I received the LP yesterday on the other side of the world, so I guess it should be everywhere by now. LP feels quite a different beast compared to the CD as the track order is so different. Side 1 will probably be the most played and most accesible side of them all. There is no weak links, unless someone counts Cobalt Blue as a weak one. Inclusion of Anchorage as the 4th track feels great although I´ve used to that song being near the end. Side 2 starts so heavenly with Happenstance and continues as finely with Sunken Sun. LLC feels a bit out of place with it´s upbeat and should I say unmystical treatment sandwiched between Sunken Sun and the always majestical Operetta. I have no doubts that Operetta is my song of the year. Side 3 feels a bit mixed one with Lunar and Insanity in the middle. Space Saviour is one of the songs that I haven´t really warmed up to on this album. Saviour is okay in the middle of it but it´s not side closer. Maybe I´m just thinking in CD format now. Usually The Church-albums have distinct openers and closers but it can´t work here as there is need for 3 openers and 3 closers, 4th opener and closer is of course the same track. Songs have to work in a different way in LP format. Side 3 is perhaps the one that lacks a cohesive plot with 2 small strange songs in the beginning. Side 4 on the other hand definitely has a plot as it´s only one track. So Love May Find Us is the real gem here and it was made to occupy side 4 all on it´s own. I like the fact that they have made the LP so different than the CD. Usually the LP tries to replicate the CD track order in a faithful way but that sometimes makes irrational sequencing and too much empty space. There is something new here.

The discs are so solid and heavy slabs of black magic. I haven´t bought any new 2000´s vinyl yet and this is my first one. It feels like such a luxurious item and the covers are so great too. 3 photos of peeling paint, that´s all. The cover photo is used on the backcover too as a mirror image. Simple and timeless design and the gatefold format makes it so grand. One of the most beautiful The Church LP sleeves ever. Hindsight gatefold was brilliant too and there could have been a band photo here too...This will look good on your shelf, on the wall or whatever. Pure luxury, baby.

I hope Second motion didn´t make too much losses on the shipment of the LP. I paid only $10 for the shipment (+ $25 for the LP), which at the time felt too little for shipment from US to Europe. The package says that it has cost $15,95 to ship it. Oh-ou. Maybe it works inside the US to have it around $10 but too many european orders could make some dents to the profits. I promise to do some digital orders to make up for it! A big hand to Second Motion who made this beautiful thing available. They certainly have cooked more vinyl than the sad Cooking Vinyl could ever do during the whole period that the band was there. I have no doubt that it was quite a task to make this available. The result is magnificent and it will follow me for the rest of my life, no matter what new formats the music will be packaged in the future.

Last Edited By: chrome3D Jun 18 09 3:47 AM. Edited 4 times.