Static Age (found unreleased Misfits album; 1978)

From The Lost Media Wiki
Revision as of 07:06, 1 July 2020 by SlashMan (talk | contribs) (writing overhaul)
Jump to: navigation, search

Nsfw.png


This article has been tagged as NSFW due to its language.



3762 bannero.jpg

Album cover.

Status: Found

Date found: 27 Feb 1996

Found by: Caroline Records

The Misfits are a New Jersey punk band that was formed in February 1977 by vocalist Glenn Danzig, drummer Manny Martínez, bassist Jerry Only and guitarist Franché Coma. The band would go through many lineup changes before they released their first album in 1982 - Walk Among Us. Two albums were were recorded prior, but never released. Static Age bares the distinction of being the first album recorded by the Misfits in 1978.

Background

In January 1978, the then lineup of the Misfits, Glenn, Jerry, Franché and Dr. Jim (drummer) recorded what would be their first album Static Age in C.I. Studios in New York City, New York with producer Dave Achelis. At least seventeen songs were recorded in February 1978. Due to time constraints, only fourteen of these songs were properly mixed. Additionally, a few recordings were ruined during due to accidents in the studio; the tapes for "Feline Nursery" and "In the Doorway" were irreparably damaged. While "Feline Nursery" was re-recorded during another take under the name "Spinal Remains", "In the Doorway" was not re-recorded. The album ended up being shelved because the band couldn't find any record label that was interested in releasing it.

Availability

Four songs from the album ("Bullet", "We Are 138", "Attitude", and "Hollywood Babylon") were self-released on Danzig's own Plan 9 label through the Bullet EP in June 1978. The same four tracks, alongside a remixed version of "Last Caress" would be released on another EP entitled Beware in January of 1980.On the Horror Business single released in June 1979, features a re-recored version of "Teenagers From Mars" on the B-Side. A mixdown tape of the fourteen mixed songs was leaked and became the source of low quality bootlegs at this time.

After the band broke up in October 1983, several more tracks from the Static Age sessions were gradually released through compilation albums. Legacy of Brutality (released September 1985) featured remixes of "Static Age", "TV Casualty", "Hybrid Moments", "Come Back", "Some Kinda Hate", "Theme for a Jackal", and "Angelfuck", alongside the newly released tracks "Spinal Remains" and "She". These tracks were overdubbed with much of the original instrumentation replaced. Various Static Age tracks appeared across Collection and Collection II, the latter of which introduced the song "Return of the Fly" when released on November 14, 1995.

Formal Release

Before the reformation of the Misfits in October 1995, Only took Danzig to court to make a settlement statement to get the rights and the original recordings to Static Age.[1] The settlement was a success and the remastering process had a rocky start when producer Tom Bejgrowicz and Minor Threat guitarist Lyle Preslar received the tape from the 1978 sessions, it was deteriorating and falling apart by it's aging process. They had to put the tape in the oven and bake it, just to save it awhile longer. As soon as they ran the tape through the remastering equipment and up on a hard drive, it completely dissolved.[2]

The box set The Misfits was released on February 27th, 1996 and included the album as it was originally mixed in 1978 (complete with static sound effect intro and outro). The album got a standalone release on July 15th, 1997 with a few tweaks: the original static sound effect intro and outro were removed, and "She", "Spinal Remains", and "In the Doorway" were mixed by Bejgorwicz to match the original album and added as bonus tracks. "In the Doorway" was completed by splicing in an undamaged part of the tape over the affected areas. Additionally, the CD contains an unlisted bonus track of various studio outtakes.

The album is still on print on both CD and vinyl LP and is also available online on iTunes/Apple Music and Spotify as of 2020.

"Feline Nursery" remains lost, as does an alternate take of "Bullet" that bassist Jerry Only alluded to.

Track Listing

Preferring to the original versions

# Song Title Status
1 Static Age Found February 27, 1996
2 TV Casualty Found February 27, 1996
3 Some Kinds Hate Found February 27, 1996
4 Last Caress Found February 27, 1996
5 Return Of The Fly Found November 14, 1995
6 Hybrid Moments Found February 27, 1996
7 We Are 138 Found June 1978
8 Teenagers From Mars Found February 27, 1996
9 Come Back Found February 27, 1996
10 Angelfuck Found February 27, 1996
11 Hollywood Babylon Found June 1978
12 Attitude Found June 1978
13 Bullet Found June 1978
14 Theme For A Jackal Found February 27, 1996
15 She Found February 27, 1996
16 Spinal Remains Found February 27, 1996
17 In The Doorway Found February 27, 1996

Reference