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Question on original 1969 pressing of Alexander Skip Spence's "Oar"
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The Seth Man
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Re: Question on original 1969 pressing of Alexander Skip Spence's "Oar"
Mar 24, 2023, 02:33
Joe Kenney wrote:
Hi everyone, I've never heard the original '69 pressing of Oar -- not even a vinyl rip! I have heard the Sundazed release many times since it was released in 1999, though, as well as the recent box set release and the '91 Sony remix. I am confused about something with the original pressing. According to Discogs, the track length of "Grey/Afro" on the original press of Oar is 12:10. It's listed as 11:27 for the Edsel LP pressing. However "Gray/Afro" is under 10 minutes on both the Sundazed and the Sony releases.

So, is this just an error on Discogs, or maybe that track length is taken directly from the LP sleeve, which itself is wrong? I do know of instances like this -- for example the track lengths on the jacket of Fleetwood Mac's "Future Games" are way off from the actual track lengths.

And if the original pressing of "Gray/Afro" is really 12:10 (or even 11:27!), how is it different from the 9+ minute Sundazed and Sony releases?

Thanks!


Hi, Joe.

I have the original Columbia LP, Sony Special Products CD, the Sundazed CD and ANDOARAGAIN 3CD box set.

The total time of "Grey/Afro" on the original Columbia LP runs exactly 9:36 -- from the first bass note to the point when it completely fades out into silence. I timed it because there are no time lengths listed on the album sleeve or labels.

I also had the Edsel CD in the late eighties/early nineties and if I recall correctly, "Grey/Afro" was the version closest to the Columbia LP version in terms of how it sounded as well as its length.

The timing of 11:27 for "Grey/Afro" is obviously in error for the simple reason that -- given that the Columbia version of "Grey/Afro" is 9:36 -- two minutes later, you're already halfway through the sprawling "This Time He Has Come" because this is the piece that runs for 4:42 directly after the fade out of "Grey/Afro."

The Sony Special Products version of "Grey/Afro" is also an oddity. It's missing the phasing on the drums, the drums aren't as prominent in the mix, and the vocals are far more up in the mix than on the Columbia LP. It also appears to have more reverb applied to all instruments, but that could be made more apparent because of how loud it was mastered.

The Sundazed CD and ANDOARAGAIN versions of "Grey/Afro" are exactly the same and run at 9:38. The remastering has more clarity and the phasing on the drums is reinstated.

Technical notes aside...what an album, eh?
In reply to:
Question on original 1969 pressing of Alexander Skip Spence's "Oar" (Joe Kenney)		 Replies:
Re: Question on original 1969 pressing of Alexander Skip Spence's "Oar" (Sounder)
Re: Question on original 1969 pressing of Alexander Skip Spence's "Oar" (Popel Vooje)
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