Anyway, I have a movie of it in my head now. Each track brings up mood and imagined images. It has a sad scent to it but it is much more then a set of individual songs to me.
Released in 2004, it's an alternative reality document. The CD has notes on each track and the wikipedia page summarises them nicely: The story of a soldier in a right wing American army in an American civil war set around now. It traces the path of his disillusion and desertion to the rebels. It doesn't hit you over the head with it's narrative but most concept LPs implied the story too. The notes though are frank about the story, so yeah, it's a true concept LP.
I've been listening to it around 3 months now. I really really like CVB's earlier "My Beloved Revolutionary Sweetheart" which would work as a title for this LP, but I think "New Roman Times" is wicked clever. It pulls in art references from all over too, David Lynch and Steve Reich for example.
On listening to LPs. (6: New Roman Times)
... and it's great. It worked. A CD not an actual LP so no track shuffling allowed, start at the start and listen to the end. Since it's on CD the side 1 / side 2 change sometimes used for contrast is missing (eg: Bowie's Low) but that seems fine as this work is one long uninterrupted story.
On listening to LPs. (5: They Always Bring me Flower But No Intelligence)
Get a rare new LP: Put on one side, leave it on auto-repeat then the other side until each note and lyric is in deep memory. Tracks give context to the next; loud then soft. Sorrowful then ecstatic. This is all framing from the artist and concept LPs made the most of this.
I liked that want it again: find a concept LP and listen the heck out of it like I only had 5 records and that was my fav'. I chose "New Roman Times".
On listening to LPs. (4: I Would Die for Hippy Chicks)
... but LPS. The art work, the liner notes the tracks you might never hear otherwise. They were expensive, costing a good part of a days wage. Getting a new LP was not something you did often and had to be the right one and guarded from light fingered visitors. I have quite a few (from second hand shops) with owners names in felt tip on the label and cover to stop that sort of thing. Having 20 or more LPs was noteworthy. You might be cool.
On listening to LPs. (3: Come Out to Show Them)
Tapes held an LP but LP artwork was better, audio was worse, wore out and you had to FF to hear a track. An, LP just drop the needle to the track. OTOH if a cassette sucked you could tape over it. DJs were often allowed to program content. I spent hours, finger on the pause button listening to Barry Jenkin who in the late 1970s championed punk etc. I built a radio with antenna long enough to get static shocks for that show. Still have some tapes.
On listening to LPs. (2: The Bats Flew Out, Dark in the Sky)
45s were the cheapest and if you really liked a song they were great. The B side could be a treat as the promo dept might put something a bit more adventurous on it. One song a side so you'd get the same song with a pause while the record player moved the needle back until you took it off. There were stackers where you'd put a brimful on and it would drop one at a time down and play it then drop the next. I have one but hardly use it.
On listening to LPs. (1: That Gum You Like is Back in Style)
While I was young, 1970s, LPs were the authoritative way of hearing music. Radio played stuff that was rarely interesting on account of trying to please everyone and offend none and acted as filter that only the mediocre passed with occasional freak outliers. This content was called "middle of the road" and the stations agreed. If you wanted to hear something else then 45 singles, cassette tapes and LPs could be brought. So there.
#LPWhile remembering Judith (yeah, yeah, I know she isn't actually pushing up daisies) let us remember this one of the best moments on twitter ever
#NZPol
Foxes