Some albums have a strong capacity for emotional connection. You won't notice the bond is forming as you listen in the past. It's only once you reach the future you hear the album as a little time capsule, one that encapsulates a feeling like no other medium can.
The Kinks Are The Village Green Preservation Society is often described a Ray Davies capsule of a long gone English way of life, however to say this is to not fully appreciate it's resonance. The album is more like a box in which you can place your own version of the past. Tracks like "Do You Remember Walter", "Picture Book" and "People Take Pictures of Each Other" have a spaciousness in which the listener can store their own recollections and emotions. The album stores memory in a way that nothing else does. Playing it is like opening a picture book. Whilst the past seems intangible, it's as vivid as any print. It's in your head.
Village Green is rather like the key and the instructions to open up a memory. Go down the hall, take the second left and it's the third draw down. Yeah the one labelled "blissful memories". Davies even makes the comparison, the song "People Take Pictures of each Other" takes the whole purpose of the album and runs with it. Actual physical objects are proof, but not the feeling. For me, this album holds inside it the summer of 2011, and a lot that preceded it. Revisiting it is like looking into a personal picture book.
All of this talk barely scratches the surface of the album itself, and the differing interpretations. But that quickly gets boring. Life is a lot simpler when it's kept simple. We haven't even without discussing the fact that the album is a thoroughly enjoyable listen; one could easily get lost inside it. The middle of side two, containing some of the most interesting cuts on the album, provides the feeling that only a good book can match.
My copy of the vinyl is fittingly awesome. It's a gate-fold that features both the mono and stereo mix on disc one and two respectively. It's on translucent green splattered vinyl, that when held up to the sun, mimics an art of the sun shining through summer trees. It's quite something, and is limited to 1000 copies (mine is number 166). However, this does mean that it has now sold out, and so the used route is the way to go. As ever, condition is of the utmost priority given the nature of the pressing. A note as to whether digital masters were used, I have no idea. The sleeve states that contained is the original mono vinyl and the original stereo album, which suggests it's as close as you can get. It's sounds great to my ears. I'm fairly discerning.
Which is better, mono or stereo? I find the mono brings the best out of many of the tracks, in particular "Wicked Annabella" which packs far more punch. However, I often find myself playing the stereo edition, which is relatively softer and spacious. Given the quality of most stereo 1968 albums, it holds up well.
The original mono pressing will find you reaching far into your pockets (the depth of £300.00 to be precise). You'll probably find the stereo goes even higher. I find cheaper copies of this album in the UK are notoriously difficult to get hold of, but I would recommend avoiding paying £25.00 plus for a none limited/early press copy. Trawling eBay may be your best bet.
And there you have it. Have a great day.
"DUH DUH DUH DUH DUH DUH DUUUUUHHHH"
3 points for that. It's an little easier.
Showing posts with label limited edition. Show all posts
Showing posts with label limited edition. Show all posts
Sunday, 15 September 2013
Mid-January 2012 - The Libertines - Up The Bracket and The Libertines
I've just come back from being out.
I have been round and about.
Just when you think you have seen it all.
Your gonna walk into a wall.
Well that's what I think.
From my position above the kitchen sink.
Looking down on those below.
Even if although
I don't know
what time it is.
Or was.
Life doesn't ever work out quite as nicely as you'd like. Ideally, things would fit in place in a cohesive storyline, detailing your life from the present to know. Decisions were rational, magical moments were appreciated and everything had a slant that, viewed from the angle of the future, could be appreciated. Clearly it doesn't and it never will. Once you work out that, oddly enough everything looks nice and thought out. You just consider the jagged edges personal charm. Even if, in some cases, they are deeply irritating.
Not to trample over what could be potentially profound with vinyl records, but I do have a deeply irritating jagged edge. Having been very thoughtfully bought my (joint with The Stone Roses) favourite album of the current period for my brand new record player to kick start my life in vinyl, The Libertines Up The Bracket, I was very pleased. Until it skipped right at the end, which was very much confusing for someone new to vinyl. So rather than investigate (and inevitably clean some dust), I just took it back and waited for another one to arrive in the shop. It never did. As it turns out, that copy was a first press that would currently cost me at least £25.00 ( the copy I owned was £15.00). Deeply irritating? Now it's in formed and functional words, it would seem not. Yet it still is a little. That's just how life is. I'll always have that story to tell. Even if it is a pretty shit story.
Fortunately, I currently own a first press of the second self titled Libertines album (I replaced a repress I purchased in mid January with the first press purchased some months later. That's the only thing that links this to mid January). It sounds alright, it's in decent condition and is probably worth the "up to £20" I paid for it. I don't think the mastering is all that awesome, it sounds roughly similar to the CD, but it does have a nice printed inner. Otherwise there's the 2008 repress which is decent enough, although the printed inner is reduced to a sheet of printed laminated paper, and the vinyl sits in the white inner. From then on it depends on what you want from the album. I've also heard of a thicker pressing (or gatefold or something) limited edition pressing of this album, you may want to track down one of those if you are up for something to jazz up your collections indie section.
Up the Bracket is a little more complicated. For a start, the UK pressing does NOT feature the track "What a Waster" in either original issue or repress, but the 2002 US pressing does. Be careful people selling sealed represses - they are unlikely to contain the track. Only buy from those who know, if that is what you want. Otherwise the UK Rough Trade first press is nice, the repress follows the same format as the second album.There is also a red vinyl edition I know very little about. The track "Mockingbird" is also not featured on any 12" vinyl. The track "What a Waster" can be obtained on single (which I think may include "Mockingbird B-Side") but it is fairly pricey in decent enough condition for a single. One to look after if purchased.
And there we go. You may be able to guess. This is fresh off the press. Of my brain. Have a nice day.
"Duh duh duh duh de duh duhhhhh.... duhduhduhduh duh duh duh duh *wupdupdeewoop*"
As usual, 5 points for the correct source of the quote.
I have been round and about.
Just when you think you have seen it all.
Your gonna walk into a wall.
Well that's what I think.
From my position above the kitchen sink.
Looking down on those below.
Even if although
I don't know
what time it is.
Or was.
Life doesn't ever work out quite as nicely as you'd like. Ideally, things would fit in place in a cohesive storyline, detailing your life from the present to know. Decisions were rational, magical moments were appreciated and everything had a slant that, viewed from the angle of the future, could be appreciated. Clearly it doesn't and it never will. Once you work out that, oddly enough everything looks nice and thought out. You just consider the jagged edges personal charm. Even if, in some cases, they are deeply irritating.
Not to trample over what could be potentially profound with vinyl records, but I do have a deeply irritating jagged edge. Having been very thoughtfully bought my (joint with The Stone Roses) favourite album of the current period for my brand new record player to kick start my life in vinyl, The Libertines Up The Bracket, I was very pleased. Until it skipped right at the end, which was very much confusing for someone new to vinyl. So rather than investigate (and inevitably clean some dust), I just took it back and waited for another one to arrive in the shop. It never did. As it turns out, that copy was a first press that would currently cost me at least £25.00 ( the copy I owned was £15.00). Deeply irritating? Now it's in formed and functional words, it would seem not. Yet it still is a little. That's just how life is. I'll always have that story to tell. Even if it is a pretty shit story.
Fortunately, I currently own a first press of the second self titled Libertines album (I replaced a repress I purchased in mid January with the first press purchased some months later. That's the only thing that links this to mid January). It sounds alright, it's in decent condition and is probably worth the "up to £20" I paid for it. I don't think the mastering is all that awesome, it sounds roughly similar to the CD, but it does have a nice printed inner. Otherwise there's the 2008 repress which is decent enough, although the printed inner is reduced to a sheet of printed laminated paper, and the vinyl sits in the white inner. From then on it depends on what you want from the album. I've also heard of a thicker pressing (or gatefold or something) limited edition pressing of this album, you may want to track down one of those if you are up for something to jazz up your collections indie section.
Up the Bracket is a little more complicated. For a start, the UK pressing does NOT feature the track "What a Waster" in either original issue or repress, but the 2002 US pressing does. Be careful people selling sealed represses - they are unlikely to contain the track. Only buy from those who know, if that is what you want. Otherwise the UK Rough Trade first press is nice, the repress follows the same format as the second album.There is also a red vinyl edition I know very little about. The track "Mockingbird" is also not featured on any 12" vinyl. The track "What a Waster" can be obtained on single (which I think may include "Mockingbird B-Side") but it is fairly pricey in decent enough condition for a single. One to look after if purchased.
And there we go. You may be able to guess. This is fresh off the press. Of my brain. Have a nice day.
"Duh duh duh duh de duh duhhhhh.... duhduhduhduh duh duh duh duh *wupdupdeewoop*"
As usual, 5 points for the correct source of the quote.
Friday, 13 September 2013
28/12/2011 - The Stone Roses 45 RPM Limited Edition
You do suffer from hangovers. You can't just *not* get them. You are not one of those people who "just don't suffer woopedy doo". Pretty obvious, I know, but I feel it is something that must be discussed. It plants a false sense of security in the mind of the night before, that ultimately leads to an "under normal circumstances" capable human brain taking the executive decision to drink a pint with a picture of a goat on it because of the goat.
As you can probably tell, I'm mildly hungover. Post Christmas is hangover like, yet a pleasant hangover. And in my opinion these exist (goat beer fueled hangovers are explicitly in the unpleasant category). Quiet days of sleep, double albums, nice food - a comfortable drowsiness (not a splitting headache). And barring the unfortunate 4 hour shift at *a high profile budget clothing chain* it was quite pleasant.
As with any hangover, there are golden rules:
1) No whinging. The silent sufferer garners the most sympathy.
2) Don't wimp out on paracetamol. It's wimpy.
3) Contrary to popular "medical advice" black coffee is a necessity (just have a glass of water as well).
But most importantly:
4) Don't go shopping. Just don't do it.
Post-Christmas sales. Oh.
As with any rule, there are exceptions, trawling through the tranquility of the record store is the exception, especially when you consider everyone else is hanging also. There's a level of mutual respect not found in *a high profile budget clothing chain*. Taking the canal route to avoid the general unpleasantness of town is recommended. It was here I purchased my first album: "The Stone Roses", for the reason being that it was my all time favorite album at the time, of which listening to brought previously unparalleled levels of ecstasy (funny that) and wonder to my relatively inexperienced ears. I have a mental top five that continually evolves that normally features somewhere between 5 and 10 albums that I could classify as in my current "Top Five". For a long time this was undisputed in it's position, unsinkable by anything. How could anything be better than "I am the Resurrection"? It was quite uncomprehending to even consider.
The the past is history and things change, and yet it is still testimony to the album that it could inspire in such away, even if in the future I was to learn more about the magicians behind the speakers, discover Ian "fuckin'" Brown and watch them drag their arses onto stage to karaoke to their greatest hits. I like to think of the album as a separate entity - it couldn't have been created by mere mortals. In that sense it's still one of the greatest albums ever made.
It's here also I learned by first big vinyl lesson. Coloured vinyl in plastic cover and white paper sleeve? It's probably fake. I picked it up on marble red vinyl, and it looked actually pretty cool. It was only later I would find it to be an unofficial release (via Discogs), recorded presumably from the original or the CD. How could I build a collection on such dubious foundations. I sat up late at night thinking, tossing and turning, stewing, until I established my position. With a heavy heart, it would have to be replaced.
(Got decent money on eBay for it though, some people have the sense not to care).
Trawling through eBay at some point in the future, I happened to stumble upon The Stone Roses as a gatefold double album just about to end. About £15.00 made it mine. This was almost the next mistake I made, having failed to completely understand the importance of condition. The sleeve is a conservative VG, the records themselves VG to VG+ so I was not badly stung, yet it could have been worse. The general rule is VG+ (maybe VG) or higher vinyl condition if you want to appreciate it (as ever, there are exceptions). And it turned out to be probably the most interesting album in my collection so far (I was yet to discover my grandad's first press Beatles albums, stolen by my dad and in turn stolen by me).
The catalogue number ORE ZLP 502 makes this a 1991 limited edition 45 RPM double album edition of the album - sure enough mine is number 00316 (of at least 20,000 as far as I can tell, maybe more) making it in some sense, kind of collectible. To my inexperienced record collection, it was essentially royalty. I spent a lot of time carefully looking at it, considering it and of course listening to it.
The sound quality itself is very bright. Like bright like a big bright blinding light slapping you in the face to an uptempo bass drum. It's down to preference and setup whether this makes it the best sounding album ever or just a little too much. With the right mood, time and outlook, it's downright hypnotic. Just closing your eyes and feeling the sounds swoop around the room and your head is quite unparalleled, and it was obviously a world away from the red copy I owned. For me then, and even now - it's fantastic. I don't think you could go wrong if you got it for a decent price.
With enough scouring you could pick this up in decent nick for £15.00 to £20.00, otherwise it's £30.00 plus. The first press of the album ORE LP 502 is similarly pricey, currently £30.00 plus for a worthwhile condition. As ever, stay away from coloured vinyl copies if you want a legitimate one. And steer clear of remasters and picture disks (unless they are your thing). It's not a rare album, yet you might be hard pushed to play less than £20.00. If you are up for spending money, go with a first press in as decent a condition as you can (EX is recommended) even if this takes you well above £30.00. Looked after and carefully played they hold value, and this album has a definite first press edition separate from the standard with raised gold lettering on the cover. It's a great way to give your collection some life. Aside from that, I recommend trawling eBay. Look for used, and the older the better (keep vinyl condition above VG+, the sleeve can be whatever really) - see if you can get lucky.
And there you have it. The Stone Roses. Album of the late 1980's. Start of the early 1990's. On vinyl.
How's that for a slice of fried blog.
In the words of John Squire's guitar: "dur dur dur dur durh durh duhrrr duh duh duh duh der"
5 points for the correct source of the above quote.
As you can probably tell, I'm mildly hungover. Post Christmas is hangover like, yet a pleasant hangover. And in my opinion these exist (goat beer fueled hangovers are explicitly in the unpleasant category). Quiet days of sleep, double albums, nice food - a comfortable drowsiness (not a splitting headache). And barring the unfortunate 4 hour shift at *a high profile budget clothing chain* it was quite pleasant.
As with any hangover, there are golden rules:
1) No whinging. The silent sufferer garners the most sympathy.
2) Don't wimp out on paracetamol. It's wimpy.
3) Contrary to popular "medical advice" black coffee is a necessity (just have a glass of water as well).
But most importantly:
4) Don't go shopping. Just don't do it.
Post-Christmas sales. Oh.
As with any rule, there are exceptions, trawling through the tranquility of the record store is the exception, especially when you consider everyone else is hanging also. There's a level of mutual respect not found in *a high profile budget clothing chain*. Taking the canal route to avoid the general unpleasantness of town is recommended. It was here I purchased my first album: "The Stone Roses", for the reason being that it was my all time favorite album at the time, of which listening to brought previously unparalleled levels of ecstasy (funny that) and wonder to my relatively inexperienced ears. I have a mental top five that continually evolves that normally features somewhere between 5 and 10 albums that I could classify as in my current "Top Five". For a long time this was undisputed in it's position, unsinkable by anything. How could anything be better than "I am the Resurrection"? It was quite uncomprehending to even consider.
The the past is history and things change, and yet it is still testimony to the album that it could inspire in such away, even if in the future I was to learn more about the magicians behind the speakers, discover Ian "fuckin'" Brown and watch them drag their arses onto stage to karaoke to their greatest hits. I like to think of the album as a separate entity - it couldn't have been created by mere mortals. In that sense it's still one of the greatest albums ever made.
It's here also I learned by first big vinyl lesson. Coloured vinyl in plastic cover and white paper sleeve? It's probably fake. I picked it up on marble red vinyl, and it looked actually pretty cool. It was only later I would find it to be an unofficial release (via Discogs), recorded presumably from the original or the CD. How could I build a collection on such dubious foundations. I sat up late at night thinking, tossing and turning, stewing, until I established my position. With a heavy heart, it would have to be replaced.
(Got decent money on eBay for it though, some people have the sense not to care).
Trawling through eBay at some point in the future, I happened to stumble upon The Stone Roses as a gatefold double album just about to end. About £15.00 made it mine. This was almost the next mistake I made, having failed to completely understand the importance of condition. The sleeve is a conservative VG, the records themselves VG to VG+ so I was not badly stung, yet it could have been worse. The general rule is VG+ (maybe VG) or higher vinyl condition if you want to appreciate it (as ever, there are exceptions). And it turned out to be probably the most interesting album in my collection so far (I was yet to discover my grandad's first press Beatles albums, stolen by my dad and in turn stolen by me).
The catalogue number ORE ZLP 502 makes this a 1991 limited edition 45 RPM double album edition of the album - sure enough mine is number 00316 (of at least 20,000 as far as I can tell, maybe more) making it in some sense, kind of collectible. To my inexperienced record collection, it was essentially royalty. I spent a lot of time carefully looking at it, considering it and of course listening to it.
The sound quality itself is very bright. Like bright like a big bright blinding light slapping you in the face to an uptempo bass drum. It's down to preference and setup whether this makes it the best sounding album ever or just a little too much. With the right mood, time and outlook, it's downright hypnotic. Just closing your eyes and feeling the sounds swoop around the room and your head is quite unparalleled, and it was obviously a world away from the red copy I owned. For me then, and even now - it's fantastic. I don't think you could go wrong if you got it for a decent price.
With enough scouring you could pick this up in decent nick for £15.00 to £20.00, otherwise it's £30.00 plus. The first press of the album ORE LP 502 is similarly pricey, currently £30.00 plus for a worthwhile condition. As ever, stay away from coloured vinyl copies if you want a legitimate one. And steer clear of remasters and picture disks (unless they are your thing). It's not a rare album, yet you might be hard pushed to play less than £20.00. If you are up for spending money, go with a first press in as decent a condition as you can (EX is recommended) even if this takes you well above £30.00. Looked after and carefully played they hold value, and this album has a definite first press edition separate from the standard with raised gold lettering on the cover. It's a great way to give your collection some life. Aside from that, I recommend trawling eBay. Look for used, and the older the better (keep vinyl condition above VG+, the sleeve can be whatever really) - see if you can get lucky.
And there you have it. The Stone Roses. Album of the late 1980's. Start of the early 1990's. On vinyl.
How's that for a slice of fried blog.
In the words of John Squire's guitar: "dur dur dur dur durh durh duhrrr duh duh duh duh der"
5 points for the correct source of the above quote.
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