VAN DER GRAAF GENERATOR H to HE Orig UK 70 Pink N/M LP

	£		135
	$		179

ONEADAYRECORDS – Delivering Quality Music to the World.

Artist or Band: VAN DER GRAAF GENERATOR

Album Title: H to He, Who am the Only One.

Producer(s): VDGG.

TRACK LIST:

Side 1: Killer; House With No Door; The Emperor in His War-Room: Part 1 - The Emperor; Part 2 - The Room.

Side 2: Lost: Part 1 - The Dance of the Sand and Sea; Part 2 - The Dance in Frost; The Pioneers Over C.

Label/Format: Charisma – original pink scroll format (please see my label scan).

Label Conditions: Two beautiful examples, very clean and highly attractive with only ultra light and faint spindle traces.

Cat Number: CAS 1027.

Mode / Speed: Stereo / 33.3 rpm.

Weight of this Record: 138 grams. [These days, many modern Audiophile reissues are pressed on super-heavyweight 180 gram vinyl. Only a small percentage of ‘vintage vinyl’ was ever pressed this heavy. Records pressed in the 1960s averaged around 140 to 150 grams. Records pressed in the 1970s were usually lighter and averaged more around 115 – 125 grams. Some records pressed around 1973 were very thin and light due an oil crisis and shortage around this time. Some records were even issued on recycled vinyl from this period and sounded poor with crackle and surface noise evident from the very first play. If any record I buy is deemed ‘recycled’, I will never offer it, I have a very simple test to detect these records if I suspect this to be the case other than audible imperfection. Some records from this period were even pressed on other materials the most notable was ‘Dynaflex’, used by RCA around this time. Although inferior to vinyl, this at least mostly sounded reasonably acceptable but pressings on this material were wafer thin and flimsy. Beyond the 70s, records often became thinner and lighter still but most played fine but were never quite the quality as from the ‘Golden Era’]. (This was based on ‘average’ weights for 20 records from these eras. Later pressings were usually lighter still).

Country of Manufacture: England.

Rarity: This is never an easy record to find in such conditions. A notoriously difficult cover and record, some early copies of this one had a pressing fault that affected play, this one has NOT. Never big sellers in their early days even within the progressive genre – only with time did they become a little more popular. Pressing quality is always a factor for this label and band in particular and few ever play with top quality sound. This is a rare exceptional and plays beautifully from beginning to end and devoid of the usual problems this label often encounters.

Original Year of Release: 1970.

Matrix Nos: CAS 1027 A-1U / CAS 1027 B-1U

Mother & Stamper Codes: 1 GR / 1 GD

Brief Artist & Album Info: A band now very much back vogue after reforming, touring and issuing a brilliant double album that has received massive praise from everywhere, including original fans, the music press and even the quality British newspapers. The concerts sold out fast and also receiving incredible acclaim – all pretty amazing considering Hammill’s health problems of late and they seem more popular now than way back in the early 70s when they did not even sell out my ‘local rock’ venue in Ipswich. H to He was their third album and another progressive classic. Fronted by the mildly eccentric and intense vocalist Peter Hammill, VDGG made some of the most complex and inspired sounds of the early to mid-70s. David Jackson, the saxophonist often played two simultaneously creating a mesmerising sound and often an amazing racket. These electric reeds were heavily treated and made the dual saxes sound more like eight! Musically complex using constantly changing time structures and like fellow progsters, King Crimson their albums have great highs and lows in volume. This album preceded the legendary Pawn Hearts, that still ranks possibly the only serious contender to King Crimson’s debut as the best album of its genre for me anyway. A marvellous original band that were under-appreciated at the time but adored by the few (myself included) – Hammill remains one of rock’s great exponents of originality and mildly extreme. The other three members present again were Hugh Banton, Guy Evans and Dave Jackson - Robert Fripp guests on guitar on ‘Emperor’. This superb pink copy offers a stunning clean record that plays as close to perfect as one ever will. A sublime keeper record that will make the perfect partner to the ‘Least We Can Do’ I am currently offering from the same original owner. What a pleasant change to be able to state this - a brilliant album so often let down by poor pressing quality or less than careful handling from owners. The only blemishing on this copy is the cover edges have been coloured in to improve rubbing (not by me hasten to add). The cover is still one of the very best I have seen as an original and this package is likely to please most fans.

Cover’s Potential for Wear: Very high with a highly wear-prone ink and surface. These seldom seem to show up even EX with VG being almost the standard. Massively prone to rubbing, chipping and most of all – ringwear, few escape it.

Cover Grade and Format: Slightly difficult to grade definitively a cover that on face value almost looks Mint(-). Clearly the edges have rubbed in the past but have been tipped-in by the original owner. This has been done well in a colour very similar to the original ink and this does not distract to any great degree. The main faces look fantastic and show almost the least wear I have seen on an original B&C, EJD cover. I will say undergraded at EX, this looks better than that and its unforgiving wear potential must be taken into consideration too. An unlaminated gatefold format, printed and made in England by the E. J. Day Group. Beware of substitutions.

Cover Front: Very dark, rich and unfaded artwork that shows minimal and only faint rub traces. A small few light surface marks and minor pressmarks only really show under angled light. Clean, fresh and highly attractive, one to enjoy, not hide away. Creasing has been avoided as have any ring marks.

Cover Back: The back is even better and has little to fault. The odd small edge or corner enhancement just encroaches into view but little else. The lack of ringwear is particularly noteworthy here.

Cover Inner Gatefold: Both faces appear almost as new. The mandatory small central crease-lift is less apparent than most and this is totally unavoidable on any opened copy.

Top & Bottom Edges: These have been neatly coloured in.

Right Edge(s), and Type: Clean, very harp with no wear or feathering, this vulnerable ‘working’ edge has worn very well indeed, possibly the best I have seen on this unforgiving sleeve. Record entered on right outside back edge, guaranteed untrimmed.

Spine and Text: The spine is very thick and robust and shows little wear. The top fold hinge has some light enhancement but has modest visibility. Solid, straight, no compression and folded squarely with both right edges meeting neatly together and parallel too. All text is present and totally unworn as is the main surface of the spine.

Corners: All have have been neatly tipped-in in context to their edges. NOT by me, as stated, by the original owner. His choice, I cannot fail to offer what is still a lovely cover because of this. If it’s an issue, do not bid. The stunning record more than compensates any minor cover issues.

Cover Summary: Not perfect but still a very attractive original example, most will enjoy it, but with the edge ‘improvements’, this is not for the more discerning or perfectionist collector. But the record is a different matter…

Vinyl Condition/Visual Grading: Mint(-), yes only very rarely would I even dare grade any VDGG album this highly. This could be the copy collectors of this difficult band have been waiting for. Without doubt hardly played and sounding magnificent. No pressing faults on this one, this plays practically perfectly and this is a really challenging album. I have found Charisma records difficult enough in the past and this title is highly intolerant of needle abuse and heavy handling. This is a sublime visual copy and few pink scroll copies will match or better this. Super clean, shiny, intense black and very solidly pressed, I can barely see a mark or even hairline worthy of mention. A copy without any doubt, hardly even played, this is a real beauty and at last a pressing to complement the wonderful music. Visually a copy that should please all collectors.

Album Played For Grading: Yes. [I play ALL records I offer before submitting to Ebay, also the record is played in its entirety unless clearly stated otherwise. I do NOT play snippetts or joining grooves to check for sound quality and quietness – I play from the beginning to end via clinically revealing B&W speakers that include the legendary tweeter from their awesome Nautilus range that reveals every blemish or miniscule sound present on any record.]

Sound Quality and Audio Grading: This magnificent prog classic plays up to its high visual grading with nothing to fault - a bold statement I know, but true. My very best copy yet for one of the most demanding records within its genre. Strong, totally distortion-free sound, all frequencies are sharp and clear. Sound quality is astonishing with a massive dynamic range and very detailed sound. Complex sounds on a intricate album, these detailed-laden grooves are so easily damaged by less than worthy pickups, few will play this focused and sharp throughout. Any surface sounds barely registered and I noted no pops or clicks – remember the highs and lows in VDGG’s music. Charisma records do vary immensely in pressing quality and such is the vast range of quiet to loud, silence throughout is near impossible on vinyl but this gives of its very best. Both channels are clean and sharp with very clean grooves that clearly have avoided any of the aforementioned abuse. I feel certain this record has been hardly played and has been very well looked after. This one was a real thrill to hear this clean and the in-built power and dynamics within these vintage grooves was a joy from start to finish. This copy will still prove near impossible to find significantly better and is more than worthy of the highest possible recommendation.

Final Summary: I was absolutely delighted to hear about this band reforming, who could have even imagined it? Every listen to a VDGG album reveals something new, complex musically and cryptic lyrically this is not pop music and their albums did not sell initially in anything like large amounts. If you are prepared for a moderately challenging listen this album will delight, and what it will do for sure is entertain. A high grading all round copy, this should please most collectors wanting this progressive classic. If audio quality on an early-pressed record is more important than any minor cover issues, this could be the best copy you see or hear for some considerable time. The record could be the ultimate upgrade, but I am not going to degrade this splendid cover any more. Few will be it anyway. This is progressive rock at its very best, and this copy does it near maximum justice. Do not lose this wonderful record.

Now one of the most established sellers on Ebay and still offering the finest and most accurately described and graded records I can find. I pride myself on offering a variety of genres to keep my site as interesting as possible. I will rarely offer any record that falls below a true Excellent grading, unless its of a certain rarity which will justify offering a lesser grade. I try, to the best of my ability to describe as accurately and as honesty as I can all items I offer for sale with all the relevant information I can think of to help any potential bidder and collector. You may notice I only submit records sparingly on Ebay - on average ONEADAY, a couple more at weekends if time permits, hence the name - time rarely allows for more as I Play-Grade virtually every record I offer in their entirety, not just bits to guess a grade - visuals alone do not always tell a true or full story. I will mention any defects or flaws no matter how small that I notice to be fair as possible to any interested collector – I am very fussy and my buyers have the right to be too. Every record I offer, whether it be a common or rare item deserves the same respect as far as I am concerned and will be treated the same - just because an item is rare does not always mean its good. I get just as much pleasure offering a relatively common record in stunning near mint condition as the real rare items. All the pictures I use for your guidance are taken with a digital camera or scanned - they are NOT improved, cleaned-up or made better looking than they are with camera trickery or enhancing with digital programmes. What you see is what you get and scanned labels will give a more accurate representation of the genuine colour than flash photography where light is variable. I cannot guarantee total accuracy for colours however but most will be very close. If any picture I take looks more flattering than the actual item for any reason, I will clearly state the fact in the advert and vice-versa. I hope the item below is to your liking - any questions can be emailed and I will do my very best to answer you. I am enthusiastic, and have a fair degree of knowledge about many genres and I promise quality items - bid with confidence - excellence comes as standard and so does Near Mint regularly. Please assume all records I offer have NO jumps, sticks, warps or writing on covers or labels unless clearly stated to the contrary. Thanks for your interest and Good luck – MIKE.

Deck: Linn LP12 with Ittok Mk IV arm and Ortofon Samba Moving Coil cartridge (tracks at 1.8 grams). Amps: Naim Nait 5i with Project USB phono stage and Chord interconnects. Speakers: B&W 704 Floorstanding 3-way Monitors (bi-wired). All records I offer on Ebay are cleaned on a professional Moth vacuum machine before play-grading for the cleanest and best possible sound and will include a brand new lined inner and protective cover too.

First-time, zero-rated bidders, who do not ask permission to bid, will be cancelled immediately and blocked – NO exceptions. For winning bidders who I consider excessively slow to make contact or submit payment, I will use my right to block future bids. If any bidder who wins in the final seconds is present to do so, surely they can at least email me to inform of intention and payment method? If swift or promp payment is a problem, please do not bid.

POSTING & PACKING: What You Get: To confirm to the strict Ebay rules on shipping, I must now send ALL my packets ‘Signed-For’ with NO exceptions. Both buyers and sellers want their packets to have a safer journey and this is not a bad thing.

I now offer the fastest possible posting, mostly the very next day after payment is received or within three days maximum (unless on holiday). All records are posted in professional boxes (NOT mailers) with the record(s) REMOVED from their main cover to avoid edge splits and placed within a brand new polylined inner. The record’s original inner will be included if available. The boxes are then reinforced with TWO VERY THICK stiffners for even extra protection – these are FOUR TIMES thicker than commercial stiffners and are custom-made for oneadayrecords. Really rare and expensive albums will even be Double Boxed. The cover will be placed within a BRAND NEW heavy duty soft protective sleeve and the actual record will be professionally cleaned on my Moth Pro vacuum system to give ultimate clean grooves and playing surfaces and the best possible looks and ultimate sound quality. Printed address labels are used for clarity as well as a sender label. You will NOT get tired, dull looking, dust infested records inside worn and foggy covers with tatty inners from this seller and that’s a promise and guarantee. Customers requests or special needs for P&P will be respected if at all possible but ‘Signed-For’ posting is NOT an option anymore. I do not profit on posting and offer probably the best-value and safest shipping possible. I will invoice any winning bidder as soon as possible after the auction ends. My ‘loss’ or ‘damage rate’ is less than 0.1 per percent based on over 5,000+ items sold in over 8 years of Ebay trading and I consider that pretty exceptional. I discount of course for multiple purchases with a maximum of FOUR records per packet. I will not respond to questions on shipping costs as all the details are included in the advert.

NOTE: First Time Bidders: I will cancel ALL first-time bidders with no feedbacks or excessive negatives who do not ask me if its OK to bid first – NO EXCEPTIONS.

Please Note: I will now offer any item to the runner-up after the mandatory Ebay 3 days if no contact is made by the winning bidder unless prior notice of any delay is given beforehand. The same applies if no payment is received within the mandatory 7 days so any bidder who has just lost out can still email me to reserve the item as priority second chance – it’s always worth asking.

SHIPPING COSTS & CONDITIONS – THESE comply with EBAY’S RULES - PLEASE READ CAREFULLY:

Posting & Packing: UK & CHANNEL ISLANDS all now sent via Recorded Delivery:

1 LP (SECOND Class Recorded Delivery with Standard Royal Mail Insurance) [Signed For] = FREE. This is the new Ebay rule. HOWEVER I STRONGLY URGE UK WINNERS TO PAY THE £3 FOR THE FIRST-CLASS SERVICE AS THE PACKETS WILL ARRIVE MUCH FASTER AND SAFER.

1 LP (FIRST-CLASS Recorded Delivery with Standard Royal Mail Insurance) [Signed For] = £3.

1 LP (Special Delivery with Standard £500 Maximum Insurance) [Signed For, Next Day] = £7.50. (this includes insurance of £500).

Posting & Packing: EUROPE & SCANDINAVIA. (Airmail Only):

1 LP (Small Packet ‘Signed For’ with Standard Royal Mail Insurance [£39 maximum]) = £8. (insurance optional extra £3).

NOTE: I NO LONGER SEND TO THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION. ANY BIDS WILL BE IGNORED.

Posting & Packing: ALL OVERSEAS (non-European) e.g. USA (any part); Australia; Canada; Japan and other Far East; (Airmail Only: I NEVER use Surface Mail):

1 LP (Small Packet ‘Signed For’ with Standard Royal Mail Insurance [£39 maximum]) = £12. (insurance optional extra £3)

Payment Conditions:

I prefer PayPal or cheque from UK winning bidders. I can accept PayPal from overseas bidders or direct payment into my bank account.

Potential Bidders: Please do not bid if you have negative feedback unless checking first, I will cancel any bids I feel are timewasters. A maximum 3 days for communication and 7 days for payment to arrive - if not I will relist the item or offer to the runner-up. Fast deals get great feedback from me. Any questions - please ask and thanks for looking.

My Guarantee: If any winning bidder is not satisfied with their purchase I will offer a complete refund minus the Posting and All Ebay costs as long as the item detail has been read and understood. I will not refund if any defect detail is clearly stated on the advert and missed by the buyer. If any overseas collector does not understand anything in my listing, please email and ask me to help.

SOME GENERAL GUIDES TO WEAR AND CONDITIONS TO HELP YOU DECIDE

My Use of Description Terminology: Surface Marks = Superficial, usually light marks, hairlines or light scuffs that rarely sound. Scratch = a needle mark that goes below the record’s surface, some will sound, some will not, my play-grade will inform. Original = a record that has been pressed with the first label design which does NOT neccessarily mean a very first pressed record. First Pressing = A record that I believe or know to be a genuine very first pressed record. I do not claim to always know for sure, and that’s why I state the stamper and matrix numbers if at all possible, for those who claim to know what they all mean, the information is there for the collector to decide. I prefer to use terms like ‘Early Copy’ rather than ‘First Pressing’ if I am not totally sure. Surface Sound = Mild, light sound, usually light crackle or similar. Distortion = Break up of the actual sound caused by groove wear or damage from a chipped stylus – the most undesirable form of unwanted sound, vintage mono records were the most prone to this happening but not exclusively so. The symptoms of distortion are high frequency clipping, moderate constant crackle or an echo type sound quality. Violin, piano and vocals are most prone to groove-wear distortion. Feathering = Fraying or softening of the entry edge of a cover. Covers with feathered entrance edges are more likely to have had the actual record inserted and removed more than a non-feathered, sharp-edged cover which are always far more attractive. Set Off, actually a printer’s term for dark ink leaving mild residue on pale or white ink when rested upon. e.g. when a gatefold cover has black ink closed against white, this can leave some black residue on the pale area – this is mostly unavoidable or course.

The Argument for Vinyl Original sound and mix (mono mixes are rarely available on CD), high quality sound on clean copies (played on a hi-end dedicated analogue system – breathtaking sound!), beautiful, large format covers, artwork, inserts and even full size posters etc; huge investment potential, and the pleasure of owning ‘the real thing’.