On November 13, 2026, Merge Records will reissue two 1982 releases by The Clean: their second EP Great Sounds Great, Good Sounds Good, So-So Sounds So-So, Bad Sounds Bad, Rotten Sounds Rotten!! (usually referred to as Great Sounds Great), and the “Getting Older” 7-inch single. These vinyl releases represent the first time either title has been in print on the format since its initial release, and the first time either release has been made available on vinyl in North America.Following the success of their first EP Boodle Boodle Boodle, released in November 1981, the band were keen to keep up their momentum while still being fresh in the minds and ears of the New Zealand public, but were also determined to try something different and not repeat themselves musically. Recorded in an old house in Christchurch by Doug Hood and Chris Knox in March 1982, Great Sounds Great has a noticeably different feel and vibe to its predecessor. The band intentionally selected the more eclectic and idiosyncratic material from their set to record, and the recording process was more considered in its approach and arrangements than before. The most similar song to the sound of Boodle is the opening instrumental “Fish.” It’s also the only guitar workout on the EP, and features three separate guitar tracks to thicken up the sound. Reflecting the recent instrumental changes in their live set, there is also a strong presence of organ throughout the record, most notably on “Beatnik.” Accompanied with a video clip made by director Simon Morris, the song proved to be an enduring classic with repeated screenings on New Zealand television which further cemented the band’s success. Some songs used only three or two of the four available tracks on Chris Knox’s TEAC 4-track machine, with “Side On” and “End of My Dream” being respective examples of this minimalist approach to recording.Despite being given mixed reviews upon its release in May 1982, Great Sounds Great ended up being just as successful as Boodle, reaching #4 in the New Zealand charts and remained in the charts for three months.Released posthumously after the band first split in late 1982, “Getting Older” was their humble attempt at a “Wall Of Sound” style production, with overdubbed viola, trumpet, maracas and drone guitar accompanied by backing vocals from Chris Knox and Martin Phillipps. The b-sides show the band at possibly their most experimental, with “Scrap Music” being two separate performances of the same instrumental laid over the top of each other with one panned from side to side. “Whatever I Do is Right/Wrong” features no guitar at all — a bold move from a band known for its inventive guitaring.Collectors should take note that this 7-inch contains a small hidden extra — a few extra seconds of group discussion and false starts preceding “Whatever I Do is Right/Wrong” (humorously titled “Arguing” on the back cover) that has been shaved off from all previous digital releases of the song.Reflecting the way they were originally issued in 1982, these reissues will be pressed on black vinyl and have been remastered by Tex Houston with fresh transfers of the original master tapes that are held at Alexander Turnbull Library (National Library of New Zealand Te Puna Mātauranga o Aotearoa).
street date 11/13/2026