r/lotr • u/Kstubs108 • 1d ago
Music Vinyl collection....
Any of yous ever hear the 1981 BBC radio drama of LOTR?? They got a 14 album set coming out and I was curious if itd be worth the 400 bucks??
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u/GammaDeltaTheta 1d ago edited 1d ago
It's an excellent adaptation. There's a good recent thread on it here:
https://www.reddit.com/r/lotr/comments/1x4bwg2/1981_bbc_adaption/
There are cheaper ways to get it. There's a CD version of this edition. And there's a previous release in a slightly different format (13 episodes of 1 hr each, instead of 26 episodes of 30 min each). This is what you'll find on various audiobook stores (make sure it's the BBC version) and older CDs. The 26 episode version preserves the original radio broadcast format, while the 13 episode version adds a bit of additional framing material recorded later.
There is also a separate, later production of the Bombadil chapters, missed out from the main series as they were in the movies, done in the same style but with a different cast - this isn't included in any of the LOTR boxes, but you can buy it as part of the BBC Tales from the Perilous Realm series.
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u/Kstubs108 1d ago
Im a vinyl guy so if its worth then then I'll totally go for it. Its only like 30 bucks an album so its not too pricey since that's the going rate for most new stuff anyways. But thanks for the input
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u/GammaDeltaTheta 1d ago edited 1d ago
You can sample it from the link posted at the top of the other thread to see what you think. You can also hear the musical soundtrack on YT. My guess is this will become pretty collectible on vinyl!
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u/AdEmbarrassed3066 1d ago
Then yes... I ordered it because I already love it and have a vinyl collection (and some shellac).
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u/AdEmbarrassed3066 1d ago
I've ordered it both on vinyl and cd. Heard it on the radio in the 1980s (not on the first broadcast, but on a repeat) and I was hooked. Adapted by Brian Sibley, who went on to edit The Fall of Numenor and various other Tolkien releases.
Versions of this have been released before on tape and cd, but this is the first time that the original programs will have been released.
It's obviously limited... but who knows if it will become more difficult to buy in future. It's difficult to know with things like this whether they will become collectors items or whether they will fail to sell (and get remaindered).
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u/ZealousOatmeal 1d ago
I was wondering how 26 episodes fit into 14 discs, and it turns out that there's an extra disc that's just the soundtrack music from the series. That's a worthwhile addition.
I think the BBC audio drama is the best adaptation of the books in any format. I don't know that I'd buy it on LP (even though I'm also a vinyl guy), but it's well worth owning in some form or another.