XTC - The Rhythm (Vinyl, 1980, 2 LP live bootleg, Centrifugal Records 12CENT-07)

$

32

XTC - The Rhythm (Vinyl, 1980, 2 LP live bootleg, Centrifugal Records 12CENT-07). 
A double LP live bootleg recording of XTC performing at Hurrah in New York City, from January of 1980.
A little about the venue.  Hurrah was often misidentified as "Hurrah's" in many places, including the back cover of this record.  Hurrah was a bit noteworthy as it was the first punk/new wave type club located in midtown Manhattan.  All the well-known places for punk and new wave music had been downtown -- CBGB, Mudd Club, Irving Plaza, etc.  For a place like Hurrah to be in the West 60s was very odd.  It had previously been a disco place (making the midtown location understandable).
The record makes an attempt to look and feel like an official release -- there is a good picture on the front cover.  The back cover looks a but more bootleggy, but the labels are nicely designed and printed and the outfit that produced this bootleg gives an address and phone number.  Either the people behind this weren't concerned about legal ramifications or the address and phone number were fake.  (A cursory search indicates that the latter is probably the case -- can't find any trace of the street name given.)
As with most double album bootlegs, there are two records in a single non-gatefold sleeve, and generic inner sleeves.
"Battery Brides" is mis-identified as "Battery Bridges" both on the back cover and on the Side 3 label.
Sound quality is better than on most bootlegs -- I believe that this was recorded from a radio broadcast of the show.  In particular there is actually some decent bass sound -- a rarity among bootlegs.
The renditions are largely faithful to their studio counterparts, which doesn't surprise me -- XTC is not who I think of when spontaneity is the topic.  There is a faster, punkier take of "Life Begins At The Hop," which is really well done and well-conceived.  A somewhat more sprightly version of "This Is Pop," also.
The jacket is in nice shape -- a littel but of spine and corner wear and a little crunch on the back cover, upper right.  The record plays well -- a crackle here and there and that's it.  The plain white inner sleeves (not pictured) have some age discoloration.