Conversation about split albums

March 2006

 

Dana Duer: Who's Walf Eye?

Marc Fischer: Who's what?

Dana: Walf Eye? You told me about them. You told me about that split album that they put out.

Marc: Oh, Wolf Eyes. They're from Detroit.

Dana: Wolf Eyes. Uh, what's their split album?

Marc: Oh, I forget that other band that's on there. It's two bands.

Dana: Who are they?

Marc: I forget what the other band is.

Dana: Wolf Eyes, and who's the other band?

Marc: The other band I can't remember.

Dana: Um, do you buy those together?

Marc: Yeah, it's a double album.

Dana: What's the name of it?

Marc: You know I don't think it's even titled. It's something they put out like a thousand of. It's a really small press.

Dana: Is it like one big record and one small record or two big records?

Marc: It's two 12 inch records.

John (another person in the room): It's two big ones and two little ones.

Marc: [laughs at John]

Dana: What's the Wolf Eyes? Is that a new band?

Marc: Yeah.

Dana: When did that come out - the new vinyl by Wolf Eyes - the split album? How hard is that to find?

Marc: It's pretty obscure.

Dana: What do you mean?

Marc: It's hard to find. I bought it from the band when they played.

Dana: The Wolf Eyes?

Marc: Yeah.

Dana: Um, what happened to them?

Marc: They're still around.

Dana: Don't they have another split album out yet?

Marc: [getting fatigued] I don't know.

Dana: How many sides to that split album?

Marc: Well, each band has one whole album...

Dana: Yeah.

Marc: ...and there are two sides to each album...

Dana: Yeah.

Marc: ...and there are two albums altogether.

Dana: How many sides?

Marc: Well, two sides. Two sides to each record right?

Dana: Don't they call it side 3 and side 4, or is it side 1 and side 2 of each band?

Marc: I think just side 1 and side 2 of each band.

Dana: Is it the same music or is it a different kind of music by each band?

Marc: Kind of similar.

Dana: What kind of music is Wolf Eyes?

Marc: Uh... noisy. Really noisy rock.

Dana: Rock? Are they live records or studio records?

Marc: Um, I think they're studio records but I think they record all of the sounds together. Like they just play and record everything all at once.

Dana: Is one record live and studio or...?

Marc: I think they're both the same.

Dana: Both of them are?

Marc: I think so.

Dana: Did you say it's one record... which one's the Wolf Eyes album?

Marc: They have half of the record.

Dana: Which half?

Marc: [laughs] I think it's the first half.

Dana: Oh, the first record's the Wolf Eyes record...

Marc: ...and the other one is this other band and I still can't remember their name.

Dana: Is it like in volumes?

Marc: No, it's just one thing.

Dana: Is that on CD yet - the Wolf Eyes?

Marc: Not that one.

Dana: I hope vinyl comes back. How 'bout you?

Marc: Oh, I love buying records. Some people still put them out.

Dana: They do?! [justifiably excited]

Marc: Yeah, there are a lot of people who still appreciate things on vinyl.

Dana: Who puts them out?

Marc: Uh... different labels. You know what the label Sub Pop just did - I think this is a nice idea...

Dana: Who's Sub Pop?

Marc: Sub Pop is a Washington record label

Dana: What did they put out?

Marc: They originally put out Nirvana. But they put out a Mudhoney album on vinyl...

Dana: What's Mudhoney?

Marc: They're a band from Seattle...

Dana: How many records is Mudhoney?   

Marc: Their new album is one record, but if you buy the vinyl, they'll give you a CD inside the vinyl. So for buying the vinyl, you get a free copy of the CD, and you can use that to import it onto your computer...

Dana: Import it?

Marc: Yeah.

Dana: A blank CD?

Marc: No, no. It's a CD with the album. So if you buy the album... that way if you have a CD player in your car...

Dana: How many songs are on the record Mudhoney Album?

Marc: I don't know.

Dana: Is it like 20 songs on one album?

Marc: Nah, probably about a dozen.

Dana: Twelve songs?

Marc: Probably.

Dana: Six per each side?

Marc: [losing patience] I don't know. I don't know how many.

Dana: What other albums are a split album besides Wolf Eyes?

Marc: Oh... let's see... what's another split album I have....

Dana: What other albums are a split?

Marc: There was a band from Japan called Taj Mahal Travelers, and they put out a split with Rallizes Denudes who are another Japanese psychedelic rock band.

Dana: Which one is the Taj Mahal one?

Marc: It's one side of the two sides.

Dana: And what about the other side?

Marc: The other side would be Rallizes Denudes.

Dana: Rallizes Denudes. How many records is it?

Marc: It would be one side of one record. So, half of a record. It's pretty common for... punk bands will sometimes put out a 7" and that'll be a split between two bands.

Dana: How come they split?

Marc: Well, sometimes like if bands tour together, to kind of commemorate the tour, they'll put out...

Dana: a split album, like one band sings on one side and the other band sings on the other side?

Marc: Exactly. Right.

Dana: What happens if Paul McCartney put a split album out. One side he sings. And another side, the Chiffons sing? [laughs].

Marc: [laughs] What about him and Yoko? Maybe they could finally make peace with each other.

Dana: Really?!

Marc: They could put out a Paul McCartney and Yoko split album. Think that'll ever happen?

Dana: How 'bout The Chiffons and Paul McCartney?

Marc: Sounds like a good idea.

Dana: How?

Marc: [laughs]. I don't think it's gonna happen.

Dana: I wish that would happen, you know - Paul McCartney singing "Yesterday", and on the other side the Chiffons doing "Power to the People"! - the John Lennon song. What would happen?

Marc: I think the world might come to an end.

Dana: How about [laughing] The Chiffons doing "Gimme Love, Gimme Peace on Earth" - the George Harrison song?

Marc: Maybe Paul McCartney could do a Yoko Ono song...

Dana: Yeah? How about the Chiffons?

Marc: ...maybe they could do a Black Sabbath song. [We'd been listening to a Black Sabbath tape]

Dana: How?

Marc: Maybe they could reform just to do that.

Dana: The Chiffons could do a Black Sabbath song?!

Marc: Yeah, they could do this song "The Wizard"...they could just make up some lyrics.

Dana: [laughs] Really?!

Marc: Sure, why not, right?

Dana: How about Paul McCartney doing "My Boyfriend's Back"?

Marc: That sounds good. Maybe he has a boyfriend?

Dana: [correcting his idea] "My Girlfriend's Back".

Marc: He could do "My Girlfriend's Back". It would be in bad taste though if Yoko did "My Boyfriend's Back".

Dana: [laughing] Yoko doing "My Boyfriend's Back"?

Marc: Yeah, because John's not coming back.