I've been swizzled!This is a record - but it ain't an LP.

DavidR

Noticing that my copy of Breakfast in America on vinyl has gone walkies, I ordered another one off Amazon this week (£21). Probably half-inched by the same friend who has my Skull Wars by The Pirates LP. Both originals from when they came out. Obviously, said friend shall be nameless - but you know who you are - John.

Breakfast in America is one of my wife's favourites. She listened to it a lot on cassette when she was at University. Especially in the bath apparently. And why not. Not brilliant H&S but ideal soaking music I would imagine.

Anyway, when it turned up it was just a vinyl disc with some artwork printed on it shipped in a clear PVC cover. And that was it! No actual cardboard cover with lovely artwork, no slipcase, no jolly free poster (if there ever was on - not sure). Yes, despite strange appearance it does play normally with no obvious loss of quality. Why should there be.

Now call me Mr. Fusty from Fustyville, Arizona (or Unstable from Dunstable if you like), but in my book, that's not the full works. No cardboard artwork,  no list of tracks, lyrics, credits. Nothing to look at and hold whilst I listen to LP. The slipcase I can get round. Spookily the large paper bags from Saffron Walden Tourist Information shop are exactly the same size as an LP paper slipcase, and similar in quality. Clever, but a happy accident.

Now don't mention politics, but in the good old days, and certainly when original came out, LP's used to be made in Blighty. Our music, our production, our profits. In 2023 CD's and LP's are invariably made in the EU, whatever that is. Clearly they have a different culture and no-one has told them about what an LP is. From the same people who brought you French Pop Music. 'Nuff said.


Breakfast In America [VINYL]: Amazon.co.uk: CDs & Vinyl

and not..........

Supertramp Breakfast In America 12"inch Vinyl Record Lp | Google Shopping

guyinlyon

It is listed as a Picture Disk... Maybe look for a used one?

DavidR

guyinlyon said:

It is listed as a Picture Disk... Maybe look for a used one?

What the Billy Sheers is a 'Picture Disk'??

(Guessing you'll say, "One of these Vicar"!)

An LP is black, or occasionally red, or very occasionally Gold or Platinum. Pictures have pictures on them. How do I listen to it if I hang it on the wall?

:-)

Fez

Yes picture discs are a thing. Usually limited editions, they play normally but I guess they will be affected by repeated playing. I have a couple that have survived from the eighties. 

An ex GF won a Breakfast in America LP when it came out.

theatreanchor

I can't believe you brought politics into this. You bought a picture disc, and are complaining about it. You want to buy a record, go on Discogs or eBay. Better yet, go to a record fair and buy one. 

FWIW - picture discs suck.

FelineGuitars

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Picture_disc

DavidR

theatreanchor said:

I can't believe you brought politics into this. You bought a picture disc, and are complaining about it. You want to buy a record, go on Discogs or eBay. Better yet, go to a record fair and buy one. 

FWIW - picture discs suck.

I can't believe it either. But - asitappens - and despite wot I writ above - this b......... Picture Disc thingy has a big fat click on the pressing at the very start of side 2 which the needle won't jump over and you have to lift it forwards into the track for rest of side to play. Poor quality pressing. Wonder if it's on all copies. Probably not.

I'm adding EU-manufactured 'Picture Discs' to the BMW iDrive as less than excellent examples of Vorsprung Daft Technik.

:-)

DavidR

guyinlyon said:

It is listed as a Picture Disk... Maybe look for a used one?

Yes it is. My bad for not knowing I agree. What next? Cheese-based Marmalade?

Onion Marmalade with Garlic (cheshirecheesecompany.co.uk)

DavidR

FelineGuitars said:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Picture_disc

Ta ;-)

roberty

The artwork is printed and then two transparent record halves are stuck to it

I read that ones made now are better than the old ones. Traditionally they were mostly good as ornaments

It's typical for picture discs to come in plain clear sleeves

DavidR

roberty said:

The artwork is printed and then two transparent record halves are stuck to it

I read that ones made now are better than the old ones. Traditionally they were mostly good as ornaments

It's typical for picture discs to come in plain clear sleeves

So I'm ignorant and have a broken record. Yes. ;-)

Grangousier

The first picture disk was Curved Air's first album in 1970. Well over fifty years of picture disks. 

You could turn it into a clock. That's a popular use for them. 

theatreanchor

Im just glad you’ve got a sense of humour about it all.

drofluf

DavidR said:

guyinlyon said:

It is listed as a Picture Disk... Maybe look for a used one?

What the Billy Sheers is a 'Picture Disk'??

(Guessing you'll say, "One of these Vicar"!)

An LP is black, or occasionally red, or very occasionally Gold or Platinum. Pictures have pictures on them. How do I listen to it if I hang it on the wall?

:-)

More importantly how are you expected to look at the picture if it’s spinning round?

I guess the op should be grateful that it’s not a 78

DavidR

Thank you everybody for moving me towards an understanding of how useful Picture Discs are. They seem ideal for people who want a deeply unattractive, substandard, music reproduction medium, and a horizontally revolving picture in a box. Thanks especially to @FelineGuitars for the Wikipedia article introducing us to, along with much else the thrills of the praxinoscope which sounds a bit like a proctoscope - just infinitely more fun.

I confess I had ab...so...lutely no idea these little Picture Disc.... thingummies.... existed; but then FB isn't just for clever people is it.

Over and out.

:-)      :-)      :-)

hollywoodrox

I love my picture discs and coloured vinyls I have many of these wonderful things

maltingsaudio

The clue is in the website name, backtoblackvinyl.com. Looking it up these guys have some sort of licensing thing going where they sell you the vinyl copy and the ripped content, they don’t sell the original vinyl which would have included the original sleeve. Bit like bootlegging cassettes back in the day only legit and I expect they’ll get money when you download the mp3 as well.

in a brighter note Curved Air was the first live band I ever saw and Midnight Wire is their best album ( which I still have on vinyl not picture disc)

Snags

Back in the day picture discs were mainly collectibles for the big fans, who would buy the standard vinyl as well. 

Fez

maltingsaudio said:

The clue is in the website name, backtoblackvinyl.com. Looking it up these guys have some sort of licensing thing going where they sell you the vinyl copy and the ripped content, they don’t sell the original vinyl which would have included the original sleeve. Bit like bootlegging cassettes back in the day only legit and I expect they’ll get money when you download the mp3 as well.

in a brighter note Curved Air was the first live band I ever saw and Midnight Wire is their best album ( which I still have on vinyl not picture disc)

Wised on account of you being someone else who thinks Midnight wire is a wonderful album. Must get it on cd sometime.

guyinlyon

DavidR said:

An LP is black, or occasionally red, or very occasionally Gold or Platinum. Pictures have pictures on them. How do I listen to it if I hang it on the wall?

It's meant to be an aid to exercise. You place it on your turntable and start it up. Then you run around and around the turntable with the music playing at a speed that lets you see the picture in its proper up/down orientation. The goal is to do this for the duration of the LP. The weight will just melt off.

prowla

I'd look at the product number and see if it originally includes the sleeve/covers, and so the shipped product was incomplete.