Rockpile Seconds of Pleasure LP (Yellow Vinyl)

Tracking Angle Rated 10/10 Music, 10/10 Sound!

Rockpile was a short-lived yet highly influential quartet, composed of Nick Lowe, Dave Edmunds, Billy Bremner and Terry Williams. Though Rockpile played together throughout the 1970s, the original 1980 release of Seconds of Pleasure was the only time the band was able to capture their magic on tape. Meshing the sounds of pub rock, power pop and rockabilly all through a blossoming new wave lens, Rockpile were renowned for their blistering live performances, which were brought to national attention on tours supporting Blondie, Bad Company, Van Morrison and Elvis Costello.

Seconds of Pleasure has stood the test of time and cemented Rockpile as a one-album wonder, but what a wonder it is! Featuring classics like Lowe's pop-perfect "When I Write the Book" and "Play That Fast Thing (One More Time)" and Rockpile's sole Billboard hit "Teacher Teacher," Seconds of Pleasure remains a classic that should be found on the turntable of every music collector.

Yep Roc is proud to announce a long-overdue vinyl reissue of Seconds of Pleasure, pressed on yellow color vinyl and limited to 1,000 copies worldwide. The reissue was pressed at the state-of-the-art facilities of Citizen Vinyl in Asheville, North Carolina, and the lacquer was cut by renowned mastering engineer Kevin Gray at Cohearent Audio. Over four decades later, Seconds of Pleasure has brought years of enjoyment and now has never sounded better!

...bright, propulsive, and poppy, filled with big melodic hooks and polished until it glistened. Not what was expected of Rockpile in 1980, perhaps, but time has been nothing but kind to this record and, judged on its own merits, it's one hell of a good time.

Pretty close to perfect

On this reissue, listeners will find excellent instrumental separation and a wider soundstage with more depth. Acoustic guitars have plenty of chugging power and string definition. Lowe's bass has more finesse providing a compelling visual of the instrument rather than the approximation that the original pressing presents. Williams' kick drum is rounder — more present — and the interplay between bass drum and snare is well aligned. High frequencies exhibit an appropriate tweak. Bravo to Citizen Vinyl for an exceptionally quiet disc.