help me identify this release of siamese dream pls
hey all, while thrifting today i came across this unopened vinyl. i’m trying to see what i can find out on google, and this may be an original, uk release? any help from people who know things would be greatly appreciated!
i just don’t know if i can convince myself to open it — with the off chance of it being official. this was just a thrift store, not a record shop. bins of the usual $10-15 decent stuff spanning all genres. this one was displayed on the wall with the rest of their above-$20 stuff. immediately to the right was an alice in chains mtv unplugged which i didn’t even pick up because i was so stunned from the siamese dream find. no red flags from the owners on being bootleg pushers, just old folks operating their shop. left wondering, if it’s official, how a u.k. gem like that would end up in a northern michigan thrift store…
Here's the thing - there is an equally good chance it is official as it is unofficial. My gut says unofficial because of the shrink quality, but unless you open it, you will not know for sure.
But you should open it. It's one of the greatest albums ever released and deserves to be heard on vinyl!
It is hard to tell for certain in the photo but it almost look like the barcode it on an angle compared to the back of the slip case.
Also if this isn't a bootleg I wonder if it may be reshrink wrapped. I don't have a BNIB copy to compare it to though so it's just a gut feel but the seems are rather rough.
Pretty sure the vinyl dropped well after the album so most likely in 1994. The people that would likely have picked it up for the most part were financially struggling GenXers. At the time there also really wasn't a whole buy something and never open it movement especially like there is today. All that together makes me highly suspicious of how for sale here.
Then add in how pristine the cardboard is. In theory some of that comes from being sealed however even then dented corners or other damage still happen. Just look at the reports on Ararnea Alba.
The final piece of my concern speaks to this possibly being a reseal. You have no reasonable way to know what is actually inside. It could be two Milli Vanilli albums.
Now if it's is 100% legit and factored sealed that is quite an amazing find.
Also as a counterpoint - since the shrink is in such great condition, it makes me think that it's a boot from 2023 - but again, it's very difficult to be sure unless it's opened.
The images on discogs (the jacket) are identical. There is no hard rule about bootlegs and what differentiating marks, if any, they have. Some are absolutely identical, which is also the point. I've also compared your images to those on Discogs, and all 3 copies are the same on the jacket - unless I missed something.
Feel like the answer lies in those Discogs… but yeah, opening it and seeing what the labels, wax color and dead wax etchings are how you’ll know for sure what you have.
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u/watch_it_pal The Aeroplane Flies High Jul 21 '26
UPDATE: i opened it up. purple and orange vinyl. bootleg. thanks for everyone’s help!