unboxing vinyl

Thanks to my fellow vinyl enthusiast friend Jeff, who posted the Peter Pan RIP video on his fancy blog, I'm now hip to Kula Shaker whose Pilgrims Progress is easily my favorite record of the year. (Not that I have bought much new music this year.)

Available on import vinyl, I ordered my copy through importcds.com, where Jeff recommended. Various packages can also be purchased through Kula Shaker's boutique, including the 'super deluxe' edition which includes the vinyl with a limited edition screen printed cover numbered and signed by the artist (Chris Hopewell / Jacknife).

I really wanted the more colorful cover once I saw it, but didn't care about the CDs, poster, book, or the high price, so I ordered the regular edition from importcds. In the time it took for my copy to arrive, a limited cover edition popped up on ebay from a seller that purchased the super deluxe package for the t-shirt, and therefor selling the vinyl separately. *MINE!*

For each version, the record is the same: single 180 gram disc with custom label art for each side. Plain white sleeves with no inserts, both single-pocket jackets.

Regular import cover: very lightweight cardboard but both front & back are printed. 

Super Deluxe edition cover:  Screen printed front cover on non-glossy, but standard weight cardboard like typical US covers.

In the bottom margin is the artists signature in pencil with the edition # of 300. (This copy is #199.)

Mine has no purple like the advert above taken from the website, but being a hand done screen print, there are bound to be variations.

The back side is BLANK- no track listing, no date, no catalog #, no copyright or barcode.  Nothing!  Same with the spine.

Unfortunately my copy split at the bottom during shipping. Not TOO big of a deal, I reinforced it inside with some heavy-duty brown paper.  Knowing it wasn't sealed, I forgot to request the seller ship the LP outside of the jacket. I love it anyway, but also hope to find a purple variation if there is one.

Despite this album being released mid 2010 and a tour announced and begun, lead singer Crispian Mills has recently once again put the band on hold, this time in favor of prepping for a movie directing gig to begin in 2011. Announced as a united decision by the band, but revealed otherwise on Twitter by a band member's angry wife.  Details from the official Kula Shaker forum are here (read down for the wife's messages), and a follow-up message from Crispian here.



See Jeff's excellent review of the album here.