The Rentals - Excellent Stocking Stuffer (bootleg)

i recently recovered this bootleg, which is pretty hard to find online.  about five years ago, matt sharp put it up for download.  i listened to it a lot more than their first LP.  some of the alternate or demo versions are better than the studio versions.

if you are a fan of the rentals, weezer (back when they were good) or moog-rock/power pop in general, this is an essential listen.

informations:

Excellent Stocking Stuffer

1. So Soon -- recorded live in Amsterdam. The last show on the Blur tour, the last concert with Cherielynn Westrich.
2. Mrs. Young -- Recorded originally as a b-side for a possible 7" single with Weezer. Matt wrote most of the song and collaborated with Rivers Matt: lead vox and bass / Rivers Cuomo: most instrumentation including harmonica, guitars and drums. Recorded on Cuomo's tascam 8 track cassette machine. (All about Mrs. Young in the Tour Diary)
3. Waiting -- Live Denver radio show "The Lounge"
Matt Sharp: vox / Rod: Nylon / Jim: moog source / Cherie and Maya: female harmonies / Mike: Drums
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That's Incredible! sessions.
Before the violins, before the moogs, Tom Grimley named the original group "That's Incredible!". Here are ten [in progress] recordings of what was to become their debut album. Recorded by Tom Grimley in April 1994 in Poop Alley.
Matt Sharp: vocals, lead guitar and bass / Rachel Haden: female vocals / Rod Cervera: rythm guitar / Pat Wilson: drums
4. Say Goodbye Forever [Brian Bell: main melody guitar]
5. Stupid Girl
6. Waiting
7. I Don't Want This, Babe
8. Crumblin'
9. Friends Of P.
10. Mrs. Young
11. California
12. These Days
13. The Love I'm Searching For
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14. Silent Night -- Original unedited versioin. Poor quality cassette recording.
Rod Cervera: voice over / Jim Richards: moog, korg and arp synthesizers / Matt Sharp: Drums
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Frisbee Days [home recordings] 1993
Before The Rentals, before That's Incredible! came the Frisbee Days 4 track home recordings in 1993. These were the original demos for the That's Incredible! album. Here are three songs that never made it all the way to Poop Alley.
15. She Looks At Me -- [written by Rachel Haden and That Dog]
16. The T.V. Is On
17. Frisbee Days
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18. Please Let That Be You -- More from the The Lounge on Denver radio.
19. The Love I'm Searching For -- acoustic version live on Boston radio station WBCN.
20. Friends of P. -- acoustic version live on Washington D.C. radio WHFS
21. Friends Of P. -- Live from Amsterdam, Last Show
22. Radio Promo

for a preview, here is my favorite track...  an early demo (featuring rivers cuomo) of Please Let That Be You, here titled, Mrs Young.

The Rentals - Mrs. Young


download the whole thing