A MAJOR INDEX '69' LABEL MAJOR ARCANA lp, RARE,PSYCH ROCK, NO HOLE MARKS,EXC C
$
206
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Description
On the local "A Major Label" Record Label out of Milwaukee, Wisconsin from 1975, this is a very first pressing of the Major Arcana's * VERY RARE * psych-indie album! You can find it once in awhile in "tinny sounding" cd form, but definitely not in a much better sounding Vinyl lp! One of coolest, creepiest Album Covers ever known to man or beast done extraordinarily well by Denis Kitchen who is an occult artist extraordinaire! From the Cyclops to all the nude figures, to the Satanic one, onto the very weird looking animals, ETC., this Cover is super psyched! And so are the Tracks! This Cover is totally suitable for framing! Even the record label (which has absolutely no spindle hole markings to indicate this lp was ever played!) is spot on and so different! The band said they patterned it from Thomas Edison's Record Label from wayyyyyyy back in the day! (Please see all * five * of my pictures for the great song selections, very cool Denis Kitchen Cover and unique Label, Thank You!)
The above comments were mine, here's a real pro's review...
"Collectors have long known about Milwaukee's Major Arcana, but I'm surprised it hasn't attracted more mainstream attention Jim Spencer originally made his name as a writer/publisher, responsible for a series of early-1970s underground magazines, including Freek. He also found time to record a pair of mid-1970s solo LPs that attracted local attention, but did little on the national scene. In 1974 he decided to form a band, recruiting the talents of bassist Michael Burdecki, lead guitarist Randall Dubis, and percussionist Jim Kitchen. Released on Spencer's own A Major Label (which also released the highly sought after Anonymous album), "Major Arcana" served as a showcase for Spencer who handled all of the vocals and was credited with writing, or co-writing nine of the ten songs (the one exception being a cover of the traditional 'Greensleeves'). Propelled by Spencer's likeable voice (for some reason every time I listen to the LP I think of Jack Black in 'High Fidelity'), musically the album was hard to describe since it bounced all over the horizon including stabs at conventional blues, commercial ballads, folk-rock, Dr. John-styled funk ('Papa Doc') and even jazzy interludes. Curiously lots of reviews have slapped a 'psych' label on the LP. Frankly that's the one genre I just don't hear much of - maybe a little in side two's 'Down Under Blues' and the closing 'Greensleeves'. Maybe I'm simply going deaf ... In spite of some cheesy synthesizers, co-written with Milwaukee poet Charles Dynzof (aka Chuck Simmons), 'Western Wind' started the album off with a stunning ballad, with 'Shake Me' and 'Steal Your Love Back Home' turning in equally engaging mid-tempo pop pieces. It wasn't perfect. 'Deanna Durbin Blues' and 'Fran's Blues' were okay, if unexceptional blues numbers. Interestingly guitarist Dubis went on to pursue the genre in his post-Major Arcana career (see below). Elsewhere, courtesy of buddy Sigmund Snopek III, the flute interludes quickly became an irritant. Still, the album's loose, low tech feel more than compensated for the somewhat fragmented musical lineup, making it a perfect LP to play on one of those cold, rainy or snowy Sunday mornings when you can't get much energy going. Depending on which source you use, between 1,000 and 2,500 copies were pressed. Regardless, the LP's hard to find. Original copies are also worth owning for the cool Denis Kitchen cover art (the only album cover he's ever done)"
Band members:
Michael Burdecki -- bass, slide guitar (1975)
Randall Dubis -- lead guitar, backing vocals (1975)
Jim Kitchen -- percussion, harmonica (1975)
Jim Spencer -- vocals, guitar (1975)
Cover: EXCELLENT (as mentioned above, this is super clean and pristine with crisp corners!)
Vinyl: EXCELLENT (also mentioned above, there are no spindle hole markings to indicate this Vinyl was ever played!)
*** I ship all the record albums I sell in "real" album boxes, never just "flimsy paper" or "cut-out cardboard," from me! And, always a protective Innersleeve for your Vinyl records! This lp will definitely have a brand new clear plastic Outersleeve to protect the like new Cover, and two brand new front and back interior cardboard protectors during shipping! Please email me with any questions and I'll get back to you right away! Thanks for looking at my auction! ***
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