''Marjory Razorblade'' is a

double Double, The Double or Dubble may refer to: Mathematics and computing * Multiplication by 2 * Double precision, a floating-point representation of numbers that is typically 64 bits in length * A double number of the form x+yj, where j^2=+1 * A ...

- LP by English rock singer Kevin Coyne and was one of the earliest releases on

Virgin Records Virgin Records is a British record label owned by Universal Music Group. They were originally founded as a British independent record label in 1972 by entrepreneurs Richard Branson, Simon Draper, Nik Powell, and musician Tom Newman (musician), ...

, 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 a British-born singer, songwriter, author, and television personality. He was the lead vocalist of the punk rock band the Sex Pistols, which was ...

(aka Johnny Rotten) at the height of the

Sex Pistols The Sex Pistols are an English punk rock band formed in London in 1975. Although their initial career lasted just two and a half years, they became culturally influential in popular music. The band initiated the punk movement in the United Ki ...

notoriety on the

Capital Radio Capital London is an Independent Local Radio station owned and operated by Global Media & Entertainment as part of its national Capital (radio network), Capital Network. As Capital Radio it was launched in the London area in 1973 as one of Bri ...

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, Franks asked Bubbles to do the layout of the sleeve, and lettering, to show his photographs as he himself printed them, i.e.: 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 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 influential music critics, he began his career in the late 1960s as one of the earliest professional rock critics and later became a ...

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 musician. He is known as the lead singer and one of the founder members of The Rolling Stones. Jagger has co-written most of the band's songs with lead guitarist Keith Richards; Jagge ...
sound like Anthony Newley, 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 The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is a British public service broadcaster headquartered at Broadcasting House in London, England. Originally established in 1922 as the British Broadcasting Company, it evolved into its current sta ...

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 (, ; literally "small mandola") is a Chordophone, stringed musical instrument in the lute family and is generally Plucked string instrument, plucked with a plectrum, pick. It most commonly has four Course (music), courses of doubled St ...

* Dave Clague – guitar, acoustic guitar * Jean Roussel – piano, keyboards * Tony Cousins – bass,

tuba The tuba (; ) is the largest and lowest-pitched musical instrument in the brass instrument, brass family. As with all brass instruments, the sound is produced by lip vibrationa buzzinto a mouthpiece (brass), mouthpiece. It first appeared in th ...

* 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 synthesiser or synth) 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 – sleeve artwork and logo * Phil Franks – Design/Photography

References

External links

Kevin Coyne – House On The Hill
(live at

TV Studios) reproduced at

YouTube YouTube is an American social media and online video sharing platform owned by Google. YouTube was founded on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim who were three former employees of PayPal. Headquartered in ...

Kevin Coyne – I Want My Crown
(live at

TV Studios) reproduced at

{{Authority control 1973 albums Kevin Coyne albums Virgin Records albums