Rocket from the Tombs, The Day the Earth Met the... (side C)

Rocket from the Tombs have been incredibly well-documented as the band that birthed both Pere Ubu and the Dead Boys. It's really nice, long after the bootleg vinyl went out of print, that this double-LP from 2002 finally collected what little recorded legacy the band had. As a reissue of such an important band, The Day the Earth Met... is a great document, but could be even better. The mastering is a bit overly present (even acknowledging the inadequate source tapes), and the cover design has little relation to the music inside. The music reissued here is, of course, timeless, with formative versions of classics like "Ain't it Fun" and "30 Seconds Over Tokyo" alongside Stooges and Velvets covers, plus a few songs that would otherwise be lost.