Saturday, May 14, 2011

Sick Of It All - Blood, Sweat And No Tears lp

According to Google Analytics, a good percentage of the traffic that visits this blog are people looking for mp3s and free downloads. I can't imaging how bummed out they are when they open the website to find nothing more than pictures of records.
To those looking for free music, sorry I couldn't help you out. I actually like buying and collecting these things, and hopefully will to.

Every once in a while I get a cool comment or email from someone asking about a particular record they have questions about or would like to see pictures of. Last week I got a very nice email asking if I could do a post on the first Sick Of It All full length album, "Blood Sweat And No Tears". He had the European repress and wanted some info on the first press. So for Sajid, here you go!

The first press of this record was released on the Relativity Records' In Effect imprint label in the summer of 1989. In-Effect was around for a few years in the late 1980's and early 1990's, releasing primarily New York Hardcore.
I bought a lot of their releases including Agnostic Front - Live At CBGB's, Bad Brains - Attitude, Killing Time - Brightside and the best of all of them, Nuclear Assault - Handle With Care. (No, I'm not joking.)
Unfortunately, there were a few Prong, 24-7 Spyz and Scatterbrain releases mixed in there. I guess you can't win them all.

One very cool element on all their releases was that In-Effect would include the hometown or borough of New York the band was from in the label. For Sick Of It All, it was Hollis, Queens.

The In-Effect pressing of the record also came with the dreaded glossy printed inner sleeve. I got lucky and mine is still intact with no split seams.

Interesting that the only lyrics on the sleeve are for the song "Injustice System". I guess they knew early on it would be the "big single" with a video and everything.
They do mention that you can write in and get the full lyrics from the band/label. That is pretty cool. It's like the Kiss Army fan club for skinheads!

I can't think of anyone in my travels who doesn't like, or was at least exposed to this record.
The album came around at just the right time for the band to be included with other bands riding the popularity of metal and crossover. One listen and you could tell this was not metal or crossover though. Pure basic hardcore.
The album also had just enough "major" label pull where a suburban Canadian kid could catch the video for "Injustice System" in regular rotation on the Much Music Power Hour, and then go pick up the record at the mall. That was earth shattering back then. Ah, the good old days...

6 comments:

  1. Doug, thanks for this post!

    The layout of the reissue is actually pretty damn close to the original. Except no printed sleeve and a gatefold with that crowd picture on one side and lyrics on the other. Great looking layout definitely, but as I mentioned to you, it was the lyrics that really threw me off...wrong lyrics, completely omitted lyrics, etc. Under "Breeders Of Hate", there is actually a part that says: "(I have no idea what he says here)"

    Once again, I appreciate it! My search for the mail in lyric sheet continues!

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  2. Just been revisiting the greatness of this record lately. The fact that KRS one features makes it even better.

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  3. Doug:

    I stumbled across your blog today while researching how to go about selling my record collection.

    I don't have the patience or time to eBay every individual piece of vinyl I have. I contacted a few local record stores, and they are willing to take a look at what I've got. However, while reading your blog and quest for certain records it dawned on me that what I have could really make someone's day/year...

    I'm not big into records myself, but I acquired them in a breakup. My ex owed me a shit ton of money and all he owned of value were his records. Talk about taking a man's pride and joy. It was necessary though, trust me, I wouldn't just do it to be a bitch.

    I offered to sell them back to him, and he has no interest--it's been 10 years, he's married and has a baby these days. I don't know why I feel inclined to tell you all this... but before I go dumping off more than 100+ hardcore/punk records at my local shop, I thought I would ask your advice. How would unload your collection, if you absolutely had to?

    -Jen

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  4. Hey Jen,
    Email me at monstercody666@hotmail.com and we can discuss. I have some ideas and it would be easier to go back and forth by email.

    Talk to you later.

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