GRACIOUS This Is...Gracious - Original UK LP on Philips - Heavy Prog Psych

	£		34
	$		45

** RECORD COLLECTOR **

!!!!!PLEASE READ CONDITION DESCRIPTION BELOW!!!!!

GRACIOUS

This Is...Gracious!!

Original UK LP released on Philips Records in 1971. Laminated cover. Black and silver labels.

6382004 1Y//1▼420   /   6382004 2Y//1▼420

!!!!!PLEASE READ CONDITION DESCRIPTION BELOW!!!!!

Gracious began in 1964, when guitarist Alan Cowderoy and vocalist/drummer Paul Davis banded together to cover pop songs at school concerts. To arouse maximum ire at their Catholic school, the adopted the band name "Satan's Disciples." Over the next several years the recording line-up of the band coalesced with Cowderoy and Davis (who now only sang), former road manager Tim Wheatley on bass, Martin Kitcat on keyboards, and drummer Robert Lipson. Renamed Gracious (or Gracious!), the band toured Germany in 1968 and then recorded a concept album about the seasons of the year, although this went unreleased. Still, their ambitions were unabated. After playing on a double bill with the King Crimson, an awestruck Kitcat immediately adopted the Mellotron as a lead instrument for the band. Kitcat and Davis were the band's composers, and Kitcat in particular lent the group its distinctive sound. He played the Mellotron as a lead instrument, much like a blues organ -- that is, with percussive single notes, rather than the grandiose chords favoured by bands that used it as a faux-orchestral backdrop.

Their first released album appeared in 1970; with its rich harmonies, heavy prog feel, and religious themes that hearkened back to the band's Catholic school roots, it was a worthy contemporary to such progressive bands as King Crimson and the Zombies. But when this album failed to chart, the band found itself scraping for money. Tensions flared, precipitating Lipson's and then Kitcat's departures in 1971. The rest staggered on to tour in Germany, but they had clearly reached the end of the road. Gracious had recorded a second album, but the poor sales of their first album caused it be shelved by their label until a posthumous release two years later.

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No sophomore jinx here: on their second album, Gracious truly hits its stride. The first half of the album is a four-part suite, "Super Nova." After its Floydian opening instrumental, the band launches into the bleak "Blood Red Sun"; with a dystopic narrative of environmental holocaust and its martial drumbeat, it's an ideal complement to King Crimson's "21st Century Schizoid Man." Strange, then, that this should lead to "Say Goodbye to Love," an effective guitar ballad of lost romance and tear-jerking harmonies.

It's on the second half of the album, though, that Gracious hits escape velocity. On "C.B.S." the band shifts effortlessly from a groovy clavinet jam to a bouncing barrelhouse piano in the verse. "Blue Skies and Alibis" is a prime example of Martin Kitcat's Mellotron technique; powered along by Cowderoy's graceful guitar, smoky vocals, and a lush piano progression, it's one of their most enduring tracks.

A truly undervalued gem, This Is... Gracious! sat on the shelves for two years after completion before being issued; it's a shame that it was to be last anyone heard from the band for the next two decades.

Tracks Are :-

Side One

Super Nova
Arrival Of The Traveller
Blood Red Sun
Say Goodbye To Love
Prepare To Meet Thy Maker

Side Two

C.B.S.
What's Come To Be
Blue Skies And Alibis
Hold Me Down

Released on 'Philips Records' in 1971

Catalogue No. 6382 004

Disc is in FAIR condition (a lot of surface wear - there is audible surface noise & ticks, especially during quiet passages. Additionally, it jumps several times at the start of Side Two [C.B.S.]. This would make a reasonable filler copy BUT DO NOT expect a flawless listening experience!!! Hence low start price....)

Sleeve is in VG- condition (shows a fair amount of wear)

Please contact me via Ebay Messages with any questions I will try my best to get back to you as quickly as possible.

PAYMENT BY PAYPAL ONLY FROM NON-UK BIDDERS

IF BUYING MORE THAN ONE ITEM PLEASE WAIT FOR COMBINED INVOICE!!!

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UK 1ST CLASS POSTAGE RATES FOR LPs & 12" SINGLES:

1 LP £3.50
2 LP £3.50
3 LP £3.50
4 LP £7.00
5 LP £7.00
6 LP £7.00

INTERNATIONAL POSTAGE RATES TO EUROPE FOR LPs & 12" SINGLES:

1 LP £5.50
2 LP £7.00
3 LP £8.50
4 LP £10.00
5 LP £11.50
6 LP £13.00

INTERNATIONAL POSTAGE RATES TO DESTINATIONS OUTSIDE EUROPE (USA, AUSTRALIA, JAPAN ETC ETC) FOR LPs & 12" SINGLES:

1 LP £8.50
2 LP £10.50
3 LP £13.50
4 LP £16.50
5 LP £19.00
6 LP £21.50

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POSTAGE RATES FOR 7” SINGLES & CDs:

UK: £1.50 – then £0.50 each extra.
EUROPE: £4.00 – then £0.50 each extra.
DESTINATIONS OUTSIDE EUROPE: £5.00 – then £1.00 each extra

*********DOUBLES COUNT AS TWO*********

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IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT COMBINED SHIPPING ON ALL 12" VINYL / LPS / 12" EPS / 12" SINGLES - PLEASE READ THE FOLLOWING CAREFULLY!!!!

We offer combined shipping on all LPs / 12" Vinyls: our shipping rates are listed above. HOWEVER shipping packages that weigh more than 2kg is VERY expensive. Therefore we can only offer combined shipping up to a maximum of SIX (6) LPs / 12" vinyls. Any extra purchases will be invoiced, packaged and shipped separately.

***Due to the physical logistics of how I can package orders, I will not combine box sets with other items, I will only package them individually***

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COMBINED POSTAGE FOR DIFFERENT FORMATS will be invoiced at my discretion:

While I am happy to combine (for example) one or two 7” singles into one package with 12” records, sometimes it simply isn’t practical (like if you want me to combine one 12” record with three or more 7” records). I simply do not think that these combinations can be packaged together safely and securely. Therefore these will be invoiced separately as two packages.

IF YOU ARE UNSURE, please contact me before bidding!

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Sorry but I am no longer willing to carry combined transactions beyond two weeks of auctions (see below).

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PAYMENT

I would appreciate payment within seven days of the auction’s end. If you want to bid on more of my auctions ending a week later please inform me. I will wait and issue a combined invoice at the close of the second week’s auctions.

However, I am no longer willing to carry combined transactions beyond two weeks and in these cases would appreciate payment promptly after the close of the second week’s auctions.

I am sorry to have to introduce these measures – I always try to be patient and allow buyers to bid on extra auctions and / or delay payment. Unfortunately some buyers have been stretching out transactions to unacceptable lengths so I feel I have no option but to limit ‘carried over’ transactions to two weeks.