O'Rourke Records

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The Razz's label. The second and third releases were financed (and put out) by Limp Records.


RAZZ - C.REDUX 7"
razz front coverrazz back cover

razz vinyl
Razz - C. Redux 7":
C. Redux // 70's Anomie
1000? copies on black vinyl
O'Rourke 1001, 1977

Lineup: Michael Reidy - vocals / Abaad Behram - guitar / Bill Craig - guitar / Ted Nicely - bass, vocals / Doug Tull - drums

Recording Info: Recorded at SRI, engineered by Tom McCarthy.

Notes: Pressing number is a guess. It's not too rare.


Reviews: The A side is good hard rock, good enough that I'm surprised the whole KBD/stamp collector crowd hasn't jumped all over it. The Razz were around before the whole punk explosion, but if this record is anything to go by, they had the energy, DIY ethic, and most importantly, the sound to fit in nicely.

B side is the obligatory rockers-have-hearts-too acoustified ballad. I guess it could be good if you're into that kinda thing.

Was this originally supposed to be a small-hole 45? The label art kinda looks like that's the case.


razz test press
Razz - Move It 7":
Cherry Vanilla // Move It / Doo Wah Diddy
?? test pressings
O'Rourke 1002?, 1978

Lineup:

Recording Info:

Notes: Release was cancelled. Abaad played on one cut, Tommy Keene on two. Doo Wha Diddy was released on the Best of Limp LP.

Pic appears courtesy of Skip Groff.


Reviews: Don't gots this one. Anyone have a copy they'd be willing to trade or sell? Shoot me an email if so!


RAZZ - AIRTIME 7"
razz front coverrazz back cover

test pressing:
razz test pressing
commercial issue:
razz vinyl
promo flyer:
razz flyer
Razz - Airtime 7":
Marianne / Cherry Vanilla // Love is Love / Hippy Hippy Shake
2000 copies on black vinyl
O'Rourke 1003?/Limp Records 030, 1979

Lineup: Michael Reidy - vocals / Tommy Keene - guitar, vocals / Bill Craig - guitar / Ted Nicely - bass, vocals / Doug Tull - drums

Recording Info: Recorded live, edited by Skip Groff.

Notes: Sleeves reprinted in the 1980's when Skip ran out.

Skip's Comments: I think Airtime was one of the greatest records ever to come out of DC. I edited it. That was my entire involvement in it, aside from putting it out.

They had done a concert for DC101 live from a local venue, and I'm sure there's more songs than those four, but I have not been able to find where they might be. In any case, at some point I had access to the whole tape and took it over to Zientara's and chose those cuts and put them in--they weren't together in the concert the way they were on the record, they didn't necessarily fall together.

I thought it was a really, really strong EP, and it showed their dynamics and versatility on stage, the ability of Michael Reidy to go from a ballad to a harmony type thing to a hard rocking type thing. It also showcased Tommy Keene's Love is Love, which at that point in time was developing into the Razz's real tour de force. It became the ending piece later on, and they would do that at the very end of a set and expand on it.


Reviews: This record is currently AWOL. I don't remember being terribly impressed with it though. I'll find it eventually...

2004/06/04: Indeed, the record has been found and listened to again, and found wanting. Normally I'd say, "I bet this is great live," but since it's already live, I guess I can't. It's above average rocknroll, but it's missing the primal energy I normally associate with punk. The first Razz 7" had it, and I guess there's a little hint of it here, but not enough to hold my interest.

2004/07/18: Just to clarify, I do like this record, and I heartily recommend it to fans of DC rock, it just doesn't pack the kind of wallop that really gets me going.

2005/08/04: Having heard the whole concert this was taken from, I have to say what was cut out is much better than what was released. The concert as a whole is great fun...


RAZZ - YOU CAN RUN 7"
razz front coverrazz back cover

dj issue:
razz vinyl dj version
commercial issue:
razz vinyl
Razz - You Can Run 7":
You Can Run (But You Can't Hide) // Who's Mr. Comedy
25 DJ copies
1000 copies on black vinyl
O'Rourke 1004?/Limp 31, 1979

Lineup (none listed, but probably): Michael Reidy - vocals / Tommy Keene - guitar, vocals / Bill Craig - guitar / Ted Nicely - bass, vocals / Doug Tull - drums

Recording Info: Produced by the band. A remix of You Can Run appeared on the Declaration of Independents LP.

Notes: Both versions pictured. Anyone got a test press?

Skip's Comments: They produced those tracks themselves at Track, and I had nothing to do with it other than putting the record out. They just came to me with that because I had put out the Airtime EP and they all liked the way that went.

I have a picture of them, in my files, of them at Peaches the day the 45 came out. Peaches used to be over on Nicholson Lane, and all the members of the Razz were there holding up the EP in front of the cassette rack there.


Reviews: This is a really disappointing record. The Razz have completed their journey to the dark side, moving from hard rock bar band to tight, accomplished rock band, to boring, uninspired snoozewave. The A side is a good song, or would be if it had some cajones. The lyrics, assuming I've got them straight in my head, are in the Hey Joe, gonna shoot my ol' lady vein. Some of the words are "You can run / but you can't hide / pity for you is in short supply." I mean, read it off the page and it's menacing as all get out, but the production on the record makes it sound like a Sesame Street singalong, bright, cheery, and impersonal.

The B side isn't very good either, but it doesn't even have the advantage of being a good song to begin with. I guess this means there are now two Limp records I don't like...

Airtime didn't impress me, but at least it was good record, made by what was obviously a bunch of folks having a great time (kinda like the first GI record). If there are any live versions of You Can Run floating around out there, I bet they're absolutely killer. This record, on the other hand, is a very professional effort, very new wave. Not a trace of the Razz remain.


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