Various Artists – Sounds And Shigaku Limited Present: Beautiful Happiness (1988)

Artist: Various Artists

A1	Art Phag–	Golf	1:52
A2	Expando Brain–	Thyroid	2:04
A3	Halo Of Flies–	Richies Dog	2:36
A4	Shadowy Men On A Shadowy Planet–	Aunt's Invasion	1:50
A5	Iowa Beef Experience–	When I Think	2:51
A6	Disappointments–	Better You Than Me	0:38
A7	Live Skull–	Paul Revere's Bush (Tree Girl)	2:02
B1	D. J. Lebowitz*–	Holiday In Cambodia	3:30
B2	Naked Raygun–	Vanilla Blue	3:05
B3	Elvis Hitler–	Ghouls	2:08
B4	Bastards–	Shit For Brains	2:56
B5	Stikky–	Coffee Achievers	1:55
B6	Bullet Lavolta–	Birth Of Death	4:09
B7	Drunk With Guns–	Beautiful Happiness	2:45

Title: Sounds And Shigaku Limited Present: Beautiful Happiness

Label: Sounds and Shigaku Limited

Format: LP

Cat:  HAPPY-1

Year of Release:1988

Country and Year of Edition: UK 1988

Sell Price: $6.99 11/25/22  VG+/VG+

Discogs Last Sold: 11/2/22 $5.21 NM/VG+

Low:$3.66 4/19/21 VG+/VG+ with inserts

Median: $6.22

Average: $8.12

High: $25.00 5/21/21 NM/NM terrific copy with 2 inserts

Current low price: $4.82 VG/VG

Current Number on Sale at Discogs: 33

Have/Want: 383/55

Where Sold: Missouri City, TX

Time it took to sell:  8 years

Where and When Purchased: Worcester MA Al Bums $7.99 new around time of release early '89

Gwiz-gau Letter Grade: A

Sad To See It Go: No

The good old British Tabloids  Sounds and Melody Maker had their finger on the pulse of the American post hardcore 7" scene that I was a big buyer of.  Most of this compilation, a co-release between Sounds and importer Shigaku were some of the absolute best of what American music had to offer.

Most of this record came from crucial singles.  In fact, only one of these bands, Bullet LaVolta, got picked up by the majors.  The Gift by Boston's Bullet LaVolta got picked up by RCA after Taang! issued the first pressing.

Many crucial singles right before or dovetailing with early Sub Pop are on this compilation with some wretched artwork.  Nowaday, this would be a Mojo CD taped onto a digipak 2 panel, but Sounds not only did a interpretation of a Black Flag shirt wearing Frankenstein, but Shigaku also provided valuble liner note inserts detailing bands of the era above and beyond what is included on the album.

Some of the entities were well known to me by the time I bought this.  Halo Of Flies were well distributed and promoed by Twin/Tone by the time AmRep issued "Richie's Dog."  Likewise, Naked Raygun were well established when the "Vanilla Blue" single was released.  Drunks With Guns had several hard-to-find or bootlegged  mid 80's singles, the first two were compiled into a legendary album.  Bastards had yet to release their crucial lone album Monticello and "Shit For Brains" was one of three early singles Treehouse issued.

The rest is variety: DJ Leibowitz does a lounge piano Dead Kennedys "Holiday In Cambodia."  Shadowy Men On A Shadowy Planet does surf rock and Elvis Hitler were another band I bought a full length by mail order before they got established distribution.  

An excellent representation of 1988.