20/11/2008

                                                                       

                    NEW ARRIVAL.....C.A.QUINTET              

Without doubt , the most sought after piece of British folk around. As Record Collector mused in its' May 2005 edition "From the simple beauty of Rainbow River & the albums manifesto Diamond Day to the closely observed Rose Hip November & Swallow Song , the jaunty Jog Along Bess , a wonderfully warm & intimate atmosphere is evoked , as if the listener is reading pages from the dairy to someone deeply attuned to nature & the truly important things in life."....."Vashti was one of the few people surprised when the Observer voted it one of the best British albums of all time."     I personally find the LP a bit twee & insubstantial ; but heck , what do I know?      The condition? Never the quietist of pressings it has light wear to the seams & the odd light mark. Still a nice copy

"An LP so packed with talent & originality it alone justifies the existence of the underground collector circuit......you can pick just about any major 60's LP & this will blow it away on all counts.." (Acid Archives of Underground Sounds 1965-1982).  This has to be THE quintessential piece of 60's psychedelia . A truly monumental conceptual behemoth .... & its bloody good to boot !     Condition wise the cover has a 'ding' top left hand corner (see montage) & some light wear to the bottom seam & spine. The vinyl on side 1 has 2 visible scuffs which have NO effect when playing. Side 2 is clean. Plays throughout a strong EX or better.                                                NEW

"One of the classics of the fields , not without its detractors, but a great & special experience in my ears".... "Surgical fuzz leads & trippy effects throughout"...... "It doesn't really work for me as it quite frankly gets down right boring"...... "This is an excellent psychedelic album....the album was issued simultaneously in a gatefold & non-gatefold cover (this happens to be the non-gatefold version) . Both versions are monster rarities."........    (Comments extracted from "Fuzz, Acid & Flowers" & "A.A of U S 1965-1982")     WOW, is it any good ?????. Yes ; I love it , its a crooning , fuzz drenched mutha of an album . Is it worth the exorbitant amount it will cost????....HMMMMM....now that's down to you.    Oh by the way its M-/M-....still HMMMMMing !!!!!

Not everyones cup of tea, as can be seen by some of the review comments below :-   "Its hard to figure out why this is so sought after by collectors".........   "Pretty disappointing Christian Airplaneish hippy hard rock jammer...."   "Behold Earthen Vessel; a pulverising hard rock behemoth utterly aflame with gargantuan fuzz, distortion, wah-wah, feedback, you name it.....Originals can easily command 4 digit figures...." (A.A. of U.S. 1965-1982).    But one thing is certain; it's mighty rare . The cover is in excellent condition with just minor rubbing to the spine & seams (the title is clearly legible on the spine) . Visually the vinyl  would grade EX- with a few minor scuffs & hairlines . Sonically it plays closer to M-.

What we have here is the 1st solo offering from the axemeister of Philippino Pinoy rock legends', "Juan de la Cruz" . Heavily influenced by 'Cream' but with a Philippino slant . Veering from searing guitar assaults , to a more laid back Pinoy psych ...... Both cover & vinyl grade a strong EX . A small punch hole (bottom right) stops the cover grading M- & there are 1 or 2 feather light hairlines which are inaudible . It also comes with the oh so rare poster.

"This is the real ticket.....Imagine Dick Dale jamming with 1966 Velvet Underground in an airplane hangar after a night of booze & quaaludes . A true missing link bridging the early & late 60's sounds". Observed A.A of U.S 1965-82.         This gargantuan, freakbeat monolith has been preserved in pristine condition, (M-/M-) .You will have to be very persuasive (financially) to prize this little baby from our grasp!!                                                        SOLD

"Obscure isn't the word for this ultra rare 2nd LP.......All over not the mindblower the 1st is, a pretty interesting artefact anyhow ...... Both LP's are well into 4 digit realm". Mused A.A of U.S 1965-82.       Visually the vinyl looks little better than VG with numerous scuffs & hairlines . Sonically , however , it plays a strong EX with only occasional very light background noise . In fact I would go as far as saying that there is very little difference in sound quality between this & the pristine black label copy . It is housed in a generic white sleeve .

Arguably the rarest of the album's on the much sort after 'HOLYGROUND' label . Only 99 were printed way back when ; so you can see it's rather an endangered beast . You have a mixture of jug band (a la Panama) , gruff northern folk & acidy weirdness . Intriguing? ; you bet . EX+/EX+ you can't ask for more!!! (can you?) .

Not a lot to say about this really . Hard rock , third rate pub band ; never make it big time !  But there is one little curiosity ; the front cover lettering is in turquoise....yes I know , "TURQUOISE" ..... just ask Peter Grant ; (is anyone a clairvoyant) . We've got A1/B1 matrix , Superhype publishing credits , 1 or 2 featherlight scuffs (which don't effect play) & a cover that is pristine , & to make the package even more enticing , it comes with an original ultra rare in-store promo poster (27"by 19") in VG+ condition . If you can put up with the "music" its quite a nice album to own !

Only 50 copies of this lysergically tinged folk monster were printed way back in the dim & distant past (1971 to be precise). Haunting femme vox predominates with musical & rhythmical twists & turns throughout. Not always an easy listen, but one that is never less than enticing.           The cover has a minute tear top right hand corner of the opening edge (see montage). The vinyl has a few whispey hairlines but plays excellently throughout.It also comes with the insert                                                        SOLD

Now this is seriously rare ; the "Floydian" crown jewels . Only 50 were made (I believe) for promotional purposes in Japan . The track listing is as follows :- Summer 68 ; Careful with that axe , Eugine ; The Nile song ; If ; Biding my time ; Let there be more light ; Julia dream ; Main theme (from the film "MORE") ; Saucerful of secrets & See Emily play.               So if you want to be the talk of the town , I suggest you buy it.  Oh I almost forgot , the grading is M-/M-.      P.S. The scanner makes the cover look grubby which is not the case.                                                      SOLD

From a country more renowned for watch making & dubious bank accounts , it comes as something of a surprise that the Swiss should spawn this little gem . You have a cover that could grace the National Gallery , plus a feast of mind blowing , acid drenched psychedelia hidden within the grooves of the vinyl ; this is one hell of an album . Both the cover & vinyl are a very strong M - , i.e. 'AS NEW ' . For an added bonus a calling card from the bands' producer/manager is enclosed (WOW!!!).                                                       SOLD

"A local California guitar rock album , extremely well played & produced . Only 3 or 4 of these 2 versions (this being the white label 'Terra Fertilis' version) have ever surfaced & is considered one of the lost masterworks of the seventies West Coast scene".                              "Rare West Coast guitar-rocker with a late psych vibe & some fantastic tracks on level with 'DR Hooker' & 'Zerfas'. Were the thoughts of Vernon (F.A.F) & Patrick (A.A of U.S).                            I thoroughly recommend this album....its class, (& in super nick too).

If you are looking for even a modicum of subtlety & innovation...forget it; fast forward; depart........For this is stinking barroom filth ...you can almost smell the beer & Jack Daniels emanating from the grooves . From the overtly sexist cover to the musical corruption within; this is raw...red neck raw!               The cover has some writing top left hand corner (see montage) & well repaired (invisible) seam splits (1" top. 2" bottom). The vinyl has 1 or 2 hairlines but plays ballsy throughout,,,so lets say EX-/EX condition wise.

" '  Love & Poetry '  is a highly rated psychedelic album...The highlights are the opening track 'The Day Grew Longer  for Love' which like most tracks are slow & melodic but with killer guitar leads ..."....Remarked a Tapestry of delights.                This has to be one of the rarest major label albums' in existence. It deserved far greater recognition back in the dim & distant past. But now you have a chance to rectify your youthful oversight by buying it. It plays & looks a dream.                                                          SOLD

"Solid underground stoner blowout which is the way you wish all hardrock LP's were , relentless guitar jamming with a loud basement sound , punky vocals & a druggy-wasted attitude". Observed Patrick the Lama from the 'Acid Archives' .      They say  "Never judge a book by its cover" (who are 'They'?) & those words fit the bill here perfectly . A less than riveting sleeve , hides an album of neglected brilliance "Its a refreshing alternative to the pretence & posturing of so many other hard rock albums". To me it has a 'Crazy Horse' (sans N.Y) vibe to it . But to put a different slant on this particular situation , F.A.F reckons "This sought after album is over-hyped by dealers". Dealers over-hype something.....NO WAY!

"McNiven & Rew recorded 'Captain Shannon' & 'Amaryllis' in a 4 day session in the summer of 1970 . They were originally intended as a double album , but seperated at Decca's insistence........'Amaryllis' is considered their finest work by many.......Certainly it vies with 'Leafhounds' 'Growers of Mushroom' as the rarest progressive release on the label". Its fascinating what you learn when you delve into the history of a band!         Criminally overlooked at the time , it is a highly accomplished piece of music & one that I wholeheartedly recommend & in this condition you wont find a better copy . So go on.......                                                     SOLD

"A pleasant-enough folk outfit whose sound was characterised by Susan Traynor's fragile vocals , which are similar to those of 'Trees' & 'Spriguns', & some good guitar work.....The first album is rare enough , but the second is very difficult to track down , as it is alleged to have been withdrawn from sale". Were the thoughts of Vernon Joynson from a 'Tapestry of Delights'.       Delightful harmonies & well crafted songs are my main impressions . The condition of both the cover & vinyl are also a delight . Only sticker remnants & a small cross on the back cover (see montage) stop it grading higher than EX . The vinyl is clean (M-)......serious offers please.                                          SOLD

"Some people love this , but to these ears (& mine!) it's an amateurish , monotonous , poorly played folk rock record.....This gets points for having been discovered really early in the collecting world : it was well known back in the early '80's".        As you may have gathered I am not a great fan of this album . To me it sounds like it was recorded in a tin can , but to others it has a charming basement quality (hope I havn't hyped it too much!). Go on....I dare you.....buy it!

"Only 500 copies were originally pressed.....Musically it's in the heavy progressive genre . It does contain some pretty good organ-dominated instrumental passages & is worth investigation." Were the deliberations of Vernon Joynson.       Too my mind , not quite in the 'Arcadium' class , but is still a worthwhile addition to any serious prog collection.                                                   SOLD

“Bullshit 3 1/4” was a quantum leap away from all of Ben-Israel’s previous musical endeavours as evidenced by the title’s decided lack of commercial potential, the provocative cover artwork and songs that free-formed and furry-freaked all over the place. Ben-Israel’s production was economical and clean while the unorthodox arrangements work tremendously within all eight original songs. And throughout Ben-Israel rages about everything in front of him: from the hypocrisies of straight society to escapism via irresponsible drug use and if he had a dog he’d probably be down on all fours barking and snarling into the microphone. And although the lyrics are all sung in Hebrew, its lack of comprehension to foreign ears doesn’t detract because not only does the very out-there and emotional rock’n’roll that is “Bullshit 3 1/4” make the lyrics take a back seat, the dynamic range and shifting of the vocals between singing, screaming, and whispering speak meanings beyond language".       To get the full review please go to   Julian Cope Presents Head Heritage | Unsung | The Book of Seth .... All  I will add is that to these ears, it is a work of genius                                            NEW

One of the most totemic/rarest of early Japanese underground releases, 1973’s double LP set Oz Days.           With Les Rallizes Denudes’s side-long blaster and Taj Mahal Travellers’ tempestuous comedown drones further bolstered by tracks from Miyako Ochi, Acid Seven and Minami Masato.          An amazing snapshot of the formative years of the Japanese underground, & it is in virginal  condition.                                          SOLD

"This international group lived as a commune on the Spanish island of Deya & were acquaintances of Daevid Allen & Gilly Smyth . Their album is an attractive journey into the more mystical realms of hippie-folk, somewhere between Robin Williamson, Daevid Allen & some tracks by the German group Popol Vuh. Many songs have a strong Eastern touch....This album will satisfy any ardent fan of psych-folk...". Concluded 'Scented Gardens of the Mind'.                This little beauty requires serious offers to extract it from our sweaty grasp!

"A monster rarity, but one which also does the business musically. A first-class compilation of some super-rare tracks, its a fascinating insight of great things to come. John Brim, who co-recorded the 'Tough' with Elmore James, was the only artist to re-appear on Blue Horizon after this release. JB Hutto & Snooky Pryor certainly taped further material, while some of the other featured artists here, like Little Hudson, Eddie Hope & Danny Boy sank without trace. However , the undisputed highlight here, which makes the record indispensable, is its inclusion of 3 ultra-rare cuts by Howlin' Wolf, which documents his first ever recordings from 1951. Coupled with Ike Turner on piano, they remained unreleased cuts from his Crown sessions. A fascinating listening experience...Great stuff". These were the musings of Barry 'Vertigo' Winton, extracted from Record Collector July 2006.         99 copies of this deity status artifact were printed. To make the chance of obtaining this even more appealing, the ultra fragile cover was printed the wrong way round (flipbacks on the front cover!) The cover has rubbing to the spine (no split) & 1 or2 light creases, the vinyl is pristine...I'm afraid a pound or two of your flesh (or lots of money!) is required to secure this S.O.A.B..

Monstrously rare, heavy progressive masterpiece from the boot (the epicentre of progressive rock at the time). This copy has the SIAE stamp denoting its' an original. For further info regarding the band please go to:-www.italianprog.com/a_raminghi.htm .       Its in immaculate nick, so serious offers please!

"Elvis impersonator moonlighting as a psych genius in a nice blue haunted house sleeve"....."This is the kind of album that makes collecting so much fun"....."This is melodic 1970's psych like Michael Angelo & Bob Trimble with a great side long epic"....."Still,3/4 of a very special album is something to treasure, & everyone reading this needs to hear (BUY!) this". Gushed A.A of U.S.     Premier league psych behemoth, looks clean, but due to cheap vinyl plays with occasional light static. Classy stuff none the less.

I gather that this little beauty is musically akin to some privately pressed UK folkrock, a la Candida Pax/A to Austr. Pokora gives it 6* with a masterpiece symbol.      This comes from a 'find' of 4 sealed copies a while back...intrigued!?!

Catherine Howe, What A Beautiful Place. No one has been able to buy this lost folk classic for 35 years. Now its time has finally come, says Barney Hoskyns     ***** Barney Hoskyns The Observer, Sunday January 21 2007 Article history What a beautiful album this is - the kind of lost MOR-folk classic we all hope to discover in the wake of Judee Sill, Vashti Bunyan, Linda Perhacs and their ilk. It's like some missing link between Sandy Denny and Karen Carpenter, or Ladies of the Canyon and Dusty in Memphis . Chicago's ultra-cool Numero label should be congratulated on unearthing it. Catherine Howe was a Kate Bush before her time, an English girl with a pretty face and an artlessly pretty voice who through pure serendipity was paired with eccentric American producer Bobby Scott. Over two weeks in February 1971, the 20-year-old Howe and 33-year-old Scott worked together at Soho's Trident Studios to create this lush masterpiece. But barely had it been released when the label that released it - CBS subsidiary Reflection - went belly-up. Nobody got to hear What a Beautiful Place bar a few journalists and industry insiders. Halifax-born Howe had touted songs around after her early training as an actress at London's Corona drama school. A chance encounter with Reflection's Andrew Cameron Miller led to 1969 demos and, eventually, the sessions at Trident. Classically-trained Scott, who had co-written the Beatles' 'A Taste of Honey' and the Hollies' 'He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother', was instantly smitten by the wide-eyed wonder of the girl's songs and set to work writing the extraordinary orchestrations we hear on the album. To these ears, the intricate strings and haunting woodwind - courtesy of the LSO, no less - on songs such as 'My Child' and 'On a Misty Morning' recall nothing so much as the spooky melancholy of Bergen White's brilliant For Women Only (1969). If you love pure female voices sailing over oboes and harpsichords, look no further. 'It's Not Likely' suggests a more ethereal Sandy Denny; 'Words Through a Locked Door' could be Dusty Springfield covering Joni Mitchell. 'It Comes With the Breezes' is a wafting samba for a summer night, the gallivanting title track a pastoral Laura Nyro. Gracing every track, moreover, are Scott's frenetically funky piano fills. If What a Beautiful Place is a perfect artefact of its time, complete with a hazy cover image of Howe by the lake at Kenwood House, even then it was out of step with fashion. Happily, as the gorgeous bonus track 'In the Hot Summer' attests, Howe survived the disappointment of her debut's premature death and has recorded further albums. (Her most recent, Princelet Street, was released last year.)       There is little for me to add, other than to say it's in lovely nick...serious offers please.