Two Sides of Leonard Nimoy

Title:	Two Sides of Leonard Nimoy
Creator:	Leonard Nimoy
Date(s):	1968
Medium:	LP vinyl record
Fandom:	Star Trek: TOS
Language:	English
External Links:	Two Sides of Leonard Nimoy at maidenwine.com (archive.org edition, 2007)
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Two Sides of Leonard Nimoy is a 1968 vinyl LP.

In 1995, the first side (but not the second) of this LP was re-released with 1967's Leonard Nimoy Presents Mr. Spock's Music from Outer Space.

album cover

The album is Leonard Nimoy's second album released shortly after "Leonard Nimoy Presents Mr. Spock's Music from Outer Space." It is a continuation of the "Spock and Space" sound, Nimoy's first album.

The record was plugged heavily in Star Trek newsletters and fanzines; fans were not only begged to buy it, but encouraged to call "their local deejays" and request to have their favorite tracks from it played on the radio.

At that time, contemporary music radio stations were usually staffed by live, local announcers ("disc jockeys" or "DJs" as they played vinyl records) who often became media stars or "personalities" and generated substantial fandoms in their own right. As many of these stations were on AM frequencies, they could often be heard loud and clear on even inexpensive pocket radios hundreds of miles from the transmitter. While radio announcers did not personally choose the music you heard (except on college and community stations where announcers created their own programs), many stations did set aside an hour or two for listener requests and if they were getting a lot of requests for Nimoy they might have played him. Buying the records had a lot more impact than calling the station. His first two albums did chart on Billboard's top 200 album list, which meant that people were indeed buying them: Music from Outer Space spent 25 weeks on the chart, peaking at #83 on August 4, 1967 and Two Sides of Leonard Nimoy came in at #97, March 29, 1968 and was on the chart for 13 weeks.

The Tracks

Original liner notes:

SIDE 1

1. Highly Illogical; Spock's reactions to some earth-behavior.

2. The Difference Between Us: Could Spock ever feel hidden, deep, emotional love problems? Could he react as a human in a romantic situation?

3. Once I Smiled: Once Spock's emotional barriers were broken down, and for a short while he tasted a bitter-sweet romantic experience.

4. Spock Thoughts: Some excellent vulcanian advice and philosophy.

5. By Myself: As "alien" to the planet earth, Spock is not always completely at home, and feels his loneliness at times.

6. Follow Your Star: Aim high in life. Make your goal a star and follow it.

7. Amphibious Assault: A surrealistic battle of the future. Will war come to this?

SIDE 2

1. The Ballad of Bilbo Baggins: Long an admirer of the "Hobbits", Nimoy sings of the adventures of the bravest Hobbit of them all.

2. Cotton Candy: A modern, thought-image in musical setting, written by one of the camera crew of the Star Trek series.

3. Gentle On My Mind: The kind of song that Nimoy personally loves to sing.

4. Miranda: A lovely Bart Howard song in a classic-folk tradition.

5. If I Were a Carpenter: Another "modern" folk song, sung by Nimoy in an unusual rhythmic setting.

6. Love of the Common People: A song that Nimoy enjoys singing on personal appearances, since it reflects his own philosophy.

The Tolkien Connection: Bilbo Baggins

One of the tracks is "The Ballad of Bilbo Baggins."

"From approximately 1968 to 1973, several Nimoy and Star Trek fanzine writers and editors (notably contributors to Regina Marvinny's Nimoyan Federation and members of the Leonard Nimoy Association of Fans) discussed the idea of a live-action The Lord of the Rings film, with Nimoy playing Aragorn, and there was a brief letter-writing campaign."

Reactions and Reviews

The Entire LP

"TWO SIDES OF LEONARD NIMOY" is now available on Dot Records (Mono DLP #3835 - Stereo DLP #25835) and contains the following selections—SIDE I "Mr. Spock": "HIGHLY ILLOGICAL" (Spock's reactions to some earth behavior); "THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN US" (Could Spock ever fool hidden, deep, emotional love problems? Could he react as a human in a romantic situation?); "ONCE I SMILED" (Once Spock's emotional barriers were broken down, and for a short while he tasted a bitter-sweet romantic experience); "SPOCK THOUGHTS" (Some excellent Vulcanian advice and philosophy); "BY MYSELF" (As "alien" to the planet Earth, Spock is not always completely at home, and feels his loneliness at times); "FOLLOW YOUR STAR" (Aim high in life. Make your goal a star and follow it); "AMPHIBIOUS ASSAULT" (A surrealistic battle of the future. Will war come to this?). SIDE II "Leonard Nimoy": "THE BALLAD OF BILBO BAGGINS" (Long an admirer of the "Hobbits", Leonard Nimoy sings of the adventures of the bravest Hobbit of them all); "COTTON CANDY" (A modern, thought-image in musical setting, written by one of the camera crew of the Star Trek series); "GENTLE ON MY MIND" (The kind of song that he personally loves to sing); "MIRANDA" (A lovely Bart Howard song in a classic-folk tradition); "IF I WERE A CARPENTER" (Another "modern" folk song, sung by Leonard Nimoy in an unusual rhythmic setting); "LOVE OF THE COMMON PEOPLE" (A song that he enjoys singing on personal appearances, since it reflects his own philosophy). The album captures the fine folk-singing style of Leonard Nimoy which many of you have had the pleasure of enjoying thru his personal appearances in various parts of the country (two selections of which are repeated on the album—"GENTLE ON MY MIND" and "LOVE OF THE COMMON PEOPLE") and I highly recommend the album to you — It's beyond fantastic!!!

"Two Sides of Leonard Nimoy" is a fair album at best, but the selection on Vulcan philosophy, is simply Desiderata, nothing else.

The Ballad of Bilbo Baggins

See The Ballad of Bilbo Baggins.