SHIRLEY COLLINS - THE POWER OF THE TRUE LOVE KNOT 1st UK Press ISB EX NICK DRAKE

	£		79
	$		105

SHIRLEY COLLINS 

The Power of the True Love Knot -

POLYDOR

583 025

1st UK Press 1968

Matrices A//1  B//1

A stunning superb folk/ folk rock album which probably is in everyone's top ten for English folk albums. The list of personnel collaborating on this LP represents a who is who in English folk and rock with  members of the Incredible String Band,  Mike Heron and Robin Williamson for example chipping in. Also present is Bram Martin, who famously played the cello parts on the Beatles' "She's leaving home" and "Eleanor Rigby". Sister Dolly Collins is also partaking on various keyboard instruments.

Although not officially a collaboration with sister Dolly, The Power of the True Love Knot undoubtedly possesses all the qualities that made the sisters’ best works such unique masterpieces – the sparse pipe organ and especially Shirley’s beautiful voice that was the foundation of a golden age for English folk.

Shirley Collins had been singing traditional folk songs for over a decade when The Power of the True Love Knot came out, and some of its classic features were anticipated by the previous year’s The Sweet Primroses. However, the stark, timeless beauty of Dolly’s pipe organ and Shirley’s voice is firmer here than ever before, most especially on the second side with the stunning power of ‘Over the Hills and Far Away’ and especially ‘The Maydens Came’, where Shirley’s deep voice transforms the listener’s mind to another place.

The Power of the True Love Knot also contains some beautiful and touching pieces with Shirley accompanying on dulcimer à la Jean Ritchie. Opener ‘Bonnie Boy’ constitutes a stunning example of this – Dolly’s organ and Bram Martin’s cello are inaudible but add to a stunningly simple and beautiful work, whilst ‘The Unquiet Grave’ shows her again in fine form. ‘Lovely Joan’ and ‘Just as the Tide Was Flowing’, if not with the conceptual brilliance of Anthems in Eden, have all the musical ingredients to be the most soothing listen one is likely to ever hear.

All in all, this is a gorgeous, deep, yet spartan and unadorned singer at the peak of her career, and a record not to miss.(from: rateyourmusic.com)

VINYL : EX+. A stunning  heavy (141 gr.) barely played vinyl without any issues. NO hairlines, NO marks. Pristine in normal daylight with a satisfying deep glossy sheen. There is still some vinyl debris inside the spindle hole from the manufacturing process attesting to minimal play. Only very wispy paper retraction traces seen under a very strong light. There actually are hardly any. There is not any vinyl without these, even new. One light hairline visible under a strong light which is wispy and does not cause any problem at all. As played on my high end set-up consisting of Linn Sondek, Arcam and B&W, the replay is second to none and this would be an ultimate upgrade for this very collectable album. NO jumps or sticks, played through in its entirety, a very enjoyable experience.

Sleeve: EX+.  A lovely laminated sleeve without any issues and this sleeve really is as good as it possibly can get. This was produced to have that ancient antique look. I have never seen a better one than this and it will be a jewel in any acid psych/folk collection. The spine is 100%, the opening is super crisp. The edges unworn and the colours are as rich as on the first day of issue.

 LABELS: NM.   Just a couple of very light spindle traces. 

VINYL TESTED FOR ANY SIGNS OF WARPING:

Yes, NONE visible what so ever when tested be sight and on a moving turntable. This is a very heavy vinyl pressing.

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Postage: In the Uk 2nd class standard 2nd class signed for if over £20.00

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This an excellent investment opportunity!!! Any questions please ask me and I will try to answer soon.