RIPPERS Honesty 1968 GERMAN FREAKBEAT PSYCH LP mystical trippy Doors Floyd vibes

$

80

THE RIPPERS "Honesty" LP

ORIGINAL 1968 LP on the UK SAGA label, STEREO FID 242

COVER IN VG++ shape, nice except for 2" seam split

VINYL looks great, shiny, no marks but it's a SAGA press so it plays VG with steady but light crackle

Just when you thought you knew all the albums on the tiny German Opp label (Blackbirds, Hairy Chapter) and the budget British Saga label (Five Day Week Straw People, Magic Mixture etc.).  Along comes this mega-obscurity from 1968 Germany by the Rippers called Honesty.  Where’d this come from?  Much like fellow labelmates the Blackbirds, the Rippers lay down an odd mix of Stax soul and freaky psych, often bumping shoulders and exchanging phone numbers, but never quite going back to the hotel room together.  So on the one hand, you get great r&b dancefloor shakers like “My Plight” and “All The Jumping People,” which is so obviously influenced by Aretha’s “Respect” that you wonder why her lawyer didn’t place a phone call to Berlin back then.  And, on the other hand, you get amazing trippy Doors-influenced psych rock like the title track, which starts so much like “When The Music’s Over” you wonder why Ray Manzarek’s lawyer didn’t call Aretha’s lawyer for the same phone Berlin phone number.  And then, on top of it all, you have the amazing – and when I say “amazing” I mean “killer amazing wow how come I’ve never heard this song before in my life amazing” – mystical acid mindblower “A Night At The Lagoone,” which somehow manages to blend the droning stoner qualities of the Doors with the droning stoner qualities of vintage Pink Floyd into one concise 2 and a half minute gift from the gods.  With its snakey Doors-like modal Eastern sitar guitar, moaning background vocals, cascading Nick Mason drums and meandering Rick Wright/Ray Manzarek organ, this little German gem sounds like a perfect mix of “Indian Summer” and “Set The Controls For The Heart of the Sun.”  No, really, hear it for yourself.  So with all this talent, whatever became of the Rippers?  Well, in 1971, they released a more glammified single with the (very) unfortunate title “Rape,” which probably put a nice little roadblock up for any further success.  But here they are, back in 1968, in all their college-age heyday, digesting their imported Aretha albums and heavily-worn copies of the Doors’ Strange Days and Pink Floyd’s Saucerful of Secrets, then heading off to the tiny Opp studios to lay down all they’ve learned.  It’s an odd mix, but when it works, it’s freakishly good.  And just when you thought you’d heard it all too.

SOUND CLIP COMING SOON, PLEASE CHECK BACK LATER!

PLEASE NOTE I NO LONGER SHIP TO ITALY DUE TO A CORRUPT POSTAL SYSTEM (THERE, NOT HERE).  BUYERS FROM ITALY AGREE TO PAY FOR GLOBAL PRIORITY MAIL INSURED ONLY!

The less exciting stuff

Media mail shipping with delivery confirmation starts at $4.00 in the US, with each additional record only $1 additional shipping.  Overseas shipping has, unfortunately, gone way up in the fast few months, which translates to $15 for the first LP to Canada ($3 each one thereafter) and $24 for the first LP everywhere else in the world, with each add'l LP an extra $5 (so it pays to buy more, nudge nudge wink wink).   I accept payments through Paypal. 

I try to grade as best as I can, and I list as many blemishes/imperfections I can find (writing, ringwear, scuff marks, etc.) – Also, please note that I DO listen to these albums – I may not listen to every track, but my grades are based on LISTENING, not just looking at it, since chances are you’ll be listening to the record you buy, not just looking at it.  Most of the albums I sell are the ones I’ve enjoyed for years – and I treat my records with kid gloves.  But sounds speak louder than words, so check out the sound clips below – they’re from the actual record you’re bidding on. 

SHIPPING AND PACKAGING

Listen, I buy a bunch of records too (when I’m not getting outbid at the last second, which is more often than not) – and I know what it’s like to get a rare, one-of-a-kind album packaged dangerously in a flimsy bubblewrap package.  I hate that too.  So rest assured, I ALWAYS package albums with stiff cardboard reinforcements, same for 45s.  And yes, the records are removed from the sleeves (for albums).  I ship out once a week, every Friday, because I have a regular day job.  But I’d be willing to give that up if you’d all be so kind as to bid my items up to stupidly high amounts. 

 For more security and international tracking, you may request GLOBAL PRIORITY MAIL - but bear in mind the cost of this service is upwards of $30.  For expensive items, however, it may be well worth it.  Unfortunately, there isn’t a cost-effective way of tracking parcels to foreign countries yet, and shipping times vary depending on your country’s postal system.   Italy in particular seems to be really bad at delivering packages quickly, or delivering packages at all, now that you mention it.  I will always email you when your package ships, but once it’s on its way, please don’t ask me when it will arrive because I don’t know.  If the world’s postal systems can ever agree on a universal tracking system that’s affordable, I’ll be the first to use it.

NOW IT’S YOUR TURN…

I will always leave positive feedback for successful transactions, and would appreciate the same in return.  All I ask of you is the following – please pay for your items within 14 days of the close of auction.  Compared to other sellers, that’s a generous amount of time, so if you don’t pay within 2 weeks, then I have to assume something’s wrong.  You’ll get an Ebay payment reminder at that point, and possibly a decapitated horse head in your bed.  If, after 30 days, you still haven’t forked up the cash, I’ll relist the item and yell at you if I ever see you in town. 

HEAR IT!