The last of the Back From The Grave series I was able to buy back in the ’80s was Volume Five. Volumes Three, Four and Five all came out in 1984, though I think I got this one a little later than that. With this edition, the entertaining and informative liner notes moved inside the record to an insert, allowing bigger pictures of the bands to take up the back cover. The amazing thing, to me, is that they were able to find pictures of so many of these bands. That the producer was able to find records and sometimes masters is remarkable enough — that he found band bios and photos is incredible.
I can’t say that I didn’t see any more in this series, and can’t say that I didn’t. I really don’t remember just where I bought them. Either I didn’t see any more of them, or I just thought three records of insane sixties garage rock was enough (note to my ’80s self: IT WAS NOT). Or maybe as the ’80s moved on and I was getting more into CDs I just preferred to spend my dollars there. Not sure, at this remove. But these three, unfortunately, are all I have. Later these collections were issued on CDs, but I never saw those anywhere, either. All this is making me want to find the rest of the vinyl editions.
Yeah, I could get them on CD, but that’s not really in the spirit of this collection. This is of, by and for vinyl.
The liner notes, as I mentioned, moved to an insert. They were set on a typewriter, which somehow seems fitting for an album of garage rock.