FRANK ZAPPA / MOI Absolutely Free RARE ORIG UK 1967 SVLP VERVE EX++ LP – SUPERB

	£		102
	$		135

ONEADAYRECORDS – Serving-up a Christmas & New Year Feast of Entertainment

I would like to wish all my customers, regulars and newcomers, a VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS and HAPPY NEW YEAR

Over the Holiday Period, I am offering some interesting Christmas ‘Crackers’ – lovely albums – some rare – ENJOY!

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 (£2 per extra record). All boxes sent FIRST-CLASS & TRACKED in quality, safe packaging – I NEVER use mailing envelopes that offer virtually no protection. Here, you get what you pay for – SAFE PACKING in BOXES using 7mm DOUBLE-WALL STIFFENERS with extra 7mm side protection and bubblewrap.

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. I will always keep my P&P prices as low as possible, and even after yet another Royal Mail price hike from April this year, I have NOT raised my prices and will never compromise on solid, safe packing that is invariably heavier than most you will get. My P&P offers probably the best value-for-money for vinyl records available, and I even will pay for full 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. You WILL see the difference when my packet arrives.

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: THE MOTHERS OF INVENTION

Album Title: Absolutely Free

Producer(s): Tom Wilson

TRACK LIST:

Side 1: Absolutely Free – Plastic People; a) The Duke of Prunes; b) Amnesia Vivace; c) The Duke Regains His Chops; a) Call Any Vegetable; b) Invocation and Ritual Dance of the Young Pumpkin; c) Soft-Sell Conclusion.

Side 2: The MOI American Pageant – America Drinks; Status Back Baby; Uncle Bernie’s Farm; Son of Suzy Creamcheese; Brown Shoes Don’t Make It; America Drinks and Goes Home.

Label/Format: Verve – format as seen. The surfaces are matt with a very gentle hint of texturing. Side two has the ‘K T’ embossed tax codes, both letters are immaculate. All text and details as seen in the pictures.

Label Conditions: Both very clean, fresh and attractive with any of the tiny few spindle marks, very light and faint.

Catalogue Number: SVLP 9174

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: 140 grams. A typically heavier original copy.

Country of Manufacture: England

Rarity: First SVLP UK issues that had single covers, and are quite rare and seldom found in anything like top conditions. Issued in both mono and stereo, the stereo versions are slightly rarer. In recent years, available original Frank Zappa and Mothers of Invention albums have declined as more people are discovering this man’s work. Older fans also seeking upgrades for well worn copies of their favourites. The early originals especially did not sell well, and this particular album especially so. Most of the early original Verve classics, when they do surface, often trashed with grubby, creased and very shabby covers, and records hardly fit to even play. Few who bought these were hi-fi connoisseurs, many copies scratched and worn-out by vintage heavy-tracking mono record players. Finding these gems that still offer near perfect sound is incredibly difficult. This copy has a very impressive fresh, beautifully shiny laminated cover, and the very clean, little-used record plays superbly throughout. Fully play-graded on an Linn LP12 Sondek, no guess-work or presumptions, this is a lovely example and rarely found as such. It could prove a massive upgrade for those seeking a copy.

Original Year of Release: 1967

Matrix Nos: V6 5013 A-1G / V6 5013 B-1G

Stamper Codes: 1 G / 1 R [the stampers being the very first and second in the pressing sequence]

Brief Artist & Album Info: Frank Zappa and The Mothers of Invention’s second classic: Freak Out! sold just 30,000 copies according to Frank – MGM deemed it a flop. He was reduced to a budget of $11,000 for it’s successor. He lost Elliot Ingber, the quintessential underground/psychedelic guitarist who resurfaced as the Winged Eel Fingerling in Captain Beefheart’s Magic Band, but he gained other musicians to add to Roy Estrada and Jim Black as the rhythm section. Drummer Billy Mundi, woodwindist Bunk Gardner and keyboardist Don Preston. Preston hadn’t played on Freak Out! because he ‘couldn’t play rock ‘n’ roll’. Now, after gigging with a few rock bands, he was ready to join Zappa, and take avant garde music to the masses. This was again produced by Tom Wilson, all selections were composed, arranged and conducted by Frank Zappa.

Absolutely Free is slightly less challenging than Freak Out!. First-time listeners found it hard to believe that this wild melange of bizarre rock, political jokes and lewd satire vocalising could become a favourite, but repeated listens reveal wonders. ‘The Duke of Prunes’ and ‘Call Any Vegetable’ have terrific melodies, the latter was Zappa’s first long guitar work-out on record. The main centre-piece for this lies on side two. ‘Brown Shoes Don’t Make It’, it’s a song with bassoons, violins and electronics constructed into a seething mosaic of contemporary subjects and ills – it was again outrageous for the time and I am still surprised, even today, this was allowed to be issued uncut, taking into account the heavy censoring on the following album We’re Only it For the Money, and the labels nervousness for anything Zappa did. An extraordinary decision considering the sexual nature and activity in ‘Brown Shoes’ (What would ya do Daddy?), and heavily political lyrics and taboos, obviously drugs were less tolerated in those days than teenage sex within the UK anyway. This vintage record, now half a century old, is in amazing condition, and plays the same with hardly anything unwanted. The cover equally impressive with fantastic laminate shine and freshness with few blemishes. A copy that comes very close to my own prized personal copy, it could prove a massive upgrade for fans and those just seeking a near top example.

Cover Grade and Format: EXCELLENT(++): a single format with a laminated front, this covers all the folds and ends on three rear external flipbacks. The main back panel is matt and smooth. This is the original stereo cover with it’s SVLP 9174 catalogue number. Printed and made in England by Garrod & Lofthouse Ltd with the erly ‘Patents Pending’ text. The back also has the ‘Mothers Teach You’ text by Mike Raven which is not seen on the Select repressings from the 1970s. Includes the plain white inner sleeve. The later covers are very different, only the front artwork is the same. They were not laminated, matt, with a gatefold format.

Lamination & Front: The laminate retains very impressive shine, freshness and clarity with minimal traces of any dulling, just a hint near the rim area top and bottom seen under light. Adhesion of the laminate is virtually total with no lifting or blisters worthy of mention. Combine that with the lack of creasing – one half moon near the right edge with minuscule traces of any others – and you have an exceptional front to do this Mothers classic full justice. The artwork intense black and white, totally unaged or faded by time or light. Even the exposed laminate end strip on the right has minimal hint of wear and no grubbiness, that also unusual. Like so many of the other Zappa/Mothers I am offering over the Christmas holiday, one to hold and admire.

Cover Back: These vintage Verve cover backs are notoriously prone to ageing, grubbiness and toning – this has practically been avoided by protective cover storage. The main back panel has barely anything to fault at all and is truly exceptional as-seen. All three flipbacks are solid and neat, their ends avoiding burring and grubbiness, just a couple of very small surface scuff traces on the bottom one (look hard). The laminate on the flipbacks have hardly any creasing which is rarely ever seen on any vintage cover of this design, the odd fine hairline only. So both and front complement each other perfectly and give scant clues of the 50 year age of this cover.

Top & Bottom Edges: The bottom edge is neat, smooth and quite straight, just small rubs/chips to the ends. The top largely the same with a tiny few small laminate chips that show little on the white surface.

Top & Bottom Edges: Both very straight, smooth with full laminate retention. No chips or scuffs, both edges exceptional again.

Right Edge(s), and Type: Clean, mostly sharp with only a gentle hint thickening to the front edge here-and-there, this area slightly, naturally proud of the back edge in manufacture. No nicks or tears, both are guaranteed untrimmed or enhanced. The exposed front edge strip where the laminate end naturally ends short, is wider than average, and even this fragile area on the front is hardly worn. The record enters on this edge.

Spine and Text: A superb spine which remains solid and straight with minimal traces of any compression, the ends are quite lightly pinched in manufacture. The surface has no creasing, even hairlines, and the text matter is pristine with nothing to fault, also perfectly centred for maximum good looks. The surface has not darkened or aged which is more unusual.

Corners: All corners are impressive with any traces of tip rubbing tiny and light. No knocks or dinks with excellent or better shape retained.

Cover Summary: An exceptional example of a genuine original Zappa cover classic. These are seldom seen in this beautiful condition, more so in stereo. This I know for a fact being a life-long Zappa fan(atic). Attractive, shiny and fresh with scant clues of age, this could prove a massive upgrade, and those needing this album will be hard-pressed to find it much better.

The Inner Sleeve: EXCELLENT: a plain solid white unlined inner with minimal creasing and all edges unsplit. Just lightly aged with some darkening to the seam area adhesive. This includes the ‘PATENTS APPLIED FOR’ text.

Vinyl Condition/Visual Grading: EXCELLENT(++): arguably better, this is very close to Mint(–), and was near tempted to grade as such. A fantastic visual copy that is very clean with equally fine shine and very solidly pressed. A very early 1G/1R first pressing with minimal plays on all the evidence with any surface traces very few, ultra light and faint as seen critically under bright light. No penetrating stylus scratches, viewed in average room light, barely anything even registers, this is a truly exceptional record – how many first issues will even still exist like this? This sold in such small numbers, it is a fact. Not only does it look great, it plays the same, that being even more important. Visually a super 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 age-defying impressive example plays up to and beyond it high visual grading with hardly anything to fault. Offering strong, clean and distortion-free sound. Tom Wilson put his reputation on the line producing Zappa’s first three Verve albums, and even with the lesser budget, this still has marvellous sound and effects. Incredible and vast amounts of information amongst the weirdness – I absolutely love this album, and this does it supreme justice. Any surface sounds minimal, barely anything note at all, no heavy tracking old mono record players have been near this copy. No tracking issues*, or any pressing faults or noise, this 50-year-old record totally blew me away and it easily as fine as my own personal copy. The sound embedded is definitive and (obviously) not messed around with like the modern versions. Like the cover, this record could prove a massive upgrade for fans and those just needing a high-quality original. Unreservedly recommended for all those with a taste for the bizarre – “what would ya do daddy?”

End Piece: The back of the original (S)VLP covers included text by Mike Raven which states:

“Listen to the songs the Mothers teach you. Out of the crawing compost of a heap of rotting plastic flesh the sweet and sour stench of the great American nightmare will steal upon your blind mind’s nose. While shrieking vegetable sounds born of necessity tear through your brain. Leaving their train of shining slime and painfully disturbing images of thought like painted discords electronically projected from the womb-world where the Mothers drift. Excreting comment on the passing show of iridescent rubbish that surrounds their lives. And yours and mine and mine deeper and deeper into the empty cess-pits of our souls. Our souls are cheap today but values may be found. Unlooked for in the wreaths of smoke blown through the almost uncorrupted minds of those society rejects. The voice is here for those with ears to hear. The plastic people will hear nothing but a noise.”

This text does not appear on the later gatefold version of this cover. * 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.

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 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 programs. 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 - 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 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 14­ 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 – they offer next-to-no-protection, and should be banned, no ‘professional’ should consider using them in my opinion. 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’.