To be or not to be

[Benicio Del Toffo]

This one goes out to the fusion heads out there and also those who have a bit more knowledge of the reissues scene than me.

I just picked up a copy of To Be 'S/T' LP on my lunchbreak. I paid £7 as I remembered a track from it being on a comp called...somthing or other back when I was at college, then I check Side 2 and a track is on there called 'Glucklich', which if I'm not mistaken was the very comp.

What I want to know is, did I just get stiffed with a reissue? Or is it more likely that I just got lucky with an OG? And is the platter much cop anyway?!!

Benicio

PS There was also a mad looking psych LP by a band called Poe, but it looked a bit God Squad so I passed! And I would have bought Barney Kessel's 'Hair Is Beautiful' cos of the UK session personnel, but that was £5 as was Coulam's 'Sounds To Spoil You'. Balls ter that!

[Rich Hero]

I don't know anything about To Be or Poe, but I do know that Barney Kessel's Hair is *very* 'Jazz Club'. Not without merit and The Wiseguys used one of the tracks but a little jazz guitar goes a long way and it's a bit too much for one sitting for me.

[llmod1]

I have the To Be lp which your right does have a track from the Glucklich comp, imo there are two or three really good tracks and the rest are not too sshabby either(if your into the Euro fusion sound.) As to whether yours is a reissue or not I'm not sure. I've never seen a reissue but I could be wrong.

I have a couple of lp's which sound like your Poe one, let me know some more details and I'll try to fill in the gaps.

[Benicio Del Toffo]

Cheers Llmod1, good info from a true expert!

The reason why I asked if it was a reissue is cos it just looks too 'new'! Shiny sleeve and minty wax. I've sniffed the sleeve for the tell-tale mustiness and it's kind of there, but you're mind plays tricks.

After a bit of surfing, I've not found any notice of a reissue, so I can only assume I've been spawny. Looking forward to a listen now, I'm thinking it will be on that Solar Plexus tip.

Cheers again you big spending maniac!

Benicio

PS The Poe LP, it's called 'Up Into The Spiral' (or something) and is on Uni. Looked interesting, but then the liner notes hinted at religion, so I ran away.

[wayne]

Ben, I'm guessing you were in Big Apple down in Hockley because I picked up that Poe LP in Selectadisc for £2 a month or so ago, gave it a listen...then traded it to Mr Big Apple (unless Nottingham currently boasts TWO copies of the thing, that is).

So, no, not missing much - opening and closing piano ballads with a few gospel flourishes, with much prog/metal featuring lyrics about striving after self-realization etc in between.

The 'Automatic Writing' track is sort of OK if you like your prog, and a chorus on another track going "ch-u-uw-uw-uw-u-u-ne in...to the cosmos" over ridiculous Spinal Tap guitar riffs made me laugh, but that was my two quid's worth, really...

Those lazy Notts lunch-hours, eh? Don't get them in That London...

[Benicio Del Toffo]

Cheers Wayne - that's saved me a few quid.

Twas indeed down at Big Apple where Ex condition usually means 'at least it's all in one piece'! That's where I got the To Be LP from. Yep, lazy Notts lunch hours where you can wander round without a care and peruse various vinyl emporia unmolested (unless you're in Rob's where you get molested by rats). It's cool that there's two Vultures in this small city, plus a few other diggers that I know of and obviously, the annual contingent of student DJ-wannabes and yet we still keep finding stuff!!

The charity shops in town are starting to suck a bit though. I know you got your 'Valley of the Dolls' LP in Barney Hardo's and I've had Ugly Custard and some KPMs from Save The Nippers, but other than that there's been nowt for ages. Obviously a bit of Klaus and James here and there, but they just seem to be rinsed at the moment.

But, this is still a mighty fine town for a digger and I have faith that we will continue to turn up the treats!

Benicio

PS I've decided that the To Be LP is kosher, but I haven't listened to it yet! Time is tight.

[wayne]

Nottm city centre charities, that is: shouldn't be telling you this, but yesterday went out to Arnold & landed straight off on a little cache of BBC Radiophonic LPs at 50p each in a furniture place, which the bloke said had been priced at £1 each, but had sat there so long he'd reduced them...

But that doesn't happen very often these days...and, yep, it does feel very dry in town: maybe when the students have bogged off for the summer...? I seem to remember there are 3 Vultures in Nottingham, too - didn't Sie mention he was a Notty lad? Maybe we should do a local Vulture meet one of these summer evenings...a Wunderlich/Kaempfert spin'n'swap down the Bell, perhaps?

Mind you, not sure we can afford those 'Classics Up To Date Vol 56' at current prices...