CURFEW Let There Be Dark 1970 ORIG TRIPPY FUZZ PSYCH LP not reissued yet LISTEN

$

30

CURFEW "LET THERE BE DARK, AND THERE WAS DARK" LP

ORIGINAL 1970 LP ON THE US UNITED ARTISTS LABEL, STEREO UAS 6746

COVER IN VG+ SHAPE, top seam half split, otherwise very nice

VINYL PLAYS EXCELLENT

I gotta be honest here - like all these obscure-o second echelon unreissued major label psych albums, Curfew’s 1970 release Let There Be Dark, and There Was Dark is not without its weak tracks. In fact, there are quite a few duds here. But unlike, say, Maximillian’s LP on ABC, which collectors pay hundreds for and has NO good tracks, or Far Cry’s LP on Vanguard, which is fine if you only look at the album sleeve, Curfew’s LP has at least three very strong keepers, and one all-out monster heavy fuzz psych ripper that you shouldn’t be living without, if you have been. Hopefully, that’s about to change…
“Wait for the Moment” is a solid enough slice of acid psych, with a cool stop/start rhythm and some big sweeping organ washes. And the groovy little “Everyday Kind of Love” flutters and floats like a lost Sagittarius or Strawberry Alarm Clock track, riding on a gentle jazzy shuffle rhythm and filled with those wonderful happy-together flower children “ba ba ba” backing vocals. If we stopped right there, the album’s already batting higher than Lacewing, Freeport and December’s Children combined. But we’re just getting started…
Taking on Bobbie Gentry’s “Ode to Billie Joe” could spell disaster – but against all odds, Curfew actually manage to make me like this song again. Thanks to some ultra-heavy guitar work, big monster fuzz riffs, a funky rumbling foundation-shaking bassline and constantly changing, always-unpredictable tempos. It sounds more like Jo Jo Gunne’s “Run Run Run” than a Top 10 AM pop hit about unassisted bridge-jumping suicide, and maybe that’s why I prefer Curfew’s version. Just as heavy as a Vanilla Fudge cover, but not nearly as ponderous.
But the real monster on this album, and the one track you simply can’t continue living without, is the heavy fuzzed-up acid barnstormer called “Photogenic Jenny.” It starts with a blast of organ feedback, and then gets heavier from there. Great ripping zipper fuzz licks, and a genuine classic riff that’s only an attorney’s fee away from a lawsuit from the Electric Prunes, whose “You Never Had It Better” is startlingly similar and came first. There’s even some cowbell, so ya know it’s heavy rock. If you can imagine a souped-up, amped-up, fuzzed-out version of the Prunes (who were already amped and fuzzed up), that’s pretty much what th e Curfew hit on with “Photogenic Jenny.” Garage punk gone biker rock.
It’s a monster track, and makes their album a worthy purchase just by its inclusion alone. But those other three tracks help out considerably, as will a few others if they hit you right. And when you consider you can still buy five or ten of these for the price of a Maximillian album, you really gotta wonder if people actually listen to these things anymore before assigning a value. At least this one’s worth every penny.

PLEASE NOTE I NO LONGER SHIP TO ITALY DUE TO A CORRUPT POSTAL SYSTEM (THERE, NOT HERE).  BUYERS FROM ITALY AGREE TO PAY FOR GLOBAL PRIORITY MAIL INSURED ONLY!

The less exciting stuff

Media mail shipping with delivery confirmation starts at $4.00 in the US, with each additional record only $1 additional shipping.  Overseas shipping has, unfortunately, gone way up in the fast few months, which translates to $15 for the first LP to Canada ($3 each one thereafter) and $24 for the first LP everywhere else in the world, with each add'l LP an extra $5 (so it pays to buy more, nudge nudge wink wink).   I accept payments through Paypal. 

I try to grade as best as I can, and I list as many blemishes/imperfections I can find (writing, ringwear, scuff marks, etc.) – Also, please note that I DO listen to these albums – I may not listen to every track, but my grades are based on LISTENING, not just looking at it, since chances are you’ll be listening to the record you buy, not just looking at it.  Most of the albums I sell are the ones I’ve enjoyed for years – and I treat my records with kid gloves.  But sounds speak louder than words, so check out the sound clips below – they’re from the actual record you’re bidding on. 

SHIPPING AND PACKAGING

Listen, I buy a bunch of records too (when I’m not getting outbid at the last second, which is more often than not) – and I know what it’s like to get a rare, one-of-a-kind album packaged dangerously in a flimsy bubblewrap package.  I hate that too.  So rest assured, I ALWAYS package albums with stiff cardboard reinforcements, same for 45s.  And yes, the records are removed from the sleeves (for albums).  I ship out once a week, every Friday, because I have a regular day job.  But I’d be willing to give that up if you’d all be so kind as to bid my items up to stupidly high amounts. 

 For more security and international tracking, you may request GLOBAL PRIORITY MAIL - but bear in mind the cost of this service is upwards of $30.  For expensive items, however, it may be well worth it.  Unfortunately, there isn’t a cost-effective way of tracking parcels to foreign countries yet, and shipping times vary depending on your country’s postal system.   Italy in particular seems to be really bad at delivering packages quickly, or delivering packages at all, now that you mention it.  I will always email you when your package ships, but once it’s on its way, please don’t ask me when it will arrive because I don’t know.  If the world’s postal systems can ever agree on a universal tracking system that’s affordable, I’ll be the first to use it.

NOW IT’S YOUR TURN…

I will always leave positive feedback for successful transactions, and would appreciate the same in return.  All I ask of you is the following – please pay for your items within 14 days of the close of auction.  Compared to other sellers, that’s a generous amount of time, so if you don’t pay within 2 weeks, then I have to assume something’s wrong.  You’ll get an Ebay payment reminder at that point, and possibly a decapitated horse head in your bed.  If, after 30 days, you still haven’t forked up the cash, I’ll relist the item and yell at you if I ever see you in town.