The Very Pleasant Neighbor Discography

Very Pleasant Neighbor began in 1988 and overtime it was rendered into an acronym: VPN.  Due to the unfortunate invention of the internet and the subsequent invention of the search engine, this acronym became virtually unsearchable. An eclectic but brilliant indie rock band became lost in a slush of false positives.I wrote about them for Stranded in Stereo a couple years back and my interest was re-kindled by the random discovery of one of their early demo tapes.

The band ceased to exist around 2004. Nonetheless, they are renowned than they deserve to be. There is nothing in my powers that can do to undo this injustice. But here I hope to make one  positive contribution to their legacy. I am attempting to catalog a complete list of their releases. I realize that there are some gaps here. I'll add on as I learn more.

* 10-2-11 added abrasive paper 7"

* 10-8-11 added both cassette track listings

* 10-9-11 added more track listings.
*10-10-11 added Boing Boing Boing cassette info
*10-12-11 started www.verypleasantneighbor.com
*10-17-11 new data on Boing track listing
*10-18-11 high res scans on LMNOP and RETROAMAZER

TITLE	YEAR	LABEL	FORMAT
The Very Pleasant Neighbor	1989	Self released	Cassette

*This particular copy has a hand-written track listing different than the one on the insert. I suspect they were re-using old tapes and old inserts then dubbing over them with a set of new recordings as they played later shows —a common practice. I list both track listings here because they were both probably valid at different times.

HANDWRITTEN LISTING SIDE A: 1. Oooh 2. Screwed On Backwards SIDE B 1. ½ A Song 2. Stick Of Gum 3. Ambiguity Festival 4. Trampoline 5. Favorite Song 6. Liquid Space Food 7. The Cake Lady 8. Candidate 9. Nose Is Nose 10. Eskimo 11. My Generation 12. Sally Sue 13. Hot Blooded

INSERT LISTING SIDE A: 1. I Can't Really say 2. People Are Stupid 3. The Space Between Songs 4. Murphy's Lawyer 5. The Bacon Bit 6. The Thing Over There SIDE B: 7. Six Bats (3 baseball 3 vampire) 8. Experimental Moment 9. Boyfriend In France 10. I Do It All For You 11. Reeba the Amoeba 12. Orange + Mushy

TITLE	YEAR	LABEL	FORMAT
Boing Boing Boing Boing	1990?	Self released	Cassette

SIDE A:
1 penny
2 thank you
3 counting the moon
4 wait, wait...now
5 ooh!
6 bulldog
7 increments
8 murphy's lawyer
9the ballad of rigorous mort
10 prince of the roaches
11 crispy
12 your song here

SIDE B:
13 orange and mushy
14 zero
15 erasable mattress
16 boy in a void
17 people are stupid
18 welder
19 oxmallet
20 welder
21 heaven
22 bad penny
23 my tenth generation
24 seven slice pizza template
25 boyfriend in France

TITLE	YEAR	LABEL	FORMAT
The Very Pleasant Neighbor	unknown	Self released	Cassette

SIDE A:

1.Zero
2.Penny
3.Success Story
4.Erasable Mattress
5.Bent Metal

Image courtesy of Kevin Bayer

TITLE	YEAR	LABEL	FORMAT
Retro Amazer	unknown	Fang	7-Inch

SIDE A:
1. Retro Amazer
2. Orange + Mushy
SIDE B:
3. Boyfriend In France
4. Eskimo
5. Oxmallet

TITLE	YEAR	LABEL	FORMAT
Geezer Lake Split	1994	DTOX	7-Inch

1. VPN - Boy With Only One Head
2. Geezer Lake - Applecart Sink

TITLE	YEAR	LABEL	FORMAT
LMNOP	unknown	Dark Beloved Cloud	7-Inch

*a mysterious :56 second 1-sided 7-inch
1. lmnop

TITLE	YEAR	LABEL	FORMAT
Penny	1992	Dark Beloved Cloud	7-Inch

SIDE A
1. Hey Bulldog
2. Counting The Moon
SIDE B  
3. Penny
4. Bent Metal

TITLE	YEAR	LABEL	FORMAT
Boy With Only One Head	1994	Big Ten Rex	CDEP

1. Vacuum
2. High-heeled gloves (unfriendly mix)
3. Increments
4. Boy with only one head
5. Why do I dig holes
6. Counting the moon

TITLE	YEAR	LABEL	FORMAT
V/A Dangerous Inventions	1995	Pallywag Recordings	CD

They contribute a remix of "High Heeled Gloves" (The Big Mix)

TITLE	YEAR	LABEL	FORMAT
Small Wire	1998	Evil Teen Records	CD

1. Patty Hearst
2. Turn Off
3. Eleanor (has 4 arms)
4. Laughing For Help
5. Skywriting
6. Submarine
7. In Cement
8. One Half Of Our Funeral
9. Don't Cut Me Out
10. Faster Than Melting
11. She Has A Leak

TITLE	YEAR	LABEL	FORMAT
Abrasive Paper	1998	Evil Teen Records	7-Inch

1. Elenor (Has Four Arms)
2. Laughing For Help

TITLE	YEAR	LABEL	FORMAT
For Nearby Stars	2001	Evil Teen Records	CD

1. Flypaper
2. The Flood
3. Flame
4. Sleepwalking
5. Ten Years From Tomorrow
6. Perfumigation
7. American Car
8. Eraser
9. Tied
10. From The Ceiling
11. Wave