h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

..for a very rare pre-Bat out of hell meat loaf LP. auction finishes about the time my lecture starts at 6, so I'll nip out and do some shopping before coming back and resuming hostilities until the auctions over, or the item exceeds the money I'm prepared to pay.

Well post up the auction reference so we can all follow the fun

i lost the auction thanks to a phony gas leak

yes he was beaten by 50p in the dying seconds of the auction

So what you mean, phony gas leak???

Ah well, such is life

Perhaps one of these three could fit the bill instead - http://search-desc.ebay.co.uk/search/search.dll?MfcISAPICommand=GetResult&ht=1&query=meatloaf+stoney&query2=meatloaf+stoney&search_option=1&srchdesc=y&exclude=&category0=&ebaytag1=ebayavail&ebaytag1code=3&ebaycurr=999&minPrice=&maxPrice=&SortProperty=MetaEndSort&st=

The gas meter thought it had a leak, turned itself off, turned all the gas of and flashed "call help" at me.

So I call help- they say the gasman will be there in between half a nhour and three hours to have a look.

So I nip out to the lecture which started around the time I phoned the gasman, picked up my module guide, buggered off home, telephone bidding through Alfredo having given him my login details. Due to the whole relay of information thing http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2594133545&category=1593&sspagename=STRK%3AMEBDW%3AIT&rd=1 was gone when some bastard trumped me with seconds on the clock, and the auction ran out as Alfredo was lodginbg my final bid for me- as I turn into my road, I hang up on Alfredo rather abruptly (sorry bout that by the way) as I saw the man in the Transco van outside my building having just rung my bell. He examines all the gas machinery, amnd informs me that the meter only *thought* it had aleak, it didn't actually have one, and he reset it with his clever card, meaning that it accepted the fifteen quid I'd been putting on when it went kerplooey.

quick question...is kerplooey a word??

Well, it's not in the Complete Oxford Dictionary- and that thing has an entire 1000+ page book for "c" so I'm guessing I've either made it up, or someone else has.

You're obviously just using an out of date edition

*looks at publication info*

Ah, yes. 1973.

I now have a bid firmly lodged for another copy of that LP.

...which i won.

And how much will you be paying for this rare record?

Tenner.

Oh so it's not that rare then.

Well it's been unavailable for most of the last 25 years, which I consider to fall under the heading "rare"

True, but a ten quid purchase price indicates to me that supply and demand are pretty well matched.

which album was it? my dad's got a couple of meatloaf LP's stashed away -I see 'em!

I'm curious to know if we've had it all along!

It's "Stoney and Meat Loaf" bY Stoney and Meat Loaf, released on Motown in 1969, and reissued on rare Earth in 1978 once "bat" was a hit.

I have all the Loaf's solo albums (Including "blind Before I stop, which is utter crap. really. Worst seven quid I ever spent. I'd rather have my spleen removed with a ppotato peeler than listen to "Rock 'n' Roll Merecenaries" again)

I seen him twice in Sheffield. (Along with The Quo. )

What's you opinion on the newer stuff if R&RM doesn;t do it for you?