The Lemonheads - It’s A Shame About Ray (30th Ann. Edition)

The Lemonheads’ seminal album, It’s A Shame About Ray, is back on vinyl, featuring Evan Dando classics such as ‘My Drug Buddy’, ‘Rudderless’ and ‘It’s A Shame About Ray’, lovingly reissued by Fire Records.

Described by music journalist and author Everett True as “A 30-minute insight into what it’s like to live hard and fast and loose and happy with like-minded buddies, fuelled by a shared love for similar bands and drugs and booze and freedom”, ‘It's A Shame About Ray’ had a considerable impact back in those heady, carefree days of '92, the record perfectly captures Dando’s ability to effortlessly encapsulate teenage longing and lust over the course of a two-minute pop song.

The reissue includes a download card with a slew of extra material, including the ‘My Drug Buddy’ KCRW session track from 1992 featuring Juliana Hatfield, B-sides from singles ‘It’s A Shame About Ray’ and ‘Confetti’, a track from the ‘Mrs. Robinson/Being Round’ EP. This was male teenage skinny-tie pop music on a level of brilliance with The Kinks, early Undertones and Wipers. 

“Ray sounds revelatory in its restlessness, mixing college pop with country flair and relocating Gus Van Sant's Portland atmosphere to New England.” Pitchfork ★★★★½.

CLASSIC BLACK Vinyl, DL card of Extras and Demos.

Tracklist:
1 Rockin' Stroll
2 Confetti
3 It's A Shame About Ray
4 Rudderless
5 My Drug Buddy
6 The Turnpike Down
7 Bit Part
8 Alison's Starting To Happen
9 Hannah & Gabi
10 Kitchen
11 Ceiling Fan In My Spoon
12 Frank Mills.
 
Essential Extras – Download only
1 Mrs Robinson 
2 Shakey Ground
3 My Drug Buddy (KCRW Session, 1992)
4 Knowing Me, Knowing You (Acoustic)
5 Confetti (Acoustic)
6 Alison's Starting To Happen (Acoustic)
7 Divan
Demo Recordings – Download only
8 It's A Shame About Ray (Demo)
9 Rockin' Stroll (Demo)
10 My Drug Buddy (Demo)
11 Hannah & Gabi (Demo)
12 Kitchen (Demo)
13 Bit Part (Demo)
14 Rudderless (Demo)
15 Ceiling Fan In My Spoon (Demo)
16 Confetti (Demo)