A few years ago I was able to get the expanded version of the CD. This is really good. In common with the comparable version of Unhalfbricking, and indeed Full House, it is a lurid pink CD, just like the original pink label on the LP, and includes pictures of both sides of the “Meet on the Ledge” single.
There are 3 excellent bonus tracks, being a BBC recording, “Throwaway Street Puzzle” (B side of Meet on the Ledge), and “Some Sweet Day”, which was going to be the single until they decided to switch to “Meet on the Ledge”. Moreover, these 3 flow on naturally from the end of the original tracks, in a way not usually found with bonus tracks.
There is of course also the booklet, full of “collectable item” pictures and photos, and much info. Of particular interest is the explanation of the cover. It seems the band did a gig at Essex University, where they had the use of a classroom as a dressing room. To fill in the time, they drew caricatures of the group members on the blackboard, which got added to, building up gradually an immensity of detail.
Then they went off and did the gig. A few days later, trying to think of how to package the new LP, they had the bright idea of using “that thing on the blackboard”. Joe Boyd rang the uni, and was delighted to find that this chalkwork had not been erased. He therefore rushed back to Essex, took the photo, and the rest, as they say, is history.
Comments