Collector's Choice 2017

So many good records made it into my collection this year again. I'm more than happy with what I managed to pick up in 2017. I didn't make a whole lot of progress with my want list, but I was able to cross off some items at least. Plus I picked up a few records that weren't on that list and some that I didn't even know of one year ago. That's what makes collecting fun though. The other element that makes collecting really fun is the people you get in touch with. Quite a few people have helped me in my efforts by pointing me to records, selling, trading or straight up giving me records for free. All of which I'm very grateful for. My favorite pick up is the test press for Bane's It All Comes Down To This LP, because it embodies everything I like about collecting: great music, incredibly rare, release by one of my favorite bands, and I was tipped of by fellow collector.

Here's to 2018, which will hopefully add more new good music and some old records to my collection and get me in touch with more people. Let's keep collecting fun.

XXX

Ralf

Battery

Battery played a bunch of shows in Europe recently and for the last of theses shows at Conne Island in Leipzig there was a special press. A buddy had told me a few weeks before the show that something was in the works, so I was even more looking forward to the show. The whole show had everything a great show needs: fun road trip, great food, meeting old and new friends, record trading, record buying and of course a band that played an awesome set and had a message. Man, that was a great evening. To top everything off, there was the aforementioned limited version of Battery's debut 7". The label putting out this repress has done a really good job with these. You also get a flyer explaining the relationship between band and venue. Looks like this might be a new collecting thing: venue/Conne Island presses... 200 copies on white vinyl, 100 copies on gold vinyl for friends and crew.