Hi all,

I'm starting to get a bit concerned about how many items are getting added to the site that aren't Mini-LPs in any way - someone just added a Gotan Project album and even states in the description that it isn't a Mini-LP. Shouldn't we be focusing just on Mini-LPs or items that are as close as to almost be ones (the European Peter Gabriel ones, for example)? Adding any album that comes in something other than a jewel case really unfocuses the site, in my opinion.

Exaclty, only mini lps. Not digipacks or cardboard sleeves in normal cd box size.

Fair enough....

Let's take stock before it goes too far. What do you think about the following?
http://www.minilps.net/digipaks-etc.html?bp_images=off

I included them for the following reasons (I'm not saying they should still be on the site):

Get Yer Ya-Ya's Out! / Comparison to mini LP format (I think it's referenced in the FAQ)

Before and After Science Lithographs / Not included in mini LP and I think it should've been)

Divinyls - Divinyls (comparion - one of the first things added to the site - I will delete)

Gotan Project - La Revancha Del Tango (1001 albums to die for)

(I did not add Coltrane or Who - I'm ok if they go - it is a fine line that perhaps we should not cross)

All comments welcome.

The way I see it, anything that can sit on a shelf alongside the japanese mini-lps and not look out of place should be on the site, as should anything that has been advertised as a Mini-LP but isn't (the European/US Peter Gabriel albums I mentioned before). So of that list, I'd say Coltrane is the only one that should be kept.

Then I guess Neil Young's Harvest DVD-A is out. It is only half a centimetre bigger than a regular Mini but it is bigger.

The following are without doubt minis but they look pretty odd on the shelf:
big weird Banco and
Curved Air Airconditioning

QUOTE:
... anything that has been advertised as a Mini-LP but isn't (the European/US Peter Gabriel albums I mentioned before).

I have not seen these - are they not minis? What do they look like, how big are they and how are the CDs housed?

I think is not about size, Not only Banco and Curved Air are bigger (in fact I have the Banco mini housed in the promo cover that is normal size) but also other like IF has lower size or Flower Travelling Band and Atomic Rooster have a bigger DU promo box because one mini of each has special cover size.

But we can´t include digipack in cardboard sleeve, I have a lot of these but I didn´t considere them mini lps. By example the Television ones that I have seen listed and auctioned sometimes as japanese mini lps, they aren´t and, in fact, they don´t reproduce exactly the original albums. In the same way we have some recent albums like the Arcade Fire "Funeral" or the excelent Renascent UK rereleases for The Sound or Comsat Angels. But aren´t mini lps, are jewel box sized in cardboard sleeve.

I think that we can´t include digipacks of any kind, style or material.

I have included myself a rare minilp, the PIL Metal Box, I did because is a reproduction of the original one in cd size, and it can´t be in other size, so for me fits here.

PIL is fine - it's a replica and that's what I reckon is important. With that rule (ie. replica), Brian Eno's Thursday Afternoon should not be included because it was never (as far as I know) released on vinyl. One of the "concepts" of the album is that it's a continuous 61 minute piece - therefore could never seriously be released on vinyl (unless of course you had two turntables synchronised perfectly - but then I guess Eno would argue they would rarely be perfectly synchronised and that would become part of the whole concept etc etc etc).

Anyway, the Coltrane album mentioned in this thread is exactly the same dimensions as Gotan Project (which is part of the reason I thought Gotan qualified). The only difference is Coltrane has a replica cover inside the jewel case sized exterior (ie. same as the The Who digipak).

On the strength of that I argue that Gotan Project is closer to a replica than either The Who or Coltrane "My Favorite Things" (and I'm happy to have all 3 removed from the site on that basis).

Whadjareckon?

An album that was never on CD and yet has been released in a series of Mini-LPs absolutely should be kept - it's a Mini-LP, not necessarily an LP reproduction if you see what I mean. Anything of the standard size should be included.

If the Coltrane one isn't the right dimensions then yes, it should go too. It's hard to tell from the pictures sometimes.

As for albums that can't possibly fit the dimensions of a Mini-LP, they too should stay as long as they're genuine reproductions (XTC's Black Sea, the later Zappa albums that came in boxes..)

The Peter Gabriel ones were in a cardboard sleeve but it was a touch too small and was not a reproduction - they were all gatefold, and the designs were different. That's still worthy of being on the site because they're regularly referred to as a Mini-LP.


As a rule, I would say that in order to be on the site the item should meet one of the following criteria:

a) if it's a standard Mini-LP (obviously).
b) if it's an LP reproduction that can't fit the restrictions of the standard size.
c) if it's regularly advertised as a mini-LP on eBay and we're setting the record straight

Actually that's another thing - "1001 albums to hear before you die" isn't about Japanese Mini-LPs, even if some of them have been released on Mini-LP. If it's a list based on a set of Mini-LP releases however (ie. the Impulse Top 50 series) then that's logical to include.

Only one (divided in two halves) list is mini lps related, the one from Strange Days Magazine #100 and #101. And it was the reason to create the lists.

But the reason to include the rest of list (still more to come) are to serve as guide to know what albums from these list that some people use as reference are already published in mini lp format. That´s all.

Also for new site members or new guest starting as mini collectors the list serves to know only watching a page what mayor artist or band have received the mini lp treatment.

I don´t agree with these list. In my 10, 100, 500 or 1001 list there is no place for Beatles or Queen, by example. Not even in my 2000 list. But this is about collecting minis and all these list exist in books or magazines. They aren´t the Bible or the Coran for the believers (music collectors in this case) are simple books and guides that you can read or not, use or not.

If I´ve taked the time to create these list is because I think that will be useful for someone, not other reason. And with the time (years problably) these list will show all the covers and links to their minis counterparts. If the albums are released as minis then they show the cover, if not only shows the band and album name.

I can´t imagine any problem with these list as they are right now. The problem will be to include no japanese mini lps to fill the holes and show all the covers. But that´s not the target. The target is to serve as guides of what is edited or not in mini lp format. At first shight only watching one page you receive a lot of info, otherwise you will need to do a lot of research.

So not only I think that the list are a must have, also I will include more and from diverse sources. Comming soon the fnac guides from 50s to 99 and RS 500. The fnac is not a magazine or book is a french store (like Virgin or HMV for music, books, movies and electronics).


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And comming back to the non mini lps albums included I forget about Deep Purple´s "On the Road" 4 CDs in jewel digipack that I uploaded some time ago. Why? First because his release ID was already included in the list and I decided to fill it. And second, because it completed the VAP releases and is listed in the same VPCK series than the rest. I don´t wanna the people going crazy searching for a mini lp called On The Road that never surfaces. Here is and isn´t a mini lp but is the one that fills the hole in the middle of all the rest DP that are true mini lps.