A Record Collector's Guide

Sicko might not appear to fit with the rest of the bands featured on this site. If that's what you're thinking, well...you may be right. I don't care. I like them, and have for many years now, so I am putting them on here. Sicko really did perfect the art of the pop-punk sound. They had some fantastic releases while they were active, and some highly collectible ones as well.

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For a Longer and Better Life - A Compilation

Top Drawer TDRU-1 7", released 1992

Includes the Sicko song "fB Song"

The inaugural Top Drawer release was also the first Sicko appearance. This was not coincidental. The label was/is run by Ean from Sicko. The other bands featured on this comp were Bone Cellar, Shag, and Sore Jackson. This record was once very difficult to find, but has seemingly become faily easy these days. The bottom kind of dropped out of its value a few years ago.

This page was last updated on February 9, 2020.

Count Me Out

eMpTy MT-209 7", released 1993 (U.S.)

Four songs of pop-punk fun. eMpTy Records. Translucent black vinyl, easy to find.

This page was last updated on February 8, 2020.

Mr. T Experience/Sicko Split 7"

Together Tonight b/w 80 Dollars

Top Drawer TDRU-3, released 1992 (U.S.)

PopKid PKD004 (U.S.)

eMpTy MTR-372, released 1998 (U.S.)

Steal Tewntythree MT-476, released 2000 (Germany)

Another solid single - this one had several different versions. It was originally released on Top Drawer. I am not sure how many copies were originally pressed. However, 100 of those copies were on green vinyl...and these are an absolute beast to find. It took me five years to get one, and I have only seen it sold twice in total. The green copies had hand-numbered sleeves. 50 additional copies were licensed to PopKid Records. These had the same sleeves as the Top Drawer release, with the addition of the PopKid logo stamped on the backs (see below). They also came with PopKid catalogue inserts.

In 1998, the single was re-released on eMpTy records on translucent black vinyl. Another version came out in 2000, and this one was weird. It was labeled "Steal Tewntythree Bootleg," and it is just the eMpTy version with a couple of stickers added to the label and the back of the sleeve. It may or may not actually be a bootleg...whoever added it to Discogs called it "Partially Unofficial." It has its own eMpTy catalogue number, though (MT-476).

Top Drawer Insert	Pop Kid Stamp	Pop Kid Insert	Pop Kid Insert
Top Drawer	Top Drawer	eMpTy	Steal Twentythree

This page was last updated on February 8, 2020.

You Can Feel the Love in this Room

eMpTy MT-268 LP/CD, released 1994 (U.S.)

eMpTy MT-268 CD (Germany)

Sicko's first album is very good. They got better. It was released by eMpTy on black vinyl. Still a pretty easy and inexpensive find, though the price has risen slightly. The vinyl contains an alternate version of the track "Pain in the Ass" (not listed on the sleeve). This version of the song can only be found here.

This page was last updated on February 9, 2020.

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eMpTy Records Sampler Vol. 1 CD

eMpTy, released 1994

Includes the Sicko tracks "Kathy's Dance" and "Along the Way"

This comp was the only place to find "Along the Way" until the A Brief History of Sicko CD came out.

This page was last updated on February 9, 2020.

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Viva la Vinyl

Deadbeat DB 05/Campground CR 04 LP, released 1994 (U.S.)

Includes the Sicko track "Weight of the Sun"

This comp was the only place to find "Weight of the Sun" until the A Brief History of Sicko CD came out. The original release was issued on both white and black vinyl. There was also a black vinyl re-press, which came in a blue and yellow sleeve.

This page was last updated on February 9, 2020.

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13 Soda Punx

Top Drawer TDRU-8 CD, released 1995 (U.S.)

Munster MR 077 LP (Spain)

Includes the Sicko track "Pain in the Ass"

Solid compilation released on Top Drawer, with the vinyl rights licensed to Munster. There was some really good stuff on here in addition to the Sicko track. There was a great cover of the Cars' "Best Friend's Girl" on here done by Cub. I never got the connection between Cub and Sicko, but apparently, the bands were close. Maybe it was the bond from being pacific northwest bands doing their thing outside of the grunge scene. Sicko covered Cub's "Little Star," and Cub covered Sicko's "fB Song" at one point as well (which was...you know...meta). This comp was the only place to find this version of "Pain in the Ass" until the A Brief History of Sicko CD was released. Black vinyl.

This page was last updated on February 9, 2020.

Laugh While You Can Monkey Boy

eMpTy MT-306 CD, released 1995 (U.S.)

Munster MR 079 LP (Spain)

Sicko's second album is on par with the first...which is to say, very good. eMpTy licensed the vinyl rights to Spain's Munster Records. That version came with a printed inner sleeve with lyrics on it. Black vinyl.

This page was last updated on February 9, 2020.

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Teenage Kicks

Custodial CR 03 10" / 10" + 7", released 1995 (U.S.)

Liberation 37806-1 LP / L-37806 CD (U.S.)

Includes the Sicko track "Lady"

This comp was the only place to find "Lady" until the A Brief History of Sicko CD was released (sensing a pattern in the compilations here?). Black vinyl. Came with a zine insert - each band did their own page. I have read that there were 1,900 copies, 300 of which came with bonus 7"s featuring another six songs. Later, a black vinyl LP (and corresponding CD) came out on Liberation Records featuring still more songs.

This page was last updated on February 9, 2020.

Chef Boy R U Dum

eMpTy MT-315 CD, released 1995 (U.S.)

Munster MR 094 LP (Spain)

Real Cool TECW 23086 CD (Japan)

This was an excellent album. The first two are very good, but this one stepped it up to a greater pop-punk level. A Spanish label, Munster, had the vinyl rights for this one. The Japanese CD version of Chef Boy R U Dum came with two bonus tracks - "The Rainy Day Song", which was exclusive to that disc, and "80 Dollars" from the Mr. T Experience split single.

This page was last updated on February 9, 2020.

V.M.Live Issue #16 - 3/23/96

V.M.L. V.M.Live-029 7", released 1996

This was part of V.M.L.'s live series. Sicko's performance was recorded at the Fireside Bowl in Chicago. The label had a policy of pressing enough of these to meet demand so that the price never really rose, so we have no idea how many were actually pressed. It's not too hard to find. Black vinyl.

This page was last updated on February 9, 2020.

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Joe Queer Presents More Bounce To the Ounce

Lookout LK 154 2xLP/2xCD, released 1997 (U.S.)

Includes the Sicko tracks "Escape Velocity" and "Hipster Boyfriend"

2xLP comp with a couple of good Sicko songs on it. "Hipster Boyfriend" subsequently came out on the You Are Not the Boss of Me! album. However, this was the only place to find "Escape Velocity" until it was included on the A Brief History of Sicko CD. Black vinyl.

This page was last updated on February 9, 2020.

Three Tea b/w Last Word/Steven

Mutant Pop MP-18 7", released 1997 (U.S.)

Killer KILL 009 7" (Finland)

There were lots of fun variations of this single. It was originally released by Mutant Pop in 1997. Mutant Pop based the sleeve design on the standard Sub Pop model. The first 516 copies were on clear vinyl. There were also 1,000 black copies pressed at this point. The label later (1998) repressed the record with a different sleeve (the second one above). I've read there were 700 in the second run, but that is unconfirmed. Killer Records, a Finnish label, released the single as well, on three different colors of vinyl. First, they pressed 100 copies on brown vinyl, which had special hand-numbered sleeves with maroon logo text - these can be really tough to find, but as of this update, there are four copies for sale on Discogs, all at reasonable prices. There were also 300 pink copies and 600 orange released by Killer. These all had sleeves with red text, which were not numbered. The brown copies came with a white paper lyric insert, while the pink and orange copies came with off-white inserts.

Mutant Pop Insert - 1st			Killer Insert - White
Killer Insert - Off-white

This page was last updated on February 9, 2020.

You Are Not the Boss of Me!

eMpTy MTR 359 LP/CD, released 1997 (U.S.)

Crackle 003 CD, released 1997 (UK)

Pizza of Death HWCY-5 CD, released 1997 (Japan)

This is easily my favorite Sicko album. It is the most complete album, and the one I keep going back to when I am in the mood to listen to them. Almost every track on here is worth your time. Released on CD in Japan on A Pizza of Death Records (one of my all-time favorite label names), and in the UK on Crackle. Each of those versions had its own bonus track: The Japanese version had a cover of the Husking Bee song "8.6" - that one was only available on this disc until a Husking Bee tribute CD was released in 2007 (it's called Liv-Ing Husking Bee-Ing Tribute To Husking Bee, if you care to track that down). The UK version had a cover of the Misfits' "Astro Zombies." That track remains exclusive to that disc. Both are amazing covers, so track them down if you can.

At this point, the prices on both have come way down - you will probably spend more on postage than the CDs. Still...worth it. The only vinyl version was the U.S. one on black vinyl - it is not terribly tough to find, but it can be slightly difficult at times.

This page was last updated on February 9, 2020.

A Brief History of Sicko

Mutant Pop MP-518 CD, released 2000

Neatly wrapping up Sicko's run as a full-time band was this Mutant Pop CD, released in 2000. It contained a lot of the tracks that the band had released only on singles or compilations, along with a recording of their final show from 1998 in Seattle. It's a great disc, and it brought some closure to the seemingly abrupt end to the band. It came with an extensive set of liner notes, giving you as many details as you could possibly want about the 32 tracks within. This CD has become rather scarce in recent years - it seems to be sold only 1-2 times per year now. The price is low when it is sold, though, so if you keep an eye out, you can probably get one without too much pain.

This page was last updated on February 9, 2020.