THE AGGREGATION Mind Odyssey NM- PROMO

$

676

Dear Friends,

this week for auction....

The Aggregation: "Mind Odyssey" 1969, USA/LHI S-12008 PROMO

One of the rarest psych/rock holy grails. I couldn't believe it when I had this record in my hands..... this is one of the most hunted record for collectors and today it is here for auction.

This is not just a regular copy of the "mind odyssey", it is the "DEMO" copy of it. I didn't realise it was the demo until I passed my finger over the upper right corner and felt the embossed words....."NOT FOR SALE PROMOTION USE ONLY"....unbealivable! This is a piece of music/druggy/history in my hands! But it was not just that, to my surprise when I looked at the record and I all I found were two pinger prints on it! Did the old owner ever play this record?? I don't think so fellas......... glossy, brilliant! And it plays NM...... I played it with a techniques SL 1200 M3D and a cartridge M44 -7H thru my headphones and I only noticed the normal background sound produced by vinyl.

This is a real deal, I'm going to put a reserve on that one, because I really am in love with that record and probably I will not find another copy for the next 20 years. Well in that quality probably NEVER and I really mean it.

Artist: The Aggregation

Title: Mind Odissey

Record: IHI S-12008 "PROMO"

Label: NM. Clean, unmarked and glossy.

Cover: EX. there is a black rectangle box at the back cover that has a little scratched surface. Nothing serious. See picture. 

 

Good Luck!

 

Some info about the record:

....."One of the more remarkable uses of the "funhouse" as a metaphor for exploration of cerebral frontiers can be found on the 1969 "Mind Odyssey" LP by Los Angeles band the AGGREGATION. The LP is a somewhat obscure cult item today, and not many listeners are likely to realize how immediate, and ironic, the band's use of the concept is. A 5-piece of college graduates, several of which had degrees in music, the Aggregation were one of a small number of rock bands who played regularly at Disneyland. Hit covers of the day were delivered as a diversion for visiting teenagers, but the band also composed original music to work in conjunction with the rides and expositions on offer at Disneyland's "Tomorrowland".

The details behind the Aggregation signing with LHI and the work on the album can be found in the accompanying website interview, leaving us to concentrate on the resulting music. "Mind Odyssey" is a completely realized concept LP that uses a visit to an amusement park as a metaphor for an inner, ostensibly psychedelicized, journey. Interestingly, the lyrics weren't written by the band themselves but a lady friend (the "O'Hara" of the songwriting credits), whose lyrics hit the exact right balance between symbol and description, without being overly pretentious about it:

All's quiet in the make-believe of business and success
And you've decided you've got time to take a ride
But exactly where you're going can be anybody's guess
Because the only place you're going is your mind

Thus begins the ride, with a half-spoken encounter with the "lady at the gate", recalling the spoken segments on the Moody Blues' "Days Of Future Passed", an LP which undoubtedly influenced the Aggregation. Yet there is a significant difference between the two, which I believe also holds the key to "Mind Odyssey":s special nature. Much like the Moody Blues LP the music is sophisticated and controlled, replacing the "teenage" mantra that had charged rock'n'roll with a wider palette drawing on cool jazz, movie soundtracks, light classical music and -- most importantly -- easy listening. This pre-Beatle lounge crooner element creeps in from various corners, some of it undoubtedly second hand via the Doors, who displayed a similar easy listening influence and who I would rate the other important inspiration to the Aggregation, along with the Moody Blues. One of the tracks clearly echoes the opening of "When The Music's Over", and the sharp, eclectic keyboard arrangements throughout would have made Ray Manzarek proud.

So far into the trip it may seem that "Mind Odyssey" is just another late 1960s artrock LP, likely to deliver appealing sounds with some brains and afterthought, as demonstrated by hundreds of bands ranging from Canada's successful Collectors to more obscure acts like Jasper Wrath and Westfauster. A number of listeners probably never heard anything more in the album, as its' unique qualities need time to manifest themselves. There's nothing terribly rare about these elements by themselves, but due to an unusually fortunate convergence of concept, lyrics, musical styles, vocals and atmosphere, "Mind Odyssey" becomes as remarkable a metaphor for a psychedelic experience as you're likely to find. 

The band knew precisely how to construct music for a "ride", because they had been playing such music at the most famous amusement park in the world, and they had the musical pedigree to make it original and interesting, and they found a lyricist who knew how to draw the lines between Disneyland and the LSD trip, and -- perhaps best of all -- the adult, non-rock nature of the music and the melodramatic vocals projects exactly the right Los Angeles entertainment subtext. Instead of becoming cheesy orchestrated pop, it becomes genuinely psychedelic, in the same way that crooner-inspired underground classics such as Damon and D R Hooker become genuinely psychedelic. Perhaps the best analog I can come up with to describe this unusual experience is Dean Stockwell's surreal performance of Roy Orbison's "In dreams" in "Blue Velvet"....."

Check the grading scale:

DISC (VINYL) GRADES SS
(STILL SEALED) Sealed at factory and never opened. Disc is assumed to be undamaged and mint, but this cannot be proven until the album is actually opened and the disc examined. M
(MINT) Perfection, no flaws, defects, marks or otherwise indications of being handled or played. Any scuffs, hairline scratches or other marks disqualify discs from this category. I do not use this grade, as even the act of inserting the disc or removing it from the paper sleeve may cause scuff marks on the vinyl. NM or M-
(NEAR MINT or MINT MINUS) This is highest grade that I will assign to opened, handled records. The vinyl is virtually flawless, bright and shiny. A very minor, barely visible scuff or two may be permitted, but no scratches. The disc should play with no audible noise. The label is bright, clean and unmarked. E or VG++
(EXCELLENT or VERY GOOD ++) Disc plays near perfectly, but may have minor paper scuffs that do not interfere with the sound quality. There can possibly be a hairline scratch or two but nothing that is obvious or affects play. Vinyl is bright and shiny; label is clean and unmarked. VG+
(VERY GOOD PLUS) Some visible surface wear, very minor scratches and scuffs, but minimal impact on the sound quality. Vinyl will still have good luster; labels may have minor imperfections (small labels or initials, etc.) but otherwise clean. VG
(VERY GOOD) Vinyl will have noticeable scratches or scuffs that cause minor surface noise, but do not overpower the music. There will be no skips. Vinyl may appear somewhat dull and grayish. Labels may have small tears, tape marks, larger writing, etc. but still easily legible. There may be wear or deformation of the spindle hole. G
(GOOD) Well-played, dull, grayish vinyl with deeper scratches and wear causing distracting surface noise (hisses, pops, cracks and other nasties). The record will still play through without any skips. Labels may be significantly defaced or damaged. F
(FAIR)
P
(POOR) Unless the record is particularly rare, I would not try to sell a record in this condition. There will be major noise, surface damage, deep scratches, and skips. Attempting to listen to these discs will be painful. These discs are basically trash unless a collector desires one to fill a space in a collection until a better one comes along.

ALBUM COVER GRADES SS
(STILL SEALED) Album is still in the factory-applied shrink-wrapping. M
(MINT) Absolutely perfect; no corner dings, marks, tears, dents, impressions from the disc, or other flaws. Cover should appear as if a record has never been inside. NM or M-
(NEAR MINT or MINT MINUS) Very minor signs of wear or cover impressions. Artwork is as close to perfection as possible. E or VG++
(EXCELLENT or VERY GOOD ++) Minor disc impression or slight corner creases, no wrinkles, puckers, seam splits or writing on the cover. Artwork is clean and unworn and there is no ink wear. VG+
(VERY GOOD PLUS) Cover is clean but may have minor writing or marks and may show slight wear. There may be just the start of ring wear, where the disc has created a raised area on the cover that resulted in the ink wearing off the paper. There may be slight discoloration or staining, minor seam wear, but no splits or tears. Corners may have small creases or fraying. VG
(VERY GOOD) Covers are worn and used. Seams may be starting to split or may have been unobtrusively repaired with clear tape. (I use special archival-quality, non-yellowing, clear tape for all repairs.) There is moderate ringwear, but the artwork is still attractive. There may be yellowing or discoloration and there may be larger writing, labels, or marks. Corners may have damage or creases and there may be scratches or gouges that otherwise damage the artwork. G
(GOOD) Several (but not all of the following flaws will apply: Seam splits, large marker writing, major seam splits, significant ring wear, damaged corners, tears, cuts, gouges, masking or duct tape seam repairs, or other flaws and damage. Again, probably only useful to fill a collection niche until something better can be found. F
(FAIR)
P
(POOR)

Trash, useable only to keep the record off the floor.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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