ZAPPA / MOI Freak Out SCARCE UK 71 Verve DOUBLE EX++ LP

	£		27
	$		36

ONEADAYRECORDS – Delivering Quality Music to the World.

Artist or Band: THE MOTHERS OF INVENTION

Album Title: Freak Out!

Producer(s): Tom Wilson.

TRACK LIST:

Side 1: Hungry Freaks Daddy; I Ain’t Got No Heart; Who Are the Brain Police?; Go Cry On Somebody Else’s Shoulder*; Motherly Love; How Could I Be Such a Fool*.

Side 2: Wowie Zowie; You Didn’t Try to Call Me; Anyway the Wind Blows*; I’m Not Satisfied; You’re Probably Wondering Why I’m Here.

Side 3: Trouble Every Day (Original full version); Help, I’m a Rock.

Side 4: The Return of the Son of Monster Magnet.

* Denotes, not included on the original 1966 UK version.

Cat Number: 2683004 / Select.

Mode / Speed: Stereo / 33.3 rpm.

Warps: Assume all records I offer have no warping of any significance and all tracking is easy and effortless and should play on all turntables and even ‘budget’ decks.

Weight of these Records: 122 / 120 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).

Label/Format: Verve – black and silver format that look and feel lightly textured. (Please see my label scan for any information needed).

Label Condition: Superb examples: just ultra light and fine spindle marks on all sides bar side three. This just has a couple of small but more noticeable marks.

Country of Manufacture: England.

Rarity: Scarce and quite honestly little easier to find than the mono original. The 1966 single stereo version is very rare indeed and possibly the rarest Mothers album ever made. This Select repressing is now back to the correct original US format - a double album and now including the three missing songs omitted from the original UK version. Also ‘Trouble Ever Day’ is back to the original full length version. I can only assume the original UK issue was issued on a budget and cut down to a single album to save costs. What chance did a debut album from a weird bunch of Americans have of selling here?, thus it’s great rarity, especially in stereo. This early 70s repressing also has the gatefold cover which the 66 original didn’t, so never dismiss this album as a ‘reissue’. It’s a highly significant copy, the first fully version issued in the UK. With this copy I also include a copy of the Freak Out Hotspots map taken from the ‘Old Masters’ box set to kind of make this groundbreaking album complete. The UK copies never made this rare insert available and most collectors would not have even seen one before. Finding this underground psych classic in such lightly played conditions is also incredibly difficult. For those who shelled out to buy a copy, most played into submission. Both of these records look barely even played.

Original Year of Release: 1966 (single album, SVLP and VLP series), this double UK version was not issued until 1971.

Matrix Nos: 2352023 A1 420 1 1 1 3 / 2352023 B1 420 1 1 / 2352024 A1 420 1 1 1 1 / 2352024 B1 420 1 4.

Musicians: Frank Zappa - guitar, vocals; Ray Collins - lead vocalist, harmonica, tambourine, finger cymbals, bobby pin and tweezers; Jim Black - drums, vocals; Roy Estrada - bass, guitarron, soprano vocals; Elliot Ingber - alternate lead and rhythm guitars.

Brief Artist & Album Info: Led by the genius that was Frank Zappa, The Mothers of Invention were outsiders, even on this their debut album. Older than most of their contemporaries, they brought a cynicism to their work that celebrated joys without resorting to nostalgia. Telling parodies of pop forms that were as engaging as those upon which they drew, while experimental pieces, drawn from avant garde compositions by Varese and Stravinsky, took the idea of ‘rock’ into unchartered territory. Zappa’s skills as a musician and engineer ensuring the innovative nature of this creation. Even today, its great fun to listen too. This original issue did not chart in the UK and only made 150 in the States. Made with a budget of $25,000, some $6,000 more than average at this time the albums’ producer was Tom Wilson, he laid his job on the line to make this album and stayed with the band for four albums. This copy on offer is the early 70s Select repress, now back to its correct US double album format in glorious mindblowing stereo. It has three songs MORE than the 1966 original and the FULL six minute version of ‘Trouble Every Day’, which makes this album highly significant. Wilson’s production is quite astonishing. Like all Zappa Verve albums, this is vital to any collection, all the Verves were different and all remain absolutely essential. Even from the opening bars of ‘Hungry Freaks Daddy’ with its distorted riff which replicates the Stones ‘Satisfaction’ the stage is set. It has a leering savagery and points the finger at Mr America and suggests a wave of non-conformism. The powerful ‘Trouble Every Day’ a song about the Watts race riots in America at this time and was highly controversial – as was the whole album, its far more evocative when heard in full. The astonishing ‘Help, I’m a Rock’ must be the ultimate ‘Freak Out’ track - this must have sent shock-waves out to listeners on first issue, nothing had been heard like this before. The final track is even more challenging, and even today will scare the daylights out of most unsuspecting listeners: ‘The Return of the Son of Monster Magnet’ a modernist sound-composition, has to be heard many times to be fully appreciated, and this even blew me away with the incredibly detailed stereo mix. This track alone saw Zappa trashing 60s top ten pop music - this was loud, crude and mind-shattering - one subtitle, ‘Ritual Dance of the Child Killer’, referred to the plot of Stravinsky’s ballet The Rite of Spring, but in this scandalous context, with ‘Suzy Creamcheese’ (a high-school virgin, who tells us this band is crazy and that they all smell bad (on this Select cover only), played by Jeannie Vassoir. She sounds as if she’s simultaneously losing her virginity and having an orgasm, but this was the 1960s and no one really noticed, Zappa’s ability to outrage was apparent right from the very beginning. A stunning conclusion to a remarkable work - nothing had ever been heard like it before (or since). Zappa with the greatest moustache in musical history, put the snarl and sneer into music, he did not conform and this album, like the man himself was a true original. Too weird and unconventional for most at the time, Freak Out remains one of the most important albums ever, breaking so much new ground, its influence and importance cannot be overstated. This record, given its age, type and history is in fabulous condition and finding a better early pressed Select copy could prove difficult. In terms of musical history and development of the underground ‘alternative’ music scene, few records come close to the importance of Freak Out. This record almost single-handedly reinvented rock and little remained the same thereafter. If this form of entertainment was not for you back when it all happened, try it now. No album collection should ever be without this legendary masterpiece being included. [Whooooo could imajun, They would Freak Out on Ebay? - Ebay, Ebay doo doo doo doo doo doo].(Sorry, a bit of nostalgia for the ‘old folks’ there).

Cover Condition and Format: EX which for an unlaminated gatefold double set is more than respectable. It was printed and made in England by MacNeill Press Ltd. Just to make this already excellent set even more appealing, I include an example of the near impossible to find US insert of the Freak Out Hot Spots. (taken from the ‘Old Masters’ set). This insert has never been available in the UK and only a handful exist in the US.

This Cover’s Potential for Wear: Very High.

Cover Front: Superb with little to fault - unusual to see one of these with no ringwear. Clean, fresh with any marks, creasing or rubbing being light and faint. The richly coloured psych artwork still looks creepy even today.

Cover Back: Very different to the 66 version and including the text by Suzy Creamcheese as written further down - this is unique to this cover, it was not included on the single format. Not too dissimilar to the front with just a few light rubs and a pressmark, but the lack of creasing and especially ringwear is a major bonus. Almost certainly one of the earliest Select covers made, this has more than withstood the test of time.

Inside Gatefold: Superb with little to fault at all – the text on Zappa is very interesting, it reads:

“Frank Zappa is the leader and musical director of the Mothers of Invention. His performances in person with the group are rare. His personality is so repellent that it’s best he stay away… for the sake of impressionable young minds who might not be prepared to cope with him. When he does show up he performs on the guitar. Sometimes he sings. Sometimes he talks to the audience. Sometimes there is trouble”. Again all the artwork and text is omitted from the 1966 version.

Top Edges: Very light rub traces.

Bottom Edges: Light patchy rubbing, more moderate near the right right corners.

Right Edge(s), and Type: Clean, quite sharp with little wear and no feathering.

Spine and Text: The thick spine is in very fine condition: Solid and square, quite straight with no compression. All text (blue on black) practically perfect and unworn.

Corners: All have tip rubbing and beyond on the bottom sets. All retain fine shape and neat definition.

Cover Summary: Very dark and obviously very prone to wear, this has survived for nearly forty years looking attractive, it should please many collectors if not quite the perfectionists.

Vinyl Condition/Visual Grading: With most originals being heard in mono, its great to hear a full version stereo copy and both records are in superb EX++ to Mint(-) visual conditions. Very clean, clearly hardly played with lovely shine and immaculate, barely marked playing surfaces. The early pressed Select UK copies rarely get seen much better than this.

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 trip into the psychedelic underground mostly plays as good as it looks. Clean distortion-free sound, never take this for granted on any record this great age let alone one with such complex and powerful sound qualities with great detail and definition. This true stereo mix – not electronically created or enhanced – is amazing with pin-sharp sound. Even the fragile high frequencies remain totally unclipped and precise. Very slight surface sound was noted in the odd place but most all of the music plays supremely well with no clicks or pops noted. Even from way back this album had awesome fidelity, it has a slightly raw sound quality but not in a low-fi way - its dynamic and exciting and still thrills today, an amazing masterstoke of production by Wilson. Some albums from this time were flat, muted and lifeless, Freak Out was not one of them, this will leave the senses swimming with the mind-numbing sounds. Just listen to the sheer brutality of the bass on ‘Brain Police’, also the aforementioned ‘Monster Magnet’, with its crazed pulsating percussion, the sounds that burst out of these unworn stereo grooves have detail I swear I had missed before, this is almost scary. This is a huge production masterwork, again for 1966 so advanced - no expense was spared. You want fantastic early stereo imagery and effects detail with clear sound, you have it here, this is not CD quiet for its entirety but it will prove difficult to beat overall.

End Piece: To emphasise the type and era of this record I quote from the back cover of this Select reissue (NOT on the original single cover) - it’s written by the (in)famous Suzy Creamcheese “These Mothers is crazy. You can tell by their clothes. One guy wears beads and they all smell bad. We were gonna get them for a dance after the basketball game but my best pal warned me you can never tell how many will show up…sometimes they guy in the fur coat doesn’t show up (Zappa) and sometimes he does show up only he brings a big bunch of crazy people and him and they dance all over the place. none of the kids at my school like these Mothers…specially since my teacher told us what the words to their songs meant.’’.

Early FZs on Verve are fast disappearing and that’s all of them, not just the originals. Like many great albums, this was too ahead of its time for most, the world was not ready to ‘Freak Out!’ It’s just a shame that only after his untimely, premature death does the world now more fully appreciate this man’s work and greatness. A unique artist who simply wanted to entertain. Freak Out has to be regarded as one of the most important debut albums ever, a true landmark record - only fellow Vervsters, The Velvet Underground’s debut, and maybe The Doors challenges this in the underground rock music genre. Enjoy this powerful stereo vinyl, not quite perfect but a lovely vintage copy. Remember: neccessity is the Mother(s) of Invention.

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: I now offer the fastest possible posting, mostly the very next day after payment is received or within 48 hours maximum. 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 thick stiffners for even extra protection. 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 and well as 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 NOT surface mail abroad. I never make 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, with the total costs including ‘standard’ or ‘optional extra insurance’ P&P – ALL UK and Russian packets go out non-negotiable Recorded Delivery. My ‘loss’ or ‘damage rate’ is less than 0.1 per percent based on over 4,000+ items sold in over 7 years of Ebay trading and I consider that pretty exceptional.

PLEASE NOTE: I will now only send packets to Russia with Recorded Delivery at a cost of £7 per single LP. If this is unacceptable to Russian collectors, please do not bid. I only want my records to arrive safely and this gives packets a better chance to do so. Also ALL UK packets will be sent with either Recorded or Special Delivery as standard (both have to be signed for). All shipping costs and rules can be found after my description. If they are not acceptable, please do not bid.

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 & OPTIONS:

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

1 LP (First Class Recorded Delivery with Standard Royal Mail Insurance) [Signed For] = £4 (OPTIONAL).

1 LP (Special Delivery with Standard £500 Maximum Insurance) [Signed For, Next Day] = £7 (OPTIONAL).

Posting & Packing: ALL EUROPE & SCANDINAVIA (NOT RUSSIA, see below) (Airmail Only):

1 LP (Small Packet Standard with Standard Royal Mail Insurance) = £5.

1 LP (Small Packet ‘Signed For’ with included Insurance to Item’s ‘Sold’ Value, £500* Maximum) = £9 (OPTIONAL).

Posting & Packing: RUSSIA (Recorded Only, if this is unacceptable, please do not bid):

1 LP (Small Packet ‘Signed For’ only £7) = £9 (OPTIONAL extra insurance as above).

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 Standard with Standard Royal Mail Insurance) = £8.

1 LP (Small Packet ‘Signed For’ with included Insurance to Item’s ‘Sold’ Value, £500* Maximum) = £13 (OPTIONAL).

* If Rules allow for that country.

PLEASE NOTE: I always get a Royal Mail ‘Proof-of-Posting’ receipt for ALL packets that are sent out and I am happy to prove this to any customer who wishes to see it via email.

Payment Conditions:

I prefer PayPal or cheque from UK winning bidders. I can accept PayPal from overseas bidders.

The customer can choose their method of shipping with the exception of second class or surface mail overseas – these I will NOT use. The winner bidder chooses his/her posting method and if uninsured is chosen, its their decision and they have to stick with it, I can accept no responsibility if an item is lost in the post. I can only try to claim at standard levels if no enhancement is chosen (£35).

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’.