This message has been received from Zappa.com by those who’d ordered a copy:
[wp_quote]Dear Friends,
Thank you very much for ordering Captain Beefheart’s Bat Chain Puller!
This is to let you know that the manufacturing of this release has been delayed. We hope to be shipping the week of 13 February (maybe sooner). We are really looking forward to you having this wonderment in your anxious ears!
xxx,
the barfies [/wp_quote]
I suppose, after thirty-six years, another month won’t make any odds…
I hope the ghost of Herb Cohen has not risen!
No surprise to FZ fans. Delay is the norm.
completely agree, the ZFT’s always setting up (apparently) unattainable deadlines for pre-orders. Though at least they supplied a track list, so you’re not blindly ordering based on bootleg info and the vague promise of bonus tracks.
Musictoday’s a mess too. I never got a confirmation email and had to call them to make sure I wasnt being billed for nothing. Customer care was clueless and I have feeling I’ll have another battle with them before (knock on wood), I get this masterpiece in my grubby little hands.
Judging from the posts at Zappaforum, this is typical of MusicToday.
If you havent preordered a copy, it might be best to wait till it’s a available from a different distributor.
for all their (musictoday)messed-up-ness, I do always receive the item, sometimes faster than expected.
Does anyone know of any distributors in the UK for it? HMV don’t seem to have a clue.
gandsmusic.com are in the UK and will supply Bat Chain Puller.
Never got a confirmation either, and no mail of it being delayed, but the order is visible in my account. I wanted to send in a question, but by God do they scare you into not sending one.
Sure hope to hear something soon about BCP! I would complain to Gail but that could have dire consequences!
I know it’s marginal but I really hope that cheap looking image they have on the FZ site isn’t the actual artwork for the release.
It’s now Feb 15th and STILL no album. Fast and bulbous? Tense and nervous more like.
I’ve heard nothing, and I pre-ordered it ages ago…
A post on the zappa.com message board by brainpang states “Shipping Friday…supposedly.”
Still waiting. This is the last in my life I will wait for a record in such painful anticipation – thank God.
They have started shipping. I just received my notice.
22nd Feb and still no news of shipping on my order placed waaaaaay back.
FYI: just placed an order over the phone today (22nd Feb) and they say there is a delay in the release until next week due to production issues.
At least one person has received a copy that we know of!!! I’m still waiting on mine – not even had notification of shipping yet …
I contacted Musictoday about the delay, and their response was that it would be shipping “On or around the 22nd February”. In other words, we’re still waiting… So why/how did Dark Clothes get a disptach notice on the 18th?
I inquired about this last week as I am moving soon and need to know if it will arrive before this occurs. They said it would ship out on the 17th and I would receive an email when shipped. This hasn’t happened. I received the following response to another contact with them regarding this.
Hello,
Thank you for choosing Musictoday. We gave you the information that we were told to give you, but the CDs did not arrive in time for shipment last week. We are now being told the following:
This CD is for pre-sale and is expected to be shipped during the week of February 20, 2012. The nature of pre-order sales prohibits order modifications and cancellations. All pre-order sales are final.
If you have any further questions or concerns, feel free to contact us.
Sincerely,
Bill
Customer Service
http://www.musictoday.com
Toll Free (US): 877-MUSIC-77 (877-687-4277)
International: 001-434-244-7300
It seems a (small?) number of CDs were shipped on Friday, since I got the notice and some people have already received their copies and started reviewing them on zappa.com and zappateers. I ordered within hours of the pre-order announcement, so that is a possible explanation why I got lucky – although I’m still waiting for the parcel to arrive here in Norway.
I got an email that my CD was shipped and should arrive 2/29. I preordered the Carolina Chocolate Drops new CD in January and it just came! Barfko-Swill could improve their service.
Just been to gandsmusic.com, they say they will have it in next Monday 5th March, but at £22.50 I’m waiting for it to be in stock before I shell out but hopefully I’ll have it by the 9th when they’re playing Exeter
Mine arrived this afternoon :) Someone has already uploaded the details of the release to Discogs, FYI.
I posted on the 22nd regarding my inquiry about receiving the cd before my move. I am happy to report that the item was in POB this morning. Feel like I felt as a teenager holding TMR and hearing it for the first time. Thanks Captain!
Got mine in the mail today, too! Already on my second spin.
@Anonymous above: it was already in Discogs but the label was wrong, some of the titles were off, and what credits were there were wrong. I was the one that fixed it and uploaded the cover art.
:-D
Am I blind? I’ve been searching through the discogs section looking for the updated info and can’t find it!!!!
Yes, you are blind. :-P
Bat Chain Puller
Got the CD today(SW USA) Need to put on my headphones and try to figure out the words to Hobo-Ism.
got mine the other day. it is AWESOME. the sound is much improved over the bootleg i had heard. i’ve heard all the songs before, and i’ve always loved shiny beast anyway, but it is still like getting a NEW CAPTAIN BEEFHEART ALBUM. it’s up there with the best of his best, in my opinion…
Check out my review at the Zappa Forum:
http://www.zappa.com/messageboard/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=22593&start=175
I haven’t changed my mind much after these first impressions, although I’m warming up to the three tracks where I had some resevations when comparing to Shiny Beast – BCP itself, Floppy Boot Stomp and Candle Mambo. These versions are different – not necessarily less accomplished versions than on SB. Same thing with Owed T’Alex, although the Shiny Beast take has a precision and sheer visceral power that isn’t quite there in this more intimate setting. But who could fault Denny Walley’s playing? Not me! – Anyway – a wonderful album – a rare beauty!
Wonder who the pirates really are? £24 for a cd in the uk!
CD available at the Magic Band gigs, £20 buy it