Half Gentlemen/Not Beasts

Description

This was a Record Store Day 2013 exclusive, and it is still possible to purchase it after that date (subject to availability).In 1974, Jad Fair and his brother David co-founded the lo-fi alternative rock band Half Japanese. Over the next three decades, Half Japanese released fourteen albums (all of which are due to be reissued on Fire Records throughout 2013), attracting a solid fanbase dedicated to the band's pure, unbridled enthusiasm for rock and roll.The Fire reissue series kicks off with Half Japanese's debut album, 'Half Gentlemen/Not Beasts,' a compilation of the Fair brothers' earliest home recordings, originally released as a three-vinyl homemade box set.This box set pushes the limits of their DIY and lo-fi philosophy, with cobbled-together sonic experiments crafted from guitar feedback, electronics, and strange effects, all while incorporating unrecognizable covers (such as tracks by The Temptations, Buddy Holly, and Bob Dylan).Over the years, Half Gentlemen/Not Beasts has become a cult legend, partly due to its rarity, and foreshadowed much of the lo-fi indie rock movement of the early 90s.In 1995, Rolling Stone magazine ranked Half Japanese's album, "Half Gentlemen / Not Beasts," among the 100 most influential alternative albums, and Spin Magazine's Alternative Record Guide states: "Half Japanese thought they were the greatest rock and roll band on the planet. This was often true."The Fire reissue features new packaging, artwork, booklet, and design by Jad and David Fair, as well as previously unreleased tracks.