FRANK ZAPPA "Hot Rats" 1969 UK REPRISE RSLP 1st PRESS

	£		97
	$		129

  FRANK ZAPPA "Hot Rats" 1969 UK REPRISE RSLP 1st PRESS STUNNING COPY, POSSIBLY COMPLETELY UNPLAYED, MINT AUDIO
FRANK ZAPPA
Hot Rats


ORIGINAL UK REPRISE (RSLP 6356) VERY FIRST PRESSING (October 1969) OF FRANK ZAPPA'S CLASSIC "Hot Rats" LP - IN SUPERB CONDITION (POSSIBLY COMPLETELY UNPLAYED) AND DELIVERING TOP AUDIO THROUGHOUT (ON MY SYSTEM - AT A VERY LOUD VOLUME!) WITH A CRYSTAL CLEAR, CLEAN, DEEP, RICH AND EXTREMELY STRONG SOUND - STUNNING COPY OF ZAPPA'S MASTERPIECE (ONE OF THE FINEST I HAVE SEEN) AND VERY, VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED INDEED

PRESSED ON QUALITY HEAVYWEIGHT VINYL WITH THE FIRST ISSUE REPRISE TRI-COLOUR STEAMBOAT LABELS
Note: By the time Hot Rats was released in the UK, Warner/Reprise had switched their distribution from Pye to CBS but some labels had already been printed so the words "distributed by Pye Records Ltd" are blocked out (this black line is clearly visible on the labels in the credit above the title HOT RATS) indicating this is the very earliest pressing released in the UK in October 1969)
MATRIX: RSLP 6356 A1 / RSLP 6356 B1
AND THE RECORD IS HOUSED IN THE ORIGINAL MATT GATEFOLD SLEEVE "Printed and made by MacNeill Press Ltd., London, S.E.1" WITH FACTORY SEALED LEFT SIDE EDGE
COMPLETE WITH THE ORIGINAL PLAIN WHITE DIE CUT INNER SLEEVE WITH "PATENT APPLIED FOR" AND "MADE IN ENGLAND" PRINTED IN BLUE TEXT

Aside from the experimental side project Lumpy Gravy, Hot Rats was the first album Frank Zappa recorded as a solo artist without the Mothers, though he continued to employ previous musical collaborators, most notably multi-instrumentalist Ian Underwood.
Other than another side project -- the doo wop tribute Cruising With Ruben and the Jets -- Hot Rats was also the first time Zappa focused his efforts in one general area, namely jazz-rock.
The result is a classic of the genre. Hot Rats' genius lies in the way it fuses the compositional sophistication of jazz with rock's down-and-dirty attitude -- there's a real looseness and grit to the three lengthy jams, and a surprising, wry elegance to the three shorter, tightly arranged numbers (particularly the sumptuous "Peaches en Regalia").
Perhaps the biggest revelation isn't the straightforward presentation, or the intricately shifting instrumental voices in Zappa's arrangements -- it's his own virtuosity on the electric guitar, recorded during extended improvisational workouts for the first time here.
His wonderfully scuzzy, distorted tone is an especially good fit on "Willie the Pimp," with its greasy blues riffs and guest vocalist Captain Beefheart's Howlin' Wolf theatrics.
Elsewhere, his skill as a melodist was in full flower, whether dominating an entire piece or providing a memorable theme as a jumping-off point.
In addition to Underwood, the backing band featured contributions from Jean-Luc Ponty, Lowell George, and Don "Sugarcane" Harris, among others; still, Zappa is unquestionably the star of the show.
Hot Rats still sizzles; few albums originating on the rock side of jazz-rock fusion flowed so freely between both sides of the equation, or achieved such unwavering excitement and energy

Track Listing:
Side 1: Peaches En Regalia / Willie The Pimp / Son Of Mr. Green Genes
Side 2: Little Umbrellas / The Gumbo Variations / It Must Be A Camel

LABELS: The labels are clean, bright and unmarked and under very close inspection I cannot see even a single prominent spindle trace - in my opinion this copy is either completely unplayed or has received a couple of very careful plays only
VINYL Visual: Both surfaces retain their original deep glossy sheen and are completely unmarked - beautiful record - like new
VINYL Audio: I could wax lyrical about Hot Rats all day long (but I'll keep it short), as in my opinion, this is one of the finest albums ever released and it's only one of a (very small) number of LPs I would describe as absolutely perfect with not a single weak track or superfluous note, and returning to it today it still never ceases to amaze. This first pressing sounds absolutely stunning with an unbeatable depth and clarity simply not found on later issues and this copy is in truly exceptional condition. The playback is MINT throughout - pristine audio reproduction with silent run-ins and track divisions and not a single click/pop or tick to be heard anywhere - stunning copy - audibly unsurpassable
SLEEVE: The original matt cover is also in great condition. The edges display only minimal storage wear (really, hardly any) and all text on the spine is clear and sharp. The outer surfaces display only light rubbing with the lightest of 'ring' to the top portion of the back (please see photos) and the inside is bright and fresh with bold, vibrant colours. There is a little 'bumping' to the corners but overall, very minor - a very fine example of this easily worn/rubbed gatefold - very critically graded EXCELLENT to (+)

PLEASE HAVE A LOOK AT MY PICTURES - I USUALLY TAKE QUITE A FEW SO YOU CAN GET A CLEAR INDICATION OF EVERY DETAIL OF THE ITEM
I HAVE UPLOADED AS MANY PICTURES AS I CAN BUT I WOULD BE MORE THAN HAPPY TO SUPPLY ANY ADDITIONAL PHOTOS ON REQUEST
STUNNING UK FIRST PRESSING OF ZAPPA'S MASTERPIECE AND I GUARANTEE THAT A BETTER SOUNDING COPY YOU SIMPLY WILL NOT FIND - VERY, VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED INDEED
AS WITH ALL MY RECORDS THIS HAS A LOW START PRICE AND NO RESERVE
PLEASE CHECK OUT MY OTHER AUCTIONS FOR MORE RARE AND COLLECTABLE VINYL
AND PLEASE DO NOT HESITATE TO CONTACT ME WITH ANY QUERIES YOU MAY HAVE
THANKS FOR LOOKING, CHEERS

POST & PACKING
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ALL RECORDS ARE PROFESSIONALLY CLEANED BEFORE DISPATCH AND PACKAGED WITH THE VINYL OUTSIDE OF THE SLEEVE TO PREVENT ANY 'KNIFING' DURING TRANSIT
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