FAUST Very Rare EX+ Orig 1972 German-Pressed Clear LP

	£		73
	$		97

ONEADAYRECORDS – Delivering Quality Music to the World.

Artist or Band: FAUST

Album Title: Faust.

Producer(s): Uwe Nettlebeck.

TRACK LIST:

Side 1: Why Don’t You Eat Carrots; Meadow Meal.

Side 2: Miss Fortune.

Label/Format: Polydor – silver and embossed text and difficult to photograph, I have done my best.

Label Conditions: Both near immaculate: super clean and attractive and barely a single spindle mark. A few surface hairlines but rarely seen these bizarre labels so shiny and fresh. Again from the collection of barely played records.

Cat Number: SUPER 2310142.

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: 120 grams. [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: Record Germany. Cover England. For the original ‘clear’ vinyl copies this was normal, clearly both record and cover were very ‘specialised’, the cover being a silk-screen printing.

Rarity: Quite rare: never easy to offer any Faust album bar ‘Tapes’ (and only because it was a cheap price), never a big selling band even within the progressive ‘Krautrock’ genre. Initial pressings of this album were made in clear vinyl and had a clear perspex type cover and transparent insert as per this copy. These are most prized and cherished by Krautrock connoisseurs and this is a very fine copy and one of the cleanest sounding I have ever heard from a non-black example.

Original Year of Release: 1972

Matrix Nos: These are not easy to see and not prepared to guess.

Musicians: Werner ‘Zappi’ Diermaier – Drums; Hans Joachim Irmler – Organ; Arnulf Meifert – Drums; Jean-Hervé Péron – Bass; Rudolf Sosna – Guitar and keyboards; Gunter Wüsthoff – Synthesiser and sax.

Brief Artist & Album Info: A Faust album on offer and no, not ‘Tapes’ this time. This is Faust’s groundbreaking debut album and just one of two made for Polydor Records. Possibly too uncommercial, for this label, the elaborate packaging for both albums would have been expensive and with limited returns they were likely deemed unviable. Very experimental and uncompromising at times, this album is arguably the least accessible in their catalogue and I absolutely love it. Along with Can, Neu, early Kraftwerk and Tangerine Dream, Faust made great music, and unlike most of the band’s who loved to experiment with sound, Faust never sold out to commercialism - they remained cutting edge and weird - far too strange and dense for many listeners who refused to even try. Like all fine music of this type it takes time and perseverance, when their music really clicks in, it’s truly wonderful. Incredible rock music with use of electronics and at times sounding like the other great sound pioneer Frank Zappa. Faust was recorded at Wümme between 1970-71 and was produced by Uwe Nettelbeck. The original LP record was on clear vinyl in a clear cover with an X-ray of a human fist silkscreened on the outer sleeve. It also included a transparent plastic sheet with the lyrics and credits printed in red. The word ‘Faust’ is German for ‘fist’. Always difficult to find the cover unsplit or crinkled, this is in very fine shape with minimal traces of toning for a change. The record itself does have a toned area on the rim the this is seldom avoided - infact the last three I have seen have all had it. A relatively minor blemish anyway that causes NO sound, this remains a very fine and rare original copy. They rarely come up for sale and seldom seen, so if this elusive progressive classic appeals, do not lose it.

This Cover’s Potential for Wear: Very High: easily damaged, rarely seen unsplit.

Cover Grade and Format: EX+, a silk-screen printed transparent cover with inside an inside flap for record retainment. The transparent inner is included also. Printed and made in England by Autoscreen Ltd and includes the world patents pending text.

Cover Front & Back: Overall a very nice example and rare on two accounts as it has no edge splits and barely any traces of toning on the edges. Dulling and marks are modest and this retains a fine transparency with minimal traces of fogging. The record’s rim shape can be seen when held to light but few will ever avoid this. The skeleton hand graphic and text is all undamaged or faded with any surface scratching light and few. Obviously there are fine hairlines, again will any not have? The red Polydor logo is immaculate. A very famous cover, even for a poor selling album, this is a well preserved example overall and the lack of real damage very noteworthy.

Edges: All edges are solid and unsplit and that is highly unusual. Even the entrance on the right is unsplit or even burred. As the cover ages, it can become brittle and splits happen, this has been avoided. The inner retaining flap is neat and undamaged also.

Corners: All neat, crisp and solid with no bending or distortions - incredible.

Cover Summary: A very strong all round example of this unique early 70’s cover, one that will prove very difficult to find much better. This equally groundbreaking item should please many collectors but not quite the perfectionists who could wait an awful long time to find a much better one.

The Insert: Two small corner creases away from Mint(-), so I will grade EX++. Unusually this has avoided thumb creases and this looks quite exceptional. Still very transparent and all the red text is pristine. Light surface marks as most all will have, again only really noticeable under light - the least I personally ever seen on this. All edges razor sharp, this is a lovely example.

Vinyl Condition/Visual Grading: Not quite so easy to visually grade as a black record, but what I see I think EX or even better is correct. A fine looking example with just a few faint surface marks just apparent with careful viewing. As mentioned above, this has a small rim toned area on the run-in grooves that has no effect on play and is quite common to see. As most collectors will know, non-black records have the tendancy to be less quiet than standard records and this album does have its fair share of quiet passages so a ‘silent’ example is a near impossible ask, even from new. But this copy practically matches any black version and should please most collectors. If the toned segment of te rim is an issue, please do not bid.

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: This unusual record plays up to and exceeds its high visual grading. It has strong, distortion-free sound, all frequencies are sharp and clear. Sound quality is astonishing with a wide dynamic range and very detailed sound. Any actual surface sounds are minimal indeed, just a tiny few on the utmost quiet passage. A tiny few low level clicks were (just) noted sporadically but try to find a better pressing than this. As stated, this is a very challenging recording and silence is a near impossible ask especially from a ‘gimmick’ pressing. Watching the record rotate when playing is mesmerising in-itself, the records appears to almost stop and then start again and the strange run-out grooves still baffle. It’s these that causes the illusion of stop-start. Certainly a unique piece of vinyl and as advanced as the music itself. Faust is an absorbing and challenging album, waves of electronic sounds merge with jagged rhythms and effects, I really cannot compare it to anything else I have heard before – a unique debut in every respect. A rollercoaster ride of inventiveness, just the type of entertainment I enjoy. These early Krautrock bands almost reinvented the progressive rock scene, adored by the few who demanded something different, and few were quite as different as Faust. Nothing really spoilt my pleasure when play-grading this wonderful record, it will certainly not be easy to find significantly better, finding it at all is challenging enough. ‘Coloured’ vinyl e.g. not black, records were rarely purchased by sound purists of hi-fi connoisseurs and this record does exist in traditional black vinyl, but is equally difficult to find. If the true original is wanted, the clear pressing is mandatory, you have little choice so-to-speak. Nothing beats the sound of this first-pressed album, even with minor blemishes. A groundbreaking classic that I can strongly recommend.

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: To confirm to the strict Ebay rules on shipping, I must now send ALL my packets out ‘Signed-For’ with NO exceptions. Both buyers and sellers want their packets to have a safer journey and this is no bad thing. Also: any item with a value over £40 will have to be insured as well, but for any item that sells for over £150, I will pay the extra insurance (then the lower shipping price applies).

I now offer the fastest possible posting, mostly the very next day after payment is received or within three days maximum (unless on holiday). 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 VERY THICK stiffners for even extra protection – these are FOUR TIMES thicker than commercial stiffners and are custom-made for oneadayrecords. Really rare and expensive albums will be Double Boxed. 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 as well as a 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 ‘Signed-For’ posting is NOT an option anymore. I do not 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. My ‘loss’ or ‘damage rate’ is less than 0.1 per percent based on over 4,000+ items sold in over 8 years of Ebay trading and I consider that pretty exceptional. I discount of course of multiple purchases with a maximum of FOUR records per packet. I will not respond to questions on shipping costs as all the details are included in the advert.

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 & 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. (Only for items under £40)

1 LP (Special Delivery with Standard £500 Maximum Insurance) [Signed For, Next Day] = £7 (Compulsory for items over £40).

Posting & Packing: ALL EUROPE & SCANDINAVIA including RUSSIA and nearby countries. (Airmail Only):

1 LP, value less than £40 (Small Packet ‘Signed For’ with Standard Royal Mail Insurance [£39 maximum]) = £8.

1 LP, value greater than £40 (Small Packet ‘Signed For’ with Insurance to Item’s ‘Sold’ Value, [£500 Maximum]) = £11.

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, value less than £40 (Small Packet ‘Signed For’ with Standard Royal Mail Insurance [£39 maximum]) = £12.

1 LP, value greater than £40 (Small Packet ‘Signed For’ with included Insurance to Item’s ‘Sold’ Value, £500 Maximum) = £15.

For items that sell over £150, I will pay the insurance, so the lower shipping price will apply.

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: 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’.