Skeleton Crew read by Frank Muller

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rowsbad

Member
May 23, 2016
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Does anyone remember the older audiobook version of Skeleton Crew, read by the great Frank Muller?
It was released as a set of 14 tapes (sold separately or together) back in the late 80's by Recorded Books.
His readings are spectacular, especially The Mist and Survivor Type.
I really like Will Patton's Mist too, (the new Simon and Schuster audiobook is fantastic) but I think I've gotten used to Frank Muller's version, having listened to it many times over the years.
 

fljoe0

Cantre Member
Apr 5, 2008
15,859
71,642
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120 miles S of the Pancake/Waffle line
I've never heard the Skeleton Crew audio book. I didn't even know a Frank Muller version existed. I'll have to hunt for that. It's getting hard to find those old ones that are in good shape. I found the old Dark Tower ones that Frank read and made digital copies of them (shhhh!). When a book has 20 cassettes, the chance of all 20 of them playing flawlessly is pretty slim.
 

kingricefan

All-being, keeper of Space, Time & Dimension.
Jul 11, 2006
30,011
127,446
Spokane, WA
Does anyone remember the older audiobook version of Skeleton Crew, read by the great Frank Muller?
It was released as a set of 14 tapes (sold separately or together) back in the late 80's by Recorded Books.
His readings are spectacular, especially The Mist and Survivor Type.
I really like Will Patton's Mist too, (the new Simon and Schuster audiobook is fantastic) but I think I've gotten used to Frank Muller's version, having listened to it many times over the years.
I have Mrs. Todd's Shortcut, Gramma and The Monkey. It doesn't state who the reader is on any of them.
 

rowsbad

Member
May 23, 2016
8
31
48
I've never heard the Skeleton Crew audio book. I didn't even know a Frank Muller version existed. I'll have to hunt for that. It's getting hard to find those old ones that are in good shape. I found the old Dark Tower ones that Frank read and made digital copies of them (shhhh!). When a book has 20 cassettes, the chance of all 20 of them playing flawlessly is pretty slim.

I know what you mean. I transferred mine into digital a couple of years back, since the tapes were getting weak.
 

fljoe0

Cantre Member
Apr 5, 2008
15,859
71,642
62
120 miles S of the Pancake/Waffle line
I know what you mean. I transferred mine into digital a couple of years back, since the tapes were getting weak.

Most of the cassette audio books are the cheap glued together cassette shells. If you look at an old commercial music audio cassette and compare it with an audio book cassette you can see a big difference (not in all cases, but most). The cheapest materials available were probably used to keep the cost of the audio books down since many of them have 20+ tapes. Also many of the audio book cassettes have too much tape crammed into them and they get bound up easily.

I'm always on the look out at thrift stores and e-bay for the old cassette books that are out of print and of interest to me. I usually need to buy two copies to get a complete working book that I can convert. Most of these pre-owned ones you find have not been treated well.
 

GNTLGNT

The idiot is IN
Jun 15, 2007
87,651
358,754
62
Cambridge, Ohio
Most of the cassette audio books are the cheap glued together cassette shells. If you look at an old commercial music audio cassette and compare it with an audio book cassette you can see a big difference (not in all cases, but most). The cheapest materials available were probably used to keep the cost of the audio books down since many of them have 20+ tapes. Also many of the audio book cassettes have too much tape crammed into them and they get bound up easily.

I'm always on the look out at thrift stores and e-bay for the old cassette books that are out of print and of interest to me. I usually need to buy two copies to get a complete working book that I can convert. Most of these pre-owned ones you find have not been treated well.
...right on man!......I saw a lot of cheap crap when I was spinning tunes.......some of the tapes were so flimsy, the cases would crack when you put them in the deck for playback.....nothin' like a little dead air to liven up a board shift!.....:listening_headphones:
 

GNTLGNT

The idiot is IN
Jun 15, 2007
87,651
358,754
62
Cambridge, Ohio
Thank you so much !
....was it your name Citizen Kane legendarily uttered?.....:biggrin2:

thumbnailImage_mini
 

mal

content
Jun 23, 2007
4,714
27,243
61
Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
Howdy rowsbad, and Welcome. While I read the books, my wife listens to the books on tape (I still call them books on tape even though I've been renting the cd's from the library for quite a while now). I remember when they were audio cassettes my machine would occasionally eat one, and that has never happened with any music I've ever listened to over the years. Usually I could fix them when they broke but in one case I had to replace it. The library wanted some ungodly amount (I think $45.99) so I found one on e-bay for $5.00 and they accepted that. I think it was a John Grisham.
 

rowsbad

Member
May 23, 2016
8
31
48
Most of the cassette audio books are the cheap glued together cassette shells. If you look at an old commercial music audio cassette and compare it with an audio book cassette you can see a big difference (not in all cases, but most). The cheapest materials available were probably used to keep the cost of the audio books down since many of them have 20+ tapes. Also many of the audio book cassettes have too much tape crammed into them and they get bound up easily.

I'm always on the look out at thrift stores and e-bay for the old cassette books that are out of print and of interest to me. I usually need to buy two copies to get a complete working book that I can convert. Most of these pre-owned ones you find have not been treated well.


Haven't had any problems with visible physical deterioration on mine. There is some tape hiss and the occasional clicks and pops but that doesn't really bother me because I'm not a headphones listener.
 

Sunlight Gardener

Well-Known Member
Jul 22, 2013
375
1,273
Man I used to have the cassette audio book of Salem's Lot. Between moving houses over the years I lost them. Recently logged on to Amazon to try and find the CD version. The price was like $190. Guess it will just have to live in my memories lol.