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2258. SABU MARTINEZ: “Palo Congo” (Blue Note/ Toshiba EMI – BLP-1561) (Record: Near Mint/
Jacket: Near Mint/ 4-Paged Insert: Near Mint). Crystal clean Japan original
pressing all complete with 4 paged insert. This one never came out with obi –
so rest assured. Sabu Martinez’s debut as a leader mostly features percussionists
(other than bassist Evaristo Baro), including the leader, Arsenio Rodriguez
(who doubles on the tres), Cesar Travieso, Quique Travieso, and Ray “Mosquito”
Romero. Martinez, Rodriguez and Travieso also join Willie Capo and Sarah Baro
in singing and chanting. Six of the eight songs are Martinez’s originals,
although the most memorable cut is the opening "El Cumbanchero,"
which has a catchy melody and a Martinez vocal that in tone sounds
surprisingly like Cab Calloway in spots. Intriguing African-oriented music.
Price: 60 Euro
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2259. SAGITTARIUS: “Present Tense” (CBS Sony – 20AP-2197) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Near Mint – still housed in shrink/ Cap Obi: Near Mint, still housed in shrink/ 2 Inserts: Near Mint). Japan original 1st press issue all complete with scarce obi. Largely the work of producer Gary Usher (known for producing the Byrds' best albums and as a Beach Boys collaborator) and singer-songwriter Curt Boettcher. Their first of two albums, Present Tense largely retains the sunshine pop aspects of The Millennium, sweet and light and largely free of the harder edges. Sprinkled with a few psychedelic songs that are the clear stand-outs that make this more than a curiosity for fans of sunshine pop and psychedelic baroque acid flutter. The tour de force "My World Fell Down" is light psychedelia, Zombies-like baroque pop with a lovely hook in the chorus, the string- and harmony-laden production a chance for Usher to show off his studio chops. And "The Truth Is Not Real" is a lost psychedelic classic, deliriously trippy with shades of the Moody Blues on a bender. Meanwhile, "I'm Not Living Here" channels the Mamas & the Papas and the early Byrds with its lustrous blend of folk and pop and is a fantastic late 60s gem that would've been a major AM radio hit in a more just universe. Near perfect album all around that edges near the perfect sound. Utterly addictive listening experience. Top condition. Price: 100 Euro |
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2260. SAHIB SHIHAB: “Jazz Sahib” (Savoy/ CBS Sony – SOPU-37-SY) (Record & Jacket & Insert & CAP OBI: Mint - SEALED). Crystal clean SEALED Japan original 1st press issue with rare OBI. Rare original Japanese high quality pressing of this masterpiece, first one I can lay my hands on complete with Obi & still SEALED. Personnel: Shahib Shihab (baritone saxophone), Phil Woods (alto saxophone), Bennie Golson (tenor saxophone), Hank Jones, Bill Evans (piano), Paul Chambers, Oscar Pettiford (bass), Art Taylor (drums). Legendary hard bopping and butt-shaking slide recorded way back in 1957, at the height of the Beats generation. If you haven't been converted to the thrills of be-bop saxophone battles, the kind that drove Jack Kerouac and his buddies into frenzies in the early 50's, this slide originally recorded and released on the Savoy label offers you a great peak into that West Coast Jazz madness. It will open you up to a corker, with all the players involved nipping at each other's heels. Sahib Shihab on baritone saxophone presents an unorthodox three-saxophone front line with some richly colored vehicles for improvisation. A special treat: The pianist is a very young and boppish Bill Evans. Legendary and top notch Japanese original pressing with OBI and SEALED. Jaw-droppingly great stuff. Price: 75 Euro |
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2261. SAHIB SHIHAB: “Sentiments” (Storyville/ Sonet – SLPS-1008) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Near Mint ~ Mint). Original
Danish 1972 pressing on Storyville, with the big “Storyville lettering on the label. Of all the American jazz artists who relocated to Europe and Scandinavia
in the 1950s and 1960s, Sahib Shihab remains one of
the most highly regarded and versatile, yet least celebrated. Sentiments was recorded in Denmark in March 1971 and was released on the Danish Storyville label. The album features Shihab alongside Danish super-bass man Niels-Henning Ørsted Pedersen, and two fellow Americans, drummer
Jimmy Hopps and pianist Kenny Drew (like Shihab, Drew also settled in Denmark and recorded
extensively for Danish label Steeplechase). Sentiments was Shihab’s last album as leader, although he did go on to record projects as co-leader
with the likes of fellow American Phil Woods and French pianist/composer Jef Gilson. Fantastic recording and this
is the rare original in absolutely TOP condition. Rarely surfaces this clean. Price:
400 Euro |
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2262. SAHIB SHIHAB: “Sahib’s Jazz Party” (Norma/ Tokuma Japan – NLP-2011) (Record: Mint/
Jacket: Mint/ Insert: Mint/ Obi: Mint). Rare very first Japan original pressing
that came out over 30 years ago in top condition. Sahib's Jazz Party is his
third album as a bandleader. Recorded live in its entirety Sahib's Jazz Party
features a few highly entertaining announcements by the master himself leaving
the impression that Sahib was a bit far out that day. The performance is
beautiful and passionate. He plays flute and saxophone backed up by a Danish jazz
orchestra even with an electric guitar, in clean mode of course. Especially in
the third part of the "Conversation" piece the dialogues between
saxophone and trumpet are amazing while in "Charade" Shihab uses his
flute to conjure a mind-relaxing atmosphere. The rhythms are all quite hot and
whipping. The drummers must be some kind of madmen. Yes, there are two drummers
indicated for the "Conversation" long track and the ever pulsating
and vibrating rhythm patterns will prove that right. Bass and guitar rather
back up everything and fill the gaps with simple notes which add just enough to
leave the whole picture feeling full and round. Sahib's Jazz Party holds the
same level as the most appreciated works of Miles Davis and John
Coltrane during their modal jazz stint. All-in-all, the whole band is
steaming and so full of passion, any listener will be electrified without fail. Price: 100 Euro |
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2263. SAHIB
SHIHAB with Clifford Jordan; Herbie Mann; Eddie Costa; etc: “The Jazz We Heard Last Summer”
(Savoy Records/ King Records – KIJJ-2042) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket:
Near Mint/ Insert: Near Mint/ Obi: Near Mint). Original Japanese pressing. “This split LP pairs a sextet led by multi-instrumentalist
Sahib Shihab with another under the
direction of Herbie Mann. Big names
all the way around on this one. On the Shihab session, John Jenkins and Clifford Jordan round out the front line, while Hank Jones,
Addison Farmer and Dannie Richmond hold
down the rhythm. Mann, on the other
hand, is joined by Phil Woods, Eddie Costa, Joe Puma, Wilbur Ware and Jerry
Segal. Nothing overly surprising here,
but one can expect quality performances by all. The album's opener,
"S.M.T.W.T.F.S.S. Blues," and Jenkins’ own "Rockaway" are especially
pleasing themes, as is the Phil Woods contribution,
"World Wide Boots." Generally speaking, the Shihab tracks are a bit meatier, causing the
momentum to taper off toward the end of the disc. This should not, however, sway
fans of late-'50s bop, as a number of the scene's top players are featured on
this admittedly short set.” (All Music Guide). Price:
50 Euro |
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2264. SAHIB SHIHAB Featuring: Kenny Clarke; Benny Bailey; Francy Boland; Milt Jackson; Ake Persson & Jimmy Woode: “Companionship – Jazz Joint Vol. 2” (Vogue Schallplatten – LDVS-17243) (2 LP Record: Excellent ~ Near Mint/ Gatefold Jacket: Excellent ~ Near Mint). Top condition copy, German 1st original pressing of 1971. They hardly ever surface this clean! Double-length brilliance from the mighty Sahib Shihab – a set that collects a number of killer 60s sessions with members of the Clarke Boland Big Band – all of them great! The small combo work here is amazing – hard-hitting modal jazz that matches, if not tops the best MPS/Saba sounds of the time – all produced to perfection with a really sharp edge, and a cutting approach to jazz that's gone onto inspired countless others in the current scene – including artists on Schema and Ricky-Tick Records, as well as most Japanese club jazz combos! But long before any of those cats started copping his groove, Sahib Shihab had it all totally together – a great ear for his own amazing solos on baritone and flute, and a way of hooking up with players like Francy Boland on piano, Fats Sadi on vibes, Benny Bailey on trumpet, Jimmy Woode on bass, and Kenny Clarke on drums. All players here were Shihab's partners in the Clarke Boland Big Band, and they use these small combo sessions to explore some great new ideas – stripped-down groovers that are heavy on rhythm, and really allow full expression from all the players involved. Price: Offers!!! |
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2265. SAHIB SHIHAB Featuring: Kenny Clarke; Benny Bailey; Francy Boland; Milt Jackson; Ake Persson & Jimmy Woode: “Companionship – Jazz Joint” (Columbia Records – PSS-252~3-AX) (2 LP Record: Excellent ~ Near Mint/ Gatefold Jacket: Near Mint/ OBI: VG++ ~ Excellent). Great condition copy, insanely rare Japan 1st original pressing of 1971 – all complete with never offered before unique first issue obi. Although a Sahib Shihab leader album, the obi flanking this slide states “Companionship – Kenny Clark and his Friends” with no mention of Shihab. Impossible to find – took me 2 decades to unearth a copy with obi! Double-length brilliance from the mighty Sahib Shihab – a set that collects several killer 60s sessions with members of the Clarke Boland Big Band – all of them great! The small combo work here is amazing – hard-hitting modal jazz that matches, all produced to perfection with a really sharp edge, and a cutting approach to jazz that's gone onto inspired countless others in the current scene – including artists on Schema and Ricky-Tick Records, as well as most Japanese club jazz combos! But long before any of those cats started copping his groove, Sahib Shihab had it all totally together – a great ear for his own amazing solos on baritone and flute, and a way of hooking up with players like Francy Boland on piano, Fats Sadi on vibes, Benny Bailey on trumpet, Jimmy Woode on bass, and Kenny Clarke on drums. All players here were Shihab's partners in the Clarke Boland Big Band, and they use these small combo sessions to explore some great new ideas – stripped-down groovers that are heavy on rhythm, and really allow full expression from all the players involved. Impossibly rare Japan first press original with OBI!!!! Don’t be shy and hit me hard with your best shot! SOLD |
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2266. SAHIB SHIHAB Featuring: Kenny Clarke; Benny Bailey; Francy Boland; Milt Jackson; Ake Persson & Jimmy Woode: “Companionship – Jazz Joint” (Columbia Records – PSS-252~3-AX) (2 LP Record: First record is Excellent, the 2nd record is Near Mint/ Gatefold Jacket: Excellent). Cheaper option – rare Japanese press issue but with the obi missing. Price: 175 Euro |
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2267. The SAINTS: “The
Most Primitive Band in The World – Live From The Twilight Zone – Brisbane 1974”
(Hot Records – 1053LP) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Near Mint/ Catalogue Booklet
Insert: Near Mint). 1995 original pressing of awesome the Saints recordings.
Released over a quarter of a decade ago in the UK in a run of 500 copies only,
making it a slab of vinyl that has become quite elusive. Trashy, gritty and
primitive garage punk from down-under’s finest dirt sniffers. Everything is in
overdrive here, amps cracked up and oozing out hot chunks of distorted lava,
gnarly & wasted vocals drowned out by all pulverizing greasy and blown-out
speakers, rhythm section straight out of Neanderthal times, sneering lithoid
scruffy guitar assaults…. The Saints were blessed with all the right
ingredients to be and becoming one of the greatest bands of all time but no one
was listening! Blasting this at full throttle, it always makes me wanna hit the
crack pipe and get wasted beyond oblivion. Awesome! So essential, so good!
Price: 75 Euro
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2268. SAIRAIJI HIROMI: “Hatoba” (Columbia – ALS-5171) (Record: Excellent ~ Near Mint/ Fold Out jacket: Mint/ Obi: Mint. Completely vanished head twister, copies have completely dried up. Finally I was able to unearth another copy of this much in demand but hard to score deep underground enka masterpiece. Ok here is the deal, we are gonna hit you with something really obscure, so obscure that all the underground stuff you thought you knew seams like mainstream in comparison. This is real hardcore obscure shit that no-one even knows about. I have to encounter the first person yet who knows about this disc, apart from PSF’s Ikeezumi who introduced me to this jewel of a disc with the words: “You want to hear some real underground stuff? Like bottom of the well Enka that is so deliriously great everyone fail to notice it because it blinded them like gazing at the sun for too long?” Of course I was keen to hear what he would hit me with and he spun me the first track of this debut album by then 19-years old Sairaiji Hiromi. I was immediately blown away. I had never ever heard anything quite similar like this. I had trouble to gather my sanity after that, my legs were shaking, my word phrasing became a stuttering mess of vowels, in other words I was perplexed. Well, how can I describe this rarity? Best thing I can come up with is “Underground Female Enka Howling”. Although Sairaiji was only 19 years old at the time of recording this in 1972, she sounds like a weather beaten down old nag, a witch out of a Kobayashi flick, nasal deranged vocals, wailing away like an old wolf in heat, disturbing but mesmerizing at the same time. Psychedelic but oddly Norman with a demented twist. I never heard a girl howl like this, not even Lisa Suckdog come close…hardcore stuff and the best record I heard in 2005 amongst others. Of course after being exposed I searched high and low for a copy but due to extremely bad sales, most copies were taken out of circulation and destroyed. I finally found myself a copy and only last month I acquired this one. These babies just do not turn up but since no-one is aware of the sheer demented beauty of it they are still quite cheap. So this one has my all time highest recommendation. Extremely rare. Price: 175 Euro |
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2269. SAITO TETSU: “Tokio Tango” (ALM Records – AL-5002) (Record: Near Mint ~ Mint/ Jacket: Near Mint ~ Mint/ Insert: Mint). One of the lesser known and more elusive ALM releases. Amazing solo bass free jazz recording by Saito Tetsu, roaring and soaring bowed and plucked bass excursions taking the instrument towards yet unexplored improvisational and stratospherical heights. This recording is one of his scarce solo acoustic documents that portrays the master bassist in peak form. The music here is on the highest plane of post-free jazz improvisation and comes highly recommended as a compelling introduction to the expansive catalog of the late, great Japanese avant-garde master. If you are in awe of the late Yoshizawa Motoharu then this slide is indispensable. One of the very few recordings left behind by Saito but a pure feast for your ears if you are into Japanese free form jazz with an edge! SOLD |
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2270. SAKAI CHIKUHO: “Suizen” (Columbia Records – KX-7001~3) (3 LP Set: Near Mint/ Embossed Outer LP Box with Silver Lettering: Near Mint/ Booklet: Near Mint/ Obi: Mint). Bloody rare collection in mint condition, original 1974 issue. Eye-pooping collection that focuses on – like the title already suggests – at esoteric Japanese Zen oriented flute/ shakuhachi musical escapades. This set will only appeal to the most seasoned listener, if you are a hipster and you decide to get lost in this kind of music, you will get bummed out, depressed and on the brink of slashing your wrists and setting fire to yourself, which in all would be quite a spectacle I would like to bear witness to. Still, I think it would be wise that the more experienced listener would get his hands on this because it is something that most of your “rock” fiends – how heavy and far out you conceive yourself to be – will fail to get a grasp on. So if you consider yourself a Japanophile and culturally enhanced listener who frequently dabbles in the Horogei and field recording sections of this site, for those listeners this set will be a total mind shattering revelation, revealing to you some of the most exquisite sounds ever recorded. For the rest of you, this stuff will bum you out and make you utterly depressed so steer away from it. I myself I am hooked to this shit, always looking for a next fix and this set just may do it, so lovers of Watazumido and Yamada Chisato should jump into this set blindfolded because the music is insane. Next to that the packaging is too elaborate for words, 3 LP’s housed in a beautifully designed case box set. Massive. Price: 400 Euro |
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2271. SALLY MAY: “Kinpatsu Enka” (Victor – SJX – 35) (Record: Near Mint/ Gatefold Jacket: Near Mint/ OBI: MINT). Bloody rare 1st original pressing with OBI!!!! Never had a copy with obi before – this is rare as hell freezing over on a hot summer day! Here is a freak oddity for you. Although being a Caucasian chick, Sally May was born in Tokyo on February 13th, 1947 as a mixed race child out of a Japanese mother and an American father. From an early age on she had the longing to become a singer and she started out singing at the family’s restaurant. In 1963 she was scouted out by the lead singer of the Five Suns band and stated out singing occasionally with the band The Sharp Hawks. Soon hereafter she debuted as a singer for commercial ads and a model, followed with an occasional role in a major movie. This attracted the attention of the Victor label who approached her and by September 1969, the album “Kinpatsu no Enka – Sally May” was released, which translates literally as “Blond Haired Enka”, a title and accompanying jacket that must have driven the fantasies of Japanese men for blond women even to higher realms at that time. The record was neither pop nor rock but consisted out of solid enka tunes sung by a blond nymph who later down the road would star in various films and some roman porno flicks. The music was especially well received by Pachinko Parlor attendants, Snacks, taxi drivers and other venues who had the radio on, gushing out her blond toned voice. Due to the eye-popping red background supporting a fully kimono clothed blond nymphet that suggested lust and erotic induced contents (which were far from present on this album) normal punters and young youths stayed away from it, making it till this day an extremely unknown and hard to come by cultural oddity. Recommended for those into the weirder aspect of Japanese popular 1960s culture and for all of you Enka lovers out there who are starving for some really hard to come by shit. Awesome jacket!! OBI is just mega rare and this copy is next to impossible to upgrade upon!!!! Erotic kayokyoku heavy weight. Price: Offers!!!! |
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2272. SALVATION ARMY: “Befour Three O’Clock” (Frontier Records – PLP-1008) (Record: VG++ ~ Excellent/ Jacket: VG++) Damned cheap but highly essential Paisely Underground act…but not that easy to find in the wyld. A rough but engaging debut for this three-piece garage rock band with a '60s bent. Punk in spirit but filled in with near-psychedelic guitar swirls and pop vocals, the band forged the foundation of the Paisley Underground movement, a sound that incorporated the best of the '60s from the Beatles to the Byrds to the Velvet Underground. "She Turns to Flowers" and "While We Were in Your Room Talking to Your Wall," if only in their titles, send a clear message of where the band was coming from. Brilliant slide!!! Highest recommendation. Price: 35 Euro |
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2273. SAMURAI: “Kappa” (Philips – FX-8511) (Record: Near Mint/ Gatefold Jacket: Excellent ~ Near Mint/ Insert: Near Mint). TOP COPY, first original pressing, it has been a while since I could score an original, these babies getting scarcer by the second. The fist record to see the light under Miki Curtis new born Samurai banner, originally released on April 1971. Ok tyme to strap yourself in because it is going to be a wyld ride. After having played all over the hotel lounge scene during the mid and late sixties, Mickey Curtis and his samurai band returned home, disbanded, and disintegrated only to rise as a phoenix out of their ashes, be it in a slightly altered form, both music wise and member wise. So, although two lounge albums appeared under the Samurai banner previously, one can safely state that this was their debut as a group merging hard rock, jazzy moves, organ driven swirling psych and prog rocking dementia into one coherent and addictive sonic wash. To put it very bluntly, side one can be considered the “song side” although that is in a way an overstatement ‘cause the band mainly exploits the word “song” to embark on freefalling spun-out excursions into the darkest corners of your perverted mind. The second side is totally instrumental and swings in between freak-out acidic jams towards tribal percussive driven ethereal freeform evocative music. Juggernaut brooding organ riffage fuses with heavy amplified rock moves that at times even approaches Sabbath levels of intensity. Just massive and one of the cornerstones within the early seventies Japanese psych pantheon. Totally essential. Price: 450 Euro |
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2274. SAMURAI: “S/T” (Philips – FX-8517) (Record: Near Mint ~ Mint/ Gatefold Jacket: Near Mint/ Insert: Near Mint/ Capsule Obi: Mint). TOP COPY Original 1971 press. Mega rare with never-offered-before capsule OBI present!!! Top condition, no signs of play at all. Totally vanished first original Japanese pressing, this has completely dried up these past years, copies just do not surface anymore, making it 5 times as rare as the more common German issue. With the obi present, well this makes it almost impossible to dig up. First all-complete copy I see in over 15 years!!! First original Japanese pressing. Comes with insert & OBI. Miki Curtis & Samurai second self-entitled album. Hyper rare progressive and psychedelic masterpiece with vicious organ leads and guitar ripping insertions. I guess you know the drill and the status of this disc. I think that this monster does not come any better than this. All time Japanese psych masterpiece and a tough score these days. Truly great copy in NM ~ M condition. Since the original Japanese issue vanished completely + fact I haven’t had a copy in at least 5 years and with obi not even one in my whole life, you may have a chance to get a mint copy and a Japanese 1st press issue. Amazing copy, next to impossible to upgrade upon. Obi is freakingly & impossibly rare so you will have to give me your all-time best shot for this one. Top condition!!! Price: Offers!! |
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2275. SAMURAI: “S/T” (London/King Records – SLC-409) (Record: Near Mint/ Gatefold Jacket: Near Mint ~ Mint). Freakingly rare Japanese white label promotional press. Original UK copies of this album are a bitch to find these days but Japanese pressings of this album are even a tougher score simply because a/ they never made it past the “promotional press” stage and b/ although some copies made it to some shops here back in 1971, no one so far seems to have actually seen a regular Japanese edition one, so the few copies that do float around are all promotional press copies. Then, another issue is that of those promo copies, only a handful have turned up so far. Great UK progressive rock band that came into existence after the band Webb folded its activities and Samurai went one to record only one single album. The music is astonishing and should appeal to all psych/ prog lunatics out here. Comes housed in an eye-popping gatefold sleeve with matching deliriously detailed artwork. Top copy!! SOLD |
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2276. SAMURAI: “S/T”
(London/King Records – SLC-409) (Record: Mint/ Gatefold Jacket: Near Mint
~ Mint/ Obi: MINT). Freakingly rare Japanese white label promotional press with
never seen obi present, all in virginal MINT condition. First of all, don’t get
confused; we are talking here about the UK band Samurai, not the Japanese one.
Original UK copies of this album are a bitch to find these days but Japanese
pressings of this album are even a tougher score simply because a/ they never
made it past the “promotional press” stage and b/ although some copies made it
to some shops here back in 1971, no one so far seems to have actually seen a
regular Japanese edition one, so the few copies that do float around are all
promotional press copies. Then, another issue is that of those promo copies,
only a handful seems to have survived with the Obi intact, making this copy
here a genuine rarity. Only the 2nd copy to surface in 15 years of
time. For the rest, Samurai is a great UK progressive rock band that came into
existence after the band Webb folded its activities and Samurai went one to
record only one single album. The music is astonishing and should appeal to all
psych/ prog lunatics out here. Comes housed in an eye-popping gatefold sleeve
with matching deliriously detailed artwork. Top copy!! Price: Offers!!!! |
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2277. SAN FRANCISCO SOUND: “Fifth Pipe Dream Vol. 1” (private – S7-11680) (Record: Near Mint/ Gatefold Jacket: Near Mint). 1st pressing that comes housed in a B&W gatefold jacket, 2nd press came in a colored version. 1st pressing of this beauty is damned rare there were the 2nd pressing turns up at regular intervals. Top condition!!! Essential compilation with unreleased tracks by Tripsichord Music Box; It's A Beautiful Day, Indian Puddin & Pipe, etc. Stupendous b&w gatefold cover art that is in top condition, no shelf or ring wear. Amazing artifact as spewed out of the cradle of acid rock at that time, totally essential genre piece. First time I have an original in near perfect shape. Price: 550 Euro |
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2278. SANDRA JULIEN: “Sexy Poem” (Victor – SWG-7252) (Record: Near Mint/ Gatefold Jacket: Near Mint/ Nude Poster Pin Up: Near Mint/ Attached Nude Pictures Booklet: Near Mint/) It has been ages since I had a copy as clean as this one here!!! Released in 1972 on Victor Japan, original press with all gimmickry included in top-notch condition. Together with the Ike Reiko disc, this is the rarest erotic psych chanson album to ever seep out of Japan and copies just never turn up, until now. Sandra Julien was a French porn actress who made her screen debut in Japan in 1970 with the movie “Shikijou Nikki”, which premiered in 1971. Although that at that time porn flicks in Japan enjoyed very little publicity, the film turned out to be a success. Hereafter she teamed up with legendary pink violence movie producer Norifumi Suzuki and appeared in lustful depraved masterpieces such as “Gendai Pornoden Senten Seiinpu” and numerous others. Apart from two hideously rare 7-inches, Sandra recorded one sole LP on the Victor label that came out in 1971, depicting in full splendor her beauty and pale skin, which drove punters nuts with unbridled lust. But apart from the lovely jacket and pictures/ poster that were included with the LP, the musical contents are just deliriously fantastic and stand quality-wise shoulder to shoulder with Ike Reiko’s “Koukotsu No Sekai” as the sexiest disc ever recorded worldwide. Just imagine this: a French nymphet singing and moaning in the Japanese language impregnated with a heavy sultry French accent. How more erotic can music possibly get? Right, it can’t, it climaxes right here. But apart from these ingredients, the music and songs are just perfect, filled to bursting with top notch arrangements (courtesy of Araki Ichiro), placing Sandra’s against an at times Kayokyoku background which she spices up with oversexed talk and pink induced atmospheric qualities, swingy loungey settings against which she succeeds in lifting up the benumbest and most dormant of your body parts and taking it to never experienced before explosive heights of ecstasy. But that is not all, Sandra even ventures aside from all the loungey mood sets also into lesbian moaning and groaning interaction (a duo with starlet Sugimoto Miki) set to a wild R&B Go-Go frenzy filled with tribal bongo rattles, swinging horn section and a never-ending copulating climax. Throw ‘the Plastercasters’ out of the window and kiss goodbye to your Serge Gainsbourg records, Sandra Julien is more sizzling than a branding iron making its mark on the farmer’s herd. The sex is literally dripping from every note on this record with breasts, attitude, exotic musical accompaniment and more than you can possibly handle orgasmic moaning and spoken interludes resembling cheap phone sex by Sandra who is free to do her thing, which unsurprisingly is cooing sensually as the songs roll along, allowing her sexuality to take control. This disc is – as you could already guess bloody rare. A killer record all way round and one of my all-time favorites. Getting damned hard to find all-complete with poster!!! Bloody insane and great, so all-time highest recommendation. Price: Offers!!!! |
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2279. SANDSTONE: “Can You Mend A Silver Thread” (Private US – 1971/
SA-2911) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Excellent ~ Near Mint). Top copy of rare
US 1971 private press psychedelic folk masterpiece. THE US psych folk album
everyone’s chasing it seems. Locally released female vox led folk album that
could have been a UK release in the Stoneangel, Pentangle, Mellow Candle
realms. Haunting female vocals, original compositions, flute, harpsichord,
bass/ drum, cello and guitars create a beautiful outer-wordly feel. To my ears
the best US folk psych album I’ve yet heard… Amazingly clean copy of a record
that was originally released in micro quantity…Price: Offers!!!! |
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2280. SARA & MELODY: “Sound of the Pacific”
(King – SKK-635) (Marble Wax Record: Near Mint/ Outer Hard Slip Case
Plastic Jacket: Mint/ Inserted four paged Jacket: Mint/ STICKER OBI: Mint). Freakingly
rare original 1st pressings with rare sticker OBI!!!! Copies with sticker obi still attached to the outer plastic case are almost
non-existent anymore, the sticker obi is always missing and torn off. This copy
here is the only fully intact copy I have ever seen. OK, let’s cut to the
chase. Here you have a bloody rare Japanese psychedelic oddity I have never
ever seen offered for sale before since hardly anyone knows about this gem
– apart from some heavy Japanese collectors only. And it is quite an
oddity that defies categorization. Nope, no point in checking the dreadful
Japrocksampler or any of the Pokora books, I doubt you will find any info in
there. So what is it all about? Sara and Melody were two young Japanese
nymphets that heralded out of the Hawaiian islands – at least that is the
story and they cut this one album while crossing the seas towards the
motherland around 1968〜9. There they were recruited by no one
else than the legendary Ishikawa Akira (of Count Buffaloos and Uganda
fame) in order to cut this one-off album. Stylistically the album is hard to
categorize but in order to try and describe this gem the closest I can come up
with is “groovy psychedelic Japanese Minyo cross-breeding with Sergio Mendez
kind off Latin vibes and Bossa rock styled moves”. And to top it all off, it
was sung in perfect English, making it all the more exotic and off-the hook. In
short it is late sixties Japanese psychedelic mondo rock that in decades to
come would inspire contemporary groups like the Hair and ilk, plundering the
sonics of this disc to death. “Sound of the Pacific” is a real gem of an album
that comes housed in a fold out soft paper jacket complete with totally psyched
out jacket art which on its turn is housed in a hard case plastic cover. The
disc is then pressed on colorful marbled wax, making it visually even more
lysergic. It fits the music like a velvet glove. Hideously rare, especially
with outer plastic cover intact. Just never surfaces on these shores and comes
with the highest possible recommendation if weird but oddly normal genre
defying Japanese weird pop psych is your thing. No fuzz or so on this one, but
mind bendingly great nevertheless. Bound to never surface again, just mark my
words. AWESOME!!! And blooooody rare. Totally mint
copy with OBI present so….. Price: 450 Euro |
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2281. SARABIA CHELIQUE: “Revolucion Electronica en Musica Venezolana” (Promus – LPP-2039) (record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Excellent ~ Near Mint). Original 1971 Venezuelan pressing in top shape. Sarabia was a Venezuelan odd cat who set out to reinvigorate traditional Venezuelan songs and traditional music by using contemporary recording techniques and injecting it with contemporary electronic recording effects. He especially used the M.R.A.A. equipment which is not quite unlike the Moog synthesizer in combination with traditional instruments and put it to use to give birth to a new form and interpretation to Venezuelan songs. The end result is for 1971 a hybrid like exotica oddball of a recording that fuses neatly with your afternoon Happy Hour cocktail time next to the pool while drooling over naked snow bunnies. Not the easiest one to track down in top shape. Stunning copy here for grabs. Price: 100 Euro |
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2282. MICHEL SARDABY TRIO: “Night Cap” (Disques Debs – HDD-522) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Near Mint). True French 1st original pressing that comes on red label. One of the most beautiful albums ever recorded by Parisian pianist Michel Sardaby – a rare 1970 session that features his piano alongside bass by Percy Heath and drums by Connie Kay of the MJQ! The groove here is strong and powerful – with a depth that shows Sardaby really growing tremendously as a writer, and working through some extremely inventive ideas on the keys. The album's got a richly flowing quality that showcases Sardaby's deep well of soulful imagination Top condition! Price: 200 Euro |
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2283. SATO KUNITAKU: “Amami No Nakiuta” (Teichiku Records – BH-1527) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Near Mint/ Booklet: Near Mint/ Obi: Near Mint). Top notch copy of stupidly rare 1975 original pressing all complete with obi and booklet. Well, look no further, THIS IS THA SHIT!!!! Sato Kunitaku’s debut LP that documents his roaring singing that squeezes the throat and erupts from the back of the belly. Once he sings, the image ethnic folk songs might behold is destroyed and the orthodox island songs from his native Okinawa he brings forth are completely altered to a parallel universe where the laws of gravity and mere sound cultivation do not exist anymore. This is the Charley Patton from Japan or the Blind Willie Johnson from Amami Island. Sato was a blind itinerant musician from Amami Island, south of Kyuushuu. Born in 1919, he lost his eyesight when eight months old. His grandfather taught him to play sanshin, the southern shamisen, to ensure that Sato would be able to earn a living when he grew up. When he was 12, Sato began to play tategoto, a vertically-held koto so to speak, developing his own unique style. Upon turning 17, he began a wandering lifestyle, traveling through the Ryukyu Islands, a thousand-kilometer subtropical archipelago including Okinawa. He supported himself as a traveling musician, performing island folk songs, pre-War popular songs and his own compositions. Although he was a fine instrumentalist, Sato’s real power resides in his voice: a powerful, wailing, howling sound dredged up from the depths of his soul – a dark, intense sound-world most unlike the relatively smoother, sunny vocal styles of other Ryukyu/Okinawa singers. After World War II, Sato’s popularity spread to the U.S. troops stationed in Okinawa, and it is rumored that his wanderings took him to Hawaii. He continued his itinerant ways, traveling through the archipelago, singing, playing, living and loving (a man of rumor and mystery, he is said to have married at least eight different women during his lifetime). In the early 1970s, he came to the attention of Takenaka Ro, a writer and political activist, and through Takenaka’s enthusiastic support, Sato travelled to Tokyo in 1975 to record his first album. Sato’s fame continued to spread, and he performed at various folk festivals and made other recordings, some of which were released posthumously. Traveling and playing throughout the islands to the end, he made his last public appearance in Okinawa in 1985 and died the same year. But this is his first record, damned hard to find as copies are scarce and sold not well upon its release. But the contents are vicious gut-wrenching and soul-blackening killer, bruised beyond repair hardcore shit that will set the hairs on your neck straight up and awaiting to be scorched! Burned down blisters and open soars like on a dog’s neck, welcoming the unavoidable Gospel Apocalypse!!!!Top condition and seriously rare first press original. Price: Offers!!! |
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2284. SATO MASAHIKO: “Transformation ‘69/ ‘71” (Express – ETP-9041) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Excellent ~ Near Mint – has faintest trace of foxing) Very rare PROMO WHITE label copy. I do not know what it is with Japanese free jazz these days but discs documenting that scene are rising quicker than a high tide on a full moon and next to that it seems almost completely impossible to dig them up anymore, like there is a great stock-before-famine-comes tide washing through the archipelago as far as rare records are concerned. And this disc is no exception; it has been years since I could lay my hands upon a copy of this classic masterpiece. Sato Masahiko’s classic trio where he gets flanked by Yasuo Arakawa and Masahiko Togashi. One freakingly heavy sidelong track and one two track side grace this disc, both highlighting a different side of the trio in action. Side A opens up with “Tigris” a soft free floating lyrical seven-minute excursion that showcases Sato as a golden boy on the ivory keys while Arakawa and Togashi provide the perfect backbeat. Free but smooth as silk, just perfect. The second composition “On a Clear Day” almost sees Sato meandering into Monk like influenced waters that begins slow paced before venturing of into a high gear accelerated speed up frenzy that remains an artfully structuralized berserker. There is much solo space for each of the three players and the spacious mix buts each of the three upfront on different occasions. It is a stunning showcase of three gifted players at the top of their game. Both of these tracks were recorded on March 17th and 20th, 1969. The B Side sidelong track is a whole different affair. Being recorded two years later on March 2nd, 1971, the trio sounds here like being on fire. From the opening notes on, one can feel and hear a different mood set, a tad introvert and dark but when things get rolling, it becomes an unfettered affair, fusing power and poetry into one coherent slab of paradigmatic oriental Fire Music. Cascading notes, tornado-like curveballs of sonic clusters that sound like almost a piano induced frenzy as an afterthought to a firestorm of improvisational interplay. Collective improvisation built up around piano pounding and droning base stroking aesthetics evolve into a workout spiked with moments of real intense beauty especially with Sato sweeping across the keys, injecting his play with electronic sounds and prepared piano moves while Arakawa scrapes his bass snares and Togashi cooks up a storm of muffled brushes and strokes. Still like most true inventive Fire Music it is also an exhausting and equally rewarding listening experience. These cats had it all down; gracious free-floating grandeur that touches divinity while creation unfolds itself. Just massive and highly important recording. Getting extremely rare these days. Price: 500 Euro |
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2285. SATO MASAHIKO TRIO: “Penetration – Masahiko
Sato Trio in Berlin” (Toshiba – TP-9521Z) (Record: Near Mint/ Liner
Notes: Near Mint/ Outer Box Set: Near Mint/). This is the BOMB!!!! Insanely
rare & hardly ever seen before Japanese free jazz monster. The LP came out
in the same single disc box set series just like Uganda. And like Uganda, this
disc is almost as rare, never surfaces and is just rarer as a hen’s teeth. This
is the 1st original pressing released in a box. There is a common
later press that comes in a different jacket, released on a different label
(Express I believe) and even the music was cut short as opposed to the original
version if I recall right. So here is the first original pressing and copies in
existence are very few and far in between. It just never turns up and so far I
know of only a handful of people owning a copy of this edition. But the music
is what really counts here and that is a vicious one. Recorded live at the
Berlin Jazz Festival on November 6th, 1971. The trio at this point
consisted out of Sato Masahiko (Piano and ring modulator), Arakawa Yasuo (bass)
and Ozu Masahiko (drums). What makes this disc possibly the greatest LP ever
recorded by Sato Masahiko (apart from his Sato Masahiko & Soundbreakers
album) is his use of fusing piano with electronic sounds and the employment of
a ring modulator. By doing so he creates a wonderful eerie fusion of acoustic
and electronic generated sounds that mingle with the free jazz aesthetic the groups
exerts. Due to the ring modulator and the contact microphones attached to his
piano, the trio’s improvisations get revved up with a reverberating echo and an
electronic buzzing and whirling, creating some sort
of background hissing feedback that zooms in and out of focus, adding an extra
demented touch to Sato’s visions of piano drivin’ free jazz. The two side-long
tracks are pregnant with a buzzing electronically charged tension that hovers
in the air and almost sets the scene for an aquanautic-like recorded free
improv brawl. The overall atmosphere is dense and inseminated with a thunder
like tension that looms over the session, like the moist heat and threatening tempestuous
winds assembling and gathering furious strength on the horizon ready to unleash
their wrath and tropical tempestuous anger upon mankind. A roaring silence
pregnant with suspense and danger which unleashes its full swirling whirl-blasting
rage upon coming of age on side two. I guess this is as close one can come
simulating the sounds of sitting in the midst of a tornado with debris flying
around your head. Amazing disc that simultaneously appeals to the free jazz/
improvisation and electronic music lover that resides within me. This first edition box set version is super rare
since the record bombed upon its release and failed to sell any copies. Some
years later down the road, the Express label released it as a single jacket
budget issue housed in a different quite hideously designed jacket, which is
more easily available. But this 1st press copy just never turns up,
making it one of the rarest Japanese free jazz/ experimental discs to have seen
the light of day. Price: Offers!!!! |
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2286. SATO MASAHIKO & JEAN-LUC PONTY: “Astrorama” (Liberty Records – LPC-8039) (Record: Near Mint/ Silver foil laminated sleeve: Near Mint/ OBI: Mint). Rare 1971 groovy jazz head-spinner – next-to-impossible to score with OBI but here it is, virginal 1st press original with the monster rare OBI. Recorded in 1970, "Astrorama" contains four originals, three -Ponty's and one Sato's. With no doubt it is Ponty's album first of all - his violin fusion shredding absolutely dominates here even if experienced ear can hear some interesting Sato soloing in few places. Sato plays electric piano here trying to adapt his very different techniques to Ponty quite conservative jazz fusion's requirements. As a result he sounds more as Hancock on his very early fusion recordings. They get flanked by drummer Motohiko Hino (brother of renown trumpeter Terumasa Hino) guitarist & shredder Yoshiaki Masuo who brings some real heat with simmering psyched out fuzz licks and bassist Dane Niels Henning Orsted Pedersen. Ponty feels a true leader and obviously dominates with quite enthusiastic support from electric guitarist and drummer. Sato balances with different success between electric piano fusion passages and more complex, free and partially psychedelic pieces. The set pairs Ponty's great electric violin with the keyboards of Masahiko Santo - a player with a vision that's as far-reaching and searching as Ponty's music at this point in his career - deeply expressive, but without any of the cliches that might have come into this sort of a record a few years later - and often handled with some deeply spiritual overtones! This is definitely is one of Jean-Luc's best albums ever - even though it's one of his most obscure. A killer album only ever issued in Japan and a true deep jazz slide! Impossible in this condition with OBI. Price: 600 Euro |
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2287. SATO MASAHIKO with the 1864 COTTON FIELD ROCK BAND: “Come Back To Foster” (Victor Records – SPX-1002) (Record: Near Mint/ Heavy Gatefold Jacket: Near Mint/ Obi: Near Mint). Rare Japan very first press original all complete with damned rare first issue OBI!! (There were a couple of other more common obi variations that came out here after but the very first obi issue is a damned scarce one.) TOP condition!!! Killer lineup with all the right Japanese scenesters present being: Sato Masahiko at the forefront with Electric Piano, Yasuo Arakawa on bass, Akira Ishikawa mangling the drums and percussion, Kiyoshi Sugimoto riffing out on guitar, Sadanori Nakamure and Yoshiaki Masuo on Soprano Saxophone, Ichihara Kohsuke on tenor sax and finally the beast Mototeru Takagi Tenor Saxophone and bass clarinet. Superficially this is another laidback oddity in Sato Masahiko’s discography, groovy and loungey jazz rock tracks that at the right times get venomously pierced by demented sax howler Takagi Mototeru’s full frontal free form blowouts (he is always there either right in yer face or brooding distinctively in the distance while unleashing a holy racket), and Sugimoto’s lysergic guitar playing, making you wonder what the fuck you are listening to in the first place…. Cool and anesthetized hybrid groovy lounge vibes meets all incinerating free jazz sax infernos carried on a flowerbed of softly DMT spiked jazz rocking vibes. What a fucked-up combination…. While you hoping to seep back towards some sense of a relaxing cocktail drowsed beach holiday but still, while grinding your teeth, feeling that edge of a long-forgotten speed trip creeping back to the foreground and which you try to numb out desperately by oozing down downers and laxatives. What a strange ride…Price: 450 Euro |
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2288. SATO MASAHIKO/ TOGASHI MASAHIKO/ MIYAMA TOSHIYUKI & NEW HERD ORCHESTRA etc: “Toki – Eternity? – Epos” (Polydor – GR-1001) (Record: Near Mint/ Gatefold Jacket: Excellent ~ Near Mint/ Attached 4 paged Insert: Near Mint/ Separate insert: Mint). Rare original pressing copy with always missing insert present!!! Heavy weight rarity alert!!! Released in 1971 and for some strange reason noted the Pokora book of rare discs.... Centered around 4 heavy weight free jazz drummers being Togashi Masahiko (Takayanagi Masayuki, We Now Create etc), H. Tanaka, Joe Mizuki (Takayanagi Masayuki collaborator) and I. Harada, this album steers from the start on into dark and dreamy series of slow shimmering soundscapes. The whole of the disc puts forth texture and mood combined with slow burning rhythm assaults. T. Miyama and New Herd Orchestra, who provide some austere atmospherics on flute and chimes, rendering the whole affair into a hallucinatory and deep listening experience, also flank the four skin manglers. They are responsible for making the drum kit only but a part of the total sonic palette, spreading it out between wide open expanses of gong swells, chiming bells, bowed metal, wood blocks and tinkling chimes. In all, the group churns out an organic drift impregnated with a midnight ambience, punctuated by strange bits of percussive flares, but spending most drifting through deep dark cavernous expanses of sound and breathing out amazingly deep and physical sounds that are comprised out of a slow burning series of drones and shimmers. Huge low-end reverberations underpin delicate drifting bells. The resonating sonics are given ample time to invade your listening space and hi-jack the ether. Scintillance high end sparkles bobble up at the rear end of your acoustical wave frequency’s periphery, super percussive skitter wraps around delicate melodic tom fills, occasionally sounding like a super slow abstract free jazz spread way out across the sound field, with some serious stereo panning to underscore the total outcome. It all blends into an amorphous maelstrom swerving from one speaker to the other, oozing out dizzying dreamy soundscapes of percussive melodic clatter and strange rhythmic textural. drones that subtlety transform into high-end infected free jazz splatter, a wash of sound that balances on a tightrope of dense TMT-like cacophony of deep sensory overload and the fine-spun swampland of submarine scintillation. Compressed fat rumblings build to propulsive percussive overload. In all this is just about as psychedelic as a disc can possibly get without the use of the ever-present fuzz guitar licks. The record fades into a barely there drone made up out of firefly-like flickering percussive drone-scapes, reverberating gongs, little squalls of spray-painting free jazz shuffle, all woven into a lovely Zen like exploration of a dark and mysterious world of rhythm and sound. Dense swirls of cymbal sizzle, brief squalls of tom toms swell and then fade, little bursts of tribal freak-outs are underpinned by dizzyingly minute splatters of hand drums and cymbal crash, strange textures become near drones, etc, just an intoxicating listening experience that has left me zoned out and in need for a quick oxygen fix every time I spin this sucker. Awesome and still totally undetected. Highest possible recommendation and a rare one. SOLD |
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2289. SATO MASAHIKO & WOLFGANG DAUNER: “Pianology” (Express – ETP-9030) (Record: Near Mint/ Textured Gatefold Jacket: Near Mint). Rare first press issue. Original 1971 pressing. A clash of the titans, a meeting of heads continental Europe interlocking with a Japanese divine wind both driveling over the ivory keys. Normally the problem of a duo of piano players is always mostly a flight than an example of musical togetherness. Sato and Dauner however do complement each other in an amazing manner, inspiring each other in a way that is seldom heard or seen. The gel together in such a magnificent way that at times it is even hard to tell who of the two is leading since their “togetherness” is just too perfect and coherent. There are parts on this record where Dauner and Sato are playing their runs and cadenzas as precisely together as they were written and yet if you believe it or not everything here on display was completely and spontaneously improvised on the spot during the recording session. It is a fine match of temperaments, emotionally charged and pounding out free form gravity in harmonies high on a flexible drive aimed at piercing deep into uncharted space-ways. Stunning and jaw-dropping, 1st original pressing. Price: 150 Euro |
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2290. The SAVAGE RESURRECTION: “S/T” (Mercury SR-61156) (Record: Excellent/ Jacket: Excellent ~ Near Mint). Original US pressing in sublime condition. “One of the classic heavy psych albums, this is one that every fan of the genre seems to like. What makes the album so cool is that they have not one but two wild guitarists, and the dual lead guitars spew fuzz and feedback brilliantly throughout.” (excerpt – AM – Acid Archives). Awesome wild fuzz drenched psych snarler that rivals with all the best records of that time. Awesome and great copy to boot, just a shy away from NM, so EX all way round. Price: 200 Euro |
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2291. SAVOY BROWN: “Hellbound Train” (London/ King Records – SLC-416) (Record: Mint/ Gatefold Jacket: Mint/ Obi: Excellent). Hopelessly rare 1st original Japanese pressing – WHITE LABEL PROMO pressing – complete with impossible to get OBI. Killer UK psychedelic white trashy blues-rock. The Japanese issue with obi just never surfaces on these shores, believe me they are insanely rare and collectible. Sonic wise, it blows the UK press out of the water, stellar mastering and pressing quality back in the day. First time ever I see a 1st original Japanese pressing of this beauty with obi. Awesome. Price: 300 Euro |
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2292. SAVOY BROWN: “Street Corner Talking”
(London/ King Records – SLC-381) (Record: Near Mint/ Gatefold Jacket:
Near Mint/ Insert: Near Mint/ Obi: Near Mint). Rare 1972 Japanese first
original pressing all complete with obi. Street
Corner Talking is the seventh studio album by the band Savoy Brown. Released by
Parrot in 1971, it was the first album released by the band since the departure
of Lonesome Dave Peverett, Roger Earl, and Tone Stevens who all went on to form
the band Foghat. This left Kim Simmonds as the only original member left in the
group. Simmonds recruited a fresh lineup of musicians, which, in turn, ushered
in a new sound for the band. things went a little smoother
than he might have imagined, picking up piano player Paul Raymond, bassist Andy Silvester, and drummer Dave
Bidwell, all from Chicken Shack. He
also hired singer Dave Walker, who was
the former frontman with the Idle race, and
together the new lineup recorded Street Corner Talking, one of Savoy Brown’s finest moments. Gelling almost
instantaneously, Walker’s cozy yet
fervent voice countered with Simmonds’ strong,
sturdy guitar playing, and an exuberant mixture of British blues and boogie
rock prevailed. All of the LP’s efforts
are solid examples of the group's blues-rock power, from the slick cover of
Willie Dixon’s"Wang Dang Doodle" to the deep feel of "All I Can
Do" to the subtle strength of "Tell Mama," Walker’s best-sung tune. The album's blend of sultry
guitar blues and upfront rock & roll flavor give it a multi-faceted appeal,
with every musician contributing his talents uniformly, which is something
that's rather difficult to achieve after there's been a wholesale change to the
personnel. Price: 250 Euro |
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2293. SCHAEFFER, PIERRE with GUY REIBEL: “Solfege
De L’Object Sonore” RTF – Groupe de Recherches Musicales de l’O.R.T.F. – O.R.T.F. – SR2) (3 LP Set: Near Mint ~
Mint/ Individual LP Sleeves: Mint/ Thick Accompanying Book: Mint/ Outer
Imprinted cardboard Box Set Sleeve: Near Mint). Original French 1967 pressing
in TOP condition. Full title being “Pierre Schaeffer – Trois Microsillons
d’exemples sonores de Guy Reibel assiste de Beatrice Ferreyra illustrant le
Traite Des Objects Musicaux et presentes par l’Auteur – realization du
groupe de recherches musicales de l’O.R.T.F. –
Editions du Seuil”. The first
achievement in 1967 included three LPs and a book containing the author's
comments on each of the sound samples. This treaty summarizes Schaeffer’s research
conducted around sound phenomenon in its various aspects. This is an in-depth
reflection on the nature of sound. Some of the themes are the timbre of the
sounds and the concept of the musical instrument, the time limits of the ear, a
typology of musical objects, and the four elements of music theory. It is
primarily intended for those who work with sound material. The
sound pieces themselves were conducted by Guy Reibel, Beatriz Ferreyra, Henri
Chiarucci, François Bayle and Pierre Schaeffer himself. These
investigations find their culmination in this ominous set here. The
focus lies on sound accessing the stage of "musical object" when it
meets certain criteria that make it "appropriate" to be used as music
and it is presented here for the first time with the concept of "reduced
listening". This revolutionary concept overturns traditional attitudes of
listening to music, or even listening at all. It consisted of a radical form of
listening, freed from source concepts (the origin of the sound) and the sense
(cultural significance, in particular) in order to relate to its intrinsic
characteristics, its material, hearing texture, shape. Today this Treaty is one
of the most important reference in the theoretical
musical research in the twentieth century. Original copy of legendary French box 3 LPs +
booklet by the father of experimental avant-garde music. Complete original box
from 1967 including 3 LP’s (in perfect condition) + cover + Book. Housed in
extremely fragile carton box (clean with just a small crease). Always
damaged or with the outer box missing, this copy here is the best condition
possible and all complete, so … Price: Offers!!!!! |
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2294. MANFRED SCHOOF: “European Echoes” FMP Records – FMP-0010) (Record: Excellent – Near Mint/ Top Loader Jacket: Excellent – no splits or damages, clean first issue fragile sleeve). Rare original FMP pressing, First issue with orange colored FMP label and 1st FMP design logo. Comes with 1st state jacket – top loader. First title following Bro Records on the FMP label, released in a tiny pressing of 250 copies or so. European Echoes carves out a distinct niche. Brötzmann, Rutherford, von Schlippenbach, Niebergall, Bennink, Van Hove, Kowald, and Parker are all here, along with Derek Bailey, drummer Pierre Favre, saxophonist Gerd Dudek, pianist Irène Schweizer, bassist Arjen Gorter and trumpeters Enrico Rava and Hugh Steinmetz. That’s three trumpets, three saxophones, three pianos, three basses, two drummers, a trombonist and one hairy-assed guitar. Or, more succinctly put, a whole ton of firepower. The first release on the FMP label, that flowed out of the birth of Brotzmann’s Bro records imprint. Damned hard to score these days, 2nd press on FMP is common, but the first pressing with top loader sleeve and orange colored label is a true bitch to unearth. Really nice copy!!!! Gonna be tough improving upon this one… Price: 350 Euro |
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2295. SCIENTIST: “World At War” (Black Ovation Records – BOR-103) (Record: Excellent ~ Near Mint/ Jacket: Excellent ~ Near Mint). 1981 Canada ONLY issue and the rarest Scientist out there. Dub Mir present the first reissue ever of World At War by Scientist. Jimmy Riley meets Scientist in dub. Classic Scientist dub action over tough Sly and Robbie Channel One rhythms. All tracks recorded at Channel One by Prince Jammy, Scientist and Jimmy Riley. Top ranking dub. Price: 300 Euro |
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2296. SCIENTIST VS PAPA TAD’S: “Allied Dub Selection” (TAD’S – TRP LP 10180) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Near Mint). Original 1st pressing in exquisite condition. The Tad Dawkins & Jah Thomas produced dub album “Allied Dub Selection”, featuring dub versions mixed by Scientist and Papa Tad’s aka Tad Dawkins, was released in 1980. At the time of its release, the dub craze had ran its course and not that many dub sets were being released anymore. In 1974-74 the first handful of dub albums appeared, over the next few years followed by hundreds of dub albums as every producer maximized the financial return of his vintage riddims. Dub albums were usually pressed in very small quantities and disappeared quickly. This explains why so many vintage dub albums including this “Allied Dub Selection” are referred to as ‘rare’, which however says nothing about the quality of an album but it a head bobbing one, reefer time all day long. The excellent dub set from Tads featuring mad announcements from Striker Lee introducing each side of the vinyl as if it were a real clash. In fact, this is pretty much a Jah Thomas dub album, since all the rhythms are his cuts to No No No, Boby Babylon, Bobby Bowa, Mean Girl etc. and of course Heavenless, the foundation for his biggest hit Triston Palma's Entertainment. These are mixed at King Tubby's by Scientist and sound as crisp as the day they were mixed. Killer brain melting Dub classic. Price: 300 Euro |
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2297. SCIENTIST: “Scientist In Dub” (Jah Guidance – VPRLP-1007) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Near Mint – still in shrink). Damned scarce original Jamaican 1st press issue as released in 1981. Produced by Linval Thompson, recorded at Channel One studio, mixed at King Tubby's studio, backed by the Roots Radics. Quintessential deep organic sounding and spacey dub album by Scientist, so you know what you are in for. Top condition original press copy, I do not believe they come any cleaner than this beauty here. Price: 300 Euro |
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2298. SCOTT, TOM: “Rural Still Life” (Impulse – AS-9171) (Record: Near Mint/ Gatefold Jacket: Mint – still housed in original shrink/ Insert: Mint/ Company Inner Sleeve: Mint/ Direct Import Obi: Mint). Top condition 1969 original 1st press that comes with bloody scarce Japan Direct Import Obi and insert. “This 1968 LP from the early days of jazz fusion lacks the seamless merging of styles that would mark the commercial success of Tom Scott’s later career. Instead, the 19-year-old reed player and the members of his quartet careen all over the style map -- with varying degrees of success. The title track piles on electronic effects that turn Scott’s saxophone work and Mike Lang's keyboard playing into abrasive quacking. Scott’s "Freak In" continues the indiscriminate gimmickry, masking the respectable talents of the quartet. "Juss Messin' Around" is a faceless piece of mainstream jazz, while the lightweight treatment given "Body and Soul" trivializes a standard that has long been a rite of passage for sax players. On a more promising note, Scott’s mid-tempo "Song #1" has an original melody and ambitious arrangement, including an effective overdubbed woodwind choir. This track, along with Scott’s "With Respect to Coltrane" -- a satisfying piece of modal hard bop -- helps redeem the session somewhat. At the time of this recording, Scott was already a fixture of the Los Angeles studio scene.” (All Music Guide). Never seen this one with the first issue obi flashing proudly its colors! Price: 100 Euro |
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2299. SEA ENSEMBLE: “We Move Together” (ESP Disk – esp-3018) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Near Mint – still housed in original shrink). Top condition original pressing. Impossible to ever improve upon. The next-to-last new release on ESP-Disk before the label was shuttered in 1975, the Sea Ensemble's We Move Together harkens back to the label's mid-'60s avant-garde heyday. The husband-and-wife duo of Donald Rafael Garrett and Zussan Kali Fasteau rattles, strums, and bangs a variety of mostly percussion instruments, with bass, cello, clarinet, and piano sharing space with then-novel Asian instruments like the nye, shakuhachi (a Japanese bamboo flute), and sheng (a Chinese free reed instrument roughly akin to a pan flute). The four shorter pieces on side one explores a variety of moods and sounds, but the 20-minute epic on side two, "Stork Cools Its Wings," builds to an almost violent climax before returning to its placid beginnings. Totally amazing LP, top condition, sleeve still housed in shrink!! Price: 75 Euro |
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2300. SECOND LAYER: “World of Rubber” (Cherry Red – red-14) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Near Mint). UK original 1st pressing from 1981 by The Sound front man. While being active with the Sound, both Bailey and Borland broke rank in order to dabble in a minimalist, cold wave outfit that they baptized Second Layer. Borland added guitars and vocals while Bailey provided keyboards, bass and drum programming. Issued in 1981, the LP was blessed with an edgy, disconnected and detached sound. Melodic minimalism interacting with primitive musical technology that oozes out a barren wasteland like punk vibe. Not unlike a sullen Suicide or a stripped-down Dome, Second Layer made the most of basic set-ups, recording ten tracks including some sheer highlights in 'Distortion', the low-slung, grubbing swagger of 'Underneath the Glass'; in the scowling, gothic cruiser, 'Zero' - which could almost be a Joy Division outtake; the bass-saturated gloom of 'Black Flowers'. Bit of a no-brainer, this record. Get it or regret it! Price: 100 Euro |
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2301. SECRET: “S/T” (Secret Record – No Number) (Red Wax 10 inch Flexi Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Near Mint). One of the rarest erotic sleaze artifacts to seep out of Japan – only the 2nd time ever I have a copy of this rarity, ungooglable and never to be discovered on the dreaded Discogs. Literally a secret record that saw the light of day at the tail-end of the 1960s in Tokyo and which was only sold under the counter of sex shops and strip joints. Listening to this oddball feels like sitting naked with your balls soaked in champagne and sucking on a Viagra spiked popsicle while indulging yourself and possibly even participating in a live peepshow event. Grunts, groans, whispers, and sexual intercourse, this literally is a sleazeball-cum-sexual overdrive live recording that caters perfectly to your sad, lonely, and secret lustful desires that shun the exposure to daylight. Deliriously rare peep/ sex shop related private press issue that was birthed out of the deepest bowels of Showa era Tokyo. Comes housed in killer art work! Price: 300 Euro |
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2302. SECTION 25: “From The Hip” (Nippon Columbia – YX-7334-AX) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Near Mint/ Obi: Near Mint/ Insert: Near Mint). Japan original first pressing from 1984. Blackpool outfit's Factory recording and quite simply has both sides of one of the most important record of the early shitty eighties in the wake of the fall out of New Order, Looking From A Hilltop. It was a more melodic, polished and musically eclectic venture as compared to their previous releases and saw the band sonically exploring further genres and dynamics. While some suggest mistakenly that by now they were more commercially driven, “From The Hip” does have a bit more hi-fi than low-fi seeping in as the band became more adventurous. There was a faint light ahead at the end of the tunnel it seemed back then and for that alone – in retrospect its worth price of admission alone, a b-boy electro classic which was a massive tune in Brooklyn at the time. Incredibly, still sounding completely contemporary, its hard to find words for a tune that has provided the backdrop to my teenage mischief so many years ago. Original Japanese pressing with obi. Price: 50 Euro |
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2303. The SEEDS: “A Thousand Shadows b/w March Of The Flower Children” (London Records/ King Records – TOP-1181) (Single Record: Near Mint ~ Mint/ Gatefold Picture Sleeve: Near Mint/ Company Inner Sleeve: Near Mint). Top condition Japan 1967 original – Japan only issue. Comes housed in unique Japan only gatefold picture sleeve that is just gorgeous. One of the rarest Seeds artifacts out there. Virginal condition! Price: 400 Euro. |
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2304. The SEEDS: “Pushin’ Too Hard b/w Try To Understand” (London/ King Records – TOP-1304) (7 Inch Single: Excellent ~ Near Mint/ Gatefold Picture Sleeve: Excellent/ Company Inner Sleeve: Near Mint). Bloody rare 1968 Japan only single issue with Japan only picture sleeve design in top shape, just never turns up, first copy I see in over 15 years. The gatefold sleeve is also in great shape with some minor signs of age but without any damages. One of those harder to get Seeds releases. Price: 450 Euro |
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2305. The SEEDS: “A Web Of Sound” (GNP Crescendo – GNPS-2033) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Near Mint). First original 1966 US pressing in outstanding condition boxed GNP Crescendo logo – final upgrade copy. This was the Seeds second album and a big leap forward as compared to their crude-to-the-bone debut. Here, They push their sound towards a new frontier, happily keeping pace with their Los Angeles contemporaries Love and the Doors. But the Seeds sounded dirtier, a maxim that applies to A Web Of Sound even if it lacks singles as hard and filthy as "Pushin' Too Hard." It is a proto-psychedelic trip, kicked off by the cheerful, swirling "Mr. Farmer" – the Kinks transplanted to a Middle American fable as refracted through the prism of the West Coast -- and "Pictures & Designs,”. Expanded with downplaying grit and wasted sound floating on expansive organ-fueled pop fantasias, minor-chord stomps, elastic blues burners and veiled odes to drugs and sex, all wrapped up via the monumental live-in-the-studio workout "Up in Her Room," a nearly 15 minutes of sneering tension and release. This could be Lou Reed's blueprint for "Sister Ray" which came out later that year. “Up in Her Room” takes a primordial riff that just keeps going, on and on as the Sky Saxon deliriously rants about sex and drugs while the backbeat gets louder and more subliminally distorted while simultaneously the tempo creeps up until by the end you are enslaved to this web of sound, a lysergic mashup of doped up garage psych of the highest echelon. Therefore, it feels that A Web Of Sounds is more thoroughly tied to 1966 than most of the Los Angeles rock of that year and that's is its blessing, it brings the era rushing back without looking ahead because it is all happening here and now. And yet, that transience is precisely why the album is so enjoyable. All the organs, all the minor-key riffs, all the desperate desire to be a star coalesce into a quintessentially L.A. trip, a harbinger of all the wasted good times that could be found on the Strip. Perfection from start to finish! Price: 150 Euro |
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2306. The SEEDS: “Future” (GNP Crescendo – GNP-2038) (SEALED). Top
condition, seal is 100% intact, NO damages, sharp corners, straight edges and
fully readable spine. Original 1st pressing out of 1967 housed in
heavy gatefold jacket in sealed condition, so I guess upgrading on this one
will be out of the question. This
album is just fantastic. Here the band had the audacity to experiment with
record company money and studio downtime in order to squeeze out an utterly
noncommercial but amazing disc that defines a isolated spot in space and time, alienating them from their garage pop audience but
giving them instead all the underground credibility and a chance to align
themselves with a new sound that would secure them a place in history, at least
as far as my personal musical history is concerned. Saxon writes in the inner-sleeve essay "Originations of the Flower
Generation" "...The farmer lives by the elements alone, the sun, the
rain, and the earth, but the earth needs its seeds to sow the flower generation
of the leaf and crying there on the earth below". It's heady stuff,
the droning organ riffage, passionate sneering garage vocals of Saxon, fuzzed
out guitars strung out on whatever was available, all of these elements permeates incessantly
throughout the whole of the disc. The leadoff single, "A
Thousand Shadows" is a fuzz-out and the rest of the album gives way to
a very strange quest to sound complex. The complexities begin with the album
cover with its gatefold and flower cut-outs and lushly
printed photos, a Saxon-penned essay, all the works and no expenses spared. The
music on the other hand displays a band allowed to run amok in a studio with
the label footing the cost. This leads to a bizarre glee that permeates this
album, from its whimsical and bewildering array of sound effects and exotic
instruments, to the ultimately charming and naive playing and singing. Stunning album of which I cannot get enough…top &
SEALED condition, Perfectly preserved original 1st 1967 pressing,
etc…Price:
275 Euro |
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2307. SEIKATSU KÔJYÔ IINKAI: “S/T” (ALM Records – AL-10/ Ski No.1) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Near Mint). Rare Japanese free jazz monster that was privately released but imported and prepared by the illustrious Kojima – ALM Label. The disc was pulled out the cloud of obscurity and granted with a re-appraisal by no-one else but SY7s own Thurston Moore, connoisseur par excellence who brought the existence of this gem back into view by listing it in his illustrious free jazz top 10 list of records you must lend your ears to. “FREE JAZZ of course made a strong impression on the more existential-sensitive populace of Japan. Some real masters came out of the Japanese scene and were influential to some of the more renowned noise artists of today (Boredoms, Haino Keiji). One such Jap-cat is alt-saxist Dr. Umezu who has mixed it up with NYC loft-dwellers on more than one occasion. On this completely obscure, underground release he unleashed some pretty free shit with the likes of William Parker (bass), Ahmed Abdullah (trumpet), and Rashid Shinan (drums). Parker is possibly one of the most important FREE musicians working in NYC. He's got his own constant writing/performing schedule as well as gigs with anyone from Cecil Taylor to Charles Gayle.” (Thurston Moore) In short, a killer disc, hopelessly obscure and almost impossible to obtain, almost a virginal copy. Highest recommendation. Price: 575 Euro |
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2308. The SERVANTS: “She’s Always Hiding b/w Transparent” (Head – HEAD-1) (7 Inch Single Record: Excellent/ Picture Sleeve: Excellent). Heralding out of Middelsex, UK, The Servants debut originally released in 1986 on Head Records. Exquisite UK melancholic indie band that should have created a bigger splash in the pond. Has that distinct signature sound of that British mid-80s era drifting on a cloud of VU styled “Candy Says”& Syd Barrett fumes, injected with some jangling guitar lines that brings to mind the Byrds through a time warp. Brilliant debut that screams for more and more and more play! Highest recommendation. Price: 50 Euro |
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2309. SEVENTH SONS: “4:00 A.M. At Frank’s” (ESP – 1078) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Mint). Original 1968 US pressing of this psychedelic raga induced mind bender. Addictive and beautiful garage-basement psychedelic raga jams with Buzzy Linhart on guitar and vocals. Basement Eastern stuff with percussion and flute made up out of sidelong head spinning tracks and a cyclone cellar vibe brimming over with primitive anthropoid vibes and tribal cave man stomp that will put you in a naked dance trance. A classic. Price: 250 Euro |
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2310. SEX PISTOLS: “Anarchy in the UK b/w I Wanna Be Me” (EMI Records – 5C 006-06294) (Single Record: Excellent ~ Near Mint/ Picture Sleeve: Excellent). Mega rare 1976 Dutch with wonderful picture sleeve. This was the EMI pressing, withdrawn after two weeks following the general sale & release. A unique, legendary and highly collectible Dutch pressing complete with its amazing and unique picture cover. There are one hell of a lot more UK pressings than 'Made In Holland' singles out there. The photograph on sleeve is from the same photo session as the 'Filth and The Fury' photograph which would accompany reports in the UK national newspapers following the Sex Pistols now legendary 'Today' program appearance, with Bill Grundy, on London Weekend television. Far nicer than the boring black UK sleeve, created to reflect the blank generation. Absolute killer 3mins 35 secs of glorious mayhem within the grooves of this wonderful, treasured piece of plastic. On the flip is, of course, the brilliant, and classic, ‘I Wanna Be Me’. Stupidly clean original issue. They do not surface that often & this clean as this ball crusher here. Price: Offers!!! |
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2311. SEX PISTOLS: “Never Mind The Bollocks Here’s The Sex Pistols” (Nippon Columbia – YX-7199-AX) (Record: Near Mint ~ Mint/ Jacket: Near Mint/ Insert: Near Mint/ Obi: Near Mint). Rare Japan very first press issue with black colored upper side of the obi. Later issues have different and lighter coloring shade. Top condition and next to impossible to upgrade upon. Also, the sound quality and pressing of the first Japanese press issue is out of this world, giving it that extra full-frontal push in the sound. Awesome. Price: 250 Euro |
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2312. SEXUAL NUDE SOUND: “Ai No Sasayaki” (Private Press) (33 RPM EP Record: Excellent ~ Near Mint/ Inner Sleeve Design Jacket: Near Mint/ Outer Sleeve Envelope Design Jacket: Near Mint with closing flap still intact). Bloody rare Japan late 1960s underground porno cum release, micro edition that only hit the racks of a few well-connected under-the-counter porn shops. Price: 150 Euro |
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2313. SHADOWS OF KNIGHT: “Shake b/w From Way Out To Way Under” (Buddah Records/ Nippon Columbia – LL-2202-DA) (7 Inch Single Record: Near Mint/ Picture Sleeve: Excellent ~ Near Mint/ Company Inner Sleeve: Near Mint) Scarce Japan single issue by classic garage heroes – comes housed in cool Japan only sleeve art. Price: 150 Euro |
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2314. The SHADOWS OF KNIGHT: “Back Door Men” (Dunwich – 667) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Near Mint). US 1966 original 1st press issue – WHITE label PROMO – MONO version. Possibly the best condition out there of this garage beast. A combustible collection of blazing blues covers and smoking originals. While there was still plenty of burning garage grit, the Shadows of Knight had already begun evolving stylistically. 'The Behemoth' was a fine slice of raga rock while 'Three for Love’ jangled in a decidedly folk-rock style. Of particular note is their cover of the garage classic 'Hey Joe.' One of many bands to record the song that year, the Shadows of Knight version took the up-tempo road and rendered a distinct rendition, albeit one with a very Byrds-ian chime. Such an amazing slide and top shelf virginally clean white label promo issue. Price: 300 Euro |
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2315. SHAMEK FARRAH AND FOLKS: “La Dee La La” (Ra Records – RA-103) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Near Mint). Pristine condition US first original pressing from 1978. A lost soul jazz/ spiritual jazz treasure – the legendary 3rd album from saxophonist Shamek Farrah, recorded after his first 2 sides for Strata East! The approach here is slightly different than that of the Strata sides – a bit more joyous and lyrical, with tunes that open up in waves of sound, color, and life – brightly pointing the way towards a new jazz vision that's really tremendous! Farrah's working here with an assortment of players from the east coast underground of the time – as well as Chicago stalwart Malachi Thompson on trumpet, the great Sonelius Smith on piano, and vocalist Ghanniya Green, who does some great Africanist scatting on the title track. Inspired by funky spiritual Afro-Latin soul with Latin vibes, percussion and horns, turning this slide into a resounding unique soul jazz groove. Preceding the '80s African jazz boom, "La Dee La La" features a lush, easygoing composition and arrangement, not unlike Abdullah Ibrahim's gentle Cape Town swing. After a bracing acapella chorus intro, pianist Saeed Amir introduces the chords, Lenny King and Roger Howell hit the hand drums, and Ghanniya Green sings the theme. Guitarist Harry Jenson plays silky rhythm, while Farrah's playful soprano sax composes festive variations. Playing a vocalesque plunger mute, trumpeter Abdullah Khalid makes a soulful statement, followed by Amir's elegant variations. The B side will throw you head first into some of the best Latin jazz grooves ever recorded. All of the compositions are astonishing songs, sparkling and vibrating towards an infectious groove. This LP has become a rare item, and the price of the original edition is soaring. The whole thing's incredible – an exuberant set of longer tracks that easily matches the best classics on Strata East from the 70s, and the kind of album that you will treasure for years! All original pressings have an invisible pressing fault on the B-side that causes one skip…but apart from that default this copy looks untouched and utterly virginal. Impossible to find a better one. Price: Offers!!! |
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2316. SHELAGH Mc DONALD: “Shelagh McDonald Album” (Polydor – 2310.047) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Excellent). Original 1970 German press of this fantastic female vocal psych folk album. I guess that most of you are familiar with the Shelagh Mc Donald story, of how she recorded two amazing beautiful albums before she had a bad acid trip experience and vanished from the face of the earth until she was discovered again in 2005 living in a trailer, cut off from the world for all that time. So I guess that everyone loves a good mystery and Shelagh’s one is cemented-in-time, almost a Nick Drake-ish combination of bathing beauty, unique musical talent and untarnished youthful promise that was cut short all of the sudden. It all began in the 1960s when McDonald managed to make her way down to London where she dove head first into the burgeoning British folk scene and simultaneously shifted also back and forth to Bristol, where the live folk club scene was also thriving. She started writing and performing her own music under the inspiration of Californian singer/songwriters like Joni Mitchell. Soon thereafter, she got noticed and picked up by Roberton who booked time for her in 1970 at Sound Techniques in London (studio run by legends Joe Boyd and engineer John Wood) to record songs for her first album, The Shelagh McDonald Album. She even got whilst recording it assistance from Nick Drake’s arranger, Robert Kirby. Once canned, the album got great reviews. Melody Maker even wrote “We’ve been a long time waiting for a successor to Sandy Denny since she abandoned solo singing to join a band (Fotheringay), but at last, in the lovely form of Shelagh McDonald, someone has come forward to fill the solo singer’s place.” So high expectations and idle hopes, the album was bound to do well but instead it failed to live up to the public’s insatiable appetite, at the time, for all things “folk.” And failed to catch on, selling very few copies. The album was largely ignored upon its release. The music on the other hand is some of the most eye-popping UK female folk you will ever hear. This copy here is the very rare original 1970 German 11-track LP with arrangements by Robert Kirby, the man responsible for the arrangements on Five Leaves Left & Bryter Layter. The overall affair is housed in a laminated picture sleeve. Price: 150 Euro |
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2317. SHEPP, ARCHIE: “Live At Donaueschingen Music Festival” (MPS Records – YS-2101-MP) (Record: Near Mint/ Gatefold Jacket: Near Mint/ Obi: Near Mint). Original 1969 Japanese pressing. Top copy. Has been a while since I had a 1st press issue all complete with obi. Getting tougher and tougher to dig up these beauties with obi these last couple of years. One can argue that 1967 was Archie Shepp's peak year. In a way I adhere to this (although that his career was filled with peaks, just see his output on the Actuel/BYG label a couple of years later) with recording of one of his most out there albums "The Magic of Juju". Still, "Live at the Donaueschingen Festival" can be seen as some sort of an extent to which the Juju magic sound translates live. Split over two sides, the album gives some insight into one spun out piece. Archie Shepp's solos are frequent and extreme and are about to adhere a new meaning to the term Fire Music. Still not all is heavy breathing free shronk, there are also quieter moments with Grachan Moncur III, Roswell Rudd and Jimmy Garrison interlocking in some mesmerizing interplay. Also interesting is he audience’s reaction which at best can be described as emphatic. Some of them are awestruck, some are obviously put off. I guess it was just the impact of this new unheralded tsunami of free interplay that took them by surprise after having being subdued by middle of the road modal jazz for the last two decades. Again a classic in the free jazz canon, this is the original Japanese pressing of that day, complete with heavy gatefold cover and obi. Simply a must in my book Price: 75 Euro |
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2318. SHEPP, ARCHIE: “Live At Donaueschingen Music Festival” (MPS Records – YP-7006-MP) (Record: Near Mint/ Gatefold Jacket: Excellent/ Obi: Near Mint). Damned rare 2nd press issue from 1973, complete with rarest OBI variation, first time I see this variation. One can argue that 1967 was Archie Shepp's peak year. In a way I adhere to this (although that his career was filled with peaks, just see his output on the Actuel/BYG label a couple of years later) with recording of one of his most out there albums "The Magic of Juju". Still, "Live at the Donaueschingen Festival" can be seen as some sort of an extent to which the Juju magic sound translates live. Split over two sides, the album gives some insight into one spun out piece. Archie Shepp's solos are frequent and extreme and are about to adhere a new meaning to the term Fire Music. Still not all is heavy breathing free shronk, there are also quieter moments with Grachan Moncur III, Roswell Rudd and Jimmy Garrison interlocking in some mesmerizing interplay. Also interesting is he audience’s reaction which at best can be described as emphatic. Some of them are awestruck, some are obviously put off. I guess it was just the impact of this new unheralded tsunami of free interplay that took them by surprise after having being subdued by middle of the road modal jazz for the last two decades. Again a classic in the free jazz canon, this is the rarest obi version of this LP, never has crossed my path with obi until now. Price: 100 Euro |
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2319. SHEPP, ARCHIE & CHICAGO BEAU: “Black Gipsy” (America/ Nippon Columbia – XM-140-AX) (Record: Near Mint ~ Mint/ Jacket: Near Mint/ Obi: Excellent). Top copy, Japan original 1st pressing with rare very first obi present. Of any other reedman, Rudd has had the most extensive history with Archie Shepp. Here on a late '60s Paris session, though, the saxophonist intriguingly fuses a loosely organized informal free jazz jam under a fundamental blues backdrop with the immediately distinguishable Leroy Jenkins and eight discernible instrumentalists, including himself, exclusively on soprano. Earl Freeman, Julio Finn, Sunny Murray, Clifford Thornton, Noah Howard and Dave Burrell sporadically are joined by vocalist Chicago Beau, who offers poetic vocal raps that put the blues element in context, recalling Shepp's own vocal dabblings, while Finn's harmonica touches upon Rahsaan Roland Kirk's blues/jazz experiments with Sonny Boy Williamson. Burrell's surprisingly tame piano lines and Murray's steady drum beat frame the first of two extended pieces. Most of the experimentation happens along the sidelines, unlike the more dynamic three-part follow-up, "Epitaph of a Small Winner, clocking in also at over twenty minutes, on which Burrell and Murray's playing is more characteristic. Murray throws around multi-rhythmic lines, rising to the foreground as the piece's momentary center, before fading to allow for Burrell's equally momentous solo featuring his distinct avant-ragtime approach. Damned rare 1st issue with rare original obi flashing proudly its colors. Price: 150 Euro |
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2320. SHEPP, ARCHIE & PHILLY
JOE JONES: “S/T” (Columbia – XMS-161-AX) (Record: Mint/ Heavy Japan Only
Gatefold Jacket: Mint/ Obi: Mint). Rare Japanese issue, this being the never offered
before test pressing of this disc. Comes with never seen first press issue OBI.
Killer free jazz blast with Archie Shepp on tenor, taking you on a tour of
duty, which will be an unforgettable one. Backed up by some star heavy weight
players, the group breaks into a line rhythm, as Shepp and Philly Joe Jones
blend in. Line up includes Earl Freeman on bass, Leroy Jenkins on violin, Julio Finn on harmonica, Anthony Braxton wielding the
alto-sax and Chicago Beau vocals. In totality, this is a mad, black and wild
ever-twirling vortex of heavy fire music breathing out supersonic hardcore
jazz, embalmed into a raging ball of fire that is belched out as a collective
effort filled with lone scrams. Killer with absolutely no filler. Rare never
seen before Japanese test press issue housed in a Japan only heavy-duty
gatefold jacket. Price: 150 Euro |
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2321. SHEPP, ARCHIE: “Poem For Malcolm” (BYG/Nippon Columbia – BYG-16) (Record: Near Mint/ Gatefold Jacket: Near Mint/ Attached Insert: Near Mint/ Obi: Excellent). Scarce Japan original of classic slide all complete with obi. Again, another instant classic. For this one Shepp gets flanked by Burton Green (piano), Alan Silva (bass), Claude Delcloo (drums), Philly Joe Jones (tympani), Grachan Moncur III (trombone), hank Mobley (tenor), Vince Benedetti (piano), Malachi Favors (bass). Total brilliance on black shiny gold. A killer that takes no prisoners and does not surrender. Awesome!!! Price: 150 Euro |
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2322. SHEPP, ARCHIE: “Yasmina, A Black Woman” (BYG/Nippon Columbia – BYG-4) (Record: Near Mint/ Gatefold Jacket: Near Mint/ Attached Insert: Near Mint/ Obi: Near Mint). Scarce Japan original of classic slide all complete with obi. This is one of those all-time classics, one of those discs that helped to define a genre. The line-up on this vicious blaster consists out of Clifford Thornton (cornet), Lester Bowie (trumpet), Arthur Jones (alto), Archie Shepp (tenor & voice), Roscoe Mitchell (bass sax), Dave Burrell (piano), Malachi Favors and earl Freeman (bass), Philly Joe Jones (drums), Sunny Murray (drums), Art Taylor (Rhythm logs), Laurence Devereaux (balafon), hank Mobley (tenor). Wow, this is hardcore, all incinerating shit. Practically reads as a who is who of the free jazz world, Art Ensemble is also present, all the heavy weights of the scene interact with each other taking this baby to previously unreachable spiritual heights. Ultimate classic, totally mint and original Japanese press with rarely seen obi. I must be insane of letting this one go….Price: 150 Euro |
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2323. SHEPP, ARCHIE and the Full Moon Ensemble: “Live in Antibes Vol. 1” (BYG Records – BYG-32) (Record: Mint. Fold Out Jacket: Mint/ Insert: Mint/ Obi: Mint) Actuel 32. Another brain ripper, the first volume, preceding the one listed here below. Every album Shepp did for the Actuel label is a killer and sounds like no other free jazz record ever to be put down on wax. They are all classics. On this one he gets aided by luminaries like Alan Shorter (Fluegelhorn, voice), Clifford Thornton (valve trombone, shenai, piano), Archie Shepp (tenor, piano, voice), Joseph Dejean (guitar – just vicious), Beb Guerin (bass), Claude Delcloo (drums). Recorded live in concert at the seaside resort Juan-les-Pins (hard to imagine that these guys ever ripped through the night skies there seen the snobbery status of the town now). Stellar free music, a must. Superior sound and vinyl quality as opposed to the French issue, you will be in for an audiophile surprise here. Price: 150 Euro |
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2324. SHEPP ARCHIE and the Full Moon Ensemble: “Live in Antibes Vol. 2” (BYG Records – BYG-34) (Record: Mint. Fold Out Jacket: Mint/ Insert: Mint/ Obi: Mint) Actuel 34. Another brain ripper, the successive volume to the one listed here above. Every album Shepp did for the Actuel label is a killer and sounds like no other free jazz record ever to be put down on wax. They are all classics. On this one he gets aided by luminaries like Alan Shorter (Fluegelhorn, voice), Clifford Thornton (valve trombone, shenai, piano), Archie Shepp (tenor, piano, voice), Joseph Dejean (guitar – just vicious), Beb Guerin (bass), Claude Delcloo (drums). Recorded live in concert at the seaside resort Juan-les-Pins (hard to imagine that these guys ever ripped through the night skies there seen the snobbery status of the town now). Stellar free music, a must. Price: 150 Euro |
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2325. SHEPP, ARCHIE: “Yasmina, A Black Woman & Live At The Panafrican Festival” (BYG Records/ Toei Geion – YX-9003~4) (2 LP Record: Near Mint/ Gatefold Jacket: Near Mint/ Obi: Near Mint). Clean and nice Japan 1st press original all complete with rare obi. To make it all a bit more salacious, this is a WHITE label PROMO issue. Combining two of Shepp’s most incendiary slides for the BYG/ Actuel imprint, this baby burns holes into your membranes, fire music indeed – killer and indispensable. Price: 50 Euro |
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2326. SHEPP, ARCHIE: “Live In San Francisco” (Impulse Records – A-9118) (Record: Near Mint – has 2 faint non-sounding hairlines on side one/ Gatefold Jacket: Near Mint ~ Mint/ Company Inner Sleeve: Near Mint). Original US first MONO pressing. Hard to come by clean MONO pressing – housed in virginal gatefold sleeve. A great counterpart to some of Archie Shepp's studio albums for Impulse – a live date recorded in San Francisco, with a slightly freer, sharper edge! The sound is almost free at times, but always with that strong sense of focus that Archie brought to his brilliant work of the time – and the group's a well-honed ensemble who really understand each other’s motivations and inspirations – Roswell Rudd on trombone, Donald Garrett and Lewis Worrell on bass, and Beaver Harris on drums – all almost working at an ESP level together. Shepp plays a bit of piano on the record – in sharply angular tones that are almost more modern than his tenor – and titles include "The Wedding", "Wherever June Bugs Go", and "Keep Your Heart Right". Price: 150 Euro |
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2327. SHEPP, ARCHIE: “Three For A Quarter One For A Dime” (Impulse – AS-9162) (Record: Excellent ~ Near Mint/ Gatefold Jacket: Near Mint). Clean as can be US first original pressing of all time fave Shepp slide! “Shepp’s main contributions to jazz were an adventurous spirit and the introduction of a forceful, raspy sound that, even with its debt to Ben Webster, was quite original -- unlike many of his contemporaries in the avant-garde, he owed nothing to John Coltrane. Shepp and his regular quintet of 1966, which also includes trombonist Roswell Rudd, drummer Beaver Harris and bassists Donald Garrett and Lewis Worrell really stretch out on this live blowout, playing continuously for nearly 33 minutes. There is some solo space for his sidemen, but Shepp dominates the performance, and his emotional style and endurance are in peak form. Intense and rewarding music. Getting tough to find these in clean shape. Price: 100 Euro |
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2328. SHEPP, ARCHIE: “On This Night” (Impulse – AS-97) (Record: Excellent ~ Near Mint/ Gatefold Jacket: Near Mint/Insert: Near Mint/ Direct Import Obi: Near Mint). Super clean US STEREO pressing in outstanding condition all complete with rare Direct Import OBi and Japan only insert. First time ever I could unearth a copy with the first issue obi as import. “Tenor saxophonist Archie Shepp’s third release for the Impulse label collects valuable loose ends recorded between March and August 1965. Among the highlights are a passionate reading of Duke Ellington’s "In a Sentimental Mood" and the title piece, a moving tribute to W.E.B. DuBois, featuring the haunting soprano vocalist Christine Spencer employing a distinct 20th century classical influence, with Shepp on piano. Shepp is the solo horn on these dates, playing at peak form with contributions from vibraphonist Bobby Hutcherson early in his career, David Izenzon or Henry Grimes on bass, and four rotating drummers, including Rashied Ali, J.C. Moses, Joe Chambers and Ed Blackwell playing a variety of percussion.” (All Music Guide). So rare with obi present and in outstanding condition. Price: 275 Euro |
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2329. SHEPP, ARCHIE: “Fire Music” (Impulse – AS-86) (Record: Near Mint/ Gatefold Jacket: Near Mint ~ Mint – still housed in shrink/ Company Inner Sleeve: Near Mint). Japan direct import issue, US second label press in top shape. Due to thye direct import, this baby is still firmly housed in shrink, gatefold has never been opened and comes complete with the rare Direct Import Obi present. “Some of the most exciting jazz albums to listen to are those that try to strike a middle ground between the mainstream and the Avant-garde. One such example is Archie Shepp’sFire Music: an often-fascinating album, rich in compositional and improvisational prowess. Employing a sextet including drummer Joe Chambers and alto saxophonist Marion Brown, Shepp puts together a record that is both challenging and accessible to most listeners. Fire Music’s masterpiece is undoubtedly “Hambone.” A multi-part composition, the song’s highlights are the opening theme, Ted Curson’s complex trumpet musings and a bluesy section featuring a tough and funky solo by Brown. The track’s momentum is maintained with the thematically dense “Los Olvidados” which features another sterling contribution by Curson. The spoken word piece “Malcolm, Malcolm-Semper Malcolm” is a tribute to Malcolm X and features bassist David Izenzon and drummer J.C. Moses. Concluding the album is a bizarre version of “The Girl from Ipanema,” with an solo by Shepp that is frankly, quite boring. Regardless, Fire Music is an album that belongs in any serious jazz fan’s collection.” (Robert Gilbert) Top condition and obi is damned rare, just about never surfaces. Sleeve still virginally in shrink – time-machine condition copy. Price: 275 Euro |
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2330. SHEPP, ARCHIE: “Things Have Got To Change” (Impulse – IMP-88076) (Red Wax LP Record: Near Mint/ Gatefold Jacket: Near Mint/ Insert: Near Mint/ Obi: Near Mint). Rare Japanese 1st press original that comes on Japan ONLY RED wax & all complete with rare obi. Recorded in 1971, ‘Things have got to Change’ is about as late 60’s as you can get with its themes of revolution and black power. It displays some real genius at work here. ‘Money Blues’ and ‘Things have got to Change’ are both side long ‘jams’ that have very spare riffs, rhythms and chants to work with, yet both manage to maintain interest over fifteen plus minutes. The odd track out is side two opener, ‘Dr King, the Peaceful Warrior’, which is a quiet abstract ballad that features Archie’s tenor with Cal Massey’s electric piano. Money Blues floats on a simple beat, just steady quarter notes on the tympani while the soloists swing the rhythm in natural bluesy riffs that creates a sound similar to an ancient African procession. Lead singer Joe Lee Wilson demands his share of the money in constantly improvised rich baritone vocal lines that gives the music a theatrical and almost biblical effect. His voice works well here as his lines rise above the cacophony of the horns adding to the whole old school religious movie/theatre effect. Side two launches into the long improv ‘Things have got to Change’. Opening up with some excellent electronic sounds that fade as the percussion and horns play a loping African theme in semi-chaotic style, evoking a vibe not dissimilar to Sun Ra or Pharaoh Sanders. As the soloists veer off and the horns and electronics aim for the stratosphere, the vocals return with another chant that comes and goes over the duration of the piece. In a typical old school psychedelic audio trick, the grooves at the end of side two do not eject the needle but leave it locked into a loop of electronic sounds that I listened to for about two minutes before I realized that the side had actually finished playing so to speak. Rare Japan original pressing - top condition and comes with rare OBI + pressed on Japan ONLY RED WAX!!! Price: 200 Euro. |
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2331. SHEPP, ARCHIE: “The Magic of Juju” (Impulse – YP-8526-AI) (Record: Near Mint/ Gatefold Jacket: Excellent – has some foxing inside of the gatefold/ Insert: Near Mint/ Obi: Mint) First original Japanese pressing in great condition. Comes complete with Japan only insert and graced with the Obi. Together with Shepp’s excursions on the BYG-Actuel imprint, “The Magic of Ju-Ju” is, at least to these humble ears, his best and wildest recording he ever did. Apart from that the disc is graced with possibly the best ever designed jacket art to grace a free jazz disc. Recorded on April 26, 1967 and flanked by Martin Banks (Trumpet, flugelhorn), Michael Zwerin (trumpet, trombone), Reggie Workman (bass), Beaver Harris (drums), Norman Connor (drums), Eddie Blackwell (rhythm logs), Frank Charles (talking drums) and Dennis Charles (percussion), Shepp launches into a voodoo inspired hoedown that tries to evoke the spirits of the living dead and summon them back up to join the limbo crazed freak-out. Here he unleashed his 18-minute tour de force “The Magic of Ju-Ju” title track that combines free jazz tenor frenziness with steady frenetic African drumming. Shepp never loses the initial energy, moving forward like a man possessed as the drumming simultaneously builds into a fury. Upon the final three minutes, the trumpets of Martin Banks and Michael Zwerin make an abrupt brief appearance, apparently grinding the piece to a halt. Without question, this disc is one of Shepp's most chaotic yet rhythmically hypnotic pieces. Highly essential, your life will be incomplete without it. Take my word for it. Price: 125 Euro |
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2332. SHEPP, ARCHIE: “Attica Blues” (Impulse – AS-9222) (Record: Near Mint ~ Mint/ Gatefold Jacket:
Near Mint – still housed in original SHRINK/ Obi: Near Mint/ Imprinted Company
Inner Sleeve: Near Mint). Freakingly rare directly imported to Japan US
original all complete with never offered before very first silver toned obi –
with “4 Channel R-M Sound” catch phrase. I heard rumors of this very first
issue obi but never seen an actual copy until know. Seriously rare item and
everything is in virginal condition. This first issue obi just never turns up.
Gatefold jacket is still housed in shrink and the whole deal looks like it has
never been touched at all. Virginal condition with mega rare silver-toned
Direct Import Obi – only 2nd time ever I see a copy of obi of this one…. Price:
550 Euro
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2333. SHEPP, ARCHIE: “For Losers” (Impulse – AS-9188) (Record: Excellent/ Gatefold Jacket: Near Mint/ Company Inner Sleeve: Near Mint/ Direct Import Japan Liner Notes: Near Mint). US original pressing in niche condition for a record that most of the time is always trashed. “At the time this record was recorded, Shepp was bouncing back and forth between Paris and New York. He also bounced between the Impulse! and BYG labels. He also bounced between styles. For BYG, his music reached to grasp the bare beginnings of black music, back to Africa and the blues. His music for Impulse! tried to embrace the contemporary sounds of R&B, with very mixed results that to this day divide his fans. This record is a transitional one. For the traditionalists, there's his shattering and amusing cover of "I've Got It Bad" performed by the usual suspects one would think to find on an Archie Shepp record, including Cecil Payne and Joe Chambers. For those enraptured by albums like Attica Blues, songs like "Stick 'Em Up" will fascinate, as Shepp’s raspy tenor is joined not only by a legion of avant-garde brethren (including names like Beaver Harris and Grachan Moncur) but also by the funky wood of electric bass, guitar, and organ. Some will find those later tracks a bit hard to take. Some will even find themselves snickering. But for anyone wishing to understand the music and career of this brilliant musician, this is an undervalued piece of the puzzle.” (All Music Guide). Price: 50 Euro |
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2334. SHEPP, ARCHIE: “Doodlin’ ” (Overseas Records/ Teichiku – UPS-570-V) (Record: Near Mint/
Jacket: Near Mint/ OBI: Mint). Japan ONLY issue that comes graced in JAPAN ONLY sleeve art. Doodlin' was originally recorded November 9,
1969 in France. It was then released in 1976 on Inner City
Records. The album features performances by Shepp with Alan Shorter, Bob
Reid and Muhammad Ali. First time I see a copy with
obi and 2nd copy so far I know off with obi surviving. These sold
next to nothing when they were released in Japan and only a few remain in
circulation with everything intact. Price: 250 Euro |
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2335. SHINKI CHEN & FRIENDS: “S/T” (POLYDOR – MR-5003) (Record: Near Mint/ Gatefold Jacket: Near Mint/ Heavy Gatefold Jacket: Near Mint – has record company catalogue seal on lower right corner/ Insert: Near Mint). Original pressing – hardly ever seen and mega rare WHITE label PROMO issue in TOP shape. Sleeve has on lower right side a small catalogue sticker from the record company as it was a promo – and the label has on one side also the same catalogue seal – for the rest perfect copy. One of the greatest psychedelic artifacts to come out of Japan? At least I think so and certainly one of the rarest since original copies are just NEVER offered for sale – let alone a white label promo one. Shinki Chen of Speed Glue & Shinki on a solo trip assisted by fellow drugged and totally wasted scenesters. Doped up vocals, fuzz-soaked guitar riffage, booming rhythm section, snarling vocals, in-your-face attitude, roaring organ that gets tortured by Yanagida Hiro, monstrous ominously fat fuzz leads that leave you breathless, this disc has just all. A killer disc that takes no prisoners. No surrender till the last vicious note has stopped wailing. Funny side note is that Cope slagged this one off in his Japrocksampler as totally worthless. Well, I guess that if you consider his (Cope’s) musical output to be a reference point, you know that this guy is full of shit and especially full of himself. Shinki Chen & Friends record attains levels of intensity that Cope can only dream of and I rank this beast as one of the most vicious and completely doped albums to have ever been released. Just monster fuzz psych crawling the walls and although Speed and Glue are not mentioned anymore, these substances certainly were around whilst recording this hedonist masterpiece. These guys were more rock and roll than Cope’s entire crappy output thrown together and multiplied by a zillion. Anyway, it isn’t even worth comparing, mediocrity isn’t worth that much credit. That all aside though this album is a bloody fucking rare 1st original press, housed in thick textured gatefold jacket. Here you have a chance to wheel in a top condition near mint white label promo issue of this all-time psychedelic doped up beast from the far east, a brain-blowing Hendrix-influenced monster hard fuzz ripper that comes in beyond thick cardboard gatefold sleeve with disc in top shape with white label promo seal on one side of the label plus comes with rare insert. Price: Offers!!! |
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2336. SHORTER, AL: “Tes Esat” (America – AM-6118) (Record: Near
Mint/ Jacket: Near Mint). Original 1st pressing, only released in
France in TOP condition. Another all scorching free jazz wonder of a record. Al
Shorter made two stellar albums as a leader and this is one of them (next to
the Orgasm record on Verve), the hardest one to track down and one of the crown
jewels of the America label imprint. And although both of his releases may be
clouded in obscurity, there is not one of them that has not flattened me.
Assisting Shorter on his sonic crusade are Gary Windo (tenor), Rene Augustus
(drums, bells) and Johnny Mbizo Dyani (bass, piano, flute, bells) and together
they unleash an all flattening force that brings to mind hurricane Andrew
ripping through the Florida Keys. With Shorter at helm, the group spreads open
their dynamic rhythmic ingenuity and almost extra-terrestrial improvising
skills that reveal an almost psychotic high energy rush. In all the freedom on
display here is very beautiful, abstract, powerful and certainly more than
capable to transport you pretty far away from reality if you let it. Tes Esat
is musically profound and profoundly musical, although it might be fogged up in
a veil of hardcore free-jazzing abstract thought patterns. Killer disc all way
round. Price: 200 Euro |
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2337. SHORTER, ALAN: “Orgasm” (Verve/ Polydor Records Japan – MV-2073) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Near Mint/ Insert: Near Mint). Rare Japan original press all complete with OBI. It has been almost over 10 years since I last had a copy all-complete with cool obi. Top condition. “One of only two sessions led by flügelhornist Alan Shorter, this set is a near-classic. Shorter and his quartet (with tenor saxophonist Gato Barbieri, either Charlie Haden or Reggie Johnson on bass, and Muhammad Ali or Rashied Ali on drums) perform six of the leader's complex originals. Barbieri lets out some strong screams in places but sounds more restrained and coherent than on his other avant-garde recordings of the period. The rhythm sections are stimulating and alert, while Shorter, although not a virtuoso, comes up with consistently inventive ideas. The style is sometimes slightly reminiscent of Ornette Coleman, but Shorter had apparently not heard Ornette’s band before recording this music. Well worth several listens.” (Scott Yanow, All Music Guide). Beautiful condition Japan original, rarely surfaces, let alone with obi present. Price: 125 Euro |
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2338. SHORTER, ALAN: “Orgasm” (Verve – V&-8768) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: VG++ ~ Excellent - with the always obligatory drill hole present and mild ringwear as usual with the US pressing). Rare US original press, that is getting scarcer by the minute. Top condition. “One of only two sessions led by flügelhornist Alan Shorter, this set is a near-classic. Shorter and his quartet (with tenor saxophonist Gato Barbieri, either Charlie Haden or Reggie Johnson on bass, and Muhammad Ali or Rashied Ali on drums) perform six of the leader's complex originals. Barbieri lets out some strong screams in places but sounds more restrained and coherent than on his other avant-garde recordings of the period. The rhythm sections are stimulating and alert, while Shorter, although not a virtuoso, comes up with consistently inventive ideas. The style is sometimes slightly reminiscent of Ornette Coleman, but Shorter had apparently not heard Ornette’s band before recording this music. Well worth several listens.” (Scott Yanow, All Music Guide). Beautiful condition US original, rarely surfaces and the music just shreds from start to finish! Price: 100 Euro |
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2339. SILL, JUDEE: “S/T” (Asylum Records – IAP-80573) (Record: Near Mint/ Gatefold Jacket: Near Mint/ Inner Sleeve: Near Mint/ 6-Paged Booklet: Near Mint/ Obi: Mint). Damned rare Japan 1st original press all complete with obi and booklet. WHITE label PROMO issue! Judee Sill was many things; a prostitute, armed robber, junkie, jail bird – and arguably the most talented of all the seventies singer-songwriters. Her self-titled debut album was produced by Henry Lewy, known for his work with Joni Mitchell. All are Sill’s own original compositions, many of which relied on her own brand of cosmological Christian imagery. By turns spare and lavishly orchestrated, there is still a cohesive feel to the album; with poetic and almost flowery lyrics and her voice is smooth enough to bear heavy overdubbing with itself, giving every song a shimmery feel. The essence of her music is folk, the execution pop: the songs come over as statement of hope from a troubled soul. "Crayon Angels" kicks off the album as a stunning summation of purpose; ethereal vocals, an unadorned acoustic guitar joined by some light woodwinds, and religious imagery in the lyrics. “Jesus Was a Cross Maker” is the centerpiece, but the record is packed with gems that showcase Sill’s religious lyricism, sugarcoated with Brian Wilsonesque melodies, and steeped in cowboy imagery. "Phantom Cowboy" continues in a similar vein, with a jauntier, Americana vibe. The stand-out "Enchanted Sky Machines," is a boppy, hopeful little piano- and brass-based piece and the stripped-down love song "My Man On Love" has Sill harmonizing with herself to great effect. But the whole album is angelic and simply lovely. Rare Japan original press issue with obi. Price: Offers!!!! |
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2340. SILOAH: “Sukram Gurk” (B & U G – 1973) (Record: Excellent ~ Near Mint/ Laminated Jacket: Near Mint). Damned rare 1973 original German private pressing! The second album by these German dope-heads. Very few made housed in acidy laminated cover artwork that is a joy to behold when beholding a giant spliff between your fingers. Long, trippy tracks with doomy organ all over the place, some out-there vox in the background. Second and final album by these German underground legends. Totally stoned Amon Duul II influenced psych jammer with long tracks, effects, drugged out vibe. Filled with weird arrangements that sound like a bavarian CA Quintet on qualudes with trippy brainmelting euphoria as a result. Comes housed in equally weird cover art. Both Siloah albums are milestones from the München burgeoning underground scene. Pristine condition! Price: Offers!!! |
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2341. SIMMONS, HUEY (aka Sonny
Simmons): “Burning Spirits” (Contemporary Records – S7625/6) (2 LP Set Records:
Near Mint/ Gatefold Jacket: Near Mint). Well here you have a totally vanished
rarity of a disc, original 1971 pressing. After his two records for ESP Disc,
Sonny Simmons made one follow-up, the illustrious “Burning Spirits” and changed
for this one his name into Huey Simmons. The music on this 2 LP set is even
more stellar and his ESP releases, slow burning fire music, tension gradually
building up towards core melting heights and eventually spewing out volcanic
washes of quivering sonic whiplashes, vicious sax lines and a delicately
balanced interplay with the rest of the combo. In other words, it doesn’t get
any better than this. The line-up for this occasion consisted out of Huey
“Sonny” Simmons (tenor sax, alto sax & English horn), his wife Barbara
Donald (trumpet), Mike White (violin), Lonnie Liston Smith (piano), Richard
Davis (bass), Cecil McBee (bass) and Clifford Jarvis (drums). Delirious
hardcore line-up squeezing out some of the most gorgeous spiritual fire music
on the planet. The cover is a gorgeous psychedelic drawing and when folded
open, pictures of the participants reveal themselves, together with liner notes
by Simmons himself. Recorded in 1971. This is an original 1971 issue in great
shape, does not surface that often any more. Price: 150 Euro
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2342. SIMMONS, SONNY: “Standing On The Watch” (ESP Disk – 1030) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket:
Near Mint). Original 1966 1st ESP pressing. ESP heavy monster hitter. This
was Sonny’s ESP debut and the music on this LP set was instant proof of his
exceptional talent. Here, Sonny guides the quintet through slow burning fire
music with the tension gradually building up towards core melting heights and
eventually spewing out volcanic washes of quivering sonic whiplashes, vicious
sax lines and a delicately balanced interplay with the rest of the combo. In
other words, it doesn’t get any better than this. The line-up for this occasion
consisted out of Sonny Simmons (alto sax), his wife Barbara Donald (trumpet),
Marvin Pattillo (percussion), John Hicks (piano) and Teddy Smith (bass). Delirious
hardcore line-up squeezing out some of the most gorgeous spiritual fire music
on the planet. Recorded on August 30th, 1966. This is an original 1966
US 1st press issue and matching high quality vinyl pressing. Near Mint
all the way. Highest recommendation. Price: 150 Euro |
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2343. SIMMONS, SONNY: “Music
From The Spheres” (ESP Disk – 1043) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Near
Mint). Original 1967 1st ESP pressing. “Alto saxophonist Sonny Simmons
was one of the most talented (if unfortunately lesser known) free jazz
musicians of the 1960s. Born in Oakland, CA, Simmons began playing alto sax as
a teenager in the early '50s and spent his early years collaborating with
Prince Lasha and Charles Mingus. Except for a brief stint in New York in the
early '60s, where he recorded with Elvin Jones and Eric Dolphy, Simmons spent
most of his life in California where he met and married trumpet player Barbara
Donald (featured on this album). His Music From the Spheres, recorded for
ESP-Disk in 1966, with Michael Cohen on piano, Juney Booth on bass and Jim Zitro
on drums, represents one of the highlights of his career. After almost
completely disappearing from the jazz scene for nearly 20 years, Simmons made
an amazing comeback in the early '90s with his brilliant Ancient Ritual” (F. E.). Top condition US first original pressing,
getting damned hard to dig up clean originals that can rock your mind, heart
and soul without breaking the bank – what can you possibly ask more for…Price:
150 Euro |
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2344. SIMMONS, SONNY: “Manhattan Egos” (Stateside/ Toshiba Records – ISP-88024) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Near Mint/ Obi: Near Mint). Freakingly rare Japan original first pressing – WHITE label PROMO issue all-complete with mega rare OBI present. “Killer slide by the great, underappreciated Sonny Simmons. Manhattan Egos features two sessions from February 1969, comprised of totally unknown musicians, with the possible exception of Barbara Donald, who played in the California free scene awhile before hooking up with Simmons and eventually marrying him. The rest, Juma, Paul Smith and "Voodoo Bember," who makes a conga appearance, were not players who had gigged with anyone before Simmons. It doesn't matter though, because Simmons and Donald create a such a dominant frontline there is little else for the rhythm section to do but find a way to create rhythm and harmony from the interplay of the horns. On the title track, while Juma bows his bass aleatorically to create a harmonic wall of mode and timbre, Donald and Simmons trade lines almost instinctually, overlapping each other with ribbons of such mellifluous intensity it is actually possible to hear them singing to one another through the horns. The harmonic bridge created by Juma is an elastic one; Simmons is able to stretch both modes and intervals on a scalar level while engaging in a kind of chromatic exchange of pitches with Donald. Smith is keeping up, but barely, trying to continually double and triple time the band to make up for what he doesn't know, but the cracks show, making the date seem that much more organic. Listen to his interval crossovers in "Coltrane in Paradise," amid the long, slowly drawn-out morphing of the improvisation as it changes meter three times in less than a minute, and you'll hear the evidence” (All Music) Top condition!!! Price: 350 Euro |
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2345. SINGERS 3 with FREEDOM UNITY, ISHIKAWA AKIRA, SUZUKI HIROMASA, MURAOKA TAKERU, SUGIMOTO KIYOSHI e.a: “Foliole #2 – The Sound of Singers 3” (London/ King Records – SKK(L) 3010) (Record: Near Mint/ Laminated Jacket: Near Mint/ Insert: Near Mint). WHITE label PROMO Issue!!! Insanely bloody rare 1971 1st original press, 1st copy I see in 10 years’ time and one of the all-time Japanese psychedelic jazz releases ever that came out in the same series as Love Live Life + One, so you will have an idea into which regions this baby explodes into. The Singers 3 were – as the name already hints at – a three-piece female vocal combo that recorded a few albums in Japan. However, their debut recording for King is a vicious beast. Backed up by Ishikawa Akira (of Uganda fame) and guitar fuzz-a-delic outlaw Sugimoto Kiyoshi (who is on FIRE throughout) amongst others, the band veered off into some previous unchartered waters of aural madness. The record opens with a sidelong title track “Foliole #2”, an electrifying, soul-stirring and tantalizing killer track, rocketing straight away towards the higher soulful regions of scatt-induced female vocals, floating on deep soul jazz vibes of blissful hypnotic hysteria, a bewitching tour de force of freeform spirituality that shatters into vocalese exhilaration. Easy to understand as the Singers 3 are backed up by some of the scene’s finest hardcore players such as Muraoka Takeru (trumpet/ sax) blowing like a desert wind through his horns, Suzuki Hiroshi (trombone), groovin’ Suzuki Hiromasa (electric piano), Ishikawa Akira (drums), wah-wah and fuzzed out Sugimoto Kiyoshi (electric guitar), Inaba Kunimitsu (hearth-throbbing bass) and the whole was composed and charted out by heavy jazz mastermind Sato Masahiko. From high energetic frenzies towards decelerated meditative tones, the band crosses the whole spectrum of galvanic atmospheres in just one track. Just a cliff-hanging listening experience. For side two Singers 3 touch on 4 standard compositions like See See Rider and Eli’s Comin’ in order to come down to earth again. One of the rarest Japanese psychedelic jazz records ever. First time I have a copy of this one and in TOP condition, next to impossible to upgrade upon. KILLER album. Price: Offers!!!! |
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2346. The SIXTH STATION: “Deep Night” (No label – LP-1588) (Record: Near Mint ~ Mint/ Jacket: Near Mint ~ Mint). Original 1st US pressing of private press lysergic twilight folk. Was sealed and opened to play once. A deeply introspective religious teenage folk-rock LP with a late '60s flavor, strong songs, soaring vocals, even some fuzz leads. Tony Trosley was a priest out of Peoria, Illinois and he crafted a fantastic private press album of pastoral, rural folk sounds. Aptly titled “Deep Night”, it sounds like it should be played at dusk befitting of it’s reflective lyrics and somber tone. A loner Neil Young kinda sound. Recorded in a tiny chapel with rented equipment over one extended evening, the album was mixed live with only a handful of overdubs. It’s got a soft naturalism that’s perfected with Trosley’s 12-string attached to a phaser pedal creating those deep night ripples. Easy album to love. Rapidly gaining in stature among collectors, already one of the big private press titles from the early '80s. Top copy of totally vanished psych slide with introspective psychy folk rock vibe, deep vox, some delirious fuzz and blessed with that intoxicating 1960s touch. Definitely one of the best private press 80s releases to see the light of day. Price: Offers!!! |
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2347. SLAPP HAPPY & FAUST: “Sort Of” (Polydor Japan – 23MM-0240) (Record: Mint/ Jacket: Mint/ Insert: Mint/ Obi: Mint). First original Japanese pressing complete with obi, top copy. Slapp Happy was founded by keyboardist Anthony Moore to accompany his German wife Dagmar Krause's Brecht-ian induced songs. The band debuted with Sort Of (Polydor, 1972), one of the most austere and politicized works of that period. To flank the original line-up, American guitarist Peter Blegvad was summoned in, who happened to sojourn in Britain at the time while completing his studies. The rhythm section on the other hand turned out to be legendary and was borrowed from German affiliates Faust What a merger, a match made in heaven, bound to cross-fertilize one of the greatest and most underrated below the radar releases of that time, making it now a jaw-droppingly great historical artifact. The music spread out on this vinyl edition unveils a band that was not so much an avant-rock group, but instead embarked on a revelation-like trip that aimed at toying with rock's conventional boundaries and subversively evading a straight playing mode. This resulted with the band + Faust wandering into an impressive sonic no-mans land made up out of ramshackle avant-rock and detuned freeze-framed rock elements, only to stumble into jagged tunes of fractionalized beauty. Stellar and much sought after. This is the Japanese pressing of the disc. Historical and impressive slab of sonic derailed emotion and eclecticism. Price: 125 Euro |
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2348. The SLITS: “Cut” (Island Records – 20S-78) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Near Mint/
Obi: Near Mint/ Insert: Near Mint). Japan first original press issue all
complete with obi. Is getting damned hard to dig up as of recently as
popularity is on the rise of the Slits. The punk
pioneers who waited for the movement to evolve before release their debut
album, The Slits dropped Cut in
1979 on Island Records, enlisting legendary UK dub producer Dennis Bovell to
provide a bass-heavy bottom end that could carry the band’s scratchy guitars
and Ari Up’s idiosyncratic vocals. The Slits were rock's perfect rebel girls. With hair back-combed through
the brambles of late-Seventies punk and reggae, they radiated a tomboy
sexuality that pastiched Patti Smith and Suzi Quatro and paved the way for
other girls who just wanna have fun. On Cut, they shed their motley threads in
favour of mud dredged up from the rivers of Babylon. Price: 75 Euro |
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2349. The SLITS: “Return Of The Giant
Slits” (Epic Records – 25-3P-338) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Near Mint/
Insert: Near Mint/ Obi: Near Mint). Original Japan first press issue from 1981
all complete with insert and obi. Labeling The Slits
groundbreaking just doesn’t (pardon the pun) “cut” it. No other post-punk band
was as confrontational—an all-female trio calling themselves The Slits
and posing muddily topless on their debut album cover was about as in-your-face
as a feminist statement gets—or as determinedly uncommercial. Indeed,
after being dropped by their label, Island, despite having made Cut, of the
signature albums of the era, Viv Albertine, Tessa Pollitt, and Ari Up treated
Sony, their new label, to an even more radical record, 1981’s Return of the
Giant Slits. Already far removed from the male-dominated, louder-faster ethos
of punk rock, The Slits, with new drummer Bruce Smith of The Pop Group and
multi-instrumentalist Steve Beresford in tow, added world music and free jazz
to Up’s Ono-esque ululations, Albertine’s skittering guitar, and Pollitt’s
dub-wise bass rhythms. Predictably, Sony dropped the record like a hot potato,
not even bothering to release it in the U.S. But the reputation of Return of
the Giant Slits has continued to grow, with Albertine herself recently
commenting, “It’s more experimental than Cut and brings in even wider musical
influences. In some ways, I think it’s a better record.” Price: 75 Euro |
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2350. SLY & THE FAMILY STONE: “There’s A Riot Goin’ On” (Epic – EPIA-53029) (Record: & Gatefold Jacket &Capsule Obi & 8-Paged Booklet & Insert: SEALED and MINT). SEALED original 1st press copy, rare 1st original Japanese high quality pressing complete with the rare 1st issue capsule obi. Comes all complete with rare NEWSPAPER sticker still on the shrink! “It's easy to write off There’s A Riot Goin’ On as one of two things – Sly Stone’s disgusted social commentary or the beginning of his slow descent into addiction. It's both of these things, of course, but pigeonholing it as either winds up dismissing the album as a whole, since it is so bloody hard to categorize. What's certain is that Riot is unlike any of Sly & the Family Stone’s other albums, stripped of the effervescence that flowed through even such politically aware records as Stand! This is idealism soured, as hope is slowly replaced by cynicism, joy by skepticism, enthusiasm by weariness, sex by pornography, thrills by narcotics. Joy isn't entirely gone -- it creeps through the cracks every once and awhile and, more disturbing, Sly revels in his stoned decadence. What makes Riot so remarkable is that it's hard not to get drawn in with him, as you're seduced by the narcotic grooves, seductive vocals slurs, leering electric pianos, and crawling guitars. As the themes surface, it's hard not to nod in agreement, but it's a junkie nod, induced by the comforting coma of the music. And damn if this music isn't funk at its deepest and most impenetrable -- this is dense music, nearly impenetrable, but not from its deep grooves, but its utter weariness. Sly’s songwriting remains remarkably sharp, but only when he wants to write -- the foreboding opener "Luv N' Haight," the scarily resigned "Family Affair," the cracked cynical blues "Time," and "(You Caught Me) Smilin'." Ultimately, the music is the message, and while it's dark music, it's not alienating -- it's seductive despair, and that's the scariest thing about it.” (All Music Guide). Impossibly to lay your hands on SEALED copy with Obi and newspaper sticker present. Final archive copy. Price: Offers!!! |
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2351. The SMALL FACES: “Itchycoo Park b/w I’m Only Dreaming” (Stateside/ Toshiba Records – SR-1815) (7 Inch Single Record: Excellent ~ Near Mint/ Gatefold Picture Sleeve: Near Mint/ Company Inner Sleeve: Near Mint). Top condition Japan original pressing of damned rare Small Faces single issue that comes graces in dope Japan only sleeve art. Hard to find in decent shape, this one here is real clean and mean!!! Price: 350 Euro |
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2352. SMALLEY,
DENIS: “The Pulse Of Time” (UEA Recordings –
UEA-81063) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Near Mint/ Illustrated 6-paged Booklet:
Mint). Over the edge amazing electro-acoustic music LP from 1981, privately released by
the university of East Anglia and containing three sparse musique
concrète pieces composed between 1974 and 1979 at the GRM and UEA
studios by New Zealand born/bred composer who is widely considered to be one
the classics sound wizards out of the early British electro-acoustic music
scene. The three pieces on “The Pulses of
Time” each reveal discrete combinations of synthesized timbres, processed
close-mic’ed instrumentation and slowly shifting/morphing drones.
The three works on this record represent two types of electro-acoustic music.
First of all, “The Pulses of Time” (1979) and “Pentes” (1974) existed
only on stereo tape and were composed using the resources of the studios where
they were created, being at the Groupe de Recherches Musicales in Paris and the
Recording and Electronic Studio at the University of East Anglia, England. Both
works involve extensive transformation of instrumental and electronic sounds.
On the other hand, the third composition “Chanson
de Geste” (1978) is a live performance piece, which needs closely
positioned microphones to magnify sounds otherwise inaudible and to enable
detailed sound balancing. The three works were composed over a
period of five years. “Pentes” has been widely acclaimed and with another
of Denis Smalley's works won the Fylkingen prize for electronic composition in
Sweden in 1975. “Chanson De Geste” which uniquely combines new vocal techniques with clavichord sounds was
composed for Carol Plantamura, one of the foremost American sopranos
specializing in new music. The sound quality on this LP is astonishingly clear
and deep and maybe it is just a footnote but I believe the superb cutting of
Denis Blackham is due all credit, a name you might know from your Whitehouse
collection since he is also responsible for cutting their records. Price:
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2353. SMILY OHARA: “Mah-Na Mah-Na b/w Oh! Oh! Oh!” (CBS Sony – SONA-86081) (7 Inch Single Record: Near Mint/ Picture Sleeve: Near Mint/ Company Inner Sleeve: Near Mint). Damned rare yellow label PROMO issue – original 1970 press of borderline deranged and disjointed mentally depraved Latin Funk/ cum-jazz ball buster. And you can that that description quite literally, Smily Ohara brings out the Muppet Show bouncing around on Prozac, spiked up with dash of lysergic acid for good measure. Now that is a nice cocktail for you to indulge in. Price: 400 Euro |
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2354. HARRY SMITH’s ANTHOLOGY OF AMERICAN FOLK MUSIC: “Volume Four” (Revenant Records – 6002) (SEALED). Revenant release from 2000 – still sealed. “There were to be four of them, and four volumes in the series. Red, Blue, Green were issued [on the original Folkways set], so that the element that was left out was earth…” . – Harry Smith from 1968 interview with John Cohen. Harry Smith was a true polymath–avant-garde filmmaker, alchemist, occultist, folklorist, painter, magician, archivist and expert on string figures, paper airplanes, and Ukrainian painted eggs–but is perhaps best known for his pioneering three-volume Anthology of American Folk Music, originally released in 1952 and reissued to great acclaim in 1997 by Smithsonian/Folkways. Compiled by Harry Smith contemporaneously with the first three volumes, Volume 4 of Harry’s historic Anthology went unissued for almost 50 years. Til now. “Legendary filmmaker/cultural icon Harry Smith (1923-1991) was the living definition of the term “culture vulture.” Smith pioneered animation in film and associated with everyone from Jean-Luc Goddard to Billie Holliday and Jimmy Page, and in the early 1950’s compiled the six-volume Anthology of American Folk Music for Folkways Records. This collection’s aim was to document the entire continuum of American roots music in all its diversity. It succeeded fabulously (and helped spark the folk boom of the ’50s and ’60s). After 50-odd years, Revenant in conjunction with the Harry Smith Archives has released VOLUME FOUR. This two-LP set details the beginnings of both 20th century country music and bluegrass (The Blue Sky Boys’ “Down on the Banks of the Ohio”) as well as their roots in Appalachian/Celtic folk (The Carter Family’s “Black Jack David”). The blues, and its impact on folk and rock & roll, is represented by Leadbelly’s epochal “Packin’ Trunk” (a direct influence on Carl Perkin’s rockabilly classic “Matchbox”), and the Memphis Jug Band’s rollicking, irreverent “Memphis Shakedown.” Anyone wishing to explore the roots of these classic American musics would do well to acquire this edition of Harry Smith’s Anthology.” (Interview). Price: 85 Euro |
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2355. The SMITHS: “S/T” (Rough Trade – 25RTL-6) (Record: Near Mint/ Japan Only Red Wax Additional Flexi 7 Inch: Near Mint/ Triple Gatefold Insert: Near Mint/ Obi: Near Mint). Very first Japan press issue with very first obi (with on top circular mark – 2nd issue does not have this mark) in outstanding condition. “Arriving in an era dominated by synth pop and gloomy post-punk, the Smiths' eponymous debut was the bracing beginning of a new era. On the surface, the Smiths' sound wasn't radically different from traditional British guitar pop -- Johnny Marr’s ringing, layered guitars were catchy and melodic -- but it was actually an astonishing subversion of the form, turning the structure inside out. Very few of the songs followed conventional verse-chorus structure, yet they were quite melodic within their own right. Marr’s inventive songwriting was made all the more original and innovative by Morrissey’s crooning and lyrics. Writing about unconventional topics, from homosexuality ("Hand in Glove") to child molestation and murder, Morrissey had a distinctively ironic, witty, and literate viewpoint whose strangeness was accentuated by his off-kilter voice, which would move from a croon to a yelp in a matter of seconds. While the production of The Smiths is a little pristine, the songs are vital and alive, developing a new, unique voice within pop music. Though the Smiths continued to improve over the course of their career, their debut remains startling and exciting.” (All Music Guide) Price: 450 Euro
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2356. The SMITHS: “Hatful of Hollow” (Rough Trade – 25RTL-21) (Record: Near Mint/ Gatefold Jacket: Near Mint/ 4 Paged Insert: Near Mint/ Obi: Near Mint). 1984 Japan first original pressing all complete with insert and rare obi – all is in top condition. Hatful of Hallow’s versions of the band’s debut material, including ''Hand In Glove'', ''Reel Around The Fountain'' and ''What Difference Does It Make'', suddenly come alive in this quick and dirty Radio 1 sessions environment – more closely resembling the live favorites that had won them acclaim in the first place. But it was the new material that really shone here. Singles ''William It Was Really Nothing'' and “Heaven Knows I'm Miserable Now'' revealed giant steps in both Morrissey's deadpan witticisms and Marr's way with a punchy hook, while ''Please, Please, Please Let Me Get What I Want'', ''Back To The Old House'' and ''This Night Has Opened My Eyes'' all showed the Morrisey to be now a master of gothic, Northern pathos. Also, Hatful… contains the first appearance of what may be the band's finest moment. ''How Soon Is Now'' encapsulates everything good about the Smiths. It has Morrissey’s faintly mocking sense of teenage rejection ('…so you go and you stand on your own, and you leave on your own. And you go home and you cry and you want to die'), Marr's stunning vibrato guitar chimes and a rhythm section you could set your watch to. This was the point where even to doubters began to really believe the hype surrounding the band. It was their true debut in every sense…Killer! Price: 250 Euro |
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2357. The SMITHS: “Meat Is Murder” (Rough Trade – 25RTL-3001) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Near Mint/ 4 Paged Insert: Excellent ~ Near Mint/ Obi: Near Mint). Rare and high in demand Japan 1st original press issue all complete with insert and obi. Damned the Smiths were a fantastic group, especially Johnny Marr in unison with Morrisey is alchemical sonic gold! A classic slide but these Smiths slides are getting so high in demand these past years, it gets difficult to dig up clean and all complete copies. This one here is just perfect, both condition wise as well as music wise. Killer!!! Price: 175 Euro |
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2358. The SMITHS: “The Queen Is Dead” (Rough Trade/ Tokuma Communications – 25RTL-3015) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Excellent ~ Near Mint/ Triple Gatefold Insert: Near Mint/ Obi: Near Mint). Original Japan 1st press issue all complete with insert and rare first issue obi. Released in 1986, The Queen Is Dead is the Smiths' mature masterpiece. The playing is faultless: the rhythm section is both supple and relentless, while Johnny Marr's wah-wah guitar is constantly in motion, in total sympathy with the song's mood changes: rhythmic and viciously propulsive one minute, ambient the next. Morrissey's lyrics are pointed, witty and tricksy, with their implied rhymes. One of the best. Top shape. Price: 275 Euro |
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2359. The SMITHS: “Strangeways, Here We Come” (Rough Trade – VIL-28100) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Near Mint/ 2 separate Inserts: Near Mint/ Obi: Near Mint). Top condition & all complete Japan first original press issue. “Recorded as the relationship between Morrisey and Johnny Marr was beginning to splinter, Strangeways, Here We Come is the most carefully considered and elaborately produced album in the group's catalog. Though it aspires greatly to better The Queen Is Dead, it falls just short of its goals. The Smiths created a subtly shaded and skilled album, one boasting a fuller production than before. Morrisey and Marr also labored hard over the songs, working to expand the Smiths' sound within their very real boundaries. For the most part, they succeed. "I Started Something I Couldn't Finish," "Girlfriend in a Coma," "Stop Me if You Think You've Heard This One Before," and "I Won't Share You" are classics, while "A Rush and a Push and the Land Is Ours," "Death of a Disco Dancer," and "Last Night I Dreamt That Somebody Loved Me" aren't far behind. However, the songs also have a tendency to be glib and forced, particularly on "Unhappy Birthday" and the anti-record company "Paint a Vulgar Picture," which has grown increasingly ironic in the wake of the Smiths' and Morrisey’s love of repackaging the same material in new compilations. Still, Strangeways is a graceful way to bow out. While it doesn't match The Queen Is Dead or The Smiths, it is far from embarrassing and offers a summation of the group's considerable strengths.” (All Music Guide). Price: 150 Euro |
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2360. The SMITHS: “Rank” (Rough Trade – VIL-28126) (Record: Near Mint/ Gatefold Jacket: Near Mint with faintest trace of foxing/ 2 separate Inserts: Near Mint/ Two-sided Pin Up Insert: Near Mint/ Obi: Near Mint). All complete top condition Japan 1st original pressing. “For many Smiths fans, Rank is as close as they will get to a live performance from Morrissey, Johnny Marr, and company. Recorded live at The National Ballroom in London in October of 1986, roughly six months before they disbanded altogether, these 14 songs capture the Smiths performing in full-on rock-star mode. Though Grant Showbiz's production and engineering work consistently places Morrissey's voice too loud in respect to the rest of the band, the performance is suitably epic, hit-packed, and engrossing. Morrissey is in fine form, randomly trilling and squawking throughout, providing enough cocky banter and personality that the fact that he's nearly out of breath for half the performance doesn't put a damper on the festivities. Highlights abound: the opening shot of "The Queen Is Dead" bristles with emotion and post-punk fury; "Vicar in a Tutu" sees an energized Morrissey employing interesting, bizarre vocal inflections and a series of endearing growls; "I Know It's Over" is perhaps more harrowing and brittle here than anywhere else in the band's discography, as Morrissey surrenders to emotion while the soil falls over his head. It's hard to tell if Mike Joyce and Andy Rourke were having their best nights, since their contributions are buried deeper in the mix than would seem appropriate. Somehow, Johnny Marr's distinctive, manic jangle manages to escape the production and demand attention, especially on his solo creation "The Draize Train." Still, one has to wonder why "The Draize Train" was included over such staples as "How Soon Is Now," "I Want the One I Can't Have," and the eight other songs that were recorded during the concert but not included on the album. Perhaps they weren't seen as worthy representations, but there is certainly additional time left available on the CD edition, where at least two or three more songs could have been added. It really would be interesting to see how the band tackled "Meat Is Murder," "How Soon Is Now," and "There Is a Light That Never Goes Out" that night. Absolute completists might want to track down the bootleg recording ...The Bad Boy From a Good Family, which presents the National Ballroom concert in a more complete light. Rank is an essential part of any Smiths fan's collection, and it's an enlightening live peek at a foursome who many deem the greatest band of the 1980s, and more than a few others deem the last great band period.” (All Music Guide). Price: 200 Euro |
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2361. The SMITHS: “A Nice Bit Of Meat 3” (Private) (Record: Near Mint/ Paste On Jacket: Near Mint). Scarce Japanese bootleg comprised of outtakes from their first LP and features the 11 tracks from the TATE1 set of Troy Tate outtakes from the early recording sessions for the Smiths' debut album. Good sound quality and getting a bit hard to find as the pressing quantity was quite low. Top shape. Price: 75 Euro |
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2362. The SOFT BOYS: “Give It To The Soft Boys” (Raw Records – RAW-5) (EP Record: Near Mint/ Picture Sleeve: Near Mint). 1977 UK first original pressing of subliminal ep record that just blows!!!! Like The Stranglers, The Soft Boys were often lumped in with the punk crowd, even though they had very little to do with it. Unlike The Stranglers though, who unabashedly exploited that scene as a springboard for their career, The Soft Boys association seems to be because of an inability to find a proper pigeonhole for them. Yeah, you'll find some punk rawness in "Wading Through A Ventilator", but that track has got Beatlesque pop and psychedelia at its nougaty center. Likewise for the rumbling "Face Of Death" and slightly bluesy "Hear My Brane". Hitchcock's overt weirdness made it difficult to call them power pop and musically they were too indebted to pop to be pure psych. Not that it mattered to Hitchcock anyway (then or at any time afterward) as he obviously followed his own muse. At any rate, this is a decent debut EP that's basically an unrefined look at what would end up on "Can Of Bees". Fucking brilliant!!! Price: 75 Euro |
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2363. The SOFT BOYS: “He’s A
Reptile b/w Song No. 4” (Midnight Music – DING-4) (7 Inch Single: Near Mint/
Picture Sleeve: Excellent). UK 1983 first original pressing of legendary Soft
Boys single. Well what can I say, you can never have enough early Soft Boys
stuff. Classic Soft Boys stuff with guitar dialogue between Rew and Hitchcock
that only flouris in brief bursts, the band more intent on replicating
Hitchcock's songs than flying 8 miles high. Nonetheless, the Soft Boys packed
the three-minute tunes with pleasures both traditional and twisted: jangling
guitars that fractured into rude, Captain Beefheart-like dissonance and
melodies rich enough to satisfy fans of the three B's (Byrds, Beatles and Syd
Barrett) with images surreal enough to fill a month's worth of nightmares. In
short, you need this shit! Price: 65 Euro
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2364. The SOFT BOYS: “A Can Of Bees” (Two Crabs – Claw-1001) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Near Mint). Top condition UK first original press of 1979 of one of the cornerstone recordings of UK underground disjointed neo-psych-cum rock. “The Soft Boys like so many other underground miscreants in the '70s, spent their formative years (unbeknownst to them) generating enough critical capital to earn much sought-after biographical adjectives like “influential” and “underrated.” The Robyn Hitchcock-led, Cambridge, England-born, pseudo-psych rock outfit's shared love for all things Byrds, Beatles, Dylan and Syd Barrett was both venerated and blown to smithereens on their 1979 debut long-player, A Can Of Bees. More angular and jarring than the band’s beloved 1980 follow-up, Underwater Moonlight, Hitchcock, Kimberley Rew, Morris Windsor and Andy Metcalfe sounded positively possessed, channeling both '60s progressive rock and late-'70s punk into an unholy guitar-driven onslaught fueled by Hitchcock’s surreal lyrics: opening a record with a line like “feel like asking a tree for an autograph” is one thing, but backing up those words with an atonal, apocalyptic blues riff is another. It’s an often-brutish affair that works more often than it should, with highlights arriving by way of the pounding and addictive “Leppo and the Jooves,” the incendiary “Do the Chisel,” and the impossibly dumb but nearly perfect pop gem “Sandra’s Having Her Brain Out.” (AMG). Getting damned hard to dig up as a first press but such a wonderful album that is a jagged, confident rock 'n' roll LP that resists categorization: not quite punk, not quite psychedelia and not quite New Wave, but close enough to stay dry under the umbrellas of all three. Hitchcock's eccentric surrealist swagger is in a louder, rawer fashion that his later work and finds the Soft Boys developing their idiosyncratic blend of Syd Barrett-style psychedelia, angst-fueled punkyness and Lennon-esque pop. Brilliance from start to finish!!! Price: 150 Euro |
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2365. SOFT BOYS: “A Can of Bees”
(Two Crabs Universal – CLAW-1001) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Near Mint). Rare
2nd press issue with totally different songs on side 2 as opposed to the first
press issue. Other difference is the back cover color which is also been
altered from white to salmon pink and the front cover has been altered from
deep reddish orange to a lighter shade of that color. Side one is the same but
the tracks on side two are completely altered. Gone are Return of the Sacred
Crab; School Dinner Blues and Wading through a Ventilator and these are
replaced by Fatman’s Son; (I Want To Be An) Anglepoise Lamp and Ugly Nora. So
yeah, this might sound like as worthless as the tits on a boar hog but in my
retarded world, both versions are indispensable for my demented lunacy! Price:
75 Euro
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2366. SOFT MACHINE: “Love Makes Sweet Music b/w Feelin’ Reelin’ Squeelin’” (Polydor – 56151) (7 Inch Single Record: Excellent ~ Near Mint - small pen mark on label/ Company Sleeve: Excellent). Stupidly scarce 1967 UK first original pressing of Soft Machine’s first single release, comprised of 2 non-LP tracks and recorded before they were picked up by Probe. When this oddity does surface it is always in lamentable condition but this copy here is the cleanest by far, I have seen, hardly any signs of any play, no defects, no damages, next-to-impossible to upgrade upon. With an A-side that is reminiscent of the sunny mid-1960s British Invasion pop that has only tastes of the tripped-out psychedelic Canterbury experiences to come and a B-sides that combine that approach with darker verses reminiscent of a prelude to Song From the Bottom of a Well from Kevin Ayers' third solo album, this first single from the Soft Machine - recorded even before the demo sessions which were later released as Jet Propelled Photographs - represents a very embryonic point indeed of the band's development. Though Daevid Allen was in the lineup at this point, his presence is barely felt, whilst the jazzy influences that would inform their subsequent work are almost entirely absent - unless you count the freakier portions of Feelin' Reelin' Squealin' as almost a trip into free jazzing waters. Absolutely fantastic! Price: Offers!!!! |
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2367. SOFT MACHINE: “S/T” (Probe – CPLP-4500) (Record & Gimmick Gatefold Jacket with movable parts: SEALED original – has tiny small drill hole on upper left corner and comes with large shop discount seal on shrink). Perfect copy! SEALED original, just mega rare, only a couple of copies (one can count them on one hand actually) are known to exist in sealed condition. First original pressing with the gatefold sleeve and the movable parts. In 1968 Soft Machine toured the USA, opening for the Jimi Hendrix Experience. During this tour, they recorded their first album, The Soft Machine, in New York. Disbanded after Ayers's amicable departure at the end of this tour, Soft Machine reformed with former road manager and composer Hugh Hopper on bass added to Wyatt and Ratledge, to record their second album in 1969. First original pressing of the original trio line-up, released only in the US at the time. Top copy, SEALED original with jacket has zero ring wear – which is no mean feat – but has a tiny little drill hole, sealed condition is just impossible for this disc. No exaggeration if I say this is a museum piece, one of only a known few (3 or so) sealed copies with original big bargain price sticker still firmly attached to the shrink. Perfect sealed original! Price: Offers!!!! |
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2368. SOFT MACHINE: “S/T” (Probe – King Records
Japan – SR-303) (Record: Near Mint/Jacket: Near Mint/ Insert: Mint). Hopelessly
rare Japan ONLY issue & the cleanest & most perfect copy to ever cross
my eyes so far. First Soft Machine disc but here you have the 1st Japanese press of this baby, with
totally different jacket artwork that came out only in Japan. Mega rare,
especially in this condition as here, 2nd time I saw a copy on these shores or
anywhere else for that matter but first time I have one in absolutely TOP
condition. First original 1st Japanese pressing of that day,
totally different artwork but nevertheless the music is even better. Next to
impossible to dig up on these shores, especially in such a near immaculate
condition as this baby here. Price: Offers!!!! |
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2369. SOFT MACHINE: “2”
(Barclay – N.0921019) (Record: Excellent ~ Near Mint/ Jacket: Near Mint).
Original French pressing of the Soft’s 2nd album that comes housed
in a France only jacket art. Has been quite a while since I could lay my hands
on a clean copy of this one. Clean and trouble free copy! Price: 75 Euro |
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2370. SOFT MACHINE: “Volume Two” (Probe/ King Records – SR-348) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Near Mint/ Insert: Near Mint). Rare Japan 1st original pressing of the 2nd Soft Machine LP. The rarest of their Japanese pressed records – if there was on obi it would set you back a couple of thousand…here obi is missing so the price drops multifold. SOLD |
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2371. SOFT MACHINE: “Volume Two” (Probe – SPB-1002) (Record: Near Mint/ Flip Back Jacket: Near Mint) Top condition of scarce UK first original press issue on first issue black colored probe label with matching matrix numbers 1G/ 1G identifying as a true first pressing!! Comes housed in first issue coated flip back sleeve. Damned hard to find in such exquisite condition. Price: 300 Euro |
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2372. SOMEI SATOH: “Mandala/
Sumeru” (ALM Records – AL-26) (Record: Mint/ Jacket: Mint/ Obi: Mint).
Awesome totally obscure and largely unknown minimalist tranced out and zoned in
masterpiece that will make even La Monte Young blush with shame. This is
without a doubt Somei Satoh’s masterpiece, a deep resonating work that sounds
like Geino Yamashirogumi’s “Osorezan” opus slowed down a zillion times while at
the same time being invaded by hordes of Tibetan monks without a cause just
humming away. In short upon discovering this gem for the first time some years
back it came over like heaven itself had opened up to me and shown me not a
vision of the future at all, but better than that, the beginning of the road to
the future. The swirling epic on display does not restrict itself to a tiny
repertoire of pitches and rhythmic values based on repeated motifs and
stretches of static harmony. It is more than that although it encapsulates all
of the above. It is a shimmering swirl of sizzling deep throating vocals, thick
clouds of reverberating low end churn him that sink away in a never ending deep
abyss of infinite blackness. It's quite mellow and meditative, yet ominously
heavy and doom laden. As the disc progresses, momentary echoes of doom emerge
from the sonic background, like thunder in the distance, or waves crashing on
shore. The whole simmering side of side A was recorded at the NHK Electronic
Music Studio in October 1982 and it is a massive piece of meditative bliss impregnated
with rampaging Tibetan monks. The B-side is again deeply minimalist in its
approach be it more avant-garde intoned and orchestrated but yet not less eerie
and otherworldly like the previous side. It just highlights the drone coupled
with a wash of minimal low end shimmer, as a single slow burning sidelong epic,
very occult and austere sounding. Just a massive and amazing disc and the
hardest to track down in the Somei Satoh discography. If you dig Taj Mahal
Travelers, Kosugi exploits, Japanese avant-garde, electronic music and ethnic
field recordings, then this one has written you all over it. Price: 250 Euro |
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2373. SONDHEIM ALAN: “Ritual-All-7-70” (ESP Disk – 1048) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Near Mint and without any discoloration or foxing). Original MONO press from 1967 with 156 Fifth Ave address stated on back. Clean first original pressing. This historical free improvisation disc is a curious collection of short improvisations by the multi-instrumentalist Alan Sondheim -- who plays, among others, koto, English horn, electric and acoustic guitars, and various percussion and reed instruments -- and a bassist, percussionist (doubling on tabla and bongos), and drummer, with the wordless vocals of Ruth Ann Hutchinson echoing the horn lines and occasionally spiraling off into the ether on their own. Although they largely sound like live improvisations by a full band, the fact that Sondheim plays the majority of the instruments by himself suggests that these pieces were painstakingly overdubbed. But then that is a thought only and it does not diminish the stellar qualities of this album one tiny bit. Even upon repeated listening, the album never loses its adventurous approach and the music remains sounding fresh and challenging. Still the recording has that great chaotic feel plastered all over itself, an element that can partly be attributed to the musicians not being seasoned free players like other scenesters. Therefore, the opening up to the freedom principle bubbles up out of a different mindset than those academia free jazz musicians. Instead of opening up a structure, they accepted in the improvisation a factor of chaotic meeting of souls where the feeling to feel-free emanated more out what they heard during that communal experience, enjoying it more like a mind confusing take on psychedelia. The freak element is certainly roaming at large here and it is exactly that part that makes this disc such a joy to sit through. A classic. Price: 100 Euro |
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2374. SONDHEIM ALAN: “T’ Other Little Tune” ESP Disk – 1082) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Excellent – small middle rubbing on opening). Original US 1st pressing in great shape of always-elusive ESP slide. One of the rarest ESP releases, original 1968 US pressing. This historical free improvisation disc that fuses a free jazz aesthetic with moog extravaganza and electronic music is a curious collection of short improvisations by the multi-instrumentalist Alan Sondheim -- who plays, among others, moog, prepared piano, trombone, jaltarang, Hawaiian guitar, dilruba, classical guitar, soprano saxophone, bass recorder, marimba and melodeon, June Sondheim taking care of the piano and the eerie alienesque vocalizations from outer space, Gregert Johnson (flute, piccolo, moog), Joel Zabor (drums, tabla, moog) and Paul Philips (trumpet). As opposed to his previous LP he released for ESP under the same name, this weird-as-hell outing is a largely electronic effort with quite a bit of pioneering synthesizer and oscillator work. Some of these short pieces may recall John Cage's occasionally harsh '40s and '50s vintage work, when randomness and indeterminacy were the primary focus of his composing method, while the more overtly jazz-oriented works, like the fascinating "780" (which features a rat-a-tat rhythm that may be of electronic or found-sound origin), are more in tune with the usual ESP ethos. It is a dead-pan avant-garde outing that fuses free jazz with demented electronics, eerie voices popping up out of the mists of time and sonic mayhem gets flashed in between your speakers, making your head spin and twist until you lose all sense of direction, time, space and place. But then that is a thought only and it does not diminish the stellar qualities of this album one tiny bit. Even upon repeated listening, the album never loses its adventurous approach and the music remains sounding fresh and challenging. Still the recording has that great chaotic feel plastered all over itself, an element that can partly be attributed to the musicians not being seasoned free players like other scenesters. A classic. Price: 250 Euro |
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2375. The SONICS: “Introducing The Sonics – Featuring The Witch And Psycho” (Jerden – JRLS-7007) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Near Mint). Top condition of hardest to track down Sonics album from 1967. 3rd outing by these teenage sonic assassins fronted again by Gerry Roslie's banshee vocals, a blessed voice, bruised beyond repair as they obliterate the Seattle skyline in 1967, bringing forth the garage apocalypse carried by waves of fuzzed-up cauldrons of demonic bass, manic cackles, and liquid guitar ankle-chomping. This feels like crawling out the amphetamine-fueled blues basement and seeking sanctuary in the penthouse of delinquent guitar sounds, birthing out a mind- numbing assortment of Sonics' classics: "You Got Your Head On Backwards," "Like No Other Man," "Psycho," "The Witch" and simultaneously reinvented garage rock powerhouses like "I'm A Man," "Diddy Wah Diddy" and much more. Killer from start to finish, teeth-grinding teenage frenzy that runs around like a Pitbull on crack! Impossible to upgrade upon. Price: Offers!!!! |
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2376. SONNIER, KEITH: “Air To Air” (Gemini G.E.L. 1975) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Near Mint/ Insert: Near Mint). Rare 1975 US gallery edition private press issue of amazing sound art slide – original Gold label 1st press issue. Sonnier was a Leo Castelli protégé, with several solo shows in his New York gallery since 1972. At the time, Sonnier was creating multimedia installations using live video, sound transmission and light. The Air to Air LP, published by Los Angeles gallery Gemini G.E.L. in 1975, documents a twin sound installation based on long distance phone connection between art gallery staffs and attendees, from New York to Los Angeles on side 1, and from Los Angeles to New York on side 2. Ace Gallery in Los Angeles and Leo Castelli Gallery in NY presented the installation from February 8 to 22, 1975. I assume both exhibitions consisted of microphones and headphones hanging from the walls for volunteers to call the other Coast. The LP’s sound work is based on casual conversations, static and insistent high-pitched tonality. A disturbing disjunction arises from the fact we only hear one speaker at a time, though several unrelated conversations are randomly superposed. One participant calls the experience ‘super-telepathy’. The final mix of disembodied voices speaking in the vacant space carries a feeling of impossible communication. If long distance phone calls can reduce the distance between people, this mix actually, and somewhat ironically, increases the gap between Los Angeles and New York, as if resisting the globalization to come. The record is produced by Kurt Munkacsi, Philip Glass’s official NY producer, who also worked for Brian Eno, David Bowie and Diamanda Galás, a.o. Price: 175 Euro |
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2377. SONNY CLARK: “Cool
Struttin’” (Blue Note/ King Records – BST-81588) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket:
Near Mint/ Obi: Near Mint/ Insert: Near Mint/ Imprinted Inner Sleeve: Near
Mint/ Sticker: Mint/ Sticker Insert Sheet: Near Mint). Original Japanese issue
with rare Silver toned OBI. Best sounding pressing out there of this slide,
virginal audiophile vinyl and superb mastering! Price: 125 Euro
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2378. SONNY CLARK TRIO: “S/T” (Time Records/ Nippon Columbia – PS-1129-T) (Record: Near Mint/ Flip Back Jacket: Near Mint/ Obi: Near Mint). The legendary “Time” album. Mega rare Japan very first press -predating the closely followed 2nd issue that had the same sleeve art as the US version – all complete mega rare first issue OBI!!!! First issue comes with Japan only altered sleeve art!!! “This lesser-known Sonny Clark session (his only studio album not made for Blue Note) is sometimes issued under drummer Max Roach’s name, too. They are joined by bassist George Duvivier for a set of generally obscure Clark originals including "Minor Meeting," "Blues Mambo," and "My Conception" (which is taken as an unaccompanied piano solo). Although not obvious while listening to his recording, Clark’s life was in decline and this would be his penultimate date as a leader.” (All Music Guide). Beautifully sounding Japanese first original pressing all complete with freakingly rare 1st issue obi. Never seen before with original obi and in such nice shape so and with the alternate Japan only sleeve art… just never pops up all complete with obi. Price: 500 Euro
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2379. SONNY CLARK TRIO: “S/T” (Top Rank Records/ Victor Records – RANK-5032) (Record: Excellent/ Flip Back Jacket: Near Mint/ Imprinted Inner Sleeve: Near Mint/ Obi: Near Mint). The legendary “Time” album. Mega rare Japan very first press original MONO – all complete with two-sided imprinted inner sleeve and mega rare first issue OBI!!!! “This lesser-known Sonny Clark session (his only studio album not made for Blue Note) is sometimes issued under drummer Max Roach’s name, too. They are joined by bassist George Duvivier for a set of generally obscure Clark originals including "Minor Meeting," "Blues Mambo," and "My Conception" (which is taken as an unaccompanied piano solo). Although not obvious while listening to his recording, Clark’s life was in decline and this would be his penultimate date as a leader.” (All Music Guide). Beautifully sounding Japanese first original MONO pressing all complete with freakingly rare 1st issue obi. Never seen before with original obi and in such nice shape so… Price: 300 Euro |
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2380. SONNY MURRAY: “Sonny’s Time Now” (Jihad - 663) (Record: Near Mint / Jacket: Excellent/ Reprint Insert: Near Mint). Bloody rare 1st original pressing. In short, this one is a beast, a vicious sledgehammer free jazz monster that will cave in your skull. Here is what the Reverend Thurston Moore had to say about this monster classic of a disc: “Sonny was the drummer considered to be the first to realize and recognize and perform, on drums, pure FREE jazz. He played behind and along with Ayler early on and Cecil Taylor. He constructed groups, which always flew and raged with spiritual abandon. He took time as an abstract and turned it into free motion. This recording is super-lo-fi and is awesome. On it play Ayler (tenor) and Don Cherry (trumpet) as well as Leroi Jones (now known as Amiri Baraka) reading a killer poem called "Black Art". This music is very Ayler but more fractured and odd. Like a lot of these records there is only a front cover with the back of the jacket blank. Whether this was done for economic or artistic reasons is unclear. Jihad was a concern of Leroi Jones and anything released on this label is utterly obscure. The only other title I've seen is one just called "BLACK AND BEAUTIFUL" from the mid-60's which is Leroi and friends sitting on the stoops of Harlem chanting, beating drums and celebrating Leroi's "poems" ("The white man/at best/is..corny!") There was an ad for Jihad in an old issue of Jazz & Pop magazine which announced a Don Ayler (Albert's amazing trumpet-playing bro) LP but I've yet to meet anyone who's actually seen this. Recorded in 1965.” US original in decent shape and the rarest and hardest to track down slide by Murray, rare free jazz private press issue! Decent shape with a clean record in awesome shape and an EX sleeve, this one comes cheap! Price: 475 Euro |
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2381. SONNY SHARROCK: “Monkey-Pockie-Boo”
(BYG Records Japan/ Nippon Columbia – ACTUEL 33) (Record: Near Mint/ Fold
Out Jacket: Near Mint/ Obi: Mint/ Attached Insert: Mint) First original Japanese
press copy of 1971 on state of the art vinyl quality. Promo issue with rare
obi. 2nd time I have a copy with obi in the span of 15 years…damned
hard one to unearth all complete with obi. Totally awesome copy of this hard to
find original Actuel disc. This is the original Japanese pressing that came out
in 1971 and has superior vinyl quality as opposed to its French counterpart
version. Of course the sound quality is million times better than the shady
Akarma editions. One of free jazz’s defining moments with wild animalistic
guitar gunslinger Sonny Sharrock backed up by his wife Linda and Beb Guerin
(bass) and skin shifter Jacques Thollot. Every one knows the story I guess.
Essential listening material. Price: 250 Euro |
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2382. SONNY SHARROCK: “Black Woman” (Vortex Records - 2014) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Near Mint – still in shrink/ Insert: Near Mint/ Direct Import Obi: Excellent ~ Near Mint - has a coupon cut out on back side) Rare original copy of one of the defining free jazz artifacts. This copy comes with Insert and the rarely seen Direct Import OBI – both designed for the Japanese market when imported still present. First copy ever I see with obi. What Takayanagi was for the east was Sonny Sharrock for the western hemisphere, an unrelenting heavy fretting power that until this day has not yet been equaled. Line-up on this disc is to die for – the crème of the crème of that day free roaring jazz scene, spearheaded by Sonny himself and unleashing the unabashed sonic frivolities of Milford Graves. Dave Burrell, Norris Jones and free howling witch Linda Sharrock. Tremendously great music, like a jet engine plane taxiing on the runway before incinerating the sound barrier. Original copy with import OBI. Damned rare. Price: 300 Euro |
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2383. SONNY SHARROCK: “Black Woman” (Vortex Records – SD-2014) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Near Mint) Rare original copy of one of the defining free jazz artifacts. Rarely offered WHITE label PROMO issue! What Takayanagi was for the east was Sonny Sharrock for the western hemisphere, an unrelenting heavy fretting power that until this day has not yet been equaled. Line-up on this disc is to die for – the crème of the crème of that day free roaring jazz scene, spearheaded by Sonny himself and unleashing the unabashed sonic frivolities of Milford Graves. Dave Burrell, Norris Jones and free howling witch Linda Sharrock. Tremendously great music, like a jet engine plane taxiing on the runway before incinerating the sound barrier. Original copy WHITE label PROMO. Damned rare. Price: 300 Euro |
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2384. The SONS OF ADAM: “Tomorrow’s Gonna Be Another Day b/w Take My Hand” (Decca Records/ Teichiku Records – DS-423) (7-Inch Single Record: Near Mint/ Picture Sleeve: Excellent ~ Near Mint – has some foxing on back of picture sleeve/ Company Inner Sleeve: Near Mint). Insanely rare 1966 Japan only issue with picture sleeve. Only Sons Of Adam release to come with a picture sleeve and so far no one is holding a copy everywhere and anywhere. Stupidly rare US Garage Punk artifact that saw only in Japan a picture sleeve release on the highly unsuccessful Teichiku – Decca Records imprint. Most of their 7-inch releases were so badly promoted at the time that copies do virtually not exists and the Sons Of Adam is the cherry on the cake as far as commercial failure and unavailability is concerned. Unfortunately, trying to find the 45 back then and now was and is a more challenging feat than a futile attempt at grasping nuclear physics. So far only 2 or 3 copies are accounted for and this is one of them. The Sons contained ace guitarist Randy Holden (later of The Other Half and Blue Cheer) and also future Love drummer Michael Stuart. Guitarist Craig Tarwater was also a member and he later turned up in the group Arthur Lee used on his 1972 solo LP "Vindicator." So the Sons Of Adam had close ties with all things Love. Two killer teenage proto garage punk tracks, embryonic in its flight and gathering quite a punch before crashlanding! Holden’s guitar style is already omnipresent and drifts by this time on the fumes of the hellish intensity that is yet to come to full fructification later down the line. Impossibly rare and probably the first and last copy ever offered up for grabs so…do not think twice it is all right. Top condition with picture sleeve! You are permitted to go totally ballistic on this one! Price: Offers!!! |
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2385. The SORROWS: “Old Songs New Songs” (Miura – MIU LP-10011) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Near Mint – lamination crease on back). Top condition Italy only issue. Legendary Italian-only late sixties album by British freakbeat/garage R&B giants the Sorrows after they relocated to Italy in 1966, recording for a small independent label based in Milan. Now extremely rare as an original pressing, the album has been shoddily bootlegged a couple of times, including a CD pressing that slowed down the recordings and also managed to chop off the final minute of the album's title track! This baby here if of course the original pressing. Price: Offers!!!! |
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2386. SOTO-ZEN: “Tada Hitasura Ni Suwaru No Sekai” (Toshiba Records – THX-90055~60) (6 LP Record Set: Near Mint/ Cloth covered and bound Outer Box with sideways opening flaps: Mint/ Obi: Mint/ Thick Illustrated 100 paged Booklet: Mint/ Individual LP Jackets: Mint). Bloody rare and obscure 6 LP box issue that comes housed in a lavish package – cloth bound outer box with obi that upon opening reveals 6 different LP’s each housed in a beautiful sleeve and a thick fully illustrated book. Released by Toshiba and compiled by professor in Japanology & Musicology at Dokkyo & Tokyo University – Hirano Kenji, it documents the Buddhist monks of the Soji-ji Temple of the Soto-sect way back in 1980. This released turned out – once I was introduced to it about 15 years ago – one of my all-time favorite hardcore field recordings ever. Unfortunately, copies were scarce and I did not manage to dig up another one until now. The gods must have been smiling after all. This totally vanished obscurity out of 1980, depicts some sonic activities taking place on the far edged fringes of Japan’s sonic landscape. I categorize the disc amongst psychedelic and devastating field recordings, with a strong emphasis on the psyched-out character of this recording and accompanying artwork. The record follows sessions carried out by some seriously “way-out-there” Buddhist monks. Interlarded by the sound of wooden getta, the wind blowing through the region, the dusty noisy insectoid chirping by hordes of descending cicadas and crickets swelling into a crescendo of all engulfing maniacal fury that collides eventually with the myriad chanting of the monks, and their almighty cacophonous percussion and other instruments make this sound document such a hardcore and bewildering listening experience that has yet to meet its rival. In short it is a mesmerizing recording, strange and beautiful. This 6 LP set is heavy with musical possibility, and is of profound musical substance, blending it easily with an overwhelming vocal onslaught, bizarre tonalities, startling vocals, inherent improvisation moves and apocalyptic shamanistic sense of poetry. Just mesmerizingly great arresting listening experience. This 6 LP box set comes with a detailed and fully illustrated thick booklet getting into detail about the maniac fury and the high tension sonics on display here. So if you are eager to dive into another totally obscure and weird esoteric pressing world, then I do not believe it comes more obscure and under documented than early 1980s elusive press records documenting the compelling sonic antics by temples and the monks it inhabits. This set is the perfect place to start but unfortunately, these recordings were released in such small quantities and only offered for sale at the time at these local temples at the time that now they virtually never turn up anymore. The music on the other hand is so out-there that no experimental group in the Western world would ever be brave enough to release this kind of music and yet these monks just acted it out while meditating at their local temple. Awesome. Price: Offers!!!! |
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2387. SOUFFRIAU, ARESENE: “Experiences Bimes” (Methaphon Records – 002) (3 LP Set: Mint/ Cloth Bound Box: Mint/ Booklet: Mint). Amazing 3 LP set, released in a tiny edition of ONLY 200 copies that evaporated into thin air before most people could pick up on it. “Hardboard linen LP box contains 3 LP's and a 20 page booklet with extensive background, notes (in Dutch, French and English) and photos from A.S.
Edition of 200 copies. Arsène Souffriau (born Brussels 1926) is a cornerstone of the first generation of Belgian electronic and experimental music composers along with Henri Pousseur, Karel Goeyvaerts and Leo Küpper. Regardless decades of dedicated work he received even less recognition than his Belgian contemporaries.In the late 60's Souffriau got some appreciation among the larger public for his contribution of electronic sounds to the 'Free Electronic Pop Concept' LP, a psychedelic pop album around the brothers Jess & James. But his professional musical career that started at young age reached much further than this: he worked as a conductor, composer, sound editor, functional music composer for film, documentary and theatre leaving a massive quantity of recordings. Since the early 60's, in his free time, he has independently been working in his home studio BIMES, where he has produced numerous experimental instrumental and electronic music works. The pieces on this release, which span over a period of almost 40 years, have been selected from Souffriau's private music archive and were mostly recorded at his BIMES studio. The pieces clearly depict the wide spectrum of his work throughout the time starting with the primitive concrete tape music from the early 60's, going through his period of (group) improvisation (Groupe Fusion) with analogue (and live) electronics towards the digital techniques in the 80's and 90's using MIDI and computer.” (label description) Just gorgeous and one of the best early times electronic LP’s to seep out of the low lands. Amazing!!! Price: 150 Euro |
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2388. The SOUND: “Jeopardy” (Korova – KOW-58255) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Near Mint/ Printed Inner Sleeve: Near Mint). Original 1980 German pressing. The Sound’s debut is one of those albums that, once you hear it, seems like it’s been omitted from far too many necessities lists. The album was picked up on the strength of their first EP and Korova’s impressions of the demos. Dark in all the right ways and textured nicely with liberal washes of synth and a chugging debt to Krautrock, it explodes halfway through opener “I Can’t Escape Myself”. It is an intensely dramatic, mesmerizing number. The characteristic quickfire bass and upbeat drum kicks start almost inaudibly and rise like smoke filling a closed room. Guitar agitates in unison with the drums. Then singer/guitarist Adrian Borland begins: "So many feelings/ Pent up in here/ Left alone, I'm with/ The one I most fear." His paranoia intensifies across the verse, until the theatrical interjection of the chorus. Borland drips "I can't escape myself," as it's echoed, in screams and guitar jabs, in the background. But this is a brief, Kafkaesque release. The whole LP never lets go and blasts full throttle throughout the canyons of your mind. These are songs that haunt, blaze, rip, and govern, sometimes within the same moment. Oh, their elements: the guitars twitch like an itchy trigger finger, the vocals teem with fury and fire, the bass like a controlled nuclear reaction, keyboards always at the perfect color, whether dark or luminescent. Even when the band isn’t tearing paint from the walls with guitar fury, the mid-tempo smolders are in line with the best of the decade and should appeal to Echo fans thinking they’ve reached the end of the line. The album was critically lauded by NME, Sounds and Melody Maker but somehow failed to connect with audiences and despite a thoroughly excellent follow-up, From The Lion’s Mouth, the band never caught a foothold. In a story that’s far too common, the album wasn’t even released in the States at the time, only selling respectably at home and so it would languish on critics’ shelves alone. They’d soldier on though, a more forgiving time for bands to grow, and they would make five albums in total. The album serves as a nice jumping off point between punk and the burgeoning post-punk development. Sadly the band drifted out of music eventually, with exception of songwriter Adrian Borland, who worked as a producer until he took his own life in 1999. Price: 100 Euro |
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2389. SOUND CREATION: “Rock Fantasia” (Teichiku
– FX-408) (Record: Near Mint/ Heavy Gatefold Jacket: Near Mint/ OBI:
MINT). TOP COPY!! Bloody rare and hardly ever offered Japanese progressive
& psychedelic rock masterpiece. COMPLETE with freakingly rare OBI –
all complete copy! Only the 2nd time that I can klay my eyes on an
all-complete copy – and even without obi these babies do not surface at
all. Recently added to Pokora’s book with a 6 star
value. Original 1972 issue that was released in the same series as S. Tanaka's
"British Rock Live In Japan" brain melter!!! This was the 2nd Sound
Creation LP which was this masterminded and centered around ex-Outcast organ
player Hoguchi Yosuke (who was also co- responsible for getting People - Buddha
Meets Rock off the ground) and here he got flanked by psychedelic guitar fuzz
wunderkind Mizutani Kimio amongst other scenesters. "Rock Fantasia"
is a totally different affair as its predecessor "Progressive Rock"
and a more lethal listening experience for that matter. The focus is here on
the key word "lethal" because that is what this slide is all about,
it will floor you.... Deep space psyched out explorations not unlike Ummaguma-era
Pink Floyd await you, a psychic maze of organ driven and fuzz-wah sultry
lysergic madness. Slowly staring off with "Theme From Shaft", the
band rapidly ripp off the straight jacket and transform it into a psych-funk/
space rock jam but it does not take them long to aim straight for Floydian
asymmetric grooves and synthetic sounds that steer straight for the deep
concealed depths of sonic kaleidoscopic and exploratory sound clusters, spiked
up with enough lysergic microdots to get lost in a psychic maze. Slow-burning
fuzzed out guitar action interlocks with mutant organ key action, providing
escape routes from electronic music formulaic gridlock and instead aim at
sweating out heavy psychedelic moves. Mizutani's guitar playing is totally
addictive here, combining propulsion, eloquent ornamentation and enough cosmic
fuzz-and wah-out phrasing to cut through the thick fog of your mind like a buzz
saw. In short, a stunning and totally obscure and overlooked Japanese
psychedelic masterpiece that stands shoulder to shoulder with Buddha Meets Rock/
Far Out and the likes. Copies with obi never turn up, this one has the obi
flashing its glorious colors so...Price: Offers!!!! |
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2390. The SOUNDS OF LIBERATION: “Unreleased” (Dogtown/ Brewerytown Beats – DGTWN-002) (Record: Near Mint/ Hand-pasted Jacket: Near Mint/ Insert: Near Mint). Long-gone limited-edition version with past on sleeve art. Limited to 300 copies only paste-on cover version. “Sounds of Liberation was a young musical collective based in Philadelphia’s Germantown neighborhood in the early 1970s. Their music, an innovative but accessible blend of free jazz and funk, both invoked and expanded on the ideas of artists as diverse as Pharoah Sanders, Curtis Mayfield, the Last Poets, “Mother Nature”-era Temptations, and Hubert Laws. They recorded a single album for the Dogtown imprint in 1972; the following year, not long before they disbanded, they cut several more sides—apparently in a studio, as there’s no audience to be heard and some multitracking is evident—at Columbia University. This vinyl LP brings those long-lost sessions to light for the first time.The Sounds consisted of saxophonist/flutist Byard Lancaster, vibist Khan Jamal, guitarist Monnette Sudler, bassist Billy Mills, drummer Dwight James, percussionist Omar Hill, and conguero Rashid Salime. Their compositions harked back to Sanders’ spirit-infused two-chord vamps, propelled by burbling, aggression-laced funk. Sudler, especially, is impressive—her leads are probing, her chording propulsive and sure. On sax, Lancaster alternates full-toned melodic ease with Sanders-like squawks and overtones, and his flute work is supple and adventurous. Jamal deftly accentuates his instrument’s dual role as a melodic and rhythmic voice, while Mills and the percussionists interweave with open-eared alertness. Side two consists of a single extended piece, “New Horizons (Backstreets of Heaven),” on which the group show themselves to be gifted vocalists as well as instrumentalists, although the somewhat muddy production precludes understanding many of the lyrics. The overall mood here is of youthful idealism and optimism, tempered by a startlingly mature aesthetic vision and well-honed musical acumen—all too poignantly reminiscent of a time when this kind of project might be considered almost “mainstream,” and the future looked bright with promise.” (David Whiteis). Price: 100 Euro |
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2391. The SPACE MEN: “Awa Crazy Dance” (Victor – SJV-156) (Record: Near Mint/ Tip Back Jacket: Near Mint). Oh boy, this is an old time favorite of mine that I have been hunting down for many moons. This LP is a must for instrumental rock fans with a twist. The Space Men were a guitar driven surf trash combo that was active in 1965 just before the GS boom took off, during the height of the so-called eleki-boom. For this particular recording – which is the most deranged out of their entire output – they decided to attack traditional Japanese summer festival tunes and Minyo songs such as “Awa-Odori”, “Sado Bon Dance Song”, “Kagoshima Volcano Song”, “Soran Fishing Song”, “Fishermen’s Feasting Song”, “Tea Picking Song”, “Flower Hat Dance” and other traditionals and infuse them with instrumental garage rock riffage, giving those traditionals an extra soaring edge without even for one second diminishing their rootsy flavor and “matsuri” qualities. The attacked songs remain intact but mixing them together with greased up garage sounds, trashy guitars and a healthy cavemen aesthetic catapults them into a whole different stratosphere filled with soaring jet engine fueled guitar riffage, pounding drums and teenage anxiety. Just sheer fantastic disc. Original 1965 pressing that is just as elusive as a white Siberian tiger. Took me almost 6 years to score my own copy, finally I have a spare to let loose. Highest possible all time recommendation!! Price: 200 Euro |
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2392. CHRIS SPEDDING GROUP/ CHRIS SPEDDING with BATTERED ORNAMENTS: “Rock And Roll Band b/w Goodbye We Loved You” (Odeon – OR-2517) (7 Inch Single Record: Near Mint/ Gatefold Picture Sleeve: Excellent/ Company Inner Sleeve: Excellent). Great condition Japan only issue of this two-tracker killer slide. The aftermath of A Meal You Can Shake Hands With In The Dark, Pete Brown was kicked out of his own group and his vocals were erased and re-recorded by guitarist Chris Spedding, and issued under The Battered Ornaments name. One assumes the flip of their sole single, Rock And Roll Band (with Chris Spedding to the fore), Goodbye We Loved You (Madly), was intended to be ironic. That aside, both are groovy jazzadelic fuzzy killer tracks only available in 7-inch format. Comes housed in cool gatefold picture sleeve. Not so easy to dig up in decent or even trashed condition. Price: 150 Euro |
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2393. SPEED GLUE & SHINKI: “Zenya” (Atlantic – P5044A ~ P5045A) (2 LP Set: Excellent ~ Near Mint/ 2 Individual Jackets: Near Mint / Inserts: Near Mint/ Outer LP sized obi flap: Excellent ~ Near Mint). TOP COPY!!!! Best copy ever & final upgrade!!!! One of the rarest Japanese heavy psych artifacts…Original press!! COMPLETE WITH OUTER BAG OBI – ORIGINAL!!!! Never turns up all-complete with the 2 large inserts and the outer bag OBI!!! In short, a monstrous rare album. By many – and rightly so – proclaimed as the defining Japanese heavy psych album of all times, Speed Glue & Shinki's disc first saw the light of day in 1972. When Food Brain disbanded in the autumn of 1970, Shinki Chen was keen on erecting his own outfit. Whilst scouting out possible brothers in arms to join in alliance with, he soon found a kindred spirit in Joey Smith who was up till then active as drummer and vocalist of the Philippine R&B group Zero Universe. Together with the addition of longtime collaborator Masayoshi Kabe, Speed, Glue & Shinki came into being. The name of the band left little too one's imagination and adhered openly to the glorious effects of narcotics such as speed and glue, elements that kept the band fueled up and on their toes. The exact date of the band's inauguration is not clear at all, but Masayoshi Kabe insists that it must have occurred during closing days of the year 1970. Joey's emboldened and simple drum patterns, Kabe's ever wandering off incorrigible and wildly extravagant bass hopping combined with Shinki Chen's unusual heavy phrasing that unleashing an abundantly roaring guitar sound were the three key elements responsible for the birth of one of the most interesting deep subterranean sounds a Japanese rock outfit had ever spewed out, surpassing many of their foreign contemporaries as far as sonic mayhem, matching attitude and love for illicit substances was concerned. The producer for this venture was again Orita Ikuzo, who was also responsible for putting Food Brain down to wax, letting the band vivaciously, without any external pressures and interferences; register their washes of sonic mayhem and maniac fury directly to tape. Officially released in 1971 as a debut double album filled to bursting ominously heavy fuzz guitar tsunami attacks and completely wasted vocals. This disc is THE absolute cornerstone of Japanese psychedelia. Primal demented and utterly wasted heavy psych bliss Heavy doom, acid drenched, dope infested heavy psychedelic fuzzed out masterpiece. Last side of the original 2 LP set ends surprisingly in an electronic music kind of outward-bound wash of sounds, making the album even more deranged than it already was. Anyway, I guess you know the story. Highest possible recommendation, this album rocked and still frazzles my world on a daily basis. One of the all-time best hard and doped up psych albums ever to have been put down on wax. And if you have to own only one Japanese psych album in your collection, be sure to make it this one. All the rest pales in comparison. Stunning copy with Outer OBI BAG and INSERTS!!!!! SOLD |
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2394. SPEED GLUE & SHINKI: “Eve” (Atlantic – P-8081) (Record: Excellent ~ Near Mint/ Jacket: Excellent ~ Near Mint/ All the 5 Rice paper Imprinted Inserts: Excellent). Clean stock copy copy of this doped up Japanese psychedelic underground beast. Many copies are in bad condition, but this one here is beautifully preserved!!! The band's sound – as illustrated on this killer LP – was an amphetamine infused heavy psychedelic blues-rock trip quelling the darker side of the New Rock (a term that hereafter became referred to by Japanese rock critics as the Yokohama sound). But unlike the Golden Cups, Speed, Glue & Shinki were obviously heavenly influenced by and more speeded up with kerosene infused greasy acidic raw garage aesthetic than their British blues rock role models. Unlike the high tensioned rock of the Flower Traveling Band, the straight forward seriousness of Blues Creation or the conflagrated artisan touch that Flied Egg beheld, Speed, Glue & Shinki succeeded in surmounting the self-parody of artistic pretension by embodying a sound of eastern dopes high on the raw and ostensible energy of an urban guerilla's sonic warfare. And this is where it all began. An historical piece of demented psychedelia. Beautiful condition copy with the inserts of this wild Japanese fuzz/ wah-wah drenched hard psych with the most savage/ violent axe-work imaginable!!!! These guys were on-the-edge for sure, no messing with them so… you know what you are in for. Comes dead cheap, must be losing my sanity after all. SOLD |
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2395. SPENCE, ALEXANDER: “Oar” (Columbia – CS-9831) (Record: Near Mint ~ MINT/ Jacket: Excellent ~ Near Mint/ Company Inner Sleeve: Near Mint). Original 1st US pressing. Best and cleanest copy I have seen so far – the record appears to have been played maybe only once or twice and plays through without the slightest minor disturbance. Clean 360 Sounds labels. It has been a while since I have come across such a clean copy of this masterpiece. Spence was a former Jefferson Airplane and Moby Grape, now turned into a cult hero who cut this one-off album. The original “Oar” album still stands alone as a dense and beguiling statement. Legend has it that, when Alexander 'Skip' Spence released Oar, in 1969, it was the worst selling album in the history of Columbia Records. The whole affair is unpolished, strange, heavy on cheap echo, and finding Spence playing every instrument himself. Falling almost immediately into oblivion upon its release, Oar's off-the-deep-end take on blurred Americana became eventually the stuff of legend. Legend has it that in 1968, Spence fried his brain from doses of LSD so heavy they triggered a bout of schizophrenia. At one point he tried to break down the door to Moby Grape band mate Jerry Miller's hotel room with a fire ax as he was convinced Satan possessed Miller. Hereafter, Spence spent six months in New York's Bellevue hospital, being treated for schizophrenia. Story has it that it was there, while being loaded up on drugs and crawling through a mental hell, that he wrote the songs that ended up eventually on Oar. After being released, Spence got a small advance from Columbia -- no more than $1,000, which he spent on a motorcycle and drove straight to Nashville. There, with the rest of the money, he recorded Oar between December 3 and December 12, 1968, at the Columbia Recording Studios. What emerged is the often-harrowing Oar, a revolutionary lo-fi imitation of Harry Smith and Lomax collection-type vintage 78s, full of demented pop songs. The album was released and disappeared. Spence essentially disappeared with it. Oscillating between biblical apocalypse, looney tunes humor, therapeutic release, and ‘sincere belief’, Oar became nothing less than a spiritual and psychic journey. An album so strange that no one dared buy it on its release; a massively unpopular record that, somehow, went on to influence a whole generation. This is easy to understand in retrospect, as the mood is blissed out, with the occasional apocalyptic dread and dissociated narratives. And while unpredictable in its calm erratic-ness, Spence’s vocals whisper and continually descend into the lowest of registers. Oar can be seen in a way as a soundtrack to schizophrenia as well as a visionary solo effort, guided by Spence’s voice, coming from somewhere far away and deep inside. If there were a pop station on Desolation Row, this would be the hit. Totally clean original US pressing – hard to ever improve upon. Price: Offers!!! |
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2396. SPENCE, ALEXANDER: “Andoaragain” (Columbia/ Sundazed – MH-8086) (3 LP Record Set: Near Mint/ Triple Gatefold Jacket: Mint). Long gone and out of print limited Record Store Day release that came out in 2019. AndOarAgain provides unparalleled access to what David Fricke calls “the most harrowing and compelling artifacts of rock & roll’s most euphoric era” across three dozen unheard tracks! In addition to the quintessential original album AndOarAgain features nearly two hours of unheard music on the way to Oar–along with roads not taken–that both clarifies and muddies the enigma of how psychedelic legend Alexander “Skip” Spence determined the final state of his iconic masterpiece. The time: December, 1968. The setting: the Columbia Recording Studios at 504 16th Avenue South in Nashville, Tennessee. Alexander Spence – a singer, songwriter, and guitarist commonly known as Skip, recently relieved of his duties in the San Francisco rock band Moby Grape after a descent into excessive hallucinatory-drug use and a psychotic episode with a fire axe – is recording Oar, his first album as a Columbia solo artist. It will also be his last. Made in six days spread over two weeks, then released six months later on May 19th, 1969, Oar will be Spence’s only complete expression of his experimental verve and musical facility, under his real name and creative control, before he recedes into rapidly deepening, ultimately conquering darkness. A half-century after its brisk, strange birth, Oar remains an apparent chaos of eccentric composition and overwhelming melancholy, wreathed in country-blues shadows and the smokey blur of Spence’s wounded-baritone singing. – label statement. Brilliant set that evaporated into this air the second it came out. Here is a pristine condition copy. Price: 150 Euro |
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2397. SPIRIT: “The Family That Plays Together” (CBS Sony – SONP-50118) (Record: Near Mint ~ Mint/ Gatefold Jacket: Near Mint ~ Mint/ 4 Paged Insert: Mint/ Obi: Mint). Top condition Japan 1st press original all complete with brutally rare OBI!!! “On this, the second Spirit album, the group put all of the elements together that made them the legendary (and underrated) band that they were. Jazz, rock & roll, and even classical elements combined to create one of the cleanest, most tasteful syntheses of its day. The group had also improved measurably from their fine debut album, especially in the area of vocals. The album's hit single, "I Got a Line on You," boasts especially strong harmonies as well as one of the greatest rock riffs of the period. The first side of this record is a wonderful and seamless suite, and taken in its entirety, one of the greatest sides on Los Angeles rock. All in all, a classic album, and a true landmark.” (All Music Guide) Killer Randy California led group of outlaws with stupendous “I Got a Line on You” that remains unrivalled. Impossible to ever upgrade upon and next to impossible to score with obi present. Price: 575 Euro |
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2398. SPIROGYRA: “St. Radigund’s” (B&C Records – CAS-1042) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Excellent). Top condition UK first original pressing from 1971. Named after an algae, Spirogyra, were important but slightly overlooked players in the teeming waters of the 70s folk pond. Highly original in terms of songwriting and delivery, and grounded by the beautiful voice of Barbara Gaskin, they forged, on the back of this debut, a large cult following on the underground circuit. It’s willfully different, right from the bizarre narrative opener The Future Won’t Be Long, but soon gives way to more subtle oddities such as Magical Mary, which, halfway through, abandons Martin Cockerham’s shouty delivery for Gaskin’s honey-like voice and becomes a masterpiece of 70s folk-rock. Top shape UK original pressing. Price: 350 Euro |
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2399. SPIROGYRA: “Old Boot Wine” (Peg – PEG-13) (Record: Near Mint/ Fragile Textured Jacket: Excellent – with no defects, faint trace of shelf wear). Just a top copy. Spirogyra were one of the bands of the late English folk revival that embraced progressive-rock and psychedelia. Their debut album, St Radigunds (B&C, 1971), was an innovative work, with Barbara Gaskin on vocals, Julian Cusack on violin, Martin Cockerham on guitar and Tony Cox on electronic keyboards. This sequel, Old Boot Wine was slightly less innovative and disruptive although the textures got thicker (cello, flute) and jazzier. It is, all the same, a precious item to collect on vinyl. Price: 350 Euro |
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2400. SPIROGYRA: “Bells, Boots and Shambles” (Polydor – 2310.246) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Excellent – has lower corner crease). Rare UK first original pressing on Plydor from 1973. Their last and arguably best LP. Formally reduced to Martin Cockerham and the always eye-blinding and delightful Barbara Gaskin, but still counting with Borrell, Cusack and Mattacks on bass, violin/keyboards and drums respectively, Spirogyra recorded the last album of their amazing trilogy. What they lost in spontaneity of their 1st album, they compensated with the possibilities of the studio environment and of the instrumental colors they flung into the mix to bolster up their already buoyant sound. But here they went just a tad further as compared to their previous two outings and next to meandering their already fully explored paths of folk and acidic folk rock, they enriched their sonic palette even further by spicing it up with trumpets, flutes and cellos players,. The result is that the magisterial “Bells, Boots & Shambles” is still much a lysergic folk album but this time injected with a lethal dose of progressive and at times even slightly symphonic elements, taking their sound to the next level. Widely regarded today as one of the great classics of British 'acid folk'. And rightly so. To file next to your Caedmon’s, Trees’, Fairports, Comus’, Fresh Maggots and Mellow Candle records stash. It will fit in perfectly. Top notch UK original pressing, record is NM, just perfect and nexct to impossible to ever upgrade upon. Jacket is VG++~Excellent – no damages but has some mild corner creases near bottom and faintest trace of handling. Really excellent condition, record is flawless. Hard to find in such superb nick. Price: Offers!!!!! |
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2401. SPJARNSVALLET: “S/T”
(Musiknatet Waxholm – MNW-57P) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Near Mint).
Original 1976 Swedish pressing of rare free jazz slide. This
albums does justice to a Swedish quartet who released only one self-titled
classic album that explored and blend many musical traditions from around the
globe. The Spjärnsvallet quartet was formed in the early seventies when
percussionist Bengt Berger, who had studied music in India and was on his way
to Ghana, met multi-instrumentalist Christer Bothén, who had learned in
Mali and was on his way to Morocco for a long collaboration with Don Cherry.
The two were joined by the late, genius multi-instrumentalist Kjell Westling
and bassist Nikke Ström and in 1975 released this sole album. Price: 175 Euro |
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2402. SPONTANEOUS MUSIC ENSEMBLE: “Karyobin” (Island – ILPS-9079) (Record: Near Mint – utterly clean, hard to improve upon/ Jacket: Excellent with hardly any ring wear or splits – fully readable spine, sharp corners, has minimal edge wear which hardly stands out, apart from this it would be NM). TOP condition best condition I have seen of both the record and sleeve so far, pristine. Original 1st UK pressing on Pink Island “eyeball” label!!! One of the key-releases in Britain’s - if not THE cornerstone recording – budding history of improvised music. Hardly ever turns up, original 1968 Pink Island pressing in top condition. SME had already been going for a couple of years when Karyobin was recorded in 1968. Drummer John Stevens has pushed the group from the freedom of jazz into the wider challenge of collective free improvisation. The awareness and openness this demanded on the part of the musicians can be heard throughout this pioneering album. Compared to the magnificent raging bark of Peter Brotzmann's Machine Gun (recorded a couple of months later), the music on Karyobin distances itself from the energy and impassioned self-expression of free jazz. Evan Parker and Kenny Wheeler play with extraordinary closeness, between and beneath them Derek (Dennis!!) Bailey had already taken the guitar into unheard-of territory. The rhythmic flexibility of John Steven's gentle work provides the space for it all to happen. Like the best of the improvised music that has followed in the ensuing 30 years, it touched on a special kind of intensified awareness, an in-the-moment saying and listening that is enthralling to hear unfold. This is stuff of legends and together with that first AMM disc on Elektra one of the defining cornerstone recordings in the UK’s early history of improvised music. Totally essential, top copy. Record is NM all the way without any sings of any handling, cleanest copy I had for ages, jacket is EX, just a dash below NM…always prone to ring wear and other defects, this one is really clean without any major or minor damages!!!…Price: Offers!!! |
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2403. SPOOKY TOOTH: “Spooky Tooth No Sekai” (Victor Records –
FOX-7003) (Record: Excellent ~ Near Mint/ Heavy Japan Only Gatefold Jacket:
Near Mint/ Obi: Near Mint). Bloody rare Japan first original pressing all-complete with mega rare OBI as released in October 1969.
Just never surfaces all complete with obi. “This full-length debut from
British blues-rockers Spooky Tooth has
a tone similar to Traffic with its
psychedelic take on the influential pop and soul music of the '60s. A few cover
tunes including Janis Ian’s "Society's
Child" and the Nashville Teens’ "Tobacco
Road" are included, but original songs like the soulful ballad "It
Hurts You So" and "Bubbles" (with its Beach Boys sensibility) are the real standouts. The
cheery, psychedelic "It's All About a
Roundabout" is the catchiest number by far. On this dreamy cut,
vocalist/keyboardist Gary Wright demonstrates
some sharp melodic and compositional instincts. Although Spooky Tooth eventually became better-known for their
straightforward blues-rock, the trippy pop of It’s All
About counts as a career highlight for
the group. Fans of late-'60s British rock are definitely advised to check out
this impressive release.” (All Music guide). Classic slide, love it entirely. First time
ever I could see an all-complete first issue Japanese pressing with obi. One of
the rarest obi-releases from down here. Price: Offers!!!! |
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2404. SPOOKY TOOTH with PIERRE HENRY: “Have Mercy b/w Offering” (Philips/ Victor Records – SFL-1286) (7 Inch Single Record with push-out center piece still attached: Near Mint/ Picture Sleeve: Near Mint/ Company Inner Sleeve: Near Mint). Top condition – rare Japan picture sleeve issue. White whale like issue that just never pops up….Price: 300 Euro |
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2405. SPRIGUNS: “Time Will Pass” (Decca – SKL-5286) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket:
Excellent/ Insert: Near Mint/ Company Inner Sleeve: Near Mint). UK 1977 first original
pressing on Decca of this timeless & brilliant female vocals folk rock
masterpiece. “Spriguns’ fourth album
represented a giant leap forward, including for the first time that Mandy
Morton was a colossal talent and not merely a competent folk singer. The big
change is that aside from a superb progressive folk interpretation of
‘Blackwaterside’ she is writing all the songs and what brilliant songs they
are. Perfectly capturing the ambience of the best traditional English folk
songs, she waves spellbinding tales with luscious melodies and superb
instrumental backing, including some crunchy lead guitar work and a powerful
rhythm section. The two-minute title track with its pulsating synthesizer
tones, is especially stunning and the closing ‘Letter To A Lady’ is a tour de
force, with its poignant lyrics, haunting tune and climactic orchestral finale.
It’s the perfect end to a just about perfect folk-rock album” (RF –
Galactic Ramble). Spot on, just a magical listening experience. UK original
press in top shape and comes with insert. Price: 250 Euro |
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2406. The STALIN: “Trash” (Political Records – MIG2505L) (Record: Near Mint ~ Mint/ Jacket: Near Mint ~ Mint/ Insert: Mint). Top condition 1981 original first press issue of Japan’s greatest hardcore punk slide. Best condition imaginable with virginally white sleeve and untouched record. Guaranteed original press issue with machine-stamped matrix numbers as follows: Runout (Runout Side A): 2-A-1 MIG-2505L-A 〄and Runout (Runout Side B): 1-A-1 MIG-2505L-B 〄. The Stalin were one of Japans’ first and undoubtedly finest Hardcore Punk bands. Named after Joseph Stalin because, according to leadman Michiro Endo, “He is very hated by most people in Japan, so it is very good for our image." The music was intended as a reaction to the rigid social system of Japanese society at that time. In the face of all those suits, their sound had to be a punch to the gut. Trash was their debut LP following the EP Stalinism. Side-A are studio recordings while Side-B are live tracks. Some of the songs go back a couple years to when Endo’s first band, Jieitai existed. The music is awesome, songwriting is excellent and stands out head and shoulders if compared to domestic or foreign contemporaries of that time, a crossbreed between traditional 80’s Hardcore and the intellectual git of Post-Punk, making that their sound is agitated, witty, very incompatible and diversified sounding. The live takes on side 2 do stand out here are as they could definitely put on a good performance and the energy given off by Endo is intoxicating. Still, the studio recordings do sound also highly accomplished and make that Stalin was not your ordinary hardcore punk outfit but a well-oiled machine, floating on originality and talent. Total KILLER!!!! Price: Offers!!! |
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2407. The STALIN: “GoGo Stalin” (Climax Records – CMC-1) (Record: Near Mint ~ Mint/ Jacket: Mint/ Obi: Mint). Japan original 1st press of Stalin 45 RPM LP with all obliterating killer tracks, So good it hurts, so cheap it borders on the insane. Price: 25 Euro |
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2408. The STANDELLS: “Bony Moronie b/w Help Yourself” (Liberty – LR-1284) (7 Inch Single Record: Near Mint/ Picture Sleeve: Excellent/ Company Inner Sleeve: Near Mint) Damned rare Japan only picture sleeve single issue of the Standells that was released in 1965. If these surface at all, they are always trashed so very pleased to be able to offer a clean original copy. They do not come any better than this one here. Classic US garage two tracker. Price: 250 Euro |
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2409. STEIG, JEREMY: “Wayfaring Stranger” (Solid State Records/ King Records – SR-3116) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Near Mint/ Obi: Near Mint). Japan original press all complete with obi. Comes housed in Japan only sleeve art. One of the hippest, funkiest, most soulful albums ever from flute man Jeremy Steig-and a rare session for Blue Note! The feel here is a bit more stripped-down than other Steig albums of the time, with an especially strong focus on the bass of Eddie Gomez, who really gives the record a soulful sparkle. Don Alias plays drums, and there's also some sweet guitar from Sam Brown on the record too. Produced in 1970 by Sonny Lester. Japan only sleeve art issue, all complete with obi, damned a hard one to track down all complete but so worthwhile!!! Price: 100 Euro |
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2410. STEINMETZ, HUGH: “NU!” (Debut – debut-1148) (Record: Near Mint ~ Mint/ Jacket: Near Mint ~ Mint). Freakingly rare and obscure Danish original pressing of this free roaming wild jazz monster. Comes on the ultra collectible Debut label, just a clean top copy – never seen such a virginal copy before of this record. Hugh Steinmetz’ name is not one that sets off alarm bells upon hearing it. Nevertheless he was a massively important and renowned musician in his home country and whilst digging through your own private free jazz collection, you will notice that he pops up all over the place and surfaces on numerous recordings. Steinmetz first of all participated in radiobroadcasts and concerts with luminaries and heavyweights such as Don Cherry, Archie Shepp, Gary Peacock, Albert Ayler, Rashied Ali, Roswell Rudd, John Tchicai, Louis Hjulmand, N.H.Ø.P. and many others. As far as recorded evidence is concerned, Steinmetz pops up on some of the key free jazz records to emerge out of that golden age. In 1967, he, John Tchicai, Finn Von Eyben, Giorgio Musoni and Karsten Vogel formed the group Cadentia Nova Danica together with Kim Menzer, Max Brüel and Steffen Andersen. The group recorded in 1968 the LP "John Tchicai and Cadentia Nova Danica", followed in 1969 by the LP "Afrodisiaca" on which Steinmetz was credited as co-leader and composer. In 1969 he also participated in Bremen (Germany) in the recording of the LP "European Echoes" with an international orchestra conducted by Manfred Schoof, and later that same year in Baden-Baden in the recording of the LP "Gettin`to Know`ya All" (see list for a copy, a vicious torcher of a disc) with an international orchestra conducted by Lester Bowie. In the end of the `60s and the beginning of the `70s, Steinmetz worked with among others Peter Brötzmann, Peter Kowald, Willem Breuker, Han Bennink, Misha Mengelberg, John Stevens, Evan Parker, Derek Bailey, Paul Rutherford, Irene Schweizer, Pierre Favre, Claude Delcloo etc. So you can see that he was more than just a free jazz wallflower you thought you never heard of but who is nevertheless omnipresent throughout your collection. As for this disc here, Steinmetz was elected "Danish Jazz Musician of the Year" in 1966 by The Danish Jazz Academy and he recorded that same year the groundbreaking LP "Nu" ("Now") under his own name with Niels Harrit´s Sextet with Per Aage Brandt piano, Karsten Vogel alto sax, Steffen Andersen bass and Bo Thrige Andersen drums. Massive free blast hardcore jazz record from up north, original press in amazing nick. Top condition, impossible to find better. Highest recommendation. Price: Offers!!! |
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2411. STEPPENWOLF: “Monster” (Stateside Dunhill/ Toshiba Records – HP-8859) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Near Mint). Japan 1969 first original pressing – WHITE label PROMO ONLY RED WAX issue. Classic Steppenwolf slide, their most overtly political and hard rocking one. Rarely offered promo issue in top shape. Price: 125 Euro |
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2412. STEPPENWOLF: “Steppenwolf Gold” (Probe/ Toshiba – IPP-80232) (Record: Near Mint/ Gatefold Jacket: Near Mint/ 4 Paged Insert: Near Mint/ Obi: Mint). Scare Steppenwolf issue that comes with seldom seen obi present. Virginal and untouched condition. Price: 75 Euro |
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2413. STILL LIFE: “S/T” (Vertigo/ Nippon Phonogram – RJ-7266) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Near Mint/ Insert: Near Mint/ Obi: Excellent ~ Near Mint – has folding crease). Top and virginal condition Japan 1st press original press issue all complete with obi. Rare Japanese pressing with obi of this UK progressive masterpiece. The remnants of the band Rainbows merged into Still Life due to the drummer leaving the band for Flying Machine. The 3 remaining members changed their name to Still Life and wrote the songs which turned into this album. However, the band did not have a drummer. They contacted Alan Savage to do the session and he had about a week to learn the material prior to recording. The self-titled album was recorded at Sound Recording Studios, near Marble Arch, London. The whirling organ and driving guitar are all part of the swirling mix, embarking into the outer regions (in a good way) of progressive rock territories. Although the band may fall short on the vocal front with both the lead and harmony sometimes appearing off key and running to catch up with the music's tempo, which adds to the additional charm and appeal of Still Life. Still, the stellar musicianship makes up for all the minor the inconsistencies. A classic and highly regarded amongst cognoscenti. Rare Japanese pressing with obi. Pristine condition. Has been ages since I last had a copy. SOLD |
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2414. STILLS, STEPHEN & MANASSAS: “Down The Open Road” (Atlantic – P-8341A) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Near Mint/ Insert: Near Mint/ Imprinted Inner Sleeve: Near Mint). WHITE label PROMO Japan 1973 first original pressing all complete with obi. Sadly often discarded and overlooked album that showcases Stephen Stills songwriting abilities…. The band disintegrated after this one and Stills embarked on the ill-fated 1973 Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young tour. Still, Manassas is brimming over with much talent and is in need of reappraisal. Scarce PROMO issue. Price: 75 Euro
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2415. STOCKHAUSEN, KARLHEINZ: “Elektronische Musik” (Deutsche Grammophon – LG-40) (10 Inch Record: Near Mint/ Flip Back Jacket: Near Mint/ Insert: Near Mint). Damned rare and obscure Japan early 1960s first press – the first release of Stockhausen’s music in Japan. Price: 150 Euro |
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2416. STOCKHAUSEN KARLHEINZ: “Shonen no Uta – Gesang Der Junglinge – Kontakte” (Deutsche Grammophon Japan – SLGM-1186) (Record: Near Mint/ Tip Back Jacket: Near Mint/ Obi: Near Mint). Very rare early sixties Japanese original pressing. These pressings just rarely surface. Housed in delicate and fragile tip back cover, this copy here is just near mint, hard to believe seen the decades that have passed since it was originally released. Monumental!! Price: 75 Euro |
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2417. STOCKHAUSEN, KARLHEINZ: “Hymnen” (NIPPON Grammophon/ Deutsche Grammophon – MG-9348/9) (2 LP Set: Mint/ Gatefold Jacket: Mint). Original 1st original Japanese pressing, dead mint copy. Sound wise it blows the German issue straight out of the gene pool, no shit – but sadly enough, the Japanese 1st press issue is also 10 times as rare, just NEVER surfaces. This double album is one of the most important albums to have seeped out of the 20th century, if not THE most important and influential album of that time zone, even surpassing the Beatles and whatever you care to throw up on me. Hymnen is next to that also one weird hell broth of an album, containing some of the most alien-sounding music ever committed to tape and it still sounds ravaging today, the sound of a one-man genocide, a tornado of dusty noise engulfing the aural landscape of your preconceptions. This work’s influence and implications are still being felt till this very minute in the worlds of rock, techno, ambient, classical and any other genre of modern music you care to name and will be for decades to come as it is cited with ever increasing frequency by a new generation of critics and musicians. Stockhausen once labeled Hymnen the sound of music after the apocalypse. And it rightly sounds so, the sound of the fall-out, busy folding and manipulating space and time. It is a music that is drenched in the past yet so of the moment, coming over like a broken radio in a constant state of tuning. Various fucked up, cut up, spliced, national anthems drift in and out, fuse together and disintegrate instantly, at times slowed down or speeded up, and so forth. Stockhausen manipulates sound via electronics to total extremes, making this one of the greatest sonic works of art to seep out of the 20th century. Just massive. Original dead mint Japanese1st original pressing – 1st time I encounter a Japanese press of this LP….bloody rare on these shores – for each Japanese press issue you find 75 German ones, so go figure…1st time I ever see a high quality vinyl 1st press Japanese issue, sounds like nothing else on this side of the moon. DEAD MINT copy. Price: 150 Euro |
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2418. STOCKHAUSEN KARL-HEINZ: “Spiral/Wach/Spiral/ Japan/ Pole”
(2 LP Box set: Near Mint/ Box Set: Near Mint/ Booklet: Near Mint). Top copy of
this brain meltingly great Stockhausen box set and one of his finest electronic
works. Price: 150 Euro |
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2419. STOCKHAUSEN, KARLHEINZ: “Aus Den Sieben Tagen” (Deutsche Grammophon – 2720.073) (7 LP Set: Near
Mint/ 7 Individual LP Jackets: Near Mint/ Outer Box Set: Mint). First original
German pressing of monumental set spread over 7 LP’s and marking one of Stockhausen’s
greatest endeavors ever. Top copy, both the individual records, sleeves and
outer slip case box set are in immaculate condition. The individual sets do
surface regularly but the complete box is a bitch to dig up these days. Price:
200 Euro |
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2420. STOCKHAUSEN. KARLHEINZ: “Mikrophonie
I – Mikrophonie II” (Deutsche Grammophon – 2530.583) (Record: Near
Mint/ Jacket: Near Mint/ Imprinted Picture Inner Sleeve: Near Mint). Original
1975 German original pressing of probably Stockhausen’s finest moment ever,
sounding non unlike the holy Taj Mahal Travellers on downers! Stockhausen
acquired a 5-foot Paiste tam-tam (gong) which was first used in performances of Momente, where it was struck, caressed,
scratched and scraped in various ways with various drumsticks, mallets and
screwdrivers. After installing it in his garden, he noticed that he could get
additional sounds from it using metal keys and stones. Eventually, he had his
studio engineer from in the house record his actions out in the garden as he
rubbed and hit the tam-tam, manipulating a microphone to capture sounds at
different distances. The recording engineer also randomly manipulated the
frequency bandwidth and gain, all without hearing what Stockhausen was doing
outside. After returning inside they listened back and realized they had
discovered a new sound world. In this piece Stockhausen essentially invented a
form of "live electronics" (as opposed to electronic music produced
by splicing tape or other means). He also pioneered here the use of the
microphone as an instrument in itself (basically using its sensitivity and
proximity to a sound source to create a range of musical values). This is why
he calls the work Microphony. And it sounds amazing, like Sperm Whales on the
prowl during an electrified gospel apocalypse. Wicked stuff. Price: 75 Euro |
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2421. STOCKHAUSEN, KARLHEINZ: “Klavierstucke I – XI” (CBS Sony – SONC-10297~98) (2 LP Record & gatefold Jacket: Mint & Attached Booklet & Capsule Obi: SEALED & Mint). Rare Japanese 1st original pressing complete with always-missing capsule obi. SEALED condition! “Expanding the boundaries of what were perennially perceived `pianistic' in the 19th century (its orchestral range in pitch, dynamics and extreme responsiveness), Stockhausen revisited and utilized unique strengths of the instrument such as applying distinct dynamics simultaneously on separate horizontal lines and redefined what was considered one of the instrument's ultimate deficiency as a non-sustaining instrument into a unique strength - epitomized by the gradual, continuous decay of thunderous, complex clusters down to a single note in Klavierstuck X. Stockhausen was interested in the musical contrast and orchestration of extremes, both simultaneously and as they evolved through the entire piece. The particular milestone of this creative collection is the aforementioned Klavierstuck X. Lasting between 22 to 25 minutes, `organized sound' with assigned, specific numerical values act as agents that explore through maximum chaos and violence, austere Webernian simplicity and serenity, and everything in between. Similar to how Beethoven's Fifth symphony blazed through the transition from darkness of the first movement to the incandescent fourth impelled primarily by the modulation from a minor to major key, it follows a very specific but convoluted overall musical scheme that plays on volume, tempo fluctuations and flirtatious oscillation within the boundary of what we consider noise and 'clean' notes produced by a musical instrument. Any rendition must be supported by superb acoustics, and this is where surprisingly, Kontarsky's 1965 analog version reins supreme over the other easily accessible, digital Henck recording of the 80's.” (Gaetano) Comes on gloriously pressed audiophile vinyl and all is in absolutely TOP condition. Price: 75 Euro |
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2422. STONE CIRCUS: “S/T” (Mainstream – S/6119) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Excellent ~ Near Mint still in shrink, upper seam has some crackling damage where shrink has split). One of the hardest to track down releases on the Mainstream label. US original copy of much beloved heavy organ and guitar full out assault psych classic. These Montreal based musicians (save one), decided to journey south of the border to New York to find their scene. Known as The Funky Farm, Mainstream decided to change their name for the release of the album. They succeeded in creating a highly addictive mixture of psych-pop and acid rock with a whiff of experimentalism thrown in the mix and the end result sounds West Coast influenced sound with a highly melodic Strawberry Alarmclock vibe simmering through it all. Original Mainstream pressing out of 1969. Recently it has become one sought after major label LP’s of that period. Great from start to finish and its easy to understand its appeal. Top copy. Price: 475 Euro |
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2423. The STOOGES: “Fun House” (Elektra – eks-74071) (Record: Near Mint/ Gatefold Jacket: Excellent – faint edge wear so solid EX/ Company Inner Sleeve: Near Mint). Super clean stock copy first press original, record is NM and the gatefold sleeve is solid EX with some faint upper edge seam wear only. Really great copy and record seems to have been played hardly!!!! Record is clean as can be, sleeve has some mild storage wear but is still extremely nice condition, conservatively graded at EX!! Music needs no introduction; it is just one of the greatest recordings ever to have been trusted into wax. Rare stock issue copy, US pressing. Brutal to say the least, best Stooges recording ever. Clean copies are far and in between and a bitch to dig up, this baby here is bloody nice!!! Price: Offers!!!! |
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2424. The STOOGES: “Fun House” (Elektra/ Victor Records – SJET-8313) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Near Mint/ Insert: Near Mint). Hopelessly rare Japan 1st original pressing in outstanding condition. Comes with the always-missing insert present. Blue colored Elektra guitar player label. Amazing sound quality, it will make your ears have tinnitus for years to come. You know how rare and scarce this beast is so… time to get those gloves off and throw in your best punch. Top condition; NM/NM on all fronts – obi is sadly missing so it comes at a fraction of the price… Price: Offers!!!! |
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2425. IGGY AND THE STOOGES: “Raw Power b/w Search And Destroy” (CBS SONY – SOPB-244) (EP Record: Excellent – no visual damages – has a wave on the vinyl for first part but plays through/ Picture Sleeve Jacket: Near Mint/ Company Inner Sleeve: Near Mint). Freakingly rare Japan only Stooges EP release that comes housed in Japan ONLY sleeve art. Scarce stock copy in top condition of a Stooges artifact that is getting impossibly hard to lay your mittens on. Rare for all eternity. Price: Offers!!!! |
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2426. The STRANGLERS: “Black and White” (United Artists – UAK-30222) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Excellent/ Imprinted Lyrics Inner Sleeve: Excellent/ Additional Single Record: Near Mint). Original 1978 UK first pressing all complete with additional first press only bonus single record. Their third album, Black and White, was blatantly underestimated by critics at the time due to a lack of objectivity. It is certainly a transitional album, but undoubtedly one of the best ever made. Here, we still find the punk style of the first two albums, but mixing more and more external elements, experimenting with the synth and various styles. Black and White contains some of the best songs of the band and very little trash. It is at least quite on the level compared to the first ones. If it does not reach the perfection of Rattus Norvegicus, it is arguably more fun than this one, more enjoyable in his best moments. These happen early on. This first note of "Tank" alone will give you the chills and the rest of the album is to follow doing just the same. In retrospect one of the Strangles finest records. Price: 75 Euro |
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2427. The STRANGLERS: “No More Heroes” (United Artists Records/ King Records – GP-548) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Near Mint/ Thick Illustrated Inner Sleeve: Near Mint/ 6 Page Insert: Mint/ Obi: Mint). Top condition and all complete 1977 Japan 1st original pressing. Rattus Norvegicus, the Stranglers' first album, was hardly a punk rock classic, but it outsold every other punk album and remains a pretty good chunk of art-punk. On the other hand, No More Heroes, recorded three months later and released in September 1977, is faster, nastier, and better. At this point the Stranglers were on top of their game, and the ferocity and anger that suffuses this record would never be repeated. Hugh Cornwell’s testosterone level is very high, but it's still an enjoyable bit of noise that holds up better than anyone would have guessed at the time. Top condition first Japanese press issue!!! Price: 100 Euro |
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2428. The STRANGLERS: “X Certs” (Union Records/ King Records – GP-670) (Record: Near Mint/ 7 Inch Single Record: Near Mint/ Gatefold Jacket: Excellent ~ Near Mint/ Obi: Near Mint/ Giant Poster: Near Mint/ Insert: Near Mint). All complete copy – Japan 1st press original from 1979. culled from two performances at the Roundhouse, Chalk Farm – one in June 1977, the other in November – and a gig at Battersea Park in September 1978. While they’re relatively far apart from a chronological standpoint, both are still excellent representations of the Stranglers’ sound during the punk era of their career, as opposed to the more artsy stuff that would follow…which in turn was set aside in favor of a more commercial sound, but that’s a post for another occasion. Killer original. Price: 75 Euro |
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2429. The STRAWBERRY ALARM CLOCK: “Incense and Peppermints b/w The Birdman of Alkatrash” (MCA Records – D-1008) (Single Record: Near Mint with center piece still attached/ Picture Sleeve: Excellent ~ Near Mint/ Company Inner Sleeve: Near Mint). Japan original press issue from 1970 that comes with Japan only picture sleeve design. Price: 75 Euro |
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2430. STRAWBERRY ALARM CLOCK: “Girl From The City b/w Three” (MCA Records – D-1025) (Single EP Record: Near Mint/ Picture Sleeve: Near Mint/ Company Inner Sleeve: Near Mint). Rare Japan only issue that comes housed in great picture sleeve. Cool two psychy tracks by the Alarm Clock. Much needed addition for any single collection. First one I see in a couple of years time. This was released as a soundtrack issue for the Russ Meyer pulp flick “Beyond The Valley Of The Dolls”. Price: 150 Euro |
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2431. STRAWBERRY
ALARM CLOCK: “Incense And Peppermints”
(MCA Records – MCA-5007) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Near Mint/ OBI: Near
Mint). Bloody rare Japan original pressing – WHITE LABEL PROMO ISSUE – all complete with never offered before and always-missing obi. “The Strawberry Alarm Clock made
musical history with its first single, the infectiously psychedelic
"Incense and Peppermints," which topped the singles charts in December
1967. It remains one of the Aquarian Age's most enduring anthems. And as the
California combo's debut LP demonstrates, there was a lot more to the
Strawberry Alarm Clock than their iconic trademark hit. Incense and Peppermints combines gorgeously melodic flights with a
Sunset Strip sensibility--the album is filled with trippy soundscapes, fuzzy
guitars, sophisticated harmonies and the evocative lyrics of tracks such as
"The World's on Fire," "Birds in My Tree," "Rainy Day
Mushroom Pillow" and "Paxton's Back Street Carnival." The result
is a surprise-filled collection that All
Music Guide calls "a strangely
compelling mix of psychedelia, sunshine pop, garage rock, and California
harmony.” (Sundazed Music). Top condition Japan only issue all-complete with ever elusive obi. White label promo issue, what can you possibly ask more for? Instant bliss
assured. Price: 400 Euro |
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2432. The STRAWBERRY ALARM CLOCK: “Incense and Peppermints” (UNI – 3014) (Record: Near Mint ~ Mint/ Jacket: Mint – still housed in original shrink), Damned rare US first original MONO pressing – comes housed in matching MONO sleeve. Stereo pressings are common, but US MONO pressings are damned tough to unearth and this one is just in a perfect shape, virginal all the way through. Price: 300 Euro |
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2433. STRAWBERRY PATH: “When The Raven Has Come Down To The Earth” (Philips – FX-8516) (Record: Near Mint/ Gatefold Jacket: Near Mint/ Obi: Near Mint). All complete and absolutely virginal condition original copy of this legendary heavy psychedelic assault album released in 1971. I guess that everybody is aware of the greatness embedded within the grooves of this disc as well as the fact that it is much in demand by hungry collectors. Then you will be able to hear Tsunoda Hiro and Narumo Shigeru ripping it loose, deploying every trick in the book and delivering a brilliant heavy psych rock artifact. Great and indispensable. It roars like no other…Brilliant all way through. Clean copies do not surface anymore...mega collectible and getting rare as hell. Comes with the much-needed original obi in place as well, flashing all its colors!!!! Price: Offers!!!! |
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2434. STRAWBERRY PATH: “When The Raven Has Come Down To The Earth” (Philips – FX-8516) (Record: Near Mint/ Gatefold Jacket: Near Mint) Absolutely virginal condition – original first press issue – obi is missing so comes death cheap. Impossible to ever upgrade upon. Price: 275 Euro |
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2435. STREET AND GANGLAND
RHYTHMS: “Beats And Improvisations By Six Boys In Trouble” (Folkways Records –
FD-5589) (Record: Near mint/ Jacket: Near Mint/ Insert Booklet: Near Mint).
Original 1959 US pressing all complete with booklet and in exquisite condition.
This album features music by young, untrained musicians. Six 11- and
12-year-old African American boys living in New York City public housing around
1955 were recorded using voice and homemade percussive instruments. Entirely
voice and drum, the music recalls folk traditions of American music and is
poised to be the first premature/ early Proto Rap/ Hip Hop album ever to be put
out on vinyl ever! A very unusual record – one that has the Folkways
ethnographic team on the streets of New York, recording the songs and calls of
"six boys in trouble" as they riff and sing on some rough and raw
numbers! The record's an odd turn of the ethnographic ear to the American scene
– and in terms of recording style, it's not that different than some of
Folkways' percussion albums from Africa and Latin America in the post-war years
– especially in the starkness of the recording quality. Most of the music seems
to be improvised, and instruments include sticks and bongos – and other tracks
feature the boys just singing and shouting, almost in a beat poetry way. Top
condition and bloody fucking awesome! Price: 200 Euro
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2436. STU MARTIN & JOHN SURMAN: “Live at Woodstock Town Hall” (DAWN Records – DNLS-3072 (Record: Mint/ Jacket Excellent ~ Near Mint) original 1975 first UK pressing on the highly collectible DAWN records imprint, TOP COPY!!! Great electro-synthesizer/ drum and reeds interplay improvisational monster. Martin and Surman formed two third of the legendary Trio. On this disc the clash head first into each other, bringing forth a psyched-out-free-jazz-improvisational-lysergic interplay that will leave you into far out stellar regions. Great disc, super music, a real classic. This is the original UK pressing on DAWN records. Doesn’t turn up so frequently these days. Recommended for free music freaks. TOP COPY. Price: 50 Euro |
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2437. SUBVERT BLAZE: “Subvert Art” (Alchemy Records – ARLP-029) (Record: Mint/ Gatefold Jacket: Mint/ Insert: Mint). Totally vanished hard psychedelic masterpiece by this trio, recorded at the late eighties. Subvert Blaze was together with Hanadensha one of the greatest band on Kansai scene and two of the most technically skilled. The trio was fronted by guitarist and doom head Kakinoki Yoshihiro (now of Garadama), wonder bass slammer Fujiwara Hiroaki (Slap Happy Humphrey, Cosmic Invention) and best drummer of the last 20 years Okano Futoshi (recently resurfaced in Acid Mothers but not as powerful as he used to be). Everyone’s jaws dropped to the floor when they hit the scene, they were just too much and ahead of everyone’s game. They were after all a killer assault psyched out power trio, highly technically skilled and bring forth brain ripping and adrenaline infused and amphetamine powered up acid rock that cannot possible get any better than this. Highest recommendation. Disc was released in 1989 in an edition of 500 and rarely surfaces these days. Downside is that the band never got any publicity and is virtually unknown. If that was not the case, this record would soar up into the several hundred dollar regions since it is bloody rare and the music is just ear blisteringly great. For hardcore psychedelic and acid rock fans. Price: 125 Euro |
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2438. SUCKDOG: “Drugs Are Nice” (Private) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Near Mint, still in shrink). Self-released private pressing punk album that came out in 1898~90. It all starts with the jacket art, which is plain genius and sucks you right in. A pair of pimply, trashy-looking girls reclining topless on a bed strewn with dead flowers. When I saw that almost 8 years ago when I first encountered this LP (the only time ever I have seen a copy of this LP) I was already hooked on the LP even without hearing a single note. When I enquired the shop owner about its musical contents, he said it was possibly one of the worst albums ever made and I knew right then that it was going home with me. And yes was he right, the LP was bad but not in a sense you expect it to be. It was bad in ways that I didn’t know music could be bad. In fact, I wasn’t sure if it was really music at all and not some girlie late night joke going demented that had been pressed by mistake. That together with the utterly lo-fi and poorly recorded quality of the music going hand in hand with screeching noise that made it all as confusing as annoying. In short, it was musical bliss, heaven in disguise, a musical masterpiece precisely because of those reasons. Some one stated that the whole affair was: “Drugs Are Nice was the brainchild of Lisa Suckdog, who, along with her band of assorted freaks and sex deviants, toured the states and Europe under the moniker Suckdog, bringing an interactive brand of performance art meets trailer park peep show extravaganza to the largely indifferent masses. Lisa sings like that nasty girl from your high school that guzzled cough syrup for breakfast and screwed all the hoodlum punk rock guys, while fronting a band of phencyclidine-addled Shaggs devotees. She's shrill, loaded, and out of control.” So spot on and it nails the music right on the head. Drugs Are Nice is unlike anything that has been recorded before or since, and that alone makes it worth hearing. This album doesn’t pretend to be anything other than what it is: an agglomeration of no-fi noise, and wailing made by a group of jacked-up teenagers taking their stab at infamy by creating something uniquely and horrifyingly their own. Art pure sang. To these ears the best trash/ punk/ avant-garde/ cum record ever made. It is such a dull and degrading experience that it is hard to keep a focus on what is really happening here. It is beautifully painful and makes you screaming around like a guinea hen just worked over by a pack of wild dogs. A lovely and intoxicating affair that disintegrates into chaos, drunkenness and the kind of hysterical fatigue that comes from spending too much time in middle slime USA. Highest possible recommendation EVER!!!!! Price: 250 Euro |
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2439. SUGIMOTO KIKUE: “Echigo Goze No Uta” (Crown – SW-5070~71) (2 LP Set: Near Mint/ Gatefold Jacket: Excellent ~ Near Mint/ Obi: Mint/ Attached 8 Paged Booklet: Mint). Now this is a totally obscure and rare slide, 2nd copy I ever see or can offer over all these years. Massively important and jaw droppingly great 2 LP set that documents the music and culture of the Sugimoto Kikue, the last surviving Goze, recorded for the last time in the early 1970s when she was already in her eighties. Goze are these days all become extinct due to the 21 century catching up with their rural lifestyle, tradition and handicap. Goze were blind, itinerant female singers and shamisen players mainly active and traveling from one rural village to the next weather beaten hamlet. They were mostly active in the Niigata Prefecture. These blind women from Niigata were due to their handicap excluded from regular society and had to struggle to survive and the sole option they had in order to scrape some money together to get through the day was giving door-to-door performances of songs with shamisen accompaniment. (the rural blind were desperately poor and accorded few rights or privileges). The reason why these women limited their activities to mainly Niigata and not further north was that Tsugaru and Akita were poorer regions and more inhospitable than their home turf. These traveling blind women mainly made a living by singing songs known as kudoki bushi, which were basically long narratives cast in a repetitive seven-syllabic meter. These songs often recounted melodramatic plots of double love-suicides or vendettas, mostly sung in a short strophic melody, punctuated by interludes on the shamisen and sometimes by comic lines spoken in a rapid-fire manner. However as time went by audiences grew tired of these long songs and Naniwa Bushi drifted into the repertoire, including a large variety of vocal styles ranging from lyrical singing to speech-like recitation. This stunning collection here captures the last of the Goze – Sugimoto Kikue in action, documenting a tradition that was already completely extinct. Sugimoto Kikue was recorded during one last session during July and November of 1971. The result is bone crushing and heart shriveling performance recorded, wailing itinerant blind female performer armed with battered down and strummed out shamisen, riffing away and wailing songs into being in return for a cheap meal and a place to rest. This is some of the best music I have ever heard and since discovering them the Goze have ruled my waking hours and dreaming days. Now finally I can present the rarest and most elusive of all Goze recordings, this stellar and eye-peelingly beautiful 2 LP set. A unique and oblique recording that shouldered a disappearing and now completely vanished tradition, trying in vein to keep modernity at hold and record the then last surviving performing Goze. Best disc in this time’s list, once you have heard this, the whole of your record collection will become utterly redundant. Fan-fucking-tastic!! Impossible to get and track down, just one of a kind document. Only the 2nd copy ever I see of this LP, rare forever. Price: 200 Euro |
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2440. SUGIMOTO MIKI: “Zero Hadaka No Onna – Akai Tejo” (Solid Records – SD-507) (EP Record: Mint/ Picture Sleeve: Mint). Ultra limited EP release that sold out in the blink of an eye – one-time limited pressing of only 500 copies. Cornerstone Iroke/ Erotic sleaze out of the early 1970s underbelly of Tokyo. These tracks came from the movie that came out under the same name but apart from a CD reissue has never been released in holy wax. Released in 2017 and gone since then. Prime time sleaze for your guilty pleasures! Price: 75 Euro |
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2441. SUICIDE: “S/T” (Red Star Records – RS-1) (SEALED ORIGINAL). 1977 US original sealed condition. Alan Vega and Martin Rev’s bare-bones approach was both artsy and primitive. Innovative, yet still deeply rooted in the classic Rock & Roll of the 50’s and 60’s but impregnated with junk-wired crude synths and defunct drum machines which collide with Alan Vega’s emotive whispers, chants and blood curdling yelps. It all makes for a mesmerizing, if unsettling listening. Suicide were never a band you could cuddle up to, they were deliberately confrontational. Produced by Ramones Helmsman Craig Leon, the LP mixed scorched-circuit protest vamps such as Ghost Rider and Rocket USA with shimmering smacked-out doo-wop ballads, climaxing with the bone-chilling Frankie Teardrop in which Vega placed himself inside the teeming brain of a Vietnam veteran who murders his family before shooting his brain out and splattering them all over the wall. What a record….one of the greatest ever made together with the Stooges and the Velvets. Damned perfectly SEALED original US press copy…one out of the vaults and ready for your vaults. One of a kind….Price: Offers!!!!! |
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2442. SUKEBAN GERIRA: “Sudo Rika – Hieta Sedai b/w Tsuwa Noriko – Horete Furarete Blues” (Solid Records – SD-539) (7 Inch Single Record: Near Mint/ Picture Sleeve: Near Mint). Small press limited edition RSD issue that sold out in the blink of an eye. Price: 50 Euro |
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2443. SUKEGAWA TOSHIYA: “Compositions For Magnetic Tape” (FLORA – OBK-1001) (Record: Near Mint ~ Mint/ Hand Pasted Jacket: Mint without any mildew spots - virginal/ 2 pages hand typed liner notes: Near Mint). Bloody damned obscure and rare electronic music/ musique concrete masterpiece from Japan that no one knows as this one was privately releases in an edition of 100 copies (or less?). Sukegawa is a man of many colors, being active as a composer, music critic and magazine editor; he managed way back in 1983 to churn out this privately released masterpiece of electronic music and musique concrete. Don’t let the date fool you, although this masterpiece was created between 1979 and 1983 at the NHK studios of Hiroshima, it sounds very primitively like the late 1960s/ early 1970s much revered sound art pieces. Sukegawa successfully blends his stripped-down piano sounds with electronic, concrete and sounds of a demolished string ensemble into one beguiling work of collage art/ tape music. As the place of creation already hints at, his work is rooted deeply in nuclear disaster and the cobble-stoned way that hopefully leads to peace. He used studio downtime to pursue initial experiments into the organization of his sonic playfield, cutting across all abstract theorizing, the recording eventually became the score and is eye-filling, endowed with aural beauty. Sonically speaking that translates itself into a simple sound painting of urban noise pollution, music and luminous dust, muted speech – modulated by fading signals, fierce bursts of crackle, sibilant voices distorted into electronic sandpaper, radiophonic fizz, abyssal waveforms, floating sunlight on ripples of electronic hums, Blade Runner styled disquiet escapist sounds drift in and out of focus, etc. His ambient aesthetic flies aloft and with impetuous roar pursues something like the austere intimacy of haunting echoes, of waves breaking on rocks, making his sonic painting drenched in the past, yet so of the moment. One of the finest musique concrete and electronic pieces to have ever caressed my earlobes. Sadly enough….viciously rare and totally unknown, so you only have probably this one of chance to wheel in something extraordinary. Price: Offers!!! |
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2444. SULLIVAN, CHARLES: “Genesis” (Strata-East – SES-7413) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Near Mint). Pristine condition 1974 US original press issue. No small feat as almost all copies offered have serious condition issues and worn-down sleeves. "Charles Sullivan deserves full honors for this lyrical debut album... Sullivan has created a satisfying aural experience, an acoustic set electrified with feeling, alternating blue and brightly burning." (Downbeat Magazine). Charles Sullivan has always been highly regarded by his peers if a bit obscure to the general jazz-listening public. He started playing around New York City in 1966, and worked with a diverse collection of leaders including Sy Oliver, the Collective Black Artists, Lionel Hampton, the Jazz Composer's Workshop, and Count Basie, as well as working the pit bands of several Broadway shows. This 1974 album was his first release as a leader using his own material. He is joined by a number of excellent musicians, including Alex Black on bass, Sonny Fortune on alto sax, Dee Dee Bridgewater on vocals, Billy Hart on drums, Stanley Cowell on piano, and others. This is a long overdue release, and one no jazz fan will want to miss. This one here might be – apart from scoring a sealed one – your final upgrade copy. Price: 600 Euro |
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2445. SUN DIAL: “S/T” (Tangerine – MM07) (Record: Near Mint/
Jacket: Excellent ~ Near Mint). Original UK first press issue from 1990, long time no see classic. When GARY ROMANs
neo-psychedelic Sun Dial debuted in 1990 with Other Way Out, it
was almost unanimously lauded by fans and press. Taking the late sixties
psychedelic approach of bands like Led Zeppelin, Hendrix and the Beatles, the
LP sounded like one of the great-lost albums from that era. The instrumentation
was also a throwback to the period with crisp electric guitar backed by Turkish
talking drums, bamboo flute, and Tibetan bells. Now, almost 30 years after the
albums release, it is still cited as a neo-psych classic and still sounds
awesome… Price: 150 Euro |
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2446. SUN RA: “Sun Ra Intergalactic Arkestra” (Souvenir Programme) (18 Paged Booklet: Mint) Bloody rare of a concert program booklet that was offered at Sun Ra’s 1st performance in Great Britain. It was held at the Queen Elizabeth Hall on Monday 9th November 1970. It comes with notes and pictures. The condition is like new, which is no small feat and is a unique piece of Ra’s tour in Europe at that time. Never saw one before until now and it is a bllody rare item but amazingly cool artifact. Comes printed on thick and high-quality paper. Stunning condition. Price: 300 Euro |
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2447. SUN RA: “The Heliocentric Worlds Of Sun Ra” (ESP Disk – ESP-1014) (Record: Near Mint/ Textured Jacket: Excellent). Top condition US first original pressing. Comes in the first issue textured sleeve with pasted wrap-around slick. The astonishing session that went light years beyond “free jazz” improvisation to create music of deeply felt, explosive and gentle gestures made from sound itself without reference to previous notions of melody or harmony. This set of tracks finds Sun Ra breaking ground by using synthesizers and having the Arkestra musicians double on percussion. Come with Sun Ra’s original self-created jacket art. For this quintessential ESP release. Price: 150 Euro |
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2448. SUN RA: “The Heliocentric Worlds of Sun Ra” (ESP Disk – ESP-1014) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Excellent/ ESP Bosch Poster: Excellent). Great condition US 2nd press issue with no address on label. Comes with ESP poster present. The astonishing session that went light years beyond “free jazz” improvisation to create music of deeply felt, explosive and gentle gestures made from sound itself without reference to previous notions of melody or harmony. This set of tracks finds Sun Ra breaking ground by using synthesizers and having the Arkestra musicians double on percussion. Come with Sun Ra’s original self-created jacket art. For this quintessential ESP release. Price: 75 Euro |
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2449. SUN RA: “The Heliocentric Worlds Of Sun Ra” (ESP Disk – 1017) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Mint, still housed in original shrink). US original 1st pressing with 156 5th Avenue address on sleeve and labels. Top condition, archive quality so…Price: 125 Euro |
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2450. SUN RA: “The Heliocentric Worlds Of Sun Ra Volume 2” (ESP Disk/ Victor Records Japan – SMJ-7473) (Record: Excellent – no defects but some gassing visible from inner sleeve/ Jacket: Near Mint/ Obi: Near Mint). Bloody scarce Japan 1st original pressing from 1968 by Victor Records, white label & complete with rare OBI!!!! Original 1st press issues are getting impossible to locate. Original first time early Japanese press of this essential ESP title, released in Japan in 1968 by Victor. The music needs no introduction I guess, but just in case here is snippet of a review by All Abut Jazz writer Rex Butters: “With its tympanis, bass marimba, bass trombone, bass clarinet, and the bass of the great Ronnie Boykins, Vol 1 cruises the subharmonic. “Heliocentric” opens with Boykins walking Robert Cummings’ bass clarinet. Ra’s bass marimba, Boykins, and tympani thunder form a trio. Marshall Allen plays the extreme antagonist on piccolo amidst bass trombone blats from Bernard Pettaway. Tuned tympani, Pettaway, and the bass marimba prepare “Outer Nothingness” for Allen’s alto, followed by Cummings and Ra. Ra’s resonant bass marimba solo leads to a horn flurry and duet with Boykins. Shuffling keys on acoustic piano, Ra surprises with simultaneous runs on an electric keyboard on “Other Worlds.” The blistering pace he powers gives John Gilmore a good blow, before Ra returns for more two keyboard fun. Boykins plays counterpoint then joined in a round with Gilmore and Ra’s electric celeste on “The Cosmos.” Johnson’s cymbal work keeps the stars shining. A dreamy solo by Ra leads to worried blues by Boykins, back to Ra rocking on piano. Danny Davis’ flute briefly flies out of the bass bias on “Of Heavenly things,” although Boykins and the bass marimba clock most of the track. A wonderful solo by Ra, “Nebulae” features the electric celeste. The short “Dancing in the Sun” lets Gilmore and Allen lead the band in some sideways bebop” Top copy of this quintessential album, first 1968 Japanese press, white label promo copy. Hardly ever seen this version, mid-seventies issues turn up regularly but late sixties first time pressings on high quality Japanese vinyl just about never. Essential. Killer. Price: 200 Euro |
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2451. SUN RA: “The Heliocentric Worlds of Sun Ra, Vol. 1” (ESP Disk/ Nippon Phonogram – BT-5055) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Near Mint/ Obi: Near Mint). Rare Japan press issue all complete with damned scarce obi + PROMO issue. Classic Sun Ra on the holy ESP label, a perfect match, given the Arkestra's relocation to New York, and the label's ability to reach out to big new audiences for exciting music. The group here works in formation that holds up strongly with the Saturn sides – John Gilmore on tenor, Marshall Allen on alto, Teddy Nance on trombone, Chris Capers on trumpet, Danny Davis on flute and alto, and Ra on piano, bass marimba, and some especially nice electronic celeste! Things get quite out at points – freer almost than other Arkestra sides of the time. Killer!!! Price: 250 Euro |
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2452. SUN RA: “Jazz By Sun Ra” (Transition/ Trio Electronics Japan – PA-7006) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Near Mint/ Booklet: Near Mint/ Insert: Near Mint ~ Mint/ Obi: Near Mint ~ Mint). Never offered before mega rare TEST PRESSING!!! Comes complete with the rare booklet, insert and impossibly RARE OBI and the record is in impeccable condition. First time ever I can lay my eyes on a virginal all complete copy. Recorded for Tom Wilson’s Transition label in 1956, Jazz By Sun Ra, Vol. 1 is made up of the type of skewed big band music featured on Jazz In Silhouette and a smattering of other recordings The Arkestra made in Chicago but did not release until they had relocated to New York City in the 1960s. As an album made specifically for a willing record label, this sounds quite a bit more hi-fi than the many rehearsal tapes from the same time period released on El Saturn records in the coming years. As for the music, it’s all quite good. The Arkestra sounds very polished. Some great songs too, with Sun Ra’s arrangements giving this an adventurous feel. The harmonies were advanced and novel for the day. Hindsight may not make this seem all that innovative, given what came later, but you wouldn’t have found solos like John Gilmore’s on “Brainville” or “Future” anywhere else in 1957. The prominent percussion on “New Horizons” and “Street Named Hell” were also rare in a jazz context when this came out Then of course there is the closer, “Sun Song”, on which Sun Ra’s organ gives a big hint as to where he would go in the next few decades. This album is pretty consistently good from beginning to end. Sun Ra and his Arkestra may have made even better recordings, but this still ranks among their most listenable efforts. Never seen or offered before top shape TEST PRESSING – all complete with OBI, booklet and 4 paged insert. Price: Offers!!! |
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2453. SUN RA: “Jazz By Sun Ra” (Transition – trlp-10) (Record: Excellent with an occasional visible under a bright light paper sleeve lines – play-grade is EX~NM/ Jacket: Excellent ~ Near Mint without any tears – corner dings or splits seams/ Booklet: Excellent ~ Near Mint). Original US first pressing on highly collectible Transition label and in pretty beautiful shape which is a rare thing for this record. Comes with the always missing booklet present. Recorded for Tom Wilson’s Transition label in 1956, Jazz By Sun Ra is made up of the type of skewed big band music featured on Jazz In Silhouette and a smattering of other recordings The Arkestra made in Chicago but did not release until they had relocated to New York City in the 1960s. As an album made specifically for a willing record label, this sounds quite a bit more hi-fi than the many rehearsal tapes from the same time period released on El Saturn records in the coming years. As for the music, it’s all quite good. The Arkestra sounds very polished. Some great songs too, with Sun Ra’s arrangements giving this an adventurous feel. The harmonies were advanced and novel for the day. Hindsight may not make this seem all that innovative, given what came later, but you wouldn’t have found solos like John Gilmore’s on “Brainville” or “Future” anywhere else in 1957. The prominent percussion on “New Horizons” and “Street Named Hell” were also rare in a jazz context when this came out Then of course there is the closer, “Sun Song”, on which Sun Ra’s organ gives a big hint as to where he would go in the next few decades. This album is consistently good from beginning to end. Sun Ra and his Arkestra may have made even better recordings, but this still ranks among their most listenable efforts. US original press issue. Booklet is there as well so…. You know how rare these are, especially in decent condition so throw me a nice curveball for this one. In my humble opinion, hard to improve upon this one condition wise… and rare for all eternity! SOLD |
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2454. SUN RA: “Sun Ra & His Solar-Myth Arkestra – The Solar-Myth Approach Vol. 1 & Vol. 2”. (Actuel – Double Actuel 202/ YX-9001~2) (2 LP set: Near Mint ~ Mint/ Gatefold Jacket: Near Mint ~ Mint/ Mint). Here you have a splendid copy of the two albums Sun Ra did for BYG Actuel. WHITE LABEL PROMO Issue! This copy comes in a fold out cover, with different cover design and pictures. Comes all complete with damned rare OBI. The vinyl pressing dates from the 1970 and was done in Japan, hence the superior vinyl quality. The original vinyl quality of the French actuels is often quite mediocre, so here is a top-notch quality item. Comes in thick cardboard fold out jacket. A real beauty to behold. The music on the other hand needs no introduction, I guess. This record stands out as one of Ra’s masterpieces. Highest recommendation. Original 1st Japanese press on high quality vinyl. Price: 200 Euro |
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2455. SUN RA: “Uchu Tankyu Vol. 1 - Nuits de la Foundation Maeght” (Nippon Victor/ RCA Records Japan – SHP-6203) (Record: Near Mint ~ Mint/ Laminated Gatefold Jacket: Near Mint ~ Mint/ Obi: Near Mint ~ Mint). Original Japan first press issue all complete with OBI. Top condition and impossible to ever upgrade upon. Original 1st Japanese pressing complete with never seen before space obi. A nice copy of this completely vanished Sun Ra item, housed in a gorgeous fold-out jacket. Truly beautiful and way rarer that the Shandar issue. First Japanese pressing on high quality vinyl I ever see with the obi present. These babies are getting so scarce these days and just never turn up any more in totally mint condition with the perfect condition obi present. Music is awesome, the overall package with the obi present is eye-popping beautiful. Price: 250 Euro |
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2456. SUN RA: “Uchu Tankyu Vol. 2 - Nuits de la Foundation Maeght” (RCA Records Japan – SHP-6204) (Record: Near Mint/ Laminated gatefold Jacket: Near Mint/ Obi: Near Mint). Original 1st Japanese pressing complete with never seen before space obi. A nice copy of this completely vanished Sun Ra item – this being the follow-up volume to the above listed one, housed in a gorgeous fold-out jacket. Truly beautiful and way rarer that the Shandar issue. First Japanese pressing on high quality vinyl I ever see with the obi present. Price: 250 Euro |
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2457. SUN RA & HIS ARKESTRA: “Super-Sonic Jazz” (El Saturn – H7OP--0217) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Near Mint). Original El Saturn orange colored label release in top shape. Looks like is has been hardly played at all and stored away for several decades. “Sun Ra had only been heading his Arkestra for a couple of years when they recorded the 12 songs featured on this 1956 session. But while the arrangements, ensemble work, and solos are not as ambitious, expansive, or free-wheeling as they became on later outings, the groundwork was laid on such cuts as "India," "Sunology," and one of the first versions of "Blues at Midnight." Ra’s band already had the essential swinging quality and first-class soloists, and he had gradually challenged them with compositions that did not rely on conventional hard bop riffs, chord changes, and structure but demanded a personalized approach and understanding of sound and rhythm far beyond standard thinking. You can hear in Ra’s solos and those of John Gilmore, Pat Patrick, Charles Davis and others an emerging freedom and looseness which would explode in the future.” (Ron Wynn – All Music). Hard to improve on this one…..classic Ra in action catering to your aural pleasures. Top condition!!! Price: Offers!!! |
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2458. SUN RA AND HIS ASTRO INFINITY ARKESTRA: “My Brother The Wind” (El Saturn – SR1970) (Record: Excellent ~ Near Mint/ Hand Painted Jacket: Near Mint & housed in Shrink). Saturn original in outstanding condition & comes housed in rare & beautiful hand-painted sleeve. A pretty darn incredible record from Sun Ra -- with a soulful, spiritual approach that's missing from most of his other albums of the time! The album features Ra playing a good deal of organ (dubbed "intergalactic organ" in this case!) -- grooving soulfully on some short tracks that almost hit a soul jazz mode, and which recall the late 60s experiments of organist Freddie Roach. Definitely one of Ra's most experimental LPs, he wrings all sorts of unearthly tones out of two pre-production Mini-moogs, accompanied by John Gilmore on drums, with a smattering of woodwind from Marshall Allen and Danny Davis. If you want to hear the most far-out synth record ever, give this a try...SOLD |
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2459. SUN RA And His INTERGALACTIC RESEARCH ARKESTRA: “The Invisible Shield” (El Saturn – 527/529) (Record: Excellent ~ Near Mint/ Hand Pasted on Faux Snakeskin Jacket: Near Mint). Rare Saturn release with Yellow and White label respectively. Comes housed in faux snake-skin embossed sleeve with pasted on slicks on back and front. On The Invisible Shield, you get two (maybe even three) Sun Ra's for the price of one. Although many fans admire everything the maestro produced, some prefer his idiosyncratic take on jazz forms, while others thrill when Sunny dispenses with tradition and transmits killer sound waves from space. The Invisible Shield has something for both camps. There's big-band swing, propulsive hard bop, lounge jazz, and hypnotic Latin exotica. The counterpoints are lease-breaking skronk, destabilizing electronic alchemy, and pan-galactic sonic emissions. The Invisible Shield is an extremely rare LP. It was never officially released on El Saturn and just a few hundred LPs were pressed around 1974 and sold at concerts. It never even had a standardized, printed cover—each copy was hand-designed or hand pasted. Often referred to as “Janus”, it was apparently conceived by Sun Ra as a self-contained album around 1970, but it was never issued. Eventually, some of these tracks were scattered across various obscure Saturn LPs of the seventies and eighties, such as “Invisible Shield” and “Space Probe” which we have here and which is not surprisingly exceptionally hard to find, the hybridized pressings of that masterpiece. Side one has “Island In The Sun – The Invisible Shield – Janus” and side 2 has “Space Probe” on display. Comes housed in a amazing faux snake-skin sleeve with paste on slicks. Hardly ever surfacing version! Price: Offers!!! |
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2460. SUN RA and his ARKESTRA: “Discipline 99” (El Saturn
61674) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Near Mint) Top condition original 1974
Saturn pressing. From 1974, out of Chicago, comes Sun Ra and his Arkestra with their album
Discipline 99/Out Beyond The Kingdom Of on El Saturn 61674 private press. It was recorded at a Hunter College, New York, performance
by Sun Ra & His Arkestra on June 16, 1974. Selected titles were issued that
year on LP (Saturn 61674); the album went thru several pressings with
different-colored labels, at least as late as 1980. As with many privately
pressed Saturns from the 1970s and '80s, the total press run is unknown, but
presumably it totals in the hundreds, not the thousands, hence original copies
are rare. Rare homemade private press by Sun Ra and his group!
It is a plain white cover with a slick glued onto the front! Comes with hand-colored
labels and this is the very first issue of this title. One of the rarer
versions of this LP! Seven cut album of great free jazz! Most of Sun Ra's
private presses on the El Saturn label were only 50-200 pressed! Amazingly
clean and top copy! Price: Offers!!!! |
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2461. SUN RA And His ARKESTRA: “Horizon – Recorded Live in Egypt, 1971” (Saturn – 121771) (Record: Excellent ~ Near Mint/ Paste-On Handmade Jacket: Near Mint). Original 1st pressing on Ra’s own Saturn label from 1972 with earliest label version and housed hand pasted sleeve art. This one came out in various sleeve art mutations but this sleeve is the earliest and rarest variation of the Horizon mutations. Top Shape! Price: Offers!!!! |
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2462. SUN RA AND HIS INTERGALACTIC RESEARCH ARKESTRA: “The Invisible Shield” (El Saturn – 14400) (Record: Near Mint/ Hand Pasted Jacket with Hand Colored Pen Drawings near borders: Near Mint). Top copy of this illusive mind-bending Sun Ra slide. This one comes issued in rare alternative paste-on sleeve art. Released in 1974 in a limited-run LP sold at live shows, Invisible Shield is one of the rarer Sun Ra albums. Mostly recorded in 1961 and 1962 with a final piece from 1970, the nine tracks here have a trajectory that mirrors Sun Ra's career and seemingly the progression of jazz itself. The opening original, “State Street,” is a big band effort long on swing, with tight horn charts and solos propelling it along. The context shifts to small group versions in stereo of standards “Sometimes I’m Happy” (with soulful piano by Sunny), “Time After Time,” “Easy to Love,” and “Keep Your Sunny Side Up,” which feature tenor saxophonist John Gilmore, trumpeter Walter Miller, and a driving Ronnie Boykins on bass. Things close with the wild electro-acoustic free jazz title track and the echoey and ambient “Janus.” There's no real reason why this should be so obscure, because it certainly in Sun Ra flashing one of his many colors. Totally essential mind food! Comes housed in rarest cover variation. Price: Offers!!!! |
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2463. SUN RA AND HIS INTERGALACTIC RESEARCH ARKESTRA: “The Invisible Shield” (El Saturn – 14400) (Record: Near Mint/ Hand Pasted Jacket: Near Mint). Top copy of this illusive mind-bending Sun Ra slide. Released in 1974 in a limited-run LP sold at live shows, Invisible Shield is one of the rarer Sun Ra albums. Mostly recorded in 1961 and 1962 with a final piece from 1970, the nine tracks here have a trajectory that mirrors Sun Ra's career and seemingly the progression of jazz itself. The opening original, “State Street,” is a big band effort long on swing, with tight horn charts and solos propelling it along. The context shifts to small group versions in stereo of standards “Sometimes I’m Happy” (with soulful piano by Sunny), “Time After Time,” “Easy to Love,” and “Keep Your Sunny Side Up,” which feature tenor saxophonist John Gilmore, trumpeter Walter Miller, and a driving Ronnie Boykins on bass. Things close with the wild electro-acoustic free jazz title track and the echoey and ambient “Janus.” There's no real reason why this should be so obscure, because it certainly in Sun Ra flashing one of his many colors. Totally essential mind food! Price: Offers!!!! |
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2464. SUN RA And His ARKESTRA: “Omniverse” (Saturn – 91379) (Record: Near Mint/ Hand Drawn Jacket with
Sticker: Excellent). Original 1979 pressing. Omniverse, recorded in New York in
1979 and released that year on Sun Ra's Saturn label, has been gathering dust
for too long. It's a fine, overlooked item in the vast Ra catalog. The tracks
aren't so much compositions as they are excursions, with only a few memorable
themes or recurring motifs. It's pure jazz, somewhat "inside" (for
Sun Ra), with little of the aggressiveness and confrontation for which the
bandleader was known. (Track 5, "Visitant of the Ninth Ultimate," is
an exception.) Omniverse is a very intimate album, offering lots of reflective
piano in trio, quartet, and quintet settings, with spare horns. But instead of
exhibiting a keyboard showcase, Sun Ra engages in dynamic interplay with the
rhythm section. Moreover, the horns are featured largely as soloists; there are
few ensemble passages. Three of the works exist as recordings only on this
album; there are no documented concert performances of these titles. "West
End Side of Magic City" doesn't reappear in the known repertoire for
twelve years—it surfaces at a May 1991 Atlanta concert, and was reprised in
August at a New York club date (for which the piece was announced from the
stage as "Vita Number 5"). "The Place of Five Points"
is known to have been performed at a smattering of gigs between
1985-1988. Price: Offers!!!!
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2465. SUN RA: “Aurora Borealis” (Saturn – 91379) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket with front and back pasted slicks: Near Mint). Original 1981 Saturn pressing with P.O. Box 7124 Chicago address on label. “Aurora Borealis is a very interesting album of solo piano from Sun Ra. Side A features two Ra compositions, "Aurora Borealis" and "Omniscience," both of which feature pretty melodic passages laced with dissonance and some thunderous low chords. Despite getting pretty "out," there is always a strong sense of structure and some downright stunning passages. Side B begins with Ra interpolating Rachmaninov’s Prelude in C# Minor (!), then moving into "Quiet Ecstasy," a beautiful, sparse and contemplative piece. Aurora Borealis is one of only a handful of solo piano dates from Sun Ra and remarkable for that alone.” (All Music Guide). Essential Sun Ra slide, original pressing in top shape that comes in handmade sleeve. These do not turn up that often – especially in such top notch shape as this beauty here. Price: Offers!!!! |
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2466. SUN RA & His ARKESTRA: “Ra
To The Rescue” (Saturn Records – Sun Ra Saturn-9-1983-220) (Record:
Excellent ~ Near Mint/ Jacket: Excellent ~ Near Mint). Original 1983 Saturn
records pressing of classic and fantastic Sun Ra slide. “Ra To The Rescue is a live set recorded at the Squat
Theater in New York in 1982. It's quite well recorded, although some of the
tracks are faded or edited somewhat abruptly. "Ra to the Rescue (Chapter
1)" is an insane solo synthesizer workout that has Ra in full sci-fi mode.
He does things with a synthesizer that you never would have thought possible.
For Chapter 2, it's Marshall Allen’s turn, doing things you never thought
possible with an alto saxophone. Then the album shifts gears into a very nice
arrangement of "Fate in a Pleasant Mood" that leaves out the lyrics,
but has nice "la-la-la" vocals and hand claps. The second side of the
album heads in a blues direction. "When Lights Are Dark" is a very
swinging basic blues, with just bass and drum accompaniment. "They Plan to
Leave" starts with a bluesy piano intro, then June Tyson and John Gilmore
singing Ra switches to synth, then takes the vocal lead while Tyson and
Gillmore continue in the background. "They Plan to put the White House on
the moon, soon! and the Kremlin on a satellite!" This is another great
Arkestra vocal track. "Back Alley Blues" closes the set with a
fantastic gospel-blues stomper. Ra To The Rescue may be tough to find, but it's
well-worth seeking out for fans.” (All Music Guide). Price: 375 Euro |
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2467. SUN RA And His ASTRO-INFINITY ARKESTRA: “Continuation” (El Saturn – 520) (Record: Excellent ~ Near Mint/ Hand Made Jacket: Near Mint) Scarce Sun Ra recording housed in arty handmade sleeve. “Continuation is an interesting late-'60s date with a nice mixture of styles. "Biosphere Blues" is a great slow blues with room for a number of solos, but anchored by the phenomenal playing of Ronnie Boykins. "Intergalaxtic Research" has some creepy space voice over a plodding beat which is joined by creepy organ, and "New Primitive Earth" is a weird flute/bells/koto experiment. "New Planet" is very cool space-exotica with Bugs Hunter (presumably) adding enormous washes of reverb and echo at various points in the tune. "Continuation To" starts with a crazed circus fanfare and then features Sun Ra on speed piano before calming down for a trumpet solo over an eight-beat bass ostinato. "Jupiter Festival" is a cacophonous romp with the saxophones' swooping squeals matched by Boykins’ squealing arco. Continuation features several interesting instruments, like the Jupiterian Flute and Neptunian Libflecto and the space voice of Art Jenkins and is one of several albums that demonstrate what a great player Ronnie Boykins was.” (AMG). Mind-blowing music from Sun Ra & The Arkestra – sounds recorded during the same marathon session that gave the world the records Other Planes Of There, When Sun Comes Out, and When Angels Speak Of Love! Ra plays a variety of unusual instruments alongside piano – including the piano strings, space organ, and clavioline – alongside some sublime straight horn work from John Gilmore on tenor, Marshall Allen on alto and oboe, Pat Patrick on baritone, Danny Davis on alto and clarinet, Walter Miller on trumpet, Robert Cummings on bass clarinet, and Ali Hasaan on trombone! The lineup here has that raw power the Arkestra first unleashed after their initial move to New York – almost a sense of new freedom in the new environment – even at a time when they weren't clicking on a financial level, but still continued to push forward with new ideas in music! Some passages have this great approach that links the cosmic ideas of the Arkestra with older traditions of jazz soloing – while others reflect the growing concern of the group with new textures and sounds – making for some very impressive elements on both the horns and percussion. The group is completed by Ronnie Boykins on bass, Art Jenkins on space voice and percussion, and Tommy Hunter on drums, percussion, and some mighty nice reverb. Amazing Sun Ra slide that brings forth especially the versatile capabilities of Boykins. That alone is already worth the price of the admission. Comes housed in unique handmade sleeve by Ra or somebody in his then entourage. Price: Offers!!! |
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2468. SUN RA & HIS ARKESTRA: “Disco 3000” (El Saturn - ?) (Record: Excellent ~ Near Mint/ Hand Pasted & Hand Colored Jacket: Excellent ~ Near Mint). Original 1978 1st press issue on Ra’s own Saturn imprint. 2nd press has totally different jacket. Best sounding and cleanest copy I have had so far and comes housed by a hand colored front sleeve. The main instrument, at least on the twenty-six minute title track, is a prototype made by Crumar called the 'Crumar Mainman' which Sun Ra described as 'like a piano, organ, clavichord, cello, violin and brass instruments', quite a stunning piece of gear then. The most interesting thing is the way Ra uses pre-programmed percussion, underpinning the track and allowing him to make in-roads into the murky world of electronic music, with one foot in disco, one foot in free jazz and two hands stretched out into space. Elsewhere we drop into safer territory (just) with Sun Ra allowing his fellow players John Gilmore, Luqman Ali, Michael Ray and June Tyson a chance to shine, but this is peculiar music from start to finish and I wouldn't have it any other way. Amazing and transcendent music. SOLD |
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2469. SUN RA and his ARKESTRA with Black Harold and PHAROAH SANDERS: “Gods On A Safari” (El Saturn – 165) (Record: Near Mint/ Past On Sleeve: Near Mint). One of the rarer Sun Ra recordings, 1976 US first original pressing in impeccable condition with past on sleeve art by LeRoy Butler and featuring Pharoah Sanders! In order to grasp the significance of the word 'featuring' on Featuring Pharoah Sanders And Black Harold, consider how infrequently Sun Ra used it and the exact way it had been used. The October Revolution in Jazz, organized by Bill Dixon in the West Village in 1964, presented a vivid cross section of approaches to the new music, including a sextet led by Ra. Here, always omni-present leading tenor player John Gilmore shines by his absence due to his session involvement with Paul Bley and other scenesters. Hence Pharaoh Sanders stepping into the vacant spot and dipping his toes into the burgeoning Free Jazz scene. He was still far removed from is now legendary status. For the October Revolution's continuation, titled Four Days in December, held at nearby Judson Hall on the last days of 1964, the Arkestra performance presented Pharoah Sanders as well as a flautist (who was and remained obscure thereafter) named Harold Murray, nicknamed Black Harold. It wasn't until long after Sanders had achieved worldwide acclaim with John Coltrane that Ra and manager Alton Abraham decided to issue the music they'd recorded at Judson Hall. After its first release in plain or hand-decorated covers in 1976, Featuring Pharoah Sanders and Black Harold remained an exceptionally rare item in the El Saturn discography, known to a few lucky collectors. That said, this record blows all the fuses out! Right from the get-go, Sanders makes his presence known although his powerful and emotional tyle of playing was still far from perfect. Still he is loud, squeaky and his serrated tone is instantly recognizable, although the more melodic and lyrical side of signature sound is still not fully formed. But that does not prevent him from his solos to liquidify and obliterate the skies! The record kicks off with a slamming and stuttering piano solo of “Gods On A Safari”, slowly merging with an intimate bowed bass solo before the flood gates come crashing down and the horsemen of the apocalypse incinerate all in their wake and the bands veers off towards the stratosphere. Black Harold adds some exotic, tripped-out touches. Quality Sun Ra recording that fuses neatly the bombastic and explosive with tunefulness and craft. Alan Silva executes some excellent arco playing throughout and the whole floats on tons of percussive rattles and shakes, while Art Jenkins provides some space voicings…before the whole group slip briefly into “Rocket Number Nine”! At last Black Harold does a Rashaan Roland Kirk kinda thing on flute on “The Voice of Pan” and steering into a head-on mind melting collision with Jenkins’ space whisper. Either way, this is some serious heady stuff and the whole affair is pretty wyld! Top shape! Price: Offers!!!! |
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2470. SUN RA: “Soul Vibrations of Man” (Saturn – 772-5) (Record: Near Mint ~ Mint/ Jacket: Mint, still in shrink). Rare and one of the best Sun Ra slides. This one is the 1st original 1976 pressing and in the best possible condition imaginable. Unbelievable! One of the rarest Sun Ra records and it's also one of the most compelling. There are no tracks listed on the label (although the Sun Ra discography lists them as "Sometimes The Universe Speaks", "Pleiades", "Third Heaven", "When There Is No Sun", "Halloween In Harlem", and "Shadow World") – and the sound is very very unusual. The first two tracks feature lots of spare reed work, mixing flutes, oboe, and clarinet with some occasional percussion. Then, the record shifts into an all-vocal number – almost like one of Ra's older doo wop tunes, but with a very strange sing-song lyric about the cosmos. Side two moves into larger group sounds, more in keeping with the mid 70s style of the Arkestra, and featuring some very fiery solos mixed with a bit of synth. Great stuff, and the Arkestra at its most mystical! Price: Offers!!!!
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2471. SUN RA: “Nidhamu” (Saturn/ Toth – 7771) (Record: Near Mint/ Hand Painted Past On Jacket: Near Mint). Original 1972 press issue. Sun Ra returns to the motherland – to serve up a host of classic recordings done in Egypt in 1971! There's a cool exotic feel to some of the best tracks here – a vibe that's quite similar to the groove Salah Ragab was hitting at the time in Cairo, although probably a bit more outside overall – thanks to the Arkestra's strongly modern tones. Recordings were done at a few locations – and the set mixes live concert material with even more intimate sides done at the home of Hartmut Geerken, who was a key force in getting the Arkestra to play in Egypt at the time. Ra plays a host of great keyboards – including rocksichord and moog – and other players include John Gilmore on tenor, Marshall Allen on flute and alto, Danny Thompson on baritone and flute, Kwame Hadi on trumpet, Hakim Rahim on alto and flute, and the duo of Tommy Hunter and Lex Humphries on drums. Occasional vocals are sung by June Tyson. The bulk of the material was recorded at a show at the Ballon Theater in Cairo. "Space Loneliness, No. 2" starts with a tone poem, then goes into a long keyboard solo which leads into the "Space Loneliness" theme, originally recorded in the late '50s for the album We Travel Spaceways. Nidhamu is an avant-garde epiphany full of wild, pitch-shifting synth experiments and proto-Star Wars sound effects, it's quite a shock to the system. 'Discipline 11' and the title track alone are worth the price of admission, blending head-spinning jazzed-up electronics and adventurous sound sculpting together. This sounds way ahead of its 1971 origins. Nidhamu is a great recording and another one that is hard to track down if you are after the original Saturn release as is this one. Stunning condition!!! Price: 450 Euro |
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2472. SUN RA And His ARKESTRA: “Sound Mirror” (El Saturn Records - #19782) (Record: Near Mint/ Paste On Jacket: Near Mint). Rare original first pressing in TOP condition and one of the more difficult to track down Saturn releases. “Side one ("The Sound Mirror") is a fairly typical full-ensemble space chant from a live show in Philadelphia, 1978: lots of percussion and Ra’s vocals over a simple bass/horn ostinato. Side two contains more of the Italian Sun Ra Quartet sessions from January of 1978. These tunes sound more improvised than others from the same sessions, with each player basically soloing over Luqman Ali’s drumming on "Jazzistocology." "Of Other Tomorrows Never Known" is mostly a fairly tuneful synthesizer solo until John Gilmore joins him for the last part of the song, which has a surprisingly quick fadeout.” (All Music Guide). Cleanest one and best shape ever I have seen so far, impossible to ever upgrade upon. Price: Offers!!!! |
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2473. SUN RA & HIS ASTRO-INTERGALACTIC INFINITY ARKESTRA: “Nature’s God” (Saturn/ Toth Intergalactic – 1272) (Record: Near Mint with hand-pasted labels/ Hand Pasted Sleeve: Near Mint). This is the very first press issue that came on the yellow colored Toth label imprint label on one side and the hand colored Saturn label on the other side, later issues had different sleeve art and other colored labels. In 1971, in Denmark, at the end of a tour, Sun Ra suddenly decided to take his whole band to Egypt. They had no concerts and no contacts there but Ra sold some recording rights to Black Lion to pay for the tickets and they flew out. They were stopped at customs and their instruments were temporarily impounded but they were let through as tourists. Then they booked into a hotel facing the pyramid at Giza. Word got to Hartmut Geerken, then working at the Goethe institute, and he quickly threw a concert together at his house in Heliopolis, for which Brigadier Salah Ragab borrowed army instruments for the Arkestra to play. Ra's Moog had made it through customs and a Tiger Organ was hired. One of the audiences booked the band in for a Cairo TV session the following day. Then Ragab persuaded the Ministry of Culture to book a concert at the Balloon Theatre. Two more concerts followed -- at the American University and the Versailles Club. They stayed for more than a fortnight, making a film while they were there and finally, by band-members selling various personal items, raised the money to fly home. The first tracks are from the Cairo TV broadcast and the whole collection features more familiar groove-based pieces characteristic of the period, interspersed with Moog and electric keyboard solos. June Tyson reappears for 'To Nature's God' and the highly eccentric 'Why Go To The Moon?'" Top condition. Price: 650 Euro |
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2474. SUN RA: “Oblique Parallax” (Saturn – SR72881) (Record: Near Mint/ Hand Painted Sleeve: Near Mint). Original 1981 original US press that comes housed in a unique hand-painted sleeve. “Although this release may prove to be exceedingly difficult to locate, Oblique Parallax boasts live performances from free jazz keyboardist Sun Ra at the Jazz Center in Detroit, Michigan. The material within includes Ra’s solos, as well as a few Arkestra offerings. The album begins with an unaccompanied electric organ on the "Oblique Parallax," which meanders into a slightly more assertive and impassioned composition, "Vista Omniverse." "Celestial Realms" follows, as Vincent Chancey (french horn) joins Ra with some minimalist, but audible contributions from Eric Walker (drums). Chancey weaves unfettered over Ra’s cordial yet jarring chord progressions. The second half of the platter consists of the lengthy centerpiece "Journey Stars Beyond." The offering commences in much the same fashion as "Celestial Realms" had ended, with Ra, Chancey and Walker conjuring up pastoral sonic imagery prior to propelling themselves headlong into an aggressive instrumental assault led by Walker’s frenetic and dexterous percussive inflections. The remainder of the Arkestra follow suit with an exceptionally powerful blast of free jazz improvisation as Ra switches to a synthesizer for some of his trademark out-of-this-world runs that simply defy accurate description -- however, enthusiasts will be able to relate to the intensity and ferocity that the Arkestra has become synonymous with. Parties interested in the music of Sun Ra should seek this title -- which will most likely be on vinyl -- for an exemplary set of avant-garde free jazz from one of the masters of the genre.” (All Music Guide). Like any other Sun Ra slide, this one is equally indispensable! Hand-painted sleeve variations are scarce. Top condition. Price: 500 Euro |
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2475. SUN RA: “Lanquidity” (Philly Jazz – PJ665) (Record: Near Mint / Silver Foil Jacket: VG++ ~ Excellent). Original 1978 1st pressing in great condition, with only some minimal signs of wear on silver foil sleeve – no splits or damages. Best condition one I have ever seen so far. Jacket is EX- which is no small feat. While one can't quite call it the Sun Ra dance album, this 1978 recording, made for a tiny Philadelphia record label, finds Sub Ra Arkestra’s rhythm section settling into a steady groove on each of the lengthy tracks, while horns, reeds, guitars, and Sun Ra's keyboards solo in overlapping patterns on top. The title number recalls Charles Mingus' "Goodbye Porkpie Hat" in its slow pace and elegiac tone, while the middle three tracks have livelier beats with playing that often answers to the style of fusion played by many jazz groups in the late '70s. "There Are Other Worlds (They Have Not Told You Of)," the nearly 11-minute concluding tune, is the closest to more familiar 1960s and early-'70s Sun Ra, with its less cohesive lead work and the "ethnic voices" that speak, sing, and whisper about outer space. Lanquidity is extremely rare in its original vinyl pressing. There are always condition issues and this copy here will set you at ease as it is the most beautiful copy ever to have crossed my eyes. Vinyl is NM, just flawless, fragile silver foil jacket is EX-, making it a top item condition one for this copy. Price: Offers!!! |
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2476. SUN RA: “Of Mythic Worlds” (Philly Jazz – PJ-1007) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Near Mint -still housed in SHRINK). Top condition copy with no cut out on the sleeve, most of these have a cut-out corner sleeve but this one is one of the few out there that fully intact, pristine and firmly housed in its original shrink-wrap. This is a fine album recorded in 1979 that sounds like a studio date. The second Sun Ra album to be released on Philly Jazz following Lanquidity. Undated live recording of Sun Ra's music that is equational. It is based on a system and philosophy as old as the most ancient of civilizations, and it points the way of the future as well. Music is not seen as merely entertainment. Ra has oftentimes mentioned the potentials of music to change the social order. In fact, the highlight of many of his performances is his self-conceived cosmo-drama which is essentially a dramatic monologue by Sun Ra in which he outlines the paths toward omniversal perfection. The Arkestra itself becomes the musical foil for Pharonic wisdom and cosmic insight. "Mayan Temples" is a great piece: slow and exotic with lots of flutes and bass clarinet. A nice reading of "Over the Rainbow" follows, then a great piano feature called "Inside the Blues." Side two heads just a bit farther out, with "Intrinsic Energies" sounding like some kind of space bebop while "Of Mythic Worlds" is a great tenor feature for John Gilmore. This is another album that is a bitch to find in top shape but well worth it. Price: 225 Euro |
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2477. SUN RA: “The Magic City”(Impulse – AS-9243) (Record: Near
Mint/ Gatefold Jacket: Near Mint). Top copy, 1st original issue on
Impulse. Quite a bitch to find in NM condition like this one here. “The boundaries of Sun Ra’s
self-proclaimed "space jazz" underwent a transformation in the
mid-'60s. The Magic City is an aural snapshot of that metamorphic process. Many
enthusiasts and scholars consider this to be among Ra’s most definitive studio
recordings. Although the "city" in the album's title was thought to
have been New York -- where the disc was recorded -- it is actually Ra’s
earthly birthplace of Birmingham, AL. The Magic City consists of four free jazz
compositions: the album side-length title track, The Shadow World, Abstract Eye
and Abstract I -- two variants of a common work. These pieces are essentially
ensemble improvisations recorded live. Any direction from Ra, indicating the
order of soloists for instance, would be given either through his playing or
with hand signals. Sun Ra & His Solar Myth Arkestra took up residency in
Manhattan's East Village in the early to mid-'60s. Their neighbors included
Pharaoh Sanders as well as Babatunde Olatunji. In fact, “The Shadow World”,
“Abstract Eye” and “Abstract I” were actually recorded in Olatunji’s loft. The
title track begins with weaving distant and frenetic lines from Ronnie Boykins
(bass) and Ra (piano, clavoline), connected by intermittent eruptions from
Roger Blank (drums). All the while, Marshall Allen’s dreamlike piccolo randomly
maneuvers through the sonic haze. The piece also contains an ensemble onslaught
that abruptly contrasts with everything experienced up through that point. In
the wake of the innately earthbound “Magic City” are three comparatively
shorter pieces with subtle undercurrents that return Ra to space motifs. For
example, the importance of sonic contrast defines “The Shadow World” by
juxtaposing the lightly churning bass and cymbal into some surreal keyboard
interjections from Ra.” (Lindsay Plane – All Music Guide). Essential. Great and clean copy….Price: 75 Euro |
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2478. SUN RA: “Astro Black” (Impulse Records – AS-9255) (Record: Near Mint/ Gatefold Jacket: Excellent – lower right corner drill hole/ Company Inner Sleeve: Excellent). Great US 1st original press copy and 1973 1st original pressing. “One of a handful of albums Sun Ra released on Impulse in the early '70s, Astro Black provides a reasonably comprehensive picture of where the Arkestra was around the time, drawing to the end of their ultra-free period and beginning to investigate some traditional jazz forms. The opening title track explores some of Ra’s spacier side, sounding a bit like a calmer alternative to his well-known "Space Is the Place" with June Tyson’s ethereal vocals and the leader's ghostly synthesizer. "Discipline '99'" is a relaxed, bluesy number, although, as was often the case, one could argue that the band is a bit too relaxed and the piece does plod a little. But this is followed by a lively African-percussion-driven work, "Hidden Spheres," which, along with the propulsion provided by the great, underappreciated bassist Ronnie Boykins, is a fine example of Ra’s band at their most enjoyable. "The Cosmo-Fire," the 18-minute track that closes the album, is a sprawling affair, a smorgasbord of Arkestra once again held in place by Boykins’ bass, serving as a solid stem off of which Sun Ra launches abstract organ and vibraphone explorations and the rest of the band wails and sputters. Again, the performance is loose, but in a way that enhances the otherworldly effect that Ra strove for. Astro Black isn't by any means the finest work by this musician, but is a decent introduction to his unique sound world.” (All Music Guide – Brain Olewnick). Great copy, and another one that has become a bit scarce. Price: 150 Euro |
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2479. SUN RA: “Angels And Demons At Play” (Impulse – AS-9245) (Record: Near Mint/ gatefold Jacket: Excellent/ Company Inner Sleeve: Near Mint). US original pressing on the Impulse label – WHITE label PROMOTIONAL issue. Sun Ra’s Angels And Demons At Play is a diptych created by merging two recording sessions. The first is a laid-back introspective affair ("angels?") recorded in 1960. Even frolicsome, these bouncy melodies follow the percolating rhythms with a gently leading reed, as Marshall Allen exemplifies on flute in "Tiny Pyramids." Also dating from before the truly experimental Sun Ra period, the last three tracks were recorded at RCA Studios in Chicago in 1956. Still very accessible, here several horns, among them reaching trumpets ("demons?"), trade briskly back and forth in solid and lively big band arrangements. Price: 150 Euro |
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2480. SUN RA: “Fate In A Pleasant Mood” (Impulse – AS-9270) (Record: Excellent ‾ Near Mint/ Gatefold Jacket: Near Mint/ Company Inner Sleeve: Near Mint). Original US Impulse Record pressing, WHITE label PROMO issue. This recording captures the Arkestra in an interesting transitional phase. Fate In A Pleasant Mood is one of the final recordings from the Chicago period that had Ra forging a personal sound using elements of swing and bop, with stellar horn arrangements and propulsive timpani drums. Fate In A Pleasant Mood is an early Sun Ra recording that contains in seminal form any number of elements of Ra’s later work. But though those elements are here, one would not have guessed from this recording the gigantic and audacious steps forward Sun Ra would shortly take. Certain pieces, however – for example, “Space Mates” – when drawn to their logical conclusions, lead directly toward the freer sense of form, structure and rhythm Ra later made the cornerstone of his most important music. The textural scope of “Space Mates,” its unpredictable format, and the way in which sound is both isolated and explored for its own sake and yet is completely logical compositionally. Other pieces like “Distant Stars” express a more overtly rhythmic and boppish aspect of Ra’s music that he was also to retain and to combine with the freer forms. Highly essential. Price: 150 Euro |
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2481. SUN RA: “The Nubians Of Plutonia” (Impulse – AS-9242) (Record: Near Mint/ gatefold Jacket: Near Mint/ Company Inner Sleeve: Near Mint). US original press on the Impulse label. In the late '50s, Sun Ra emerged from big band to modern/progressive big band status, began to employ electronics, and used a more Afro-Centric percussive focus. This recording perfecly demonstrates those qualities, and more. There are several definitive themes from The Arkestra included, such as "Plutonian Nights," "Nubia," "Africa," "Watusa" and "Aethiopia." coming chronologically between the other two groups of tunes, evidence an Arkestra moving into ever looser, more abstract ground. The percussion becomes more varied and moves ever closer to the foreground. "The Golden Lady seduces with a swaying groove created by a combination of simple parts: hi-hat, cow bell, wood blocks, rolling floor toms and bass. Ra then sets up a dark melodic theme, and then the Arkestra proceeds to weave a series of jaunty, blues-tinged solos into the fabric of the groove. "Nubia , "Africa and "Aiethopia continue this excursion into more mystical, rhythm-based territory. The Arkestra utilizes the same ominous, simmering percussion beds, now augmented by more exotic instruments like Pat Patrick's 'space lute,' which gives a playfully sinister sound to "Africa . Originally released on his own Saturn imprint, it was released also on the Impulse label and graced with an awesome gatefold jacket cover art. Price: 150 Euro |
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2482. SUN RA ARKESTRA: “Unity” (Horo/ RVC – RVJ-9003~4) (2 LP Record: Near Mint/ Gatefold Jacket: Excellent – no defects – has some faint mildew spots due to age/ Insert: Near Mint). Japan original 1st press issue from 1979 that comes housed in Japan ONLY gatefold sleeve art. Price: 100 Euro |
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2483. SUNNY MURRAY: “S/T” (ESP Disk/ Victor Records – ESP-1032/ SMJ-7461) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Near Mint/ Obi: Near Mint). Finally, Sunny Murray’s debut on ESP is such a vital slab of the freedom principle it cannot be omitted from any collection. But it took me years to finally dig up the first Japanese press issue of this one all complete with the very first Obi smacked on it – blue colored Victor obi. Was not the easiest catch but persistence finally paid off. These babies came out in the late sixties here in Japan and sold poorly – hence that these first issues rarely come up for air. This copy here is in amazing shape, obi also has no damages. Music-wise, I guess you know so any further explanation will be as worthless as the tits on a boar hog. Killer. SOLD |
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2484. SUNNY MURRAY: “S/T” (ESP Disk – 1032) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Near Mint). Original 1966 US first pressing with 156 5th Avenue address printed on sleeve and label. One of the greatest albums on ESP – and a darkly-tinged document that points strongly towards the future of jazz at the end of the 60s! The album's one of the most focused of the early ESP years – and it features drummer Sunny Murray stepping out strongly as a leader – working with players who include Jacques Coursil on trumpet, Byard Lancaster and Jack Graham on alto saxes, and Alan Silva on bass – all with an intensity that prefaces some of the players' later freedoms on the French scene at the end of the decade, and modes to come during the loft jazz years of the 70s! The horns are never too free, and they come together in a flurry of sharp edges that reminds us a bit of sound structures in Archie Shepp's work at the time – but almost more organic and open overall. Price: 75 Euro |
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2485. SUNNY MURRAY: “Big Chief Sunny Murray In Paris” (EMI Pathe – C062-10096) (Record: Near Mint ~ Mint/ Fragile Flip Back Jacket: Near Mint ~ faint foxing on back). Damned rare original French 1st press issue in immaculate condition – it seems to be all virginal even after all these years and makes it next-to-impossible to ever upgrade upon. “The group assembled for this Parisian studio date includes musicians from France (Guérin, Tusques & Vitet), South Africa (Beers), Jamaica (Terroade), and the US (Bibbs, Friend & Silva), and the huge sweeping sound they conjure while absolutely NAILING Murray's highly irregular compositional structures is as thrilling as free jazz gets. Hart Le Roy Bibbs appears once only in a wildly memorable turn. Everywhere and throughout Murray uses the ensemble's orchestral instrumentation to explore his fascination with "sound displacement" & the far extremes of the frequency range. Prepare your hearing for searing high-end burn! The record resolves beautifully in a performance of "this nearly was mine" that manages to be both otherworldly and poignant.” (notes from the reissue). Killer free jazz slide and this is the 1st time ever I have come across such a top shape French pressing, flawless. Killer!! Price: 250 Euro |
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2486. SUNNY MURRAY: “Big Chief Sunny Murray In Paris” (Odeon – OP-8755) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Near Mint/ OBI: Near Mint). Original Japanese pressing that comes on high quality Japanese vinyl + the whole affair comes housed in a Japan ONLY designed sleeve, making this issue one of the rarest Murray slides out there. To raise the stakes a bit – this copy here comes complete with the mega rare OBI – took me well over a decade to find a copy complete with OBI!!! “The group assembled for this Parisian studio date includes musicians from France (Guérin, Tusques & Vitet), South Africa (Beers), Jamaica (Terroade), and the US (Bibbs, Friend & Silva), and the huge sweeping sound they conjure while absolutely NAILING Murray's highly irregular compositional structures is as thrilling as free jazz gets. Hart Le Roy Bibbs appears once only in a wildly memorable turn. Everywhere and throughout Murray uses the ensemble's orchestral instrumentation to explore his fascination with "sound displacement" & the far extremes of the frequency range. Prepare your hearing for searing high-end burn! The record resolves beautifully in a performance of "this nearly was mine" that manages to be both otherworldly and poignant.” (reissue notes). Killer free jazz slide and this is the 1st time ever I have come across this Japan only issue all complete with insanely rare OBI – TOP COPY. Killer!! Price: Offers!!!! |
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2487. SUNNY
MURRAY: “S/T” (RCA JAPAN/ Shandar Records – RCS-6092) (Record:
Near Mint/ Gatefold Jacket: Near Mint/ OBI: Near Mint). Stupidly rare original
all complete Japanese press issue with never offered for sale before OBI
present, first copy in 15 years I encounter with obi. Rare original high
quality 1st Japanese pressing from 1973. Another vital free jazz
slide by Murray, this time the 1968 released original on the highly collectible
Shandar records. France has been kind to the free jazz expatriates who have
traveled there for fame and perhaps even fortune and the variety of labels that
had sprung up during the course of the late-sixties if only to document this
budding movement should only be one aspect as to how much of a following avant
jazz had over there back in the late-sixties. This self-titled Sunny Murray album
features many of the up-and-coming French free players along with trumpeter
Ambrose Jackson, a name that seems to slip in and out of many of these expat
jazz discs. Playing is excellent and the group play like salmon swimming upstream. Totally essential. Obi is crazy rare. Price: 350
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2488. SUNNY MURRAY: “An Even Break – never give a sucker” (BYG Records – BYG-30) (Record: Mint. Fold Out Jacket: Mint/ Insert: Mint/ Obi: Mint) Actuel 30. WHITE LABEL PROMO ISSUE with OBI!!!! Another blast of total freedom, spearheaded by one of the greatest drummer that still roams the face of this earth. Personnel: Byard Lancaster (alto, soprano, bass clarinet, flute), Kenneth Terroade (tenor, flute), Malachi Favors (bass), Sunny Murray (drums, balafon, poetry reading). One of the greatest discs recorded by Murray. Again original Japanese press on killer quality vinyl with insert and obi. Rare to say the least, hardly ever turn up. Sounds so much superior as opposed to the crappy French issue. This is how it was supposed to resonate through the empty canyons of your mind!!! Price: 150 Euro |
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2489. SUNNY MURRAY: “Hommage To Africa” (BYG Records – BYG-3) (Record: Mint/ Fold Out Jacket: Mint/ Attached Japan Only Insert: Mint/ OBI: Excellent) Actuel 3. Bloody rare WHITE LABEL PROMO ISSUE!!! One of the greatest discs recorded by Murray. Again original Japanese press on killer quality vinyl with insert and obi. Rare to say the least, hardly ever turn up, especially with the first issue obi present. Sounds so much superior as opposed to the crappy French issue. This is how it was supposed to resonate through the empty canyons of your mind!!! Price: 150 Euro |
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2490. SUNNY MURRAY: “The Untouchable Factor – Charred Earth” (Kharma Records – PK-1)
(Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Near Mint with only a few faint mildew spots on
back but extremely minimal). Original 1977 US private press free jazz mind
fucker. The album is from a live gig that opened up the New
Year in 1977. The title track starts the record off on a dark, solemn note. The
pace picks up significantly on "Seven Steps to Heaven" with a rhythm
section that lurches as Byard Lancaster solos - let's just say these cats tear
the roof off the sucka. "Tree Tops" goes into free jazz ballad mode,
with a soothing melody provided by Lancaster on sax, a droning bowed bass in
the background, and Murray and Burrell providing some fireworks).
"Happiness Tears" is a pleasant, up-tempo piece that veers almost
into boppish territory. "Peace" rounds out the album on a hopeful
ballad-like tip, picking up where the previous tune left off while slowing
things down a few notches. Lancaster and Burrell both get plenty of solo time
on these last two tracks. Again, Murray doesn't really solo per se on the
album, but his drumming provides the pulse and thus propels the music
throughout. Price: 75 Euro |
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2491. SUNNY MURRAY QUINTET: “Aigu-Grave” (Marge – Marge-11/ DIW-1054) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Near Mint/ Liner Notes with attached Obi: Near Mint). Blistering free jazz date recorded on April 1st, 1979 in Paris. Sunny Murray gets flanked by heavyweights such as Alan Silva (bass), Richard Raux (sax), Bobby Few (Piano) and Pablo Sauvage (percussions). Excellent recording in line with other Futura white heat!. Comes with Japanese liners and obi. Essential. Price: 40 Euro |
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2492. SUPERSISTER: “Present From Nancy” (Polydor - 2441.016) (Record: Near Mint ~ Mint/ Laminated Gatefold Jacket: Near Mint/ printed Inner sleeve: Near Mint). Original 1970 1st Dutch pressing, housed in laminated gatefold jacket and released on the Dutch “Polydor – Medium” imprint. First album by this fantastic Dutch band. “With their debut album “Present from Nancy”, Supersister started what would be one of the most amazing prog musical careers in the Netherlands. Heavily influenced by Soft Machine, Supersister managed to come out with an original approach to their jazz- tinged prog stuff: in no small degree was van Geest’s vivacious flute playing a crucial factor for the band’s originality, since his bucolic style complemented beautifully the jazzy vibrations delivered by his three partners. In this way, the quartet fulfilled a delicious sonic amalgam, seasoned by abundant touches of witty weirdness – the sense of humor that comes out in many passages of the album (and in general, throughout the band’s whole repertoire) helps to enhance the sense of excitement that all four musicians seem to be genuinely enjoying while they move across the complex melodies and rhythm patters. The 2-part namesake opener sets the general mood for the album: a sheer display of pure energy delivered through neck breaking performing and interplaying. Things get even more frantic in the first two sections of ‘Memories are New (Boomchick)’ - a sort of SM on steroids - until its last section takes us to a more languid ambience. ‘Corporation Combo Boys’ is a brief musical parody including some silly ensemble chanting and a final applause. A merry joke that serves as a prelude to ‘Metamorphosis’, another typical Supersister number that includes the densest passages in the album, together with other playful ones: there is a frantic jam that reminds me of a pursuit scene in a WB cartoon. ‘Dona Nobis Pacem’ closes down the album in a most extravagant way (yet!), focused on a twisted use of Gothic ambiences. Stips’ electric organ provides lots of successive phrases and layers for quite a long time before, near the end, an unexpected shift brings in merry- go-round motif, as if we ere being transported to some kind of funfair: finally, with a gong bang the song ends, and so does the listening experience. I recommend any of Supersister’s first two albums as a starting point for the uninitiated; I also regard “Present fro Nancy” as an indispensable item in any good prog collection” (review by Cesar Inca – prog Archives.com). 1st original Dutch pressings are hard to come by these days, especially in such a perfect condition as this one here. Price: 200 Euro |
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2493. SUPERSISTER: “To The Highest Bidder” (Polydor –
2925.002) (Record: Near Mint/ Gatefold Jacket: Near Mint). TOP COPY! Original
Dutch 1971 pressing. “Following in the same path as their debut album,
Supersister achieved their definite masterpiece in the shape of 'To the Highest
Bidder': in fact, Supersister proves to be one of the most prominent Dutch prog
acts of the 70s, equaling to Focus and Finch in prowess, fire and excellence.
In many ways, Supersister incarnates the Netherlands' response to Soft Machine,
since their music is overtly inspired by Canterbury's jazziest self; they also
have clear hints to Zappa's sophisticated absurdity and the distinctive
dynamics of avant-garde free jazz (track 3 being the best example).
Supersister's approach to humor in the context of jazz-oriented prog is a
crucial component of their music, since it allows all four musicians to keep a
light-hearted feel in their performances, while exhibiting their own individual
skills and challenging interplay. The flautist's role is certainly special,
since van Geest's style has a remarkable tendency towards the pastoral, yet in
a strange way, it works effectively in the middle of
the combined jazzy leaning of his other partners. The fact that two tracks are
10+ minute long allows the foursome to explore into their musical ideas and
explore its potential variations: 'A Girl Named you' (a Supersister classic) is
full of Latin-jazz colors, while 'Energy (Out of Future)' adds some exotic
African-like beatings in the middle of the band's exhaustive musical and
rhythmic travels. Both tracks portray obvious bombastic aspirations, but at the
end of the day, the band manages not to take this impetus too far by keeping a
sense of fun. As a result, there is a constant, unhidden touch of fun and
freshness displaying all through these pieces; in this way, the friendly
listener can rest assured that his senses won't get fed up at any point, since the
pleasant flavor stays unpolluted. The remaining tracks are apparently more
serene, but not less funny: 'No Tree Will Grow (On Too High a Mountain)' ends
its reflective portrait with the sound of a crowd cynically laughing, while
'Higher', in contrast to the previous track's tour-de-force, is a bossa nova
theme, serving basically as a sweet frivolous closure. Together with Focus and
Finch, Supersister is part of the Netherlands' Prog Holy Trinity, and they
surely deserve to be as acknowledged as the others... at least.” (progarchives). Simply a killer album. First original
pressing in TOP condition. Price: 175 Euro |
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2494. The JOHN SURMAN TRIO: “The Trio” (Columbia Records – YS-2428~9-Y) (2 LP Record: Near Mint/ Gatefold Jacket: Near Mint/ Attached 8 Paged Picture Booklet: Near Mint). Scarce Japan only 2 LP issue. Basically, the contents are the same as the Trio 2 LP white album but I must confess that the recording and mastering on this one is lightyears better, turning it into a whole new listing experience. Next to that it comes housed in a killer Japanese gatefold sleeve art and as a bonus one gets a picture booklet attached inside of the gatefold displaying cool B&W pictures of the band in action. So beautiful! Scarce first press issue and in top shape. Killer sound and comes dead cheap due to the obi being not present. Price: 100 Euro |
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2495. The JOHN SURMAN TRIO: “The Trio” (Columbia Records – YS-2428~9-Y) (2 LP Record: Near Mint/ Gatefold Jacket: Near Mint/ Attached 8 Paged Picture Booklet: Near Mint/ OBI: Near Mint). Scarce Japan only 2 LP issue – all complete with the rarely seen OBI. Basically, the contents are the same as the Trio 2 LP white album but I must confess that the recording and mastering on this one is lightyears better, turning it into a whole new listing experience. Next to that it comes housed in a killer Japanese gatefold sleeve art and as a bonus one gets a picture booklet attached inside of the gatefold displaying cool B&W pictures of the band in action. So beautiful! Scarce first press issue and in top shape with obi present. Price: 275 Euro |
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2496. SURMAN, JOHN; STU MARTIN; JOHN McLAUGHLIN; DAVE HOLLAND & BERGER KARL: “Where Fortune Smiles” (Dawn Records – YS-2487-YD) (Record: Near Mint/ Coated Gatefold Jacket: Near Mint/ OBI: Near Mint). Japan 1st original press issue in great shape and complete with rare OBI. Another vital slide by UK’s finest, this time the line-up consists out of John McLaughlin, John Surman, Karl Berger, Stu Martin and Dave Holland. With the addition of McLaughlin, the Trio’s sound gets seriously electrified, as well through the addition of the vibes, the free jazzing blasts now swirling towards a joyful amalgam of Improvised spiritually intoned psychedelic swing that focuses on the rhythmic continuity and development, emphasizing continual tempo and textual shifts. Not overtly as abstract as their previous outings, “Where Fortune Smiles” is about the sounds being part of a greater all-enveloping sense of space. McLaughlin certainly steals the show here and his fret-action is splattered all over the place, making it a bewildering listening experience. Again a killer to these ears. Original Japanese pressing which is rare – especially the first gatefold pressing with DAWN OBI present - and sounds fantastic. Price: 250 Euro |
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2497. SURMAN, JOHN with John McLaughlin; Karl Berger; Stu Martin & Dave Holland: “When Fortune Smiles” (Pye Records/ Teichiku – UPS-524-Y) (Record: Near Mint/ Textured Jacket: Near Mint/ Obi: Near Mint). Rare Japan Teichiku pressing that comes housed in textured sleeve – PROMO issue – all complete with rarely offered obi present! Another vital slide by UK’s finest, this time the line-up consists out of John McLaughlin, John Surman, Karl Berger, Stu Martin and Dave Holland. With the addition of McLaughlin, the Trio’s sound gets seriously electrified, as well through the addition of the vibes, the free jazzing blasts now swirling towards a joyful amalgam of Improvised spiritually intoned psychedelic swing that focuses on the rhythmic continuity and development, emphasizing continual tempo and textual shifts. Not overtly as abstract as their previous outings, “Where Fortune Smiles” is about the sounds being part of a greater all-enveloping sense of space. McLaughlin certainly steals the show here and his fret-action is splattered all over the place, making it a bewildering listening experience. Again a killer to these ears. Price: 150 Euro |
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2498. SURMAN, JOHN featuring John Marshall; Terje Rypdal; Chris Laurence; John Taylor & Malcolm Griffiths: “Morning Glory” (Island Records/ King Records – SR-3164) (Record: Near Mint/ Gatefold Jacket: Near Mint/ Insert: Near Mint/ Obi: Near Mint). Top condition Japan 1973 original 1st pressing all complete with insert and dammed rare obi. “For Morning Glory, John Surman sets aside his signature baritone saxophone in favor of soprano sax, bass clarinet, and synthesizer -- the result is a record as radiant and beautiful as its title portends, comprised of four epic tracks that despite their scope represent his most mainstream work to date. The skill and dexterity of the improvisations here are astounding. Surman and sidemen Terje Rypdal (guitar), Chris Laurence (bass), John Taylor (electric piano), Malcolm Griffiths (trombone) and John Marshall (drums) connect on an almost telepathic level. But for all its experimental approaches and ingenious ad-libbing, Morning Glory is a remarkably generous album, inviting and approachable like few avant-jazz dates before it. So much of Surman’s brilliance hinges on his refusal to alienate listeners regardless of their personal leanings and expectations, while at the same remaining true to his singular muse.” (All Music Guide). Amazing Surman slide that tests your sanity via screeching sax, wailing guitars, piano clunking, trombone growls and bass drones, Nucleus-like groove and wild axe growls. Killer! Price: 200 Euro |
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2499. The JOHN SURMAN
TRIO with Eddie Louiss and Daniel Humair: “Our Kind Of Sabi” (MPS Records/ Nippon Columbia – YS-2506-MP)
(Record: Near Mint/ Textured Gatefold Jacket: Excellent ~ Near Mint, some
visible mildew spots inside the gatefold/ OBI: Near Mint). White label promo,
1971 Japan only issue, 1st press original that comes with rare
obi all complete. The brilliant French Hammond organist and pianist Eddy Louiss
worked with the likes of Kenny Clarke, Jean-Luc Ponty, and Stan Getz; reed
player John Surman and drummer Daniel Humair have long been major forces on the
European scene. Louiss also recorded the title piece on Stan Getz’s “Dynasty”
album – here the trio presents a wilder version with fiery solos from Surman’s
baritone and Louiss on Hammond. This trio likes their Sabi hot with a Spanish
tinge. On the Martinique folk song Zafe Ko Ida, the great Norwegian bassist
Niels-Henning Orsted Pederson joins Louiss on Marimba and Humair on drums,
keeping with the tradition of the Caribbean before Eddy switches to piano and
the three transform the sound of the islands into swinging jazz. Song For
Martine brings Surman back on soprano and Louiss once again sitting behind the
Hammond with a plaintive balladic feel before moving into an Afro-Latin groove
that underpins passionate solos. On Humair’s Out Of The Sorcellery Louiss
pedals the Latin-esque two-beat bass line on Hammond as he and Humair conjure
their magical interplay. A classy trio album with Louiss’ superb Hammond organ
play front and center and a glimmering of the Caribbean dancing in the shadows.
Japan only 1st original pressing. It was later reissued with different sleeve
art on MPS, but this one here is the very first pressing in stunning gatefold
sleeve art. Price: 450 Euro |
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2500. SUZUKI AKIO: “Analapos – Jikan No Anna” (ALM Records – AL-3010) (Record: Excellent/ Jacket: Near Mint/ OBI: Near Mint). Bloody rare 1st original pressing all complete with hardly ever offered before OBI. Edition of only 200 copies. It was released way back in 1980 and the whole of the music on display here was recorded at a performance of “New Sense of Hearing” at the Nagoya American Center on October 5th, 1979. So now that we have that out of the way, time to focus on the music embedded within this beast. Akio Suzuki is known as a pioneer of sound art, but the breadth of his activities and the form of his works far exceeds the normal boundaries of sound art. It is perhaps more as a "quest after sound and space" that he has received the most attention from artists in many fields. Suzuki's journey as an artist began in 1963 with a performance at Nagoya station, in which he threw a bucket full of junk down a staircase. The inspiration behind this performance - the idea that if one were to hurl an object down a well-balanced stairway, a pleasant rhythm might be the result - took the desire to "listen" as its subject. That desire to hear, to listen has remained the one constant in Suzuki's stance as an artist. During the sixties, Suzuki's sense of playfulness led him to undertake a series of Self-Study Events, where he explored the processes of "throwing" and "following", taking the natural world as his collaborator. The experiences he gained in these events led him in the seventies to invent an echo instrument he named Analapos. It has been said that the structure of the "Analapos" resembles that of two mirrors facing each other, reflecting into infinity; and indeed, there seems to be an orphic elongation of reverberation that of which Akio controls like a cosmic whip. On this recording, Suzuki uses first three portable record players, his voice and sound instruments and two or three records of each kind recorded at the Holland Festival are played at alternating times and set in relation with the other elements that manipulate the space. It results in what he called “Poetry of Sound”. The second side of the LP sees him improvising with original sound instruments, the Analapos, which are drums incorporating long coil springs on both ends. On one side, the transitional part of the performance is recorded where Analapos for voice is witched to Analapos on stands. Then using his hands and sticks he plays various tones. By doing so Suzuki becomes one of the true sound art pioneers worthy of the name. Analapos is a blood chilling beautiful and austere recording. Sadly enough, not many have heard it since copies of this disc are scarce and virtually inexistent. Original pressing in top condition and so far, the sole copy ever unearthed out of the dungeon of oblivion and offered for sale. A true eargasmatic document and hopelessly rare in the true sense of the word’s meaning. Price: Offers!!! |
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2501. SUZUKI HIROMASA: “Kumikyoku
Furukotofumi – Rock Joint Biwa” (RCA Records - R4J-7015) (Records: Near Mint/
Gatefold Jacket: Near Mint). Stunningly rare 1972 original Quad pressing of
unbelievable freak out psychedelic jazz monster. Hiromasa Suzuki recorded many
albums as pianist, composer, arranger and producer. He made two “Rock Joint”
LP’s in 1972-1973. This album “Rock Joint Biwa-Kumikyoku Furukotofumi” was his
first effort, with at its sonic vortex the skeletal & pulsating strumming
of the Biwa, a traditional Japanese instrument that Suzuki transplanted into a
psychedelic rock/ groovy deep jazz-rock setting. Upon hitting the first groove
of the LP, you are catapulted into a head-swimming depth of detail that meets
pristine studio reification for the ultimate mind-fuck that seems to have
sprung from nothing to fully formed life. As the name suggests, “Rock Joint
Biwa” showcases an improvisatory fusion of methodology and sound palette,
drawing upon deep jazz/free improvisation, psychedelic rock moves and the
textures of traditional Japanese sounds. The end result is an explosion of
weird dynamics, suggestive in its inclusiveness and entirely psychedelic in its
approach. Although that the biwa is at the forefront here, the whole affair
breathes out a freewheeling progressive psychedelic jazz vibe with Suzuki’s
electric piano interlocking perfectly with authentic classical Japanese
gipsy/folk styles and deep, spaced out Japanese psychedelia. In the form of
blazing wah-wah fuzzed out guitar licks (courtesy of Kiyoshi Sugimoto),
freewheeling killer bass grooves, dizzying drum licks (Ishikawa Akira) and
groovy horns turn the whole into a weird hell broth melting pot of acid rock
and deep jazz interspersed with indigenous Japanese flavors. Silk as it’s
eternal/groove aspect the end result is especially narcotic as organ, Biwa and
fuzz guitar power-crys their way through a suite of contemporary domestic
psych/prog fantasies and oozing subterranean sweaty jazz funk vibes. Suzuki
also recruited a strings group, the Tamaki Quartet, who added some extra
cinematic moods to the already heady mixture. Absolutely fantastic and utterly
addictive, one of Japan’s unheralded deep space jazz & psyched out acidic
masterpieces. Top copy original 1st pressing, rarely surfaces in its original
format. Killer with absolutely NO filler. Price: Offers!!!!
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2502. SUZUKI ISAO QUARTET + 2: “Orang-Utan” (Three Blind Mice – TBM-44) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Near Mint – has faintest trace of foxing/ Booklet: Near Mint/ Obi: Near Mint). Japan 1st original pressing all complete with rare Obi and booklet. A very compelling set from Japanese bassist Isao Suzuki -- one that draws on the electric traditions being forged at the time by artists like Miles and Joe Henderson -- but which is also graced by the warm lyricism that was running through other Japanese jazz sessions of the 70s! Suzuki plays a surprising range of instruments -- electric piano, cello, and bass -- and the group displays an amazing ability to move into freely flowing numbers, then shift abruptly into sparer, subtler territory. The vibe of the record is quite unique -- and group members include Kenji Mori on alto and flute, Kazumi Watanabe on guitar, Samu Kawakami on bass, and Shinji Mori on drums -- and one title features vocals from Mari Nakamoto. One of the high-water marks in the TBM catalogue with all the tracks are on the longish side and hypnotically great. Awesome condition! Price: Offers!!!! |
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2503. SUZUKI ISAO TRIO: “Black Orpheus” (Three Blind Mice – TBM-63) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Excellent ~ Near Mint – lower right corner bump/ Booklet: near Mint/ Obi: Near Mint). Japan 1st original 1975 press issue – this being the hardly ever seen blank/ WHITE label TEST press issue – all complete with booklet and First Issue OBI. A salivatingly awesome and stripped down and spare session from the mid 70s – one that features bass and cello from Isao Suzuki – stretching out here in a sound that's totally unique! The trio's a great one – with Donald Bailey on drums and Tsuyoshi Yamamoto on both acoustic piano and Fender Rhodes – the latter of which sounds amazing next to Suzuki mellow-stepping lines. If you've heard any of Suzuki's other albums from the period, the style is somewhat similar – quite soulful throughout, but with an easygoing, open feel that's quite different than many American sessions of this nature – and which makes it clear that the bassist is the leader, not the pianist! Killer slide, rarely – if ever – offered blank/ white label test pressing with catalogue number stamped on the labels. A unique item. Price: 400 Euro |
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2504. SUZUKI ISAO: “Approach” (Art Union – KEN-1005) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Near Mint/ Insert: Excellent ~ Near Mint – has some foxing spots/ Obi: Near Mint). Original 1986 Japan issue all complete with obi. “Recorded and released in 1986, ‘Approach’ is both sophisticated and experimental in equal measure, balancing serene ambient moments with thunderous and dynamic explosions of energy. ‘Approach’ was originally issued on the Art Union label and sees bass uber-maestro Isao Suzuki, percussion and drumming icon Masahiko Togashi, and keyboard wizard Hideo Ichikawa join together with neophyte guitarist Akira Shiomoto to deliver a first-class showcase of contemporary jazz across five tracks, demonstrating their individual talents working as one unified ensemble. Suzuki’s deeply resonant and pliant basslines move sinuously across the album, supporting Togashi’s ebullient flashes of percussion and Ichikawa’s lush textures and colourations; topping it all off is the young Shiomoto’s guitar adding melodic texture and shine. Opening with ‘Make Trip’, Ichikawa’s gentle introduction makes way for a change of gear as Suzuki’s bass drives the band along before Togashi’s drum and percussion centrepiece solo leads to the outro. The plaintive and bluesy ‘Otari’ follows next, with Ichikawa’s piano flowing around and between the rhythmic undertow from Suzuki and Togashi. Things turn slightly more experimental on ‘Mysterious’ as Suzuki, the piece’s composer, turns to arco bass effects and Ichikawa employs synthesiser and electronic textures to add colour to the palette. Opening with a boldly stark solo piano part, ‘Tornado’ is written by Ichikawa and continues with a freely improvised section from the group as Togashi’s characteristically inventive drum solo once again leads the piece to its culmination before seeing Suzuki re-join to conclude. The album’s closer, ‘East Words’, written by Togashi, is a magnificent example of the ensemble’s interplay and control; a beautifully modulated intro from piano, bass and drums opens the piece with the freshness and light of a morning sunrise. Ichikawa’s use of synth strings reveals a new and unexpected intensity to the performance, as the track builds further into a head nodding, bass driven exploration of Ichikawa’s piano and Togashi’s finely paced percussion. As an album closer, it couldn’t be more perfect.” (notes on the reissue) Top shape original pressing. Price: 275 Euro |
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2505. SWELL MAPS: “…in Jane From Occupied Europe” (Rough Trade – RTL-12) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Near Mint/ Obi: Near Mint/ 4-Paged Insert: VG++~Excellent). Rare Japan original press with obi & insert. The second & final studio LP from Britain's seminal Swell Maps is an experimental pop masterpiece, and a virtual line of demarcation for underground rock to follow into the '80s, '90s and beyond. “Noisy and experimental, Britain's Swell Maps experienced little commercial success during the course of their chaotic career, but in hindsight they stand as one of the pivotal acts of the new wave: not only was the group an acknowledged inspiration to the likes of Sonic Youth and Pavement, but their alumni - most notably brothers Nikki Sudden and Epic Soundtracks - continued on as key players in the underground music community... In mid-1979, the Swell Maps released their full-length debut A Trip to Marineville, a crazy-quilt of punk energy and Krautrock-influenced clatter. After the release of the speaker-shredding single "Let's Build a Car," the group recorded one final studio LP, Jane from Occupied Europe, before breaking up. Each of the members followed their own career paths, playing solo and forming bands: Sudden formed the Jacobites, Soundtracks joined Crime and the City Solution, and Head played with Television Personalities” (Jason Ankeny). Cacophonous and anarchic, imbued with an insular irony, and inspired equally by punk primitivism and Krautrock experimentalism, the Swell Maps pioneered a hyper intelligent yet unforgivingly amateurish approach to music-making that sounds now like a blueprint for all the aspiring art-school noisemakers that came in their wake. Never popular, always marginal, the band seemed to have operated with a sublime indifference to any potential audience they might have had, which makes them a contrarian's dream, the perfect band to listen to in order to indulge one's masochism and sullen anti-social tendencies at the same time, all without surrendering the cachet attached to being into something obscure that's not overtly silly. Absolutely fantastic slide. Damned rare Japan original with obi. Price: 150 Euro |
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2506. SWELL MAPS: “A Trip To Marineville” (Rather/ Rough Trade – Rough-2) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Excellent ~ Near Mint/ Imprinted Inner Sleeve: Near Mint). 1979 UK original pressing. Noisy and experimental, Britain's Swell Maps experienced little commercial success during the course of their chaotic career, but in hindsight they stand as one of the pivotal acts of the new wave. Based around the creative team of brothers Nikki Sudden and Epic Soundtracks, Swell Maps were underground heroes in their time fusing punk rock, noise pop and experimental rackets in Krautrock patterns to achieve a sound unlike any equal. In mid-1979, the Swell Maps released their full-length debut A Trip to Marineville, a crazy-quilt of punk energy and Krautrock-influenced clatter. After the release of the speaker-shredding single "Let's Build a Car," the group recorded one final studio LP, Jane from Occupied Europe. A Trip to Marineville should be up there with their contemporaries like Entertainment! and Metal Box, but for some strange reason it’s never received its dues as a classic. The ramshackle recordings are a radical case from the post-punk era, opting for random bursts of controlled, and a lot of the time, rather harmonious noise instead of disco rhythms. Awesome condition UK original press. Price: 100 Euro |
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2507. 13th FLOOR ELEVATORS: “You’re Gonna Miss Me b/w Tried To Hide” (Oldays Groovy Donuts – ODREP45014) (EP Single Record: Near Mint/ Picture Sleeve: Near Mint). Japanese limited edition EP issue of classic Elevators, all complete with nice picture sleeve. Price: 30 Euro |
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2508. The 13th FLOOR ELEVATORS: “Psychedelic Sounds Of” (International Artists – IA-LP-1) (Record: Excellent ~ with only a few faint sleeve lines on side 1/ Jacket: Excellent ~ lower right corner seam rubbing). Original turquoise label stereo 1967 pressing in great condition – with early sleeve variation with Gordon Bunyan + address credit on back of this garage psych all time classic. “The music in case anyone needs to know, is a fire-breathing blend of garage, folk-rock and embryonic psychedelia, the latter represented by the two pioneering numbers “Roller Coaster” and “Kingdom of Heaven” (PL – Acid Archives). Simply one of the greatest LP’s ever to have been put down on wax, simply jaw-droppingly awesome but I guess you already knew that. If not, it is never too late to start gnawing the skull, suck the bones, then soak the bastard with gasoline & toss a match on it. It is just such a thrilling experience. Clean copies of the album are getting increasingly difficult to unearth, many copies – if not most that you see in the wild – are trashed beyond belief, this one is in great condition, EX++ all way round. Clean and mean stereo copy that hardly surfaces in such a nice condition. Price: Offers!!! |
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2509. 13th FLOOR ELEVATORS: “Easter Everywhere” (International Artists – IA-LP-5) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Near Mint/ Lyrics imprinted Inner Sleeve: Excellent). Original 1967 pressing & rare very first press issue with the printing error on the back sleeve that lists “Posturos” instead of “Postures”. TOP condition with NM~M sleeve as well!!! The 2nd Elevators LP following “Psychedelic Sounds Of” and it sold out its original pressing. Probably the best Elevators LP in my opinion, blessed with a muddy sound due to the low volume mastering by IA. Due to disappointing sales the LP was not repressed and since no unsold stock was left, it is hard to find a very clean and spotless original press copies of this LP. Cover is extremely clean and graded as EX with only the faintest of wear and has no splits, tears, or writings whatsoever – it will be difficult to find a better one. The record is utterly clean. Comes with the rare lyrics imprinted inner sleeve. There is NO “masterfonics” printed in the trail-off dead wax, making this the very first 1967 original pressing. (masterfonics one came out in 1977 so… This is an ultra-clean stereo press issue, which is clearly superior to the mono mix due to its hypnotic and elaborate soundscape of the stereo mixing. Awesome copy, comes housed in top condition jacket and record is also NM - very hard to find this clean so… Price: Offers!!! |
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2510. 23 SKIDOO: “Urban Gamelan” (Sound Marketing System – SP25-5139) (Record: Mint/ Jacket: Mint/ Obi: Mint/ Insert: Mint). PROMO issue. Rare original Japanese pressing with elusive obi present. One of the greatest acts to crawl out of that depressing, Thatcher-doomed-laden country that was the UK in the eighties. “This British trio developed one of the most unique sounds to evolve from the UK's Industrial Culture -- which was self-consciously aware of its actions as critiques of control and power within Thatcherite society. Unlike Psychic TV and Coil who offered an aesthetic of extroverted abjection and vile transgressions (often to amazing results, mind you), 23 Skidoo embraced something like a bunker mentality, by preparing themselves with both body and mind for the possibility of a future attack, but more likely in defense of their own personal agendas. The group -- Fritz Catlin, Alex Turnbull, and Johnny Turnbull -- studied various martial arts along with the then little heard sounds of Indonesian gamelan. Unable to get a hold of a true gamelan, 23 Skidoo built their own out of scrap metal, kitchenware’s, and water jugs. Their personal discipline from their martial arts training made for an easy transition in terms of mastering the fluid, yet complex rhythms that made for an excellent junkyard replication of true Indonesian gamelan. "Urban Gamelan" finds 23 Skidoo addressing two distinct aesthetics, the first being their post-apocalyptic funk (which had been previously mapped out on their first album "Seven Songs") and the second emphatically pronouncing their faux-gamelan sound. The album in fact begins with a remix/ reworking of their hit single "Coup," which has had the infamy of getting ripped off by the Chemical Brothers. Driven by counterpoints of bass and distant bursts of haunted trumpets, the first half of the album recalls some of Pop Group's dub fuckery, with an inclination for a more natural funk. 23 Skidoo then drops all of the electric instruments for an exhibition of their complete gamelan repertoire. If you ever thought that Einsturzende Neubauten or Test Dept. needed to get their groove on, then you definitely need to check out 23 Skidoo” (Aquarius). A deadpan classic, addictive and recently a though one to dig up. Here you have the 1st original Japanese pressing, complete with obi and insert and like always pressed on high quality vinyl to ensure you even a greater ass-booting experience. Price: 75 Euro |
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2511. 23 SKIDOO: “Seven Songs” (Fetish Records Japan –
SP25-5091) (Record: Near Mint ~ Mint/ Jacket: Near Mint/ Insert: Mint/ OBI:
MINT). First original Japanese pressing from 1982, comes on high quality vinyl.
RARE PROMO ISSUE & first time I have a copy with obi. "A more
descriptive title would have been "Seven Panic Attacks," but even a
bland title isn't able to prevent the undeniably savage, pungent impact of
Seven Songs, a half-hour long album that plays out like a soundtrack to being
bounty hunted in an expansive jungle. Following "Kundalini," a
hectoring brain shake that hardly resembles the dormant energy it's named
after, "Vegas el Bandito" enters and doesn't imply the James Brown of
"Cold Sweat" so much as the panic of night sweats, churning out a
taut groove of slap-happy bass, pattering drums, horn trills, and a
scratchy-scratch guitar line that chases its tail. An echoing trumpet carries
through the end of the song and drifts right on into "Mary's
Operation," an anemic drone of even creepier horns and tape loops.
"New Testament" is an industrial death lurch of rusted metallic
sheets, giving way to "IY," a cluster of conga acrobatics with needling
saxophones and frenetic chants thrown on top. "Porno Base," the real
knockout, contains little more than a series of abysmal bass pluckings placed
just far enough apart to induce chronic paranoia, sounding less like a
smut-film score than "Welcome to the Terror Drone." The finale,
"Quiet Pillage," despite its exotica reference, could only be played
in the ruins of a lounge post-carpet bombing. This is post-punk at its most
invigorating and terrifying." (Andy Kellmann - All Music). All-time
classic!!! Price: 75 Euro |
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2512. TAJ MAHAL TRAVELERS: “July
15, 1972” (CBS Sony – SOCM-95) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Near Mint/ Insert:
Near Mint/ Obi: Near Mint). Another totally “evaporated into thin air” original
pressing up for sale of this all-time historical milestone of an album. Top
notch copy, comes complete with rarely seen OBI. It seems that the Taj Mahal
Travelers records are on everybody’s want lists. Of course, some years back
this disc in question was shamelessly bootlegged and released in badly
reproduced cover art and matching inferior needle-drop sound quality. So here
you have the real deal with matching state of the art sound quality, if you are
only familiar with the boot, you will be surprised how this disc is supposed to
sound. During their active years, the TMT held site-specific concerts in remote
outdoor environments, devised immersive multi- media events, and bewildered
listeners via radio waves across several continents. From 1971 to 1972, the
Travelers carried out a series of events across the face of Europe, trekking
all the way to India. The LP here laid out before you was their first recorded
sonic statement. Spearheaded by Kosugi Takehisa, the group recorded with an
impressive array of instruments: electronic violin, oscillators, suntool,
harmonica, sheet iron, vibraphone, electronic trumpet, vocals and a vast array
of ring modulators. Kosugi and company deploy echo boxes with all the abandon
of Eddie Hazel rocking a wah-wah pedal, lending the whole session a submerged,
almost dub- like feel. Time seems to expand and contract as sound clouds drift
across the stereo field like Chlorine gas presenting itself as a vapor and
having its electrons raised into higher energy levels by a variety of
excitations that will dispose its chlorophyll spores upon your eyelids and
earlobes. You are in for a long ride. A classic and getting damned hard to unearth
all complete with obi and insert present. Top condition. Price: 575 Euro
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2513. TAJ MAHAL TRAVELLERS: “August 1974” (Columbia – OP-7147-8-N) (2 LP Record Set: Near Mint~ MINT without even a single spindle mark – like new/ Gatefold Jacket: Mint, perfect untouched copy without any blemishes - PERFECT!!!/ Insert: Mint/ Obi: MINT, not the faintest sight of any wear…like new/ Additional Bonus Taj Mahal Travellers Live Concert Insert: Near Mint). ORIGINAL COPY! PERFECT Near Mint ~MINT condition and all complete with OBI. Never ever have I encountered as perfect as this one here. Impossible to downgrade it in anyway. The fragile sleeve has not a single sing of any wear (always prawn to ring and storage wear due to its flimsy nature), records are untouched and not even a single spindle mark insight and the obi is also completely virginal. It looks like this copy was stored safely away since the day it was released!!! Heavy hitting monster rarity, complete with always missing obi!!!! Here is the real deal, one of the rarest albums out of Japan. It is estimated that there are no more than 300 copies in circulation of which only 100 are adorned with the obi, making this gem rare as hell. Taj Mahal Travelers first album is quite easily to track down but their 2 LP successor, this one, is just impossible to get. The record is a fragile masterpiece, sound wise as well as art wise since the gatefold is made out of flimsy carton. Jacket is top all the way. Vinyl is shiny with no signs of any use at all, looks like it was pressed yesterday and crawled out of a time capsule. Amazing complete & TOP copy, hideously rare and bloody collectible. Once in a lifetime opportunity maybe, especially with the obi present. Act now and hold your peace forever. Impossible to ever find a better one. Forget about ever upgrading ever, this copy here is just perfect!!!! Best copy in existence. Best condition I ever had, sold a NM~M copy once but this baby here is even next level and as pristine as the day it rolled out of the pressing plant and into the shop in 1974!!! Virginal from start to finish so…. Price: Offers!!! |
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2514. TAKAGI
MOTOTERU & TOSHIYUKI TSUCHITORI: “Origination” (ALM Records – ALM-04) (Record: Near
Mint/ Jacket: Near Mint). Top condition copy!!! Well,
here you have one of the Holy Grails of the Japanese free jazz underground, a
disc that just never surfaces anymore. Impossible to track down these days,
hardly ever turns up anymore. Small pressing so a tough one to unearth. Sadly enough, the outside world has their
myopic gaze only locked unto the much-hyped (they are stellar of course and
need to be hyped) two key players of that period, being Takayanagi and Abe, but
fail to look beyond the yonder at the other hardcore players that often even
surpass all the others. This is mainly due to music critics’ inability to scrap
beyond the surface layer in order to dig out some of the nuggets that remain
hidden underneath. And since people tend to put their faith and trust in such
critics who hype middle-of-the-road mediocrity instead of stellar lunacies,
gems like this one remain hidden from hardcore music enthusiasts. This disc is
such a nugget and well conserved pearl of musical greatness. Mototeru Takagi
may and should ring a bell if you ever took the time to check out PSF’s early
releases. If so, you are certainly aware of his brain peeling recording “Deep
Sea” (PSFD-47) of the early seventies with Yoshizawa Motoharu, another totally
underrated player of that scene. Mototeru was a totally wicked sax howler,
spewing out ashes of volcanic deep subterranean fury and eager malice, creating
a tornado of dusty sax noise that will engulf the aural landscape of your
listening quarters. Skin mangler Toshiyuki Tsuchitori who unleashes a boundless
fury of pounding pulses and crashing sticks flanks him and provides a perfect
counter-balance force to Mototeru’s all engulfing apocalyptic waves of sound.
In all both of them are responsible for creating high-tension music that
resemble at times as if they were engaged in trench warfare, although that both
move through it on an intuitive approach. In short, this disc stands shoulder
to shoulder with the best records of that golden free jazz age and is without a
single doubt one of the Japanese underground scene’s defining moments of free
interplay. It is a shame that this disc rarely if never turns up any more. It
was released in a smal run on the ALM records label in 1975.
Slowly attaining super rarity status. Highest recommendation. Price: Offers!!! |
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2515. TAKAGI MOTOTERU TRIO: “Mosura Freight” (Interval – ILP-101) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Near Mint) Getting almost impossible to dig up these last years and this is possible the most perfect condition one I have ever had. One of the fastest in value rising Japanese jazz slides as of late. The Holy Grails of the Japanese free jazz underground, a disc that just never surfaces anymore. This was Takagi’s first (and sole) disc as a leader, released in 1975 in an edition of 300 copies only. Although that the outside world has their myopic gaze locked unto two key players of that period, being Takayanagi and Abe, they fail to look beyond the yonder at the other hardcore players that literally played until they blew themselves to smithereens. This is partly due to music critics’ inability to scrap beyond the surface layer in order to dig out some of the real nuggets hidden underneath. And since people tend to put their faith and trust in critics who shovel up middle-of-the-road mediocrity instead of stellar lunacies, gems like this one remain hidden from hardcore music enthusiasts. This disc is such a nugget and well conserved pearl of musical greatness. Mototeru Takagi should ring a bell if you ever took the time to check out PSF’s early releases. It contains his brain peeling recording “Deep Sea” (PSFD-47) of the early seventies with Yoshizawa Motoharu, another totally underrated player of that scene. Mototeru was a totally wicked sax howler, spewing out ashes of volcanic deep subterranean fury and eager malice, creating a pyroclastic tornado of dusty sax noise. His teammates Takashi Tokuhiro (bass) and Tsutomu Ono (drums) unleash in response a boundless fury of pounding pulses. Crashing sticks tumble all around Takagi’s whirlwind of sax squeals, providing the perfect counter-balance force able to counter-attack his all engulfing apocalyptic waves of grizzled sound. The trio is responsible for creating high-tension music as if they were engaged in trench warfare. In short, this disc stands shoulder to shoulder with the best records of that golden free jazz age and is without a single doubt one of the Japanese underground scene’s defining moments of free interplay. It is a shame that this disc rarely if never turns up any more. It was released in an edition of 300 copies in 1975. Slowly attaining super rarity status. Highest recommendation. Price: Offers!!!! |
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2516. TAKAGI MOTOTERU – SABU TOYOZUMI – TAKASHI KAKO TRIO: “Blue Sea” (Private) (Record: Mint/ Paste On Hand Made Jackets: Mint/ Insert: Mint). Rare private press Japanese free jazz slide that was released in a tiny edition of only 90 copies – all of which came in handmade jackets and no two of them were identical. These dried up the minute they were released, making them elusive killer slides from day one. Music-wise, this is a vicious slide and an important creative free form jazz document by these three Japanese musicians (Takashi Kako / Mototeru Takagi / Sabu Toyozumi) recorded live in 1976. The material was salvaged from unreleased live recordings that were found on long lost original cassette tapes. The trio is on fire on these recordings and performs two pieces titled; "Blue Sea" and "New Sea". An extremely heavy archival recording. This is Japanese free music at its height. Clean and crisp with the musicians finishing each other’s ideas and phrases. Piano, percussion and saxophone at a high level of energy, but no unnecessary sounds. In fact, all sounds played were very necessary. Totally insane material, killer from start to finish and rare forever!!! Price: Offers!!!! |
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2517. TAKAGI MOTOTERU: “Fukutsu
No Tami – The People United Will Never Be Defeated ~ Solo Improvisation” (Chap
Chap Records – POJE-9007) (Record: Mint/ Gatefold Rice paper Jacket: Mint/ Obi:
Mint/ Insert: Mint/ Sticker: Mint). Released in a minuscule edition of 250
copies only. Live recording that took place in the small Hofu located rundown
jazz club “café Amores” back in September, 15th 1996, which reveals Takagi in a
lyrical, yet adventurous mood, improvising solo and asserting again he was
everyone’s favorite free jazz howler to roam the Far East. On this recording,
Takagi’s the reductionist stance that has more to do with disassembling and
reconfiguring free jazz tongue than shutting down the instruments altogether.
His tenor and alt sax playing has an odd, sepia-toned quality that serves to
further confuse timelines, smearing bird-like phrases into little globes of
light, rendering it into a beautiful transport. Timeless free jazz that
effortlessly sidesteps the easy clichés associated with the genre. The cuts
contained on this release glow with a mastery of dynamics and rapidly shifting
phrases, a true guru of free-improvisation as expression. He displays here a
slowed down, throaty style that means he can smear fragments into knotty drones
that almost sound like a sing-song post-Frank Wright style. Overall, Takagi is
very spacious here resonating with a ghostly feel that nevertheless emanate out
vibrant and genuinely radically lyrical sonics and mournful long breathy tones
punctuated by a decaying feel of inevitability. Just beautiful and a side of
Takagi that has not been documented before. Released in a tiny high quality of
only 250 copies, this one will be destined to be a future biggie – as is the
case with all of Takagi’s output that is soaring towards the stratosphere these
past years, and rightly so. Killer. Price: 150 Euro
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2518. TAKAGI SEIGEN & ICHIOKA SEISHI: “Kunisaki No Biwa Houetsu” (CBS Sony – 22AG-202) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Near Mint/ 4 Paged Insert: Near Mint/ Obi: Near Mint). Rare original first press issue from 1977 of totally wicked Biwa slide. The music on this LP is a selection of recordings out of the repertory of Takagi Seigen and Ichioka Seishi, both blind musicians and ritualists of Nankan-Cho, in central Kyushu’s Kumamoto Prefecture. As some of last persons to have earned his income from performing a collection of narratives, songs, and rites with biwa, they seemed to be a twentieth-century apparition of the medieval biwa hoshi – blind singers associated in Japanese popular culture with the carnage and strife that led to the start of the warrior rule in the late 12th century. Takagi and Ichioka’s identities as a musicians and individuals was far more complex, but from the mid 1970s they both became well known as the “last biwa hoshi”. They were brought to perform in Tokyo on several occasions, yet no recordings of the extensive narratives and ritual pieces at the core of his repertory were ever released commercially. The representative pieces brought together here were recorded in diverse circumstances in the 1960s through 1980s by institutions and researchers who permitted the use of the original tapes. Most of the recordings here document performances for small groups of researchers, family members and neighborhood acquaintances. These recordings give us a sense of the strength of voice that they retained as well as illustrating the variety of vocal types and delivery styles. This is a set a valuable addition to your collection if interested in field recordings, sounds from times long gone and extinct. This comes with the highest possible recommendation. Scarce record that hardly ever surfaces and first time I have a copy all complete with obi. This is killer stuff!!!! Price: 450 Euro |
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2519. TAKAYANAGI MASAYUKI & ABE KAORU: “Kaitaiteki Kokan” (Craftman Records – CMRS-1) (Record: Mint/ Jacket: Mint/ Live Concert Insert: Mint). Takayanagi's historically legendary duo with firebrand alto saxophonist Kaoru Abe, Kaitaiteki Kokan (Deconstructed Exchange) was recorded June 28, 1970 and released in September of that year in a predictably minuscule edition, and has always been viewed as a major meeting between two of the most important figureheads of Japanese free music. It is perhaps the most heavily fetishised record ever to emerge from the Japanese underground. So it is undoubtedly nice to see Kaitaiteki Kokan reissued – although being limited to a subscription only issue, but faithfully executed on high quality vinyl and exactly reproduced as it was an original pressing. Music-wise, it's more of a pitched battle than anything else: Takayanagi, on electric guitar, plays in a recognisably "jazz" style, amplifying and distorting genre motifs and signatures, and methodically pulling them apart with a spindly and harshly brittle feedback tone that's often grating to listen to; Abe just wails away regardless, full of bluster and seemingly paying little attention to his partner whatsoever, behavior not entirely untypical of him at this point in his career. This music, that one reviewer once described as “unlistenable,” will probably eat you…alive. There are two big differences between this and for example Topography of the Lungs. First, this is somehow more evil, more perverse, and more absolutely insane. Second, it somehow is all of those things while not having a drummer around to keep you strapped to the table. The lack of percussion actually works here. Takayanagi and Abe have a good sense of one another on this record that the movements in the music play out like little stories: the guitar makes a statement, the saxophone makes fun, the guitar gets indignant, the saxophone gets snarky, the guitar gets defensive, the saxophone tries to apologize, then the guitar gets the upper hand — and so on, through the wildest, weirdest tracks that exist in the free improvisation catalogue. Before this was reissued – albeit ultra limited, vinyl copies were being traded at 4-digit prices around Tokyo, but here is an identical high quality and ultra limited one-time only reprint. The high standards of this issue are baffling, eye for detail is insane – both as far reproducing jacket/ sleeve/ paper quality goes as well as for the pressing. And once these babies are gone, well they will be gone forever. Brutally beautiful on all fronts!!! Price: 150 Euro |
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2520. TAKAYANAGI MASAYUKI QUINTET: “Flower Girl” (Craftman Records – CMRS-0031) (Record: Near Mint/ jacket: Near Mint/ Obi: Near Mint). Identical and ultra limited high-quality reissue of one of the rarest free jazz LP ever made: Masayuki Takayanagi's Flower Girl. My ear to the ground has it that this is put out in an edition of 400 copies only. Originally it was released in a limited run of 100 copies in 1968, making it an incredibly rare record - released as a promotional album, and never marketed - gets its first vinyl reissue via Craftman Records. Japan's leading jazz guitarist Masayuki Takayanagi is one of the first to pursue free jazz music in Japan, and its activity has not been confined to the framework of jazz, but even a pioneer who pioneered the world of experimental improvisation is there. On the other hand, he is greedily working on music in all fields of the world, one of which is Bossa Nova. Half a century after the recording, it is a pleasant cool jazz album that can be enjoyed even without any prior knowledge, and at the same time, one of Bosonanova's early days in Japan with the first song "so Deep and So Blue" You can also touch And in the midst of a period of high economic growth, it is also a hidden attraction of this work that you can feel the existence of one person's willingness to try to mature culture as well as economic development, / 1968 recording, Composed by Sion Tomita (Torita Tomita) and arranged by Kiyoshi Yamaya. Performed = Masayuki Takayanagi Quintet (Takayanagi Masayuki (g), Sato Toshio (g), Mitobe Akira (vib), Kuwahara Eijiro(b), Hino Motohiko (ds). Price: 85 Euro |
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2521. TAKAYANAGI MASAYUKI &
ABE KAORU: “Station ‘70” (Jinya/ Craftman Records – CMR50119) (Record: Mint/
Jacket: Mint/ Insert: Mint/ Obi: Mint). a live concert
by New Direction. The album includes 2 tracks performed by Masayuki
Takayanagi - Guitar, and Kaoru Abe - Alto Saxophone. The first album
track: Thursday / Gradually Projection, was recorded on June 18, 1970 at
Tokyo. The second one: Jha / Mass Projection was recorded on May or
June, 1970 at Tokyo. Really mind-blowing work from Japanese guitarist Masayuki
Takayanagi – a player we know from other records, but who may well be in one of
his most creative settings here – a batch of live improvisations with the
equally great reedman Kaoru Abe! Often, Takayanagi is playing with qualities
that really echo some of the experiments of Derek Bailey in the early 70s – on
both electric and acoustic guitars, but also with a much more spacious approach
overall – which seems to bring out a very different spirit in Abe – who blows
alto sax and harmonica, and also plays shakuhachi. Price: 75 Euro
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2522. TAKAYANAGI MASAYUKI NEW DIRECTION with ABE KAORU & YAMAZAKI HIROSHI: “JazzBed – Live September 27, 1970 at Tokyo” (Craftman Records – CMRS0117) (Record & Obi & Jacket: Mint – SEALED). Prescription only and immediately sold-out deluxe LP edition (400 copies only) of previously unreleased recording bringing together the 3 titans of the early 1970 Japanese free jazz scene. This is a historical recording, with Takayanagi sparing with equally legendary Abe Kaoru and drummer Hiroshi Yamazaki. This is astounding and can be put next to Arthur Doyle’s Alabama Feeling and Peter Brotzmann’s Machine Gun, the levels of intensity reached in this all-out rampage of rule-less free jazz are equally as astounding as either recording. Consisting of two side-long tracks, what is being blasted to the angels of heaven is an active study in the pursuit of musical and language boundaries, those imposed on each instrument separately and in tandem with one another. This is high tension music thriving upon each player’s high voltage reaction and the trio go full bore for the entire performance – as if engaged in some sort of trench warfare. Still there is musical detail hidden in this maniac fury. If one pays careful attention to Takayanaga's guitar tones, they actually shift accordingly to the lines played by Abe and Yamazaki, making him move from high to low register, seldom playing in the middle and the tiniest gestures emanated by both of them trigger in return apocalyptic waves of sound. When the dynamics do change and one instrument drops out, the overtone quality of the other shifts to compensate. Make no mistake, what you are hearing is an assault on the senses -- deafening, roaring, ear-splitting, heart-wrenching animated strive -- but it is made with such purpose, such sincerity and rage, that this music sounds like nothing less than men who are screaming to each other in tongues of fire while trying to fly with the beautiful wings of Icarus before the wax melted when coming too close into the sun’s vicinity. Abe’s volatile yet determined playing uses the threat of technical collapse as a frequent motive for change while sustained momentum and emphatic concentration are reflected in his playing. As a trio, this recording represents an unusual setting for Abe, given that most of his recorded appearances are solo. Standing several steps in front of Takayanagi’s blitzkrieg approach and some fantastically wide and crunchy drumming by Yamazaki, he sits on a wave of panoramic sound that floats somewhere between a tornado of dusty noise and the boundless fury of Atilla the Hun’s hordes galloping down the steppe. His notes crumble, as the raw force bends burrs and slurs them, twisting and shoving them, so that microtonal space is there in the shavings and curls. Abe still finds a way for notes to fit into the groove he's forcing them against. Still the overall exploratory sound floats on an intuitive approach of all three players, making you feel like standing in the midst of a prison riot in full swing. Killer!!! Price: 75 Euro |
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2523. TAKAYANAGI MASAYUKI: “Independence” (Union Records – UPS
– 2010-J) (Record: Excellent ~ Near Mint/ Jacket: Excellent ~ has some mildew spots visible on back). One
last copy back in stock – has been ages since I could lay my hands upon a
copy again. Mucho in demand first original pressing. Top copy: Unbelievable,
Independence on vinyl. Original 1971 press. This one just never turns up and I
bet not many of you have seen this Holy Grail of a disc, well – it is
much rumored about but has not been seen by too many eyes. This is the Loch
Ness Monster of Japanese free jazz records – rumored to be out there but
elusive to say the least. Until now… The first original pressing of 1971,
probably one of the rarest free jazz documents ever to
be put up for sale. It was an edition of only 500 copies so go figure it out.
Still it is unclear how many copies are in circulation, it is estimated that no
more than 300 remain in existence due to terrible sales at the time. This was
Takayanagi’s first recording as a leader after his involvement with Togashi
Masahiko’s “We Now Create” brain ripper. Here, Takayanagi gets flanked
by the best free blowing heads on the scene being bass monster virtuoso
Yoshizawa Motoharu and skin mangler Toyozumi Yoshisaburo. Hardcore kerosene
driven free jazz blats from 1969. This is vicious music that until this day
remains unequalled by any players on the scene. The defining free jazz
document. All time highest recommendation. Not for pussies. Freakingly rare
original pressing. Very nice condition, strictly graded at EX~NM. These babies
are virtually impossible to get these days as Japanese jazz is beyond hot and
freakingly sought after these past years and it won’t get any easier. So
serious offers invited for this free jazz cornerstone of a disc. Price: Offers!!! |
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2524. TAKAYANAGI MASAYUKI NEW DIRECTION UNIT: “Axis Another Revolable Thing Pt.1” (Offbeat Records – ORLP-1005) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Near Mint/ Obi: Near Mint/ Insert Card: Near Mint/ Off Beat Records Promo Insert: Near Mint). Impossible these days to dig up anymore in top condition with obi and one of the strongest risers in price these last years. Comes with the always missing obi – the whole package is utterly mint. This copy is the never seen before WHITE label PROMO issue! Just never surfaces in such condition. Top Copy!!! Again Takayanagi vinyl rarity that is getting tough to unearth these days. Regarding the music, this is what the music critic Teruto Soejima had to say about the music on display on this disc: “Fragment II - Takayanagi's gut string guitar answers Kenji Mori's bass clarinet. Although Takayanagi apparently hadn't touched the gut string guitar for two years, his tone is incredibly sharp and clear. Midway through, Nobuyoshi Ino's cello comes to the fore, subtly changing the music's density. The effective use of fortissimo and pianissimo produces an invisible atmospheric undulation. Fragment III - a percussion solo by Hiroshi Yamazaki. This tune demonstrates how powerful a player yamazaki is and how very carefully he considers the organization of the whole. He's more than just a percussionist; he makes us aware of everything from body/space interaction to the origins of sound construction. Yamazaki was born in Tokyo on march 28, 1940. He began to make his mark in the Gin Paris period and had his own group for a time. In 1970 he joined New Direction. His experimental, ambitious approach has been widely praised. Fragment VI - in this mass projection piece, sound clusters issuing from the limits of physicality collide, pile up, and hurtle headlong in all directions. It's the energy of thick magma. In accordance with instructions given through Takayanagi's feedback technique, the flow of clumped sounds is gradually accelerated and taken all the way to the void of outer space. Sound makes consciousness float. Supreme ecstasy comes about only in this extreme place. Drifting through all of New Direction unit's music is the scent of blood. Not old, clotted blood, but fresh blood. This isn't a mere semblance of music; it's sound through which the blood of living human beings has passed. Which is why, in the group's performances, blood seethes, flows against the current, burns, oozes, rises, congeals, is spewed out, gushes forth. Vivid red blood. Takayanagi's ultimate artistic aim may well be the color of this blood. Blood calls forth blood. For these four musicians, playing music together essentially means drinking one another's blood. This could be regarded as a secret signing-in-blood ritual that, in turn, calls for solidarity from the audience. Truly, circumstances and art are instantaneously united in this place and time. To borrow the title of a Koji Wakamatsu movie, "blood is redder than the sun."” (Soejima Teruto) A monster blaster of a disc, vicious and unrelenting in its approach and execution. Totally mint top copy – with obi WHITE label PROMO!!! With card present!!! Price: 550 Euro |
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2525. TAKAYANAGI MASAYUKI: “Eclipse - Shinshoku” (Iskra Records/ Craftman Records – Iskra-001/ JP-1138) (Record: Near Mint ~ MINT/ Fragile Jacket: Near Mint ~ Mint/ Plastic Outer: Near Mint/ Insert: Mint/ Cap Obi: Mint) It is undoubtedly nice to see Eclipse reissued – although being limited to a subscription only issue, but faithfully executed on high quality vinyl and exactly reproduced as it was an original pressing. Came out a few years ago and dried up completely. Here is an identical high quality and ultra-limited one-time only reprint. The high standards of this issue are baffling, eye for detail is insane – both as far reproducing jacket/ sleeve/ paper quality goes as well as for the pressing. Without a single doubt one of the rarest Japanese private presses around!! On this LP, the line-up consists out of Masayuki Takayanagi: guitar; Kenji Mori: alto sax, flute, recorder; Nobuyoshi Ino: bass Hiroshi Yamazaki: drums, percussion. "Long-awaited reissue of a true masterpiece of Japanese free improvisation! Recorded in May 1975, less than a month after the legendarily intense April is the Cruelest Month, Eclipse has always been the rarest and most mysterious of the Takayanagi and New Direction records. With April Is... due to come out on ESP Disk (the release was scuppered when the label folded), Iskra the small label who were putting out Eclipse decided to reduce their pressing to just 100 copies. The original master tapes then vanished, and original copies of the LP began to change hands for huge sums on the collectors' market. Eclipse sees the same group that recorded April Is... and the two volumes of Axis playing at a dizzying peak of telepathic empathy. Grimly ratcheted tension, whooping freedom, slash and burn explosions, and the unmistakable hovering, molten whine of Takayanagi's guitar... simply put a classic, classic record that needs to be heard by anyone with an ear for freedom sounds." (Alan Cummings). So, what are the chances of coming across this masterpiece, let alone be able to wheel it in. Possibly one of the hardest to come by Japanese records, this one is a museum piece. The music on the other hand is ear-blisteringly massive, so it lives up 100% to its reputation, making it besides a simple record also a valid art – artifact. This edition immediately sold out upon release as it was a one-time only limited prescription edition only. This one is killer. Price: 100 Euro |
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2526. TAKAYANAGI MASAYUKI: “850113 – Takayanagi’s Angry Waves Live, January 1985” (Aketa’s Disc
– AD-23) (Record: Mint/ Silk Screen Jacket: Near Mint ~ Mint/ Obi: Mint/
Insert: Mint). Freakingly rare Takayanagi LP, together with “Eclipse” and “Independence”, one of the 3 most sought after entries in his
limited LP discography. Only the 2nd time I have a copy up for grabs, this one comes
all complete with obi and always missing insert. This release can be seen –
just as his “Eclipse” disc – as
one of the more difficult to track down recordings since it was in fact a
released as a private pressing on Aketagawa Aketa’s Disc imprint. Here,
Takayanagi’s group is called Angry Waves and consisted out of Masayuki Takayanagi (electric jazz guitar),
Nobuyoshi Ino (electric contrabass) and Hiroshi Yamazaki (drums, percussion).
Recorded on January 13th, 1985 at the Hamamatsu Seibu City-8 Hall
and released shortly thereafter, the trio literally take the jazz back to and
reinsert it again into “free jazz”, invigorating it again with Takayanagi’s
accumulated jazz techniques but redirecting them into a free-roaming aesthetic.
His playing is almost stripped of the feedback roar that characterized his
“Mass Projection” approach and instead fuels with some bare whispers alluding to
feedback, a bare approach pregnant with imminent tension, obliterating and
wailing string action, wild, free but always vibrating with modal deconstructed
scales that obliterate right in front of your eyes into clouds of radiant
meteoric dust. Takayanagi’s dense, free-riffing and compressed fleeting lines
get underscored by a frantic and cascading drum rolls of Yamazaki and Ino’s
slapping bass action, tearing into Takayanagi’s steel strings stirrings and
setting down a polyphonic racket that perfectly gels together unorthodox wild,
free playing with a gutted and restless modal-swing vibe, creating once again a
new methodology for improvisation. Killer recording, original pressing complete
with obi and insert. Awesome & top condition copy!!! Price: Offers!!!! |
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2527. TAKAYANAGI MASAYUKI &
TOGASHI MASAHIKO: “Pulsation – 1983 - We
Now Create Live at Zojoji Hall” (Paddle Wheel – K28P-6244) (Record: Near
Mint ‾ Mint/ Jacket: Near Mint ‾ Mint/ Insert: Near Mint/ OBI: Mint). Complete
and totally virginal copy with insert & rare OBI present!!! This duo
between Takayanagi and Togashi is one of my personal favorite Takayanagi
exploits and possible the most stripped won and minimal recording Takayanagi
has ever undertaken. Built up around Togashi’s free floating percussive rattles
and shakes, Takayanagi attributes a wide range of screeches and guitar induced
scrapings to the sonic palette. It highlights again another facet of his free
jazzing improvisational facet, you cannot get tired of the guy because just
when you thought you had him all figured out, he blind-sights and surprises you
again with something totally different. The David Copperfield of
improvisational guitar interplay so to speak. Takayanagi’s approach to the deconstruction and consequently
re-creation of new jazz was slightly different from other players, be it past
or present. By applying a different methodology, Takayanagi wanted to break
free from rigid jazz related connotations. He set out to focus himself on gradually
extracting the sonic prerequisites and essential elements that make up jazz and
replaced them instead with his own cultivated musical theories.Takayanagi’s main parameter of approach was
the element of tonal color, taking to the stage the birth of an infinite space
of sound. This exquisite and finely tuned sense of sonic coloration and its
pitch was so conspicuously crafted that one could detect finer elements and
radiant counterpoints, as is crystal clear on this disc and his interaction
with Togashi. Elements of a certain rapturous refinement manifest themselves on
a subliminal level. The only difference with his contemporaries,
domestic as well as foreign, lies in the fact that he took ‘free-form jazz’
towards another planetary level. And this disc is again proof of that
aesthetic. Mind bogglingly great. Virginal condition with OBI. Price: 550 Euro |
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2528. TAKAYANAGI MASAYUKI: “Action Direct” (Kojima Recordings – ALM-Uranoia/ UR-6) (Record: Near Mint ~ Mint/ Jacket: Near Mint/ Insert: Mint). Getting impossible to dig up these past last years due to rising popularity and utter scarcity. Top copy of one of the rarest Takayanagi titles. Original press of this almost impossible to score Takayanagi disc. Here is some back info that came with Tiliqua’s reissue of this essential Takayanagi slide: “Action Direct” was first released by Kojima ALM Records in 1985 in a tiny run and has been elusive ever since. “Action Direct is his final extension of his Mass Projection/cool mode - the spaces in his playing now filled in with tapes and effects instead of reeds, bass, cello and drums, the sustain now applied to a wall of sound rather than simple guitar feedback, the spare gestures now appearing against a self-created backdrop of noise.” And “…show a progression similar to Miles Davis’ pre-fusion mid-60’s albums, whose increasing use of pulse suggested rock without directly referencing it; Action Direct could be seen as Takayanagi’s Bitches Brew” (AL) “Action Direct embodies a certain duality, a dichotomy between musician and instrument, machine and man and between science and art. While bestowing his concept with the character of music (or musical collage), Takayanagi set out to transcend and empower the physical identity, reality and significance of the individual sound atoms that lay at the core of this conceptual piece. By unleashing a vast array of demonic sonic clusters and fragmentation bombs, he created a new sonic language that vibrates through our present-day existence”. One of the greatest discs – together with his “Independence – Tread on Sure Ground” debut and “Profile of Jojo” of Takayanagi and also – together with the aforementioned ones, the hardest one to get in its original splendor. Great copy that contains even greater music. One of those “Holy Grails” if avant-garde, free jazz and experimental music is your thing and again a personal favorite of mine. Price: 450 Euro |
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2529. TAKAYANAGI “Jojo” MASAYUKI with JOHN ZORN: “Jojo Takayanagi Experimental Performance with John Zorn” (Mobys Record – Mobys-0005) (Record: Near Mint ~ Mint/ Jacket: Near Mint ~ Mint/ Obi: Mint/ Insert: Mint). Pristine condition original first press issue released in a run of 300 copies only. Fierce, gutteral free jazz, sound art and prepared guitar junkyard mayhem, spewing chunks and blocks of full-on cataclysm. A massive energy corralled and thrown by the frenetic playing of guitarist Masayuki Takayanagi. A cacophony of sheer delight. Takayanagi is as usual in a fierce form and shines throughout but gets sadly flanked with Zorn who at best is just mediocre on this recording. The thing is to block out Zorn and let Takayanagi do the trick, then it becomes sheer magic. Takayanagi is as usual on top of his game, shredding the atmosphere to pieces and transforming it on the spot in galvanizing pyroclastic chunks of hot lava. He makes you feel like you are standing in the midst of an angry group of mutants, snarling and looking around for someone to chain whip. It is a teeth-grinding frenzy, catapulting at you search brash electric guitar sonic in the form of a whiplash assault on your senses, like a cloud of hellish intensity coming down at you with the force of razorblade jangled jet engine. Sonic debris gets hurled in and out of focus as if engaged in trench warfare, the tiniest gestures triggering apocalyptic waves of sound. It only shows again that Takayanagi was the greatest ever-free form jazz guitarist to have walked the face of the earth. Hideously rare private pressing in top condition. Price: 600 Euro |
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2530. TAKAYANAGI MASAYUKI: “Lonely Woman”. (Three Blind Mice – PAP-25030) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Near Mint/ Obi: Near Mint). 1982 original first press issue in virginal condition. Well, here you have a completely vanished Takayanagi vinyl record and without a single doubt one of his finest releases ever. Named after the Ornette Coleman composition, “Lonely Women” sees Takayanagi on a single- solo guitar improvisational road trip, elaborating on tunes from Tristano to Coleman, Charlie Haden and Lee Konitz, only to end up at a staggering and arresting rendition of “Love is the Color of my True Love’s Hair”. Takayanagi embarks here on an austere and sparsely note-clothed free jazz trip, where the sound clusters evaporate into thin air only seconds after they were unleashed. Although that the disc is utterly free, the tonal ranges are built up in an extreme but well-balanced manner, fragile and eruptive at the same time. In other words, this disc is just heartbreakingly beautiful and certainly one of the most interesting improvisation discs around, at least to these humble ears. Needless to say that almost all Takayanagi vinyl is extremely collectible and hard to come by, even on these shores. Lonely Woman is not different and is getting bloody rare the last couple of years, if not balancing at the brink of total extinction. Especially in such an immaculate condition like this one, with obi intact. Highest recommendation. Price: 450 Euro |
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2531. TAKAYANAGI MASAYUKI: “Cool Jojo” (Three Blind Mice – TMB(P)-5018) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Near Mint/ Insert: Near Mint/ OBI: Mint). Top notch copy of this highly essential Takayanagi slide released in 1980 and which as of in recent years is getting harder and harder to track down due to a rising demand. “When he was not shredding all preconceived notions of free improvisation with his Sonny Sharrock-meets Albert Ayler collective, New Direction Unit, guitar legend JoJo Takayanagi moonlighted in a quartet called Second Concept. As recorded in 1979 and exploring the boundaries of cool as established by Lennie Tristano and Lee Konitz (whose compositions here augment his own), Takayanagi is unleashed in astounding eruptions of melodic command, worlds apart from his more celebrated work. Or is it really? "An abstract painting of a painter who cannot sketch well is nonsense. It's the same thing in jazz. I find no value in the free jazz of a musician that doesn't swing in 4 beat and plays a dreary in-code ad lib. Avant-garde music or Free Form does not exist without a respect for the classic, and thus, it turned out to be a special album reflecting Jojo's sincerity."--Takeshi 'Tee' Fuji, producer. Highly essential as are all Takayanagi's recordings and this one is no exception. Top notch all-complete copy! Price: 300 Euro |
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2532. TAKEBE YUKIMASA: “Yufusuge Hito no Uta” (Victor – SF-1029) (Record: Near Mint ~ Mint/
Gatefold Jacket: Near Mint ~ Mint/ 4-Paged Insert: Near Mint/ OBI: Excellent ~ Near Mint). Bloody
rare 1st press original copy with obi. Copies all complete with obi
only come around once every 10 years, seriously rare but fantastic Japanese
acid/ downer folk. Totally obscure and under the radar release that came out in
September 1972 on the legendary and ultra collectible SF series of Victor
Records and which till this day remains completely undetected by a psych-out
collecting crowd outside of Japan. This sole release by mystery man Takebe is
without a single doubt one of the most beautiful lysergic folk releases to come
out of Japan, a release that makes the much revered “Melting Glass Box” shrivel
up in shame when compared to this one. According to these humble ears, this
sole recording by Takebe is one of the best folk albums ever to have been put
down on wax, a recording filled with a hard to pin down sadness from below the
well that gets underscored by bizarre hallucinatory dreams of fever and
delusory but fragile musical accompaniment by some heavy scenesters such as
Yanagida Hiro (Food Brain, Milk Time, Apryl Fool, early incarnation of Tokyo
Kid Brothers, Love Live Life + 1, Sato Masahiko & Soundbreakers, etc main
man), Melting Glass Box chieftain Nishioka Takashi, Chito Kawauchi (of
Happenings Four fame), Nakagawa Isato and other heavy weights. The music
breaths out a deep resonating feeling of nostalgia, solitary seclusion and splendid
isolation. Takebe drew his inspiration from Harvest era Neil Young and early
times pastoral UK folk dwellings. If a terminology has to be applied in order
to stigmatize this disc Acid Folk would be an appropriate banner to saddle it
up with. But then again, that term solely falls hopelessly short to convey the
total load the disc carries. Without a single doubt one of my all time favorite
Japanese discs and possibly one of the greatest folk albums of all time. But
then again, who am I to make such claims? Judge for yourself. The music on this
disc surpasses hypes and trends and words will always fall short in an attempt
to catch its brilliance. It just vibrates with a stupefying down to earth
honesty and the beauty reminiscent to the fragile nature of a spider’s web
covered in morning dew. Highest possible recommendation and mega rare + haven’t
seen a copy complete with obi for over a decade now!!! Killer Japanese deep
acid folk!!! Price: Offers!!!! |
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2533. TAKEMITSU TORU with KATSUYA YOKOYAMA (Shakuhachi)
& KINSHI TSURUTA (Biwa): “Excerpt From Autumn/ 10Th Step Variation From November
Steps/ Eclipse” (Deutsche Grammophon – MG-1056)
(Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Excellent 〜 Near Mint/ OBI: Excellent – only
front and taped gently to sleeve). NHK radio copy that has catalogue seal. One
of the greatest Takemitsu Toru compositions executed
by 2 star players!!! Eclipse was the first composition in which Takemitsu used traditional Japanese instruments. Takemitsu reconciled here with his hitherto neglected Japanese heritage. Eclipse is an
exceedingly slow, sparse piece employing a pentatonic scale and generous
silences. The performance of Kinshi Tsuruta on biwa is nothing short
of mesmerizing, with literally striking – the biwa’s massive wooden plectrum is traditionally employed to give a hearty whack to the
body of the instrument, whether plucking a string or not. Scraping the plectrum
along the strings is another eerie effect that seeps to the surface of this
recording, and you could almost claim upon hearing it that Hendrix learned the
technique here – it is that strikingly rock’n’roll.
So you can get it that for me the biwa is
the crystal meth of the lute world – once
you’ve seen it played, everything looks different. You need more and on this
recording while the two soloists, digging deep into the vocabulary of their
traditions, detonate improvised fireworks and surround them with silence, you
are left alone, baffled and stupefied. It’s a tremendous example of fruitful
collaboration between composer and performing musicians, and to regard it
simply as Takemitsu’s composition risks oversimplifying
matters. Price: 50 Euro |
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2534. TAKEMITSU TORU: “Works of Takemitsu Toru – 1” (Victor Records – SJX-7503) (Record:
Near Mint/ Jacket: Mint/ OBI: Mint/ Insert: Near Mint). Original 1966 Japan
pressing all complete with obi and insert. Very first record to be released
that is completely devoted to Takemitsu’s austere orchestral and chamber music
works. Like his other compositions, “Coral Island” (for soprano and orchestra,
“Requiem for Strings” and “The Horizon Dorian” (8 harmonic pitches with 9
echoes) are devoid of all sorts of grandeur elements and shine brightly through
their simplicity as they are stripped down to the bare minimum. These
enhancements are deceptively intense and give his music skeletal undercurrents
of unmeasured depth. Totally bewitchingly beautiful, every Takemitsu recording
is a feast for one’s auditory senses. Price: 50 Euro |
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2535. TAKEMITSU TORU: “Takemitsu Toru No Ongaku – 2 – Works of Takemitsu Toru Water Music for Magnetic Tape/ Vocalism A.I/ Kwaidan” (Victor – SJX-7504) (Record: Near Mint ~ Mint/ Jacket: Near Mint ~ Mint/ Obi: Near Mint/ Insert: Near Mint). One of the very few completely electronic records by Takemitsu Toru is this gem here, a truly breathtakingly awesome disc. “Water Music” is for magnetic tape; “Vocalism A.I.” is a completely tape music piece and the whole of side B is also completely comprised out of spliced tapes and modulated sounds. Takemitsu’s electronic scores are far and few in between but they are so awesome. Upon creating them he approaches his subject and attacks its sonic matter through a system of Dickensian severity and dissects all of its sonic movements into spliced and sped up and down fractious pieces. His intuitive approach as one of the old skool Japanese composers to tackle purely electronic sound as if to create an arresting experience and by doing so he exists on its own plane and is both impervious to and not responsible for trends of any kind. Still, this makes that his electronic scores sound truly Japanese and are brimful with poetic resonance, busy folding and manipulating space into its quest for the organization of sound. His tape experiments are endowed with beauty and the enhancements give his skeletal music undercurrents of depth. Too beautiful for words, expect that Takemitsu did not record much purely electronic music and records documenting his groundbreaking work are scarce and far in between. Finally able to snatch up a mint copy for cheap so….do yourself a favor and get some quality into your life. Top condition Japan very first original pressing all complete with insert and obi. Price: 50 Euro |
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2536. TAKEMITSU TORU: "Takemitsu Toru No Ongaku <3>" (Victor - VX-22) (Record: Mint/ Gatefold Jacket: Mint/ Obi: Excellent). First ever-original vinyl press, an edition that surfaces once in a blue moon. Recorded and released in 1966, this is the 1st recorded version of the piece. “ARC for piano and orchestra part 1 and part 2” has seen a couple editions and versions but this one here is the very first. Toru Takemitsu was one of the most important of those Japanese composers who have written music in the Western tradition, while preserving a fundamental Japanese identity, bringing his awareness of Japanese music and its traditions into a remarkable and very original synthesis. He makes use of Western or Japanese instruments, either separately or together, creating his own very individual sound. And this aspect becomes crystal clear in Takemitsu's ambitious two-part work for large ensemble and piano, “Arc”. The version here, as released in Victor’s “Contemporary Music of Japan” series of 1966, was the 1st ever recorded version of this groundbreaking piece and remains till this day quite elusive, which is a shame because Toshi Ichiyanagi on piano is just ravishing and without a doubt the pest performer of Takemitsu’s compositions (although later 1991 versions saw the light of day, his 1960s version is oblique to say the least). Stunning example of high-end Japanese avant-garde by one of the greatest composers of the 20th century. Highest recommendation. Price: 50 Euro |
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2537. TAKEMITSU TORU: “Works of Takemitsu Toru
– 4” (Victor Records – VX-23) (Record: Near Mint/ Textured Gatefold
Jacket: Mint/ OBI: Mint). Original 1970 Japan pressing all complete with obi
and insert. First press issue that comes housed in a textured gatefold sleeve.
Later issues came out in a single sleeve. The centerpiece of this eargasmatic
slide is definitely the sidelong composition for biwa and shakuhachi called “eclipse”. Eclipse was the first composition in
which Takemitsu used traditional Japanese instruments. Takemitsu reconciled
here with his hitherto neglected Japanese heritage. Eclipse is an exceedingly
slow, sparse piece employing a pentatonic scale and generous silences. The
performance of Kinshi Tsuruta on biwa is nothing short of mesmerizing, with
literally striking – the biwa’s massive wooden plectrum is traditionally
employed to give a hearty whack to the body of the instrument, whether plucking
a string or not. Scraping the plectrum along the strings is another eerie
effect that seeps to the surface of this recording, and you could almost claim
upon hearing it that Hendrix learned the technique here – it is that strikingly
rock’n’roll. So you can get it that for me the biwa is
the crystal meth of the lute world – once you’ve seen it played,
everything looks different. You need more and on this recording while the two
soloists, digging deep into the vocabulary of their traditions, detonate
improvised fireworks and surround them with silence, you are left alone,
baffled and stupefied. It’s a tremendous example of fruitful collaboration
between composer and performing musicians, and to regard it simply as
Takemitsu’s composition risks oversimplifying matters. Price: 50 Euro |
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2538. TAKEMITSU
TORU – Performed by STOMU YAMASHITA; MICHAEL RANTA; HIDEHIKO SATO &
YASUNORI YAMAGUCHI: “Seasons/ Toward – Art of Toru Takemitsu” (Deutsche
Grammophon Manufactured by Polydor Japan – MG-2331) (Record: Near Mint/ Gimmick
Gatefold Jacket: Near Mint/ Imprinted 4 Plastic Inserts: Mint/ Obi: Near Mint).
Japan only release on Deutsche Grammophon. Comes housed in a jaw-dropping great
gimmick jacket, letter pressed laminated gatefold jacket that opens up to a
silky blue background that hold the record and comes accompanied with 4
screen-printed plastic inserts + with always-ellusive OBI. Takemitsu Toru and
Hiroo Andoo, making it a stunning art nouveau artifact, designed the whole
affair. “Seasons” is a four-player version performed by Michael
Ranta, Stomu Yamash’ta, Hidehiko Sato and Yasunori Yamaguchi making heavy use
of the Structures Sonores, as designed and developed by the Baschet brothers. The whole affair is built up round a deep abyss,
how sounds are born, grow up and vanish again into a deep silence. Each sound
here has its own particular personality and no sound tries to dominate the
others. Instead Takemitsu lets them flow forming at each moment new
relationships. And these relationships are not meant to be developed into a
finished structure that follows a prearranged plan. Unlike Vivaldi’s “Four
Seasons” which start with Spring and ends with Winter, Takemitsu’s “Seasons” has in contrast neither a
beginning nor end. Here changes almost occur imperceptible, there is change but
the music waits for a listener who can listen in such a way as to be able to
bring out all the unknown relationships born ate ach instant from the subtle
changes of individual sounds. And with that in mind, Takemitsu composed “Seasons” in order to be performed with
the musical sculptures of Francois Baschet, which he witnessed at the Space
Theatre of the Steel Pavilion of the 1970 Expo in Osaka. Only metal percussion
instruments were used for “Seasons” but the choice and number of them are left to the are left for the musician to
decide. This session here was recorded on June 26th, 1971. For the 2nd composition “Towards”, again the 4
musicians played exclusively the Baschet sound sculptures. Takemitsu used the
sound material of the performance, which took place in the Space Theatre of the
Steel Pavilion in March 1970 and manipulated the tape into a new work. He
produced it during November 1971 at the Electronic Music Studio of the NHK. An
amazing disc that should turn any head into the Taj Mahal Travelers and Kosugi
Takehisa, only that this music on display here even surpasses that. Just
massive. All complete copy in top shape! Price: 450 Euro |
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2539. TAKEMITSU TORU: “Film Music By Toru Takemitsu 1” (Victor – KVX-1062) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Near Mint/4 Paged Insert: Near Mint/ Obi: Near Mint). Released in 1980, this record was the first in a series of 10 albums to shed some initial light on his vast and until then seemingly ever-expanding oeuvre. This volume documents some of his earliest work to accompany movies for the big screen, being Kwaidan (one of the greatest movies ever made, director Kobayashi Masaki 1964 flick that recounts four nightmarish Japanese ghost stories in a meticulously crafted and almost supernatural settings adorned with deliriously psychedelic artwork.), Harakiri (also by director Kobayashi Masaki) and Rebellion. The music is just stunning, austere, alienating and infused with a well-balanced less is more minimal aesthetic one also encounters in Zen gardens. One of the most compelling tracks ever to be put down to tape by Takemitsu that acts as a showcase for early Japanese avant-garde and electronic music excursions. All time highest recommendation and hard to track down these days. A must. Price: 50 Euro |
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2540. TAKEMITSU TORU: “Film Music By Toru Takemitsu 2” (Victor – KVX-1063) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Near Mint/4 Paged Insert: Near Mint/ Obi: Near Mint). Released in 1980, this record was the second in a series of 10 albums to shed some initial light on his vast and until then seemingly ever expanding oeuvre. This volume documents some of his earliest work to accompany movies for the big screen, being Burning Autumn; The Inheritance, Hymn To A Tired Man and The Fossil (all by director Masaki Kobayashi) and Time Within Memory by director Toichiro Narushima). The music is just stunning, austere, alienating and infused with a well balanced less is more minimal aesthetic one also encounters in Zen gardens. One of the most compelling tracks ever to be put down to tape by Takemitsu that acts as a showcase for early Japanese avant-garde and electronic music excursions. All time highest recommendation and hard to track down these days. Price: 50 Euro |
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2541. TAKEMITSU TORU: “Film Music By Toru Takemitsu 4” (Victor – KVX-1065) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Near Mint/4 Paged Insert: Near Mint/ Obi: Near Mint). Released in 1980. This set focuses on the music Takemitsu made for the films of director Hideo Onchi and brings together the following Akogare / Longing (1966); Nyotai / The Female Body (1964); Subarashii Akujo / A Marvellous Kid (1963); Izu no Odoriko / Izu Dancer (1967); Shiawase / Happiness (1974) and Taiyo no Karyudo / The Sun's Hunter (1970). Magnificent stuff. Price: 50 Euro |
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2542. TAKEMITSU TORU: “Film Music By Toru Takemitsu 5” (Victor – KVX-1066) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Near Mint/4 Paged Insert: Near Mint/ Obi: Near Mint). Released in 1980. Another indispensable Takemitsu scores, this times for films directed by Music from Akira Kurosawa, Mikio Naruse and Shiro Toyoda's films and containing Dodesukaden, Bellowing Clouds and Illusion Island. Essential ear candy! Price: 50 Euro |
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2543. TAKEMITSU TORU: “Film Music By Toru Takemitsu 6” (Victor – KVX-1067) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Near Mint/4 Paged Insert: Near Mint/ Obi: Near Mint). Released in 1980. Brings together a bunch of compositions for Masahiro Shinoda's Films. The Forest Of Fossils; Silence; With Beauty And Sorrow; The Assassin and Samurai Spy. Ear-waxingly beautiful stuff. Price: 50 Euro |
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2544. TAKEUCHI, JIMMY: “R&B Drumming” (Union Records – UPS-1113-J) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Near Mint/ Obi: Near Mint). Japan original first press – PROMO copy and all complete with obi. A ripper of a disc filled with tight instrumental versions of soul classics with big drum-breaks, a stuttering groove, vicious guitar licks, Bo Diddley-from-hell bass runs and great production on this seldom-seen Jimmy Takeuchi recording that will turn the dance floor into a liquid lava swamp of twirling bodies. Jimmy drives the rhythm section with all the patience and finesse of outlaws fleeing the Japanese Highway Patrol. Drumming R&B is a groovy instrumental, all gloves off Funk/Soul covers album including the greatest hits of soul music released on legendary labels such as Stax or Motown by Otis Redding (The Dock Of The Bay, Respect), The Supremes (Love Child, You Keep Me Hanging On), James Brown (I Got The Feelin'), etc. Burns like someone pouring boiling oil on your legs and turning you lose to showcase your spiraling accelerating dance moves. Just lethal!!! Comes with rarely seen OBI present. Price: 150 Euro |
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2545. TAKEUCHI, JIMMY: “Inspire!” (Toshiba – TP-9013) (Record on Red wax: Near Mint/ Jacket: Near Mint/ Obi: Near Mint). His rarest and best, amazing brain ripper of a disc!!!!! Never before have I seen a copy with obi until now! Soundscapes inflicted avant-garde percussive rattling disc, this beast sounds so far removed from all the other recordings under his name that I think “Inspire” is a free form jazzed out recording impregnated with concrete sounds and field recording bites and snipes. Takeuchi ventures here into the dramatic, a dark and dreamy series of slow shimmering soundscapes injected with pre-recorded sounds of torrential rains, thundering roars of lightning striking across the mountains and injects it all, as much, if not more, into the texture and mood of his rhythm. This makes that the drum kit here is only a part of his palette, spread out in wide open expanses of gongs, bells, bowed skin rattles, wood blocks and tinkling chimes. It makes his excursion into sound incredibly deep and physical sounding, a slow burning series of rhythmic drones and shimmers. An organic drift of midnight ambience, punctuated by strange bits of nature sounds drifting through deep dark cavernous expanses of sound. Huge low-end reverberations underpin delicate simmering rain falling down, but Takeuchi allows all the sounds time to spread out and flutter into the ether. All woven into moaning minimal melodies constructed from dense overtones and subtle shimmer of bird sounds peeping out just after the storm, the sound of waterfall and rivers and the wind blowing through the trees. Here and there twinkling high end sparkles surface when the sound of harbor activities and fog hors drift in and out of the ether, delicate percussive skitter wraps around fragile melodic tom fills, occasionally sounding kind of like a super slow abstract free jazz "Wipeout", but played by a man down on his luck battling the elements of a sonic world surrounding him, commercial failure looming all around him and over his shoulders and realizing the end must be near, but that did not prevent him from delivering not but a LOST CLASSIC and the best work he ever did. Just him and his drums, spread way out across the sound-field of natural sounds ravaging the aural landscape, with some serious stereo panning, the fills swerving from one speaker to the other, a dizzying dreamy soundscape of percussive melody and strange rhythmic texture. Avant-garde/ free jazz/ experimental music, just call it what you like, this disc is a killer. First time ever I have a copy of this beast, it sold zilch upon its release, making it rare forever. Comes on red wax….and with the always-missing obi present and flashing it colors proudly. Price: 450 Euro |
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2546. TAKO: “S/T First Album” (Pinakotheca Records - PRL#10). (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Near Mint/ Insert: Excellent) First original press!! Released at the beginning of 1983 by the legendary and ultra collectible Pinakotheca Label. Taco was an outfit erected out of the ashes of Gaseneta and centered on core members Yamazaki Harumi and Ozato Toshiharu who were assisted on this studio recording by Tori Kudo, Machida Machizo, Narita Munehiro and Sakamoto Ryuichi amongst others. The disc was comprised out of various music styles ranging from full blown punk, new wave, cinematic soundtrack like interceptions, demented howling, new wave induced pop songs with psychedelic influences, sound collages, short wave radio crackles, backward tape collages, raging free jazz saxophone insertions and free form guitar terrorism. Some of the album’s tracks evoke images of a recording session taking place in a mental asylum with a vocalist strapped in a straight jacket. One could say that avant-garde meets demented insanity on the brink of a valium induced nervous break down, while other compositions evoke images of spaghetti-western like sound escapades infused with nasty guitar onslaughts clashing head first into baritone sax improvisations. Throughout the album pop up spoken word gibberish in various languages ranging from Japanese to Russian, French, Italian, German and Spanish, making it a colorful and highly varied album. Highly recommended and needles to say that copies are hard to track down, if not almost impossible these days, especially in such an immaculate condition as this copy. One of the finest discs on the always stellar and hyper collectible Pinakotheca label. Price: 175 Euro |
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2547. TANAKA K. (SEIJI) & SUPER SESSION: “British Rock Live In Japan” (Teichiku – FX-419) (Record: Near Mint/ Gatefold Jacket: Excellent ~ Near Mint, has some faint mildew spots inside gatefold, for the rest perfect). One of the rarest heavy psych and killer fuzz-derelict jammers to seep out of Japan, this is a mega rare 1972 original pressing. Released on the same label as Ceremony ~ Buddha Meets Rock and equally rare, good & obscure, this is a killer live recording by a one-time only session band that has guitar god Kimio Mizutani wielding the axe (Ceremony, Love Live Life + One, Sato Masahiko & Soundbreakers, Outcasts, Dema, Milk Time, etc) in a totally brain melting way, breathing out heavy fuzz and wah-wah licks of molten lava all over the place. Recorded live at an US army base in Japan, the group leaps right from the start in a maniac fury kind of jam, breathing out high tension exploratory lysergic music that surfs on the high crest of an intuitive approach and creates as such one of the Japanese psychedelic underground’s defining moments. As song titles suggest on the cover (although calling it songs would stretch it a bit – “Trip To The West Coast From Britain ~ Song For Grateful Dead/ Song For Deep Purple/ Song For Atomic Rooster/ Song For Mothers of Invention/ Viva Uria Heep/ Jimi Hendrix Mad Song” = all originals + one deep fried acid cover of Pink Floyd’s Echoes) the group veers off by feeding its deranged freak out assault on occasional haunting echoes of sonic surges that reigned the airwaves during 1972 and churning out as a result an oriental urbanized take on Western psychedelia and taking it a couple of notches further, turning this record into a king-hell, highlife psychedelic fuck-around from start to finish. Tanaka, Mizutani and cohorts may suffer dilution beneath a riptide of Western influences and as a result guide their asymmetric psychic maze through mutant variations sweating out heavy psychedelics. Just like Ceremony ~ Buddha Meets Rock, this record is the fast lane folks … and some of us like it there. Best listened to at night with a head full of acid!!!! Mega rarity, only seen 2 copies in 20 years time….this one is TOP condition…SOLD |
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2548. TANGERINE DREAM: “Ultima Thule” (Ohr Records – 0557 006) (EP Single Record: Near Mint/ Hard Carton Sleeve: Near Mint/ Outer Imprinted Plastic Sleeve: Near Mint). Scarce 1999 re-issue of Tangerine Dream's super rare 45 RPM single for Brain Records. Released in a matt black outer cover with a hard plastic cover overprinted with the band's logo, the item remains crisp and clean. Price: 50 Euro |
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2549. The TANGERINE ZOO: “Outside Looking In” (Mainstream – S/6116) (Record: Excellent/ Jacket: Excellent, has minuscule drill hole on upper right corner). Fabulous copy, 1st original US pressing. The band’s 2nd and last album and light-years better than their debut. This Boston psychedelic band got together in 1967. That same year, they got signed to the New York City-based Mainstream label and released their self-titled debut in early 1968. The follow-up album “Outside Looking In” is their masterpiece, exceeding the initial efforts of their debut. It is filled with rare late 60s grooves ranging from psych rocker originals to fairly heavy groovers filled with heavy organ, chunks of stretched-out stillness in the middles of long trippy guitar breaks, bewitching vocal harmonies moving into deep psychedelia. Elements of pop, jazz, garage and orchestrated psych are present on almost every track but without loosing for even a single moment a stylistic continence. This is a strong, enjoyable album, brimming over with delirious organ riffs, full-frontal trippy instrumental breaks, lysergic guitar bursts and beautiful chorus harmonies. Just beautiful and one of the highlights on the Mainstream label next to the Growing Concern and Stone Circus. Next to perfect copy of this all time classic. Price: 375 Euro |
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2550. HORACE TAPSCOTT QUINTET: “The Giant Is Awakened” (Flying Dutchman – FDS-107) (Record: Near Mint/ Gatefold Jacket: Near Mint – still housed in Shrink/ Insert: Near Mint/ Direct Import Obi: Near Mint). Original 1970 first pressing in top shape, with sleeve still housed in SHRINK and adorned with never seen before Japan first issue Direct Import Obi – so far the 2nd copy ONLY to have surfaced with obi. Pianist and composer Tapscott was one of the most unique and important figures in LA's jazz world, a guy who embraced self-determination and independence after leaving the Lionel Hampton Big Band in 1961. Tapscott was barely known outside of the city. But a year before he made The Giant Is Awakened, the great LA hard-bop saxophonist Sonny Criss recorded a classic album on Prestige called Sonny's Dream (Birth of a New Cool), all six pieces on which were composed and arranged by Tapscott, so it makes sense that producer Bob Thiele (who'd recently left the Impulse label) sought out the pianist for his new Flying Dutchman imprint. The band featured an unusual lineup with two bassists—David Bryant and Walter Savage Jr.—but aside from the pianist, there was the great alto saxophonist Arthur Blythe, who plays with a sharp, keening tone and relentless intensity. Intensity, in fact, is the defining quality of the record, which has a hard-driving energy that never seems to flag; drummer Everett Brown Jr. and Tapscott—making the molten vamping of post-'Trane McCoy Tyner feel almost polite—provide serious propulsion for the dark, stormy melodies at the heart of his writing. Four improvisations with lively piano, groovy rhythm section and bluesy sax. Tapscott demonstrates advanced techniques and by its inspired sound this album could be easily placed at the same level with similar Archie Shepp or even John Coltrane albums of "spiritual jazz". The album's opener, 17-minutes long "The Giant Is Awakened" is one among greatest composition coming from that time and genre. Top rare issue with obi and in best condition imaginable…. So…. Price: Offers!! |
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2551. TAPSCOTT, HORACE Conducting The PAN-AFRIKAN PEOPLES ARKESTRA: “The Call” (Nimbus – 246) (Perfectly SEALED original). Top condition US 1979 original pressing - SEALED. Large-group genius from the legendary Horace Tapscott – one of the few recordings of his groundbreaking Pan Afrikan Peoples Arkestra! The music here is totally righteous right from the start – even more searching and soaring than Tapscott's trio or solo work – thanks to help from some of the hippest, most spiritual players on the LA scene of the late 70s – a lineup you'll recognize from other Nimbus Records sessions, all working together beautifully to realize the unique vision of Horace! Tracks are long, and feature Tapscott on piano, Jesse Sharps on saxes, Adele Sebastian on flute and vocals, Herbert Callies on alto, James Andrews on tenor, Lester Robertson on trombone, Kafi Larry Roberts on soprano, and Linda Hill on additional piano – all working together perfectly as a unified ensemble. There's a strong Strata East vibe to the whole record. Price: 200 Euro |
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2552. TAPSCOTT, HORACE With PAN-AFRIKAN PEOPLES ARKESTRA: “Live At I.U.C.C.” (Nimbus Records – No. 357) (2 LP Record: Excellent ‾ Near Mint/ Gatefold Jacket: Near Mint). Original 1979 US first pressing of amazing spiritual jazz slide in great condition. An excellent double-length set from Horace Tapscott's Pan-Afrikan Peoples Arkestra – an extremely righteous ensemble that was one of the hippest things going on the LA jazz scene of the 70s! The vibe is free and spiritual, but it also has a wonderful groove pulsating underneath many of the tracks – that heir to the Impulse Records style that Tapscott and other Nimbus Records artists carried on well into the early 80s. The group here features some of Tapscott's Nimbus labelmates – including Sabir Matteen and Billy Harris on tenor saxes, Linda Hill on piano, Adele Sebastian on flute, Roberto Miranda on bass, and Jesse Sharps on soprano sax – and in a way, the album's almost a live summation of all the mighty talents brewing on the Nimbus label at the time! Price: 275 Euro |
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2553. TATUM, JAMES: “Contemporary Jazz Mass” (JTTP Records – JTTP-1001) (Record: Excellent/ Jacket: VG++~Excellent – no splits or damages, only faint trace of storage/ seam wear). Rare and first issue that comes housed in the B&W cover art! James Tatum's stunning, spiritualized Contemporary Jazz Mass is one of the only true jazz masses ever released. Inspired by Duke Ellington's Sacred Concerts, Tatum's masterwork was recorded on its first ever performance at St Cecilia Church in Detroit, and released on his own private label in 1974. Professional music educator and jazz composer Tatum had been working as a teacher in Detroit, and in the long aftermath of the 1967 riots he had started to instruct local children music in St Cecilia's. The Church commissioned the mass in 1972, and Tatum put together an ensemble of singers from within the church, backed by his own trio and local jazz musicians. Looking toward the great sacred works of Ellington, but with lyrics drawn straight from liturgy, the Contemporary Jazz Mass is a unique work of sanctified vocal jazz - nourishment for the spirit and soul! Price: 575 Euro |
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2554. TAYLOR, CECIL QUINTET and the BLUE TRAIN: “Blue Fire” (United Artists – MJ-4001) (10 Inch LP Record: Excellent ~ Near Mint/ Flip Back Sleeve: Excellent ~ Near Mint/ OBI: Near Mint). Original Japan very first pressing from 1960 all complete with never offered before original OBI. MONO issue. Recorded in NYC on Oct 13, 1958, this album was originally released as Hard Driving Jazz (mono version) / Stereo Drive (stereo version) in the US and as Blue Fire in Japan! The then 29-year-old pianist Cecil Taylor (not John Coltrane) originally got top billing on this date. This session is interesting because it is the only one Taylor ever did with Coltrane, and considering Taylor's status as one of the true founders of free jazz and Coltrane's status as jazz legend it is a kind of missing link in the history of jazz. Although Taylor and John Coltrane got along well, trumpeter Kenny Dorham (who is also on this quintet date) hated the avant-garde pianist's playing and was clearly bothered by Taylor’s dissonant comping behind his solos. With bassist Chuck Israels and drummer Louis Hayes doing their best to ignore the discord, the group manages to perform two blues and two standards with Dorham playing strictly bop, Taylor coming up with fairly free abstractions, and Coltrane sounding somewhere in between. The results are unintentionally fascinating. Stupidly rare Japan press original with OBI. Price: 200 Euro |
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2555. TAYLOR, CECIL: “The World
of Cecil Taylor” (Candid/ Victor Records – SMJ-7040) (Record: Near Mint/
Fragile Flip Back Jacket: Near Mint – perforated lower right corner). Rare
Japan very first press issue from 1962. “From the opening patterns of Denis
Charles’ drums on the title cut, the listener knows he/she is in for something
special. One can only imagine what the reaction of the average jazz fan was in
1960 when this session was recorded. This is a wonderful document from early in
Taylor’s career, when he was midway between modernist approaches to
standard material and his own radical experiments that would come to full
fruition a few years hence. The quartet, rounded out by the youthful Archie
Shepp (playing only on "Air" and "Lazy Afternoon") and
bassist Buell Neidlinger is already quite comfortable at pushing the boundaries
of the period, giving an almost cursory reading of the themes before leaping
into improvisation. The standard "This Nearly Was Mine" is explored
gorgeously and with strong romanticism by Taylor, giving perhaps an indication
of the source of the brief, blissful encores he would offer up to end his solo
concerts in coming decades. "Port of Call" and "Eb" are
both utter masterpieces showing Taylor already maintaining an unheard of
mastery of the piano, musical ideas darting like sparks from his fingertips.
What's extra amazing is how deeply entrenched the blues feel and pulse are in
this music, already bound for the further reaches of abstraction. They never
left Taylor, although many listeners have difficulty discerning them. This
session, which has been released under numerous guises, is an especially fine
introduction to his work, keeping enough of a foot in "traditional"
jazz forms to offer one purchase while dangling breathtaking visions of the
possible within one's reach. A classic recording that belongs in anyone's
collection.” (All Music Guide). Scarce very first Japan original pressing in
top shape… Price: 50 Euro
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2556. The CECIL TAYLOR QUARTET: “Looking Ahead!” (Contemporary – M3562) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Near Mint). US 1959 original first MONO pressing in outstanding condition. Cecil Taylor's definitely Looking Ahead here – pushing jazz piano very strongly into the 60s with his modernist tones – yet still working with a bit more restraint than in the next decade! The style here is quite unusual – and almost more fresh than the Taylor sound of later years, which has been copped heavily by other players. Cecil's somewhat free here, but also still a bit structured – playing both in angular tones and these rapid riffs that kind of burst out quickly in bold streams of colors. Other members of the group are equally striking – and include the lesser-known Earl Griffiths on vibes, working with great tones next to Taylor's piano – plus Buell Neidlinger on bass and Dennis Charles on drums. Price: 200 Euro |
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2557. The CECIL TAYLOR QUARTET: “Looking Ahead!” (Contemporary/ King Records – LAX-3028) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Near Mint/ Insert: Near Mint/ Obi: Near Mint). Original Japanese pressing in outstanding condition. Cecil Taylor's definitely Looking Ahead here – pushing jazz piano very strongly into the 60s with his modernist tones – yet still working with a bit more restraint than in the next decade! The style here is quite unusual – and almost more fresh than the Taylor sound of later years, which has been copped heavily by other players. Cecil's somewhat free here, but also still a bit structured – playing both in angular tones and these rapid riffs that kind of burst out quickly in bold streams of colors. Other members of the group are equally striking – and include the lesser-known Earl Griffiths on vibes, working with great tones next to Taylor's piano – plus Buell Neidlinger on bass and Dennis Charles on drums. Top shape, impossible to upgrade upon. Price: 30 Euro |
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2558. TAYLOR, CECIL: “Live at Café Montmartre”
(Fontana Japan – SFON-7070) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Near Mint/ Obi: Near
Mint). Hideously rare 1st original Japanese pressing on high quality wax out of
the early sixties, complete with obi. Stellar and mage classic Taylor free-jazz
blast where he gets flanked by heavyweights Jimmy Lyons and Sunny Murray.
Virginal heavy quality Japanese vinyl, impossible to find these days in such as
immaculate condition as this one here. Getting almost impossible to find all
complete with obi as of late and this baby here is just pristine…Price: 250
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2559. CECIL TAYLOR JAZZ UNIT: “Nefertiti, The Beautiful One Has Come” (Fontana – SFON-7075) (Record: Near Mint ~ Mint/ Jacket: Near Mint ~ has a few faint foxing spots on the back visible against white background due to age/ Obi: Near Mint). Original Japanese 1storiginal pressing in totally mint condition and complete with cool but rare obi. First pressings of this classic Fontana title hardly surface these days, let alone in a condition like this one here. Nefertiti, The Beautiful One Has Come documents a pivotal period in pianist Cecil Taylor's evolution. Recorded a single night during a seven-week trio stand at Copenhagen's Cafe Montmartre in late 1962. The album also constitutes an extensive early chapter in the historic partnership between Taylor and alto saxophonist Jimmy Lyons, which lasted until Lyons' death in '86. It also marked the pianist's last recording with groundbreaking drummer Sunny Murray. On these pieces, Taylor lays out the materials in concise, moody introductions; Lyons raises the temperature with bluesy, motive-based essays, and both of them bob and keel on Murray's swirling ametric whitecaps. While Taylor's pianistic lexicon was expanding beyond even such early triumphs as the '60-'61 Candid dates, he still anchored these compositions with relatively conventional ballad structures ("What’s New") and chord patterns ("Lena"). Just bloody awesome. Top copy! Price: 225 Euro |
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2560. CECIL TAYLOR JAZZ UNIT: “Nefertiti, The Beautiful One Has Come” (Fontana – SFJL.926) (Record: Near Mint / Laminated Jacket: Near Mint ~ has a few faint foxing spots on the back visible against white background due to age). Original UK1st original pressing from 1962 in top shape. First pressings of this classic Fontana title hardly surface these days, let alone in a condition like this one here. Nefertiti, The Beautiful One Has Come documents a pivotal period in pianist Cecil Taylor's evolution. Recorded a single night during a seven-week trio stand at Copenhagen's Cafe Montmartre in late 1962. The album also constitutes an extensive early chapter in the historic partnership between Taylor and alto saxophonist Jimmy Lyons, which lasted until Lyons' death in '86. It also marked the pianist's last recording with groundbreaking drummer Sunny Murray. On these pieces, Taylor lays out the materials in concise, moody introductions; Lyons raises the temperature with bluesy, motive-based essays, and both of them bob and keel on Murray's swirling a-metric whitecaps. While Taylor's pianistic lexicon was expanding beyond even such early triumphs as the '60-'61 Candid dates, he still anchored these compositions with relatively conventional ballad structures ("What’s New") and chord patterns ("Lena"). Just bloody awesome. Top copy! Price: 125 Euro |
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2561. TAYLOR, CECIL: “Nefertiti” (Freedom/ Trio Records – PA-9708) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Near Mint/ Insert: Near Mint/ Obi: Near Mint). Top condition Japanese press issue of all time classic. Complete with OBI and Insert, pristine and virginal all the way. Price: 40 Euro |
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2562. TAYLOR, CECIL: “Unit Structures” (Blue Note/ King Records –
GXK-8147/ BST-84237) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Near Mint/ Insert: Near Mint/
Obi: Near Mint). First original Japanese pressing on high quality vinyl of
classic Taylor slide on Blue Note. “After several years off records,
pianist Cecil Taylor finally had an
opportunity to document his music of the mid-'60s on two Blue Note albums.
Taylor's high-energy atonalism fit in well with the free jazz of the period but
he was actually leading the way rather than being part of a movement. In fact,
this septet outing with trumpeter Eddie Gale, altoist Jimmy Lyons, Ken McIntyre (alternating between alto, oboe and bass
clarinet), both Henry Grimes and Alan Silva on
basses, and drummer Andrew Cyrille is
quite stunning and very intense. In fact, it could be safely argued that no
jazz music of the era approached the ferocity and intensity of Cecil Taylor’s.” (All Music Guide). Price: 75 Euro |
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2563. TAYLOR, CECIL: “Conquistador” (Blue Note/ Toshiba – BNJ-71049) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Near Mint/ 4 Paged insert: Near Mint/ Obi: Near Mint). Top condition high quality Japan press issue all complete with obi. One of Cecil Taylor's most striking albums of the 60s – and one of the few in which he works with a larger than usual group, being a sextet! The lineup is incredible – the cream of the arch-modern players of the avant era, including Bill Dixon on trumpet, Jimmy Lyons on alto, Andrew Cyrille on drums, and both Henry Grimes and Alan Silva on bass – a double-use of the instrument that's really tremendous. Cecil himself plays with a firey style that's got the best energy of some of his earlier European recordings, but a tighter approach that's even more compelling. The album features 2 long tracks: "Conquistador", which is very free and wild; and "With (Exit)", which is a bit more subdued, but not too much! Price: 65 Euro |
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2564. TAYLOR, JOHN TRIO: “Decipher” (MPS Records/ Teichiku Records – ULX-74-P) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Near Mint/ Obi: Mint). Top condition, Japan original of killer jazz slide, first time ever I see an all complete issue with OBI!! “One of the hippest piano trio sessions ever on MPS a bold little set that features the British pianist John Taylor in a trio with Tony Levin on drums and Chris Lawrence on bass! Taylor's got a style that's quite unique with bits of early Chick Corea-esque lyricism, and touches of McCoy Tyner modalism, but also a singing approach to chords that's lively without ever being sloppy and which pushes the album with a tremendous amount of energy! The record's quite possibly the best that Taylor ever recorded and really one of the high points in the MPS trio session tradition.” (Dusty Grooves). Top condition Japan original with killer obi flashing its colors with pride. Price: 150 Euro |
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2565. T.C. MATIC: “S/T”
(Trio Records – AW-23018) (Record: Near Mint ~ Mint/ Jacket: Near Mint/
Obi: Mint/ Insert: Mint). One of the most sought after Belgian discs is this
Japanese pressing of T.C. Matic’s debut album, listed in the 100 rarest discs
from the lowlands booklet. The European press is quite common but the Japanese
edition, with obi just never surfaces (as a matter of fact it has been exactly
11 years since I last had a copy), became a kind of a Holy Grail for Belgian
punk/ garage late seventies early eighties scavengers. T.C. Matic’s front man
Arno Hintjes was before that active with the outfit Freckleface (remember that
one?!) and founded Tjens Couter after Freckleface dissolved.
Tjens Couter was also short-lived and quickly mutated into T.C. Matic, Belgium’s
finest No-Wave combo. They hit the Lowlands with the force of an Indonesian
Tsunami, tearing up the music scene of that day with their anarchistic beat.
This is their first album, just great and the Japanese press is rare as hell
freezing over on a hot summer day. Amazing Dada-ist like No Wave Punk
disorderly sonics that makes me swirls beers at a feverish pace and make me run
around like a pit-bull high on crack. Magnificent!!!! Price:
75 Euro |
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2566. TCHICAI, JOHN & ARCHIE
SHEPP: “Rufus” (Fontana – SFON-7080) (Record: Near
Mint ~ Mint/ Jacket: Near Mint/ Obi: Near Mint). Rare Japan 1st original pressing all complete with FIRST issue obi. Totally pristine condition
of this legendary jazz slide, recorded in August 1963 and released in Japan fir
the first time as a domestic pressing around 1966〜7. This is the very first
issue with original obi present. Looks virtually untouched. Stunning slide and
first time ever I encounter a first press issue all-complete with obi. Perfect
condition, impossible to upgrade upon. Price: 200 Euro |
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2567. TCHICAI, JOHN: “Cadentia Nova Danica” (Freedom Records/ Trio Records – PA-9716 - 1968)
(Record: Excellent ~ Near Mint/ Jacket: Near Mint/ Insert: Near Mint) rare Japanese first
original pressing all complete with rarely seen obi. Great trance inducing free
jazz blasting monster. This is the original Japanese press. Recorded in 1968,
Tchicai and fellow sonic hoodlums venture in a vicious maelstrom of trance
inducing and tribal mantra like free jazz that will guide you to higher
stratospheres. Explosive stuff balancing on the fringes of percussive interplay
between the horn section and total group evocations towards a mumbo-jumbo
hoedown of tribal interaction without ever entering the cacophonous regions of
sheer battleship noise. Real nice free jazz disc, one of the nicer ones in the
genre. Should appeal to lovers of early Art Ensemble of Chicago, Mazarette
Watts and Don Cherry. Quite scarce these days and this is a real beautiful
copy. Has been ages since I last had a copy with obi.
Getting damned hard to dig up these past years!!! Price:
100 Euro |
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2568. TCHICAI, JOHN: “Afrodisiaca” (MPS/ Columbia Records Japan – YS-2404-MP) (Record: Near Mint / Gatefold Jacket: Near Mint ~ Mint/ Obi: Excellent ~ Near Mint/ Insert: Mint). Original 1st Japanese pressing of this rare free jazz beast, complete with obi. WHITE label PROMO issue. First copy with obi & White label PROMO, to fall into my hands. Of course so much rarer than the original French and German issues…of course the sound is also so much better on this one. A drop-dead free jazz hard blowing monster. Rarely surfaces these days in such exquisite condition. Seems like it rolled of the presses only yesteryear. This album still rules my waking hours and dreaming days. Totally 100% essential and don’t let anyone tell you otherwise, if they do you know they are full of nonsense. Price: 250 Euro |
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2569. TCHICAI, JOHN: “Afrodisiaca” (MPS/ Columbia Records Japan
– YS-2404-MP) (Record: Near Mint ~ MINT/ Gatefold Jacket: Near Mint ~
Mint/ Obi: Near Mint ~ Mint). Original 1st Japanese pressing of this rare free jazz beast,
complete with obi. First copy with obi, pressed on high quality vinyl to ever
fall into my hands, making it so much rarer than the original French and German
issues…of course the sound is also so much better on this one. “Danish-born
of Congolese-descent saxophonist John Tchicai's 1969 MPS release Afrodisiaca is
a sprawling, multi-disciplinary work that rivals better known works like John
Coltrane's Ascension.. No less a personal journey, Afrodisiaca stands, nearly
forty years later, as a masterpiece that blends Afro-rhythms and harmonic
conceits with improvisation of the freest kind, near-classical microtonalism
and innovative sonic experimentation. Its reach as an underground classic is so
broad that it's even considered by Sonic Youth's Thurston Moore to be
“beautiful, baby, BEAUTIFUL!”…. Tchicai's oblique but beautiful soprano intro
to “Fodringsmontage” sets the stage for collective free play that, despite
everyone's involvement, is dominated by Doerge and Steinmetz. And, like Ornette
Coleman's Free Jazz, its apparent anarchy is belied by the emergence of clearly
arranged/cued figures that provide a clear rallying point. The sprawling,
22-minute title track that elevates Afrodisiaca to the position of masterpiece.
Based around the scale of the African marimba-like balafon, it opens with two
organs briefly playing the entire, dense, 19-note scale, resembling
Gyõrgy Ligeti's microtonal intro to “Atmospheres”), before Steinmetz
enters with a solo trumpet of painful beauty that gradually expands with both
the addition of trumpeter Theo Rahbek echoing him from 30 feet away and the
resonant sympathetic strings of the piano as Steinmetz blows into them. But
that's only the beginning. The piece moves through a number of movements that
include rich, vertical horn harmonies over Musoni's balafon and a propulsive,
percussion-driven rhythm; a segment for four flutes that, again, utilizes the
sympathetic strings of a piano to create an even lusher soundscape as a
backdrop for Tchicai's moaning alto; and a bass solo from Steffen Andersen
that, surrounded by horns emulating the wind, leads into a more full-fledged
blow-out by all around a pulsating tribal rhythm. It's a sonic and rhythmic
tour-de-force that has to be heard to be believed.” (All About Jazz). A
drop dead free jazz hard blowing monster. Rarely surfaces these days in such
exquisite condition. Seems like it rolled of the presses only yesteryear. This
album still rules my waking hours and dreaming days. Totally 100% essential and
don’t let anyone tell you otherwise, if they do you know they are full of
nonsense. Price: 225 Euro |
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2570. TEA & SYMPHONY: “An Asylum For The Musically Insane” (Harvest – SHVL-761) (Record: Near Mint/ Gatefold Jacket: Near Mint). First original 1969 pressing with NO EMI on the label. Comes with company inner sleeve. Fantastic debut album by this stoned and eccentric acid folk crew. A fascinating reminder of one of the most intriguing bands to emerge during 1969. This quirky three piece from Birmingham includes James Langston, Jeff Daw and Nigel Phillips. This stuff is one of the most experimental and exoteric and they put to use a different set of instruments and interesting vocal harmonies. Bordering in between folk, rock and fully fledged experimental sounds, Tea & Symphony turned out to be one of the most original sounding psychedelic folk combos to seep out of the UK. Top copy 1st original UK pressing, housed in laminated gatefold sleeve. First UK pressing has NO EMI on the label, slightly later pressing do have it. All is in stunning condition, getting tough out there to find these 1st pressings in top notch condition. Here is one for you. Price: 575 Euro |
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2571. TECHNICAL SPACE COMPOSER’S CREW aka CZUKAY, HOLGER & ROLF DAMMERS: “Technical Space Composer’s Crew – Canaxis 5” (Music Factory – SRS-002) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Excellent). Top copy original first pressing of this Can related ear-bleedingly beautiful LP, released back in 1969 in a tiny run of supposedly 300 copies. Without a doubt the best solo album Czukay ever recorded, this disc originally released in 1969 in a miniscule edition of 300 copies has in recent years achieved a monstrous status. Upon listening to it is easily to understand why. Comprised out of two side long compositions, being the stunning “Boat-Woman Song” and “Canaxis”, Czukay and Dammers succeed in fusing and simultaneously surmounting genre restrictions such as avant-garde, psychedelic, tape music, musique concrete, trance, field recordings, world music and experimental music, blending all into a melting pot of mind melting beautiful sounds. Highest recommendation. This is a stunning disc that will certainly enhance the quality of your everyday miserable life. Top copy, I believe it will be quite difficult to upgrade on the condition of this one. Flimsy thin jacket is solid Excellent condition as well. Hard to improve upon and one that surfaces only once in a blue moon it seems. Price: Offers!!! |
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2572. TEITELBAUM RICHARD with TAKASHI KAKO; MASAMI NAKAGAWA
& TOGASHI MASAHIKO: “Hiuchi-Ishi” (Nippon Columbia – YX-7518-ND)
(Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Near Mint/ Insert: Near Mint/ Obi: Near Mint). Rare
all complete Japan only issue from 1978 all-complete with rare obi. PROMO copy. On top of
that, this is a promo copy. First time ever I see an all-complete issue with obi.
This is a beauty of a recording and possibly the best one Teitelbaum ever put down on wax! Recorded in 1977 when Teitelbaum was in Japan, he teamed up with some ace free jazz players who could perfectly integrate a free floating playing style with Teitelbaum's synth noodlings from outer space, putting down 2 sidelong tracks that are simply bewitchingly beautiful. Electronic music meets free improvisation, and it gells remarkably well. Abstract without ever degrading into a gutless intelectual headfuck, the quartet birthes out an assymetric groove floating on synthetic sounds, reaching its zenith on the B-side with a minimal excursion into the void that starts off with the sounds of night insects chirping away, slowly and delicately building up a spectre of sonic clusters that takes you onto a trip into previously uncharterd sonic territories. Free jazz, musique concrete, sound art, electronic music, all gets dissected and mashed into a lethal and ravaging thing of austere beauty. Amazing record! Price: 175 Euro |
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2573. TELEVISION: “Venus b/w Friction” (Elektra Records - P-98E) (EP Record: Near Mint/ Picture Sleeve: Near Mint/ Company Inner Sleeve: Near Mint). WHITE LABEL PROMO issue. Bloody rare Japan only single issue by Television, housed in killer picture sleeve. Damned scare white label promo issue in top shape. Price: 450 Euro |
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2574. TELEVISION: “Venus b/w Friction” (Elektra Records - P-98E) (EP Record: Near Mint/ Picture Sleeve: Near Mint/ Company Inner Sleeve: Near Mint). RARE STOCK COPY issue, damned much scarcer than the promo one. Bloody rare Japan only single issue by Television, housed in killer picture sleeve. Stock copy with Butterfly label just hardly ever surfaces and this issue in virginal. Price: 400 Euro |
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2575. TELEVISION: “Marquee Moon” (Electra Japan – P-10308E) (Record: Near Mint ~ MINT/ Jacket: Near Mint/ Insert: Mint/ Obi: Mint/ 2 Additional Inserts: Mint). Getting damned scarce Japan 1st original press issue with rare FIRST OBI issue – being the emerald blue colored obi! All time NY punk classic, the album that helped to define and shape a whole scene and a new generation of headz and bands to come thereafter. Verlaine and crew ravage through some ephedrine chilled tracks. Verlaine shoots off in directions that he probably didn’t anticipate, indulging in a lyrical wanderlust he never permitted himself when he had the time to think about it. Richard Lloyd on the other hand just goes nuts. This is a stunning 1st press Japanese copy complete with all the works. Man, what a disc. Everyone needs at least two copies of the 1st Television LP in their house. This is stuff of legends. Top copy Japanese first original press issue with very first obi emerald blue variation consists of two inserts!! Getting tough to find all complete …so don’t hold your breath for too long. Price: 200 Euro |
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2576. TELEVISION: “Marquee Moon” (Electra Japan – P-10308E) (Record: Near Mint ~ MINT/ Jacket: Near Mint/ Insert: Mint/ Obi: Mint/ 2 Additional Inserts: Mint/ PROMO only sheet insert: Mint). Freakingly rare WHITE label PROMO issue all complete Japan 1st original press issue with rare FIRST OBI issue – being the emerald blue colored obi + comes with PROMO only insert + promo sticker on sleeve! All time NY punk classic, the album that helped to define and shape a whole scene and a new generation of headz and bands to come thereafter. Verlaine and crew ravage through some ephedrine chilled tracks. Verlaine shoots off in directions that he probably didn’t anticipate, indulging in a lyrical wanderlust he never permitted himself when he had the time to think about it. Richard Lloyd on the other hand just goes nuts. This is a stunning 1st press Japanese copy complete with all the works. Man, what a disc. Everyone needs at least two copies of the 1st Television LP in their house. This is stuff of legends. Top copy Japanese first original PROMO press issue with very first obi emerald blue variation consists of two inserts + promo only insert!! Getting tough to find all complete …so don’t hold your breath for too long. Price: Offers!!!! |
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2577. TELEVISION: “Marquee Moon” (Elektra – 7E-1098) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Near Mint/ Imprinted Inner Sleeve: Near Mint) Top shelf condition US first original pressing – pristine WHITE label PROMO issue that comes housed in matching promo sleeve with gold stamped “Promo/ Demonstration Copy” indented stamp on back. Getting touch to dig up promo copies in top shape. This one here is near perfect! Price: 350 Euro |
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2578. TELEVISION: “Double Exposure” (Boot – no number) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Near Mint). Killer Television outtakes – 2nd pressing. The first press came out in a B&W sleeve with some kind of golfer sleeve art but the sound quality on that one was so bad, it isn’t even worth tracking it down anymore. This is the 2nd issue, better quality tapes were unearthed and it sheds some clarity on studio demo tracks of Television with Richard Hell still in its ranks and produced by Brian Eno. You also get treated on some high-quality live tracks, recorded at CBGB’s in 1975. Killer material, awesome sound quality, making this one of the best Television recordings out there. Price: 50 Euro |
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2579. TELEVISION PERSONALITIES: “I Know Where Syd Barrett Lives b/w Magnificent Dreamer” Rough Trade – RT-8) (7 Inch Single Record: Near Mint/ Japan Only Gatefold Picture Sleeve: Near Mint/ Company Inner Sleeve: Excellent). Damned scarce Japanese press original that comes with a Japan only B-side recording. The whole affair comes housed in a Japan only gatefold picture sleeve. 1981 original! Price: 65 Euro |
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2580. The TEMPOS: “Speaking of …” (Justice Recording Co. – J-LP-104) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Near Mint ~ Mint – still housed in original shrink). Perfect condition original press copy. Damned rare 1966 original pressing of US garage cornerstone. “This is usually considered the best of the 22 rock titles released on the Justice custom label and it’s even rated as the best local garage LP from anywhere by some. I wouldn’t go that far but this is a fun, kick-ass album that has a true garage edge. There are numbers of great Stonesy band originals such as the opening “Two Timer” and “You’re Gonna Miss Me” (not the Elevators tune), along with some of the usual surd and R’n’B covers of the era. One of the few (maybe the only) Justice rock bands not to hail from the Atlantic seaboard states, this also sticks out due to an atypical recording with plenty of punch that reflects a hip moptop mindset among these Sylacuga High School punks. The LP came out in April 1966. A vital title to check out even for album-phobic garage fans” (PL – Acid Archives). Simply, a teenage garage masterpiece, top 5 record in my crumbling universe. Absolutely flawless condition. Price: Offers!!! |
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2581. TENJOSAJIKI – J.A. SEAZER – TERAYAMA SHUJI: “Throw Away Books, Let’s Go Out On The Streets” (Tenjosajiki – TENJ-99002) (Record: Near Mint/ Gatefold Jacket: Near Mint/ 4 Paged Insert: Near Mint/ Triangular OBI: Excellent). One of the rarest heavy psychedelic private press records to seep out of Japan, 1970. Privately released in a run of about 300 copies – this is the first copy I see complete with OBI. Music-wise one of the most amazing teenage psych-cum records to seep out of Japan. "Typical of the company's early, crazed style is this viciously rare and obscure Throw Away The Books, originally released on their own label in 1970. Confusingly, there is a film soundtrack of the same title, but this is the extremely rare original theatrical version and contains entirely different material. Subtitled 'A High-Teen Symphony,' the performance centers around untrained adolescents reading out their own tortured, angry (and in one case, stuttering) texts and poems. Their stories of family disintegration and mother-hate, dreams and hopes for the future, and love songs to teen murderer Norio Nagayama and Mick Jagger are set to an attractively rough and ready pounding psych-rock soundtrack largely composed by organist Kuni Kawauchi. Kawauchi had been a member of pioneering Prog group Happenings Four and his brooding organ riffs feature throughout. As well as heavy rockers like the great opening 'Lets Go Ornette', with its ripping fuzz lead, Orff-style choral chants and motorbike effects, Kawauchi was also capable of delicate, folkish pieces ideally suited for some of the company's outstanding female vocalists, several of whom developed successful singing careers outside of Tenjosajiki. Also of note is a track composed by a young design school dropout, Shinjuku street hippy and winner of a nationwide longhair competition, by the unlikely name of JA Caesar (Tenjosajiki also had its own Sinatra and Salvador Dali). Set to a simple handclap rhythm, Caesar's tale of the panhandling life possessed a subtle melodic strength and depth that hinted at the minor keys of traditional folk song. Caesar soon came into his own, composing all the music for Terayama's performances and films for the next decade, and finally inheriting the remnants of the troupe after Terayama's death in 1983." -- Alan Cummings. Rare original with mage rare obi present. Comes housed in thick textured sleeve. All killer and no filler brain-freeze of a record. Price: Offers!! |
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2582. TENJOSAJIKI/with Terayama Shuji, J.A. Seazer, Ishima Hideki (Flower Traveling Band), Kuni Kawauchi, Sato Hiroshi, etc: “OST Sho O Tsuteyo, Machi E Deyou - Throw Away the Books, Let’s Go Out On The Street” (Victor – SJV-514) (Record: Near Mint/ Gatefold Jacket: Near Mint). Rare 1971 original first pressing in heavy gatefold sleeve. “Tenjosajiki troupe, formed by poet, film maker, boxing fan and all-round agent provocateur Shuji Terayama. Renowned for Living Theatre inspired audience participation happenings and extreme street theatre designed to shock the bourgeois. By 1970, the group had already become a haven for runaway teens and a focus for police investigation. Terayama was canny enough to realize that co-opting their music was an ideal way to hijack the adolescent energies and he used heavy amplified rock to jump star his chaotic, socially critical acid operas. Heard today, even independent for their lyrical message, they’re astonishingly powerful as pieces of music, deploying huge Magma choruses alongside juggernaut organ, guitar, bass, drums and fully out-there vocalizing. This disc that was originally released in 1970 is subtitled as a “high teen symphony”, the performance centers around untrained adolescents reading out their own tortured, angry texts and poems. Their stories of family disintegration and mother hate, dreams and hopes for the future and love songs to teen murderer Norio Nagayama and Mick Jagger are set to an attractively rough and ready pounding psych-rock soundtrack largely composed by organist Kawauchi Kuni. Kawauchi had been a member of the pioneering Prog group Happenings Four and his brooding organ riffs feature throughout. As well as heavy rockers like the great opening “Let’s Go Ornette”, with its ripping fuzz lead, Orff-styled choral chants and motorbike effects, Kawauchi was also capable of delicate, folkish pieces ideally suited for some of the company’s outstanding female vocalists., several of whom developed successful singing careers outside Tenjosajiki. Also of note is a track composed by a young design school dropout, Shinjuku Street hippy and winner of a nationwide long hair competition JA Seazer. Set to a simple handclap rhythm, Seazer’s tale of panhandling life possessed a subtle melodic strength and depth that hinted at the minor keys of traditional folk song.” Alan Cummings, The Wire. Well, this sums it up well, a fantastic disc. Original 1st press copy in great condition and a rare one. Maybe it is different in your part of the world but here these babies have been illusive for already several decades. Price: 500 Euro |
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2583. TENJOSAJIKI – TERAYAMA SHUJI – J.A. SEAZER: “Baramon” (Tenjosajiki Records – 1972/2002) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Near Mint/ Two Separate Gatefold Inserts: Mint). Top copy of this ultra rare privately released Tenjosajiki record “Baramon”. 1972 private pressing that came out in a limited run of about 300 copies back then and which was solely sold at the gay bars of Nishi Shinjuku. But about the music: “Some of the most exciting and evocative music of the early 70'ties in Japan was born out of the avant-garde theatre groups that had played such a central role in the 60'ties ferment. One of the most important was the Tenjosajiki Company formed by poet, filmmaker, boxing fan and all round agent provocateur Terayama Shuji. Renowned for Living-Theatre inspired audience participation happenings and extreme street theatre designed to shock the bourgeois; by 1970 the group had already a haven for runaway teens, and a focus for police investigation. Terayama was canny enough to realize that co-opting their music was an ideal way to hijack adolescent energies and he consistently used heavy amplified rock to jumpstart his chaotic, socially critical acid operas…By 1972, Baramon saw J.A. Seazer and Kuni Kawauchi (of the Happenings Four and Kirikyogen) splitting the compositional scores on a bizarre musical manifesto for sexual liberation. So far so Hair, but rather than a tribute to free love, Terayama instead composed an eloquent plea for the liberation of the sexual underclass suffering discrimination, in the form of a “gay revolution”. It wasn't Terayama's first engagement with the Tokyo queer scene – one of the earliest plays he wrote for the Tenjosajiki was a vehicle for transvestite actress and chanson singer Akihiro Miwa, who was rumored to have had a dalliance with Yukio Mishima. Baramon's opening is a blast – a densely narrated and impassioned call to arms set to a Nazi military march that links sexual second-class citizenship to imperialist social control and warmongering. Featuring the actual voices of numerous smutty, cross-dressing scene queens, the record's content was deemed so subversive that it was only sold under the counter of Tokyo gay bars. Like a biker backstage at the Cage Aux Folles, fuzzed out guitar riffs and heavy s welling organ-based psych rock tracks rub shoulders with the lachrymose ballads and tawdry, mascara smudging chanson still favored in certain Shinjuku nighteries.” (The Wire, Alan Cummings). So I guess you get the picture. Highest recommendation and rare to say the least. Pristine and immaculate condition. Price: Offers!!!! |
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2584. TENJOSAJIKI - TERAYAMA SHUJI – J.A. SEAZER: “Denen Ni Shizu” (CBS Sony – SOLL-100) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Near Mint/ 4-paged insert: Near Mint/ OBI: MINT) Wow, splendid TOP copy WITH OBI of this hyper rare Tenjosajiki/ Terayama Shuji record. Hideously rare and oh so psyched out. Released in 1974, “Denen Ni Shizu” was the soundtrack to Terayama's self-directed movie, a fictional biography of some sorts. As usual, the music to this epic fractured narrative celluloid dream was undertaken by Seazer. This is what our brother in arms Alan Cummings once wrote about the recordings: “The deployment of disparate elements in an all-consuming flow, which works even independently of the images, is masterly. The familiar psych guitar, organ and choral chanting are heavy enough in places to approach Sabbath levels of dense pounding, and there's also a frighteningly visceral vocal turn from folk singer Mikami Kan. But the score also sees Seazer expanding his instrumental palette, scoring some tracks for sideshow brass band or gently plucked guitar, weeping violin and chant. The weird intervals of his sparse, medieval-influenced melodies linger in the memory with the force of nostalgia for a past not directly experienced. It's an amazing performance: from street hippy who'd never picked up an instrument to film soundtrack composer in five years. Seazer's soundtrack for “Denen ni Shizu” lost out by a single vote to Toru Takemitsu's for the best soundtrack of 1974”. This description nailed it perfectly and by now you must already be salivating heavily. Original press, stunning artwork, four paged insert, wicked stuff, rare as hell. What more can you possibly ask for? Rock bottom low price so act now and hold yer peace for ever, best copy to ever cross your path…Price: 550 Euro |
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2585. TENJOSAJIKI: “Hatsukoi Jigoku Hen” (Tenjosajiki Records – TENJ-99001) (Record: Near Mint/Gatefold Jacket: Near Mint/ Attached Inserts: Near Mint/ Obi: Near Mint). This is a private pressing on Terayama Shuji’s own Tenjosajiki label. The disc is a soundtrack to his like-named movie, of which the title can be roughly translated as “Volume of First Love Hell”. Psychedelic insanity, spoken word insertions and has included great vocal participations by sublime vocalist Carmen Maki of Blues Creation. Great disc that rarely surfaces with everything intact. Meaning obi, fold out gimmick jacket that folds open in triple parts once you open the up the sleeve. Comes with pictures of Terayama, Carmen Maki and nude photographs of the main actors. One that as of late does not surface anymore. Near perfect and stunning condition – all complete with obi. Price: 100 Euro |
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2586. TENJOSAJIKI/ J.A. SEAZER: “Shintokumaru” (Victor – SJX-20086) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Near Mint/ 4-paged Insert: Near Mint/ Obi: Near Mint) Hideously rare 1978 original pressing in top condition. Complete with rare obi and the 4-paged insert – all is in perfect nick. Recorded and released in July 1978 and comes with 4-paged liner notes with nice photographs. This edition is the rarely offered first pressing as released on Victor Records way back in 1978. The music is just heavenly bliss, theatric play all topped off with great Magma and Carl Orff influenced, psychedelic guitar licks, pounding esoteric chants and percussion, demented female vocal choruses, swirling organ leads, all under the supervision of musical director J.A. Seazer and guided, staged and created by Japan’s enfant terrible of the avant-garde arts and all-round artists, playwright, poet, novelist, social critic and all-round agitator Terayama Shuji. More theatrically tinted than the other Tenjosajiki related recordings, “Shintokumaru” is a beast of a disc nevertheless and will haunt you day and night. Completely vanished hideously rare original pressing in good condition for a give-away price. Doubt that this one will ever cross your path again this cheap. Act now and hold your peace forever!! Price: Offers!!!! |
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2587. TERAUCHI TAKESHI: “Rashomon” (KING – 4K-31) (Record: Near Mint/ Gatefold Jacket: Near Mint/ Obi: Mint/ Insert: Mint). Original 1972 pressing. The hardest to track down but also greatest disc of Takeshi Terauchi. Rarest version all complete with hardly ever offered 4 Channel red colored obi!!! This disc is without any doubt the defining Takeshi guitar-fuzz drenched – killer surf – psych – trash record. Heavy reverb drenched guitar licks, pounding rhythm section, plowing bass lines and all create an all-incinerating whirlwind of trashy Far Eastern psych blizz. The Ventures on a speed binge, cave men armed with fuzz pedals and soaring jet engine powered guitar licks, this disc rocks like no other. Killer all way round! Top condition with rare 4-Channel obi. Price: 125 Euro |
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2588. TERROADE, KENNETH: “Love Rejoice” (BYG Records – actuel 22 – 529.322) (Record: Excellent – sleeve lines visible on side 2/ Gatefold Jacket: Excellent – lower middle seam split). Another gem on the highly acclaimed label that does not surface that often, French original press issue. Two all-incinerating sidelong tracks that will burn holes into your speakers! What a line-up, just an all-star blowout featuring Ronnie Beer – Alto Saxophone, Tenor Saxophone, Flute, Beb Guerin – Bass, Earl Freeman – Bass, Evan Chandley – Bass Clarinet, Flute, Claude Delcloo – Drums, Francois Tusques – Piano, Idiophone [Balafon] & Kenneth Terroade – Tenor Saxophone, Flute. Killer, no filler. Heavy!!! Price: 65 Euro |
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2589. TERRY RILEY: “Persian Surgery Dervishes” (Shandar Records – 83502) (2 LP Set: Mint/ Gatefold Jacket: Mint). Top copy, on the Shandar imprint and not the Shanti one. Minimal music milestone recording for dead cheap price. The Shanti sub label version is quite common but the Shandar 2 LP version (NOT on the Shanti label) is a tough one to dig up. Dervishes represents Riley's forays into a subdued, dark, arabesqued music floating between his serial tendencies and improvisation. A minimal music masterpiece, original press on SHANDAR label!! Still comes bloody cheap here, especially seen the TOP condition here, records and jacket are just untouched, mint condition. Price: 100 Euro |
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2590. TEXTURE SEXTET: “S/T” (IACP/Institut Art Culture Perception – TEX-1001) (Record: Near
Mint/ Jacket: Near Mint). Rare French private press issue that was released in
1982 in a micro edition. Rare French Free Jazz Lp featuring Denis Colin
(clarinet), Pierre Jacquet (bass), Michel Coffi (drums), Itaru Oki (flute),
François Cotinaud (sax), Bruno Girard (violin). Fantastic
heavy free jazz blast. The name of the Moroccan born Francois Cotinaud may ring
a bell as he was present on Alan Silva’s Celestrial Communication Orchestra.
Together with bass clarinet player Denis Colin, they form the center point of
free jazz group Texture Sextet. They recorded this one of LP in 1983 for which
Alan Silva acted as the art director and which was released through a tiny
local Art Culture Center. The Sextet – due to the colorful nature of its
diverse members created for free jazz a highly unique sound and with adding
violinist Bruno Girard to the already ethnic sounding mix, the whole affair
gets injected with a slight Balkan gypsy like sonic flavor. So together this
Sextet brings hot boiling free jazzing sounds with North African and gypsy like
elements thrown in the mix, creating a highly volatile and intoxicating sonic
combination. Highly recommended!!! Top condition copy. Price: 100 Euro |
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2591. THEM: “Gloria – Them No Subete” (King Records – SLC-206) (Record: Near Mint/ Flip Back Jacket: Near Mint/ Insert: Near Mint/ Circular Obi: Near Mint). Amazingly TOP condition and viciously rare Japan 1st original pressing as released in June 1968. All complete and in archive condition. Impossible to find in such perfect condition, disc is virtually unplayed, fragile flip back sleeve is completely virginal, the insert is pristine and the obi is utter perfection. Stunning condition for a disc over half a century old and sounding like a bell. Never surfaces with first obi intact, let alone as perfect as this one…. I believe it will be impossible to ever upgrade upon this one. Price: Offers!!!! |
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2592. THEM: “Them Again” (London – SLC-220) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Near Mint/ Insert: Near Mint/ Circular Obi: Near Mint). Bloody rare Japan only Them release housed in Japan only jacket art. Comes complete with hideously rare OBI. This came out in November 1968 and is in top condition, they just do not surface any better than this one. “The group's second and, for all intents and purposes, last full album was recorded while Them was in a state of imminent collapse. To this day, nobody knows who played on the album, other than van Morrison and bassist Alan Henderson, though it is probable that Jimmy page was seldom very far away when Them was recording. The 16 songs here are a little less focused than the first LP. The material was cut under siege conditions, with a constantly shifting lineup and a grueling tour schedule; essentially, there was no "group" to provide focus to the sound, only Morrison’s voice, so the material bounces from a surprisingly restrained "I Put a Spell on You" to the garage-punkoid "I Can Only Give You Everything." Folk-rock rears its head not only on the moody cover of Dylan’s "It's All Over Now, Baby Blue" but the main thrust is soul, which Morrison oozes everywhere -- while there's some filler, his is a voice that could easily have knocked Mick Jagger or Eric Burdon off their respective perches.” (All Music). Slightly different songs as the UK pressing for the Japanese version being Side A: Baby Please Don’t Go/ You Just Can’t Win/ Could You, Would You/ I Put A Spell On You/ My Little Baby/ I Can Only Give You Everything & Side B: How Long Baby/ Hello Josephine/ It’s All Over Now Baby Blue/ Bright Lights Big City/ Out Of Sight/ I Got A Woman. Top condition with insert and OBI. Price: Offers!!!! |
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2593. THEM: “Them Again” (London – SLC-220) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Near Mint/ Insert: Near Mint). Bloody rare Japan only Them release housed in Japan only jacket art. This came out in November 1968 and is in top condition, they just do not surface any better than this one. “ Slightly different songs as the UK pressing for the Japanese version being Side A: Baby Please Don’t Go/ You Just Can’t Win/ Could You, Would You/ I Put A Spell On You/ My Little Baby/ I Can Only Give You Everything & Side B: How Long Baby/ Hello Josephine/ It’s All Over Now Baby Blue/ Bright Lights Big City/ Out Of Sight/ I Got A Woman. Top condition - obi is missing so it comes dead cheap. Price: 250 Euro |
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2594. THEM– Featuring VAN MORRISON: “S/T” (London – King Records – SLC-462) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Near Mint/ Obi: Near Mint/ Insert: Near Mint). Rare Japan only issue, first pressing all complete with genuinely rare first issue obi and insert – all in immaculate condition. Japan only Them release housed in Japan only jacket art from 1972!!! All complete with rare obi. Japan London/ King Records LP from 1972 that it is primarily a singles compilation. But then, only four of Them’s singles were hits, either in the U.K. or the U.S. -- "Baby, Please Don't Go," "Gloria," "Here Comes the Night," and "Mystic Eyes," all included here. Also featured are such non-charting singles as "Don't Start Crying Now," "I’m Gonna Dress In Black", “It’s All Over Now Baby Blue”, “Turn On Your Love Light” and "Richard Cory." This is not the ideal Them compilation, but this is the one that contains Them’s most familiar material. Rarely seen Japan only issue, with OBI – has been ages since I last saw an all-complete copy – next to impossible to ever upgrade upon. Price: Offers!!! |
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2595. THEM: “Time Out! Time In For Them” (Tower – ST-5116) (Record & Jacket: Mint – Still Sealed and without any discoloration or defects). SEALED PROMO issue – original 1968 pressing. Released in November 1968, following the departure of founding member Ray Elliott, the second of Them’s post-Van Morrison LPs finds them continuing the psychedelic experimentation of Now and Them, which had appeared that February. Superb full blown psych slide, out went Van, in came the drugs! Blending sitar-soaked Eastern psych-pop with heavier R&B numbers and a couple of trippy acid-tinged ballads. Bloody fuckin’ killer slide and without a single doubt Them’s finest & most wasted hour! Top condition sealed original. Price: Offers!!! |
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2596. THEM: “S/T” (Happy Tiger – HT-1004) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Near Mint – still housed in shrink). Them’s star attraction, Van Morrison had been out of the group for years by the time this one came out in 1970. Upon its release they barely qualified as a band – bassist Alan Henderson was the sole holdover from the original lineup, and the only other member cited was American session musician Jerry Cole, who played guitar and drums as well as handling lead vocals. The tough blues-influenced rock of Them’s early sides had been replaced a by a psychedelic-tinged garage sound, and the fuzzy report of Cole’s guitar and the fevered sneer of his voice made for a better-than-average slice of West Coast studio-centric garage howling, though 1970 was pretty late in the game for this sort of stuff. Rumor has it that Ry Cooder and Jack Nitzsche are among the session men helping out on this set. The performances are pretty straightforward stuff, with whopping two original songs from Cole and covers of hits by the Rolling Stones, Wilson Pickett and the Beau Brummels. Some excellent heavy frazzled fuzz guitar breaks out here and there and although the record gets a bad rep here and there, to these ears it is a great one. Filthy, fuzzed out garage dementia by a group coming lightyears to late to the scene with this blistering sound. Amazingly clean original pressing, sleeve still in shrink which is no small feat. Price: 250 Euro |
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2597. THESE TRAILS: “S/T” (Sinergia – SR-4059) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Mint, still in shrink/ Insert: Mint). Original US private press – top condition with jacket still in original shrink-wrap and complete with insert inner. Sole self-titled release from 1973 by These Trails from Hawaii. It is an album that skillfully combines a keen sense of melody with otherworldly vocals from the enigmatic late Margaret Morgan and innovative sonic experimentation. What’s more the band furnished each of its tracks with the colors, scents and atmospheres of the botanical treasure of the volcanic Pacific Island paradise that birthed them. Members of the group were Margaret Morgan (vocals, guitar and dulcimer), Patrick Cockett (guitar, slide guitar and vocals) and Dave Choy (arp synthesizer, recorder, arrangements and final mix). Margaret Morgan handles most of the lead vocals with Patrick Cockett occasionally chiming in. Morgan’s vocals are dreamy and ideally suited for this kind of organic music. Comparisons that come to mind are Linda Perhacs, though Morgan’s vocals are more innocent and angelic and the music on this LP clearly betrays a Hawaiian influence. The synthesizers give tracks an otherworldly sound. Truly entrancing fragile male/female soft warbles and bewitched intonations. Gorgeous six-string strumming--of the acoustic, electric, and slide along with a multi-colored dose of Eastern-isms (tabla and sitar) and synth-dither to visually guide you along a uniquely exotic tour of rain-soaked jungles and belching volcanoes, to the silent mesmeric groove of ocean waves. Rays of Hawaiian sunshine seep out of its pores, the arrangements are free and green with lots of interesting twists, the vocals are beautifully exotic. TOP COPY with all complete. Price: Offers!!!! |
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2598. BOB THIELE EMERGENCY: “Head Start” (Flying Dutchman – FDS-104) (2 LP Record: Near Mint/ Gatefold Jacket: Near Mint/ Japan Only Insert: Near Mint/ Direct Import OBI: Mint). 1970 first original press all complete with rarely seen direct import OBI. “Head Start” was nothing short of a manifesto by Flying Dutchman boss Bob Thiele. Head Start is an ambitious, bold, genre-sprawling double album. Combining everything from psychedelia, rock, blues, bebop, free-jazz, swing and pop, it’s a captivating musical journey lasting fourteen tracks and over seventy-minutes. The four sides include a history of jazz, an electronic experiment, some finger-poppin’ hip soul jazz and a tribute to John Coltrane, whom Bob had produced at ABC Impulse where he made his greatest artistic statements. Bob Thiele Emergency was more like a pool of musicians. This allowed Bob to draw upon musicians whose style of playing was suited to specific tracks. Over thirty musicians played on Head Start. Some played on several tracks, other played on just one track. On the first side of Head Start, saxophonist Tom Scott takes center-stage. He was one of Flying Dutchman’s most successful artist. Tom showcases his skills from the get-go and breathes out an unmistakable sixties sound. Straight away, The Bob Thiele Emergency kick loose, on a track that sometimes, is the definition of groovy. Easy on the ear, you sense Bob is just toying with the listener. That’s the case. Freaky Zeke is very different. It’s best described as a genre-sprawling track. Here Head Start veers between jazz, blues, psychedelia and rock. Veering between reflective and wistful, the Coltrane tribute side is the album’s finest moment and features Elvin Jones, a thoughtful, pensive recital by New York radio DJ Rosko and an otherwise unavailable Ornette Coleman cut, unleashing one of his keening, braying, improvisational alto saxophone solos. Closing Dedication To John Coltrane, is a live recording of Holiday For A Graveyard, featuring Ornette Coleman. This was recorded at John Coltrane’s funeral in 1967, in St. Lutheran Church, New York. The rest of the album is equally fascinating and includes such names as Tom Scott, Horace Tapscott, Howard Roberts, Joe Pass and Jon Appleton. Amazing slide and rarely seen Direct Import Obi flashing its colors. Price: 75 Euro |
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2599. THIS HEAT: “S/T” (Piano Records – THIS-1) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Near Mint). Original 1979 UK first original pressing in top condition. Rare 1st press copy of this rare historical album. Released in 1979. This one is virginal and appears to be unplayed, hell even untouched. Most perfect copy to have ever crossed my path. Made up out of Charles Bullen - guitar, clarinet, voice tapes, etc; Charles Hayward - percussion, keyboards, voice, tapes, etc; Gareth Williams - keyboards, guitar, bass, voice, tapes, etc. This Heat's first album is an impressive and unprecedented achievement in rock composition. A landmark recording. Hayward fuels the trio's radical approach, while Bullen and Williams bring a broad array of voices to the band, mixing tape and concrete ideas in songs with unusual vocal approaches - a sonic soup that's pushed by a tremendous amount of passion. Killer album, totally mint. Price: 150 Euro |
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2600. THIS HEAT: “S/T” (Rough Trade/ Japan Record – RTL-36) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Near Mint/ Insert: Near Mint/ Obi: Near Mint). Original 1979 Japan first original pressing in top condition and all complete with first issue obi. Rare 1st press copy of this rare historical album. This one is virginal and appears to be unplayed, hell even untouched. Most perfect copy to have ever crossed my path. Made up out of Charles Bullen - guitar, clarinet, voice tapes, etc; Charles Hayward - percussion, keyboards, voice, tapes, etc; Gareth Williams - keyboards, guitar, bass, voice, tapes, etc. This Heat's first album is an impressive and unprecedented achievement in rock composition. A landmark recording. Hayward fuels the trio's radical approach, while Bullen and Williams bring a broad array of voices to the band, mixing tape and concrete ideas in songs with unusual vocal approaches - a sonic soup that's pushed by a tremendous amount of passion. Killer album, totally mint. Has been ages since I last had a copy with obi! Price: 175 Euro |
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2601. THIS HEAT: “Deceit” (Japan Record – RTL-14) (Record: Mint/ Jacket: Near Mint/ OBI: Mint/ Insert: Mint). First original Japanese pressing of this subliminal LP – all complete with OBI + WHITE label PROMO issue. All complete Japanese pressings with obi in Top condition are getting tough to dig up these days, this copy is perfect all the way. “Out of all the boundary breaking that occurred during the fertile era of post-punk, This Heat's "Deceit" is one of the most expansive, imaginative, and remarkably wild records to have been produced during the time — and very possibly the last three decades. It's an impressive procession of tangential shards that encompass tape collages, Middle Eastern motifs, barbaric vocal clamoring, and occasional pointy-jagged-atonal guitar passages that alternate between hypnotizing and shooting clean through your spine. The typical structures of jazz, world music, and rock & roll are heaved into a blender, cooking up a post-punk paella that's about as relaxing as a cross-town walk through a hail storm. It ends up hardly resembling anything it takes cues from. As with a good number of the album's ten tracks, random peeks into "Paper Hats" at the minute markers will hardly sound like the same song. And that song hardly resembles any of the others on the record; yet, it encapsulates what makes the whole thing so exciting. The song in question trots along arrhythmically with some bass, drum, and spindly guitar interplay until sputtering into a wreck of those instruments and who knows what else — this 20-second interruption abruptly gives way to a march down a Twilight Zone-themed corridor of snaky guitar, pulsing high hats, and creeped-out atmospherics. If you can make out any of the lyrics (the ones in "Independence" should ring a bell, though), you'll realize the mushroom clouds and political figures depicted in the sleeve aren't the only evidence that the record is about war and nukes. Know this — if you really want to be thrown around a room, there's hardly a better source. No greater record has been made in an abandoned meat locker.”(All Music Guide). TOP and NM 1st original Japanese pressing with delicious OBI to feast on – hard to unearth these days in such a perfect nick. Price: 200 Euro |
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2602. THIS HEAT: “Deceit” (Rough Trade - 26) (Record: Mint/ Jacket: Mint). First original UK pressing of this subliminal LP. UK pressings in Top condition are getting tough to dig up these days, this copy is perfect all the way. “Out of all the boundary breaking that occurred during the fertile era of post-punk, This Heat's "Deceit" is one of the most expansive, imaginative, and remarkably wild records to have been produced during the time — and very possibly the last three decades. It's an impressive procession of tangential shards that encompass tape collages, Middle Eastern motifs, barbaric vocal clamoring, and occasional pointy-jagged-atonal guitar passages that alternate between hypnotizing and shooting clean through your spine. The typical structures of jazz, world music, and rock & roll are heaved into a blender, cooking up a post-punk paella that's about as relaxing as a cross-town walk through a hail storm. It ends up hardly resembling anything it takes cues from. As with a good number of the album's ten tracks, random peeks into "Paper Hats" at the minute markers will hardly sound like the same song. And that song hardly resembles any of the others on the record; yet, it encapsulates what makes the whole thing so exciting. The song in question trots along arrhythmically with some bass, drum, and spindly guitar interplay until sputtering into a wreck of those instruments and who knows what else — this 20-second interruption abruptly gives way to a march down a Twilight Zone-themed corridor of snaky guitar, pulsing high hats, and creeped-out atmospherics. If you can make out any of the lyrics (the ones in "Independence" should ring a bell, though), you'll realize the mushroom clouds and political figures depicted in the sleeve aren't the only evidence that the record is about war and nukes. Know this — if you really want to be thrown around a room, there's hardly a better source. No greater record has been made in an abandoned meat locker.” (All Music Guide). TOP and NM 1st original UK pressing – hard to unearth these days in such a perfect nick. Price: 150 Euro |
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2603. THIS HEAT: “Health & Efficiency” (Piano Records – this1201) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Near Mint). Original 1980 UK first pressing. “With their self-titled debut, This Heat sowed the seeds of post-punk, avant rock, noise rock and post-rock. The album took the trio – Charles Bullen, Charles Hayward and Gareth Williams – two years to create, and placed them at the forefront of experimental music. The follow-up, the 20-minute Health and Efficiency, proved to be a less labored – and more conventional – record to make. Bridging the gap between the debut and their masterpiece, Deceit, the 1980 release found the band settling into a groove at their Cold Storage Studio. The eight-minute title track, remembers Charles Hayward, “was improvised pretty much fully-formed,” and included the sound of the neighboring school’s playground and the band rolling bottles around in the gallery space next to their studio. That’s where they found the maxi-single’s sleeve too – Pete Cobb’s blue and white image was on display in the same gallery. The track was recorded using a mobile unit found in the back of Melody Maker – the 16-track Zipper Mobile studio – and elements of second album Deceit were laid down at the same time. As Charles Hayward notes: “Everything seemed to fall into place.” On the B-side, the drone for “Graphic/Varispeed” came from the song “24 Track Loop” on the first album, albeit manipulated, slowed down and sped up. “In the process, we realized that we liked the morphing of the sound from one state to another as the vari-speed combed the sound across the equalization, like a microscope. So we recorded the process itself, which is what you hear here,” says Hayward. The intention was for the single to be able to be played at 33, 45 or 78 RPM – which you’re welcome to do.” (LITA) Original UK 1st pressing in top shape! Price: 125 Euro |
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2604. CHESTER THOMPSON: “Powerhouse” (Black Jazz/ Toei Geion – OPL-2006) (Record: Near Mint/ Textured Jacket: Near Mint/ Insert: Near Mint/ Obi: Near Mint). Bloody rare Japan 1972 original with rare OBI present. WHITE label PROMO issue. One of the few solo albums ever cut by organist Chester Thompson – a player who's known to most as the keyboardist in Tower Of Power, but one who's also remembered by a select funky few for this killer record for the Black Jazz label! The album's a stripped-down quartet session – with labelmate Rudolph Johnson on tenor, blowing some beautiful lines alongside long, drawn-out Hammond solos from Thompson! The overall feel is similar to some of the great late 60s Prestige sessions – especially Don Patterson dates – with the group free swinging away in a very live format, just like you might have heard if you caught them in some hip southside club. Other players include All Hall Jr on bass and Ray Pounds on drums – and the album features four long jamming tracks. Price: 400 Euro |
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2605. CHESTER THOMPSON: “Powerhouse” (Black Jazz/ Toei Geion – OPL-2006) (Record: Near Mint/ Textured Jacket: Near Mint/ Insert: Near Mint) Rare Japan 1972 original. One of the few solo albums ever cut by organist Chester Thompson – a player who's known to most as the keyboardist in Tower Of Power, but one who's also remembered by a select funky few for this killer record for the Black Jazz label! The album's a stripped-down quartet session – with labelmate Rudolph Johnson on tenor, blowing some beautiful lines alongside long, drawn-out Hammond solos from Thompson! The overall feel is similar to some of the great late 60s Prestige sessions – especially Don Patterson dates – with the group free swinging away in a very live format, just like you might have heard if you caught them in some hip southside club. Other players include All Hall Jr on bass and Ray Pounds on drums – and the album features four long jamming tracks. Price: 175 Euro |
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2606. THOMPSON, MAYO: “Gorky’s Debt To His Father” (Texas Revolution – CFS-2270) (Record & Jacket: Mint, still bloody fuckin’ SEALED) TOP copy, US first original pressing!! An all-time classic neuro-stunner of a disc, housed in a simple apricot colored sleeve that enshrouds a half hour of insulation wilder than any of your bedroom fantasies. There where Thompson’s previous work had fractured the human heart so far that Red Krayola were accused of being a cheap and amateur art school prank, the material on this disc is even more daring the atonal bashings of his combo. Starting off with The Lesson, it already alludes at the regions the album will wade through at knee-length - guilt, obsession, depraved lust and indulgence. “I held your little breast in my hand, and I kept my eyes on your knee. I was breathless when you crawled in the door, and gasped when you sat on my lap.” That’s Vladimir Nabokov’s Lolita for you through the eyes of an acid flashback plagued Texan dessert rat. “You parted your legs with a smile...” Boy, that that coming out of puritan America – thank god Bush was not waving his scepter then. Still, it hints at the overall tone the album is spray painted with being that the only love worth having is a doomed one. At the time, the album attained but a fraction of the success of the Red Krayola albums - themselves notorious rather than popular. Originally released by the label Texas Revolution and like all stellar discs Gorky’s Debt was recorded in mono. After it had hit the streets and was largely ignored by all the hip cats, the album was left to attract dust and cobwebs, sinking into oblivion. Still the general outcome remains the same: compact Dadaist poems distilled into a half-hour of personal confessions. One of the greatest discs ever made without a single doubt. Original press copy, just about impossible these days, let alone a SEALED one. Price: Offers!!! |
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2607. THOMPSON, RICHARD: “Henry The Human Fly” (Ling Records – ICL-38) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Near Mint/ 6 Paged Insert: Near Mint/ Obi: Near Mint). Original Japan 1st original press issue of scarce title, all complete with rarely offered obi. Richard Thompson is relatively fresh out of Fairport Convention here, and while there are traces of that group in his solo music, it's also very clear that the set is the key to his long legacy to come! Thompson's guitar is much more upfront than before – really finding itself in both an acoustic and electric mode – sometimes blended with folksy instrumentation from the past, but also much more focused with that sonic quality that really befits Thompson's very unusual vocal approach! Featuring a 'who's who' of British folk – Linda Thompson, Sandy Denny, Ashely Hutchings, John Kirkpatrick, Barry Dansfield, Pat Donaldson and Andy Roberts, Thompson explores old ballad forms, the music of pre-industrial times to create an extraordinary series of precise songs, an elusive mix of ebullient music hall and doleful folk-rock. Highly underrated but brilliant slide, a classic! Price: 400 Euro |
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2608. The THREE O’CLOCK: “Baroque Hoedown” (Victor Records – VIP-4199) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Near Mint/ Insert: Near Mint/ Obi: Near Mint). Rare Japanese pressing all complete with obi of Paisely underground cornerstone act. The Three O'Clock were the quintessential L.A. Paisley Underground band. Lead singer and bassist Michael Quercio in fact coined the term to describe the set of bands, including the Dream Syndicate, Rain Parade, Green on Red, and the Bangles, who incorporated the chiming guitars of the Byrds and the Beatles into their pop songs with a psychedelic bent. Beginning as the Salvation Army in 1982 as a three-piece and forsaking the name due to a conflict with the actual organization, the Three O'Clock originally included Quercio and guitarist Louis Gutierrez. The band plied a garagey sound on its self-titled debut in 1982. When ex-Weirdos drummer Danny Benair and keyboardist Mickey Mariano joined for the follow-up Baroque Hoedown, which surprisingly saw a Japanese press release at the time. First time I encounter a copy, still comes dead cheap. Price: 75 Euro |
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2609. THROBBING GRISTLE: “20 Jazz Funk Greats” (Pass Records – PAS-1001) (Record: Mint/ Jacket: Mint/ Obi: Near Mint/ 4 Paged Insert: Mint). First original Japanese pressing from 1979 – promotional copy, complete with OBI and insert. “We need to search for methods to break the preconceptions, modes of unthinking acceptance and expectations that make us, within our constructed behavior patterns, so vulnerable to Control” – Genesis Breyer P-Orridge. This is as good a quote can get to introduce this all-time classic. Being one of the first real Industrial bands, Throbbing Gristle withstood the times. First starting out in 1976, they set the stage for punk music with their intensely evocative stage presence. Musically they were really nothing anyone had heard before; anti-music through the use of technology both dehumanized and mechanized. 20 Jazz Funk Greats is a mixture of melodic structures with sharp, stabbing, artless noise. The cover art is just that, merely a cover. The comfy charismatic smiley faces on a hillside hide their true antisocial aesthetic. Also, nowhere on this album will you find jazz or funk, and only 13 tracks rather than the stated 20. So you will ask yourself “have I been cheated?”….and no you just got your head blown, that is all, a life altering experience. Fookin’ classic, never fails to amaze me even after being exposed to it for over a decade…TOP COPY, MINT all the way, 1st issue with obi. Price: 200 Euro |
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2610. THROBBING GRISTLE: “20 Jazz Funk Greats” (Industrial Records – TR-0008) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Near Mint/ Poster: Mint). First original UK pressing from 1979 – all complete with rare poster. “We need to search for methods to break the preconceptions, modes of unthinking acceptance and expectations that make us, within our constructed behavior patterns, so vulnerable to Control” – Genesis Breyer P-Orridge. This is as good a quote can get to introduce this all-time classic. Being one of the first real Industrial bands, Throbbing Gristle withstood the times. First starting out in 1976, they set the stage for punk music with their intensely evocative stage presence. Musically they were really nothing anyone had heard before; anti-music through the use of technology both dehumanized and mechanized. 20 Jazz Funk Greats is a mixture of melodic structures with sharp, stabbing, artless noise. The cover art is just that, merely a cover. The comfy charismatic smiley faces on a hillside hide their true antisocial aesthetic. Also, nowhere on this album will you find jazz or funk, and only 13 tracks rather than the stated 20. So you will ask yourself “have I been cheated?”….and no you just got your head blown, that is all, a life altering experience. Fookin’ classic, never fails to amaze me even after being exposed to it for over a decade…TOP COPY, MINT all the way, 1st issue with POSTER. Price: 175 Euro |
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2612. TIMMONS, BOBBY: “Jenkins, Jordan And Timmons – Soft Talk” (Top Rank/ Nippon Victor – RANK-5078) (Record: Excellent ~ Near Mint/ Flip Back Jacket: Near Mint/ Obi: Near Mint). Insanely rare Japan first original pressing all complete with OBI. MONO issue that comes housed in japan ONLY sleeve art, just never ever offered before. Four of the five selections on this LP are obscure jazz originals by altoist John Jenkins, tenor saxophonist Clifford Jordan or trombonist Julian Priester. Inspired by both Charlie Parker and Jackie McLean, Jenkins teams up with Jordan, pianist Bobby Timmons, bassist Wilbur Ware and drummer Dannie Richmond for some bop-oriented improvising. Strange that this would be one of only two sets led by Jenkins. This is truly a great set and the tunes are all very nice. Favorite tune is probably "Soft Talk". "Tenderly" is a nice ballad with superb piano solo work from Bobby Timmons. Jordan’s tone is round and strong much like a nice cup of sake. Bobby Timmons flows effortlessly through the tunes with extremely nice rhythmic lines. The other two cats in the rhythm section gel perfectly well with Jenkins and Timmons. Damned rare Japan 1st original pressing that comes housed in never seen before Japan only sleeve art and complete with obi. A one of a kind true rarity for your eargasmatic pleasures. Price: Offers!!!! |
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2613. TIMMONS, BOBBY: “The Return of Ghengis Khan” (Prestige/ Victor Records – SMJ-7398) (Record: Near Mint/ Flip Back Jacket: Near Mint/ Obi: Mint). Damned scare 1966 Japan ONLY issue. All complete with hardly ever seen first issue obi. Track listing is as follows: The Return of Genghis Khan; Chicken and Dumplin’s; Bag’s Groove; Lela and Auld Lang Syne. Comes housed in a fragile flip back sleeve cover with Japan only sleeve art. Never surfaces with obi present! Top shape. Price: 250 Euro |
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2614. TIMMONS, BOBBY: “The Return
of Ghengis Khan” (Prestige/ Victor Records – SMJ-7398) (Record: Near Mint/ Flip
Back Jacket: Near Mint). Damned scare 1966 Japan ONLY issue. Track listing is
as follows: The Return of Genghis Khan; Chicken and Dumplin’s; Bag’s Groove;
Lela and Auld Lang Syne. Comes housed in a fragile flip back sleeve cover with
Japan only sleeve art. Price: 75 Euro
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2615. TIMMONS, BOBBY: “Sweet and Soulful Sounds” (Riverside/ Victor Records – SR-7037) (Record: Near Mint/ Flip Back Jacket: Near Mint/ Obi: Near Mint). Top condition Japan first original press issue all complete with OBI. A wonderful mellow trio session from Bobby Timmons – done with a spare, relaxed approach that's a nice contrast to the recordings he was making for Prestige around the same time – but which still has the same deep, soulful approach to the piano that makes those records so great! Half a dozen trio numbers with Sam Jones and Roy McCurdy are rounded out with two piano solos, "God Bless The Child" and "Spring Can Really Hang You Up The Most" – both of which present Bobby in an especially introspective mode, one you don't hear that often on record! Top condition first press original with rare OBI! Price: 75 Euro |
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2616. TINKERBELL’S FAIRYDUST: “Twenty Ten b/w Walking My Baby” (London/ King Records – TOP-1287) (7 Inch Single Record: Excellent/ Gatefold Picture Sleeve: Excellent/ Company Inner Sleeve: Excellent). Japan original single issue that comes housed in japan only picture sleeve art. The easiest to encounter Tinkerbell’s Fairydust single release to come out of Japan although “easiest” is of course a relative term. Nice condition, not NM perfect but solid EX on all fronts. Beautiful UK pop psych gem. Price: 75 Euro |
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2617. TINKABELLS FAIRYDUST: “Lazy Day b/w In My Magic Garden” (London/ King Records – TOP-1363) (7 Inch Single Record: Near Mint/ Gatefold Picture Sleeve: Near Mint/ Company Inner Sleeve: Near Mint). Japan only picture sleeve issue of rare UK pop psych masterpiece, issued in 1969 and housed in great picture sleeve with cool group shot on back. Rarest Tinkabells Fairydust Japan released single and all complete and in virginal shape. In 1969, a self-titled Tinkabells Fairydust album was assembled at Decca, and included four of the six songs that had appeared on their singles, as well as nine other tracks. Although this got as far as the test pressing stage, it never did get released, although a handful of finished copies did hit the streets but just never turn up these days. They did however release a couple of singles in the UK, all without picture sleeves and 3 singles in Japan only, which did come with picture sleeves but also hardly ever surface as sales were depressingly low and barely non-existent. Still one of the highlights of their repertoire was the in 1969 released track "Lazy Day," which is a very nice minor-keyed piece of harmony-laden light psych. Comes housed in cool picture sleeve, first time ever I see a copy of this one in a long, long time….and also the most virginal condition one – impossible to upgrade upon. Price: 250 Euro |
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2618. TINKERBELL’S FAIRYDUST: “Twenty Ten – Walking My Baby b/w Lazy Day – In My Magic Garden” (London/ King Records – LS-197) (EP Record: Near Mint/ Thick Flip Back Picture Sleeve: Near Mint/ Lyrics Sheet Inserts: Mint/ OBI: Mint). Freakingly rare Japan only 1969 EP release housed in great thick picture sleeve. The rarest one by the band out there and this one comes all complete with the RARE OBI present. First time ever I encounter a copy complete with obi. Price: Offers!!!! |
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2619. TIPPETT, KEITH – The KEITH TIPPETT GROUP: “Dedicated To You, But You Weren’t Listening” (Vertigo Records/ Nippon Phonogram – SFX-7316) (Record: Near Mint/ Gatefold Jacket: Near Mint/ Insert: Excellent ~ Near Mint – has some faint foxing/ Obi: Near Mint). Stupidly rare Japan 1st press original on the Vertigo Swirl label all complete with hardly ever seen or offered before first issue obi. PROMO issue. “Dedicated To You, But You Weren't Listening” is the best-known and most easily available item in Tippett's back catalog. Of the eleven musicians assembled for this recording, six either had been or would be members of Soft Machine (Robert Wyatt, Elton Dean, Phil Howard, Roy Babbington, Nick Evans, Mark Charig). These men had experience with experimental jazz and the record bounces from the structured and riff-oriented to the formless and free. The album bristles with energy; the drums and the bass are over-amplified by the standards of jazz recording, giving the music a thick, aggressive sound that is especially noticeable on the more accessible tunes. Two of these — “This Is What Happens” and “Black Horse” — start and end the album, respectively. “This Is What Happens” reminds me some of what Don Ellis was doing at roughly the same time with his big bands, although this could be residual of Tippett's interest in Ellis' mentor George Russell more than anything else. “Black Horse” is the track that gives the most serious nod to fusion and it makes the most of it. Guitarist Gary Boyle (later of Isotope) gets a chance to shine here as the band makes its way through a funky, Santana-like groove. “Thoughts to Geoff” and “Green and Orange Night Park” weren't as immediately appealing to me, but they may well be the tracks that provide the most lasting interest. I've seen both of these pieces described as having Charles Mingus influences and indeed they do flit between cacophony and hard-hitting riffs in the manner of some of Mingus' early '60s recordings. Angular and difficult, they are really the heart and soul of this album and the time spent with them should be rewarded. “Gridal Suite” and “Five After Dawn” are the free-form blowouts. This is not my favorite style of jazz, although I've come to like “Five After Dawn”. “Dedicated To You, But You Weren't Listening” is hurt a little bit by casting so wide a net of styles; it presumes that its audience is familiar enough with experimental jazz to handle what amounts to a sampler platter. But despite not settling on a particular style, the band does have a unique sound and the music is mostly excellent. I'd easily recommend this album to anyone with an interest in Soft Machine or experimental jazz. Price: Offers!!!! |
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2620. TITUS
GROAN: “S/T” (Dawn Records/ Nippon
Columbia – YS-2468-YD) (Record: Mint/ Laminated Gatefold Jacket: Mint/
Insert: Mint/ Dawn OBI: Mint). Top copy of mega rare Japanese 1st press issue all complete with rarely seen DAWN Records OBI – all is in
untouched virginal condition. Glorious underrated complex psych meandering into prog
and filled with highly inventive arrangements and superb musicianship. “This
is prog and no mistake – but it manages to avoid the self-indulgence of
many contemporary LPs in the genre. This owes to several factors: the
production is crisp and punchy, the band are particularly good musicians who
are happy to rock hard (there are some memorable tough guitar parts) and their
songs are tightly-structured with plenty of interesting twists. Their name is
taken from Mervyn Peake, who also lends the title to the album’s magnum opus,
the 12-munte four-part epic ‘Hall Of Bright Carvings’. ‘I Can’t Change’ is
another cracker, combining an unusual structure with driving rhythm and a
catchy melody. The only mis-step is the mainstream pop ballad ‘It’s All Up With
Us’ which is respectable but out of place. A solid LP for people who like their
prog lean.” (RMJ – Galactic Ramble). Hardly ever seen dead mint Japan
1st original press complete with freakingly rare Dawn Records obi.
Best condition imaginable. Price:
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2621. TOGASHI MASAHIKO QUARTET (with TAKAYANAGI MASAYUKI, TAKAGI MOTOTERU & YOSHIZAWA MOTOHARU): “We Now Create” (Victor Records – SMJX-10065) (Record: Near Mint/ Gatefold Jacket: Excellent ~ Near Mint/ OBI: Excellent ~ has a middle tear faintly visible). First original pressing out of 1969 – green colored Victor label imprint, top notch copy. Comes all-complete with the freakingly rare first issue obi!!! The first free jazz record to be released upon Japan 's shores by a domestic free-blowing combo was “We Now Create” by a group spearheaded by Togashi Masahiko. Their groundbreaking album was recorded within the span of a single day on May 23rd, 1968 and obtained in that same year a grand prize awarded as “best record of the year”, administered by the rather conservative mainstream jazz magazine Swing Journal. Masahiko Togashi released as a bandleader, under his name, the first domestic free jazz document to hit the epicenter of Tokyo. Assisted by the crème of the crème of the that day pioneering and adventurous musicians, the line-up counted amongst its members Takagi Mototeru (ts, cornpipe), Takayanagi Masayuki (g) and Motoharu Yoshizawa (b). Their glorious and only output (in this particular line-up) was released in 1969 under the title “We Now Create” by Victor. A staggering document. Originally the quartet had been active as a quintet with trumpeter Oki Itaru in their ranks. Free howling assault on the senses, scorching interplay, vicious feedback outbursts and soaring saxophone blasts howling against tumbling-down percussive rattles. A killer all round. One of the defining moments of Japanese free jazz. Indispensable and highest recommendation. Price: Offers!!!! |
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2622. TOGASHI MASAHIKO QUARTET (with TAKAYANAGI MASAYUKI, TAKAGI MOTOTERU & YOSHIZAWA MOTOHARU): “We Now Create” (Victor Records – SMJX-10065) (Record: Near Mint/ Fold Out Jacket: Near Mint/ OBI: Excellent ~ Near Mint – front part only present). First original pressing out of 1969 – green colored Victor label imprint, top notch copy. Comes all-complete with the freakingly rare first issue obi – albeit front part only!!! The first free jazz record to be released upon Japan 's shores by a domestic free-blowing combo was “We Now Create” by a group spearheaded by Togashi Masahiko. Their groundbreaking album was recorded within the span of a single day on May 23rd, 1968 and obtained in that same year a grand prize awarded as “best record of the year”, administered by the rather conservative mainstream jazz magazine Swing Journal. Masahiko Togashi released as a bandleader, under his name, the first domestic free jazz document to hit the epicenter of Tokyo. Assisted by the crème of the crème of the that day pioneering and adventurous musicians, the line-up counted amongst its members Takagi Mototeru (ts, cornpipe), Takayanagi Masayuki (g) and Motoharu Yoshizawa (b). Their glorious and only output (in this particular line-up) was released in 1969 under the title “We Now Create” by Victor. A staggering document. Originally the quartet had been active as a quintet with trumpeter Oki Itaru in their ranks. Free howling assault on the senses, scorching interplay, vicious feedback outbursts and soaring saxophone blasts howling against tumbling-down percussive rattles. A killer all round. One of the defining moments of Japanese free jazz. Indispensable and highest recommendation. TOP COPY!!!! Price: 600 Euro |
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2623. TOGASHI MASAHIKO & TAKAGI MOTOTERU: “Isolation” (Columbia Records – JDX-49) (Record: Near Mint/ Gatefold Jacket: Near Mint/) PROMO COPY/ TEST PRESS Issue White label in TOP condition!!!! First original pressing of 1969, complete with 1st edition gatefold jacket!!! This disc is a real brain ripping free jazzing blast from the past. TogashiMasahiko may be a name you have already encountered if you are a bit acquainted with Japanese free hardcore blowing jazz. He was the man responsible for churning out Japan's first free jazz disc being “We Now Create” for which he got assisted by Takayanagi Masayuki and Yoshizawa Motoharu amongst others. The following year in 1969, he teamed up with another hardcore blowing spirit, Takagi Mototeru - one of Japan's most unique sax howlers and Sato Masahiko. Together they embarked on another free blowing trip, creating a hurricane of sound and a chunk of unrelenting power that leaves no stone unturned. Takagi is stellar as usual and he certainly deserves more attention. This disc is utterly fantastic, killer material and indispensable in any collection that cares even a bit about Japanese underground, hardcore jazz and adventurous sounds. Great Japanese hardcore blowing fire music collision between alto howler Mototeru Takagi and vicious rolling thunder like heavy hitting drum beast Sato Masahiko. To put it simply, this is a clash of two titans, both in the prime of their creative power. If free jazz is your thing, well look no further. Takehisa Kosugi once told me this was his all-time favorite free jazz disc and upon listening to it, it is easy to understand why. 1st original press is getting next to impossible to dig up on these shores. TOP copy and seriously rare so... Price: 650 Euro |
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2624. TOGASHI
MASAHIKO QUARTET (with Takagi Mototeru): “Speed
and Space” (Teichiku Union Records – UPS-2014-J) (Record: Near Mint/
Jacket: Excellent ~ Near Mint/ Insert: Mint). Hardly ever seen before 1st original pressing. Well here you have a real brain ripping free jazzing blast
from the past. Togashi Masahiko may be a name you have already encountered if
you are a bit acquainted with Japanese free hardcore blowing jazz. He was the
man responsible for churning out Japan's first free jazz disc being "We Now Create" for which he
got assisted by Takayanagi Masayuki and Yoshizawa Motoharu amongst others. The
following year in 1969, he teamed up with another hardcore blowing spirit,
Takagi Mototeru - one of Japan's most unique sax howlers and Sato Masahiko.
Together they embarked on another free blowing trip, creating a hurricane of
sound and a chunk of unrelenting power that leaves no stone unturned. Takagi is
stellar as usual and he certainly deserves more attention. This disc is utterly
fantastic, killer material and indispensable in any collection that cares even
a bit about Japanese underground, hardcore jazz and adventurous sounds. First
original pressing is next to impossible to come by these days and this copy is
just top notch. It will certainly enhance your mediocre existence. Killer
stuff. Price: 650 Euro |
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2625. TOGASHI MASAHIKO QUARTET (with Takagi Mototeru): “Speed and Space” (Union Record – JUP-1) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Near Mint). Getting scarce 2nd press issue housed in alternate sleeve art. Togashi Masahiko may be a name you have already encountered if you are a bit acquainted with Japanese free hardcore blowing jazz. he was the man responsible for churning out Japan's first free jazz disc being "We Now Create" for which he got assisted by Takayanagi Masayuki and Yoshizawa Motoharu amongst others. The following year in 1969, he teamed up with another hardcore blowing spirit, Takagi Mototeru - one of Japan's most unique sax howlers and Sato Masahiko. Together they embarked on another free blowing trip, creating a hurricane of sound and a chunk of unrelenting power that leaves no stone unturned. Takagi is stellar as usual and he certainly deserves more attention. This disc is utterly fantastic, killer material and indispensable in any collection that cares even a bit about Japanese underground, hardcore jazz and adventurous sounds. Hard to come by these days and utterly cheap. It will certainly enhance your mediocre existence. Killer stuff. Price: 50 Euro |
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2626. TOGASHI MASAHIKO QUARTET (with Takagi Mototeru): “Speed and Space” (Union Record – JUP-1) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Near Mint/ Obi: Near Mint). Getting scarce 2nd press issue housed in alternate sleeve art – complete with OBI. Togashi Masahiko may be a name you have already encountered if you are a bit acquainted with Japanese free hardcore blowing jazz. he was the man responsible for churning out Japan's first free jazz disc being "We Now Create" for which he got assisted by Takayanagi Masayuki and Yoshizawa Motoharu amongst others. The following year in 1969, he teamed up with another hardcore blowing spirit, Takagi Mototeru - one of Japan's most unique sax howlers and Sato Masahiko. Together they embarked on another free blowing trip, creating a hurricane of sound and a chunk of unrelenting power that leaves no stone unturned. Takagi is stellar as usual and he certainly deserves more attention. This disc is utterly fantastic, killer material and indispensable in any collection that cares even a bit about Japanese underground, hardcore jazz and adventurous sounds. Hard to come by these days and utterly cheap. It will certainly enhance your mediocre existence. Killer stuff. Price: 75 Euro |
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2627. TOKEDASHITA GARASU HAKO: “S/T” (URC Records – URG-4003) (Record: Mint/ Gatefold Jacket: Near Mint/ Obi: Mint). Well, here you have it. One of Japan’s most in demand acid folk rarities in great condition, a disc that hardly ever turns up since it has been detected by an overseas maniacal collector crowd. This means that copies of this gem here also hardly, if ever, resurface. This is the original first pressing with always missing OBI of this marvelous Japanese psychedelic folk gem filled with echo treated vocals, lysergic fuzz leads, dreamy arrangements, and an bountiful of strange effects. Tokedashita Garasu Hako was a one-time studio project that featured Takashi Nishioka (Itsutsu No Akai Fusen), Takasuke Kida (ex-Jacks), Tetsuo Saito, Kazuo Takeda (ex-Blues Creation guitar mangler), and Haruomi Hosono (ex-Apryl Fool). The disc is housed in gatefold cover, which is in excellent shape. Overall it is very clean and glossy with no seam split, tears, or writings. The disc is excellent, just top copy level quality stuff! Turns up rarely, Japan’s best psychedelic acid folk record that will leave your mind all over the place. A killer and mega rare these days. Here you have the first original press in gatefold cover complete with the always-missing obi. If there is one so-called acid folk album to seep out of Japan, then this will definitely carry that load with pride. Go ballistic, top copy!!!! Price: 450 Euro |
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2628. TOKK ENSEMBLE TOKYO: “Music For Living Process – Stromung – Nucleus – Munari By Munari – Corona for Pianist” (Victor – SJX-7539). (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Near Mint/ OBI: Near Mint). Trying to fill the gaps in your Takehisa Kosugi discography? Well here I have another obscure one for ya. Released in 1975, this disc brings together some of the greatest players of the Japanese avant-garde scene. First original press issue all complete with RARE OBI!!! Toshi Ichiyanagi, Takemitsu Toru, Kosugi Takehisa, Maki Ishii, Yoshino Irino and Yasunari Yamaguchi amongst others all group together on this one. Kosugi contributes on the Toshi Ichiyanagi composition “Music for Living Process”, a stunning piece de resistance for shakuhachi (Katsuya Yokoyama is amazing on this one), harp, percussion, electric violin and piano. The overall atmosphere is austere and reminds me a bit of the soundtrack to “Kwaidan” as far as the otherworldly and eerie atmosphere is concerned. Kosugi accentuations are spot on and bring out the spooky character of Yokoyama’s shakuhachi play and Ichiyanagi minimal piano flirtations even more. In all, the piece possesses a beauty of blood curdling qualities and with this opening track is the mood set into which the other pieces will evolve. A stunning disc that needs to be discovered by a wider audience. If Japanese avant-garde is your thing, then look no further, this one will certainly enlarge your horizon. Highest possible recommendation. Copies with obi are damned RARE!!! Price: 250 Euro |
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2629. TOMASZ STANKO QUINTET: “Purple Sun” (Calig
– CAL 30 610) (Record: Near Mint ~ Mint/ Laminated Jacket: Near Mint ~ Mint)
Pristine condition 1973 German 1st original press issue. One of the rarest
titles to have emerged on the Calig label. Stanko’s leader album Purple Sun is
often regarded as the Polish Bitches Brew, blessed with a thriving
improvisational sound that thrives on sublime textures and that evoke images
from Mahavishnu Orchestra through Herbie Hancock to the more improvisatory
Voodoo Jazz stage of Miles Davis. All the compositions follow a free-jazz
improvisation mode but injected with quite melodic segments. The first track
bounced around on abundant polyrhythms bathed in funky nuances that flush out
strong and aggressive trumpet. The following track has an almost ambient intro
that brings Eno to mind, gradually transmuting into a dense jazz-rocking vibe,
vibrating with a frenetic violin attack. The third composition has an almost
"Polish" feeling, since certain Slavic/Silesian cadences simmer
through, supported by a structure similar to opening track. Especially
Stefanski's drumming gives the whole affair is much needed propulsion
forward! The last track is chaotic, atonal, free-jazz at its peak where
trumpet and sax melt into one and sound like a whole new instrument. All the
compositions are by Stanko except track 2 whose authorship is by the violinist
Zbigniew Seifert. Killer slide from start to finish and one of the high-water
recordings out of the collectible Calig label. Top condition, impossible to
ever upgrade upon. Price: 600 Euro |
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2630. TOMOKAWA KAZUKI: “Inu – Akita no Concert” (Record: Mint/ Jacket: Mint/ Insert – Poster: Mint/ Obi: Mint). Rare original 1st press issue complete with always missing OBI and definitely the hardest to track down of Tomokawa’s output. If you dig Comus, then this record will split your brain in half. This record sees Tomokawa going back to heimat Akita to perform live, together with the excellent backing band the Pip Eleki Band. . Great copy of this early Tomokawa record. He is undoubtedly the unequaled master of possessed song-spirit. Here the young Tomokawa wails and screams emotionally hard enough in order to strip the paint of the walls. Nevertheless at times he gets quite emotional and laid back in order to hush his haunting demons to sleep. Just a splendid piece of Japanese acid folk and chant exorcism. Tomokawa’s music is violent, emotionally charged with insane screaming modes, piercing sensitivity, cathartic rhythmic purge, thrashing acoustic guitar aesthetic and harsh, reflecting the atmosphere of the bleak northern prefecture of Aomori. Hardly turns up these days. Stunningly great psychedelic-acid-avant-outsider folk music. For fans of Mikami Kan, Jandek, acid folk, Iuchi Kengo, J.A. Seazer, psych heads all around and adventurous music geeks. Highly recommended original pressing in top condition. Very rare early Tomokawa disc. Hardly, if never, resurfaces. Act smooth and swift. This record will certainly enhance your sorry ass existence. Price: 200 Euro |
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2631. TOMOKAWA KAZUKI: “Muzan no Bi” (Sound World – 28MR1) (Record: Mint/ Jacket: Mint/ Insert: Mint/ Obi: Mint). TOP copy. The hardest to track down Tomokawa LP (apart from Tiliqua’s hand painted edition of 40 copies). Tomokawa’s last album that appeared on vinyl (his next album to come out on vinyl hereafter was “Satoru” by Tiliqua), released in April 1986. Muzan no bi (Beauty without mercy, 1986) is a rhythmically urgent paean to his dead brother who killed himself on a level crossing. Here Tomokawa’s words tumble out urgently as though shouted through the night in the seconds before impact. Lyrical and emotionally laden songs are spiced up with fragrant symbolist imagery and flashes of gracious beauty, only to be rudely awakened his guttural moans, filled with dislocated emotional venom and avaricious guitar strummings. Tomokawa certainly reinvents the “folk” genre by remodeling the music and the culture it refer to, a culture heavily impregnated with rural exemplifications and drowned out Enka ballads, nursery rhyme and extrapolated field-hollering melodies. Tomokawa hijacked folk music with his accumulated energy and distorted underground worldview, rejuvenating it into a vibrant, sardonic and scornful as well as lyrically and melancholically laden music style. Filled with alchemical magic and trafficking in exquisitely handcrafted original compositions brimming over with increasingly heavy poetic sentiments, pained screams and tormented personal experiences such as revisiting the suicide of his brother that took place over twenty years ago on the album’s title track. In terms of content in Muzan no Bi Tomokawa still chases after those demons that haunt his dreams and waking hours. The deployment of the full group gives his sometimes-skeletal music undercurrents of depth and tonal richness. Although casual in feel, the utterly intense and meticulously crafted songs betray an abundance of musical detail, lyrical economy and austere intimacy. A record filled with bewildering beauty. Price: 175 Euro |
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2632. TOMOKAWA KAZUKI: “Senbazuru o Kuchi ni Hoeta Hibi” (Harvest – YC-9003) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Near Mint/ 4-Paged Insert: Near Mint/ Obi: Near Mint). Released in November 1977, his 3rd record. Here you have the chance to lay your hands on one of Tomokawa’s most glorious records, housed in a stunning sleeve. Japan’s greatest underground acid folk singer Tomokawa Kazuki delivers here a terrific sonic masterpiece, all with theatrical allures reminiscent to the surreal world of Terayama Shuji, augmented with shimmering guitar licks to stir up the haunting and ghostly atmosphere that prevails on this disc. Not to mention the omnipresent Tomokawa trademark howl, grunt, bone-chilling, insanely wired, aggressive, introspective, and insane screaming modes that embed romantic and limpid tone-scales, piercing sensitivity and fully exorcised passions. Psychedelic acid folk would get any better than this. It has a definite Tenjosajiki feel attached to it. I cannot stress enough the brilliance of this record. He is undoubtedly the unequaled master of possessed song-spirit. Here the young Tomokawa wails and screams emotionally hard enough in order to strip the paint of the walls. Nevertheless, at times he gets quite emotional and laid back in order to hush his haunting demons to sleep. Just a splendid piece of Japanese acid folk and chant exorcism. Tomokawa’s music is violent, emotionally charged with insane screaming modes, piercing sensitivity, cathartic rhythmic purge, thrashing acoustic guitar aesthetic and harsh, reflecting the atmosphere of the bleak northern prefecture of Aomori. Hardly turns up these days. Stunningly great psychedelic-acid-avant-outsider folk music. Highly recommended original pressing in top condition Price: 150 Euro |
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2633. TOMOKAWA KAZUKI: Satoru” (Tiliqua Records – 004LP) (Record: Near Mint/ Hand Painted Jacket: Mint/ Bonus regular Jacket: Mint/ Insert: Mint). Rare TEST PRESSING, only one single copy in existence. Comes housed in a unique hand painted sleeve by Tomokawa, he made 40 of those all individually designed and numbered. Found this last unique one in storage so… Hand painted jacket edition – edition of 40 individually painted jackets, each one is unique….one copy surfaced again…..Music wise the record is identically to the version noted here above. But the real treat resides in the fact that Tomokawa personally has hand-painted 40 jackets, making each jacket unique and individual. Not two jackets are even vaguely similar to each other. If you are acquainted with Tomokawa’spaintings and visionary world, you know that this might be a once in a lifetime opportunity. 20 hand-painted ones were unleashed in Japan and snapped up instantly, the other 20 are destined for foreign fans. Seen against the prices one pays for a Tomokawa painting here in Tokyo, these hand painted editions are hard to pass on. They will never ever be offered again. Initially 30 copies were scheduled but due to the demand the edition was augmented to 40 copies. Searched high and low to acquire one hand-painted copy again, finally found one in a private collection. One of a kind copy, next to impossible to lay your hands upon these days. Music is stellar, deep demented Japanese acid folk howlings that will slap you in the face as a cold northern blizzard. This numbered copy is the top of the line, 1/40…the first one he ever painted, most sought after one and Rare forever so need a nice offer on this one!!!! “There is a raw immediacy to Tomokawa’s performances that effortlessly hurdles many linguistic barriers, speaking direct to the listener’s nerves and emotions … Tomokawa’s voice constantly storms against the confines of his own vaguely symbolist words, harshly screaming or melodically moaning, the emotional voltage that courses through his delivery constantly threatening to melt their neural circuitry.” (AC) and “Tomokawa succeeds in triggering apocalyptic waves of emotionalism through the tiniest gestures exhorted from his guttural howls and fevered guitar strummings. Keeping a razor-sharp balance between self-tormenting pained gloominess and soul-searching poetic lyricism he manages to create a tense and innovative acoustic music, sounding simultaneously ancient and contemporaneously authentic. And it is here that his especial strength resides, a music fully drenched in the past, yet so attuned to the present moment. His snarling howl and single syllable guttural moans seem to bridge time and space, epoch and eras; hermetic yowls recalling Enka crooners, circus sideshow barkers, carnival callers, Nikkatsu movie gangsters and soft-hearted balladeers, all embodied in the persona of Tomokawa Kazuki. A truly exquisite release, housed in a heavy full color jacket. Regular edition came out in a run of only 250 copies, all gone, and here is the single existing test pressing, unplayed condition and housed in a one of a kind unique hand-painted sleeve by Tomokawa himself of which he painted 40 individual and numbered sleeves with different cover art for each of them. These babies come never up for sale, let alone the one-of-a-kind test pressing. Another one that will make you bleed a little if you fancy it… Price: Offers!!!! |
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2634. TOMORROW’S CHILDREN: “The Thoroughbred Sound of Tomorrow’s Children” (Dynamic – DYNAMIC-1001) (Record: Excellent ~ Near Mint/ Fragile Jacket: Near Mint) Top condition Jamaica original pressing of this organ-soul flavored killer mellow Jamaican reggae soul, produced by Byron Lee!! Groovy tunes balancing between soul and reggae vibes, the band tackles a series of covers and transforms them into a Carribian tinted swinging soulful buttshaker. The island's omnipresent reggae fumes seep through its pores but never take the upperhand, instead limiting themselves to a perfumed scent that oozes out of the tracks. The organ dominated soulful groove is strong with jazzy undertones providing a strong undercurrent, thriving on a hot breeze and turning the covers into sweating dancefloor fillers and killers. Little known disc that sporadically surfaces but is in almost all cases hopelessly trashed. This one here is possibly the cleanest and best ever copy to cross your path. Still very much affordable but that might change once the Instagram record jerk off influencers get a taste of the juice. Sleeve is in perfect condition, the record is in EX~NM shape so....highest possible recommendation on this one. Price: 350 Euro |
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2635. TOSH, PETER: “Legalize It” (CBS Sony – 25AP-223) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Near Mint/ 4 Paged Insert: Near Mint/ Japan Newspaper Clipping in his demise: Mint/ Obi: Mint). Rare Japan first original pressing complete with rare obi. A real classic in mainstream reggae – the first full length set from Peter Tosh after his earlier singles with The Wailers! The record's still one of Tosh's greatest on record – composed, arranged, and produced by Peter himself. “Released in 1976, Legalize It is a bold statement that Peter Tosh had arrived and was a creative force in his own right. Although he explores some issues of spirituality, this is Tosh's most lightweight album in the sense that it is his least political. This is not meant as a criticism -- in fact, Tosh's playfulness and joy ("Ketchy Shuby") only add to the album's charm. He does make political statements (the title track celebrates and promotes the use of marijuana), but they are done with a sense of humor and a melodic infectiousness that belie his sincere concern for the issues. Tosh incorporates many instruments and mixes slower ballads with upbeat grooving tunes. The album's highlight is "Why Must I Cry," a multi-layered song that conveys a sense of personal failure when fighting an uphill battle, whether it be against injustices of the world or within the confines of a relationship. Legalize It cemented Tosh's position as a giant in reggae, and the album is one of the best albums of the genre.” (All Music). Price: 75 Euro |
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2636. TOSHI TSUCHITORI: “Ajagara - Solo Drums” (D.Y.M Records – D.Y.M 003) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Mint – still in shrink). Original private press issue of awesome drum master not unlike Milford Graves. Toshi Tsuchitori is a familiar name if you are acquainted with Japanese mid-seventies free jazz. He has backed up Kaoru Abe, joined Bailey on his tour through Japan, and played with Mototeru Takagi, Steve Lacy, and countless others. Released in 1980, this was Toshi’s third solo effort and dwells in similar regions as his first two LP’s. Hard to catalogue it as merely drums but it would be fair to pull it open to avant-garde and improvisation, deploying a wide range of percussive instruments, voice, tribal rhythms, gongs and just everything he could lay his hands on. Impressive tour de force that easily rivals Milford Graves percussion escapades. All the albums on the D.Y.M label were released in tiny quantities and hare hard to come by these days. Great document of Japanese free improvisation. Highly recommended. Price: 75 Euro |
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2637. TOSHIYUKI TSUCHITORI & RYUICHI SAKAMOTO: “Disappointment – Hateruma” (ALM Records – AL-7) (Record: Near Mint ~ Mint/ Jacket: Excellent ~ Near Mint/ OBI: Mint). All complete copy with bloody rare obi. Bloody ultra-rare album that came out in 1975/6 on the legendary ALM Records label. First time ever I succeeded in wheeling in a copy and this one is in top shape, so buckle up for this one if you need it. The rarest entry in the whole ALM Records catalogue. Unlike his YMO efforts, this release is a heavy beast of free improvisation, a clash of the titans, two – at that time – still utterly unknown underground headz. A beast of a disc and if you are looking for YMO middle of the road crap then this release will certainly be too far out for your skull to wrap itself around to. But if adventurous, free form percussive assaults are your thang, then this disc will certainly leave you gasping for air. To these ears, Sakamoto has never ever sounded better – maybe except for his brief stint with Taco on Pinakotheca – and he display here hidden qualities that got molded out upon erecting YMO. A shame, but here at least you can hear a glimpse of what could have been a constant in his career. Brilliant and comes with the highest possible recommendation. One of the greatest free form improvisation discs to seep out of Japan. Never an easy one to dig up, hardly surface once in a blue moon and copy all complete with obi is totally out of the question, haven’t seen one in over a decade until now, so maybe a good time to move in for the kill on this one… Top condition! Price: Offers!! |
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2638. TOYOZUMI YOSHISABURO with
Ukaji Shoji – Hara Ryoh & Fujikawa Yoshiaki: “Sabu – Message To Chicago” (Nadja – PA-3162)
(Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Near Mint/ Insert: Near Mint/ OBI: Mint). Original
1974 pressing all-complete with rarely seen OBI. Haven’t seen a copy in ages as
copies have completely vanished during the course of the last decade. “Message
to Chicago” documents a wild October 20th, 1974 summit between legendary
Japanese percussionist Sabu Toyozumi and baritone sax howler Ukaji Shoji.
Toyozumi casts a fearsome shadow over the entire history of liberated musical
thought in Japan, playing on sessions alongside titans like Takayanagi
Masayuki, Hadaka no Rallizes’ Mizutani and even prog rockers Samurai. After
that his duo settings with Takagi Mototeru ended in the spring of 1971, Sabu went
to Europe and hung out with The Art Ensemble of Chicago dudes with whom he
jammed together. This exposure to American free jazz in Europe opened up some
other doors in Sabu’s head as far as free improvisational playing was concerned
and upon his return to Japan, he began to put it into practice and channel his
experiences into Japanese free interplay. He teamed up with Ukaji and after
their first encounter they both flabbergasted by the stardust their collision
had generated which prompted Sabu to form a unit to channel his
Europe-experienced ideas through. The end result is an excursion as he called
it into “New Jazz”, drawing blood from his Art Ensemble of Chicago encounter by
venturing into some serious spiritual interplay based on AEOC compositions, which
Sabu reinvigorated with his inventive skin action and stellar choice of
compatriots to back him up. The one who definitely steals the show here is
Ukaji Shoji, whose baritone shuffles out a shimmering turbulence and dynamic in
tone and sound that is pregnant with a grinding rigor so swingingly free it
brings magic back into the malevolent voodoo erraticism. The whole affair is a
tantalizing one; the group gushes out a vibe as though they have just struck
oil or hit the mother lode while digging for gold. Furious improvisations based
on the AEOC inspired skeletal motives whip the whole band into frenzied thick
and heavy workouts that trample over the artistic boundaries to flow freely
into the overall shamanistic mood of improvisation. In one word…total killer
and Ukaji steals the show here. Highest recommendation. Price: 275 Euro |
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2639. TOYOZUMI YOSHISABURO with TAKAGI, Mototeru: “Water
Weed” (TRIO RECORDS – PA-3163) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Near Mint/
Insert: Near Mint/ OBI: Mint) TOP COPY, secondl press complete with obi
of this stellar Japanese free jazz monster unearthed. Released in 1975, this
baby was recorded live in concerts in July of that same year. The line-up, as
you might already expect, consisted out of skin mangler Sabu Toyozumi, reed howler
and under-recorded/ under appreciated monster blower Mototeru Takagi and bass
player Takashi Tokuhiro. Personally the earlobe blowouts by Mototeru are the
highlight here. He is a totally underrated free blowing head that should not do
under for Abe and the others. To me, he is even greater, more viciously toned
down and all incinerating. If you combine such a lethal beast to a virtuosic
power drummer as Toyozumi, you know you are bound to be catapulted into the
outbound regions of our solar system. Free jazz won’t get any better than this.
Sadly enough, vinyl copies of these babies, like most of the Japanese free jazz
artifacts, are death difficult to track down and change hands for already monstrous
sums within the sadly enough too little circle of people in the know. This disc
is no exception to the rule, rare as hell, hard to find and offer here below
the Japanese market value. Great condition, even better music. Cannot go wrong
with such a sucker. You are in for a carrousel like head spin that will leave
you shaky on your feet for days in a row. You have been warned. Price: 250 Euro |
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2640. TOYOZUMI YOSHISABURO with TAKAGI, Mototeru: “Water Weed” (TRIO RECORDS – PA-7113) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Near Mint/ Insert: Near Mint/ OBI: Mint) TOP COPY, first original press complete with obi of this stellar Japanese free jazz monster unearthed. Released in 1975, this baby was recorded live in concerts in July of that same year. The line-up, as you might already expect, consisted out of skin mangler Sabu Toyozumi, reed howler and under-recorded/ under appreciated monster blower Mototeru Takagi and bass player Takashi Tokuhiro. Personally the earlobe blowouts by Mototeru are the highlight here. He is a totally underrated free blowing head that should not do under for Abe and the others. To me, he is even greater, more viciously toned down and all incinerating. If you combine such a lethal beast to a virtuosic power drummer as Toyozumi, you know you are bound to be catapulted into the outbound regions of our solar system. Free jazz won’t get any better than this. Sadly enough, vinyl copies of these babies, like most of the Japanese free jazz artifacts, are death difficult to track down and change hands for already monstrous sums within the sadly enough too little circle of people in the know. This disc is no exception to the rule, rare as hell, hard to find and offer here below the Japanese market value. Great condition, even better music. Cannot go wrong with such a sucker. You are in for a carrousel like head spin that will leave you shaky on your feet for days in a row. You have been warned. Price: 475 Euro |
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2641. The TOYS: “Omiya-san b/w Jangara Go-Go” (Daie Records/ Clinck Records – CREP-5734)
(EP Record: Near Mint/ Picture Sleeve: Near Mint/ Insert & Obi: Near Mint). Japan, like many non-English-speaking countries, was home
to a thriving garage/beat band scene in the 1960s. The Japanese scene was more
peculiar than most: singing in both Japanese and heavily accented gibberish,
the guitars were surf-ish Mosrites, and the material was often a strange fusion
of Merseybeat, punk, and over-the-top weirdness. The Toys hit the scene in 1968
and only released this one EP, which is absolutely KILLER and it's truly like no other '60s rock you've heard, a
true cult GS artifact. Spearheaded by vocalist Rudy Apt who was born in
Jakarta, the Toys were a 5-piece outfit that created something truly unique.
The B-side “Jangara Go Go” is an driven Matsuri based raunchy thrasher, spiked
up with razor sharp guitar licks, knuckle wrestling with upbeat Shamisen
slashing riffs set against a cascading rhythm section and coming over like a
crossing between Terauchi Takeshi’s trashy surf aesthetic junked up with upbeat
rural matsuri vibes. Completely intoxicating party crasher kind of song that
makes you goof around in a teeth-grinding frenzy kind a mode after a five days
and nights brutal Vodka orgy. The bass is all over spiking the Go-Go beat up
even further. The A-side moves in similar intoxicated waters, a peculiar mixed
punch of low style Matsuri frenziness, high speed garage trash and pure vintage
global groovy dumbness that feels like burning oil on your legs after a night
with a head full of acid! The guitar work is frenzied and imaginative; the
vocals walk the line between tough raunch and low comedy. This one moves around like a cannonball, running around
like a pit-bull on crack. So how can you resist this one??? Already completely
sold out at the source in the blink of an eye, originals go for 4 figures, so
don’t think twice it is ok…Price: 50 Euro |
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2642. TRADER HORNE: “Morning way – Asa No Hikari No Naka De” (Dawn Records/ Nippon Columbia
– YS-2561-YD) (Record: Near Mint/ gatefold Jacket: Near Mint/ OBI: Mint/
4 Paged Insert: Near Mint). Hopelessly rare 1st original Japanese
pressing all complete with the green colored first issue obi. Rare
dead mint copy of Trader Horne, Japanese Dawn Records issue of 1971. “Like many bands
before them Trader Horne released an album preceded by a couple of singles, the
band promptly broke up and the album sank. Years later it is discovered by
collectors and found to be high quality and of interest. The musicians in this
band had a pedigree that should not have condemned the album unfairly. The
female singer Judy Dyble had been the original one for Fairport Convention on
their first album and Jackie McAuley had been a key member of primal Irish
R&B band Them. However here they had both evolved into crafted folk with a
production that should have crossed them over to the popular music charts. The
songs are folk-pop with psychedelic production touches and like Amazing Blondel
are infused with baroque elements of early music. Harpsichord, xylophone,
auto-harp and organ all help this album sound different from many. There is a
childlike air to many of the tracks, a fey innocence that is appealing. Some of
the tracks have pseudo mystical themes such as the instrumental 'Three Rings for
Eleven Kings' however this is never taken too seriously. Each track links to
the next with a little short musical segue that provides continuity and reminds
of the marvelous uncompleted 'Teenage Opera' by Mark Wirtz. Stand out tracks
include 'Morning Way' with it's descending chord sequences and dual vocals and
the deeply psychedelic 'The Mutant' with it's treated slightly unsettling
vocals.” (Mark Coyle) Top
shelf UK acid folk disc, ranging up there next to Trees, Fairport Convention,
Mellow Candle and Caedmon. Original mint Japan 1st press with rare 1st issue obi. These babies do not surface at all anymore. Price:
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2643. TRADITION: “Captain Ganja And The Space Patrol” (Venture – CUT-9) (Record: Excellent ~ Near Mint/ Jacket: Excellent ~ Near Mint). Top copy of delirious dub slide. Captain Ganja and the Space Patrol does exactly what it says on the tin - a stoned journey guided by a stash of hand-selected herbs and a love of Radiophonic Workshop style low-fi science fiction, deep through the outer-reaching cosmos of space and time. As a secretive and sought-after outlier in Tradition’s catalogue of lovers rock and dub aces, Captain Ganja and The Space Patrol represents the group’s most esoteric and liquidified experimental urges in full effect, springing dub’s mutable framework with a sample bank of crying babies, radiophonics and library soundtrack FX and then swirling the whole thing in Paul Thomson’s cosmic synths and keys. From the red-eyed bachelor lounge vibes of The Breathtaking Blast thru the lush recoil and tumble of Subaquatic Swerves and the pealing oddness of The Creepy Crawl to the bawling infants perfused around Rocket Repairs’ warbly melodica and decaying drums, if you are deep in the mix for Creation Rebel then this is gonna smoke your mind. Top condition original 1st press issue! Price: Offers!!! |
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2644. TRAFFIC: “John Barleycorn Must Die”
(Island Japan/ Nippon Phonogram – SFX-7205) (Record: Near Mint/ Gatefold
Sleeve: Near Mint/ Obi: Excellent). Hideously rare 1970 Japanese FIRST press
issue complete with the very first OBI and on the Pink Island Imprint complete
with obi. The killer title tune alone is worth the admission fee, a traditional
English ballad arranged by Winwood for acoustic guitar and flute, making it an
instant acid folk classic.. Wood's flute is again exceptional, delicate and
ornate, and Steve sings the song just right, with an admirable sense of
restraint and simplicity. Simple and it works. Classic album in my book, this
being a pristine rare Japanese 1st pressing with delicious
obi. Very first Japanese press hardly ever surfaces, record and gatefold sleeve
are crispy clean and hard to ever upgrade upon!!! Price: 250 Euro |
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2645. TRAFFIC: “Welcome To The Canteen” (Island/ King Records – AML(i)-1008)
(Record: Near Mint/ Gatefold Jacket: Near Mint/ OBI: Mint). Original 1st Japanese pressing complete with rare obi and in totally immaculate condition. A
live album recorded in 1971 showing that in a concert setting the band was
amazing as well. Every single Traffic album is worthwhile on these shores and I
consider them brilliant, at times too beautiful to handle even. Impossible to
ever upgrade upon this one. Price: 100 Euro |
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2646. TRAFFIC: “S/T” (Island Records/ King Records – ICL-27) (Record: Near Mint/ Gatefold Jacket: Near Mint/ 4 paged Insert: Near Mint/ Obi: Near Mint). Pristine condition WHITE label PROMO all complete with obi. “After dispensing with his services in December 1967, the remaining members of Traffic reinstated Dave Mason in the group in the spring of 1968 as they struggled to write enough material for their impending second album. The result was a disc evenly divided between Mason’s catchy folk-rock compositions and Steve Winwood’s compelling rock jams. Mason’s material was the most appealing both initially and eventually: the lead-off track, a jaunty effort called "You Can All Join In," became a European hit, and "Feelin' Alright?" turned out to be the only real standard to emerge from the album. Winwood’s efforts, with their haunting keyboard-based melodies augmented by Chris Wood’s reed work and Jim Capaldi’s exotic rhythms, work better as musical efforts than lyrical ones. Primary lyricist Capaldi’s words tend to be impressionistic reveries or vague psychological reflections; the most satisfying is the shaggy-dog story "Forty Thousand Headmen," which doesn't really make any sense as anything other than a dream. But the lyrics to Winwood/ Capaldi compositions take a back seat to the playing and Winwood’s soulful voice. As Mason’s simpler, more direct performances alternate with the more complex Winwood tunes, the album is well-balanced. It's too bad that the musicians were not able to maintain that balance in person; for the second time in two albums, Mason found himself dismissed from the group just as an LP to which he'd made a major contribution hit the stores. Only a few months after that, the band itself split up, but not before scoring their second consecutive Top Ten ranking in the U.K.; the album also reached the Top 20 in the U.S., breaking the temporarily defunct group stateside.” (All Music Guide). Top condition! Price: 200 Euro |
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2647. TRAFFIC: “S/T” (Island – ILS-80278) (Record: Near Mint/ Gatefold Jacket: Near Mint/ Attached Booklet: Near Mint/ 2 Inserts: Near Mint/ Obi: Near Mint). Japan clean pressing complete with all appendices and with obi – WHITE label PROMO. Price: 150 Euro |
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2648. TRAFFIC: “Last Album” (Fontana – SFON-7104) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Near Mint exceptionally clean sleeve without any foxing/ Insert: Near Mint/ Obi: Near Mint). Damned rare Japan 1st original press issue in outstanding condition and all complete with damned are OBI! Comes housed in Japan only sleeve artwork. One of the rarest Japan released Traffic albums with obi present and one of their best!!!! Essential brainfood!! Price: Offers!!!! |
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2649. The TRASHMEN: “Surfin’ Bird” (Stateside Records/ Toshiba – SR-7105) (Red Wax Record: Near Mint/ Flip Back Jacket: Near Mint). Japan 1st original pressing – Hand Typed White Label TEST PRESSING on red wax. Top condition. The only album released by the Trashmen during their lifetime actually outstrips most of the Southern California-based competition, due to the ferocious grit of the playing and a vaguely demented, go-for-broke recklessness. Classic surf-trailer trash meets primordial garage-psych in the making, cornerstone of a whole genre to follow in its wake, the Trashmen’s sole recording is dynamite and blessed with jungle shout-outs and that thundering low-fidelity outburst you came to get hooked to. Title track has been covered by zillion bands hereafter ranging from the Ramones to the Cramps over to the Hall of Mirrors and more. Rarely seen Japanese 1st original press issue – red wax and hand-typed white label TEST pressing – one of a kind! Top condition. Price: 400 Euro |
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2650. TREE PEOPLE: “S/T” (Private) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Near Mint). Original press copy of this glorious real people acid folk gem that Tiliqua Records has reissued on CD. Here you have a review of the album as it appeared on the Stylus magazine site and they could describe it quite accurately. “The forgotten legacy of the Tree People can be pretty accurately traced to one summer weekend in 1979 when Stephen Cohen, Jeff Stier, and Rachel Laderman, headed down to the secluded Rockin’ A Ranch Studio located somewhere in the backwaters of Oregon to record an album. Originally released as a limited run LP, the record slipped almost unnoticed into the dusty annals of history before Johan Wellens (owner and music archivist of Tokyo-based label Tiliqua records) salvaged the album from obscurity and re-released it on his own label. 28 years later, this long-neglected album flags up the telling historical debt that modern folk, in all its freaky derivations, owes to those early, unsung pioneers. While Cohen’s voice and acoustic guitar predominate, the contributions of Stier (percussion, recorder) and Laderman (flute) are just as essential. They react to his playing almost instinctively. It’s a good thing: the album’s nine songs often feel as though the group is merely jamming around pretty loose structures. (The quietly terrifying “Opus” might exemplify the group’s sensitivity to each other’s tonal fluctuations best.) Even the structured hippy rumba of “Morning Song” still sees Laderman frolicking with abandon on her flute over the syncopated rhythm. Perhaps as a result of their free-form approach, the tone of the album modulates between a dreamy acquiescence and a jagged purposefulness; the soothingly lyrical “Pot of Gold” and “The Pineapple Song,” the most structured pieces, contrast with the ad hoc violence of “Sliding”’s raw, steel-stringed riffs and raga-esque hand drum and the deliriously heathen cadenzas on “Space Heater” and “No More School.” These impromptu asides make listening to the album slightly unnerving, but hugely compelling—you never know when the next jarring slide or dissonant note is going to land. Like the reissue of Vashti Bunyan’s Just Another Diamond Day in 2000, this re-release goes some way toward preserving the easily overlooked tradition of outsider / psych folk from sliding into the realm of self-perpetuating myth. But to appreciate this album from a historical perspective, as the mere totem ancestor to folkies like Devendra, Espers, Six Organs of Admittance et al., would be to do it a gross disservice. Of even greater value, The Tree People is an album of exquisitely crafted music, regardless of its undoubted historical import. Here’s to their Lookaftering”. Reviewed by Paul Teasdale, Stylus Magazine. Top notch original copy of this utterly fantastic folk gem. Highest possible recommendation. Price: 150 Euro |
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2651. The TREES: “On The Shore” (Epic – EPIA-53017) (Record: Near Mint ~ Mint/ Jacket: Excellent ~ Near Mint – very faint foxing visible/ 2-Sided Illustrated Insert: Near Mint). Bloody rare Japan 1st original pressing on high quality vinyl from 1971. Top copy, will be tough to upgrade on this one, just perfect on all fronts.” Their record company CBS applied pressure but not much money and so, due to lack of rehearsal and studio time, some of the musicianship suffers, and the original material is patchy. But the overall sound of this album is what is really impressive. Ceilia Humphries sings in an earthy and raw way sailing right down the middle of every note. On songs like "Murdoch" and "Sally Free And Easy" she sends a shiver up this reviewer's withered spine. "Murdoch" also sports a rather natty ‘wall of sound' ending, which is aided by a wailing organ. The musicians behind Humphries are where the real strength is. The twin guitars of Barry Clarke (lead) and David Costa (acoustic) are a muscular equal to the sometimes-luminary bass of Bias Boshell and solid drums of Unwin Brown. The sound is bold and more psychedelic than Fairport and you feel a band who are really into their style if not their stride. This is what you might enjoy more about this recording than others of the genre: the energy of the performances.” (Greg McLaren). One of the cornerstone folk rock acid discs to seep out of the UK. Fantastic female vocals set against simmering acidic guitar leads. Ceilia Humphries always sent shivers down my spine as a youth and I must confess I even had a secret crush on her. Nothing has changed much, I still do fancy her and upon hearing her angelic voice I get plagued with fits of religious hallucinations. One of the top UK folk rock albums of all time, splendid condition FIRST original 1971 high quality Japanese pressing. Top copy. Price: 300 Euro |
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2652. The TRIO: “Vol.1”(Pye Records
– Teichiku – UPS-535-Y) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Near Mint/ Obi:
Near Mint). Original 1st press Japanese issue, complete with never seen obi.
Stunning UK free jazz combo with John Surman, Barre Philips and Stu Martin. The
Trio glow with a mastery of dynamics and rapidly shifting phrases, creating UK
styled free jazz through the prism of the improvisational movement in Europe.
Total classic, I ride so hard for The Trio recordings because they never failed
to bring forth pure liquid energy that always enthralls and transcends.
Beautiful. Price: 150 Euro |
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2653. The TRIO: “Conflagration” (Dawn/
Nippon Columbia – YS-2567-YD) (Record: Near Mint/ Gatefold Jacket: Near
Mint/ Insert: Excellent/ Near Mint/ Obi: Near Mint). Original 1st Japanese high quality
pressing on Dawn. Comes complete with rare “Dawn Records” OBI – which is
hard to turn up. By now the Trio has expanded its base by including a string of
high prolific scenesters such as Harold Beckett, Mark Charig, Chick Corea, Nick
Evans, Malcolm Griffiths, Dave Holland, John Marshall, Mike Osborne, Alan
Skidmore, Stan Sulzmann, John Taylor and Kenny Wheeler. As a whole big band
styled group, the Trio moves and shifts and fuses together, sending out
flickering embers of real Fire Music blessed with a distinct UK Isle flavor
that will pull you even closer towards the improvised inferno on display
between your ears. Although the whole is carefully constructed, the sonic mash
soon explodes into an extended improvised head charge, constantly triggered
with decaying melodies and burning solo explorations and the sonorous response
it generates. Never a dull moment, again showcasing that early 1970s improv
could easily rival with the European and US scenes. Fantastic. Original
Japanese Dawn press with OBI. Price: 275 Euro |
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2654. THE TRIO: “The Trio By Contact” (Columbia Records –
YS-2733-AX) (Record: Mint/ Textured Gatefold Jacket: Near Mint ~ Mint/ OBI:
Mint). Mega rare Japan only September 1972 first original pressing. First ever
copy to surface with mega rare OBI!!! Never offered before with obi, this is
insane!!! Red label PROMO issue. This one was later reissued by Ogun Records in
1987 and came housed in totally different jacket art, but this one here is the
very first Japan only issue. The reason that this record was solely released in
Japan was because in 1972 Surman visited the World Expo in Osaka and with a
freshly recorded master tape of the Trion in his possession he offered it to
Columbia Records to release it. The LP comes housed in a gorgeous heavy
textured gatefold sleeve that inside has detailed notes printed – which
also states that next to Surman, Barre Philips and Stu Martin they were aided
on side 2 by Alan Shorter on fluegelhorn. Of course, this is not 100% sure but
listening to it, the playing tone fits Shorter like a glove and he had been
playing with Surman around 1971 when in Paris. Nominally Thi LP is the third
outing by the band, if one discounts "Conflagration" which was not
strictly speaking a Trio record, though with the Trio at its core. As far as
the Ogun label one goes it was released in 1987, 16 years after its being
recorded in the Tangerine Studios in London. There's a misprint on the back
sleeve saying it was recorded in 1979, but by then the Trio had long disbanded.
Also the Ogun issue was remastered at the Rainbow Studios in Olso in 1986 and
this one was remastered in 1971 in Tokyo. So this is the rarest Trio record out
there and also – at least to these ears – one of the greatest
recordings by the band. Sadly, it is viciously rare, first copy ever to be
offered with the OBI complete…I know of exactly 2 people with an all-complete
copy, making this one the 3rd out there, yes it is that rare, no
shit.. Top condition and so bloody awesome!! One off chance to wheel in a true
free jazz bloody rarity in the best condition possible. Act now & hold your
peace forever!!! Price: Offers!!! |
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2655. The TRIO – EI-ICHI HAYASHI + KATSUO KUNINAKA & SHOTA KOYAMA: “S/T” (Takeya – TY8804) (Record: Near Mint ~ Mint/ Jacket: Near Mint ~ Mint). Japanese free jazz frontal lobe crusher private press slide that was released in a tiny run of only 100 copies back in 1986. This is one of the most refreshing free jazzing blasts I have the pleasure listening to in recent years. Although I knew of the existence of this record, I never had the chance to see or listen to an actual copy until recently and the sonic curveball this trio throws at you feels like a breeze of fire-breathing fresh air. Together they generate a vortex of rhythmic flux that gets accentuated with bursts of zigzagging lightning bolts of molten sonic lava. Eiichi’s explosive sax solos touch on all sorts of virgin turf while being propelled forward by the fat, throbbing pulsating bass lines of Kuninaka and the fluid grooves of tactile wood and wire feel of drummer Koyama. Eiichi claws through the sax upper register with atonal and groovy shrieks, advanced tone-wise and a primitively satisfying love cry. In short, a total ball-busting great free roaming recording that ranks amongst the best free jazz recordings you have never heard. Total killer, it just blew me away upon spinning it for the first time, trying to pick up my jaw from the floor where it had dropped after being subjected to this force of nature. But sadly enough, impossibly rare. Still, very reasonable, and not too expensive reserve for this monster slide so feel free to ask or curve ball me your best offer. So killer and so outrageously rare it is just mind numbing!!!! Price: Offers!!!!! |
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2656. TRIO BY TRIO + 1: “Yamashita Yosuke Trio + Oki Itaru Trio + Ono Yuji Trio + Kasai Kimiko” (Victor Records – SMJX-10101~2) (2 LP Record: Excellent ~ Near Mint/ Gatefold Jacket: Near Mint). One of the hardest to track down Japanese free jazz documents from the early 1970s is this no filler all killer 2 LP set you do not mess around with. Released in 1970, Trio By Trio is one helluva fuckaround & ravaging document filled with teeth-grinding frenzy & high voltage music bringing together three different trios, augmented by a female vocalist for the closing recording. Each performer gets granted a full side to his disposal, enabling them to showcase their respective exploratory sound. The first two sides are taken up by Yamashita Yosuke Trio and Oki Itaru Trio respectively, doing what they are best at, creating a panoramic sound floating somewhere between the controlled burn of frantic interplay and the boundless fury of a stampeding herd. The other two sides are invaded by the Ono Yuji Trio and again the Oki Itaru Trio where each combo is joined for one excursion by vocalist Kasai Kimiko. With her on board, the sonic horizon broadens up, balancing between free roaming flashes and spiritual intoned vocal delights and curious yowls, with the backing by each trio igniting sparks and setting of fireworks, creating a delirious female vocal spiritually inclined free jazzing exploratory marvels. On paper the line-up looks salivating great, however in reality it even blows away all preconceptions and expectations to be had by far. Damned rare Japan first original pressing which just hardly ever sticks out his head out of the murky mists of obscurity. Price: Offers!!! |
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2657. TRISTANO, LENNIE: “S/T aka Kyojin Lennie Trsistano” (Atlantic – MJ-7087) (Record: Near Mint/ Flip Back Jacket: Near Mint/ Obi: Mint). Stupidly rare Japan very first original MONO press issue all complete with first issue obi. “Lennie Tristano’s Atlantic debut was a controversial album at the time of its release. Though Tristano was regarded as a stellar and innovative bebop pianist, he had been absent from recording for six years and had founded a jazz school where he focused instead on teaching. The first four tunes on this set shocked the jazz world at the time of their release. The reason was that on those four original tunes -- "Line Up," "Requiem," "Turkish Mambo," and "East Thirty-Second" – Tristano actually overdubbed piano lines, and sped the tape up and down for effect. While the effect is quite listenable and only jarring in the most splendid sense of the word -- because of the sharp, angular arpeggios and the knotty, involved method of improvising that came directly by improvising against the rhythm section of drummer Jeff Morton and bassist Peter Ind -- it was literally unheard of at the time. The last five tunes on the disc were recorded live with a rhythm section of bassist Gene Ramey and drummer Art Taylor. Lee Konitz plays alto as well. The tunes are all standards, including "These Foolish Things," "Ghost of a Chance," and "All the Things You Are." The performance is flawless, with beautiful interplay between Lee and Lennie and stellar harmonic ideas coming down from the bandstand in a fluid relaxed manner. This is a gorgeous album with a beautiful juxtaposition between its first and second halves, with the rhythmic and intervallic genius of Tristano as an improviser on full display during the first half and the pianist as a supreme lyrical and swinging harmonist during the back half.” (All Music Guide). Damned rare 1959‾1960 Japan first original pressing with 1st issue obi in stunning shape. Later pressings turn up often and for cheap but a true 1st pressing is something out of another world. Price: 200 Euro |
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2658. TRISTANO, LENNIE: “Descent Into The Maelstrom” (East Wind – EW-8040) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Near Mint/ Obi: Excellent/ Insert: Near Mint). WHITE label PROMO!!!! First of all, let me start off with saying that this LP is one of the most singular mind-blowing great free improvisation records ever to be put down on wax, documenting Tristano during the early fifties and early sixties, pondering away at the keys. All in all, this LP is a tough and hard-to-find gem that starts off with the utterly unique title cut. On this completely atonal track (which predates Cecil Taylor by a few years!!!), Lennie Tristano overdubbed several pianos, creating subliminal picturesque and extremely intense improvisational sonic soundzzz. The remainder of this album embroiders on similar themes and moods, mostly comprised of leftovers and rehearsal tracks, which considering Tristano’s slim discography, is as essential as can be, especially if you consider that free blowing heads like Takayanagi Masayuki were heavily inspired and in awe of him. Upon listening to the disc, it is easy to understand why – modal jazz fuses with atonal rhythms and abstract key changes, making it a hybrid and alienated listening experience, especially if you consider the recording dates of the tracks in question. Tristano is heard solo in 1961 and 1965, in a trio with bassist Peter Ind and drummer Roy Haynes in 1952 and (in what might be his last recordings) performing a pair of originals with bassist Sonny Dallas and drummer Nick Stabulas in 1966. Tristano fans can consider this important release to be essential. And a free jazzing head like myself find this disc as essential as Milford Graves “Babi Music”, Arthur Doyle’s “Alabama Feeling” and Mazarette Watts self entitled album on Savoy. This baby burns. It is the first pressing that came out on the Japanese East West Japan label, housed in a stunning calligraphy-styled sleeve. A second press is also circulating released by Inner City, but this one just never turns up, and first time ever I see a white label promo issue of this beast. Unique chance for stellar music to fall in your lap. Price: 100 Euro |
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2659. The TROLL: “Animated Music” (Smash Records – SRS-67114) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Excellent ~ Near Mint – small drill hole in lower right corner/ Imprinted Inner Sleeve with Lyrics: Excellent ~ Near Mint). Rare YELLOW label PROMO issue. Animated Music, the band’s sole release for the Mercury offshoot label, Smash. The album's style is varied, ranging from the power of Werewolf And Witchbreath, to the more psych-orientated vibe of Satin City and Everybody's Child, via the vaudevillian tones of Have You Seen The Queen and Professor Potts Pornographic Projector. The influences of melody and the vocal harmonies are felt throughout the album and the musical performances are uniformly excellent. There are also some periodic injections of vari-speed vocals and strange sound effects that were becoming all the rage on late '60s major label psych albums. The album is now regarded as a psych masterpiece and is finally receiving the critical acclaim it so richly deserves. Price: 200 Euro |
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2660. TROPICALIA: “Ou Panis Et Circencis” (Philips – R-765.040L) (Record: Near Mint/ Gatefold Jacket: Near Mint). Top condition Brazilian original 1968 MONO pressing. This is the definitive Tropicalia concept album, originally released in 1968 and featuring all the key players in the movement: Caetano Veloso, Gilberto Gil, Gal Costa, Os Mutantes, Tom Ze and Nara Leao. It is an original, groundbreaking mix of psychedelic rock combined with boleros, sambas, bossa nova and jazz into a carnival-esque parade which redefined and first announced the new global sound of Brazilian music. What is stunning is that this anarchic and groundbreaking release was recorded at the height of the Brazilian military dictatorship, during an era where censorship, repression and the threat of violence was a constant in all (musical and) daily life inside the country. This classic album is Tropicália’s manifesto - a fantastical syncretic fusing of psychedelic rock & pop, Brazilian traditional music and the avant-garde. This is a NM/NM Brazilian original 1st pressing, never have I seen a copy this clean as the one listed here. Final upgrade copy. Price: 500 Euro |
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2661. TUDOR, DAVID: “Microphone” (Cramps – nova musicha n. 16 – 5206.116/2) (Record: Near Mint/ Gatefold Jacket: Excellent ~ Near Mint/ Imprinted Inner Sleeve: Excellent). Scare Italia only issue that came out in 1973 and can be seen as Tudor’s cornerstone recording. One to tick off a longtime wants list, ‘Microphone’ is an exceptional example of Tudor’s early years, when he was committed to shifting away from piano performances of avant-garde works by Cage, Boulez, Feldman, Stockhausen and many more, to pursue a prototypical form of electronic performance. Often credited in the footnotes of canonical releases, Tudor was a hugely important innovator of electronic music himself, with ‘Microphone’ standing as testament to his leading edge improvised approach, freely exploring electro-acoustic space with a visceral, air-shredding exploration of distortion and spatial dynamics recalling an alien adjunct to Alvin Lucier’s experiments in a similar realm. The A-side finds Tudor tactfully but rudely feeling out an archipelago of spare, fractured, atonal sounds in space and fed back thru electronics and canny microphone dis-placement. The results are much freer than the generation of serialist constrictions allowed for, and perhaps closest to Cage’s conceptually groundbreaking ‘Cartridge Music’ works. Mix A warms-up for the more expressive dimensions that come into play on ‘Mix B’, which shares a halting stop/start arrangement, but feels more at grip with the voices his machines produced at the biting point. For a work that makes use of a single sound-source - the modulation of microphone feedback produced in a distant echo chamber - ‘Microphone' emerges as one of the most striking and important works of 1970s electronic composition, and another testament to the powerful, enduring impact of wild, focused sound experimentation. Damned hard one to track down! Price: 175 Euro |
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2662. TUDOR, DAVID: “Rainforest IV” (Edition Block Berlin – GR-EB-1) (Record: Near Mint/ Gatefold Jacket: Excellent ~ Near Mint). Recorded in 1973 and released as a gallery edition in 1980, “Rainforest IV” was an electroaccoustic environment conceived by David Tudor and realized by the Group Composers Inside Electronics (John Driscoll, Phil Edelstein, Ralph Jones, Martin Kalve, David Tudor and Bill Viola). Each composer has designed and constructed a set of sculptures which function as instrumental loudspeakers under his control, and each independently produces sound material to display his sculptures' resonant characteristics. The appreciation of the “rainforest IV” depends upon individual exploration and the audience is invited to move freely amongst the sculptures. These instruments/ sculptures are made having large physical proportions and acoustic presence in space, producing an environment that is both visual and acoustic. And also tactile. David Tudor was found commenting on his creation: “In 1973 I made "Rainforest IV" where the objects that the sounds are sent through are very large so that they have their own presence in space. I mean, they actually sound locally in the space where they are hanging as well as being supplemented by a loudspeaker system. The idea is that if you send sound through materials, the resonant nodes of the materials are released and those can be picked up by contact microphones or phono cartridges and those have a different kind of sound than the object does when you listen to it very close where it's hanging. It becomes like a reflection and it makes, I thought, quite a harmonious and beautiful atmosphere, because wherever you move in the room, you have reminiscences of something you have heard at some other point in the space. It's (can be) a large group piece actually, any number of people can participate in it. It's important that each person makes their own sculpture, decides how to program it, and performs it themselves. Very little instruction is necessary for the piece. I've found it to be almost self-teaching because you discover how to program the devices by seeing what they like to accept. Its been a very rewarding type of activity for me. It's been done by as large a group as 14 people. So that was how our Rainforest was done.” Amazing piece of electronic music that actually sounds like you are being sucked up into the green panoply of a Borneo rainforest after a heavy rainfall. Original press of this fantastic electro-acoustic mind bender. Price: 150 Euro |
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2663. TUDOR
LODGE: “S/T” (Vertigo – 6360043) (Record: Excellent
~ Near Mint – couple of faint sleeve hairlines barely visible on side B – so visual
grading Excellent throughout, very nice and clean copy, the play grading is also excelent throughout, hard to improve upon/ Multiple Gimmick Gatefold Jacket: Near Mint,
has thick perfect spine and NO wear on the seams, perfect all round –
some foxing spots inside the gatefold/ Vertigo Company Inner Sleeve: Near
Mint). Top copy 1st original UK pressing with stamped matrix numbers
Side A: 3 6360043 1Y//1 ?420 1
1 and side B: 6360043 2Y//1 ?420 1 1 3 04. Comes
with company inner sleeve with the Vertigo swirl logo. Original 1971 UK
pressing on Vertigo swirl label. Original
UK swirl label copy of great femme psych folk housed in sublime multi-foldout
cover art. Superb copy. They do not surface that often in such a nice nick as this one here. Price: Offers!!!!! |
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2664. TURRENTINE, TOMMY with MAX ROACH QUINTET: “S/T” (Top Rank – RANK-5046) (Record: Excellent ~ Near Mint/ Flip Back Jacket: Near Mint/ OBI: Near Mint). Freakingly rare 1960 Japan very first original press issue in outstanding condition and all complete with never offered before very first issue OBI. “When he recorded this album, his lone date as a leader, trumpeter Tommy Turrentine (who was a member of Max Roach's group along with his brother, the soon-to-be famous tenor Stanley Turrentine) seemed to have a potentially great future. Unfortunately, ill health would eventually force his retirement. Turrentine's set for Time actually features the musicians of Roach’s quintet (including brother Stanley, trombonist Julian Priester, bassist Bob Boswell and Roach himself) plus pianist Horace Parlan. The trumpeter contributed five of the seven songs (which are joined by Horace Parlan’s "Blues for J.P." and Bud Powell's "Webb City") on this fine straight-ahead hard bop set. All of the musicians play up to par and the results are swinging and fit securely into the modern mainstream of the time.” (All Music Guide). Damned rare all complete first pressing. Price: 250 Euro |
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2665. TUSQUES FRANCOIS &
BARNEY WILEN: “Nouveau Jazz” (Columbia – SL-5005-AX)
(Record: Near Mint/ Heavy Gatefold Jacket: Mint/ OBI: Mint). Monster rare Japan
first original press, housed in Japan ONLY heavy gatefold jacket and complete
with never offered before OBI. Top copy!!!!!Assembling the very
same group of musical sorcerers this albums personnel (featuring Barney Wilen)
reads like a who’s who of France’s early improvised music/free jazz scene
resulting in a wholly unique European flavor while preserving
the essence of other global inter communal travelers such as Don Cherry
and Krzysztof Komeda. Originally extracted from three separate
recording sessions in early 1967, Le Nouveau Jazz opens with themes
conjured up for the short film Coda by French jazz documentarist Marc
Pauly highlighting the composers adept ability in his
multi-disciplined art further aligning him with the aforementioned
pioneers. The rest of the album combines frenzied macabre picture music and
emotive piano improvisations with the sui generis inclusion of a double -
double bass formation courtesy of Beb Guerin and Jean-Francois Jenny
Clarke. As Tusques’ second official album (following Free Jazz from 1965)
this LP expands on this important French musicians vision. Stupendously
rare Japan 1st original pressing, housed in Japan ONLY heavy
gatefold jacket art and complete with never seen before OBI. This baby is …
bloody … rare. Price: Offers!!!!! |
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2666. TUSQUES FRANCOIS & BARNEY WILEN: “Nouveau Jazz” (Columbia – SL-5005-AX) (Record: Near Mint/ Heavy Gatefold Jacket: Near Min). Monster rare Japan first original press, housed in Japan ONLY heavy gatefold jacket. Top copy!!!!! Pleased to be able to offer this beast at rock-bottom giveaway price…obi is missing so a one-off chance here. Assembling the very same group of musical sorcerers this albums personnel (featuring Barney Wilen) reads like a who’s who of France’s early improvised music/free jazz scene resulting in a wholly unique European flavor while preserving the essence of other global inter communal travelers such as Don Cherry and Krzysztof Komeda. Originally extracted from three separate recording sessions in early 1967, Le Nouveau Jazz opens with themes conjured up for the short film Coda by French jazz documentarist Marc Pauly highlighting the composers adept ability in his multi-disciplined art further aligning him with the aforementioned pioneers. The rest of the album combines frenzied macabre picture music and emotive piano improvisations with the sui generis inclusion of a double - double bass formation courtesy of Beb Guerin and Jean-Francois Jenny Clarke. As Tusques’ second official album (following Free Jazz from 1965) this LP expands on this important French musicians vision. Stupendously rare Japan 1storiginal pressing, housed in Japan ONLY heavy gatefold jacket art & top shape! Price: 350 Euro |
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2667. TUSQUES FRANCOIS, GUERIN B., VITET B., PORTAL M. & OTHERS: “Free Jazz” (Disques Mouloudji – EM-13507) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Excellent – with langluette still attached and present – small white on white price tag tear on back, lower left – no splits or any damages). Original French 1st pressing in possibly the best condition ever offered. Fragile jacket is NM with original “langluette” still attached. This is always missing but complete here. Disc is also NM with hardly any signs of being played at all. TOP COPY!!! The LP was recorded on 26 October 1965 at the Comedie de Champs Elysee in Paris and issued on the small Mouloudji label the year after. These days it is regarded as the disc that originated the birth of free jazz in France. Main man Francois Tusques was flanked by Michel Portal, Bernard Vitet and Bernard (Beb) Guerin who later down the line would team up again in the ranks of the Michel Portal Unit. That all aside, this sonic masterpiece is a mature, cohesive and above all lunar jazz waves of simultaneous sound. The music veers from arranged to improvised passages in a very smooth manner in a heads down momentum kind of way that builds up into compulsive group interactions before meandering again in spontaneous individual sonic punctuations. There are hardly any extended solo sections or prominent egos to work around. Instead, time signatures change rapidly, pieces of melody are picked up, tossed around and then disappear as quickly as they came. Instruments intertwine throughout the entire record and everybody is on tiptoe and on the alert to what's going on around them. Decidedly "free", yet retaining melody, structure, rhythm, but never for too long before somebody comes up with another idea. The group as a unit accesses here the dawn of free music in France as the pure sound, teleporting these primal communication modes back towards each player’s individual sound that is in an ongoing state of expansion and derangement. Just beautiful and one of the key-recordings to document the birth of true free music in Europe. TOP COPY original 1st pressing in great condition, next to impossible to ever upgrade upon – apart from the tiny price tag tear – white on white on the lower left corner on the back. Price: Offers!!!! |
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2668. TUSQUES FRANCOIS, GUERIN B., VITET B.,
PORTAL M. & OTHERS: “Free Jazz” (Nippon
Columbia – SL-5008-AX) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Near Mint/ OBI: Near
Mint). First ever copy I encounter all-complete with stupidly rare OBI!!!. Japanese press of this
legendary hyper rare slide that originally (and only) saw the light of day on
the Mouloudji label. It was simultaneously released in Japan only but with a
totally Japan only different jacket art, making it even rarer than its French
counterpart pressing since it virtually did not sell anything here in Japan.
Neither one of these issues turns up these days, making it one of the rarest
European free jazz slides around. That aside, the LP was recorded on 26 October
1965 at the Comedie de Champs Elysee in Paris and issued on the small Moloudji
label the year after. These days it is regarded as the disc that originated the
birth of free jazz in France. Main man Francois Tusques was flanked by Michel
Portal, Bernard Vitet and Bernard (Beb) Guerin who later down the line would
team up again in the ranks of the Michel Portal Unit.That all aside, this sonic
masterpiece is a mature, cohesive and above all lunar jazz waves of
simultaneous sound. The music veers from arranged to improvised passages in a
very smooth manner in a heads down momentum kind of way that builds up into
compulsive group interactions before meandering again in spontaneous individual
sonic punctuations. There are hardly any extended solo sections or prominent
egos to work around. Instead, time signatures change rapidly, pieces of melody
are picked up, tossed around and then disappear as quickly as they came.
Instruments intertwine throughout the entire record and everybody is on tiptoe
and on the alert to what's going on around them. Decidedly "free",
yet retaining melody, structure, rhythm, but never for too long before somebody
comes up with another idea. The group as a unit accesses here the dawn of free
music in France as the pure sound, teleporting these primal communication modes
back towards each player’s individual sound that is in an ongoing state of
expansion and derangement. Just beautiful and one of the key-recordings to
document the birth of true free music in Europe. Top condition and with
seriously rare OBI!!!! Price: Offers!!!! |
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2669. TUSQUES FRANCOIS, GUERIN B., VITET B., PORTAL M. & OTHERS: “Free Jazz” (Nippon Columbia – SL-5008-AX) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Near Mint). White label promotional copy, this shit is so obscure as a Japanese press that it is rumored almost no regular label copies exist. Japanese press of this legendary hyper rare slide that originally (and only) saw the light of day on the Mouloudji label. It was simultaneously released in Japan only but with a totally Japan only different jacket art, making it even rarer than its French counterpart pressing since it virtually did not sell anything here in Japan. Neither one of these issues turns up these days, making it one of the rarest European free jazz slides around. That aside, the LP was recorded on 26 October 1965 at the Comedie de Champs Elysee in Paris and issued on the small Moloudji label the year after. These days it is regarded as the disc that originated the birth of free jazz in France. Main man Francois Tusques was flanked by Michel Portal, Bernard Vitet and Bernard (Beb) Guerin who later down the line would team up again in the ranks of the Michel Portal Unit.That all aside, this sonic masterpiece is a mature, cohesive and above all lunar jazz waves of simultaneous sound. The music veers from arranged to improvised passages in a very smooth manner in a heads down momentum kind of way that builds up into compulsive group interactions before meandering again in spontaneous individual sonic punctuations. There are hardly any extended solo sections or prominent egos to work around. Instead, time signatures change rapidly, pieces of melody are picked up, tossed around and then disappear as quickly as they came. Instruments intertwine throughout the entire record and everybody is on tiptoe and on the alert to what's going on around them. Decidedly "free", yet retaining melody, structure, rhythm, but never for too long before somebody comes up with another idea. The group as a unit accesses here the dawn of free music in France as the pure sound, teleporting these primal communication modes back towards each player’s individual sound that is in an ongoing state of expansion and derangement. Just beautiful and one of the key-recordings to document the birth of true free music in Europe. Price: 350 Euro |
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2670. TUSQUES FRANCOIS: “Intercommunal Music” (Shandar/ RCA RECORDS – RCA-6097) (Record: Near Mint/ Gatefold Jacket: Near Mint/ OBI: Mint/ Insert: Mint). Rare first original JAPANESE pressing – all complete with never offered before & mega rare OBI - in top condition. Those Shandar slides seem to have evaporated into thin air completely and first time ever I see a Japanese press original – pressed on high quality wax – all complete with the very first obi present. Strap yourself in for this one because you are in for a bloody wild ride, a whirlpool of frantic improvisational hardcore interplay that will make your head twist and turn. How could it be otherwise with a line-up consisting out o the crème de la crème of intercommunal interplay. Spearheaded by Tusques himself on guitar, maracas and piano, he surrounds himself with such heavyweights such as Sunny Murray (drums), Louis Armfield(percussion), Alan Silva (Violoncelle), BebGuerin & Bob Reid (Bass), Alan Shorter (Trumpet) and Steve Potts (alto). As a result you are treated to a blow-out tour de force that will make your head sizzle and dazzle for days – hell weeks even – on an end. Rare record on the highly collectible Shandar imprint run by Daniel Caux who passed away some years ago. His recordings will live forever. Massive!! The obi is so scarce these day, it only took me 14 years to find one…top condition. Price: 350 Euro |
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2671. TWINK: “Think Pink”
(Polydor – 2343-032) (Record: Near Mint/ Fragile Jacket: Excellent ~ Near Mint/
Insert: Is copy). First original UK pressing, in outstanding condition but
sadly insert is copy so you have a deal here!!!! Record is the best copy
imaginable, Near Mint condition, jacket is EX ~ NM – has very minimal signs of
handling on back of sleeve but nothing serious, jacket is very hard to get NM,
this one is actually a great copy, disc is near mint. You know the deal, this
is a brain meltingly great awesome UK psych classic. “Think Pink is an
incredibly varied album with no two songs resembling each other, but then one
assumes an acid masterpiece like "Ten Thousand Words in a Cardboard
Box" will stay on high rotation for at least a week on the stereos of most
psychedelia fans, so overall album flow may not be such an issue. This is pure
psychedelic acid rock of the highest order. If one can imagine a fusion of the
Incredible Stringband, Deviants, early Pink Floyd, and a fair dose of Twink’s
heredity as a member of Tomorrow and the Pretty Things, you get an idea of what
he was up to. Not known for doing things in halves, he shows little restraint
in the assembly of a group designed to tear the roof of the psychedelic scene.
The band was made up of the Deviants guitarist Paul Rudolph - the U.K.
equivalent of Fred Sonic Smith - who provides the most astonishing fuzz freak-outs
and arrangements on the album. Other players included Viv Prince; Wally Waller;
John Povey; Victor Unitt (Edgar Broughton Band Kingpin); Deviants bassist Honk;
John Wood of Tomorrow; and, of course, the not-to-be underestimated
contributions from Steve Peregrin Took (once the middle point of early
Tyrannosaurus Rex). Regardless of the connotations the term
"psychedelic" carries with it, it's not all Pink Fairies and Tolkien.
Things get ominous and dark on "Fluid" and "I Remember
Nothing"; then, by the first half of the album, the mind is expanded
enough to take in side two, where the presence of Steve Took really starts to
come into play. His brilliant "The Sparrow Is a Sign" is a
psychedelic anthem that is worth acquiring the album for alone. Essential
stuff, not to be missed by those following the U.K. underground psychedelic
scene circa 1968-1972.” (Dean McFarlane - AllMusic). So how is that for heavy
weight underground credentials? Cannot go wrong with those as far as lysergic
psyched out grandeur is concerned. As explained, this is a superb copy, which
is no meager feat since seen the ultra-fragile cover. The LP on the other hand
is next to impossible to upgrade upon I believe so…yeah, heavy duty baby!!!
Price: Offers!!!
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2672. TYLER, CHARLES ENSEMBLE: “S/T” (ESP Disk - 1029) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Near Mint – still housed in shrink). Rare 1st original US pressing from late 1966 with the first address printed on back being156 5th Avenue. “Charles Tyler Ensemble was made in 1966 in New York City. The group was unique instrumentally for its time. Tyler added to a standard trio, that included Henry Grimes on bass and Ronald Jackson on drums, drummer Charles Moffett on ‘orchestral’ vibes and Joel Friedman on cello. Distinguishing Tyler, from Ayler, is the sourness of his flourishes. He avoids lengthy arpeggios, but tends towards eerie high-tension phrases, vibratos and nearly fully realized melodies. In the first track, “Strange Uhuru,” Tyler’s extraordinary birdlike peaks on the alto are perfectly matched with the registers of the vibes and the cello. The vibes return in “Lacy’s Out East” to interact with the bass. Generally, Grimes emulates Tyler’s attack in pace and Jackson stays simply and softly on the cymbal behind the upfront lines. Particularly in “Three Spirits” and “Black Mysticism,” Grimes’s playing establishes the significance of the bass as a solo instrument, rather than merely a part of the rhythm section. In “Black Mysticism,” in his solo, drummer Jackson clearly exhibits a diversely open approach to the kit. With Tyler’s lead, however, the music sparks its own identity. After all, this was a period in the history of jazz in which the freedom of the music’s expression predicted its controversial future.” (Lyn Horton). Getting scare 1966 original with inner sleeve present and jacket still housed in shrink. Killer LP and awesome condition Price: 150 Euro |
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2673. TYLER, CHARLES ENSEMBLE: “S/T” (ESP Disk/ Victor Records Japan – SMJ-7497) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Near Mint/ OBI: Mint). Bloody rare 1st original Japanese pressing from late 1960s with FIRST ISSUE OBI – only the 2nd copy I encounter in over a decade. “Charles Tyler Ensemble was made in 1966 in New York City. The group was unique instrumentally for its time. Tyler added to a standard trio, that included Henry Grimes on bass and Ronald Jackson on drums, drummer Charles Moffett on ‘orchestral’ vibes and Joel Friedman on cello. Distinguishing Tyler, from Ayler, is the sourness of his flourishes. He avoids lengthy arpeggios, but tends towards eerie high-tension phrases, vibratos and nearly fully realized melodies. In the first track, “Strange Uhuru,” Tyler’s extraordinary birdlike peaks on the alto are perfectly matched with the registers of the vibes and the cello. The vibes return in “Lacy’s Out East” to interact with the bass. Generally, Grimes emulates Tyler’s attack in pace and Jackson stays simply and softly on the cymbal behind the upfront lines. Particularly in “Three Spirits” and “Black Mysticism,” Grimes’s playing establishes the significance of the bass as a solo instrument, rather than merely a part of the rhythm section. In “Black Mysticism,” in his solo, drummer Jackson clearly exhibits a diversely open approach to the kit. With Tyler’s lead, however, the music sparks its own identity. After all, this was a period in the history of jazz in which the freedom of the music’s expression predicted its controversial future.” (Lyn Horton). Damned rare on these shores and sounding – as it is a Japanese pressing – light-years better than the murky US ESP releases. Killer LP. Price: 200 Euro |
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2674. TYLER, CHARLES: “Eastern Man Alone” (ESP Disk – ESP-1059) (Record: Excellent ~ Near Mint/ Jacket: Near Mint – still housed in shrink). Original US 1st pressing. This 1967 recording by the avant-garde saxophonist -- his second for ESP-Disk' -- features Tyler on alto sax with accompaniment from David Baker (cello), Brent McKesson (bass) and Kent Brinkley (bass). The album starts out with 'Cha-Lacy's Out East’, which revisits a theme from his first album as leader. The proceedings are heady free form avant jazz, reaching into cosmic realms with it’s string-heavy backing providing soaring atmospheres. Tyler cut legendary records as a sideman to Albert Ayler, but as a leader, proves to be one of the most advanced, challenging, and exploratory players of the late '60s avant-garde. Top copy, sleeve still housed in original shrink, getting tougher each year to find in nice shape, I guess this one will do perfectly for your wet record dreams to start blossoming again. Price: 150 Euro |
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2675. TYLER, CHARLES: “Voyage from Jericho” (AK-BA – AK-1000) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Near Mint). Top-level free jazz beast, released on the same label as Arthur Doyle’s “Alabama Feeling”. Rare 1975 Free jazz private press on the legendary Ak-Ba label, Tyler's own imprint that also released the equally impressive Arthur Doyle album “Plus 4 - Alabama Feeling”. AKBA Records released only 3 records filled with classic NYC loft-jazz sessions, most notably those of label boss Charles Tyler, - which you have here. Tyler was a screaming tenor player who also blew with Rudolph in the late 70's/early 80's. On this occasion, Tyler (Alto & Baritone sax) gets flanked and assisted by some cool cats, being Ronnie Boykins (bass, who also played with Sun Ra and his Arkestra), Earl Cross (trumpet), Steve Reid (drums) and Arthur Blythe (alto sax on two tracks). You can hardly go wrong with a line-up like this one here. Recorded in NYC on July 1974 and released the following year, “Voyage From Jericho” is a vicious slab of spiritual free jazz. Tyler trades furious lines with Earl while Reid and Boykins throb and rattle throughout. The free improve compositions may sound furious but still they convey much delicacy, thoughtfulness, and reverence for melody, even while Tyler is churning down on his reed and squealing at the top of his lungs. In all, “Voyage From Jericho” is a brilliant timepiece filled with inspirational gleams recorded in a period of transition when the “rules” of free jazz were already beginning to rigidify and settle into a conventional pattern. It seems that here the quartet is trying to defy and combat these waves of ossification and trying to gush out a wholly different hardcore blowing animal. They certainly succeeded. Beautiful and rarely offered privately released free jazz deity of a disc Best condition I have had in a long time. Price: 500 Euro
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2676. TYLER, CHARLES: “Voyage From Jericho” (AK-BA – AK-1000) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Excellent – still housed in shrink – has right side upper & lower corner slight damage/ Insert: Excellent). Beautiful copy – US original pressing 2nd sleeve variation. Price: 250 Euro |
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2677. TYLER, CHARLES ENSEMBLE: “Live In
Europe” (AK-Ba – AK-1010) (Record: Near Mint ~ Mint/ Jacket: Mint) Final and
last stellar release on Tyler’s own Ak-Ba imprint. Original 1977 private
pressing. Killer LP that features an even more devastating line-up consisting
out of Charles Tyler (alto, baritone sax), Ronnie Boykins (bass), Steve Reid
(drums, percussion) and Melvin Smith (guitar). Again – just like his previous
outing – Tyler succeeded in wedding a bop-to-free rhythmic approach to his
free-jazz saxophone vocabulary. His working quartet was one of the
underappreciated bands of the era and for this occasion guitarist Melvin Smith
joins the quartet for Live in Europe, incorporating electric guitar
into a free jazz context just like Sonny Sharrock did before him and rendering
this recording in such a feast for your ears. Next to that, Tyler placed special
demands on drummer Reid and bassists Boykins. He clearly was looking for them
to supply a maximum of rhythmic tension, drive, and melodic counterpoint. But
they also needed to simultaneously follow the dictates of the composition and
flow in whatever directions the music might have taken them. So in that aspect,
Reid and Boykins work in unison, taking the flow towards ecstatic highs and
filling the space, playing with rhythms, creating tension and modulating
effortlessly with the course of the free form structure of the music. But
guitarist Melvin Smith performs heroically and with a powerful approach that
matches and challenges Tyler, attacking his strings, making the music echo off
the wall and resulting into pure heat and motion and polyphonic racket that has
enough force to pin the listeners to their seats. Killer slide all way round
and to these ears another vital and indispensable racket that that grows
steadily in volume and thickness. This is music of lunar bodies spinning out of
their axes but locking together by unfathomably complex rules of motion.
Totally wicked!!! Best condition one I have ever had. Price: 250 Euro |
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2678. TYLER, CHARLES: “4-Tet at WKCR Studios NY” (Sinner Lady Gloria – No Number) (Record: Near Mint/ Past On Sleeve: Near Mint/ Stapled 6 pages Liner Notes: Mint). Released over a decade ago in a super tiny run of only 99 numbered copies – this one being 97/99. Deep and totally wild Tyler outing recorded on December 8th, 1974 – with the classic line-up consisting out of Tyler flanked by Earl Cross, Ken Hudson and Steve Reid. Damned hard one to unearth these days. Price: 275 Euro |
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2679. TYRANNOSAURUS REX: “Deborah b/w Child Star” (Polydor – DP-1598) (7 Inch Single Record: Near Mint – has faint hairline visible on run in groove of side A/ Flip Back Picture Sleeve: Near Mint). Insanely rare and scarce Japan only single issue in top shape & that comes housed in killer picture sleeve. Never pops up in a condition like this one here. Price: Offers!!! |
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2680. TYRANNOSAURUS REX: “Ride A White Swan b/w Summertime Blues” (Blue Thumb Records/ King Records – HIT-1857) (7 Inch Single Record: Near Mint/ Gatefold Picture Sleeve: Near Mint/ Company Inner Sleeve: Near Mint). Stupidly rare 1971 Japan only picture sleeve issue – the RAREST Tyrannosaurus Rex release out there. The couple of times (so far only a few copies have been known to have surfaced) this 7-inch popped up out of the fog it was always a copy with the dreaded promo stamp on the label and condition was always questionable. This copy here is a NM copy and comes without the stamp on the label making it the rarest version out there of already a white whale amongst records. Top condition mega rare stock copy. Just about never offered for sale and this baby here is the best condition imaginable. Price: Offers!!! |
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2681. TYRANNOSAURUS REX: “Ride A White Swan b/w Is It Love – Summertime Blues” (Odeon – OR-2762) (7 Inch 3 Track Single Record: Excellent – has sidelong inaudible hairline mark on Side B/ Gatefold Picture Sleeve: Near Mint/ Company Inner Sleeve: Near Mint). Price: 175 Euro |
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2682. T.REX: “Hot Love b/w Woodland Rock – King of the Mountain Cometh” (Odeon Records – OR-2787) (3 Track 7 Inch Single Record: Near Mint/ Gatefold Picture Sleeve: Excellent ~ Near Mint/ Company Inner Sleeve: Excellent). Great 1971 Japan original pressing that comes housed in unique picture sleeve. Great shape of scarce little title. Price: 75 Euro |
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2683. TYRANNOSAURUS REX: “My People Were Fair and Had Sky
in Their Hair…But Now They’re Content To Wear Stars On Their Brows” (EMI-Regal
Zonophone – LRZ-1003) (Record: Near Mint/ Tip Back Jacket: Near Mint/
Insert: Near Mint). RARE MONO pressing!!! Top condition. Original 1968 UK
pressing in top condition, seems not have had any rotations at all, record,
sleeve and insert are all spotless and in mint condition, which is in itself
quite nothing short of a miracle seen the lamentable state of almost all copies
that surface of this disc. This one definitely is one of the cornerstones and
deserves – as one of the few discs out there – to get the overused
term “acid folk” tagged to its existence. Why, because it certainly is a wyrd
folk disc, ranking next to Comus “First Utterance”, those glorious COB discs,
Algarnas Tradgard, Syd Barrett, 1st Dr Strangely Strange, Meic
Stevens, etc, just top shelf music and top notch copy, hard to find especially
a copy with no marks, clean mint insert and crispy clean minty jacket.
Delirious!!! Mono pressings are a tough one to dig up in decent condition and
this one is as clean as can be. Price: 300 Euro |
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2684. TYRANOSAURUS REX: “My People Were Fair And Had Sky In Their Hair… But Now They’re Content To Wear Stars On Their Brows” (Sound Marketing System – SP20-5051) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Near Mint/ Insert: Near Mint/ Obi: Near Mint). Getting damned scarce Japan 2nd press issue that saw the light of day in 1983. The 1st press issue with obi will set you back over 5000 euro so this one is a nice alternative and still cheap. Price: 50 Euro |
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2685. TYRANOSAURUS REX: “Prophets Seers And Sages, The Angels of the Ages” (Regal Zonophone – SLRZ-1005) (Record: Near Mint ~ Mint/ Tip Back Jacket: Excellent/ Insert: Mint). Near perfect copy!!!! Original 1968 UK 1st pressing. “Prophets Seers and Sages” was at the time the most underrated of the band’s four albums. Being recorded just six months after their debut, the album dwells into similar regions as its predecessor. There is the same reliance on the jarring juxtaposition of rock rhythms in a folksy discipline; the same abundance of obscure, private mythologies; the same skewed look at the latest studio dynamics, fed through the convoluted wringer of the duo's imagination. Most of the songs on this album have strong enough melodies and clever enough guitar hooks to have been hits if given the proper "commercial" trappings. “Prophets, Seers And Sages” sets itself up nicely as an album of very eccentric psychedelic folk, which turned many listeners off at the time. In all, "Prophets, Seers And Sages" is perhaps Bolan's most intimate album: with just an acoustic guitar and some of Took's charming percussion and backing vocals, an entire universe of potential elfin pop hits is uncovered. Price: 250 Euro |
