1975 UK ORIG DRUID TOWARD THE SUN MELLOTRON KEYS & GUITAR = PROG
$
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Description
PLEASE READ BEFORE BIDDING: Please read the entire auction listing, including shipping costs, before writing to ask a question. OUR GOAL IS CUSTOMER SATISFACTION. In order to meet that goal, we will ALWAYS work with our customers on any concerns that may arise. In the unlikely instance that you feel the need to open a resolution dispute before working with us, you will immediately be blocked from any further chance to acquire the rare music we present each and every week. Payment is required within seven days. We mail all paid items ONE WEEK after auctions end. Please keep in mind our listings are time consuming in detail and we are often traveling to find these gems, which at times delays the delivery schedule by a day or two. We ALWAYS process and ship every paid order. We have no control over parcels once they are mailed from our local Post Office.Overseas mail to some countries (Italy, Russia, France, in particular) has became very slow. Opening a dispute for slow mail is unacceptable and will result in blocking the bidder. We work hard to provide excellent service as is represented by our 8000 plus positive feedback. We use a VPI machine and thoroughly clean all records. Each order is carefully packaged by removing the LP from the jacket to avoid seam splits, use of 3 ml plastic cover sleeves over each LP and jacket, cardboard pad inserts, and placed in sturdy record mailers for safe delivery. We take Customer Service seriously, and want you to be satisfied. Please give us 5 stars in each category through the feedback system, and we will be able to effectively continue to fulfill your passion for rare and collectible music! We have served thousands of satisfied customers - far more than our feedback records indicate - and our aim is to continue to do so. Thank you for your interest and support. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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GRAND MELLOTRON SYMPHONIC PROGRESSIVE ROCK
1975 UK ORIGINAL
DRUID
= TOWARD THE SUN =
\ UK - EMI RECORDS - EMC 3081
MINTY CLEAN....Original British 1975 first pressing in beautiful textured phantasy cover by highly rated progressive band who made two collectible albums in which fans of sophisticated symphonic rock should investigate...
Druid's "Towards The Sun" is an acclaimed symphonic LP with mellotrons, by a expressive and creative progressive rock band. In 1975 they released their first-LP "Towards The Sun" and a year later a second album entitled "Fluid Druid". Towards The Sun is their best: fluent and melodic songs, layered with Mellotron, often in combination with sensitive electric guitar work. The echoes from YES are obvious: lots of vocal harmonies, a Chris Squire-like bass, WAKEMANesque keyboards and even the soft vocals like Jon Anderson...laced with sympathetic instrumentation like atmospheric guitars, 'flutes' and lush keyboards, all neatly wrapped in a Symphonic Prog overcoat of more adventurous instrumental passages.
Any symphonic progressive rock album must have a solid foundation of good songs, and Toward The Sun's songs are good to excellent. The songwriting is first class with some lovely tunes and lyrics which 'sound right'. There is even a common theme spread throughout the album - dreams and dreaming: from the "long nights' dreams" of opener Voices; remembering them and "understanding every word they say" in Remembering; disillusioned and asking "whatever happened to the dream, should we still listen to the meaning" in Toward The Sun; finally to "sail away" to Shangri-La "there I'll find my dreams, and some day I'll return when the world has changed".
Dane's guitar playing is exemplary without being unduly flashy, producing a number of luscious understated solos. Brewer's Rickenbacker is well to the fore, splattering the songs with that trademark sound. The album is also awash with lush keyboards, including Hammond organ and Mellotron and the odd synth. All instruments meld together quite naturally to produce a full and balanced sound, never sounding forced or out of place. Even better are the arrangements: always interesting and involving; always developing without ever getting too far off the road; full of light and shade.
Shangri-La is the undisputed star of the show, a magnificent ten minute tour-de-force of melodic Prog with everything you could wish for: Mellotron and acoustic guitars; wonderful varied harmonies from Dane; one or two little proggy bridge sections; a change of pace to inject a lift via a short instrumental; a false ending; and a rousing finale complete with choir. All this is based on a majestic multi-segmented song which progresses quite seamlessly before returning to its opening melody. This is one of those songs that worms its way into your head and stays there.
The other stand-out songs, shorter but from the same mold, are the title track Toward The Sun and Remembering -- both are nevertheless very high quality songs. Remembering is the more Proggy of the two, with some instrumental contrasts, while Toward The Sun relies on a simpler structure which builds to an abrupt ending. Both Voices and Dawn Of An Evening are excellent examples of fundamentally standard soft rock core songs augmented and lifted by inventive arrangements and surrounding instrumental passages, though Voices is the most derivative song here.
Voices (8:14)
Remembering (5:24)
Theme (5:26)
Toward the Sun (5:08)
Red Carpet for an Autumn (3:09)
Dawn of Evening (10:03)
Shangri-La (10:08)
CONDITION: The Cover: beautiful textured fantasy scape in M- condition, the fragile delicate UK production has no flaws and been in good hands ...no split seams, no bends, no writing...
The Vinyl: all glossy clean and clear over both sides M- looks and plays CLEAN with no problems
A cool addition to anyone's music library!
SEE: SELLERS OTher items for similar cool sounds for "head" people...
EFFICIENT/CAREFUL GRADING
All imperfections are noted both cover & record
NOTE: All Items backed by money back guarantee! IF you have a problem PLEASE let us solve for you BEFORE leaving ANY negative feedback. Thanks! GRADING SCALE: M, M-, EX, VG++,VG+, VG, VG- M Completely clean, no marks M- Carefully used, looks clean, plays clean, shiny gloss, no marks EX Faint scuff or superficial mark, near M-, high gloss, plays clean VG++ Glossy with minimal scuffing or light mark playing very nice, clean VG+ a bit more scuff or markls still plays well with very minimal surface at worse VG more marks/scratches only minor, nothing deep, no loud clicks or pops this grade is abused by many, VG here does not mean "trashed" VG- surface noise present, will not have skips or jumps ALL PAYMENTS SHOULD BE MADE WITHIN 5 DAYS Of AUCTIONS END BIDDERS PLEASE = Do Not Bid If You Are Not Serious About Following Through The Transaction! ALL ITEMS GUARANTEED FOR WINNING BID - LESS SHIPPING!
