CAPTAIN BEEFHEART Mirror Man RARER ORIG UK 71 N/M LP

	£		58
	$		77

ONEADAYRECORDS – Simply Delivering Quality Music to the World.

Postage: UK £4.25. Europe £12. Rest of World £16. ALL signed for. – NOTE: I now apply the Ebay ‘4-day’ rule for non-payment. I try to keep my P&P as low as possible after the very significant Royal Mail price increases.

Artist or Band: CAPTAIN BEEFHEART & HIS MAGIC BAND

Album Title: Mirror Man.

Producer(s): Bob Krasnow.

TRACK LIST:

Side 1: Tarotplane; Kandy Korn.

Side 2: 25th Century Quaker; Mirror Man.

Label/Format: Buddah – original intense black matt finish (Please see my label scan).

Label Conditions: Both in superb condition: very clean, fresh and attractive with only two or three light spindle marks that show little on very revealing labels. A copy typically hardly played from a collection owned from new by just the original purchaser.

Cat Number: 2365002.

Mode / Speed: Stereo / 33.3 rpm.

Warps: Assume all records I offer have no warping of any significance and all tracking is easy and effortless and should play on all turntables and even ‘budget’ decks.

Weight of this Record: 128 grams. A very good average weight for the time.

Country of Manufacture: England.

Rarity: Quite rare as an original. A brief chart entry in the UK but still largely ignored in the US.

Original Year of Release: 1971

Matrix Nos: 2365002 A // 1 420 1 1 3 & 2365002 B // 1 420 1 1 4

Musicians: Captain Beefheart – vocals, harmonica, oboe musette; Alex St. Clair Snouffer – guitar; Jeff Cotton – guitar; John French – drums; Jerry Handley – bass.

Brief Info: A delayed issue album that was recorded around the same time as ‘Safe as Milk’ and was intended to be issued as a double album to follow the legendary debut. The other songs were re-recorded and issued as ‘Strictly Personal’. Buddah owned the original sessions and these were issued in 1971 as this single album ‘Mirror Man’. With just four tracks but very long. An intense blues workout for a highly talented band but less vocals than usual from the Captain. Clocking in at over 52 minutes, this is way over average for a vinyl record. Some thought the tracks over-long, but I disagree. This is pure blues that shows-off the skills of the early Magic Band to perfection. No other sounded quite like this, Beefheart playing the music he loved. The record is in supreme condition and actually matches (at the very least) my own personal copy, and it offers nigh-on pristine sound. With vast duration, these can often crackle, but this one reminds of new and finding an available copy of this record better will prove near impossible. The cover is notoriously difficult with it’s complex cracked mirror die-cut front, but ironically that is very nice with little to fault. The back however has a moderate sized surface rub on the top left of the silver area, but no text is affected and all is fully present. So not a cover issue for the more discerning collector, but the record is practically unbeatable.

Cover Grade and Format: NEAR EXCELLENT: an unlaminated gatefold format with the front having a very complex die-cut broken mirror effect window with multiple spikes and jags. It has a wide spine and a single thickness front, hence beyond fragile. Even more so with centre entrance for the record. Printed and made in England by the E. J. Day Group.

Cover Front: Another strong contender for the most fragile covers of the era. The central area is a die-cut window of multiple jags and points to resemble a broken mirror. These are usually seen in terrible condition, often torn and badly creased. This front is fully intact with no tearing and the the majority of the spiked ‘shards’ still pointed and quite neat to very neat. Two or three with small end rubs or tip creases, this near impossible to avoid, protective covers often the culprit. The rest of the front shows little rubbing and barely any creasing, this also unusual. Single thickness card rarely escapes and being weakened considerably with a large area of card removed for the ‘window’, this front will take a huge amount of beating.

Cover Back: The back has a quite sizeable rub as mentioned above. Not sure what happened here but it is the main reason why this is not graded considerably higher. It has little else to fault and the lack of ringwear is a bonus. Clearly this will be an issue for the more discerning collector but the stunning record more than compensates.

Cover Inner Gatefold: A few small minor surface marks but little else. Again the broken mirror spikes are neat with just a few small light creases – and no tears. The fragile wide spine is very neat indeed and totally uncreased or weakened on the central entrance area. Again this is so hard to find like this.

Top Edges: Very neat and still quite crisp with minimal traces of any thickening or burring.

Bottom Edges: As above.

Right Edge(s), and Type: The back edge is fully sealed and with barely any hint of wear. The single thickness front is clean, sharp and has avoided any thickening or burring. The flimsy spine has flattened which has pulled this edge to the left which has helped protect this delicate edge that is guaranteed untrimmed.

Spine and Text: This original has a very wide spine which has remained uncrushed with no compression. But these single thickness formats that have to support the weight of a heavy record will rarely not flatten with pressure within a rack storage system. So the top fold no can support an erect spine and has a fine neat white edge. It’s opposite fold is superb and still very solid indeed. The actual spine surface area is near immaculate, straight and folded square so the edge are parallel. All text is perfect and unworn and no rubbing at all to the main area.

Corners: Any tip rubs are small and light with just the odd tiny tip crease. All retain very fine to excellent shape.

Cover Summary: A strong all-round example of this very fragile early 70’s cover. The rub on the back is the main issue – I consider a near unworn spine that has flattened to be almost as good you will find. The ultra delicate front sets a high standard and this still looks attractive. No for the perfectionist, but many collectors will enjoy it.

The Inner Sleeve: EXCELLENT: only marked down for some near moderate darkening which is very difficult to avoid. A Polydor-style lined inner with barely any creasing and all edge unsplit with no repairs. The polylining is immaculate and looks like new as seen through two equally immaculate window circles. This inner is date-coded 1170 which actually pre-dates the album’s release.

Vinyl Condition/Visual Grading: MINT(-): a superb visual copy that is very clean, shiny, intense black and very solidly pressed. A copy hardly even played on all the evidence with any of the one of two surface marks ultra light and faint as seen critically under bright angled light. This was owned from new by one person who played his records sparingly and only on a quality system – the difference will be more than evidence to any winning bidder. Visually a fantastic record that should please most-all collectors.

Album Played For Grading: Yes. [I play ALL records I offer before submitting to Ebay, also the record is played in its entirety unless clearly stated otherwise. I do NOT play snippets or joining grooves to check for sound quality and quietness – I play from the beginning to end via clinically revealing B&W speakers that include the legendary tweeter from their awesome Nautilus range that reveals every blemish or minuscule sound present on any record.]

Sound Quality and Audio Grading: This very impressive first issue record plays up to it’s high visual grading with nothing to fault. Strong, distortion-free sound, all frequencies are sharp and clear - sound quality is very high with a wide dynamic range and very detailed sound. Any surface sounds barely even registered and no pops or clicks were noted and this is an exceptional clean pressing – even more so for a Buddah record which could sometimes be crackly – have you heard some of the Melanie albums from this time? Few copies will even match let along outperform this early pressing significantly I feel sure. Both channels are clean and sharp, I am certain this record has been played very lightly and has been clearly carefully handled. I doubt if this record has seen light-of-day for decades and that often means bag-rash – but NONE here at all. Nothing spoilt my pleasure when play-grading this wonderful record, a Beefheart classic that deserves to be heard again soon. This record will prove immensely difficult to find better and it merits my highest possible recommendation.

Now one of the most established sellers on Ebay and still offering the finest and most accurately described and graded records I can find. I pride myself on offering a variety of genres to keep my site as interesting as possible. I will rarely offer any record that falls below a true Excellent grading, unless its of a certain rarity which will justify offering a lesser grade. I try, to the best of my ability to describe as accurately and as honesty as I can all items I offer for sale with all the relevant information I can think of to help any potential bidder and collector. You may notice I only submit records sparingly on Ebay - on average ONEADAY, a couple more at weekends if time permits, hence the name - time rarely allows for more as I Play-Grade virtually every record I offer in their entirety, not just bits to guess a grade - visuals alone do not always tell a true or full story. I will mention any defects or flaws no matter how small that I notice to be fair as possible to any interested collector – I am very fussy and my buyers have the right to be too. Every record I offer, whether it be a common or rare item deserves the same respect as far as I am concerned and will be treated the same - just because an item is rare does not always mean its good. I get just as much pleasure offering a relatively common record in stunning near mint condition as the real rare items. All the pictures I use for your guidance are taken with a digital camera or scanned - they are NOT improved, cleaned-up or made better looking than they are with camera trickery or enhancing with digital programmes. What you see is what you get and scanned labels will give a more accurate representation of the genuine colour than flash photography where light is variable. I cannot guarantee total accuracy for colours however but most will be very close. If any picture I take looks more flattering than the actual item for any reason, I will clearly state the fact in the advert and vice-versa. I hope the item below is to your liking - any questions can be emailed and I will do my very best to answer you. I am enthusiastic, and have a fair degree of knowledge about many genres and I promise quality items - bid with confidence - excellence comes as standard and so does Near Mint regularly. Please assume all records I offer have NO jumps, sticks, warps or writing on covers or labels unless clearly stated to the contrary. Thanks for your interest and Good luck – MIKE.

Deck: Linn LP12/Hercules/Cirkus with Ittok Mk II arm and Ortofon Rondo Red moving coil cartridge (tracks at 2 grams). Amps: Naim Nait 5i with Project USB phono stage and Chord interconnects. Speakers: B&W 704 Floorstanding 3-way Monitors (bi-wired with Terrarium Black terminated cable). All records I offer on Ebay are cleaned on a professional VPI-17 vacuum machine before play-grading for the cleanest and best possible sound and will include a brand new lined inner and protective cover too. Pictures taken with a Nikon D5000 SLR Digital Camera.

PACKING - THIS IS WHAT YOU GET.

What You Get: To confirm to the strict Ebay rules on shipping, I must now send ALL my packets ‘Signed-For’ with NO exceptions. Both buyers and sellers want their packets to have a safer journey and this is not a bad thing.

I now offer the fastest possible posting, often the very next day after payment is received or within two to three days maximum (unless on holiday). I only use FIRST-CLASS Mail. The record’s cover will be placed within a BRAND NEW soft protective sleeve and the actual record will be professionally cleaned on my new VPI-17 Pro vacuum system to give ultimate clean grooves and playing surfaces and the best possible looks and ultimate sound quality. You will NOT get tired, dull looking, dust infested records inside worn and foggy covers with tatty inners from this seller and that’s a promise and guarantee. All records are posted in professional boxes (NOT Mailers, these do not offer any real protection). The record(s) are REMOVED from their main cover to avoid edge splits and placed within a brand new polylined inner. The record’s original inner will be included if available. The boxes are then reinforced with at least TWO, ULTRA THICK stiffeners for maximum extra protection – these are FOUR TIMES thicker than commercial stiffeners and are custom-made for oneadayrecords. Really rare and expensive albums will even be Double Boxed if deemed necessary and possible. When larger boxes are used, the thick record and stiffener ‘sandwich’ is then thickly embedded into bubble-wrap to bulk out the record inside the box to centre the item inside to reduce the risk of damage still further. Printed address labels are used for clarity as well as a sender label. Customers requests or special needs for P&P will be respected if at all possible but ‘Signed-For’ posting is NOT an option anymore. I do not profit on posting and the cost of this lavish packing is NOT even charged for, I offer probably the best-value and safest shipping possible for ultimate confidence. The boxes and ultra thick double-wall stiffeners and bubble wrap make a near impregnable fortress for safe shipping and this is used inland and overseas for ALL my records, not just the rare and expensive. I will invoice any winning bidder as soon as possible after the auction ends. My ‘loss’ or ‘damage rate’ is less than one in two thousand+ based on over 8,000+ items sold in over 10 years of Ebay trading and I consider that pretty exceptional. The only damage rate acceptable for this seller is ZERO and I think my packets will offer just that. It would take a vicious postman or postal service to damage these for sure. Even one of these stiffeners cannot be bent by hand, so what chance 2 inside a box? Oneadayrecords is a MAILER-FREE ZONE. I discount of course for multiple purchases with a maximum of FIVE records per box (one double can sometimes be included subject to total weight). All postage costs are below and at the top of the listing.

NOTE: First Time Bidders: Please as me first.

PLEASE NOTE: I now exercise my right to open a dispute after the Ebay rule of FOUR days if no payment is received. I will then cancel the dispute to end the, again after the mandatory FOUR days and then offer the item to the runner-up or relist. The non-payer will also be blocked from my Ebay site and they take the Ebay consequences (a strike or removal from the system). Small businesses need prompt payment to trade and these strict rules WILL be applied.

SHIPPING COSTS & CONDITIONS – THESE comply with EBAY’S RULES - PLEASE READ CAREFULLY:

Posting & Packing: UK & CHANNEL ISLANDS all now sent via Recorded Delivery:

1 LP (FIRST-CLASS Recorded Delivery with Standard Royal Mail Insurance) [Signed For] = £4.25

1 LP (Special Delivery with Standard £500 Maximum Insurance) [Signed For, Next Day] = £8. (this includes insurance of £500). Add £2 per extra LP.

Posting & Packing: EUROPE & SCANDINAVIA. (Airmail Only):

1 LP (Small Packet ‘Signed For’ with Standard Royal Mail Insurance [£50 maximum]) = £12 (enhanced Royal Mail insurance is an optional extra £3). Add £3 per extra LP.

Posting & Packing: ALL OVERSEAS (non-European) e.g. USA (ANY PART OF); South America; New Zealand; Australia; Canada; Japan and other Far East; (Airmail Only: I NEVER use Surface Mail):

1 LP (Small Packet ‘Signed For’ with Standard Royal Mail Insurance [£50 maximum]) = £16 (£17 for double sets). Add £3 per extra LP. (enhanced Royal Mail insurance is an optional extra £3)

Payment Conditions:

I prefer PayPal or cheque from UK winning bidders. I can accept PayPal from overseas bidders or direct payment into my bank account.

Potential Bidders: I will cancel any bids I feel are time-wasters. A maximum 3 days for communication and 7 days for payment to arrive - if not I will relist the item or offer to the runner-up. Fast deals get great feedback from me. Any questions - please ask and thanks for looking.

My Guarantee: If any winning bidder is not satisfied with their purchase I will offer a complete refund. I will not refund if any defect detail is clearly stated on the advert and missed by the buyer, so read the item description carefully. If any overseas collector does not understand anything in my listing, please email and ask me to help. Thank You.

SOME GENERAL GUIDES TO WEAR AND CONDITIONS TO HELP YOU DECIDE

My Use of Description Terminology: Surface Marks = Superficial, usually light marks, hairlines or light scuffs that rarely sound. Scratch = a needle mark that goes below the record’s surface, some will sound, some will not, my play-grade will inform. Original = a record that has been pressed with the first label design which does NOT necessarily mean a very first pressed record. First Pressing = A record that I believe or know to be a genuine very first pressed record. I do not claim to always know for sure, and that’s why I state the stamper and matrix numbers if at all possible, for those who claim to know what they all mean, the information is there for the collector to decide. I prefer to use terms like ‘Early Copy’ rather than ‘First Pressing’ if I am not totally sure. Surface Sound = Mild, light sound, usually light crackle or similar. Distortion = Break up of the actual sound caused by groove wear or damage from a chipped stylus – the most undesirable form of unwanted sound, vintage mono records were the most prone to this happening but not exclusively so. The symptoms of distortion are high frequency clipping, moderate constant crackle or an echo type sound quality. Violin, piano and vocals are most prone to groove-wear distortion. Feathering = Fraying or softening of the entry edge of a cover. Covers with feathered entrance edges are more likely to have had the actual record inserted and removed more than a non-feathered, sharp-edged cover which are always far more attractive. Set Off, actually a printer’s term for dark ink leaving mild residue on pale or white ink when rested upon. e.g. when a gatefold cover has black ink closed against white, this can leave some black residue on the pale area – this is mostly unavoidable or course.

The Argument for Vinyl Original sound and mix (mono mixes are rarely available on CD), high quality sound on clean copies (played on a hi-end dedicated analogue system – breathtaking sound!), beautiful, large format covers, artwork, inserts and even full size posters etc; huge investment potential, and the pleasure of owning ‘the real thing’.