is already a member has access to purchase either of these 7”s. New subscribers eventually did get a nice welcome package that contained these two 7”s included in the fee. So there was no need to pay for the subscription, and then tack on one or both of these records, which would cost an additional $20.

And therein lies one of my big issues with some subscription services. At some point, you may get screwed.  Had I joined the club to get the first record, the Billie Joe solo 7”, I would’ve had to keep my subscription going for close to a year, while Oakland Coffee allows you to skip shipments and not get charged for them in the process, other subscriptions don’t allow this luxury. The coffee isn’t cheap either. It costs $15 for a 12 ounce bag. I’m not a coffee snob, I buy big cans at the grocery store for around $5 that last me a month. But I will say the Father Of All… Dark Roast is damn good, and I highly recommend getting a bag or cups.

The new subscription box cost $80, and thusly qualifies for free shipping. With the 25% off coupon I paid $60. And for those prices you get both BBC Session 7”s, three 12 ounce bags of ground coffee and an envelope containing a welcome card, a sticker pack consisting of three pointless stickers and two guitar picks that are basically promo pieces for Oakland Coffee. So in the long run, you literally save only $5 by being a new subscriber.

Part. 1 is pressed on white vinyl and has “She” on the a-side and “2,000 Light Years Away” on the b-side. The session was recorded in either August or May of 1994. I’m not sure which month because the British list the day before the year and in American we list the month before the day. So I’m not sure if this 7” took that into account and listed the date in the American format. But the back of the jacket say 8/6/1994. These songs have been floating around online for decades, and have probably been pressed on vinyl in the form of bootlegs countless times. But these two 7”s mark the first time any of the songs from this BBC Session were officially released on vinyl.

Green Day – Live At The Whisky 7″

Green Day has been churning out 7”s ever since the release of their latest album, Father Of All Motherfuckers. Though none of them have actually been singles off said album. The first that came out was included with a magazine. Not your typical flexi disc that zines used to come with back in the day. This is a regular 7” in a jacket, not even a paper sleeve.

The kicker with this record is that it’s a UK based magazine, Q Magazine, but the only way to get the 7” is/was to order the set direct from the band’s web store. You could not buy the 7” on the retail market separately, though you could buy the issue of Q Magazine off newsstands or wherever folks in the UK by periodicals like this.

The issue at hand is the April 2020; there are no numbers or volumes listed, and there are two different cover variants for this issue. The first is the widely circulated one, with the other being the one featured here with the 7” (I am including pics of both covers for posterity), which is/was exclusive to Green Day’s web store. It was actually one of the last issues to be printed, as the magazine folded in June 2020 after 34 years of being in print.

It’s tough to advise on what a good price point for this is. A lot depends on whether or not you want the magazine included with the 7”. The set cost $17 before shipping, with the only shipping option being $11. And I was not at all impressed with how it was shipped; literally in a giant plastic bag that could fit several hoodies in it, all for a magazine and a 7”, with zero protection in terms of bubble wrap or cardboard. The magazine and 7” were lose in said gigantic plastic bag, so some damage occurred to both the magazine and 7”. When I contacted Green Day’s/Warner Bros. Records’ web store, I was met with ignorance and contempt.

Considering this has sat around for well over one year and has not sold out, and has not seen a price reduction at all from Green Day’s web store, I’m not sure what the best route to take is here. One thing I will say is don’t fall for sellers on the secondary market who have the magazine and 7” shrink wrapped or sealed together. While the 7” is sealed, it’s not packaged with the magazine in any way. The 7” is lose, and the so is the magazine. The magazine itself is not sealed or shrink wrapped in any way either.

The 7” features two live songs, “Father Of All…” and “American Idiot,” recorded at The Whisky A Go-Go, a venue in Los Angeles, on September 10, 2019. This show was the live debut of “Father Of All Motherfuckers.” All copies were pressed on black vinyl, with pressing info never released. There is no physical download card included, and you are not sent one after ordering from Green Day’s web store either. As far as I can tell these songs have not surfaced digitally, anywhere. Live videos shot the night of the show have surfaced online, but not the official audio source used for this 7”.

Green Day – Live In New Jersey 1992

There are many different pressings of this bootleg. Some of them are done as a double LP, like this one. Others are done as a single LP, which is featured in this entry. The single LP version has three tracks omitted due to space issues. So if you’re looking for a more complete recording of this radio session, go with one of the double LP versions. The three tracks left off this single LP version is an intermission track, “Dominated Love Slave” and “All By Myself.” So in reality you’re only missing out on two songs.

One great thing about this bootleg, and radio session in particular, is that is lets fans hear early versions of songs that would later be found on Dookie. Unfortunately one of those songs is one of the ones left of the single LP version.

Do no listen to Discogs for info about the single LP version. Discogs states that it’s a Zavvi exclusive. Whoever added that info even said they were not sure about it, but Discogs still lets it be posted. Perfect example as why Discogs is not the end all be all of information about physical media relating to music. I know it’s not a Zavvi exclusive because I bought this in the USA from a brick & mortar indie record store in 2021, and Zavvi is a UK based online only retailer after they ceased physical store front operations way back in 2015.

Like many bootlegs, pressing info is not available. But even if it was, you would have to take it with a grain of salt. All copies of this version of the boot are pressed on white vinyl, and it has different artwork to any of the other versions/pressings of it to date. Which quite honestly, is the only reason I bought it. Prices on this boot vary widely, but you should be able to buy a copy for close to $20.

This may be another variant in the WSOU bootleg from the radio show Green Day did for the infamous Seton Hall radio station. I’m a sucker for bootlegs for bands I love, and Green Day will always have a soft spot in my heart. Dookie is the first CD I decided to buy on my own. I listened to that CD so much that the gold paint started to wear off of it. I remember, as a child, grabbing my grandmother’s sewing needles and drumming with them to every song on the album; beating the shit out of her arm chair. That was my first foray into music discovery on my own accord. Granted I grew up with a father who implanted Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, The Rolling Stones, Dire Straits, Santana, The Police and Bruce Springsteen into my DNA. But Green Day will always trigger vivid memories for me, and they’re a band I attribute almost everything to in terms of my musical endeavors and interests. Without them, and in particular Dookie, I don’t know where I’d be. It’s an album I connected with immediately, and still do to this day.

A&E bio done. This latest entry into this bootleg sees different artwork. A different label, and a smaller format. The other boot I have is a double LP. This one is a single LP. I will link that other boot here. I’m eccentric, but I like order, so because this particular record being discussed here is technically the same release, it’s different enough (title, format, artwork) to warrant its own post.

It’s not uncommon for bootlegs to go through several iterations, change hands through “labels” and see various releases over the years. Granted, WFMU was long before my time, but their access to underground music is renowned to this day. I was on this earth, but unable to be aware of such events due to my age. The fact that I was able to obtain Dookie at such as young age is astonishing enough.

This version of this boot was put out by DOL, who are based out of Russia. Which explains how they’re able to operate. This version of the bootleg has actually gone through two pressings. What is featured here is the second pressing of this version of the bootleg. The first pressing was done on black vinyl, with the second pressing done on white vinyl. The first pressing was released in 2016, and the second pressing was released in 2020.

Green Day – Insomniac 20th Anniversary Edition

Anniversaries have always been used as an excuse in the music industry to release and/or re-release things. Most times a re-release is not necessary. This is one of them. Could people have lived without the bonus material, which is a live show? Absolutely.

Insomniac was apparently last pressed way back in 2009. But since it’s steadily available, I highly doubt it hasn’t been re-pressed, or at least kept in print, since then. Did Reprise Records do anything for the album’s 20^th anniversary? Nope. Granted the silver anniversary is a big one, but in reality, for this album, it’s not. If this were Dookie, which has never received any sort of anniversary release, or even a deluxe edition, it raises my eyebrows even higher regarding Insomniac.

Had this been more thought out and nicer release my opinion might be swayed the opposite direction. Most of it seems like an afterthought. We have more material than can fit on a single LP, but not enough to fill out the d-side of a second LP? Throw on a pointless etching of the artwork on it! I guess it’s better than leaving the d-side blank. But etchings only driving up the cost to the consumer. Don’t get me wrong. Some etchings are nice. But using the album artwork or the band’s logo does not show much, if any, creativity. Throw in the fact that this double LP is stuffed into a oversized single pocket jacket instead of a gatefold jacket. Add up the price for this; close to $30 retail, and it leaves me far from impressed.

And of course there are variants for this pressing of Insomniac. There was a band exclusive variant, which was pressed on orange vinyl. With the other variant being black vinyl. Though pressing info has not, and likely never will be released. It didn’t stop the orange variant from selling out, and it did so despite it cost more than the black variant; $32 before shipping instead $30. I will add that the etching looks far better on black vinyl than it does on the orange.

The artwork was slightly tweaked for this 25^th anniversary edition; getting the holographic treatment, or what the band/label calls “prismatic silver foil.” Google doesn’t even come up with any search results for that term. Other than that the artwork is the same as the original release from 1996. The center labels were changed to, wait for… silver. You know, to keep with the 25^th anniversary theme that has been found all over this release.

The records themselves come housed in printed dust sleeves. The artwork used for the first sleeve is a carbon copy of the insert included with the first pressing of the record. The second sleeve simply has promo photos; with one side of it literally having several practically identical images from the photo shoot put together like a collage.

I mentioned above the bonus material, which is a show recorded in Prague on March 26, 1996. And the creativity continues to flow with the title of the bonus material/disc; Live In Prague. On top of, one actual good thing about this 25^th anniversary re-issue is that it was re-mastered. Not solely for vinyl, but the album was re-mastered. This record does sound good. And while it does not come with a physical download card/code (not sure if the Green Day store sent out to anyone who ordered; I highly doubt it) if you get your hands on the digital files you can hear the difference there too if you do a side by side comparison between the original 1996 release and this one.

Price was mentioned above and how the orange variant is sold out. While the black variant is still around, it is becoming slightly harder to find as time goes on. If you’re like me and waiting for a good sale from somewhere, it may not happen before this 25^th anniversary pressing goes OOP.

V/A – Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me Soundtrack

Lots of times Record Store Day (RSD) release are perplexing. Most can agree that most RSD releases are cash grabs. But as time has gone on many RSD releases were “RSD First” releases; simply meaning that they would be available on RSD and then later see a wider release at some point down the road. Say what you will about that tactic, but at least the powers at be are up front about it. This release exemplifies almost every bad aspect about RSD.

Now I can’t say for certain what the reason is. Typically RSD product is non-returnable. Meaning stores can’t send back unsold inventory to the distributor for a refund. RSD is notorious for having tons of left over releases sitting in indie record stores, unsold, for years after the event they were initially released on. If in fact the powers at be are allowing stores to return unsold product, it’s a step in the right direction. But I’m not naïve. I like to call myself a realist instead of a pessimist. What I think happened with this release is the following.

We all know RSD releases clog up plants, with many of them being unnecessary cash grabs pretty much everyone could live without. Soundtracks have seemed to be the latest trend across the board, not just for RSD. For 2020 RSD decided to green light all three of the Austin Powers films’ soundtracks. Likely because a major label pushed it. I say green light because ultimately the RSD folk decide what is on the official release list, many times turning away smaller labels in favor of churning out Fleetwood Mac, Rolling Stones and The Doors re-presses.

I didn’t anticipate The Spy Who Shagged Me soundtrack being hard to find at all. In fact, I didn’t even bother going to my local store on any of the RSD Drops because I thought this release wouldn’t be hard to find. The other deciding factor was price. I’ve been burned in the past RSD releases like this; where I pay retail price only to find out months if not years later I didn’t have to pay an absurd price in order to ensure I got a copy. At $25 retail for this soundtrack, which I only wanted for one song, the Green Day contribution, which yes is a b-side but has subsequently been released on Green Day’s b-sides album Shenanigans, the opt out on my part was easily justified.

Long story long; fast forward into 2021, and for whatever reason, distros started listing copies of this soundtrack for sale. Odd considering this was a RSD release, solely intended for indie record stores. I do realize media distribution has pretty turned into a monopoly, so when I say distro for this, it’s literally one company selling it under a massive umbrella of essentially shell companies. And I’ll be up front, this is not a hard RSD release to find for at or below retail price on the secondary market, or from indie record stores web stores; here is what leads me to believe something shady happened.

My local store has had zero problems ordering RSD product. They typically order everything, and get in lots of copies of everything they order. It’s a perk of living close to such a connected store. When I eventually went down to the store a few days later in one of my usual shopping trips, I noticed this soundtrack was sold out, but lots of other seemingly more popular releases were still sitting there. So I asked one of the staff I’ve chatted with for years of shopping there, and was basically told we ordered like 10 copies and we only got in two because the supply wasn’t there. So I thought ok, odd, but whatever. Now the fact that copies are magically appearing for sale direct from the distro well over one year afterward, actually closer to two years than one year, has my red flag alert going off.

Bear in mind, this is not a re-pressing. It’s the RSD release. It’s on the translucent tan vinyl, has the same hype sticker, etc. Yes, there were 3,000 copies pressed. Which lends credence to the idea that stores were allowed to send back copies. Let’s even entertain that there were not enough orders from stores to allocate all 3,000 or so copies of this release; why then did it take until around September 2021 for them to appear on the marketplace direct from the distro. And not only that; for less than $20.

This release is actually somewhat nice. While it does come in a single pocket jacket, which shouldn’t garner much complaints about a single LP release, it does comes with an insert. It actually comes with two separate inserts, but one of them is a single-sided advertisement/sell sheet for other unnecessary soundtracks that are or will be pressed on vinyl.

V/A – Turn It Around: The Story Of East Bay Punk

I didn’t grow up in the Bay Area. But I appreciate what it means to the music I enjoy. Without it many bands I listen to would not exist. But with that said I don’t have a fondness for that music scene as those who grew up in the area, or even California as a whole do, or could for that matter. This compilation honors that scene, and features many of the now iconic bands that rose from it.

Turn It Around: The Story Of East Bay Punk is a documentary film and has an accompanying soundtrack with the same name. Honestly, I have never seen the film. Call me a Grandpa, but I’m stuck on cable and that bill has me tethered to whatever is included free On Demand with them. I’m not paying for extra streaming programs or services, which is the only way to see the film other than buying a copy on blu-ray (another thing I’m not doing). The soundtrack is the more important thing to me, and it took me a long time to finally add to my collection due to pricing.

Everything about this record is East Bay through and through. It was released by 1-2-3-4 Go Records, which is run by the same people who operate the indie record store chain (can I say chain when they have only two locations?) 1-2-3-4 Go Records. Billie Joe Armstrong of Green Day fame has a strong working relationship with those folks, and you can’t have a documentary and soundtrack focused on this scene without mentioning Green Day. They are the indisputable kings of the East Bay punk scene. Say what you will about them now, but their roots are firmly planted in Gilman Street.

This comp/soundtrack does not only feature Green Day. It’s a who’s who from the East Bay punk scene. Operation Ivy, Rancid, Crimpshine, Pinhead Gunpowder, The Lookouts, NOFX, Jawbreaker and the Mr. T Experience. It also features some lesser known bands as well. In all the double LP features 35 tracks encompassing 32 different bands.

The record was pressed on three different variants; blue limited to 2,000 copies, gold limited to 1,000 copies and clear limited to 500 copies. The gold (which is one of those records that looks more translucent orange/yellow than gold) is a mail-order exclusive via 1-2-3-4 Go Records, the clear is exclusive too bands featured on this comp/soundtrack, and the blue is a retail exclusive. Quite honestly I have not seen copies on clear available for sale anywhere to the general public. I’m sure many of the copies are tucked away in band member’s collections, which I am all for. I remember the days of band/friends exclusive variants that rarely, if ever saw the light of day. Many times now they are used as just another variant the label can profit from under the guise of being some extremely rare, special or exclusive variant, when in reality it’s just another variant.

All copies come with a gatefold jacket. There is no insert or download card/code included (the latter is a bummer). In my opinion the gatefold is more than adequate for this release. It’s nicely done. It’s very nice. It’s practical. Which is an oversight in today’s world. When you see the photo gallery below you’ll get what I’m saying.

I mentioned above that pricing was the deciding factor for me when it come to buying this comp/soundtrack. It’s been on my want list for years. It never saw a sale or had the price slashed on it for whatever reason. Retail price on this is $35, an amount I’ll be hard pressed to spend on any new release. Another hurdle was not many places carried it, so my buying options were more limited than usual. I finally found this for $25, still a bit more than I’m willing to spend, but all things considered I decided now was the time. I’m glad to finally add this to my collection, as it was a glaring hole in it.

Billie Joe Armstrong – No Fun Mondays

Many bands did some cool things during the pandemic and subsequent lockdown. Most were simply money making ventures. But some were a nice way to treat fans and also be a creative outlet for the artists, that didn’t cost fans a dime. Billie Joe Armstrong of Green Day fame opted for the later.

Before anyone just down my throat, yes, his label did decide to formally release all the cover songs and obviously charge for them. But nobody was forced to buy anything. All the songs were (and still are) streaming for free on various outlets. There were even music videos on Youtube, which was the main release source for when the songs first came out. He also participated in a lockdown charity stream that aired on network television, where he played “Wake Me Up When September Ends.”

No Fun Mondays, at least for me, became something I looked forward to. Every week there was a new song; 14 in all. For those unfamiliar, Billie Joe recorded a cover of some well known, along with some relatively unknown songs, in a series entitled No Fun Mondays. It was long speculated that the songs would be compiled into an album and subsequently released on vinyl, possibly for Record Store Day. It took a while, but it was confirmed that No Fun Mondays would be released.

A covers album may not be up everyone’s alley. Typically I can take or leave them, but Green Day is one of my favorite bands, and anything Billie Joe releases on vinyl I will most likely buy at some point. The production value on this album is top notch. It’s not a hastily put together release, done as an afterthought to fulfill a contract or cranked out to generate revenue during a pandemic. Billie Joe does a great job covering all the songs, putting his own touch on all them while remaining true to the original. A good balance not many artists care to pull off.

There are variants for No Fun Mondays, and it’s not as straight forward as simply being a different color record. Yes, the album is pressed on two different colors of vinyl, but that does not comprise all the variants. The two colors are baby blue and black. There are also two different cover variants; one that glows in the dark and one that doesn’t. The cover art is the same for both cover variants however.

To go into further detail; there is a Green Day web store exclusive, which is the only one to come with the aforementioned glow in the dark cover, which only has the eyes glow in the dark. The record is on baby blue vinyl. But baby blue is also used for the indie record store exclusive, which comes in the regular jacket. The black variant, which was something I was not aware of until I ordered a copy from Target during one of their many buy two get one free sales; is apparently what you will find anywhere other than Green Day’s store (though they are selling black copies too) or an indie record store.

No word on pressing info on any variant. Retail price on this is around $22. In a surprising twist, Green Day’s store is not charging more for their exclusive variant. I have not seen a copy of the glow in the dark cover, you know, actually glowing in the dark, so I don’t know what part or how much of the cover glows in the dark. I’m not sure about hype stickers; what I do know is that the indie exclusive has one that says it’s on “limited edition baby blue vinyl” and advertises some of songs found on the album. Black copies do not come with any hype sticker(s).

The Network – Money Money 2020 Pt. II: We Told Ya So!

The Network released the follow up to their debut album in 2020, aptly titled Money Money 2020 Pt. II: We Told Ya So! It’s an awful album. Their first album wasn’t great, or bad; not even good. Just ok. But this album is full of too much electronic garbage and left wing agenda (not that I lean one way or the other, I just don’t like politics, or any agenda for that matter, to be so overtly thrown into the music I’m listening to). The first Network album was fun, this one tries too hard.

All copies were pressed as a double LP on black vinyl. It comes in a gatefold jacket with two inserts; one for each LP. Retail price on it is around $25. I don’t see this album fetching the crazy sums the first Network album did once it went OOP simply because it’s not as good of an album. But because this is Green Day related anything is possible.