A Head Full of Wishes newsletter #49

2026-04-10
Categories: substack

Substack
A Head Full of Wishes newsletter #49

My record collection [341] Galaxie 500 - CBGB 13th December 1988 (black vinyl LP)

Back at the beginning of the year Damon & Naomi played three genuinely sensational shows at Cafe OTO in London (I wrote about them here but it deserves a re-write), this copy of Galaxie 500’s recently released live LP was acquired at the second of those shows.

Galaxie 500 - CBGB 13th December 1988 (black LP)

After the show was finished I was loitering by the merch desk, chatting with Naomi and lending my pen out for signings. I mentioned to Naomi that the “ultra clear and black cloudy” vinyl copy I had bought on release was horrid and looked like a five year old had scribbled on it† and said I wanted to buy one of the black vinyl copies they were selling at the show.

Naomi insisted on giving me a copy.

OK, it doesn’t come with a poster, and a single, and doesn’t come in a fancy fat, card sleeve (that’s too big) but it looks so much better sitting on my record player.

I love the photo by Macioce used on the cover - a couple of years ago Macioce was kind enough to send me an 11x14” print of the photo which is hanging in “the museum”.

Catalogue Number: AHFOW 12/112
Artist: Galaxie 500
Title: CBGB 13th December 1988
Notes: Black vinyl copy
Format: LP
Buy ‘CBGB 13th December 1988’ on Bandcamp

Previously in my record collection:

[276] Galaxie 500 - CBGB - 13th December 1988

† - to be honest too many of these mixed colour, splatter, splash, burst, swirl, vinyl releases are horrible… it’s time to stop and stick to single colour vinyl… and maybe more in black… I mean. when did black stop being the coolest colour?

My record collection [342] The 6ths - Wasps’’ Nest (LP)

On first release in 1995 the only vinyl release of Wasps’ Nest was a box set containing four seven inch EPs with all the tracks (and one bonus one) across them. Mean-ness and my full embrace of CD media meant that I didn’t buy that but bought the CD that I’ve already posted about, In 2017 Captured Tracks released the album on an LP - this is that.

The LP came in white vinyl and sadly didn’t include the extra track it did howver have a larger booklet than the CD which meant that it could include the artist self-portraits that had been included in the box set but were missing from the CD package. Some were lovely and detailed, some were realistic, some were cartoon-y, some minimalist, some impressionist… and then there was Dean’s:

I think I said before how much I love this album and it really is a very beautiful thing, and doesn’t have a dud on it!

Catalogue Number: AHFOW 12/073
Artist: The 6ths
Title: Wasps’ Nest
Notes: White vinyl. Includes an 8” square booklet
Format: LP
Bought direct from Captured Tracks in 2017 for $25.00 (plus postage which was tolerable back then!)

Previously in my record collection: