Maybe Neal Adams best sleeve design (and that's saying something). Both shots of Supes are so iconic, so perfectly executed, so exciting, that either of them could've been the front cover.
These four stories are also some of the best Power Records ever did--they're weird and silly and fast-moving and they feature a very confident, powerful-sounding Man of Steel. Sadly, of the four tales, only "Alien Creatures" was ever given the Book and Record treatment (sorry, Rockie Bee).
Again, no producer credits, but Arthur Korb is, as usual, a safe bet. And I have no idea who "A.Rsenick" and "S.Murray" are, but--fine job, fellas.
Up, up, and away!
These four stories are also some of the best Power Records ever did--they're weird and silly and fast-moving and they feature a very confident, powerful-sounding Man of Steel. Sadly, of the four tales, only "Alien Creatures" was ever given the Book and Record treatment (sorry, Rockie Bee).
Again, no producer credits, but Arthur Korb is, as usual, a safe bet. And I have no idea who "A.Rsenick" and "S.Murray" are, but--fine job, fellas.
Up, up, and away!
3 comments:
I don't think it's Arthur Korb. I haven't physically seen a label, but here's my guess: Cornel Tanassy. This batch of stories shares background music with the Tanassy-produced Batman stories; Arthur Korb's productions had their own distinctive background music, as well as four distinct male voices and one female voice, none of whom are on these stories.
Both Tanassy and Korb wrote commercial and incidental music for radio shows in the 40's and 50's; Tanassy seemed to use, uh, 'older' talent for his Superman and Batman. And old as the repertory company may be, they seemed to 'get' the material, 'cause they always played superhero with relish. Wooden, but I think the old guy dug up to play Superman enjoyed himself. (I think both the guys who played Superman for Arthur Korb were pretty excited to do so, too.)
This particular Superman's vocal cadence is a treat to imitate, if you're in the habit of reading comics to young'uns,
Love that "Mad Minnows" ecology story, 'cause that decidedly senior Superman also speaks dolphin(!!!!) and does the only other voice he can do: a fuddy-duddy security guard.
Still, I think you'd need that 'stentorian' tone to deliver the story's clincher: "To put yourself first, at the expense of everyone else, is to be LAST!"
your guess is more informed than mine. unfortunately, there are no credits anywhere on the sleeve or the record--PR was maddeningly inconsistent on giving people credit!
Ah, it's just as well that there's no comic book to go with most of these stories. In my head, they sound like they'd go along with the smooth, static art of an Al Plastino or Wayne Boring. Superman looked like a slab of beef, like a more benign Vic Tayback with a full head of hair until Curt Swan came along! Even Kurt Schaffenberger toned down his realization of Superman until Neal Adams came along.
I picture Superman talking to dolphins in profile, as though both Supes and the dolphins are standing up -- enough graphic information to move the story along, but not enough to read the Man of Steel's face.
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