So, where to start? Okay, meet my new friend, the gorgeously packaged 2015 reissue of Uncle Sam Heaven Or Hollywood CD.
It’s lovely*, the sound is great, there are lots of neat new pictures inside and even two bonus tracks. These are all very good things and this is the reissue this album so richly deserves.
Uncle Sam were, as any 1537 ultra obsessive fan can tell you** one of my real hard rock faves from the early 90’s and a band I feel were unfairly overlooked, especially when you consider that Larry Miller their guitarist was kind enough to bite (an uncensored) copy of Heaven or Hollywood for me, backstage in Manchester! How can you not love that? Prince never did that for his fans!
Larry read my post about seeing them live and sent me a comment about it; I’m still thrilled about that. We’ve exchanged a few mails since then and Larry was kind enough to send me a copy of Uncle Sam’s last album, the Kim Fowley produced, Fourteen Women … Fifteen Days. Which was a lovely present. Then I got another comment from a chap who asked me to pass his details on to Larry because he was ‘trying to get in touch with Larry for possible Re-issue deal of old cds’, so I did. Anyway, around Christmas that year Larry mailed me and told me that Minotaur were re-issuing Heaven or Hollywood, which was brilliant.
Anyhoo, Larry mailed me a copy of this lovely reissue, with the uncensored cover and told me it wouldn’t have happened without me^, how cool is that?! For a fan who just wanted to pay homage to one of his old faves, this was just a perfect train of events. It seems like yesterday I first read about them in Kerrang!, ordered Letters From London^^, met Larry, Dave and Bill in Manchester before seeing them play … to this; 26 years, give or take. I don’t mean for all of this to sound self-congratulatory at all^*, I’m just full of wonder and joy at it all.
I’m a happy man, this is a real quality re-release, go and buy (at least) one copy.
646 Down (still)
*for a CD.
**think Swimfan but scarier and obsessier, with less shagging.
^I think he’s just being nice, they’d eventually have tracked him down without my help, but I’m damn flattered anyway!
^^I have such a strong memory of opening it on the way back up our farm track, in the sunshine.
^*unlike every other single post I’ve ever done here.