Broccoli - In Session 7"

Dink (2016)

I'm trying to make a concerted effort to tackle some of the backlog of records that I've had for a while, but haven't written about on this website yet.  More than half of that backlog is 7"s and since I just bought a house and have way less money than I normally would have to buy records with, now seems like a really good time to work my way through this pile.

I honestly have no clue why it has taken me this long to write up this Broccoli 7".  Broccoli is one of my favorite bands in the entire world and I was so very excited when they announced that they were getting back together for a tour of Japan in 2016.  This 7" was released for that tour and contains songs from 2 radio sessions.  The word 'Peel' is missing from the artwork, though I'm reasonably confident that is the type of session that spawned these recordings.  Hope I haven't alerted some sort of Google search police now that I've strung the words, Peel, Broccoli and session together on the same page.

On the A side, we have two songs from a 1996 session (though the internet contends this was a 1995 session, so maybe I'm incorrrect about what sessions these are?) including "Blue" and "Neglect It." ("Relent" and "Cherry Drop Club" were the other two songs recorded that day, for the curious).  The B side contains two songs from a 1998 session, "Broken" and "Television" ("Constance" and "Fido" rounded out that original recording).

Now all of these songs are incredible and it's especially interesting to hear live versions of them.  In particular, this version of "Neglect It" (which happens to be my favorite Broccoli song), really shines from the energy of the band playing live, with the drums sounding particularly intense.  That said, all of these songs sound great as you'd expect because they're great songs.  I do kind of wish they had done two separate 7"s, each containing the whole session for that year, but I will never not be excited about a new Broccoli record to add to the collection.  Now if only they'd get together again to write some new songs...

Broccoli - In Session 7" (Side One):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dyXbV3dNtz4

Broccoli - In Session 7" (Side Two):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tb1NJFYhw00

Broccoli - Home LP - Black Vinyl & Clear Vinyl (/100)

Drunken Sailor (2016, Reissue)

It is somewhat rare that I get to write about the records that have been most important to me over the years. Occasionally there will be a reissue or a wacky variant of some Rocket From The Crypt record that I have hunted down, but the records that are most important to me are usually ones that have been in my collection for many, many years. Home by Broccoli is one of these records. It is one of the best records I have ever heard in my entire life. You know those people that like to make those 'Desert Island Disc' lists where they talk about the records they couldn't live without. If I was so inclined to make a silly list like that, it would absolutely, one hundred percent have Home on it. This is one of my five favorite records of all time and I think you could make the argument that they may be one of the most overlooked bands that has ever been.

Sure, I will admit that's a lot of hyperbole for an opening paragraph, but I need you to understand how fundamentally important this record is for me. I started listening to Leatherface because of Broccoli, not the other way around like most folks. Granted, it wasn't this particular album that pushed me towards Leatherface, but Broccoli was already an influential band to me before they release Home in 1998. In 1997 my friend Alan and I went to England for a trip of record shopping and band watching. In addition to picking up a ton of Leatherface and Mega City Four records, we got to see some amazing bands like Chopper, Skimmer, Crocodile God and Starmarket. The other band we got to see was a pre-Home Broccoli opening up for Metroschifter in Leeds. Twenty years on, my memory of this show isn't quite as sharp as I would like, but considering the bomb that Broccoli dropped the following year with Home, I'm so grateful I had that chance to see them play, if only once.

Home is a once in a lifetime sort of record. Sure, you can hit on some easy to digest touchstones like that they are a melodic punk band with leanings towards raspy vocals and an obvious fondness for Leatherface. But is there anything I can write that can truly convey the hugeness of the hook in the song "Chestnut Road?" It's a hook so powerful a band from France named themselves after the song. Can I make you understand the way it makes me feel when that the guitar distortion kicks in right before the chorus of "I Am A Robot?" Are there even words in the English language that can describe how much I just fucking love every single second of "R.S.V.P.?" We're only though the 4th track on this beast of an album and already I feel like my vocabulary is painfully inadequate to try to make you understand just how important this record is to me.

Home has been out of print for years. The label that originally put it out, Rugger Bugger, called it a day many moons ago. Broccoli broke up not too long after this record came out. This is the record that should have made Broccoli one of the most loved and respected bands in the world, but for whatever reason it just didn't pan out that way. Drunken Sailor should be commended for stepping up and bringing this record back to the world.

Home should quite simply be a mandatory addition to anyone's record collection that even remotely likes this sort of punk rock. Yeah, they're better than Jawbreaker and every bit as good as Leatherface. I'll say it and you will never convince me otherwise. Broccoli has also announced that they are getting back together for a tour of Japan. I don't know if that will ever lead anywhere,. I don't know if we'll ever get more shows or another record, but it gives me just a bit of hope that perhaps others will have a chance to experience what Broccoli did for me 20 some odd years ago. Go buy this record right now and if you happen to have their two demo tapes or a Broccoli T-shirt, please email me and sell them to me.

Broccoli - Home:
https://drunkensailorrecords.bandcamp.com/album/home

Broccoli / Pinto - Split 7" - 3 Cover Variations

Broccoli / Pinto - Split 7" - 3 Cover Variations, a photo by Tim PopKid on Flickr.

Speedowax (2013)

Rich from Speedowax Records is absolutely going to drive me to the nut house one of these days. Don't get me wrong, he's a great guy that I've known forever and his label puts out some stellar releases, but all of these variants...geez! At this point, I'm half convinced he keeps making Broccoli variants just to see if I keep buying every version. Well, he's right, I will keep buying every version because Broccoli is one of my absolute, all time favorite bands.

This split originally came out a while ago, and for those of you keeping track these are the 5th, 6th & 7th versions of the record now in my collection. The 2 Broccoli songs are every bit as good now as the first day I heard them, in their Leatherface-but-smoother style. Always thought Pinto was OK too, but they're unfortunately way overshadowed by Broccoli. I really encourage everyone to buy as many Broccoli albums as they can. Their 2nd full length called Home is one of my top 5 albums of all time.

Broccoli - The Tens:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZeGBPO1dY3c

Broccoli - Found & Crocodile God Split - Double 7" Pack (/50)

Broccoli - Found & Crocodile God Split - Double 7" Pack (/50), a photo by Tim PopKid on Flickr.

Speedowax (2012)

There are few bands in this world that I love as much as I love the band Broccoli. Their album Home is one of my top 5 favorite records of all time. One of the most prized records in my entire collection is the Broccoli / Muppet Mule Split 7". The affection I have for this band's music can only be rivaled by the likes of Rocket From The Crypt, Snuff or Leatherface. So yeah, what I'm saying is I really like this band.

Speedowax put out 2 (sort of) new Broccoli 7"s last year. The first was called Found and included some of the band's original demos. The 2nd was a split 7" with Crocodile God, though these songs were also previously released. To be totally honest, I'm not entirely sure where these songs came from, the Found 7" isn't a straight up vinyl release of the band's first demo tape because the track listing is different, but then again so was the Broccoli Demo 7" that Speedowax put out back in the 90's. I think that the songs from the Croc split are the same versions of the songs that came out on a 7" that Friendly Fire Records put out in the 90's, but again, I'm not entirely positive.

This specific record that you are looking at contains both of the 7"s, double packed with a new sleeve, limited to 50 copies. Although my copy is numbered out of 25, the Speedowax website says there are 50 and some are lettered a - z as opposed to numbered. I love Broccoli, I love the label Speedowax and I love Rich, the guy that runs the label. But, Speedowax has the most fucking confusing discography in the history of music. Make it easy on a fan, could you?

I can't really complain too much, Rich has always gone out of his way to make sure that I have a chance to pick up all of the weirdo variants, and for that I am very grateful. I just wish I could keep track of what was being pressed over there. I'm still convinced I somehow missed pink sleeved versions of both of the single 7" pressings of these records!

Broccoli - Neglect It (Sorry to send you to MySpace, but I can't find their songs streaming anywhere else. Trust me, it's worth the listen):
www.myspace.com/broccoliuk/music/songs/neglect-it-53443023