Cranes, "Forever" 1993 UK 1st Pressing--SEALED

$

89

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 (see separate listed).  The second LP, from 1993 (this 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 beneath 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.
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 that never came.)
Now, as for essence of "Forever," here is a fine review from Ned Raggett of AllMusic:
"Bookended by two tracks that essentially are the same piece -- "Everywhere," a quicker, almost dancy number that still sounds uniquely Cranes, and the slower, stripped-down "Rainbows" -- Forever finds Cranes moving from strength to strength. Having reached a new level of variety and elegant restraint combined with brusque power on Wings of Joy, the foursome continued exploring such combinations on Forever without simply rehashing the previous album. If anything, the album went to extremes in both directions -- the quieter moments were even more hushed and shadowed, the louder points all that much more whip-snap cruel. "Cloudless" remains the album's most sweetly beautiful, truly haunting moment. Over what sounds like a synthesized combination of plucked violin and keyboards, doubtless played by Jim Shaw, sister Alison delivers a softly husky vocal that slowly grows in strength. More synth strings swell up in the background, just enough, followed later by gentle electric guitar and at the end distant drums. On a completely different tip, there's "Clear," its searing, blunt lead guitar line matched by a massive rhythm slam, only occasionally interrupted by a quieter moment or two before launching back into the full band attack. "Jewel" ended up being a surprise U.K. and U.S. hit, though thanks to a somewhat transformed remix courtesy of longtime fan Robert Smith (in fact, Forever takes its name from a Cure rarity of the same title). On the album, Jim Shaw's original rougher drums stand out, but the attractive poppy groove of the song remains the same, Alison Shaw's singing at her clearest yet over the simple but effective acoustic guitar rhythms and abrasive electric solo. Other highlights include the minimal piano-led "Far Away," with some of Alison's best vocals; the narcotic guitar chime of "Golden"; and the dramatic, blasting surge of "Adrift." 
...Okay, there it is.  If you're a fan of "Forever" looking for the absolute best vinyl copy, you know what to do...
May every day bring you big doses of ear pleasing music!  Dr. John