A Head Full of Wishes

A Head Full of Wishes is a site for Galaxie 500, Luna, Damon & Naomi, Dean & Britta and Dean Wareham. With news, articles and lists of releases and past and future shows.

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Categories: substack

Substack
A Head Full of Wishes newsletter #36

So… back after a couple of weeks off. Christmas was, as it generally is, a fairly quiet time for me just time spent eating, watching telly, and walking on the beach.

I’m just back from a few days in The Smoke for a fantastic Damon & Naomi residency at Cafe Oto. I’ve scrawled a few words and shared pictures and videos over here, although none of that comes close to revealing how special this all was. This, and a week in the summer have made for a remarkable few months in the world of AHFoW.

The first two randomly selected releases from my record collection are fairly slight so welcome to a gentle start to rthe new year for the AHFoW newsletter

My record collection [315] Galaxie 500 - Uncollected Noise New York ‘88-‘90 (CD)

This is a CD version of the expanded Uncollected that was released a couple of years back and was bought as a collection filler direct from Damon & Naomi a couple of months after the release of the LP versions - I’ve already written about the two copies of that.

Uncollected Noise New York (CD)
Uncollected Noise New York (CD)

Since I have two LP versions, and a digital download (since I bought one of the LP versions via Bandcamp) there was no real reason to take this out of it’s shrink-wrap… but, I just have because I guess there’s no real reason not to.

I probably haven’t listened to this through since I listened to the LPs when they first arrived… this sort of album isn’t really an album and so isn’t really something that requires listening to in one sitting. The tracks weren’t recorded as an album they only live together through the coincidence that at the time of recording they weren’t considered worthy of release, or had a different purpose.

Of course to a fan everything is worthy of a release because everything on this release is a historical artefact. So it exists for the fan, although I guess a boutique/deluxe release like this hopes to trawl in a few non fans, but surely no one who bought this wasn’t already familiar with all of the bands output? The problem of course is that if it was for the fan why wasn’t it complete?

Anyway… the CD package is a nice card gatefold sleeve that is identical to the LP version (only smaller) - no designer ever really mastered how to release double CDs - think of all those horrid fat jewel cases, or the ones with the flimsy extra flap inside. The card sleeve is as close as you can get - although having the discs slot in from the middle is I think a mistake that invites damage.

There were a couple of tracks on the album that I hadn’t had bootlegs of before, Never Get to Heaven was one, in the booklet Dean suggests that it “almost sounds like a parody” - but maybe that’s why I like it although it does end sooner and more abruptly than I think I’d have liked.

  • Catalogue Number: AHFOW 10/173
  • Artist: Galaxie 500
  • Title: Uncollected Noise New York ‘88 to ‘90
  • Packaging: Gatefold card sleeve
  • Format: 2xCD
  • Bought from Damon & Naomi (along with a T and another discog filler)
  • Buy ‘Uncollected Noise New York’ on Bandcamp

Previously in my record collection:

My record collection [316] Magic Hour - I Had a Thought / America

This is the ninth of (currently) ten Magic Hour entries in my record collection and is a pink vinyl version of the I Had a Thought / America single that has already put in an appearance.

Magic Hour - I Had a Thought / America (pink)
Magic Hour - I Had a Thought / America (pink)

The band recorded one Peel Session on the 3rd May 1994 and recorded a version of I Had a Thought. The session was broadcast on 10th June 1994 and, to my knowledge, has never been repeated. Fortunately you can hear the session on AHFoW.

Since the last copy was definitely an eBay purchase I guess I must have bought this around the time of release.

Previously in my record collection:

Discoveries and rediscoveries

Luna and Yo La Tengo in San Francisco

Luna played three shows at the end of the year with Yo La Tengo in San Francisco - recordings of the first two are currently being seeded on Bittorrent (account required)

Luna and/or Dean also joined Yo La Tengo for their encores so it’s worth checking out the recordings of those shows too.

I’m hoping the recordings of New Year’s Eve will turn up too.

There are also some cool clips on YouTube:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2HGyZw2AqUY

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yA84l6aY6hE

Damon & Naomi in London

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3oZhvxWfaIM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HHKzpcki-30