CAPTAIN BEEFHEART Strictly Personal SCARCE UK BLACK LIBERTY EX+ LP, SUPERB SOUND

	£		16
	$		21

ONEADAYRECORDS – Simply Delivering Quality Music to the World in Quality, Safe Packing.

Postage: UK £4.75 (£1 per extra record). Europe (including Russia) £12.50 (£2 per extra record). Rest of World (including ALL parts of the USA) £16.50 (£3 per extra record). All boxes signed for in quality, safe packaging – I NEVER use mailing envelopes that offer virtually no protection at all, and records WILL arrive damaged in them at some time as most record buyers will already know. Here, you get what you pay for – SAFE PACKING in BOXES using 7mm DOUBLE-WALL STIFFENERS including full side protection and bubble wrap, the records removed from the covers of course. All this very safe packing means I lose money on every box I post, but safe delivery is, and will always be paramount. You WILL see the difference when my packet arrives. Also, I will pay for insurance on any record that sells for over £100 at NO extra cost – that is UK and abroad. Also I aim to post the very same day after payment is received if possible.

Posting to Russia: Yes, I do post to Russia. But delivery can take up to 4 to 6 weeks from the UK. So please be patient. I will submit a tracking number to the winning bidder, and when the packet arrives there it can be followed online using the Russian post website.

ALSO: I now apply the Ebay ‘2-day’ rule for non-payment to keep things moving – cash-flow is important for any small business.

FINALLY: Late payers, non-payers and ‘0’ bidders will now be blocked or cancelled at my discretion. As will any bidder who cancels a bid. I do not like this practice as it is most often used to phish out the price to beat. Ebay does not approve and neither do I – so only bid on my items if you want them.

Artist or Band: CAPTAIN BEEFHEART AND HIS MAGIC BAND

Album Title: Strictly Personal

Producer(s): Bob Krasnow

TRACK LIST:

Side 1: Ah Feel Like Ahcid; Safe As Milk; Trust Us; Son of Mirror Man—Mere Man.

Side 2: On Tomorrow; Beatle Bones n’ Smokin’ Stones; Gimme Dat Harp Boy; Kandy Korn.

Label/Format: Liberty – rare and seldom-seen second black Liberty format with matt, smooth surfaces.

Label Conditions: Both clean, fresh and attractive with only a tiny few fine spindle marks that show little, these on revealing surfaces. This groundbreaking album plays beautifully.

Cat Number: LBS 83172

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: 137 grams.

Country of Manufacture: England – that is both record AND cover. Some copies of this had imported American covers, this one British.

Rarity: Scarce, and I consider this second black label copy considerably rarer than the blue label. There are differences as well, this copy was pressed by EMI with their distinctive matrix numbers. This also exists as a Pye pressing and the blue label copies were pressed by Phonogram. Also the cut of the record varies depending on who pressed it, this one is fully banded between songs, the Pye pressing had barely any visible gaps. The album itself was a pretty poor seller in its own right, but this pressing was made by EMI briefly in tiny numbers prior to be be repressed again on the budget Sunset label. I have seen very few examples of this album on this black label, and the EMI copies are more elusive. Copies with the original UK cover are also less common, and few will beat this for condition. Those who purchased with quite ‘out-there’ album were seldom hi-fi connoisseurs and most that surface are trashed.

Original Year of Release: 1968. This copy from around 1970, pressed in tiny numbers before being repressed on Sunset.

Matrix Nos: LBS 83172 A-2U & LBS 83172 B-2U

Mothers / Stampers: 1 G / 1 R [G and R being the first and second stampers for EMI-pressed records]

Musicians: Don van Vliet – lead vocal and mouth harp; Alex St Claire – guitar; Jeff Cotton – guitar; Jerry Handley – bass; John French – Drums.

Brief Info: After the brilliant debut Safe as Milk failed to sell, this second album appeared on a different label – Liberty – again only very briefly. Beefheart was finding it very difficult to find a loyal label that would offer his brand of music. This remains one of the most controversial in the Captain’s early catalogue mainly due to the production of Bob Krasnow. It always divides opinion on it’s sound and use of phasing. This is a strictly personal opinion: I think it sounds fantastic and makes a pretty strange band sound even more weird and even mysterious. But some think is obscured its real sound, including van Vliet himself. This wonderful album was a great prelude to Beefheart’s classic Trout Mask Replica which again was issued on a new label – Zappa’s newly formed Straight which specialised in the more ‘out-there’ artists. Here Beefheart’s sound progressed still further from the debut and was now becoming even more challenging. Van Vliet was no ordinary artist and his music had few rules, his genius is at last being more and more recognised as time passes. This landmark album was the last not to include those outlandish names for The Magic Band, the members real names were correctly used. Weirdness however was the order of the day – just check out the inside cover pictures. A man fast approaching his creative heights and this stereo record does it fantastic justice. Skillfully blending blues with psychedelia, a unique sound and band. The lesser-seen black label record looks hardly played, it has two lovely clean playing surfaces, barely even marks and sounds fantastic throughout. With the UK-made cover also superb – and it is one that seldom ages well – this is one of the most impressive examples of this classic I have seen or offered. Only with Zappa’s total unrestricted artistic freedom did the Captain excel to even greater heights on his next masterpiece. To phase or not to phase? – who really cares, just enjoy this unique and brilliant album for what it is.

Cover Grade and Format: EXCELLENT(++): an unlaminated gatefold format with matt and very slightly textured surfaces. Printed and made in the UK with NO Blue Thumb logo and LBS stereo Catalogue Number. Includes the white inner sleeve.

Cover Front: Totally age-defying, I have rarely seen a better one of these (that including my own, and I have five variants of this album). All the more remarkable as the front is made with single thickness card. This has barely any rubbing, very few marks or blemishes, or even creasing. Superb fresh, deep colour with no fading or sticker issues. Even the edges are crisp and sharp with the spine folds avoiding the usual rubbing and weakening. A joy to hold and view.

Cover Back: The back is superb and is arguably even better. The lack of grubbiness and ring wear to either side is little short of remarkable. Indeed this could prove a massive upgrade for many collectors.

Cover Inner Gatefold: Genuinely weird and bizarre and worth the price alone as this will not be found elsewhere. The Sunset reissues had a totally different cover, this wierd inner gatefold graphic then gone. Just as wear-prone as the outside faces, possible even more so being black. This again has little to fault, the odd fine crease that hardly registers, this challenging inside will also prove hard to find better.

Top Edges: Both meet up flush, flat and perfectly parallel. Any thickening to these fragile edges is very light as seen viewed end-on, again possibly the least I have seen.

Bottom Edges: As above, the actual folded edge is black and has only light patchy rubbing, almost the least to be expected on a delicate storage edge.

Right Edge(s), and Type: Both the thin front and back opening edges are clean, neat and sharp, barely thickened or burred, these untrimmed or enhanced. Again they are near parallel and even flush in length.

Spine and Text: Rarely seen a better spine for this cover. Being single thickness and quite wide, this is unusual to find without significant crushing and compression. This one remains solid and uncrushed, it has only a gentle tilt to right, but has avoided flattening or compression. The surface clean, fresh and barely rubbed at all up to the very ends. All text intact, sharp and clear, also beautifully centred. A vulnerable part of this under-strength area of the cover unusually still in very fine condition as seen.

Corners: All corners neat with minimal softening of the front pair, a trace on the upper right which has a tiny crease. Minimal rubbing or wear and almost miraculously, very fine and mostly excellent shape is retained with no knocks or major dinks.

Cover Summary: Original UK covers for this album are scarce. As mentioned already, many had American import covers and then when repressed on Sunset in the UK, a totally different single cover was printed. So a vintage collector’s piece in high impressive condition. No exaggeration to say, these are very rarely seen or offered like this, it should please most collectors, and its potential to upgrade many others is huge.

The Inner Sleeve: EXCELLENT(+): a basic solid white unlined inner favoured by EMI. Again aged little with any creasing light and little, all edges unsplit with no repairs.

Vinyl Condition/Visual Grading: EXCELLENT(+): and arguably better with hardly any blemishes of any note. This a very fine visual copy that is clean with lovely shine, intense black and very solidly pressed – a record rarely purchased by hi-fi connoisseurs, more by the curious younger collectors of the time – finding a copy this clean is very difficult. The lack of marks or even hairlines is almost remarkable for record this age and type. Only with scrutiny under light, the merest hint or traces of paper marks, and even this being critical. No stylus scratches at all, viewed in average room light, this classic album looks remarkable. Also another major factor is the lack of inner bag dulling for which the very first issues are notoriously prone to. Those came with a Phonogram polylined inner sleeve, and with so many being left inside for now around 50 years, the polymers reacted badly to the record’s surfaces. Indeed, I have seen so few copies of this album unaffected by this, and often heavily so. So being an EMI pressing, this copy has totally avoided it, both surfaces looks fantastic. It appears hardly played and it sounds amazing, especially so in stereo where the album’s mix and effects really work better. This a copy to please most fans and 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 elusive record, that when seen, is invariably in very poor condition, plays even above its impressive visual. This unusual EMI-pressed Liberty copy was a joy to play-grade with hardly anything unwanted. It offers strong, distortion-free sound, all frequencies are sharp and clear – sound quality is high with a wide dynamic range and has no tracking issues*. The controversial use of phasing is highly interesting, and I love it. The stereo imagery combined with the phasing gives it a mysterious and dramatic, quite psychedelic effect. Overall a superb pressing by EMI that does the music full justice. A superb follow-up to the classic ‘Safe as Milk’ debut – quite why this divides opinion so much still baffles me. It includes brilliant material and is unique original – as Beefheart always was. You can imagine the fate for probably the majority of these, played on goodness knows what, this is always a joy to hear when in this high-quality condition. Nothing spoilt my pleasure when play-grading this wonderful record which remains high in my favourites list from this period. Both cover and record will prove very difficult to find better and merits strong recommendation. This master avant garde bluesman rarely failed to please and this was the perfect prelude to the main event that followed…

* As played-graded on a high-end Linn LP12 Sondek turntable with Ittok Mk II arm and Ortofon Quintet Black moving coil cartridge tracking at 2.2 grams. Records are a ‘contact’ format, and few will avoid the odd minor sound blemish.

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 as I Play-Grade every record I offer in their entirety – also on higher-end equipment – 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 it’s 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 the item being offered with no digital enhancements. Room light factors can make things vary sometimes, that is hard to control, especially in winter. 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. 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 Quintet Black moving coil cartridge (tracks at 2.2 grams). Amps: Naim Supernait 2 with Project USB phono stage and Tellerium Black interconnects. Speakers: B&W 805 Nautilus (bi-wired with Tellurium Black terminated cable) with REL subwoofer. 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, better quality packaging costs, I offer probably the best-value and safest shipping possible for ultimate confidence. The boxes and ultra thick double-wall stiffeners 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 minuscule in over 17­ 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. 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 ask me first.

PLEASE NOTE: I now exercise my right to open a dispute after the Ebay rule of TWO days if no payment is received. I will then cancel the dispute to end the bid, 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 as will any suspicious bids or bid withdrawals. 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] = £4.75

1 LP (Special Delivery with Standard £500 Maximum Insurance) [Signed For, Next Day] = £7.50. (this includes insurance of £500). Add £1 per extra LP.

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

1 LP (Small Packet ‘Signed For’ with Standard Royal Mail Insurance [£50 maximum]) = £12.50 (enhanced Royal Mail insurance is an optional extra £3). Add £2 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]) = £16.50 (£17.50 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’.