I've written about how I got into Tall Ships before, but it's relevant here too. The short version is that we saw them playing their second set of the day at Banquet's Big Day Out where they were exploding out of what was basically a gazebo at the back of the field. People were going mad for it and everyone was having a great time. This reached a climax when they played Vessels and I swear my friend and I were the only ones who didn't know the words to the chorus. I have never been so jealous to not be able to join in on a sing-along. It probably rates in my top three sing-alongs (behind Chuck Ragan playing California Burritos in Le Pub and ONSIND playing Heterosexuality is a Construct in the Fighting Cocks; those were most incredible so you can appreciate the significance of this inclusion, especially given that I was both enjoying it and annoyed that I didn't know the words).
So I'm pretty pleased I do finally have a copy of Vessels in my collection. By the time I saw Tall Ships their EPs were hard to come by and it seemed I'd missed the boat (no pun) on getting them. Luckily, Big Scary Monsters repressed them both onto one orange LP with a lovely screen-printed sleeve. Two of the songs made it onto the LP, Everything Touching, and I remember people saying they preferred the originals. Maybe it's because I heard the LP versions first, but I love the changes made to Books and Ode to Ancestors. The latter in particular is without the repeat of the first verse towards the end of the song here, which is one of my favourite things about it; when I hear the original I keep waiting for the verse to kick in again and it never does.
I probably play this record as often as I do the LP these days. Between the two are so many incredible songs and Vessels, Plate Tectonics (which starts the second EP in a huge style) and Chemistry are all as strong as some of the finest moments on the LP. I'm very glad these songs didn't disappear into the past.
Format: 12"
Tracks: 9
Cost: £17 new
Bought: Big Scary Monsters website
When: 13/04/14
Colour: Orange
Etching: none
mp3s: no
