THE SOFT BOYS~LIVE AT THE PORTLAND ARMS (11/78) 1987 LP

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THE SOFT BOYS ~ LIVE AT THE PORTLAND ARMS / (CAMBRIGE, NOVEMBER 1978) / 1987 GLASS FISH LP (MOIST 4) CONDITION- VINYL : ( STRONG) VG+ / COVER : VG+ Review by David Cleary This live performance, dating from 1978, sounds totally unlike anything else the band ever committed to vinyl. Half of the selections here are performed a cappella, often in styles reminiscent of doo wop, traditional folk, barbershop quartet, or the Andrews Sisters . The songs that do have instrumental accompaniment atypically utilize acoustic, not electric guitars. Most of the band's originals performed here are culled form their most recent release at the time, A Can of Bees . Over half the album, however, consists of covers, most of them highly unexpected; these include the Monotones' doo wop hit "Book of Love," and the smooth Elvis Presley chart-topper "All Shook Up," and the 1940s staple "In the Mood." Performances are very sloppy and off-the-cuff, yet somehow endearingly humorous; Robyn Hitchcock's surreal between-song patter adds to the fun. Recording quality is slapdash, with occasional distortion present; instrumental balances are at times rather haphazard. This highly unusual oddity is interesting, and not at all a bad listen . ( from ) READ ALL BEFORE PAYING! GRADING: GOLDMINE STANDARD NEAR MINT (NM OR M-) A good description of a NM record is “it looks like it just came from a retail store and it was opened for the first time.” In other words, it’s nearly perfect. NM covers are free of creases, ring wear and seam splits of any kind. VERY GOOD PLUS (VG+)or EXCELLENT (E) A good description of a VG+ record is “except for a couple minor things, this would be Near Mint”. VG+ records may show some slight signs of wear, including light scuffs or very light scratches that do not affect the listening experience. Minor signs of handling are OK, too, such as telltale marks around the center hole, but repeated playing has not misshapen the hole. There may be some very light ring wear or discoloration, but it should be barely noticeable. VG+ covers should have only minor wear. A VG+ cover might have some very minor seam wear or a split (less than one inch long) at the bottom, the most vulnerable location. Also, a VG+ cover may have some defacing, such as a cut-out marking. Very Good (VG) VG records have more obvious flaws than their counterparts in better shape. They lack most of the original gloss found on factory-fresh records. Groove wear is evident on sight, as are light scratches deep enough to feel with a fingernail. When played, a VG record has surface noise, and some scratches may be audible, especially in soft passages and during a song’s intro and ending. But the noise will not overpower the music otherwise. VG covers will have many signs of human handling. Ring wear in the middle or along the edges of the cover where the edge of a record would reside, is obvious, though not overwhelming. Some more creases might be visible. Seam splitting will be more obvious; it may appear on all three sides, though it won’t be obvious upon looking. Someone might have written or it or stamped a price tag on it, too. Good (G),Good Plus (G+)or Very Good Minus (VG–) Good does not mean bad! The record still plays through without skipping, so it can serve as filler until something better comes along. But it has significant surface noise and groove wear, and the label is worn, with significant ring wear, heavy writing, or obvious damage caused by someone trying to remove tape or stickers and failing miserably. A Good to VG– cover has ring wear to the point of distraction, has seam splits obvious on sight and may have even heavier writing, such as, for example, huge radio station letters written across the front to deter theft. Anything below this grade would be “Poor” or” Wrecked” or “FUBAR”! I won’t sell any record like this unless it is a Beatle acetate or if someone asked for a particular record in any condition. <... read more

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