Back in print for the first time in over 20 years, the compilation assembles more than two hours of hard to find and unreleased Yo La Tengo music from 1988 – 1995. Some reflections on the material, excerpted from Ira Kaplan’s original ‘Genius + Love = Yo La Tengo’ liner notes: ”FOG OVER FRISCO” - Oct ‘89 Georgia and I started playing this in 1989 on our acoustic duo tour (oh, how the Timbuk 3 crowd in KC loved us). Gene Holder played bass and produced the rock version at Water Music, which was then shelved until we completed it in 1991 for That Is Yo La Tengo. ”TOO LATE” - Dec ‘94 This Wire song was recorded by Roger Moutenot live at Alex the Great during Electro-pura. Mixed May 1995 by Peter Walsh at Tin Pan Alley. Listen for James’s scream. “HANKY PANKY NOHOW” - Sep ‘89 Tara helped us with this one, I no longer remember how. Recorded in the basement of our old house, featuring our microphone-shy cat on backing. vocals. Originally on the 1991 Spanish comp The Ruta 66 Album. “SURFIN’ WITH THE SHAH” - Feb ‘93 This Urinals cover is the first song we ever played live. This version recorded on the Dump Mobile Unit in the south of France where Matador sent us to write songs for a proposed musical based on the popular television program Small Wonder. “ BLITZKREIG BOP” - Feb ‘93 We gave this to a Japanese fanzine, but I have no memory which one. The arrangement dates back to our brief incarnation as a wedding band—we were much better at performing music for dining pleasure than for dancing pleasure.
