Big Wheel or bust

This was one of the single greatest examples of having to have a particular record. One of those albums that is of such importance, that a repress simply won't do. Thankfully, with a bit of eBay hunting and a considerable amount of money just about anything is possible.

With that in mind, here is the Big Wheel Recreation press of Clarity by Jimmy Eat World. Another one of those top 5 records that you constantly obsess over. One of those records you couldn't even count the plays of over the years. It's such an important piece of music, one that I cannot listen to one single track from, one that cannot have a track skipped. It's enjoyed in full every time. For the amount of love I have for this record, the Capitol repress (or Shop Radio Cast press now I guess) just wouldn't do. So I set out to find this LP, and after a couple of eBay misses, here it is. 

Plain black double LP. There were 4 variants total for the 1st press, and I assume black was the most common (pressing numbers are just about impossible to find). But I am just so happy to have a copy. Buy it Now, free shipping, speedy delivery and one play through with bated breath. It was fantastic, Goodbye Sky Harbor has never sounded so perfect. 

This is the Big Wheel Recreation cover, the repress has the text running vertically as opposed to horizontally here. The images are just so crisp and cool. The CD has slightly altered artwork (the CD artwork is comprised of the four top right images), but nobody cares about that.

Back cover. Nothing too fancy, band photo, tracklisting and that ever important BWR logo in the bottom centre. I always love checking the back of a sleeve for the lack of a barcode. Look at those curtains.

The insert is just a one-sided single sheet with lyrics, credits and notes. This whole package is in incredibly good condition, if you take into consideration it's a 15 year old record (I have seen a few rumours of this not surfacing on vinyl until the early 2000's, but I've seen more evidence suggesting a 1999 vinyl release than otherwise) . Again, nothing fancy, just everything that is needed. 

The last thing to note really, is that this double LP is housed in a single LP sleeve, not a gatefold sleeve. Another example of this is Sunbather by Deafheaven; some people like it and some people don't. Personally I don't care too much either way. I guess the upside to this method, is that in a gatefold, some stuff like inserts have a tendency to get creased over time by slipping into the fold. But back to the point, I love how this record looks and I love how it sounds. I feel incredibly fortunate to own a copy in such great condition. This is a truly cherished piece of my collection. No regrets ever, this album is perfect.

 I still can't believe I paid a considerable amount more for an LP, just so it didn't have two extra tracks at the end, and so that the text ran a different way. I'm sure you understand though, the heart wants what the heart wants.

Thank you for reading.