Record Buying in Superior Circa 1991

Check out the longbox!!

In a related story, Zubaz are/is back. City Pages has the whole story of the funky pants Guns 'n' Roses and Bon Jovi once stocked up on, stopping their tour buses at the warehouse.

Zubaz Unleashed!
The rise, fall, and imminent rebirth of the zebra-striped wonderpants

I helped close down what was left of the Zubaz corporate headquarters in 1996. I thought I did my part. I thought it was over.

Christine Dean on KZIO in the background!

This is great.  I love the long boxes, I think my brother still has his.  I was 9 when this came out and remember the hype.  

Favorite comment "we'll find out next week in the Billboard mag." There was life before internet.

Good catch, Berv, that is me! Hilarious.

Definitely the potentate of hair metal acts. I caught them in concert probably a few weeks after this at the Target Center, and the video, and my memories of this era hardly add up. Maybe that's Superior for you. My friends sort of prompted me along. It was quite an event, and they called it the "Get in the Ring Mother Fucker Tour." Axl's stab at the press.  Soundgarden opened, which was probably the highlight. 

Hard to believe that really was another era, as proven by the omnipotent mullet. It's odd how hair metal hair wasn't realistic for the average guy, it was special rock star gear,  so the mullet was like a compromise.  You just weren't cool if you didn't have one. And you sure weren't allowed to play football for the coach. Me, I refused out of principle. Seems like yesterday. 

Funny, you don't see any copies of Use Your Illusion I or II on vinyl, ever. I think I had them on cassette. It was an interesting brief window when three formats were available. I have Appetite on vinyl though. I guess that's all you really need.

According to this infographic, vinyl LPs/EPs made up only 0.4% of the market in 1991.

There was an original pressing on vinyl and it is very hard to find.  There has also been some recent reissues but they are pretty pricey.  But Use Your Illusions are double LPs so that drives up the price.  I think these were the first Guns N' Roses albums I got on CD.  Actually, they were the only ones I had on CD.

Herzog, did you refuse to grow a mullet out of principle, or did you refuse to play football so you could grow a mullet?

I have evidence that not every football coach banned mullets in 1991. There was one person I recognized in this video (other than Christine Dean). The guy who jokes that he's there to buy the Mariah Carey album ...



... is none other than former University of Wisconsin-Superior defensive back Joel Beer.



Joel, if you're out there buddy, sorry, I couldn't resist. 

In Joel's defense, he was one of at least five mullets on the 1991 Yellowjacket squad.

So is it safe to say that if I go with a camera to the Rex and take some shots of the crowd on any given weekend there that in 20 years it will have this same, outdated goofy feel?  Like the hair, facial hair, and clothes will all be just as funny as this is to us in 20 years?

I think I might.  Stick around PDD because I have a load of nostalgia coming in 2032.

Replacing the "Black Album" at #1!

Hey, Joel or Paul?
My name is Chris Calabrese ... I was on that Superior Football Team of 1991 way back when - I was wondering if anyone had an electronic copy of the Game Program - I only have my workout grays and travel jacket to remind me of my brief time there and lost my game program somewhere. Any chance one of you might have one and or the page with players you can scan to send? Asking a lot, but the memories are good. Hope all are doing well.
-Chris Calabrese
Detroit, MI

It's a cold day to be climbing into the attic, Chris, but I just might be up to it.

Chris, I didn't want to be a dink and not remember you, but now that I see you are not in the 1991 program I have a theory:

If you graduated in 1991, your last football season would have been 1990, in which case we never met and you were not on the 1991 team.

1990 was the last season under coach Ted Thompson; 1991 was the first season under coach Daniel Lounsbury.

I'm not sure if offensive line coach Steve Wasserman was there in 1990 or not, but I'll take this moment to mention he died on Christmas Eve from diabetes complications. He was a memorable guy who brought a ton of energy to his job.



And here is a video retrospective of the UWS football program -- one more distraction from the delicious Guns 'n' Roses.