DINGLY DELL - The US versionElektra EKS-75043

Another ‘Radio Station copy’ but once again the same as a regular US release. Having been warned about the bad reaction to their dull, grey ‘European’ sleeve, Elektra opted for colour! But the ‘hammock’ shot does make a good cover - take a bow photographer Ed Caraeff. The back cover is a mustard yellow and grey colour scheme - track listings, credits and a photo of the band onstage (at the Weeley Festival, I think), with Alan resplendant in fishing hat and ‘festival’ trousers!

Apart from the sleeve, what else is different? The Charisma release came with a poster and an insert containing full track listings and credits. Both are missing from the US version, but once again they have added a lyric sheet. ‘All Fall Down’, ‘Plankton’s Lament’ and ‘Bring Down The Government’ are listed and timed as individual tracks, rather than combining them as one piece of 7:02 minutes duration.

This US copy of ‘Dingly Dell’ is a regular release - with the Elektra label in full red-green tie dye effect, including a colour butterfly. I couldn’t find any differences to the tracks themselves - probably by the third album, the two record companies had got their act together and released pretty much the same record! However, if the current band are looking for another ‘rocker’ to put in the set, they could do a lot worse than to revive Rod’s ‘Don’t Ask Me’. Incidentally, the CD sleeve for Dingly Dell is a re-creation of one of the photos that appeared in the original gatefold sleeve for ‘Fog On The Tyne’, but reshot to include Marty.