Cranes, "Loved" 1994 UK 1st Vinyl Release--SEALED

$

113

It's Cranes WEEK here at Dr. John's Spin Factory.  You will find not one but two highly rated and critically regarded Cranes' albums up for sale in the Spin Factory.  The first is "Loved," from 1994.  The second LP, from 1993 (see separate listing) is "forever."  The very good news for those seeking the best sound and vinyl quality, both of these discs are UK 1st pressing originals and both are SEALED.  However, in both cases I need to clarify the meaning of "sealed."  Here's the deal: In the 1990s new vinyl records made and sold in the UK and Europe were not shrink wrapped.  In those days record stores 'across the pond' would remove the discs from their jackets, shelve the discs behind the counter, and put the jackets out on display for customers to handle, read, and possibly drool over.  So what did a store such as "The Vinyl Solution" in Grand Rapids Michigan, where I purchased both of these Cranes albums (and a good many other imported records) do to address the concerns of their American customers, long accustomed to new records being shrink wrapped?  They did what you see in the photos.  They placed their imported albums into plastic slip covers that had a fold over flap, which they then taped down.  Simple!  Some skeptics (cynics?) may point out that I could have removed the record from it's plastic slip cover, played it, then, at some later date, replaced the original slip cover with a new one complete with fresh tape.  Besides the fact that I would not do that (because, as Bruce Lee once put it, "When you lose your character, you lose everything"), I would draw your attention to two details (in the photos provided.) Detail #1: Notice that the price sticker on the front of the slip cover has a date on it, that being 10/05/94.  That 'sale' sticker, as well as the standard inventory sticker above it, were placed on this album by the staff at The Vinyl Solution in 1994.  So, if I have replaced the original slip cover with a new one, where did I get replacement stickers?  Because there is no way one could remove those stickers, reuse them, and not damage or destroy them.    Detail #2: Having purchased and played dozens of imported LPs from The Vinyl Solution, I can attest, and as he or she who buys this copy will discover, you simply cannot pull off the tape holding the flap in place without stretching--distorting the surface of--the plastic slipcover and the tape at least a little bit. (Note: I'll include a new, replacement slipcover with this record, though it will not have the flap as this one does.)  As a casual glance at the photos provided will verify, the slipcover is unspoiled, un-stretched, and has not been disturbed in any way, which it would have been had I removed (or even attempted to remove) the original tape. (Note: there are 9 or 10 small areas on the front of the plastic slipcover where just the plastic is damaged; however, the jacket underneath is not damaged.) 
So why, you may ask, did I never open and play these records?  It's not complicated.  It's rather simple, and, at this point in time, a bit embarrassing: These records remaining new and untouched for over 30 years is what happens when one is a graduate student who works more or less continuously (including most weekends) so that he can earn a Ph.D. and continue to buy lots and lots of vinyl records that he's sure he'll have the time to listen to...some day. (Then, after graduating, came a string of jobs all of the country... hence, the 'someday' day never came.)
Now, as for essence of "Loved," here is a fine review from Ned Raggett of AllMusic: "On the band's third major album, Cranes found themselves balancing more immediate accessibility with its own particular musical obsessions like never before. If nothing on the album was as immediately harrowing as much of the band's late-'80s/early-'90s work -- guitars and drums both were generally less forceful and out in front -- Loved was still a mysterious and artistic experience, effortlessly standing aside from prevailing music trends. The band's self-production skills continued to improve, evidenced by the sometimes elaborate arrangements; if the core of Cranes' music revolves around intentionally basic rhythms and melodies repeated as mantras, it's always been the focused delivery that puts everything together. Where things get more conventionally catchy, it's an interesting combination of brute electric power and hooky melody. "Pale Blue Sky" is a good example: A roiling band performance, slightly buried in the mix, kicks out the jams while Alison Shaw's much clearer singing traces a hummable lead melody. It's not power pop, but it's a change nonetheless. Lead single "Shining Road," with its quick, catchy pace, sets the tone for a fair number of the album's cuts like "Reverie" and "Beautiful Friend." If anything, there's something of Siouxsie and the Banshees' early-'80s work coming out in the brisk performances. "Paris and Rome" is the sleeper on the album, appearing towards the end. It's another in the line of beautifully orchestrated numbers like "Adoration" and "Cloudless," building towards a dramatic, evocative ending. Other weirdly pretty numbers include "Are You Gone?" and the piano-led, very Cocteau Twins-styled "In the Night." Three remixes appear on the American version of the album as bonus tracks. Two, Michael Brauer's take on "Shining Road" and Flood's revamp of "Lilies," come from the Shining Road EP, while the third is new, with Flood remixing "Paris and Rome." 
Okay, there it is.  If you're a fan of "Loved" looking for the absolute best vinyl copy, you know what to do...
May every day bring you much sweet, sweet music.  Dr. John