Sonic Youth 1983 EP original Neutral (or bootleg?)
 

Hi

Do you know how to distinguish an original Neutral Sonic Youth 1983 EP, from the bootleg released in 2014?

Maybe the original has the back cover upside down, and the bootleg in normal way?

Or another thing?

Have to say my copy, bought in the early nineties in NY, has the back cover upside down... like SST versions do have, too.

Regards

Good question. According to Discogs, fake Neutral even reproduced real Neutral's matrix/runout etchings:

Authentic: https://www.discogs.com/Sonic-Youth-...release/381704

Bullcrap: https://www.discogs.com/Sonic-Youth-...elease/5883536

Some pics would be nice! :confused: :( :mad:

I have a fake and an original. The fake version is remarkably similar. There are only 2 differences which would be hard to spot on ebay unless they posted close up photos. The original front cover has an extra blue border and the LP itself has less dead wax (the sound is slightly better/meatier too, probably because of this), though the etchings are identical. Everything else, even the colour is identical! I tried to upload some photos but had no luck!

I just looked at those discogs links and the comments are spot on! Unfortunately the wrong photo is used for the original entry.

Hi Hedhehog, could you check if your original is from Neutral or SST Records?

I thought that the extra blue border was present in the SST version only. That version had the back cover upside down, too.

I have a (supposedly) original Neutral version, bought in the early 90's in NY. It has no extra blue border, and the back cover is upside down (like in the SST version). Some people in Discogs do state the same.

Anyone with an original Neutral version bought in the eighties, could confirm the back cover upside down or not / the extra blue border / the dead wax space?

Exact fakes are shit....

Thanks!

Like maropi says, it's only SST copies that have the extra blue border. The discogs pics for the Neutral pressing are accurate.

If you bought one in the 90's, you should be good. Originals have a heavy card sleeve, typical of the era, the inside of which is brown card.
I don't have a bootleg copy, but if it's like most other modern boots, it'll be a thinner sleeve with white innards.

Actually, on closer inspection, my copy only has a very thin extra blue border right on the edge of the top and right hand corners and the centre border is slightly too far left and too far down so it's probably a slight misprint from the factory. Apologies for misinformation. Can confirm heavy card sleeve with brown card.