Van Morrison ORIG AU OZ 2ND press wb shield green label warner brothers vinyl LP Astral weeks ’70 press, '68 recording, Green Warner WS1768 oop rare. ex to nm glossy lp, ex shape cover, has ring wear on back. no splits. plastic inner sleeve. see pics, sounds great!! machine stampers: a (diamond shape) mx163906 ws1768-2 / a mx163905-b ws1768-1

Van MorrisoAstral weeks

Original OZ Second press LP released in 1970 on the Green warner label. Cat: WS1768. 

Astral Weeks is generally considered one of the best albums in pop music history, but for all that renown, it is anything but an archetypal rock and roll album. It it isn't a rock and roll album at all. Van Morrison plays acoustic guitar and sings in his elastic, bluesy, soulful voice, accompanied by crack group of jazz studio players: guitarist Jay Berliner, upright bassist Richard Davis, Modern Jazz Quartet drummer Connie Kay, vibraphonist Warren Smith and soprano saxophonist John Payne (also credited on flute, though that's debatable some claim an anonymous flautist provided those parts). Producer Lewis Merenstein added chamber orchestrations later and divided the album into halves: "In The Beginning" and "Afterwards" with four tunes under each heading. Morrison's songs are an instinctive, organic mixture of Celtic folk, blues and jazz. He fully enters the mystic here, more in the moment than he ever would be again in a recording studio.

Tracks: Astral weeks/ Beside you/ Sweet thing/ Cyprus avenue/ The way young lovers do/ Madame George/ Ballerina/ Slim slow rider.

There are a few light spindle marks on labels. Record has a few light scuff marks that cause a few light crackles and is in Excellent to NM condition with high gloss. Glossy cover has very light ring wear at back and a few light marks and is in Excellent condition.

Domestic Shipping Rates for media mail are $3.50 for first record and $1 for each extra. Priority Mail is $7 for first record and $1 for each extra.

International Shipping Rates are $15 for first LP/12"/10"  + $3 for each additional. This includes UK, Europe, Japan, Austrialia, South America, Etc.

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Vinyl grading is usually based on the Goldmine standard and is as follows:

“SS” Still Sealed – For the collector that demands nothing but perfection.

“M” Mint - a near perfect, or unplayed record.

“NM” Near Mint - in factory fresh condition, like new.

EX+ - close to like new with only superficial signs of use that don't affect play. Will satisfy all but the most vain and demanding collector.

EX - a used, reasonable copy. Shows slight signs of wear.

VG+ - There will be obvious signs of wear and the possibility a few skuffs and/or light surface noise between tracks or during quiet passages, but still quite nice.

VG - significant wear and marks and usually quite noticeable surface noise,still plays great.

Good - In the record world, "Good" is not good! From here on down, we're talking about beat-up records!