UNIT GLORIA Ultrajectum 1970 RARE DUTCH PROG PSYCH HEAR

$

31

WHAT WE HAVE HERE IS…

UNIT GLORIA "Ultrajectum"

Original 1970 LP on the Dutch IMPERIAL label, STEREO 5C 052.24392

Cover:  VG+, bottom seam has come unglued, staining on upper left corner

Vinyl:  SUPER CLEAN, plays VG++ to EXCELLENT

Before you brush off what I’m about to say, remember, people have tried to sync up Dark Side of the Moon with The Wizard Of Oz.  So what I’m about to say ain’t nearly as crazy when you take that into consideration.  But after I got done listening to Unit Gloria’s 1971 album Ultrajectum, I couldn’t help thinking two words.  Pink, and Floyd.  And even though a lot of what’s on Ultrajectum can be attributed to listening to too much of Ummagumma or Atom Heart Mother, there’s parts of this record that you’d swear were influenced by Animals or Dark Side of the Moon, which is chronologically impossible of course.  But just as sure as you could prove Paul McCartney died in a car crash at Wednesday morning 5 O’Clock (just listen to “Wonderful Christmastime” for starters), you could also make the claim that Unit Gloria were really Pink Floyd in disguise trying out new material years before they recorded it under their own name.  Hey, they kept Syd’s whereabouts a secret for decades, so anything’s possible.

For starters, it helps to know what came before this album.  Just 2 years earlier, the band was known as Gloria, and their first album, Mea Semper Vivet, was a very un-cool big orchestrated pop affair that sounded more like Paul Ryan backed by Tony Bennett’s band covering the hits of Johnny Rivers.  Ultrajectum, on the other hand, is a sound effects laden trippy guitar-heavy psych prog epic, steeped in homages to the Byrds, the Moody Blues and, of course, Pink Floyd.  Sound like the same band to you?  Check the back cover and see if there’s a license plate that says “28 IF” anywhere.  Asking us to believe this is the same band that released Mea Semper Vivet is like asking us to believe that next summer, Michael Bolton will be touring with Mars Volta.  Wait, don’t head over to TicketMaster just yet, I was only kidding.

Ultrajectum opens with the sound of sirens wailing and chaos spreading through the streets, a far cry from the weepy Johnny Rivers covers that ended the previous record.  From there, we head off into the galloping glam/prog of “Magic Rider,” and then we’re off into the spooky harmony prog of “To You,” which sounds like Roger McGuinn sitting in on a Barclay James Harvest session.  “Sense of Spring” even flirts with power pop, or progressive pop maybe – big guitars and catchy melodies – somewhere between Big Star and Be Bop Deluxe and predating both of ‘em.  And once again, we got plenty of sound effects – the song kicks off with the sound of a big delivery truck sputtering to a stop.  There’s even a great brooding church organ cover of Mark Lindsay’s “I Hear A Voice,” originally done by Paul Revere and the Raiders back when Paul McCartney was still alive.  And just try to listen to “Money Maker” and not think of Roy Wood or early ELO circa “Roll Over Beethoven.” 

So okay, if Ultrajectum is all things 70’s rock (and some 60s), where does Pink Floyd fit in?  Well, those sound effects that link the songs are reminiscent of Dark Side for sure, and the lazy shimmering guitar open of “Old Mack” with the sheep and birds in the background makes you really wonder if you’ve stumbled upon an early demo for Animals.  And then look at the cover for more clues.  Utrecht’s big Dom Cathedral looks awfully similar to Battersea Power Station on the cover of Animals.  Okay, they didn’t have giant inflatable pigs back then, but there are those two chubby cherubs floating nearby.  Also, the old-time black and white engraving style is pretty similar to the original British cover for Relics, innit?  Not only that, the man on horseback in the foreground looks eerily similar to Dave Mason.  Or is that Syd Barrett?  Then there’s the matter of that slowed-down voice at the end of Side 1, which sounds like it’s saying “I buried the original Unit Gloria.”  Backwards, it says “Turn me on, Johnny Rivers.”  And last but not least, if you sync Ultrajectum with the film Encino Man, it works amazingly well, and by “amazingly well” I mean it drowns out the voice of Pauly Shore, which improves the film dramatically.  Proof then, that the real Unit Gloria died in a car crash when their Saab collided head on with Paul McCartney’s Austin Healey on a rain-slick road outside Utrecht.  Their replacement band, possibly Pink Floyd, were much better, while the Beatles broke up and the fake Paul eventually released “Wonderful Christmastime” and “Bogey Music.”  Oh well.  You take the good with the bad.  Turn me on, dead band.

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.  ALL DOMESTIC ORDERS REQUIRE DELIVERY CONFIRMATION, WHICH IS AN EXTRA 75 CENTS.  Air mail shipping to Canada starts at $10 US, each additional record $2 shipping.  Air mail shipping everywhere else in the world starts at $16 US, with each additional record only $3 shipping.  ALL FOREIGN ORDERS REQUIRE CERTIFICATE OF SHIPMENT, WHICH IS AN EXTRA $1.10.  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. 

And finally, I include delivery confirmation on all shipments inside the US.  This is my proof of shipment, and also helps us to track your package if it doesn’t arrive when it should.  I will email you within 2 days of shipment and give you the confirmation number at that time.  Insurance is always optional, but for larger orders, it’s highly recommended.   I DO NOW REQUIRE THAT ALL FOREIGN BUYERS PAY AN ADDITIONAL $1.10 FOR PROOF OF SHIPMENT.  IT'S A NOMINAL FEE AND THE CHEAPEST WAY FOR ME TO PROVE THAT I ACTUALLY SHIPPED YOUR PACKAGE AND DIDN'T JUST POCKET YOUR MONEY AND SKIP TOWN.  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.