Oldfield and EP's

[William LeFebvre <phil@rice.edu>]

>From: hall%beta.DEC@decwrl.DEC.COM

> Some are different versions of tunes I like, some are tunes like
> Siouxsie and the Banshee's 'Cities in Dust' found only as a single,
> some are the only vinyl output from a band because they never got any
> farther (like my 4 song EP from Boston's Adventure Set, who re- cently
> broke up), and some represent the only vinyl output so far from an up
> and coming band (like Boston's Down Avenue, or O Positive).

Provided the "different versions" aren't substantially poor, then I
consider all these very good reasons to get EPs.  I've heard some
remixes that did not particularly appeal to me---at least not enough to
hassle with an EP.  But for music not available in any other form, the
EP is worth the hassle.  I was wondering if any of the Oldfield EPs
have new or different stuff on them.  I guess I really didn't make that
clear in my original posting.  The two negatives I see to EPs are (1)
the high ratio of vinyl inconevenience to playing time and (2) the
typically high ratio of price to playing time (I have always found this
ratio to be higher than for LPs---of course now I typically buy CDs,
which usually have a ratio higher than both, oh well).  Because of
this, I didn't want to buy an Oldfield EP just to hear stuff that I
already had.

> Another thing is that most (should be ALL) singles are recorded at 45 RPM,
> so they sound less noisy and are MUCH more dynamic than the album version.

Very true.  How do they compare with CDs?  I haven't bothered to check
yet (but PLEASE, no LP versus CD arguments on this list, too!).

> From your posting it sounded like you've gone through much trouble to
> track down some of the more obscure Oldfield albums.  It seems odd that
> a minor inconvenience would have you pass up other available music.

Well, I'm embarrased to say that I haven't really gone to all that much
trouble.  We have a record store locally that carries many imports and
other obscure things.  Finding "Incantations" was a fluke and I bought
it on a whim.  It turns out that I did the right thing!  The Oldfield
LP I had the most trouble finding was "Crises", and the CD I had the
most trouble with was "Discovery"---I finally mail ordered that one.
All the others were just there.  I'd go into the store and buy whatever
Oldfield I didn't have---I never spent much time visiting all the
stores looking for one specific album or anything.

> It seems odd that a minor inconvenience would have you pass up other
> available music.

The other inconvenience I haven't mentioned stems from an idiosyncrasy
of mine.  I tape all my albums and listen to the tapes.  It saves wear
on the album and provides the music in a much friendlier environment (I
won't even mention the number of albums I have destroyed with my
butterfingers---OUCH!).  Taping EPs is harder.  I suppose I could wait
until I have 60 or 90 minutes worth of EPs and put them all on one tape.

This probably seems like ramblings to most people.  Sorry about that.
Dan, you might be right.  I should probably seriously consider getting
some of the EPs.  At the time, they didn't seem like a good idea.  Now
of course, I can't afford them.  Perhaps when "money is no object"....

> Please don't take this as a flame - it isn't intended to be one.  Just
> wondering aloud.

I didn't.  Thanks for the insight.  It was instructive.

			William LeFebvre
			Department of Computer Science
			Rice University
			<phil@Rice.edu>