Alexander Spence – Oar

According to several articles and the acid archives book an order of only 2000 pressed was put in to the pressing plants. Only 600 of the 2000 sold at that time leading to the worst selling lp in Columbia label history. Such a shame as this stands as a loner acid psych masterpiece in my opinion. The first press has excellent transparency and balance with skips vocals dead center in the mix. Do yourself a favor and seek out a clean original to own a piece of history and an analog wonder. It’s really that good - soundstage and pressing quality.

this is a phenomenal sounding pressing. I can't imagine the OG sounding any better. It certainly kicks MOV's ass. This sounds like a super hot stamper to me. Just full of presence. Incredible.

This pressing sounds absolutely phenomenal. Can't compare to originals but if you're reading this it's more than worthy of picking up

I bought this reissue in the mid ‘90’s - it was the only version available at the time and only though reading the sleeve notes did I become aware that it had been remixed. I picked up the Edsel reissue (in which CBS sent over a copy of the tape to Edsel and is the original mix) about 15 years later. I really like both versions. The remix sounds like a Beck album! “Oar” has obviously been a big influence on Beck and I’m betting it was the remix that Beck heard. It’s definitely worth picking up a copy of this remix if you love the album and compare it to the Edsel or Sundazed reissues. The remix has slightly extended endings on some songs which the other reissues don’t have. Recommended.

I never had this album before but this pressing is great for my ears. Dynamic and truly vintage sound. No surface noise or other flaws whatsoever.

From an ex-Moby Grape founder, this collection is a major disappointment. The fact that this was released on a major label like Columbia is baffling. This tape of demos was released without Spence's approval in an attempt to capitalize on his mental health issues -- and it (deservedly) was a commercial failure. That's not surprising, considering that most of the songs here, like "Margaret - Tiger Rug," or "Lawrence Of Euphoria," make for pretty irritating listening. The best track is without a doubt "Little Hands," which is the only thing saving this from a 1-star review. If the whole album were as good as that intro, this would be a 5-star masterpiece, but it's unfortunately not even close. "War In Peace" is spacey, but I can't help but feel like that's only because of the major-label production, and for me it just drones on too long. The Sundazed CD is from tapes and has good quality; it sounds very close to the original LP, minus the noise and inner groove distortion. There's also a remix CD out there from the early '90s, so you can search that out if so desired.

This reissue on Edsel (cd) sounds fantastic, perhaps a little hiss, it is not a remastered version, but it is the original mix. I think Sony sent over a safety copy of the master tapes which was the common practice in those days. The reissue on Sundazed is a very good remix or reconstruction of the original. All Edsel reissues from the early ‘80’s to the mid ‘90’s are safety copies of master tapes . Recommended.

Nice pressing in of sound quality, but it seems they chopped off the last 2 or 3 minutes of Grey/Afro where it ends abruptly right before he starts to sing "...this time he has come...". I can't be sure why they would mess with the album like that. This is especially disappointing because Grey/Afro is one of my favorite songs.

For years, I owned the Sony and Sundazed reissues. Then last year I purchased the three-disc barrel scraping exercise. I landed this disc and I realize that it is really all the Oar I need. Original mix, no re-edits, the album as it was originally intended except for that 50 seconds of silence at the beginning of the first track. I've read on certain forums that this Edsel release has poor sound quality compared to the Sundazed. However, I can tell you that after some aggressive A/B'ing I'd be hard pressed to tell the difference between the two.
As stated, this is the only CD issue that presents the album as originally released. The Sony CD was a remix, the Sundazed and "AndOarAgain" (yuck, that hurt to type) releases created a Frankenstein of the last track to segue into another song.
Most sane people will find this to be all the Oar they need. And it sounds great. Just beware that lengthy silence that kicks off the CD.

Very nice Dutch original with a fully laminated sleeve and stunning sound, this is the original press to go for in my opinion.