Really? Jeez. I have no problem with it. It's still a nice limited edition item.

Ditto. I just picked mine up from the record store in NYC (Other Music). I opened the albums on the bus and barely contained myself. I think I'll listen to Battery Park first...

Yeah. Geffen kept the gold-plated diapers. Sorry.

I mean think of it like this, at least Matador is giving us bonus vinyl. That's enough to make me happy no matter the caliber of the cardboard surrounding it.

Matador isn't "giving" us anything. I paid a premium for the vinyl. One that I now wish I hadn't. Oh well, hopefully I can make it up on eBay.

what I meant by "Giving" was "creating". As in Geffen never gave us much else than a full length since the 90's.

Picked this up today, i'm very pleased with the whole package and it sounds amazing.

Yeah, but if something like that is going to be done, it should be done nicely. That's my point. That people settle for crappy product is why companies keep doing it.

Another issue is that Matador packed the LPs shoddily, at least to my local store. All of them had corners bent. The store told me that they didn't even pack them in normal album mailers, but just in a big box with no type of care given to securing them to prevent damage.

OK, here's some gratitude: Thanks to SY for putting out a great album.

I'll chalk it up to a lesson learned and know not to participate in any more BEGNs.

BTW, I talked to the owner at a local indie store this morning and they don't really care for Matador much or some of their business practices. They apparantly always send their stuff out in the mail early so that the customers who order directly from them get their stuff before release date, which costs the local stores business. Also, they send out colored vinyl when ordered directly from them and send black vinyl to the stores. I guess it is kinda eye-opening to me as I always assumed Matador was a friend of the local indie store.

hmm. I wonder if my vinyl is colored. I haven't taken it out of its sleeve yet. I'm pretty sure it's black though.

But I'm not really shocked about what yr saying. I mean, Matador is a Major Indie. Y'know? I mean they have Major distribution. So I"m sure they've done some big-biz thinking from time to time. Either way. I'm glad there's a new SY Live album. And I'm glad they put out those Record Store day 7"s

My Battery Park LP is in a normal LP sleeve... Love the label BTW.

Ha Ha, no seriously...

Is that what it looks like?

I'm still waiting for the UPS

jesus, still no LP...this is getting really frustrating, i should never have ordered it from matador as i was in a record store today that had it for $24.99...i paid 45 and didnt even get the thing on time.

i also still dont have a code for this "special store" b.s that apparently closes in 2 days?

still no LP here either :(

I did a UPS shipping time estimate for New York to here, departing on Thursday, like it said my stuff shipped on. It said that it would be delivered no later than Monday.

This sucks, I really want to listen to Live at Battery Park

Mine got delivered today!

CD, live at Battery Park LP and a couple of free Matador promos/samplers.

Album art looks sweet, maybe I should've ordered the vinyl instead.

Fuck, I still haven't gotten mine yet. I got an email saying it shipped last week...

Mine is a normal LP record sleeve as well..

I really hope mine comes tomorrow

mine is not a normal record sleeve. It doesn't hold the record, not glued. cheap.

I went to pick up the package yesterday and my record store didn't have it. There was some mix up with the shipping and matador is supposed to overnight it. Hopefully I will get it today. [Insert "Buy Early Get Now" joke here]

Yes, and from the word go I love it. Its so accessible yet has the usual layers upon layers of interesting mayhem going on. I really think this album is going to do very very well commercially as well as delighting hardcore SY fans.

Hey, sorry you're not into the packaging. We happen to think it is really nice and the band were into it as well.
What store are you talking about? I'm not sure I understand what you mean with your comment about "album mailers", when we ship store orders they are sent in larger LP boxes and we try our best to pack the orders well, but there's a lot that can happen to a box once UPS gets a hold of it.

Yes should be there today. Sorry for the delay.

got it today. nice one!

First listen last night. THe firs thalf is better than the 2nd half.

oh yeah and I"ll be listening to it all week....Probably until June 28th.

Nothing about the way this release is being handled by Matador is too appealing to me. Just think about this for starters: Sonic Youth's only official full-length 'live album was made available in limited quantities via pre-order only!!! Ask around: virtually no one, save a few who lurk here on the official website and Matador site, knew about it! I've been talking to some record stores, online and off--they're pretty pissed about this as well. Also, it seems some people who did know about it thought that the LP was part of The Eternal package--constituting a limited edition 3-LP version of the album (sort of like what Cream did with the 2-LP version of Wheels Of Fire back in '68). Then there's this (expensive!) Japanese box set version of the album, with a booklet or something and the 'live album on disc. It seems like--for an independent--Matador has been behaving more like the majors than the majors with this album.

Considering what SY fans are like, I don't see how any of these questionable tactics are going to endear us to Matador. They owe a lot of us big-time. A Fall reissue of this precarious 'live LP is the least they can do.

I think this is one (the first?) SY release I'm going to skip on vinyl, and just get the el cheapo 12-track version of the disc.

Hey, sorry if you were confused, but I feel that we were pretty clear about what was offered. I also feel that we went pretty far and wide with the news about the Buy Early Get Now promotion. Where do you live? What stores are you referring to? In other territories the BEGN promotion is a much newer concept that might not have run as smoothly.
Also Sonic Youth are not on Matador in Japan. They have a separate deal there that we have nothing to do with.

mail came right before work, still no package, sigh

have not got it and probably wont for a while. the last two records plus my more excitement over the members solo projects means i am not rushing out the door to get this. i will obviously but not in a great hurry.

OK, so, I'm listening to it for the first time and I'm hearing Symposium and The Presidents in it. Is it just me?

Mine arrived (I ordered it from a record store). I'm just happy to finally
have a physical CD. And the front cover of the LP makes up for the
packaging, which I can live with.

Did anyone who bought the CD notice that one of the inserts is actually a sticker?

Urghhh I still haven't gotten mine!!!

It said it shipped on June 3rd.

How long does it take for the UPS to get a package from New York to just north of Pittsburgh?

Although I'm kind of suspecting that it didn't actually ship last Wednesday.

Yes, I'd say you're not far off the mark on that one....

yeah, that could be really sloppy on matadors part to send out emails saying your order has shipped before they even had the LP's made (which i gather fromt that other email about their slow vinyl production)

another note, my records still aren't here and im pretty pissed

I'm getting upset at shipping too. It's only slightly comforting to see other people are experiencing the same delay. At least I know no one stole it out of the UPS truck.

But hey, what the F!?K - I got the email saying it shipped more then a week ago. I bought it early and bought the limited live vinyl with it.. IT COST $$$. Now, people can go to the god damn Target super store, and get the CD for 9.99 and I STILL DON'T HAVE my $33 UPS Package! That's frustrating. It better be everything when it arrives... CD + LP + Poster.

And what up with No TRACKING NUMBERS!?

And the pre-sale concert ticket thing was a scam too. It was just a link to Ticketmaster, I could have went to the First Ave box office and got a sweet looking first ave ticket without a service charge, instead of a fee laden Ticketmaster printout.

GRRRRRRRRIOT!