The Field Mice: Cl*ss*c Or D*d

I bought all the records at the time because I loved the music, and I still love the music now, and it breaks my heart that I've had to sell them and I'll never be able to see them again, but on the other hand my financial needs (paying back a loan for an eye operation) are more important than music at the moment. I'm refusing to sell any of my Sarah CDs because it's those I play the most, but the vinyl can go in dribs and drabs and if people want to buy it, let them. I'd dearly love some kind of "Sarah Soup" compilations which compile all the first 50 singles onto CD (and I've done what I can from my collection anyway), but I don't think that's ever going to happen.

So, people like me will sell our records, and Matt will complain. But he's the only one with the power to do anything about it.

Matt's attitude to reissues/collectors annoys me too. But being realistic (and playing devil's advocate for a moment), he's working with limited funds, and, given the choice, wouldn't you prefer to release a new record than repress an old one? Either way, I get the impression he's really not interested in music any more, if indeed he ever was.

I won't go into the ins-&-outs of Bob's songwriting here; all a bit too close to home. But, cover designs: yes, uniformly bad. "Minimalism for Dummies"..exactly.

Marianna: a Bob W retirement fund is a *very* good idea...

But let's face it, as nice as the occasional Fosca or Tompot Blenny record are (and yours of course are marvellous, Harvey, any chance of another?) Shinkhansen seems to be slowly fading off into the distance, even a TBS compilation is like admitting defeat, that people only are interested in Bob's bands, and now they've gone I can't see the label lasting for too long. As Harvey says, I think Matt's lost interest in music.

(Of course, Matt could always reply to the contrary here)

At least the ASD sleeves had some enigmatic photos on 'em, and "Rebellion" is probably one of my fave sleeves ever (and I'm not just saying that to make Harvey happy, I remember seeing it in Replay in 1994 and thinking "That looks so cool, I've got to buy it on vinyl too").

Alternatively, I reckon London Weekend, Rebellion & California would all fit quite snugly on a single CD, which is quite appealing, if ultimately pointless.

If the comp is truly "worth" that much, I might make a copy for myself and sell it. (Who knows, by the time I get back from Europe, perhaps it will have been repressed.) Although mine's beaten up just a bit, as a result of the bad packaging that Gareth describes.

Yes. The second track of the last album WAS The Cure. It even had one of those wiggly bass breaks before the guitars come crashing back in...

my feelings are hurt so easily
that is the price that i pay
the price that i do pay
to appreciate
the beauty they're killing

I love the Field Mice, generally, but that song is too much even for me.

btw a number of people are still telling me it's a song about vegetarianism ?

this continues with the latest LP, thought it was booooring at first and now i think it's ace.

i don't have trouble with it, but this stuff seems like parody to me, whether intentional or not

i find it hard to take