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''Marjory Razorblade'' is a
double A double is a look-alike or doppelgänger; one person or being that resembles another. Double, The Double or Dubble may also refer to: Film and television * Double (filmmaking), someone who substitutes for the credited actor of a character * ...
- LP by English rock singer Kevin Coyne and was one of the earliest releases on
Virgin Records Virgin Records is a record label owned by Universal Music Group. It originally founded as a British independent record label in 1972 by entrepreneurs Richard Branson, Simon Draper, Nik Powell, and musician Tom Newman. It grew to be a world ...
, which had launched four months earlier in June 1973. The double album includes the song "Marlene", which was issued as a single, and "Eastbourne Ladies", which was featured among the selection of tracks played by
John Lydon John Joseph Lydon (; born 31 January 1956), also known by his former stage name Johnny Rotten, is an English singer and songwriter. He was the lead singer of the late-1970s punk rock, punk band the Sex Pistols, which lasted from 1975 until 197 ...
(aka Johnny Rotten) at the height of the
Sex Pistols The Sex Pistols were an English punk rock band formed in London in 1975. Although their initial career lasted just two and a half years, they were one of the most groundbreaking acts in the history of popular music. They were responsible for ...
notoriety on the
Capital Radio Capital London is a radio station owned and operated by the Global media company as part of its national Capital FM Network. As Capital Radio it was launched in the London area in 1973 as one of Britain's first two commercial radio stations. ...
show ''A Punk & His Music'', broadcast in London in the summer of 1977.


Cover artwork

The gatefold album sleeve was designed by photographer Phil Franks who was commissioned by Virgin Records. A long time friend and collaborator of prominent graphic artist
Barney Bubbles Barney Bubbles (born Colin Fulcher; 30 July 1942 – 14 November 1983) was an English graphic artist whose work encompassed graphic design and music video direction. Bubbles, who also sketched and painted privately, is best known for his distinc ...
, Franks asked Bubbles to do the layout of the sleeve, and lettering, to show his photographs as he himself printed them, ie: without cropping and within black borders. Bubbles also designed the distinctive logo carrying the album title and artist name, though was content not to receive a credit himself.


Other releases

The record was also released, as a single LP, in the US (Virgin VR 13–106) with a truncated track listing of: "Eastbourne Ladies", "Old Soldier", "Marlene", "Everybody Says", "Lovesick Fool", "House On The Hill", "Nasty", "Talking To No One", "Dog Latin", "I Want My Crown" and "Marjory Razorblade". In 2010 the album was re-released in Europe by Virgin and EMI, as a double CD, (Virgin VDR 2501, EMI VDR 2501), with 24-bit
digital remastering Remaster refers to changing the quality of the sound or of the image, or both, of previously created recordings, either audiophonic, cinematic, or videographic. The terms digital remastering and digitally remastered are also used. Mastering A ...
at The Audio Archiving Company and with 16 bonus tracks.


Reception

Awarding the album a B+,
Robert Christgau Robert Thomas Christgau ( ; born April 18, 1942) is an American music journalist and essayist. Among the most well-known and influential music critics, he began his career in the late 1960s as one of the earliest professional rock critics and ...
wrote:
Another British eccentric with a voice scratchy and wavery enough to make
Mick Jagger Sir Michael Philip Jagger (born 26 July 1943) is an English singer and songwriter who has achieved international fame as the lead vocalist and one of the founder members of the rock band the Rolling Stones. His ongoing songwriting partnershi ...
sound like
Anthony Newley Anthony Newley (24 September 1931 – 14 April 1999) was an English actor, singer, songwriter, and filmmaker. A "latter-day British Al Jolson", he achieved widespread success in song, and on stage and screen. "One of Broadway's greatest leadin ...
, only this one can write songs. The annoying kid-stuff tone of the perversity here purveyed is redeemed by the fact that there isn't a chance it will sell, not even with the Brit double-LP condensed down to one. Also, "House on the Hill" is as convincing a madman's song as I know."
Reviewing the album for the BBC in 2010, Mike Diver described the album as "a synthesis of individual ability into one effective, enchanting end product."


Track listing

All tracks composed by Kevin Coyne except where indicated. ;Side 1 # "Marjory Razorblade" – 1:42 # "Marlene" – 2:37 # "Talking to No One" – 2:25 # "Eastbourne Ladies" – 5:43 # "Old Soldier" – 3:45 ;Side 2 #
  • "I Want My Crown" (traditional) – 4:10 # "Nasty" – 4:45 # "Lonesome Valley" ( A. P. Carter) – 3:45 # "House on the Hill" – 4:53 # "Cheat Me" - 3:45 ;Side 3 #
  • "Jackie and Edna" – 4:05 # "Everybody Says" – 4:24 # "Mummy" – 4:10 # "Heaven in My View" (A. P. Carter) – 3:16 # "Karate King" – 3:18 ;Side 4 #
  • "Dog Latin" – 4:55 # "This Is Spain" – 2:10 # "Chairman's Ball" – 3:15 # "Good Boy" – 2:38 # "Chicken Wing" – 4:23


    Personnel


    Musicians

    * Kevin Coyne – vocals, guitar * Gordon Smith – guitar,
    mandolin A mandolin ( it, mandolino ; literally "small mandola") is a stringed musical instrument in the lute family and is generally plucked with a pick. It most commonly has four courses of doubled strings tuned in unison, thus giving a total of ...
    * Dave Clague – guitar, acoustic guitar *
    Jean Roussel Jean Alain Roussel (born 1951 in Port Louis, Mauritius) is a Musician, Composer, Record Producer, Arranger, Educator and 'Music and Life Coach'. He is best known for keyboard work from the 1970s through today, playing regularly with Cat Stev ...
    – piano, keyboards * Tony Cousins – bass,
    tuba The tuba (; ) is the lowest-pitched musical instrument in the brass family. As with all brass instruments, the sound is produced by lip vibrationa buzzinto a mouthpiece. It first appeared in the mid-19th century, making it one of the ne ...
    * Chili Charles – drums,
    conga The conga, also known as tumbadora, is a tall, narrow, single-headed drum from Cuba. Congas are staved like barrels and classified into three types: quinto (lead drum, highest), tres dos or tres golpes (middle), and tumba or salidor (lowest) ...
    s * Steve Verroca – acoustic case and piano * Malcom Healey –
    synthesizer A synthesizer (also spelled synthesiser) is an electronic musical instrument that generates audio signals. Synthesizers typically create sounds by generating waveforms through methods including subtractive synthesis, additive synthesis a ...
    * Ed DeGenaro – guitar


    Technical

    * Steve Verroca – producer * Tom Newman, Phil Newell – engineers * Simon Heyworth – mixing * Alan Corbeth – mastering *
    Barney Bubbles Barney Bubbles (born Colin Fulcher; 30 July 1942 – 14 November 1983) was an English graphic artist whose work encompassed graphic design and music video direction. Bubbles, who also sketched and painted privately, is best known for his distinc ...
    – sleeve artwork and logo * Phil Franks – Design/Photography


    References


    External links


    Kevin Coyne – House On The Hill
    (live at BBC TV Studios) reproduced at
    YouTube YouTube is a global online video sharing and social media platform headquartered in San Bruno, California. It was launched on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim. It is owned by Google, and is the second mo ...

    Kevin Coyne – I Want My Crown
    (live at BBC TV Studios) reproduced at
    YouTube YouTube is a global online video sharing and social media platform headquartered in San Bruno, California. It was launched on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim. It is owned by Google, and is the second mo ...
    {{Authority control 1973 albums Kevin Coyne albums Virgin Records albums