EMERSON, LAKE & PALMER – ELP – Works UK 77 STUNNING N/M

	£		24
	$		31

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Artist or Band: EMERSON LAKE & PALMER

Album Title: Works.

Producer(s): Keith Emerson, Greg Lake and Carl Palmer.

TRACK LIST:

Side 1: Piano Concerto No. 1.

Side 2: Lend Your Love to Me Tonight; C’est La Vie; Hallowed Be Thy Name; Nobody Loves You Like I Do; Closer to Believing.

Side 3: The Enemy God; LA Nights; New Orleans; Bach Two Part Invention in D Minor; Food For Your Soul; Tank.

Side 4: Fanfare For The Common Man; Pirates.

Label/Format: Atlantic (please see my label scan).

Label Conditions: All four ultra clean and highly attractive with spindle marks ranging from zero to very light. This superb set has clearly barely been played.

Cat Number: K 80009.

Mode / Speed: Stereo / 33.3 rpm.

Weight of this Record: 170 / 156 grams. Extraordinary weights for any 1970s record let alone for a title issued towards the back end of this decade where vinyl was mainly used more sparingly. [These days, many modern Audiophile reissues are pressed on super-heavyweight 180 gram vinyl. Only a small percentage of ‘vintage vinyl’ was ever pressed this heavy. Records pressed in the 1960s averaged around 140 to 150 grams. Records pressed in the 1970s were usually lighter and averaged more around 115 – 125 grams. Some records pressed around 1973 were very thin and light due an oil crisis and shortage around this time. Some records were even issued on recycled vinyl from this period and sounded poor with crackle and surface noise evident from the very first play. If any record I buy is deemed ‘recycled’, I will never offer it, I have a very simple test to detect these records if I suspect this to be the case other than audible imperfection. Some records from this period were even pressed on other materials the most notable was ‘Dynaflex’, used by RCA around this time. Although inferior to vinyl, this at least mostly sounded reasonably acceptable but pressings on this material were wafer thin and flimsy. Beyond the 70s, records often became thinner and lighter still but most played fine but were never quite the quality as from the ‘Golden Era’]. (This was based on ‘average’ weights for 20 records from these eras. Later pressings were usually lighter still).

Country of Manufacture: England.

Rarity: Moderate in theory but lately I have seen very few of these around and only one ever with two such massive slabs inside – these indeed even heavier than a copy I offered around three years ago. The sheer weight of these two records is astonishing and this set is class all round.

Original Year of Release: 1977

Matrix Nos: K-80009-A- / K-80009-B- / K-80009-C- (2) / K-80009-D- (2)

Other Information: All four sides have ‘ATLANTIC STUDIOS D.K.’ on their run-out grooves.

Musicians: See ‘Producers’ above.

Brief Info: Some considerable time after the last studio album, the brilliant Brain Salad Surgery with just the live album inbetween, this massively ambitious and quite phenomenal double album was unleashed on to the prog world in 1977. An album with the first three sides dedicated to each individual member and side four a more ‘combined’ effort. Emerson’s piece is self-explanatory, a classical composition and totally instrumental. Lakes songs are mostly wonderful and includes the sublime ‘C’est la Vie’. Palmer’s side is quite varied and includes a blistering version of ‘Tank’ that featured on their debut album. Side four is the album’s piece de resistance, with just two tracks but monumental they are. First is the full version of ‘Fanfare For The Common Man’ which was made hugely popular when used as the anthem for the 1976 Montreal Olympic Games. A truly stunning track and with sound that will totally blow you away. Pulsating rhythm and percussion with awesome use of heavy percussion and even timpanies, Emerson contributes an extended electric keyboard improvisation solo and this is simply breathtaking. Then the finale: the thirteen minute ‘Pirates’ co-written by old King Crimson lyricist Pete Sinfield, this again a pulsating track. A brilliant double album with few filler tracks and quite possibly the heaviest 1970s records I have ever held. Both records match or even exceed early Beatles vinyl weights and that is very unusual to say the least. Pressed up to classical record standards with sound quality to match. Packaged also in a triple gatefold cover that has embossing too. This was arguably ELP’s last truly great album and this copy does it absolute full justice. Mega-fi sound and flawless performances from three prog virtuosos – who could ask for more?

This Cover’s Potential for Wear: Very High and prone to all forms of wear and damage.

Cover Grade and Format: Mint(-) with any blemishes minuscule. Quite how this stunning cover has survived over 30 years with so few traces of wear or blemishes I don’t know. Clearly the original owner was ultimately careful and knew how to store record - I tip my hat to him. This is a triple gatefold cover and was not laminated. This original example has a matt finish and the front has embossed letters and logo. This was printed and made in England by Robor Ltd.

Cover Front: A truly beautiful example of this lavish but wear- and damage-prone cover, I have not seen one as good as this since I bought a copy around issue time. This front is pretty much factory-fresh and looks incredible. The odd surface trace mark if viewed right up close but I think my brand new copy back in 77 has more marks than this. The black ink is intense and it does show handling marks freely if present - hardly any traces on this one and clearly this has been cover protected since new. The text and logo are embossed and pristine. No creasing, no ring marks and fresh as a cover printed today, this front is unlikely to be found much better than this.

Cover Back: Pretty much the same again, a few surface fine marks, but look hard. The black is intense and the white just that, white, with no grubbiness or darkening. No ringwear or noteworthy creases, simply gorgeous.

Cover Inner Gatefold: All the inner four faces are practically as new.

Top Edges: All three edges are practically as new, dead straight and no marks or even chips.

Bottom Edges: As above.

Right Edge(s), and Type: Clean, ultra sharp with no wear or feathering. One record is stored on the right front edge and the other via the right edge of the inner right side. The closed edge is exactly as made.

Spine and Text: A near perfect thick and robust spine: Solid, straight, uncompressed and square, both right edges meet up quite closely together and parallel. All text is near perfect and unworn which on a spine like this can never be taken for granted, any wear to its surface is tiny. A microscopic chip near the ‘L’ in PALMER makes the name look slightly less sharp, but this is getting critical to the point of ridiculous. I can hardly imagine finding this spine better than this ever.

Corners: All corners on this lovely cover are practically as manufactured and look fantastic.

Cover Summary: Near reference standard and this on a cover that takes no prisoners in showing blemishes and wear. This will remind those back in 77 what these once looked like when first purchased. I have scrutinised this for touch-ins but I can see nothing, this really is a remarkable complex cover. Triple gatefolds with no protection in black will always be a challenge to find with no wear but this is probably as close as it ever gets. I have to mention those massive pressings again because they will seldom be found from this era. Many of these will rub and ringwear badly putting a stunning near mint example like this into context. This amazing item should please most-all collectors.

The Inners: Both the original lined inners are included and show little ageing at all, just some toning on one side.

Vinyl Condition/Visual Grading: Both Mint(-) and clearly hardly even played, the temptation to grade full Mint was high and it would be justified. A superb visual set that are super clean, shiny, intense black and massively pressed (see weights above). This set was not pressed this heavy often and I would be sure only the earliest-made ever were. A pair with minimal plays on all the evidence and barely even a surface mark to be seen, both could really pass as new. Visually superb records that should please 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 snippetts 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 miniscule sound present on any record.]

Sound Quality and Audio Grading: Both records play up to their high visual grading with nothing to fault. Strong, distortion-free sound (unless your system cannot handle the incredible dynamics available here), all frequencies are sharp and clear - sound quality is astonishing with a wide dynamic range and very detailed and at times, powerful sound. This is a high fidelity gem and one to prove the worth of any system. Any surface sounds barely even registered, the odd tiny, faint tick on the classical side will never be avoided but it any example plays better than this I sure would like to hear it. An exceptional clean pressing for a hugely demanding and challenging album. Some quiet passages and some very loud sections too, this is a real rollercoaster ride in the typical prog tradition. This demands to have a quality clean pressing and all four sides provide just that and few available copies will even match today I feel sure. Both records have been played very lightly and have been clearly well stored and carefully handled, almost certainly in a non-smoking environment. Nothing spoilt my pleasure when play-grading these incredible records. This set will prove nearly impossible to find significantly better and is unreservedly recommended.

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 with Ittok Mk IV arm and Ortofon Samba Moving Coil cartridge (tracks at 1.8 grams). Amps: Naim Nait 5i with Project USB phono stage and Chord interconnects. Speakers: B&W 704 Floorstanding 3-way Monitors (bi-wired). All records I offer on Ebay are cleaned on a professional Moth vacuum machine before play-grading for the cleanest and best possible sound and will include a brand new lined inner and protective cover too.

First-time, zero-rated bidders, who do not ask permission to bid, will be cancelled immediately and blocked – NO exceptions. For winning bidders who I consider excessively slow to make contact or submit payment, I will use my right to block future bids. If any bidder who wins in the final seconds is present to do so, surely they can at least email me to inform of intention and payment method? If swift or promp payment is a problem, please do not bid.

POSTING & PACKING: What You Get: I now offer the fastest possible posting, mostly the very next day after payment is received or within 48 hours maximum. All records are posted in professional boxes (NOT mailers) with the record(s) 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 TWO thick stiffners for even extra protection. The cover will be placed within a BRAND NEW heavy duty soft protective sleeve and the actual record will be professionally cleaned on my Moth Pro vacuum system to give ultimate clean grooves and playing surfaces and the best possible looks and ultimate sound quality. Printed address labels are used for clarity and well as sender label. 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. Customers requests or special needs for P&P will be respected if at all possible but NOT surface mail abroad. I never make profit on posting and offer probably the best-value and safest shipping possible. I will invoice any winning bidder as soon as possible after the auction ends, with the total costs including ‘standard’ or ‘optional extra insurance’ P&P – ALL UK and Russian packets go out non-negotiable Recorded Delivery. My ‘loss’ or ‘damage rate’ is less than 0.1 per percent based on over 4,000+ items sold in over 7 years of Ebay trading and I consider that pretty exceptional.

PLEASE NOTE: I will now only send packets to Russia with Recorded Delivery at a cost of £7 per single LP. If this is unacceptable to Russian collectors, please do not bid. I only want my records to arrive safely and this gives packets a better chance to do so. Also ALL UK packets will be sent with either Recorded or Special Delivery as standard (both have to be signed for). All shipping costs and rules can be found after my description. If they are not acceptable, please do not bid.

NOTE: First Time Bidders: I will cancel ALL first-time bidders with no feedbacks or excessive negatives who do not ask me if its OK to bid first – NO EXCEPTIONS.

Please Note: I will now offer any item to the runner-up after the mandatory Ebay 3 days if no contact is made by the winning bidder unless prior notice of any delay is given beforehand. The same applies if no payment is received within the mandatory 7 days so any bidder who has just lost out can still email me to reserve the item as priority second chance – it’s always worth asking.

SHIPPING COSTS & OPTIONS:

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

1 LP (First Class Recorded Delivery with Standard Royal Mail Insurance) [Signed For] = £4 (OPTIONAL).

1 LP (Special Delivery with Standard £500 Maximum Insurance) [Signed For, Next Day] = £7 (OPTIONAL).

Posting & Packing: ALL EUROPE & SCANDINAVIA (NOT RUSSIA, see below) (Airmail Only):

1 LP (Small Packet Standard with Standard Royal Mail Insurance) = £5.

1 LP (Small Packet ‘Signed For’ with included Insurance to Item’s ‘Sold’ Value, £500* Maximum) = £9 (OPTIONAL).

Posting & Packing: RUSSIA (Recorded Only, if this is unacceptable, please do not bid):

1 LP (Small Packet ‘Signed For’ only £7) = £9 (OPTIONAL extra insurance as above).

Posting & Packing: ALL OVERSEAS (non-European) e.g. USA (any part); Australia; Canada; Japan and other Far East; (Airmail Only: I NEVER use Surface Mail):

1 LP (Small Packet Standard with Standard Royal Mail Insurance) = £8.

1 LP (Small Packet ‘Signed For’ with included Insurance to Item’s ‘Sold’ Value, £500* Maximum) = £13 (OPTIONAL).

* If Rules allow for that country.

PLEASE NOTE: I always get a Royal Mail ‘Proof-of-Posting’ receipt for ALL packets that are sent out and I am happy to prove this to any customer who wishes to see it via email.

Payment Conditions:

I prefer PayPal or cheque from UK winning bidders. I can accept PayPal from overseas bidders.

The customer can choose their method of shipping with the exception of second class or surface mail overseas – these I will NOT use. The winner bidder chooses his/her posting method and if uninsured is chosen, its their decision and they have to stick with it, I can accept no responsibility if an item is lost in the post. I can only try to claim at standard levels if no enhancement is chosen (£39).

Potential Bidders: Please do not bid if you have negative feedback unless checking first, I will cancel any bids I feel are timewasters. 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 minus the Posting and All Ebay costs as long as the item detail has been read and understood. I will not refund if any defect detail is clearly stated on the advert and missed by the buyer. If any overseas collector does not understand anything in my listing, please email and ask me to help.

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 neccessarily 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’.