Which of Fleetwood Mac "Then Play On" is better?

Discussion in 'Music Corner' started by alex-57, Jun 21, 2009.

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  1. Shakey

    Shakey New Member

    Location:
    Chicago, Illinois
    I only have and or heard the US domestic vinyl.
    I would love to see this re-issued intact.
     
  2. Steve E.

    Steve E. Doc Wurly and Chief Lathe Troll

    Location:
    Brooklyn, NY, USA
    There are actually four variants/song lineups of the album: 1 UK/Europe LP, 2 different US LPs, and the CD.

    You want the original UK song lineup. There are also pressing differences! I do believe that one of the UK pressings is preferred to the others, and it may be a later one. Do a thread search....this has been discussed a bunch.

    The album is, indeed, very long, though it doesn't feel like it. Something like 50 minutes if I remember.

    It's awesome.
     
  3. tages

    tages Senior Member

    Location:
    Seattle
    Thank you Lazarus!!!!
     
  4. Raunchnroll

    Raunchnroll Senior Member

    Location:
    Seattle

    The 'original' tri-color UK Reprise steamboat label for best sound - although not way better sound. Then there was the 'K' series UK Reprise catalog number soon after - in the mid 70's - sounds a little less present. Nevertheless, the UK original 14 track presentation is worth getting. Beware the German pressing with the large black border - one of those German re-release in the 70's of Classic albums. I think it even says Classics or something like that. Has the re-done track line up.
     
  5. etzeppy

    etzeppy Forum Resident

    Location:
    Texas, US
    How does that K series from the UK sound?. I have a UK tri-color that looks clean but has lots of noise and pops. It still sounds great in spite of the flaws. I would love to replace it with a clean copy but that seems to be really hard to do these days.

    It is such an under rated album in general. It had to grow on me a little but is now one my absolute favorites.
     
  6. Raunchnroll

    Raunchnroll Senior Member

    Location:
    Seattle
    Its a bit thinner sounding. It seems most originals pressed by Pye have a little noise, some more than others. I've had the same thing - a clean looking one that has that kind of noise. My German one is flawless in that respect. The German pressing also has more bass, a characteristic of their mastering.
     
  7. privit1

    privit1 Senior Member

    could not agree more if ever a great album deserverd to be restored to its proper running order and have the full deluxe treatment this is it. may be a certain Mr H could get his hand on the original for a release ?
     
  8. Scott in DC

    Scott in DC Forum Resident

    Location:
    Washington, DC
    US Then Play On

    Raunchnroll wrote,

    "Nevertheless, the UK original 14 track presentation is worth getting. "

    +++++++++++++++

    I have the original US Reprise edtion of this album (two tone, w7 labels) which does not have Oh Well. Does the US pre-Oh Well Then Play On have the same song listing as the original UK edtion?

    Scott
     
  9. BobbyS

    BobbyS Forum Resident In Memoriam

    Location:
    Delaware OH USA
    I have two copies of the original UK tri color label/gatefold sleeve. One copy of it looks almost perfect but is pretty noisy. Part of the problem is that both sides are pretty long (around 25 minutes each if I remember right) and are cut without much volume so any surface noise is going to be louder. Still, it's the only copy I play. The US versions (I've got both) and the commercial cd all sound worse than the original UK pressings. Later in the 70's the cover was changed to just a black cover with just Fleetwood Mac - Then Play On printed on it. I don't have one nearby but IIRC it uses the same stampers as the 1st pressing.
     
  10. pbuzby

    pbuzby Senior Member

    Location:
    Chicago, IL, US
    No, it omits two Kirwan songs which had been released in the U.S. on the album English Rose. Wikipedia has the details.
     
  11. reddyempower

    reddyempower Forum Resident

    Location:
    columbus, oh, usa

    Are the English Rose versions the same take/mix? I saw a copy of this on CD the other day. Maybe I'll pick it up so I can create my own TPO.
     
  12. Steve E.

    Steve E. Doc Wurly and Chief Lathe Troll

    Location:
    Brooklyn, NY, USA
    yes, they are, but good luck creating your own. You will still be missing 20 seconds of "Underway" which are on no CD, and I'd be impressed if you guessed the crossfades correctly.

    :shake:
     
  13. etzeppy

    etzeppy Forum Resident

    Location:
    Texas, US
    Thanks to this thread I decided to dig out my "Then Play On" LP collection. I have all three versions for some reason. It's not often that I find a surprise within my existing collection. When I pulled out the US two-tone first pressing, out comes the single for "Oh Well" with it. I bought the LP at a used book store for $4.50 a few years ago and I know I have played it a few times. I had never noticed the 45 of "Oh Well" tucked away inside. Since I now have the UK tri-tone 1st press , I actually had this one in my sell pile. It probably would have gone out the door without me ever finding the "Oh Well" single.
     

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  14. krlpuretone

    krlpuretone Forum Resident

    Location:
    Grantham, NH
  15. MrPeabody

    MrPeabody New Member

    Location:
    Mass.
    As a break from all the Beatles crap going on today...

    Does anyone know the name of the classical piece in the middle of the Madge jams? It sounds like Vaughan Williams (Peter Green was into him back then) and was wondering if it might be "London Symphony" or something else.
     
  16. MrPeabody

    MrPeabody New Member

    Location:
    Mass.
    Beatle bump
     
  17. etzeppy

    etzeppy Forum Resident

    Location:
    Texas, US
    Great new term.
     
  18. MrPeabody

    MrPeabody New Member

    Location:
    Mass.
    Great. :rolleyes: It's all yours. Take it and run with it.
     
  19. krlpuretone

    krlpuretone Forum Resident

    Location:
    Grantham, NH
    Interesting passage from the Wikipedia listing of TPO

     
  20. MrPeabody

    MrPeabody New Member

    Location:
    Mass.
    Correct on all counts. That's why a Deluxe Edition is needed. The UK version is an entirely different (and better) animal. It all can sound so much better without trying too hard.
     
  21. Steve E.

    Steve E. Doc Wurly and Chief Lathe Troll

    Location:
    Brooklyn, NY, USA
    Good question! That's SUCH a weird moment. It sounds like strings playing the same melody at 2 or 3 different recording speeds, with one VERY slow. With guitar overdubbed?
     
  22. krlpuretone

    krlpuretone Forum Resident

    Location:
    Grantham, NH
    Maybe we can drop a few emails to Marshall and suggest that this might be a disc for Steve and AF to tackle?
     
  23. Mad shadows

    Mad shadows Forum Resident

    Location:
    Karlskrona- Sweden
    Why not a double album with the English running order and the singles version of Oh well as a bonus track (vinyl, of course).
     
  24. etzeppy

    etzeppy Forum Resident

    Location:
    Texas, US
    That would be my vote. I would personally like to see all of the TPO era singles (Oh Well, The Green Manalishi, and World In Harmony) included as bonus tracks. I am not holding my breath though.
     
  25. MrPeabody

    MrPeabody New Member

    Location:
    Mass.
    It wouldn't happen the way we'd like to see it.

    This requires a 2-CD set, original US & UK masters, along with the singles and B-sides. AF already said they won't pay double for the same record (Bluesbreakers).

    The US LP isn't just a resequencing. Some tracks are longer on the UK, the segues are different (the UK tracks go one right into the other. I don't want Steve putting gaps in there just because the US master has them.) And "Oh Well" was an afterthought in both cases. It requires more effort and money than AF might want to put in.

    If Warners can put out a million Joy Division deluxe sets, I don't see why TPO would be a problem for them. They'd sell more of that than all the Joy Division DEs combined.
     
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