Vinyl Albums - Comments by Magic Marmalade

Vinyl Albums - Comments by Magic Marmalade

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Member	Item		Review/Comment
Magic Marmalade 22nd Apr 2023		Vinyl Album Genesis - Duke (1980)	Review Perhaps not the most popular opinion, especially among Genesis fans, but for me, this one, along with A Trick Of The Tail, is Genesis' best album. It seems to capture the best of both Genesis worlds, of the more extensive proggy workouts of early years, but imbued with the more popular, melodic sounds of what was yet to come. ...And like Trick Of The Tail, it has an atmosphere all it's own, that marks it out separately from the body of their work... but these two albums themselves, being poles apart in this respect. The the tone is set, firstly with the almost prelude of Behind The Lines, and then the album really gets going, for me, when the singular, and haunting track Duchess weaves it's spell. A brief reprise in Guide Vocal follows as an in breath, before the body of the album is presented in a collection tracks that are perhaps the strongest melodically, and in terms of pure song writing that Genesis have ever done, mostly more personal and considered, as well as emotional than usual, briefly interrupted with the uplift of Turn It On Again, which acts like a reset for side two, before ending with the epic two parter of Duke's Travel's, and Duke's End. The songs, however independently considered, hang together to form a narrative of sorts, and tell a story across the album, in the manner of an Odyssey. I finally dug my copy of this orignal vinyl out and gave it a spin again, after decades of having listened to my 94 remastered CD, and sadly find this quite lacking now, in comparison... ...It's not a bad pressing, or doesn't sound awful or anything, it's just a bit flat, and lifeless in comparison to that CD... doesn't pop, which feels at odds with the sonic drama on the album, the grandeur and epic melodic brilliance of the tunes doesn't come across that well, as well as sounding a little on the quiet side on the disc here. So I still favour the 94 CD by some distance, but if I can get a vinyl reissue that sounds at least as good as that CD, I certainly would opt for that, as this is not only my favourite Genesis album, it's also somewhere in my top five favourite albums ever in general. 1 person found this review helpful. ✔︎ Helpful Review?
Magic Marmalade 9th Apr 2023		Vinyl Album Trío Los Panchos - Cidadãos Do Mundo (1960)	Just done your correction for the other Brazil record, along these lines with the split cats, but that one had a main catalogue number, as well as one for each side... any idea what the main cat here is?
Magic Marmalade 29th Mar 2023		Vinyl Album Telex - Looking For Saint Tropez (1979)	Review Super electro-techno nugget! This is what I'm after when I go out on the dig for records in charity shops and the like... ...An inscrutable plain white sleeve, with only: "Telex" and "Test", concealing, as hoped for, and expected, a white label test pressing with the same on label, but also: SRK 6062, in biro. (Actually gives that wrong cat number with a 6 instead of the 7, which made for a temporary problem in trying to search online to find out what it was.) While the name is of course a familiar one, and it certainly alludes to what may be inside, and on the disc, I didn't know this group, or what the were about when I found it, so only thing left to do was play it! :) Delightfully surprised, for although the opening track is a bit so-so, fairly bland typical eighties electronica, it did have a vague scent of Kratwerk style about it, a good indicator, of what was to come, I thought... ...But it even exceeded these expectations, as although this very much comes from the same place as Kraftwerk, with a very strong whiff of them, it has much more besides! For the next track: Pakmovast, is a stonker! ...Right from the get go, it's heavy, pronounced beat which continues at a fair nodding pace, conjured heavy aromas of later electro-dance demi-gods Daft Punk, and I also detected a powerful sense of Jean Michel Jarre throughout the album too. But there's another note I caught in my audio nostrils too, that of certain instruments, and melodic phrases and motifs of the kind that Boards Of Canada would later allude to in their work, of a kind of undefined nostalgia for a fuzzy, out there, seventies electronic wildlife documentary vibe. If I had to guess, I I could easily say this may be one the albums that inspired them! (Especially, in the brief outro track to Side 2: Ca Plane Pour Moi) The Opening to Side 2 ise very strong, and sung in English: Something to Say, and the final track: Twist A Saint Tropez is a very jaunty upbeat piece of electronica (research show this to have been a single, and quite a well known one too!)... ...These two, bookending the other two tracks on Side 2; The... um... er... interesting take on Rock Around The Clock, which a slower, meditative, almost mesmeric version of the Rock and Roll classic (barely recognisable to begin with), and also another corker of a track: Victime De La Societe, which sounds like a low, evocative, work which might be suited to the opening or closing credits of a movie like the Ryan Gosling mood piece: Drive, or some other nightscape and neon based, city noir thriller soundtrack. Taking my tp as representative of the retail issue of this, I can report that unlike those aforementioned artists, this has a comparatively stripped down, minimalist approach to the same kind of music, which comes through excellently on this pressing, very solid, definite, fat bass, and broad sounding synths across the audio horizon and all on fairly standard 125g-ish vinyl. but lovely a press. In all, an absolute nugget of a find for me, and what I live to find among the neglected crates of dingy nooks in charity shops. :) (Should those RSD peeple happen upon this review perchance, I'd suggest this is a good pick for a new issue - certainly, I'd like a swanky new issue of it with the artwork, and maybe some guff about the band / group etc. - white labels are nice, but don't really tell a lot!) 1 person found this review helpful. ✔︎ Helpful Review?
Magic Marmalade 17th Feb 2023		Vinyl Album Elvis Presley With The Jordanaires - Blue Hawaii (1961)	Here's a conundrum: (perhaps already been addressed somewhere else) First pressing of this appears only on RCA label, but later press on RCA Victor, so would the first pressing need it's own entry? ...And if not, what should the label read here?
Magic Marmalade 15th Feb 2023		Vinyl Album Jeff Beck - Wired (1976)	Review This is a great sounding album! A kind of blues to rock base overlayed with jazz rhythms, expanded upon with very new wave prog synths blended perfectly with Jeff's strident guitar playing, which is, by turns, big 'n' crunchy distortion, through intricate and virtuoso, down to subtle and soulful. Bounces nicely between jazz, blues, rock and prog styles in such a way that you can't see the joins. And while this is a pretty thin piece of vinyl (little floppy too), it is an absolutely great pressing, and really sounds audiophile quality, in terms of clarity, breadth, and scale, as well as detail in the quieter parts (where they exist!). 1 person found this review helpful. ✔︎ Helpful Review?
Magic Marmalade 10th Feb 2023		Vinyl Album Various Artists - Songs We Taught The Fuzztones (1993)	Looking on 45cat, which of the bands listed there as Fallen Angels is this one here? (Can't see this track there under one of those names - so I can keep worlds consistent with cat regarding names of bands)
Magic Marmalade 8th Feb 2023		Vinyl Album Hachidai Nakamura And His Orchestra - Holiday In Japan (1964)	Is the cat number here correct?
Magic Marmalade 24th Jan 2023		Vinyl Album Avengers VI - Good Humor Presents Real Cool Hits (1966)	Are you sure you don't have a different version / issue? Original submitter got tracks list from somewhere.
Magic Marmalade 16th Jan 2023		Vinyl Album Dusty Springfield - Dusty Springfield's Golden Hits (1966)	Listing for back cover image featuring 10 tracks on back is here
Magic Marmalade 16th Jan 2023		Vinyl Album Dusty Springfield - Dusty Springfield's Golden Hits (1966)	Have moved the back cover image showing 12 tracks to appropriate entry which states in notes the 12 track listing on back, not matching the content of the record, and moved the back cover image showing 10 tracks on back to this. Can be seen here
Magic Marmalade 15th Jan 2023		Vinyl Album Kenny Lynch - Up On The Roof (1963)	The image here for stereo version will undoubtedly have a stereo cat number variation, and so needs a separate entry with that cat number info given, as a stereo LP.
Magic Marmalade 31st Dec 2022		Vinyl Album Mantovani And His Orchestra - Gems Forever (1958)	It may be the case that a move is required (Which I can do easy enough)... ...But the point I was making here, is that you may not have made a mistake sheepdip, as there is nothing except layout variations on the images supplied by both of you that seems to make one cover anymore Canadian than the other (And so less or more US), and if it is determined that one ought to be moved and re-designated as US, then by what criteria do we say that the other ought not be changed also... there being no difference? In which case, both should (unless reasons given as to why) still appear on the same page, as variations of the same product, but either left under this country, or changed to US. I guess what I'm asking here (anyone, although Careys is pretty sure), is what makes one Canadian, and the other not? (And if so which, and why?) I just like to be as sure as I can before I start moving people's work around, or creating new work for people on site :)
Magic Marmalade 30th Dec 2022		Vinyl Album Mantovani And His Orchestra - Gems Forever (1958)	I can't see a difference in either of your images to suggest either is Canadian as distinct from US (Back covers both, at best, give US address)
Magic Marmalade 20th Dec 2022		Vinyl Album The Pink Floyd - Atom Heart Mother (1970)	*The* Pink Floyd?
Magic Marmalade 26th Nov 2022		Vinyl Album Booker T. And The M.G.'s - Green Onions (1962)	Stereo images moved to stereo entry.
Magic Marmalade 25th Nov 2022		Vinyl Album The Persuasions - Street Corner Symphony (1972)	Correction submitted that tracks A1, A2, A3 are part of medley (single track effectively), could an image be provided of the labels or cover so we can see how these tracks should be presented here accurately please?
Magic Marmalade 17th Oct 2022		Vinyl Album Liona Boyd - Liona Boyd / Andrew Davis (1979)	This entry could be replicated in Classical World if desired (With a mind to Classical world entry format) but is also fine here, as it's a vinyl album too:)
Magic Marmalade 11th Oct 2022		Vinyl Album Various Artists - Carnival In Trinidad (1953)	Please advise as to the exact changes wanted for the B side of this... I can't make head nor tail of what's going on here... what's a track title, and what band name?
Magic Marmalade 1st Oct 2022		Vinyl Album Family - Family Entertainment (1969)	Not being present in the sixties, on account of my extreme youth :)... ...When you grow up hearing about what the late sixties were all about second hand, the stereotypical notions I have in my head of those times are exactly what this album sounds like! It's great! I found a later press / issue with the brown labels and non-flip back sleeve t'other day (still a very nice laminated sleeve) with K 44069 cat number, which I will be adding to site sometime next week... ...Couple of points though, mine has a lyric sheet with this RSLP cat number on it, which I assume (obviously, some might say) came with this first issue too (?), but I ask, as because, as well as the K cat number, it has the RSLP number in the deadwax.
Magic Marmalade 30th Sep 2022		Vinyl Album David Gilmour - David Gilmour (1978)	Absolutely superb sounding issue... ... Every bit comparable to how good original UK Dark Side of the moon sounds. (And the music is very good too... Very Floydian, as you'd hope :)
Magic Marmalade 30th Sep 2022		Vinyl Album David Bowie - The Rise And Fall Of Ziggy Stardust And The Spiders From Mars (1972)	Gave my new copy a spin earlier... ... Happy to say it plays pristine :) I'd say it is about equal to my 6e 4e copy, sound wise, but with only two slightly noticeable exceptions: The Starman Morse is a tiny bit louder still, than the 6e, but only just (which my Canadian dynaflex has very muted by comparison), and also, on Moonage Daydream, the "Oh yeah!"s, that have that echo effect, are much more prominent, and leap out at you... They really roll around the full width and depth of the sound field. ... But overall, and the details side, I'd say the these early UK presses (both 6e and 1e copies) have a more balanced, natural sound, if that's what you're after... More... True, sounding... But the Canadian issue still has the extra wow factor, and bludgeons you with the sonics more, for all its faults (edits, dropouts, quieter moments etc.). All are great though.
Magic Marmalade 30th Sep 2022		Vinyl Album The Nice - The Thoughts Of Emerlist Davjack (1968)	I have this mono with grey labels... but looking around, I see it was also available with the pink labels... don't know which were first (?)
Magic Marmalade 30th Sep 2022		Vinyl Album David Bowie - The Rise And Fall Of Ziggy Stardust And The Spiders From Mars (1972)	I will check my 6e 4e copy this weekend. Found another copy yesterday, among a huge chunk of vinyl albums and singles bought at the charity shop... this new one: 1e 1e (!!!!!!!!!!!!!) :) :) :) (Matrices are machine stamped)
Magic Marmalade 1st Aug 2022		Vinyl Album Derek And The Dominos - Layla And Other Assorted Love Songs (1970)	Review Half... and half again. I finally got round to listening to this in it's entirety, having found a copy the other week, and I've got to say I am not overly impressed. As previously mentioned below, the original tracks are the best, the others are just self indulgent blues work-outs, the kind that only Eric Clapton enjoys for his own pleasure... mostly tedious. So immediately, you can cut this album into two separate albums, leaving, after having left the blues stuff for the "Clapton = God" die-hards, the bones of a much better album... a tighter, and more focused single disc album... ...But even that could do with some culling, as those songs too, are a little over-long, with lots of unnecessary repetition to eek them out. Occasionally, it's justified, what with having Allman on board, he seems to challenge Clapton and bring the best out of him, but mostly, the songs are twice the length they need to be. Paired down in this way (and maybe with the addition of a couple of other songs of this quality), I feel this could have been the basis of a great album, fully deserving of the esteem it seems to garner, instead of an unnecessary double album, which sounds more like an epic whinge... like that bloke we've all met who thinks he's the only person in the world to have had his heart broken, and after your initial sympathy, his incessant moaning begins to wear thin. But as for the pressing, well, it's a Polydor Super, which have proven themselves to me to be among the best sounding albums I've heard, so you can't go wrong on that score at least. 1 person found this review helpful. ✔︎ Helpful Review?
Magic Marmalade 15th Jul 2022		Vinyl Album Nilsson - Son Of Schmilsson (1972)	Iron-on transfer for this album?
Magic Marmalade 25th Jun 2022		Vinyl Album Sam The Sham And The Pharaohs - The Sam The Sham Revue (1967)	I think this album needs a separate entry for the earlier (?) Nefertiti labels, and then perhaps this entry needs re-dating as a reissue, to reflect the retitling. I will leave details as given by 55Bluesman in this, his original entry, and according to images he provided.
Magic Marmalade 18th May 2022		Vinyl Album Pink Floyd - The Dark Side Of The Moon (1973)	Found a minty copy of this at the boot the other day... (£8... little more than I'd usually spend.. as I'm a cheapskate... but hey... it was worth the extra dooh!) ...Anyway, the point of interest here is that I had to ask the guy selling it to get it out of the plastic sleeve it was in, which he couldn't as the plastic sleeve had shrunk around the album, so he let me cut the sleeve off to look at the album, saying "It hadn't been out of the plastic since the first, and only play at time of release"... ...And this is interesting, because according to Record Collector Price guide, this quad version never had any inserts, that the standard stereo issue did, but it did occur to me : "I wonder...", so I took the record in it's quad inner out of the sleeve, opened up the sleeve a bit, and hey presto!: Both of the stickers fell out! Of course, no posters, but most will know, this gatefold for Dark Side has one closed end, so to see if anything is hiding in that side of the sleeve, you'd have to do what I did, and open out the sleeve a little, and look from one end to the other. My point is, that I wonder if these Quads did get issued with the stickers, but where people don't think they have them, could they be hiding in the Dark Side of your Gatefold? ...If that describes your copy, got to be worth taking a look eh?
Magic Marmalade 19th Mar 2022		Vinyl Album Gary Numan - Telekon (1980)	Been keeping an eye on these Dutch coloured vinyl issues for a while now, and while the Green and Blue ones do turn up on a fairly frequent basis, and the yellow one only slightly less so, the red (actual dutch red pressing, not the UK - shine a light through black to make red-ish) is very infrequent, and the White and opaque / transparent / translucent ones I don't recall having seen turn up. ...As for my orange one, this was moderately frequent about a couple of years back, but has been turning up less frequently recently; When it did, back then, it would go for about £100, but one appeared in the last month (after about a year not being listed) with a quite worn sleeve and lyric inner, and it hit £411, with 14 bids. here (yikes!) What that would do to the white and clear pressings is anybody's guess, but I'm guessing they would hit some pretty stiff figures! I've added the valuation here for the Orange based on that recent listing, but due to the condition grading qualification I added, the value- upscale-to mint estimation seems more than a little high to me. Basically, the value generator has double the valuation to £811 for mint - which I'm not sure it would get, even in that condition - five to six hundred maybe (?) - but take that £811 mint value with a pinch of salt.
Magic Marmalade 23rd Feb 2022		Vinyl Album Nina And Frederik - Follow (1969)	Got two side two label scans here, and no side 1 :)
Magic Marmalade 1st Feb 2022		Vinyl Album Bob Dylan - Blonde On Blonde (1966)	I have a correction request to change date for this and the stereo to 20th June 66, but there's already a very specific date (with day and month) for both in May... ...Does anyone have sources to determine which of the two is accurate?

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