Rick Jimenez is a wrestling aficionado, part-time podcaster, and frontman/guitarist for crossover metal thrashers Extinction A.D. More of a record enthusiast than a collector, Rick has nevertheless accumulated his share of punk, hardcore, and metal records through 20+ years of touring.
Whenever we catch up, we inevitably end up talking music, records, trash about our mutual friends, and my love for one of his old bands, Soldiers (he also plays in This Is Hell). Rick can (and will) talk at length about his love of metal, and speaks with the same anger, passion and intensity when it comes to racism, capitalism, and discontinued Red Bulls.
Rick was the first person I knew personally who put out a 7-inch, Subterfuge’s Fight Back, and I’m forever grateful for the support he gave my short-lived band back in 1998.
Having known Rick now for 25 years, that’s pretty much on brand for him: supporting and promoting friends’ bands, and putting everything into his own band, since day one. Also on brand, Rick convincing Victory to send him all their promotional releases for ‘distribution,’ for years, which still makes me laugh. I wonder how many Snapcase samplers he still has, probably make a killing on Discogs.
How did you get into collecting records?
My mom and sisters had records, which always seemed superior to cassettes, even though those took over for me in the '80s and early '90s. When I got into punk I was all, "Wait! Bands still make vinyl? And it's not always black? 7-inches records exist with the small hole?" That’s what really got me in the game. Minor Threat’s Out of Step 12-inch, used for $8! I’m king of the world!
What was the first record you bought with your own money?
The first piece of music I ever bought was Poison’s LP, Look What the Cat Dragged In, from the Tri-Star flea market in Smithtown, using money from my 6th birthday. I gave it to the DJ at my sister's Sweet 16, back when only vinyl was used by DJs, and never got it back. If I remembered his name, he'd be in big trouble in little Mastic.
But the first real LP I got was that Minor Threat 12-inch. The first 7-inch I bought was the Rancid Lookout Records EP, 'Rancid,' which is now lost to time for some travesty of a reason. That is such a goddamn gem of punk/hardcore.
We all have one record that we sold that we completely regret, what is yours?
I swear I have not one iota of regret when it comes to selling a record. Certain things I'm all or nothing about, even if the ‘all’ isn't very large. My record collection isn't large, but if I was to sell any of the records I have now, that would hurt and I’d have to sell them all. Any time I've sold a piece of a collection without just ditching the whole thing, I've regretted it to an extreme extent.
I sell some shit on Discogs that is outside of what I call my collection, but never with any regret, especially if it's something that I've made a chunk of change from and I got the record for free during a tour or whatever.
What’s the most you ever shelled out for a record?
Ready for another boring answer? I don't believe I've ever spent more than $18 or $20 for a record. I'm cheap as hell, and stingy, and a deal seeker. When it comes to a lot of things I collect, I'm not a stickler for condition.
I rather spend $8 on a kind of shot and worn-out version of Metallica 'Kill 'Em All' that still plays, than pay $30 for a pristine copy. Not that that record is gonna go that low in that condition these days, but that's just something I wouldn't do.
I'm the same with my wrestling toys. There was a scuffed as hell AWA Remco Ric Flair figure on eBay for $2, a decent, but worn version for $8, and a minty loose one for $35; I was more than happy to buy the $8 one and call it a day.
What’s a record you wish would get repressed or remastered?
I don't want anything remastered, ever. I think everything sounds the way it's supposed to even if it wasn't supposed to sound like that at the time. That's such an old dickhead thing to say, I know. And I'm not saying it as a general rule for everyone, just my take.
If we’re talking simply repressed and not the 75-cent gram double decker heavy duty Adele strength’ repressed vinyl, just the, "Hey, here’s a fucking regular record again" repressed vinyl, I’d say, the first Suicidal Tendencies album, Verbal Abuse's Just An American Band, and Cro-Mags Best Wishes (which I am fighting every urge to add a "with all proceeds going to..." joke)
Is there a record or band that you always buy when you see it?
If I see KISS records at flea markets and thrift stores etc., in my price range, I'll always buy one. What's ridiculous and kind of illogical is that I won't buy more than one at once. So, many years ago I bought the Gene Simmons solo album for $3 knowing full well that record stinks. When I bought Lick It Up recently, there were a handful of other KISS records that are actually good and all with reasonable prices, but it was "nah, I’m just getting one." Makes no sense aside from me being cheap.
I know no one is interested in my love of KISS, so to bring it back to the readership of this site... Terror is a band that I never wanna say no to picking up their vinyl. I have Lowest of the Low on different colors of 12" and 10" and different presses of the 7-inch demo, etc. Whenever there is Terror vinyl, I’m always tempted or just dishing out the moolah.
What’s the last record you bought?
Iron Maiden Live After Death... Again, at a flea market, in shitty but still plenty playable condition and for the grand total of $6.
What are the records you think everyone should own on vinyl?
- Minor Threat, Minor Threat
- Metallica, The $5.98 E.P. – Garage Days Re-Revisited
- Michael Jackson, Thriller
- Black Flag, Nervous Breakdown
What are your Top 5 record stores, brick and mortar, Discogs users, etc.?
This is a tough question for me because I literally have only had one consistent record store in my life and that's the long departed None of the Above in Centereach, Long Island. There are stores on Long Island that have come and gone, but none ever sucked me in or have been consistent to my tastes.
As for Discogs, you know how many times I’ve been kicked off that site for the dastardly offense of putting information on something that was in fact my own band’s record, simply because people got mad at the update? I can only deal with that site when some dipshit offers me $100 for a black vinyl copy of Rise Against Siren Song of the Counter Culture, which I in fact bought for $10 at Amoeba, and then turned around and rebought after said sale for $10 at the same Amoeba.
I prefer flea markets with deals or just grabbing shit from bands at shows. A place I didn't buy anything at, even though it was rad as hell, was Common Ground in Denver. I was at the other day and they an old flyer from an Awkward Thought show at CBGBs in the bathroom.
What’s a record or genre in your collection that might surprise the readers?
Huey Lewis and the News Sports. I assume Huey Lewis did everything in '80s. Anything you can think of, he's done it.
Bands with or without vinyl we should be on the lookout for?
Electrocutioner. Thrash metal band from Long Island just released their first EP on cassette and they have a record coming out on vinyl soon.
They shred, they're fun, they're exciting and their artwork is always cool as hell.
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Extinction A.D. new album, Culture of Violence, is out now via Unique Leader.
Follow Rick on his personal Instagram page.
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Tagged: extinction a.d., record collector, soldiers, this is hell
