A Record Collector's Guide

Paint as a Fragrance

Headhunter HED-003, released February 1991

Rocket's debut album, released on Headhunter.  There are several editions of this album.  The first two pressings were both on black vinyl.  You can recognize the actual first pressing by the sleeve, trail-off wax matrix codes, and vinyl.  All of the later sleeves were on a standard glossy sleeve, whereas the first pressing sleeve is on a flat matte cardboard.  Also, the Headhunter logo on the back is different (see below).  The first press vinyl is lighter than the later ones, and actually appears as semi-translucent brown when held up to the light.  All of the pressings were made from the same masters, but earlier versions have an extra code etched into the stamper.  Finally, the second pressing inserts were clearly copied from the first pressing ones, and as a result, the black ink in them shows up a little more grey than on the earlier versions.  There is also a yellow vinyl pressing, but that one came much later on (late-'90s).  The yellow version has a gold "Limited Edition Color Vinyl" sticker on the front of the sleeve (on the outer plastic).  

The yellow one is generally more expensive than the black one because people love their colored vinyl.  My copy actually smells like paint.

Insert	1st Headhunter Logo	2nd Headhunter Logo
Test Pressing

V/A - Headstart to Purgatory

Headhunter HED-010, released 1992

Contains the Rocket from the Crypt tracks "Nail Biter" and "Battery Licker."

Yeah, it's a compilation, but I consider this to be an important early appearance for Rocket from the Crypt.  Contains the exclusive songs "Nail Biter" and "Battery Licker."  Black vinyl.

Insert

Circa: Now!

Headhuter HED-015, released November 1992

One of the band's greatest efforts.  The vinyl showed up on a couple of colors, some rarer than others.  Other than black, the yellow marble one is the most common version.  The blue and purple are rarer, and the orange is the rarest.  The purple one...well, there is a true purple one, and then there is a blue one with bits of purple in it.  The blue ones seem to surface more often than the straight purple ones.  I have no idea about exact quantities.  This summary is just based on experience.  The yellow version (as with Paint as a Fragrance) was a much later pressing (late-'90s).  All colors have the same matrix codes in their respective trail-off waxes.

The early sleeves have tiny "Printed in Canada" marks on the backs of the sleeves.  The later ones do not.  The yellow version has a gold "Limited Edition Color Vinyl" sticker on the front of the sleeve (on the outer plastic).

Circa: Now! was re-released a couple of times in later years, but not on vinyl.  The test pressing came in a sleeve designed by Mike Stobbe.

Test Pressing Sleeve	Test Pressing

All Systems Go

Headhunter HED-023, released 1993

Not to be mistaken with the Japanese cd-only release "All Systems Go!" on Toy's Factory earlier that year (very different track listing).  A compilation of material from the band's early singles.  Black vinyl.  Comes with the booklet that was used for the cd version as an insert.

V/A - Happy Birthday, Baby Jesus 10"

Sympathy for the Record Industry SFTRI-271, released 1993

Contains the Rocket from the Crypt song "Cancel Christmas"

Greatest Christmas compilation ever.  This 1993 10" has a number of highlights in addition to the Rocket song.  It may exist on color vinyl...most things on Sympathy did.  I have not seen it, though.  This record was paired with its sequel and re-released later as a double CD.

Insert

The States of Art Is on Fire 10"

Sympathy for the Record Industry SFTRI-320, released April 1995

This record actually caught fire and melted my last turntable.  The tracks from this record made frequent appearances in the band's live sets.  They would regularly play at least the first three songs in order.  Most of these were on black vinyl, but there were also 300 on blue marble vinyl and a handful (supposedly about 30) on pink marble vinyl.

Insert	Test Pressing

Hot Charity

Perfect Sound WOS 001 (U.S.), released August 1995

Elemental ELM27LP (UK)

I have never seen the bottom drop out of the value of a record the way it did for this one.  Limited to an overall press run of 5000-7500 (I have heard both numbers), this record was highly sought after in the record community for many years.  It was not released in cd form for a very long time, and so, in order to get most of these tracks, you had to track down the vinyl.  Between the Japanese and Australian cd versions of Scream, Dracula, Scream!, all of the tracks were made available in cd form, but the album itself was not released on cd until 2002.  In that 7-year gap, Hot Charity's value skyrocketed.  I have seen it sold anywhere from $80-$125.  Once the cd came out, the value of the vinyl plummeted.  It was something to behold.  I picked up a red vinyl copy for $25 at one point there.  Anyway, as I mentioned, there were either 5000 or 7500 total pressed.  Either 500 or 1000 of those were on red vinyl (1000 is the number I have heard most often).  There was also a UK version released on Elemental - no idea how many of those there were.

Insert

WOS 001

WOS 001

ELM27LP

Scream, Dracula, Scream!

Headhunter HED-054, released 1995

Elemental ELMDMM34, released 2008

This album is important.  It means something.  Rocket's major label debut - the vinyl was released on Headhunter, though.  Basically all were on black vinyl.  I say basically because...well, rumor has it that there were 10 (TEN!  Why do they do this to us?) pressed on black & white swirled vinyl.  I have never seen one, so I can't confirm this.  In 2008, Elemental re-released this album as a direct metal master on 200g vinyl.  Then they put a huge price tag on it.  It's out there, though, and limited to 500 numbered copies.

Insert

RFTC

Sympathy for the Record Industry SFTRI-548 (U.S.), released June 1998

Elemental ELM50LP (UK)

Elemental ELMDMM50 2xLP (UK), released 2008

Sympathy had the U.S. vinyl for this album, another major label record for Rocket from the Crypt.  In theory, there were 500 of these pressed on orange vinyl.  I think there were many more on orange, and that the black one is actually the rarer version.  Neither is particularly tough to find.  Comes with a nice booklet as an insert.  There was also a UK version on Elemental.  Then there was another one.  In 2008, Elemental re-released it as a two-disc direct metal master on 200g vinyl.  It carries a hefty price tag, but can now be found for less than the original face value.  It is limited to 500 numbered copies.

Insert Booklet	SFTRI-548	SFTRI-548
ELM50LP	ELMDMM50 Side A	ELMDMM50 Side C

All Systems Go II 2xLP

Swami SWA2001, released October 1999

And from the pit of blackness emerges the Swami with a slab of greatness.  Most of these are on black vinyl.  There are some on red, though there were not many, and it is getting fairly expensive to procure.

Test Pressing Side A	Test Pressing Side C

Cut Carefully and Play Loud

Flapping Jet FJ-010, released November 1999

A fun (or annoying, depending on how cool you are) record, where a label affixed to the sleeve is attached to the record, so that you actually have to cut it out in order to get to the vinyl.  Originally a pressing of 3000, with 100 on clear blue vinyl.  Later re-pressed.  The later pressings look no different from the originals, so it is tough to know which you have unless you bought it when it came out.  The blue ones are becoming really expensive.

Group Sounds

Vagrant VR-352, released 2001

Nothing much to report here.  Black vinyl.  Available everywhere.

Live from Camp X-ray

Vagrant VR-377, released 2002

All on black vinyl.  Easy to find.

The Name of the Band is Rocket from the Crypt 10"

Castle Music CMHLP1584, released 2007

This one bothers me.  The most unnecessary Rocket record in history.  Includes the tracks from The State of Art Is on Fire, the Music Machine single, the Boychucker single, and the On the Prowl single.  Same versions.  No value whatsoever.  UK release.  Black vinyl.  The test pressing is interesting for this one.  They pressed the 10" on 12" vinyl.  I'd never seen that before.

Test Pressing

All Systems Go III

Vagrant VR508, released 2008

All Systems Go 3 is a collection of lost tracks from some recording sessions over the last few years of Rocket's existence.  As of this moment, it only exists in CD form.   In theory, it will eventually be released on vinyl as well, but no concrete plans have been announced.

Radio and TV Broadcasts from the UK 1995

Released 1996

Limited to 300 copies - this is a one-sided 12" that contains the same tracks that showed up on the In the White Room and Star Search 7"s.  Plain black sleeve with a hand-numbered insert, which apparently came in a couple of different colors.  Blue vinyl, one side of which has a very cool Rocket print on it.  It can sell for a fair amount of money.

 

Split Bootleg w/ the Misfits

Radio and TV Broadcasts from the UK 1995, released 1996

This contains exactly the same recordings as the one above...this one just has a 1981 Misfits set on the flip side.  Also limited to 300 copies, with a plain black sleeve and hand-numbered insert.  I have seen this sell for a lot of money.  Must be the Misfits collectors getting in on it.  Of course, this was the one I didn't buy when I had the chance, since I already had all of the tracks on multiple other releases. These were all on white vinyl (as far as I know).  However, I recently came across a test pressing of it on black vinyl.  The inserts (the two on separate pieces of paper) are taped to the inner sleeve, and the 300 is crossed out and replaced with a number out of 15.  If it were just the inserts that were altered, I would be skeptical, but the fact that it is on a different color of vinyl tells me that it is a legit test pressing.  It also seems there has now been an additional pressing of this record.  Several copies have surfaced recently with different inserts.  This pressing also appears to be of 300, and is also numbered.  It has caused the value of the original pressing to drop considerably.  The new Rocket insert steals some of the artwork from the RFTC album, which was released two years after the first pressing of this boot.

Test Pressing Insert

Test Pressing