MIKE SILVER & MIKE BEASON: The Applicant - SUPER-RARE 1969 FONTANA FOLK 'OPERA'
£
75
$
99
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Description
MIKE SILVER & MIKE BEASON: The Applicant (Fontana, STL5506, 1969)
Super-rare folk 'opera' about a dystopian world, where work (and food) is hard to come by. Very surreal spoken word and music about a poetic-minded, otherly thinking misanthrope, leading to the only possible ending, to be honest. With the narrated parts and oboe (?) over guitar, some sounds a little like Magna Carta (who were then label mates and almost certainly pinched the idea for the Seasons suite from this LP), whilst some of the more frenetic chording, brings to mind the late great Michael Chapman in live and free-flowing mode. Whatever it is, it's an oddity, so all to the good. Oh, I forgot the blueswailin' organ that kicks in halfway through side 1 - unexpected and worthwhile! I wonder who it was - there are no artist credits?
Trivia: I have just removed the original price sticker, despite the recorded music historian in me hating to remove such interesting ephemera (I mean, the sticker told me that the original owner paid 39/11 - near enough £2 - for this at Whites in Alverton...or they might have stolen it from Whites in Alverton, of course).
Side 1, apart from some very brief light crackle - seconds only - right at the start, plays a very nice EX with just a few light random pops. Overall, lovely. Side 2 has a little more light background in evidence over the first few minutes, most only audible thanks to the very quiet nature of that part of the record - and even so it is mostly not particularly distracting and would probably remain inaudible on your average LP. Again, there are a few random pops, and the only real 'problems' are that there is a bout of heavier repeating clicks for a few seconds a couple of minutes into the side, plus three light repeating pops a couple of minutes later. Overall, a pretty nice play. The sleeve is below what would be accepted as VG, what with some edge creasing and a tear on the rear, where a piece of laminate has come away, taking the sleeve surface with it - see photos.
Overall, a very rare LP in pretty nice condition overall.
* * * * Records generally have hairline or other surface marks from removal from/insertion into sleeves - these are not mentioned unless causing audible noise. Records are play tested unless stated and any defects over and above what should be expected of the generic Record Collector grading are described in the listing. Please look at the photos carefully for condition of sleeves, etc.
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* * * * All items are from my own various collections and most have been in storage for 20+ years. Lockdowns (and various heart ops.) made me wonder why I have thousands of records that I will never choose to listen to again.
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