Melissa by Melissa Manchester (Vinyl record album review)

Album name: Melissa

Artist name: Melissa Manchester

Year: 1975

Number of discs: one

Label: Arista Records

Collection: Selman

Distinguishing characteristics:

Sticker on back of album: PROMOTIONAL COPY / NOT FOR SALE / ARISTA

Label on side one of LP: PROMOTIONAL COPY / NOT FOR SALE

Scratched into side one of LP: ARS xxx 4031 SA AL

Label on side TWO of LP: PROMOTIONAL COPY / NOT FOR SALE

Scratched into side two of LP: ARS xxx 4031 SB AL

Buy it on Amazon: $5.01

My review

Level of familiarity before listening

I have never heard of Melissa Manchester or this record.

What I expected

When my father heard that I would be listening to Melissa Manchester, he told me not to get my hopes up. My hopes, however, were already pretty low, as the overall sense I’m getting from the layout and design of this album is that it might be like Barbra Streisand.

One interesting note: the record sleeve contains this…

The Beast Fulcrom Theory
was violated
at least six times
during the making
of this album.

I looked up “Beast Fulcrom Theory” and found nothing, not even with the correct spelling of fulcrum. Curious.

What it was actually like

I hated this record, everything about it and every song on it. It was easy listening at its most difficult. Some parts sounded as if they had some soul influence, and other parts were jazzier, but every part was bad.

I don’t like parties all that much anyway, but I could not imagine attending a party at which Party Music would be played.