HUNGER – Strictly From Hunger (1968 Test Pressing) | Full LP Rip + Comparison Notes

🔥 This is Strictly From Hunger like you’ve never heard it. The 1968 test pressing is heavier, rawer, and way more guitar-driven than the version that finally came out in 1969. Some tracks are longer, others are completely different recordings. The fuzz guitar is front and center throughout. 👉 Compare it to the 1969 LP here if you want to hear the difference yourself: https://youtu.be/c90xheWfZ8I https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLj0yF7-9YQ9pEOi1yCUyAZikNmWVdz8Hn 🎸 Several standout guitar parts were later cut, and multiple songs were trimmed or altered before the official 1969 release. The band’s management reportedly feared legal issues from Ed King, who played on these sessions while still in Strawberry Alarm Clock (before later joining Lynyrd Skynyrd). Much of his guitar work was removed and the album was remixed into a more subdued version. 📍 Recorded at Living Sound Recorders in Arcadia, California 📆 Timeline Note: The material on this version was recorded in May 1968. The final Strictly From Hunger LP was created by editing those recordings during December 1968 and January 1969, and it was released shortly afterward in January or February 1969. 🎧 I ripped this from my personal vinyl copy (1998 Void Records, VOID 08), which was a straight transfer of the original 1968 test pressing. I cleaned up some of the heavier pops and clicks to make for a smoother listen. 📝 The on-screen notes throughout the video highlight differences between this 1968 test pressing and the final LP. These notes are based on the excellent back cover liner notes written by Clark Faville, who coordinated the Void reissue, combined with what I heard myself while listening closely to both versions. This isn’t an A/B comparison. It’s a full playthrough of the unreleased version with added context and notes showing how much was changed. If you're into the heavy side of late 1960s psych — think the organ and fuzz bombast of Iron Butterfly, the raw garage edge of The Litter, or the doomy spiritual heaviness of Fraction — then this test pressing is required listening. Compared to the 1969 official release, this version feels more alive. There are no abrupt fades, no missing parts. Just full tracks, extended jams, and raw energy that capture what the band originally intended. Strictly From Hunger lives in that same world of acid fueled distortion, underground attitude, and proto hard rock energy but with a uniquely Northwest to L.A. twist. 📀 Reissues: The 1968 test pressing mix and the edited 1969 album were both reissued in 2018 by Now-Again Records as part of their deluxe 2LP Now-Again Reserve edition (NA 5163-LP, US). In 2024, Guerssen Records released a standalone reissue of the 1969 Strictly From Hunger mix, remastered and pressed in Spain: Guerssen – GUESS253, Vinyl, LP, Limited Edition, Remastered, Stereo (Released August 22, 2024) Tracklist: 00:00 Colors 03:29 Portland 69 08:58 The Truth 14:22 No Shame 16:45 Open Your Eyes 20:36 Trying To Make The Best 28:01 Workshop 35:05 Mind Machine 39:03 She Let Him Continue 📷 More rare psych vinyl on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vinyl_piper/ #Hunger #StrictlyFromHunger #1968TestPressing #PsychedelicRock #HeavyPsych #GaragePsych #VinylRip #RareVinyl #VoidRecords #NowAgainRecords #Guerssen #EdKing #StrawberryAlarmClock #VinylCommunity #VinylCollector #AcidArchives #VinylPiper #NorthwestPsych #PortlandRock #UndergroundRock #60sPsych #LostAlbum #PsychVinyl