JOHN LEE HOOKER HOUSE OF THE BLUES LP FIRST PRESSING VG+ RECORD INSANELY RARE

$

160

I am parting with some of my treasured LPs.  Here's a first US pressing of the great JOHN LEE HOOKER LP from 1960.  A great early HOOKER LP that is a HOLLY GRAIL BLUES LP.  This LP is very difficult to come by in the first black label 1960 pressing. The wide grooves of the Chess label records of the time do help the play condition of the LPs today.  While so many LPs from that time were played on old school turntables with tone arms that were too heavy on the LPs, helping to destroy many.  And, blues LPs at the time were not big sellers.  The folks who bought them, played them, and it is difficult now to find certain original blues masterpiece LPs in decent playing condition.  Look at Muddy Waters Greatest Hits, Howlin' in the Moonlight, or Mojo Hand along with this House of the Blues as prime examples.  The cover is in great shape with vivid colors, but there is a small 5" cover bend by the record opening, and top and bottom seam splits. The back cover shows normal toning from time, and a hand written 398 on the top left.  The seam is beautiful.  The labels are VG+ condition, showing wear as well as spindle marks. The record still maintains a modest gloss.  The vinyl itself does have many marks and scratches throughout on both sides.  The recorded sound is beautiful, and the music pops through and above a bed of background surface noise.  This works much better with a blues LP than it would with any other genre.  There are no skips, Pops, jumps or deep scratches that jump out at you.  Although Hooker recorded LPs as early as 1948, it wasn't until the resurgence of The Blues genre to a more mainstream audience that Hooker would get wider attention.  This 1960 release came just a couple years after Muddy waters played Newport, and made the Blues "important".  British Invasion rock bands would all look to Blues artists for inspiration, and influence, as would American bands like The Doors, and Steve Miller Band.  After 1958, Many lesser known Blues artists would have the opportunity to record for the first time.  However, in the case of John Lee, he was already a Blues giant.  This LP helped solidify his importance, and gave him the opportunity to tour Europe in '62 and play the American Folk Blues Festival there.  It was a combination of the above that would insure John Lee Hooker would be releasing many dozens of LPs, influencing younger and rock musicians, and playing shows until the day he died.  This is a definitive, classic, and transformative work by John Lee Hooker.  But do understand that even with a high price, this LP is NOT MINT.  If it was, it would sell for many many times the asking price here.    I love original pressings because I feel every LP is of it's time and place. The vinyl, and record pressings are all from that moment in time, and no re-pressing or re-mastering will ever make the sound better for me.  PLEASE CHECK OUT MY OTHER LPS FOR SALE NOW ON EBAY.  I AM POSTING SOME TREASURES.  SOME ARE RARE AND COLLECTIBLE, AND OTHERS ARE JUST GREAT ALBUMS LIKE THIS ONE IS.