Sold Date: November 20, 2023
Start Date: November 15, 2023
Final Price: $60.00 (USD)
Seller Feedback: 2350
Buyer Feedback: 0

Metal Machine Music (subtitled *The Amine β Ring) is the fifth studio album by American rock musician Lou Reed. It was released as a double album in July of 1975 by RCA Records, but taken off the market three weeks later. A radical departure from the rest of his catalog, the Metal Machine Music album features no songs or recognizably structured compositions, eschewing melody and rhythm for modulated feedback and noise music guitar effects, mixed at varying speeds by Reed. The album cost Reed's reputation in the music industry while simultaneously opening the door for some of his later, more experimental material and has generally been panned by critics since its release.

Up for grabs here is an original 1st Indianapolis pressing in the original gatefold cover.  The vinyl on all four sides is Near Mint [NM].  The cover has ring wear on front and back and a scrap on the back near Lou's shoulder (see picture). Otherwise, not bad.  Rating: Very Good Plus [VG+].  Both inner sleeves, which appear to be orginal although only plain, are also in Very Good Plus [VG+] condition.

FUN FACT:  Disc one has side A and D, while disc two has sides B and C.  In the old days, record players came with (or could be switched to) a tall spindle so that both records could be placed on at the same time.  Side A would play, then side B would drop down and play.  When done, you flipped both discs together to listen to sides C and D in that order.

Notes

"I" stamped in runouts denotes RCA Records Pressing Plant, Indianapolis, pressing. Remainder of runouts mostly etched, mastering/plating stamped.

Issued in RCA gatefold jacket. Issued RCA Victor labels.

On labels, front cover: "An Electronic Instrumental Composition"

Auto-coupled release, disc 1 has sides A/D; disc 2 has sides B/C. Side D ends in a locked groove, label states: 16:01 or ∞.

© 1975, RCA Records (...) Printed in U.S.A.

Made in U.S.A.
℗ 1975 RCA Records

Text on the sleeve:
"SPECIFICATIONS
Sony 1/2 track
Uher 1/4 track
Pioneer 1/4 track
5 piggyback Marshall Tube Amps in series
Arbitor distortor (Jimi's)
Marantz Preamps
Marantz Amps
Altec Voice of America Monitor Speakers
Sennheiser Headphones
Drone cognizance and harmonic possibilities vis a vis Lamont Young's Dream Music
Rock orientation, melodically disguised, i.e. drag
Avoidance of any type of atonality.
Electro-Voice high filter microphones
Fender Tremolo Unit
Sunn Tremolo Unit
Ring Modulator/Octave Relay Jump
Fender Dual Showman Bass Amp with Reverb Unit (Pre-Columbia) white
No Synthesizers
No Arp
No Instruments?
--10 db + 57db
--20 hz--+30,000 hz
--12 hz--+28,000 hz
Distortion 0.02 bass and treble ceilings
Combinations and Permutations built upon constant harmonic Density Increase and Melodic Distractions.
STRICT STEREO SEPARATION
No panning
No phasing
No"

Special thanks to Bob Ludwig

Barcode and Other Identifiers

·         Rights Society: BMI

·         Price Code (On spine): 0798

·         Matrix / Runout (Side A label): CPL2-1101-1-A

·         Matrix / Runout (Side B label): CPL2-1101-2-B

·         Matrix / Runout (Side C label): CPL2-1101-2-C

·         Matrix / Runout (Side D label): CPL2-1101-1-D

·         Matrix / Runout (Side A runout, variant 1): CPL-2-1101-A-1 STERLING I A2

·         Matrix / Runout (Side B runout, variant 1): CPL-2-1101-B-1 I A1

·         Matrix / Runout (Side C runout, variant 1): CPL-2-1101-C-1 I A1

·         Matrix / Runout (Side D runout, variant 1): CPL-2-1101-D-1 RL STERLING I A1

·         Matrix / Runout (Side A runout, variant 2): CPL-2-1101-A-1 STERLING I A1

·         Matrix / Runout (Side B runout, variant 2): CPL-2-1101-B-1 I A1

·         Matrix / Runout (Side C runout, variant 2): CPL-2-1101-C-1 I A1

·         Matrix / Runout (Side D runout, variant 2): CPL-2-1101-D-1 RL STERLING I A1

ENJOY!