BEATLES - 1967 - "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" -Rare MAS Mono release

$

38

SYNOPSIS

With Revolver, the Beatles made the Great Leap Forward, reaching a previously unheard-of level of sophistication and fearless experimentation. Sgt. Pepper, in many ways, refines that breakthrough, as the Beatles consciously synthesized such disparate influences as psychedelia, art-song, classical music, rock & roll, and music hall, often in the course of one song. Not once does the diversity seem forced -- the genius of the record is how the vaudevillian "When I'm 64" seems like a logical extension of "Within You Without You" and how it provides a gateway to the chiming guitars of "Lovely Rita." There's no discounting the individual contributions of each member or their producer, George Martin, but the preponderance of whimsy and self-conscious art gives the impression that Paul McCartney is the leader of the Lonely Hearts Club Band. He dominates the album in terms of compositions, setting the tone for the album with his unabashed melodicism and deviously clever arrangements. In comparison, Lennon's contributions seem fewer, and a couple of them are a little slight but his major statements are stunning. "With a Little Help From My Friends" is the idealRingo tune, a rolling, friendly pop song that hides genuine Lennon anguish, à la "Help!"; "Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds" remains one of the touchstones of British psychedelia; and he's the mastermind behind the bulk of "A Day in the Life," a haunting number that skillfully blends Lennon's verse and chorus with McCartney's bridge. It's possible to argue that there are better Beatles albums, yet no album is as historically important as this. After Sgt. Pepper, there were no rules to follow -- rock and pop bands could try anything, for better or worse. Ironically, few tried to achieve the sweeping, all-encompassing embrace of music as the Beatles did here. *

* Per AllMusic.com

                                                         PAYMENTS

PAYMENT PROCESS: Following auction's completion, eBay sends buyer a draft invoice.  In the case of a simple one item transaction, buyer can pay from that invoice. Where there are multiple items for which combined shipping is warranted then a invoice must be initiated by seller in order to reflect the combined shipping rates.

PAYMENT METHOD: PayPal is the required payment method due to expedited, streamlined process for both buyer and seller

PAYMENT DEADLINE: Seller has thoughtfully committed to sours from receipt of invoice.hipping within one day following payment. It would be appreciated if the buyer would reciprocate with payment by one day after receipt of invoice. with a deadline of 72 hours from receipt of invoice.

SHIPPING

Shipping & Handling (S&H) Fee Disclosure: A transaction fee of $1.40 is applied for the safe delivery of your purchase. It is soley a cost reimbursement for (1) specialized mailers, (2) polyurethane jacket sleeve, inner sleeve if needed and delivery confirmation. No other costs are requested for reimbursment. PLEASE keep this in mind when considering the total shipping costs.  

Postal Calculation: I use the eBay/USPS postage calculation tool to determine postage costs. This tool determines postage based on destination, shipping type, weight, options, and S&H fee.

Packing Procedure & Precautions: Many buyers inquire about product packaging which is understandable. My process is as follows: (1) Remove vinyl with inner sleeve from jacket, (2) Insert jacket into polyurethane sleeve, (3) Insert inner sleeve with vinyl into the polyurethane sleeve outside of the jacket in order to seam splits caused by transit, (4) protected item is then packed & shipped in a 200 lb. test "bend resistant" corrugated cardboard mailer along with any material necessary to ensure item does not shift in the mailer. 

Shipping options: Buyer decides which shipping method he wishes which for domestic shipping boils down to using the less expensive media mail or the more dependable, quicker and trackable Priority Mail. For international shipments factors are still the same but the choices are the less expensive First Class International or the more dependable, quicker and trackable Priority International Mail. 

RETURNS

Buyers have a fourteen (14) day, from delivery date, to exercise their return option. Vinyl collectors & enthusiasts are well aware that grading is an extremely subjective determination and in the end is simply just one persons opinion. A difference of opinion on a vinyl's "Proper" or "Correct" grade (e.g. a listed VG++ item thought to be a VG+ by the buyer) is a something that is difficult to agree on. I make a concerted effort to grade (conservatively) with no intention of taking advantage of any buyers. That being the case, I normally accept returns due to the more objective reasons such as listing an item as sealed and it ends up not being the case or listing an item as import or original and that ends up not being the case. If you feel that I made a grave mistake in my grading then I will accept that return. For any of these situations buyer will be responsible for the cost to return the item to me and after I receive I will initiate a refund the item amount. If an item is not recieved, or is delivered damages, it is imperative that you address these with YOUR local postal servce.

GRADING SCALE

Vinyl is graded on a visual basis, primarily due to time constraints and the sheer volume (thousands) of records that I am selling. I use very bright lights in addition to magnifiers to inspect for flaws to ensure that no over grading occurs. The grading scale is as follow:

Mint (M): Still Sealed, if opened the grading should NOT be reflected as Mint

Near Mint (NM):  Looks like if just came from the retail store and opened for the very first time (i.e. nearly perfect). Shiny vinyl with NO visible defects such as writing, stickers, markings on either jacket or vinyl. Near Mint records do not have to be "unplayed" as a used record can also be in Near Mint condition after many plays providing it has been given proper care.

Excellent (EX) Looks like a Near Mint at first glance but upon a thorough evaluation, aminimal blemish or mark can be noted. As a Near Mint is in perfect condition, this grade is just a small step down in the grading scale.

Very Good Plus (VG+): Shows some slight signs of wear, including scuffs or very light scratches that do not affect the listening experience. Slight warps that do not affect the sound, minor signs of handling can fall into this category. Telltale marks around the center hole where repeated playing could have enlarged or damaged the hole may be visiable. Light ring wear or discoloration, can be noted but should not be overwhelming. Very Good + jackets should have minor wear such as a very minor seam wear or split (less than 1"long) at one of the seams (normally the bottom which is the most vulnerable location). A Very Good + may have some jacket defacing such as cut-out markings which can be either a circular hole punch, a cut corner or a saw cut. 

Very Good (VG):  Shows more obvious flaws than the above. They may lack the original gloss found on factory fresh records, groove wear is evident as are light scratches that may be deep enough to feel with a fingernail. The Very Good record could have minor surface noise and some scratches may be audible most likely in the intros and the empty space between songs but not at a level that would overpower the music. Minor writing, tape or sticker may exist on the jacket and/or label. These records will still remain a fine listening experience.