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The Lillingtons

Technically Unsound [box set] (2005)
Clearview

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Contributed by: southpawnation
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Published on February 24th 2006

Ah, the early `90s. Pop-punk before the explosion of Green Day and the Offspring. Long before the bastard children of Ben Weasel and the Ramones morphed into dreck like Blink (yes, they sucked before they were Blink-182). Weasel-core and Ramones-core bands littered the 'zines with mailorder ads. You could order from Lookout! Records on a Monday and have a nice wrapped package waiting in your mailbox by Friday (from NorCal to central California, granted). But, times were good. The "elites" of the genre were all at the top of their game with bands like Screeching Weasel, the Queers, the Vindictives, and the Mr. T Experience (although, personally, MTX was never my cup of tea).

The Lillingtons were always among those lower echelon mid-to-late `90s pop-punk bands populated with with competent (and even pretty darn good) peers like the Groovie Ghoulies, Sloppy Seconds, Squirtgun, et. al.

While being one of my favorite "lesser" pop-punk bands, the early Lillingtons sometimes came dangerously close to being a straight-up Weasel/Queers "homage" band. They didn't really come into their own until 1999's Death by Television (originally released on Ben Weasel & John Jughead's Lookout! Records imprint, Panic Button, and soon to be reissued, along with the okay but rather lackluster followup, Backchannel Broadcast, by Red Scare Records -- coincidentally enough, the home of Lillingtons vocalist/guitarist Kody's new band, Teenage Bottlerocket).

Technically Unsound, a 3-CD box set, collects the Lillingtons' early, long out-of-print material (original copies of the Shit Out of Luck LP and CD -- with artwork by the Queers' B-Face -- have been selling as high as $45 on eBay, which likely contributed to the recently reconstituted Clearview Records putting this release together). And, speaking of eBay, that seems to be the only place you can even pick one of these box sets up, or at a Teenage Bottlerocket show.

The box set contains a new mix of Shit Out of Luck (done by Mass Giorgini of Sonic Iguana), the original mix of the album, the tracks from the Nothing Cool split 10", the Lost My Marbles 7" (recorded by and featuring backup vocals from Joe Queer), material recorded for the never-released Stupid World 7", and 12 live tracks.

But, why does it say "www.clearviewrecords.com" on the back when there is not even a domain name registered for that URL?

The numbered, limited edition metal tin version with CDs signed by the band are likely already long gone (limited to 50 copies). If you can find one, the collector nerd in you should be more than pleased. The 22 gauge silkscreened metal tin is a nicely put together package, but at $50 a pop, it was a steep price to pay for simply a nifty metal case. The regular edition comes in a plastic box set ($15), but it is also limited (to 1000 copies, with 25 signed copies having been available).

For fans who discovered Kody through Teenage Bottlerocket, this could be a place to discover his earlier work, but I would highly recommend starting with Death by Television if that is your goal. When I first heard Teenage Bottlerocket, I described them as a Riverdales version of the Lillingtons, as in how the Riverdales were a much more Ramones-ish version of Screeching Weasel. So, flip that analogy and you'll have a decent idea of what the early Lillingtons material is all about.

For later Lillingtons fans who could never track this stuff down, now you can get it all in one place in a nice package. The remixed version of the album sounds great, and the sound quality on the Jam Room live tracks blew me away (WAY better than I was expecting to hear). The unreleased and demo stuff is typical of unreleased and demo stuff (if you're a hardcore fan, it sounds great and you'll likely find it interesting -- I enjoyed it, but casual fans can probably do without it).

All in all, a very nice, great-sounding package, but I would hope down the road they'll release the remixed album with at least the Nothing Cool split and 7" tracks as a regular single CD release. Since there is obviously a demand for Shit Out of Luck, I would hope someone would have the good sense to get it back into print and make it available at a reasonable price.

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Anonymous (March 1, 2006)

I found this at a record store in wyoming. The plastic packaging is shitty. Mines already falling apart and such. Which isn't a big deal. There's some unreleased songs included that absolutely own. However, I'm not sure I would recomend this to anyone who wasn't a rabid Lillingtons fan.

Anonymous (February 28, 2006)

I´ve been waiting for this! This is pop-punk at its best!

Anonymous (February 28, 2006)

"i need to get this, it would be nice to finally have shit out of luck on cd. did they put the ramones cover that was on the 7" that came with the lp in with this stuff?"

sorry, thought I had mentioned that specifically somewhere but i guess not. i'm not sure if it's the actual same recording they used for the 7" that came w/ SOL, but probably. "blitzkrieg bop" is included in the Green Bay Sessions section of the box set.

SOL (remix and original mix tracks):
lillington high
i don't think she cares
pom pom girl
kevin is a lunatic
i got screwed again
oh boy
danny's problems
i got abducted by a ufo
smart ass
my genitals itch
tonight
day off
ramble on
reform school
hooked on you

Nothing Cool Split:
nowhere fast
alien girl
teenage asshole
wrapped around her little finger
homecoming queen
for the fun of it

Live Stuff Jam Room:
reform school
homecoming queen
johnny
satruday night
i don't think she cares
lillington high
ramble on
nowhere fast
oh boy
kein is a lunatic
i got abducted by a ufo
stupid world

Green Bay Sessions:
another 10 hours
if i had a dollar
blitzkrieg bop
stupid world

"demos" (Jam Room):
brain damage
if i could see into your head
when the clock strikes 2

Lost my Marbles 7":
johnny
saturday night
i lost my marbles
the day i went away

Anonymous (February 28, 2006)

regardless of hating or loving the band, any band that puts out this kind of boxset post-breakup is alright with me.

I have an apocalypse hoboken boxset they released after breaking up I wouldn't sell for anything. Its amazing and only makes you appreciate the band more.

Releases like this are absolutely great. Why more bands dont do it, I don't know.

wyzo

Anonymous (February 27, 2006)

Lillingtons haters be col' trippin', yo. Step off.

GreenVandal (February 26, 2006)

(you really like parentheses (I dont know how to spell that word) (you could use a comman or a semicolon every now and then) (you dont always have to put your asides in parentheses (again, I dont know how to spell that word)) just an observation.)

Anonymous (February 26, 2006)

box set? saw these guys in high school...

Anonymous (February 26, 2006)

Can't get through a whole album of this stuff.

Anonymous (February 26, 2006)

did they put the ramones cover that was on the 7" that came with the lp in with this stuff?

If the Ramones cover is Blitzkrieg Bop, then yes they did.

Anonymous (February 24, 2006)

This IS indeed a killer package. I would honeslty prefer just have Shit Out Of Luck, and that split LP on one disc. If it were affordable.

skolarx (February 24, 2006)

i need to get this, it would be nice to finally have shit out of luck on cd. did they put the ramones cover that was on the 7" that came with the lp in with this stuff?

southpawnation (February 24, 2006)

I got the metal tin, which didn't come w/ the Sack demo. But, this bit was missing:

Pressing info:
50 hand-numbered metal box sets (CDs signed by the band)
50 regular box sets (signed by the band)
900 regular box sets w/ a promo CD of Kody's previous band, Sack

8dollarclarinetsolo (February 24, 2006)

yeah i agree, you barely talked about the album. how about mentioning the sack demo in it, and what exactly makes it a box set.. and how can you hate on mtx?? lets see what else, blink didnt suck, you can still get this online.... i disagree with about pretty much everything ni this review really

Anonymous (February 24, 2006)

Review the fucking album, not the entire scene. Dochebag.

Anonymous (February 24, 2006)

This shit rules, glad pop punk is making a little comeback.

thirtyseconds (February 24, 2006)

I have Shit Out Of Luck. It's great. Especially "Lillington High".

TheOneTrueBill (February 24, 2006)

You can send a fifteen dollar check to this adress still. Clearview Records
1308 Taren Trail
Wylie, Texas 75098
USA

I got mine (and the duplicate that went to Sickboi) that way.

TheNightProwler (February 24, 2006)

*Red Scare

/I hate typing in the wrong word.. oh well, gives me another chance to say Red Scare needs to release this CD!!

TheOneTrueBill (February 24, 2006)

Some of the best fifteen bucks I ever spent went to this. I actually disagree with you when you say they didn't hit their stride until DBT. My favorite stuff of the band is on this boxed set, with me enjoying it a little less with each release. That's not to say that the other two albums aren't great but I personally like this stuff the best.

I had MP3s of the original mix of Shit Out of Luck for awhile before I got this in the mail, and Mass did a fucking FANTASTIC job of redoing it. I can't even listen to the original mix anymore because the new one is so great.

Plus, Groovie Ghoulies second rate? Come on!

TheNightProwler (February 24, 2006)

I made the mistake of not having the money for this CD when I saw Teenage Bottlerocket with the Groovie Ghoulies & Methadones last year.

They need someone like Read Scare to put this out so I can buy it!!