Band Pages - Gas Huffer

Released in March of 1992, this release has been one of the most popular MT releases ever, as well as having been released in the most formats. A collectors nightmare, released by our former US office as a normal single on black and colored vinyl (red, green, white, yellow) with blue labels and as a CD with two extra tracks. Released in Germany on Musical Tragedies as a saw-blade on clear vinyl and as a normal 7" with white labels, and, with the same extra tracks, as a CD and 12". 500 12" covers were made with open-up covers, the rest are normal. 200 of the 12" are misspressings where the last song ends twice! 12"er has red labels. The USA and German CDs have slightly different labels and cover designs. Two different test pressings were done in the USA, one on black vinyl and one on blue. Got all that? The Mudhoney bonus song originally appeared on the Estrus Half-Rack, the Gas Huffer bonus originally on their "Firebug" single. Great inner cover shows both bands fighting each other.

Even though they play out of the now commercially viable Seattle undergound music scene, Gas Huffer can't be classified as just another grunge band, being much more rooted in the punk camp, as well as incorporating a bit of a surf/rockabilly twang to their sound.Comprising the same four members since inception, they are: Don Blackstone - Bass, Matt Wright - Vocals, Tom Price - Guitar and Joe Newton - Drums. They are also becoming known for the comics that drummer Joe Newton incorporates into their covers, as well as producing actual comic books for the vinyl versions of their LPs. In addition to the Gas Huffer comics, Joe also has designed record covers for many other Seattle bands, many of them released on eMpTy (Zipgun, Yummy, Derelicts). They have toured extensively throughout the United States (sometimes as opener for Mudhoney) and Europe. After their several MT releases, Gas Huffer moved on to Epitaph, as well as having released several singles on other labels, most notably on the collector’s label Sympathy For The Record Industry. Scene veterans for many years, the various members all have played in many different Seattle bands, most notably the U-Men and Monkey Wrench.

Released in October of 1991, this was Gas Huffer's debut release on MT, as well as being their first long-player, featuring the beginnings of their punk rock sound with a psychobilly touch that they developed on many more long players after this one. The CD contains six bonus songs that were originally released as various singles on other labels. The first CD pressings were done only in the USA, but in April 93 a German pressing was produced to fulfill demand generated by their European tour. LP version contains a cool comic book designed by the band.

Released in January of 1993, this is their second long player and the record that really put Gas Huffer on the punkrock map, since becoming probably the most loved record by their fans. CD pressed in both the USA and Germany, with 1000 of each as a limited edition with a clear tray and a photo of the band hiding behind the CD, although the German photo is printed in negative. The LP and cassette versions were pressed only in the USA, and the vinyl, like the first LP, comes with a comic book designed by the band.

With this release, Gas Huffer bids MT goodbye, as they move on to Epitaph. Originally an Australia only CD release on AuGoGo Records, eMpTy released these four songs as a 7” vinyl record for the rest of the world. Pressed only in Germany, the German version has a normal 7” sleeve, whereas the version imported to the US has a folded sleeve in a plastic bag. 3500 pressed.The cover art is done by the naive master Matt Wright (singer) of side burn fame. The angel on the single cover is dropping a rocket (or dart says Matt) on the world below, and on the back the rocket has droped onto the people of the earth and their screams sound like the shrill beeps of shrimp. Makes sense!

Released in April 1993 to coincide with GH's 1993 tour of Europe, this is a CD version of the two-song vinyl single released earlier by Sub Pop, with a third song from a Sympathy For The Record Industry single and a fourth song from a Gearhead Magazine split single.