MINT SHRINK STICKER 10 CC THE ORIGINAL = MASTERPIECE ATMOSPHERIC POP CRAFT

$

35

                          10 cc

            THE ORIGINAL

                USA - MERCURY RECORDS - SRM 1 - 1029

Original 1975 MINT first print ...

STILL IN ORIGINAL FACTORY CELLOPHANE

with HIT sticker on outer cello...!

Almost forgotten band from the 70's but well worth discovering. Four writers, four singers, all producers and fine musicians is only the start, over four albums, five if you count the Stewart / Gouldman only "Deceptive Bends", they made high quality music not forgetting some fine early singles. Like many they were blown away by the punk / new wave explosion, but in their heyday they were good to have around and left behind a quality legacy.

Perhaps 10cc's classiest, most refined album, The Original Soundtrack forgoes the illusion of elegance that characterized their early releases in favor of the real thing. The piano-led "Une Nuit a Paris" suite has a Broadway-worthy grandeur that beckons images of the great city's nightlife, while the delicate electric-piano-led "I'm Not in Love" is as beautiful as it is lush and spacey. Both are some of the best moments of the band's career and well worth the price of admission here.

1975's The Original Soundtrack captures 10cc at their most opulent and grandiose, it's cinematic production is in keeping with songs that seem to question the perception of art as truth, The Original Soundtrack is something of a conundrum, an album full of artifice that is also fully aware of the artificial nature of art itself, on tracks such as Blackmail (about a blackmail that ends with the blackmailed turning the tables) or I'm Not In Love (with it's bank of backing vocals and production sheen let alone it's subject matter) 10cc fully embrace the world of double speak, irony and the artistic struggle between fantasy and reality, I'm Not In Love (still possibly one of the most misunderstood pop songs ever) takes so much time and effort in it's huge production and lyrical declarations that in the end it's pretty obvious that only someone deeply in love would go to such extreme lengths, it's appeal is universal for the very reason that an awful lot of the male gender suffer greatly from it's main protagonists condition. Blackmail's dirty, sleazy guitars and air of corruption and vice in high places is pure mid 70s but the twist in the tale comes with the victims liberal views on the supposed crime, again the set up seems to be to draw the listener in to what seems to be a tale of morality only to turn that morality on it's head, these 2 tracks sum up all that is artificial and untrustworthy about this strange, contradictory album.

Une Nuit A Paris which opens the album in ostentatious style is a mini opera that seems to recount the death of a prostitute, again sleaze and vice (another recurring theme) are all over this track, sonically and harmonically its a pretty daunting piece but it's also a little too lyrically abstract to totally convince, still kudos for trying. Brand New Day puts us right in the middle of a southern plantation with Kevin Godley doing his best Paul Robeson impersonation, again the artifice of 4 white Mancunians singing such a piece is evident yet it's such a strong song and is impeccably sung, arranged and produced that they almost convince. Likewise The Film Of My Love's Neapolitan schmaltz brings home the artificial nature of such songs yet again is so immaculately conceived that it doesn't really matter and anyway the irony is deliciously funny.

Life Is A Minestrone is a joyous sounding song that also happened to be a huge hit single in the UK, it parodies cliche and vacuousness in the same way "Silly Love" had on their previous album but it's slightly kooky, half novelty song feel recalls earlier 10cc and as such has always sounded a little out of place here, still it's annoyingly catchy, whether that's a good or a bad thing is for the listener to decide.

Flying Junk and The Second Sitting For The Last Supper are along with the aforementioned Blackmail the heaviest songs on the album, The Second Sitting is straight ahead rock n roll bordering on heavy metal, as ever the production is spot on and the subject matter calling for the resurrection of Christ, in among all the sleaze, is apt but it's not the strongest cut here. Flying Junk is a throwback to the previous decade both in it's stoned, druggy sound and in it's swinging London drug peddler subject matter yet it fits neatly into the 70s theme of loss of identity and the corruption of the soul and with all those backward guitars and weird production effects and thankfully here, they completely compliment the song.

The Original Soundtrack is a strangely overlooked work from a decade that has been over analyzed to the point of tedium, fiercely artistic and perhaps a little too clever for it's own good it does however deserve something of renaissance, it's a hugely bright, intelligent, thought provoking work of art that is far removed from the facile dross much of that decade produced, the fact 10cc managed all this whilst still maintaining popularity as a singles band is fairly unique, this album like the other 4 produced by the original line up is a genuine work of art.

Une Nuit A Paris, including:
        Part 1, One Night in Paris
        Part 2, The Same Night in Paris
        Part 3, Later The Same Night in Paris
    I'm Not In Love
    Blackmail
    The Second Sitting For The Last Supper
    Brand New Day
    Flying Junk
    Life Is A Minestrone
    The Film Of My Love

CONDITION: The cover: rated: MINT- in factory cellophane plus rare NOT IN LOVE hit sticker on outer cello ...has a delete cut at bottom left ... otherwise perfect!    No split seams, no bends, and no writing  ... VERY collection worthy ...

The vinyl: Rated: M- top copy - a beauty, nearly unplayed == play back swill not reveal  any alarming or distracting surface problems ...  both Mercury labels are clean

      A cool addition to anyone's music library!

SEE: SELLERS OTher items for similar cool sounds for "head" people...

EFFICIENT/CAREFUL GRADING

All imperfections are noted both cover & record