ARCADIUM BREATHE AWHILE ORIG UK 1st PR MIDDLE EARTH LP
  £   535
  $   639

 


£ 535 Sold For
Sep 28, 2009 Sold Date
Sep 18, 2009 Start Date
£   5 Start price
24   Number Of Bids
  Great Britain Country Of Seller
eBay Auctioned at
 
save auction  

Description

Arcadium

`Breathe Awhile`

Massively Rare Original UK 1st Press Vinyl LP from 1969.

It is extremely difficult to find this brilliant and rare small label, Arcadium original UK 1st press vinyl album. Being in such excellent condition as this, makes it even more collectable and desirable.

As well as being a major rarity, the music is fantastic: sweeping Hammond organs; other worldly harmony and reverb soaked vocals; scorching lead guitar work etc. combined with adventurous arrangements.

A brilliant album, melding perfectly the crossover between late 60`s psychedelelia and progressive rock. 

Here is a piece written about this album from the Head Heritage website.

This is an impossibly rare and expensive album that sells for the $500 mark, I must admit I'm a bit skeptical about a lot of these monster psych albums, but a friend of mine taped this Arcadium album for me and you know what?, this album is fantastic from back to front. Pressed on poor quality vinyl on the tiny Middle Earth label you hear plenty of cracks and pops * (see footnote)  but that's okay because the music is faultless.
Arcadium were a five piece led by one Miguel Sergides who sings plays guitar and wrote all 7 tracks on the record he is joined by Robert Ellwood-gtr, Graham Best-bass, John Albert Parker on drums and Alan Ellwood on keyboards, his doomy organ playing is a real focal point in the band's sound.
Side One opens ominously with a slow burn bad trip number called "On My Way" which clocks in at over 9 minutes, this track has an early Doors quality to it and also reminds me of things on UFO's second album "Flying", the song keeps building and building into a full blown nightmare, Sergides' vocals sound like a man who has a lot of bad things on his mind, sure he's on his way, but to where?
"Poor Lady" is an exciting and convincing psych-rocker with great backup vocals and some wonderful guitar fills, this sounds like USA group Spirit circa 1968. "Walk On The Bad Side" is a Procol Harum meets Peter Hammill bummer ballad with some nice organ touches the song really ignites about midway through into another full on acid-rocker.
"Woman Of A Thousand Years" is not the Danny Kirwan penned Fleetwood Mac song but an absolutely eerie mid paced original, the highlight of the song are the haunting background vocals. "Change Me" begins in the group's usual doomy fashion with organ and what sounds like an electric sitar, the singer again sounds like he's fighting a losing with life and on the verge of collapse.
"It Takes A Woman" picks up the pace a bit, it opens with some energetic guitar/organ interplay and then really catches fire, the guitar chords sound like The Association's "Along Comes Mary" while the organ brings to mind the mood of the second Terry Reid album.
The album finishes with it's best song called "Birth, Life and Death" a 10 plus minute psychedelic tour de force that begins with air raid sirens then shifts dramatically into a blazing acid drenched guitar/organ workout, the piece slows down at about 5 minutes in and becomes a diseased Van Der Graaf Generator type thing in the "Pawn Hearts" frame of mind, the song's coda is a spooky death dirge that leaves you feeling quite unsettled, the singers are all chanting "Goodbye, Goodbye My World". This record is no day at the beach, in fact I think I'm going to sleep with a nightlight on tonight, but it is a really convincing blast of dark psychedelia that you may want to take in small doses. I think it has made it's way onto CD recently so you won't have to shell out tons of bread to hear it, but hear it by all means.

*(a few non repetitive clicks, yes, but certainly not `plenty` and nothing to prevent enjoyment of the music.)

 


 

Middle Earth Records (MDLS 302) Stereo

Vinyl - Ex

(Has some non sounding and non feelable surface marks, these are not at all serious and don`t interfere with the sound. As stated in the aforementioned Head Heritage article, this is quite a quiet pressing, but sound quality is fine, you just turn the volume up to suit. 

   Fully Laminated  - Ex

(In great condition, sleeve has full richness of colours and all text perfectly readable. No real issues to report, a fine looking fully laminated sleeve.)

 

Overall a very nice example of a great, obscure late 1960`s psychedelic album, which leans heavily into the progressive rock field. At the time sold in very few quantities, and will certainly become even more valuable and collectable than it is already.

 

Please check my other items, including more rare records.

 

 

 

*Important Notice For Italian Buyers*

 Unfortunately, I have had three parcels go missing on their way to Italy in the last month. Therefore, Italian buyers must pay for insured post on items with a value of more than £26.00.

Items with a value of below £26.00 are purchased at Italian buyers own risk.  

 

• Payment Methods:

I Accept payment by Personal Cheque and PAYPAL.

 

Pay me with PayPal.

I don't charge my buyers extra!

Postage Prices

Postage costs will be greatly reduced on multiple purchases. See below.

 

UK First Class

First LP or 10" and 12" 45`s - £3.50   First 45, CD or EP - £1.50  Each Additional LP or Double Album add £0.90   Each Additional 45, CD or EP - 0.40p  Within Europe First LP or 10" and 12" 45`s - £4.50   First 45, CD or EP - £2.00   Each Additional LP or Double Album add £1.20   Each Additional 45, CD or EP - 0.50p Rest Of World  First LP or 10" and 12" 45`s - £6.50   First 45, CD or EP - £2.50  Each Additional LP or Double Album add £2.50   Each Additional 45, CD or EP - 0.60p

 

Postal Insurance & Grading Policy

Postal Insurance

Insurance is optional at extra cost, please enquire.

 Packaging

All records packed in new specialist vinyl packaging with extra protection. The record will get to you in the condition it leaves here. Grading & Returns Policy

:All records are graded visually and play tested :

 

Mint

No problems at all, as new, looks and sounds perfect. Sleeve will also be perfect.

Near Mint

Very few plays, minimal spindle trails around centre hole, suggesting this record has hardly been played.

Ex

Some minor surface marks, mainly visable under harsh electric light, may have some very minor background interference and the odd isolated light click. But no serious faults to prevent music being enjoyed.

V. Good

The record has obviously been played quite a bit and may have quite a few surface marks and the occasional light scratch. Sound quality is not affected too much, at worst a bit of background interference and occasional ticks but no major faults that prevent music from being enjoyed.

Good A lot of surface marks and scratches causing noticeable deteriation in sound quality. Record however, will not be unlistenable, but will have some distortion of sound and or light to moderate clicks. 

I will not sell any record with a grading lower than good.

+ and - signs indicate disc or sleeve is slighly better/worse than it`s grading.

If for any reason you do not agree with my grading, or item does not arrive in due time, a full refund will be given.

 

Prices for non UK buyers 

My current Exchange rate is £1.00 GBP = $1.80 US Dollars

 

NB: Payment to be received within seven days

 

Good luck, and thanks for looking!

 



price rating
( 1 vote)