⭐ Official Review [Album]: "OFFERING"/"TICKET TO RIDE" (SP-4205)

How Would You Rate This Album?

  • ***** (Best)

    Votes: 18 23.1%
  • ****

    Votes: 25 32.1%
  • ***

    Votes: 23 29.5%
  • **

    Votes: 10 12.8%
  • *

    Votes: 2 2.6%

  • Total voters
    78
Look at the resource page for OFFERING. Pics are all there.

 
A few ads here from the L.A. Times, November 1969.
Interesting to see what other A&M releases were out there at the time (listened to a few bits of the Electronic Hair Pieces album, awesome stuff! :cool: ).
Also interesting to see a "retouched" version of the cover, which almost had me thinking that perhaps another layout was used a 4-track tape release or cassette (if these actually exist??). I guess they just wanted people to see the title and label clear enough on the "thumbnail"?

A&M Albums in L.A. Times, November 2nd, 1969

Ad in L.A. Times, November 13, 1969

Ad for Discount Record Center Stores (retouched cover) in L.A. Times, November 30, 1969


And here's a review from early 1970:

Review in the Journal And Courier (Lafayette), February 27, 1970 (that date though!! :D )


Personal standouts from their debut album are without a doubt "All I Can Do" (love Karen's jazzy drumming, their harmonies and the 5/4 beat), but also "Clancy" (very nice vocals from Richard plus his awesome Wurlitzer solo at the end), "Invocation" (love those harmonies, Karen's falsetto voice works really well for this nearly-medieval sounding piece), "Someday" (just lovely, like a dream :love:), "All Of My Life" (Karen on bass :love:).

Other pleasant tracks for me are "Get together" (I actually like the psychedelic effects with the faders in the verses, especially with Karen's voice added), "Turn away" (love Karen's "wah pah papa padahh.." and the tempo changes), "What's the use" (classic line: "Lying around here on the ground is as close to getting up as I can go" :D) and "Your Wonderful Parade" (although I sometimes skip the intro - sorry Richard!) and the shorter single version of "Ticket To Ride".

Greg, listening to the Ticket To Ride UK cassette (greenish plastic) now :phones:
 
These are fun reads, thanks for sharing.

In the first listed review, the article goes on to discuss another new artist, female - and says "a pretty gal"...oh my, how times have changed :rolleyes:
My pleasure :)
Fun indeed to see the way people wrote or spoke back then. Listening to a lot of radioshows from late 1969 to early 1970, hoping to find one that played "Ticket To Ride" (CKLW from Detroit is on now) :phones:
 
I went back to the Offering thread. We are talking it up on the A Song For You one. I was going through my collection and noticed that one of my copies is pressed like it should have a second record inside. A double slot sleeve. I’ve never seen that before. It does not fold open. The front cover is only good. Two small tears on bottom step, otherwise looks great. It’s much thicker than the standard covers. Has anyone seen this on something they have in their library? Just a pressing error I’m guessing? Harry or Rudy? Anyone else? Thanks.
 
Well, I've seen something slightly similar. It's a promo/test pressing of the Pablo Cruise LIFELINE album. There's a cover slick on thin cardboard wrapped around and stapled to the back, but left as a sort of gatefold on the front. Inside this gatefold, they've taped some album credits.
 
I was fortunate enough to have found a copy of Offering maybe 10 years ago? My parents bought it for me as a gift for about $100 at a record store in either Los Angeles or Las Vegas. (I can't remember at this point!)

I mailed the cardboard jacket to Richard and he signed and dated it. I still have the letter from the person who I assume was his assistant, and they wrote that Richard was pleasantly surprised to see a cover of Offering in such pristine condition. I'll have to go and find it... I had totally forgotten about it until now.
 
I bought a pristine copy of Offering about 8 years ago and only just had the opportunity to play it the other night on my newly-acquired vintage hifi system and turntable. I was over the moon to hear it has almost zero pops, crackles or other surface noise. It sounds amazing on vinyl, so much more ambiance than CD.
 
I would love to know what phono stylus you'd recommend! I have lots of Carpenters records in pristine or good condition, but unfortunately I experience a lot of sibilance (cracking/harsh "s" + "sh" sounds). My quad Singles 1969-1973 has a lot of sibilance in "Goodbye to Love" (esp. "but for now this is my song").

I hope one day to experience that mint Offering vinyl like you did! (I also have the reel-to-reel tape for Ticket to Ride, which is really really nice.)
 
Depends on how good your turntable is, and how much you want to spend. The Ortofon 2MM Blue is good start. Won’t break the bank. If your quad is SQ format, that will work. If it’s a CD-4 version, then a shibata tipped stylus is best. The 2MM Black will set you back quite a bit. The sound is amazing, but the stylus is unforgiving if the vinyl is bad or worn. It doesn’t miss a flaw. Best to google several sites for ratings, and reviews to find the right cartridge for you, and your budget.
 
Oh my, I forgot to take pictures of my "Offering" disc! I will be sure to do so soon.

The real reason why I'm posting is that I pulled out my reel-to-reel deck and am digitizing Ticket to Ride (7.5 ips). Sounds great, and imho very dynamic. Songs like "Someday" sound really soft when the parts are soft, loud and in-your-face when the song crescendos. Would love to share with someone after I'm done; feel free to DM. I plan on using the "Ticket to Ride" version on this tape for my next upload, which will be "Ticket to Ride" from the YOM DVD (from the "Something Else" TV show).
 
Here's my signed copy of "Offering." Loved the letter from Ms. Karkafi. It was such a beautiful touch. Btw, do you think Richard wrote "Aloha!" on the envelope? Or was that someone else? :)



 
Nice. The autograph on yours is much nicer than mine. The sharpie I had came out very light. He was kind of hesitant to sign. Thought it would ruin the cover. Lol
The sheet music for GDBY2LV looks better. Thanks for sharing. Your copy looks very clean.
 
Nice. The autograph on yours is much nicer than mine. The sharpie I had came out very light. He was kind of hesitant to sign. Thought it would ruin the cover. Lol
The sheet music for GDBY2LV looks better. Thanks for sharing. Your copy looks very clean.
I don't even remember how I shipped the record to him, to be honest! All I remember is that, probably toward the end of 2008, (I was 15) I was in Las Vegas I think, and was at a higher-end record store with only records in pretty good condition and only pretty rare records, and I immediately saw "Offering" and begged my parents to buy it. They acquiesced :) and then somehow we mailed the record to Richard (maybe even from Las Vegas, with my Hawaii return address), and he signed it!
 
I listened to the reel-to-reel tape transfer with my AirPods. I don't think my deck is calibrated well, but if you want to get the general idea, feel free to download the WAV files here:


I also had kind of a stunning realization just now. I have a strong hunch that the album version of "Ticket to Ride" cuts piano takes between the nice intro and "I think I'm gonna be sad..." I *believe* that this reel-to-reel version, which contains what I believe is a stereo mix of "the single version," is how "Ticket to Ride" sounded before a piano intro was later added. I should note that, upon comparing to the CD version, the reel-to-reel version of "Ticket to Ride" seems to be in reverse stereo (left channel on the right, and vice versa).

In any case, I hope you enjoy the WAVs. I plan on making a "Ticket to Ride" video soon with the WAV file of my tape. Original transfer was in Audacity at 32-bit float, 96000 Hz. WAVs were untouched and exported at 16/44.1 (CD redbook).

Enjoy :)
 
Probably going to be an unpopular opinion, given what I’ve read in the forums, but the reel-to-reel version of “Ticket to Ride” is hands-down my favorite. I hate to be *that person* but the 1973 remix to me is a little too polished/sweetened. On the other hand, all of the other 1969 mixes I’ve heard sound too heavy. I feel like the reel-to-reel version overall has a nice, warm sound.
 
While I'll agree that the 1969 "Ticket To Ride" is something special because it's the original, I'll have to disagree about the reel-to-reel, only because of the vagaries of the tape format.

Too much phasing - too much hiss - too much channel imbalance.
 
While I'll agree that the 1969 "Ticket To Ride" is something special because it's the original, I'll have to disagree about the reel-to-reel, only because of the vagaries of the tape format.

Too much phasing - too much hiss - too much channel imbalance.
I do agree, the phasing was the first thing I noticed but was wondering if that’s the result of a poorly calibrated deck
 
My tape deck was poorly-calibrated. Working on improving the sound quality now! I'm kind of blown away by how good it sounds now compared to before actually.
 
Question for anyone who knows… what is “Rebound Records,” and is that CD pressing any good?
 
Question for anyone who knows… what is “Rebound Records,” and is that CD pressing any good?
Rebound was like Camden for RCA in the olden days. It's budget A&M. I have a Chuck Mangione "Fun & Games" from them and it sounds really good.

Ed
 
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