Got my box...

[Matt Bielewicz]

So I'm sitting in a car park outside a now-closed record shop, right...?

[Matt Bielewicz]

...and I can only do short posts from my crappy phone. But...

[Matt Bielewicz]

...I HAVE THE BOX SET IN MY HANDS!!!

[Jonas]

The suspense is killing me...

[Matt Bielewicz]

Good listening tonight!!!

[pixletwin]

Anyone here ever watch Malcom in the Middle? Remember Malcom's black crippled friend who had asthma?

 

[♩♬🐸 Billy C ♯♫♩🐇]

  Yeah, his name was Stevie

[Matt Bielewicz]

A first (non-audio) impression...

[Matt Bielewicz]

...it's bloody heavy!!!

[Matt Bielewicz]

A first (non-audio) impression...

[EDIT] I'm home now... I couldn't stop the phone posting multiple times, for some reason! Hence the repeated text above...

Just about to put the vinyl on now...

MattB

[Matt Bielewicz]

A first (non-audio) impression...

[EDIT] Another stupid repeat post from my phone above. But here's another more considered non-audio opinion: I'm loving the look of the box. What a beautifully designed set. And the artwork looks as good, if not better, than it should have done in early 1967...

MattB

[Aegir]

This is very postmodern. could be a poem.

[Matt Bielewicz]

I listened to the CDs on the way home from the shop. Wow, wow, just amazing. I'll probably post more about those tomorrow, if I've got time. But now I'm back, I'm busting out the vinyl, because as far as I know, no-one has posted anything about that yet...

So - H&V Part 1 is exactly like the Cantina mix...

Part 2 is 'Gee' through to the slow 'Doot Doot Doot, Heroes and Villains' chants, like Mark Linett's old 'Sections' mix, then the piano piece called 'Tag To Part 1', then the country and western theme (this time without whistles and snare drumming)... and then the whole thing closes with the re-recorded fade to H&V, with Carl doing jazz improvs over the top.

Surf's Up on the vinyl 45 is as it has been described: Brian does the vocal on Part 1 and 2, with occasional backing harmony from Carl and the others. Carl also does the 'Bygones' and the first 'Canvas the town' (who else could sing them...?).

And then Vega-Tables on 45 totally surprised me! We've all got used to the Facebook version in the last few weeks (I know I have)... so I was amazed to find that it's DIFFERENT!!!! Not hugely... in fact it's just one thing, but it's nice to have...

Just as the Mojo Wonderful had the unexpected surprise of including the yodelling, so the Vega-Tables 45 mix includes asimilar small extra... the 50s-style harmony backing vocals from the demo! 'Run all around dig a hole in the ground' and that other line that I could never quite decipher but now, I see from the lyrics in the box, is in fact 'Pop those buttons right off of my shirt'!!!!!

Wow, Alan and Mark sure know how to keep the surprises coming!

OK, on to Side 4 of the vinyl...

MattB

[CarlTheVoice]

How come so many of you have got hold of legit copies before the release date? Am I missing something here?

[lance]

There are different release dates in different parts of the world.

[Wirestone]

There are different release dates in different parts of the world.

Yeah, but I'm in the U.S. and have mine.

Copies get shipped to stores at least four or five days before the official sale date. Depending on the store, and the staff, and the software they use to sell stuff, places do put things out early. And we buy these things.