feedtime "Today is Friday"

feedtime

Today is Friday

(Possums from the furfilled floor

1984 – 1996)

SS Records 2012

Hot on the heels of last year’s box set “The Aberrant years” came this compilation of outtakes and live tracks. Put together to accompany a US tour, it features all previously unreleased recordings.

The best stuff is probably the outtakes from their self –titled debut and the follow up “Shovel”. It’s interesting to hear different versions of some of the stuff on those albums. There are also demos from the later period album “Billy”.  Highlights on the comp are “Street fighting man”, “If you can’t, “Rock n Roll” which seems more solid and straight up than the version on “Shovel”, and “Southside Johnny” which is a bit more unruly and unhinged than its original counterpart. The covers are a worthy inclusion (feedtime’s take on other songs always being interesting) - Fear’s “I Don’t Care About You” is pretty fricken’ wild, and there is a version of Flipper’s “Life”. There’s “Girlfriend” which is really “My Boyfriend’s back” – (the 60’s girl group song also done by Alice Donut). There are also songs that have never seen release in any form; “e b g d”, “Garbage Scow”, “Tatts Willie”.

Package wise this is pretty average. The cover features a feedtime – type cover drawing, the back features an old pic, plus info of the song’s origin and recording history; there’s nothing to be uncovered in the way of pictures or flyers (most of that being seen on the aforementioned box set) and there’s no lyric insert. The vinyl is the nice ‘n’ thick type though (which resisted the warp-inducing qualities of the shrinkwrap) and produces a good sound. Likewise the cover is composed of heavy cardboard which kinda gives it a bit of a thick skin, so to speak.

I have to comment on the fact the vinyl listener is offered 5 songs less than that of the CD purchaser which is a bit rude, I have to say (although this could possibly be due to the physical constraints of the vinyl medium).

Let’s face it; it would be impossible for feedtime to release a shit album. Considering that the songs are demos and live recordings, they come up pretty well; the ever important bass sound is well intact with its primal rumble, and the band as a whole is as visceral as always. I’ve quite enjoyed listening to “Today is Friday”, and it’s a great stand alone release, or a good overview of feedtime. If it really comes down to it though, it’s perhaps one for completists.  At the end of the day, it can’t quite eclipse the energy that’s harnessed more fully on the studio albums themselves. Not to say that the songs showcased here are throwaway - they’re not, it’s just I’d say that the final studio versions are more realised. If your'e a (mad) feedtime fan, and there are plenty, there's lots to like on this if you want to hear/own the entire feedtime ouvre.  For vinyl completists though, it's impossible to own all the stuff on vinyl; as mentioned the CD has extra tracks, and the vinyl box set of 4 albums has a download coupon for rare 7" and compliation tracks.