Early Bird?

So I was going to post more about what I got from Different Kitchen, but something arrived today that I have been after for around a year, so I had to break routine and post about it. 

I'm assuming that a few readers here will feel my pain. Do any of you have a mate who loves music, but doesn't really dig vinyl and so buys the occasional few and leaves it there? I do, and on this occasion he beat me to it by pre-ordering and snagging a far nicer variant. Before I knew anything about this thing, the record was out and this had colour sold out. So I went for the spoiled brat tact of not buying the record at all and snooping out this variant, and a solid year or so later here we have it. 

American Football - American Football - Polyvinyl Records - First Press - Green & Yellow /2000 (Early Bird Edition) 

Anyone who knows much about what I listen to is aware that I love this record, making it most likely my favourite emo record of all time. It's a testament to how much I wanted this variant that I waited out. I didn't even stream it, I've completely held out. And it's not a rarity thing either; I was offered by a mate a chance at the /300 Blue tour variant for cost as he was going to see them earlier this year and I refused. I didn't want this because for any other reason that it suits the artwork perfectly and the heart wants what the heart wants... 

Looking at these records a little closer, you'll see that the Green LP is marbled and the Yellow is solid. The centre labels contain their respective track-listing and 'side' letter with a Polyvinyl logo at the bottom. I seem to think the colour scheme has changed on the labels from previous pressings too, but I could be wrong.

This album has got some great packaging, and I'll do my best to get that point across. Although there's a gatefold sleeve, the records come in printed inner sleeves that look almost like Polaroids. 

Other side of the inner sleeves. 

Inside the gatefold. 

All of this art is expanded and does not appear in any previous pressings. It's kind of funny to think that these photos were taken not so long ago to accompany art and music that was celebrating it's 15th birthday at release. I'm assuming that these photos haven't been stashed away all these years pending a re-issue anyway! It's nice that it still fits together so well, and it reminds me of first discovering this record and walking around in autumn time to it. I got honestly obsessed with this record; for months on end I would listen to it 3 or 4 times a day, sometimes back to back. Honestly a masterpiece of an album. 

As well as the expanded artwork, there is a booklet included with this re-issue. 

For the most part, the booklet takes all the songs on the LP, providing lyrics and annotations from the band themselves. The same is done with the bonus material, although there is more of a focus on annotation rather than lyrics. I like the idea of a band looking at their work retrospectively after such a long time, especially when you consider the projects that came after American Football, and the influence this LP had in the years since the band parted. This record is presumably more popular now than it ever has been, so it's nice that something like this could happen. 

There's also some great photography from gigs and during the recording of the the album. It's strange to think that for the most part, there was very little bass in most of these recordings. It's cool to find out so many intricacies of a record that you spent a large part of your teenage years (and I say that like I'm super old!) analysing. 

There's a great charm to most of this bonus material. I came into it not knowing what to expect, but how some of this was never properly recorded is beyond me. This band had so much more to give; but in spite of all that I kind of love that this is what's left and you kind of have to listen through it and get the song in your head as it should sound. It's definitely a cool experience. 

Back Cover // Track-listing 

Finally, the Early Bird sticker on the sleeve. 

'Limited to 2000' right? The design is cool though. 

Thank you for reading!

Oh, and back to the dude who had this in the first place. This is not his copy, and despite him not caring about records // variants etc. he would not sell me this bloody record. Not for any other reason than he knew I wanted it. Funny bastard I tell you.