JOE COCKER MAD DOGS RARE SWEET THUNDER AUDIOPHILE LP

$

154

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·       JOE COCKER - MAD DOGS AND ENGLISHMEN - HALF- SPEED MASTERED AUDIOPHILE, EXTENDED DYNAMIC RANGE, HIGH-QUALITY 'VIRGIN' VINYL PRESSING OF THIS 1978 MASTERPIECE - ‘SWEET THUNDER’ RECORDS LP EDITION #9

·       ORIGINAL U.S. PRESSING

·       ORIGINAL OFF-WHITE (BEIGE) SWEET THUNDER LABEL

·       THIS IS THE ORIGINAL, AUTHENTIC, FIRST AUDIOPHILE (SWEET THUNDER) U.S. PRESSING; THIS IS NOT A REISSUE, AN IMPORT, OR A COUNTERFEIT PRESSING.

·       ORIGINAL GATEFOLD COVER, MADE OF THICK CARDBOARD (AMERICAN STYLE) (SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT FROM THE ORIGINAL, REGULAR PRESSING)

·       CLEAN, WEAR-FREE LABELS

(►PLEASE SEE THE IMAGE OF THE COVER, LABEL OR BOTH, SHOWN BELOW)

(Note: this is a REAL image of the ACTUAL item you are bidding on. This is NOT a "recycled" image from our previous auction. What you see is what you’ll get. GUARANTEED!)

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The ‘SWEET THUNDER’ RECORDS audiophile vinyl pressings of the late 1970's and early 1980's (and there was only a handful of those) were not only audiophile and connoisseur masterpieces, they have become true pieces of audio history and its lore. These majestic recordings received an intense, meticulous and laborious treatment like very few other recordings in the entire history of the recorded sound. They are characterized by the massively extended dynamic and frequency range, mastering from the very first generation of original master tapes, almost compulsive attention paid to the detail and integrity of the pressing, and the highest quality of the material: only the "virgin" (audiophile-grade) vinyl was used, and most LP albums were pressed at RCA/Victor and/or Warner-Pioneer corporations of Japan, both known for their near-maniacal attention paid to the fine sonic detail and audio craftsmanship. To this day, many of these recordings remain unsurpassed, delivering music reproduction as close to the actual recording session as possible, without any loss of musical information inherent in the standard practice of mastering from the inferior "production" copies.

This is a rare opportunity to acquire this great album in its FINEST audio format, no longer in print, and no longer easily obtainable.

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On the (high) heels of his extremely kinetic performance at Woodstock festival, Joe Cocker embarked on a circus-like American tour which actually turned to be one of the crowning achievements of his career: the backing band, which included Leon Russell, Delaney and Bonnie (and Friends), and assorted members of Derek & Dominoes, Grease Band and other Rock Establishment (plus select circus animals, clowns, sword-swallowers and such), performed a charged, hi-octane blue-eyed soul which, in its intensity, bordered on organized insanity (in this particular case, the album title – which some people mistakenly think is a tautology - should be taken quite literally). How Joe Cocker's liver survived this self-destructive rampage is beyond us (one would imagine that some people thrive on total chaos)

As a memento of this great Rock & Roll Titanic, an extraordinary 2-lp set was quickly issued, and promptly recognized by virtually everyone as one of the very finest live recordings of all time. Take our word, for once the critics were right. Regrettably, this would be Joe Cocker's last viable Rhythm & Blues album before he turned into a crooner of shlocky, dreary AOR ballads, poppy duets and pass the-bucket-please-I-can't-listen-to-this-$%@&(*$#!+ -anymore, made-for radio drek. But for one brief, shining, moment, Joe Cocker was the King of the Hill, and a force to reckon with. Hear for yourself.

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Mad Dogs & Englishmen was just about the most elaborate album that A&M Records had ever released, back in 1971, a double LP in a three-panel, fold-out, gatefold sleeve, with almost 80 minutes of music inside and a ton of photos, graphics, and annotation wrapping around it. A live recording done in tandem with a killer documentary film of the same U.S. tour, it was recorded at the Fillmore East, where the movie was a cross-country affair, and the two were, thus, completely separate entities -- also, as people couldn't "buy" the film in those days, the double LP has lingered longer in the memory, by virtue of its being on shelves, and also being taken off those shelves to be played. Unlike a lot of other "coffee table"-type rock releases of the era, such as Woodstock and The Concert for Bangladesh, people actually listened to Mad Dogs & Englishmen -- most of its content was exciting, and its sound, a veritable definition of big-band rock with three dozen players working behind the singer, was unique. The album offers a seriously good sound, whether it's just Joe Cocker and a pianist and organist in the opening of "Bird on a Wire," or the entire band going full-tilt on "Cry Me a River" (…) The lead guitar and solo piano on "Feelin' Alright," for example, come through, but so do the 34 other players and singers behind the lead. This record was also just as much a showcase for Leon Russell as it was for Joe Cocker, which A&M probably didn't mind a bit, as Russell was selling millions of records at the time. As is now known, and it's recounted in the new notes, the tour from which this album was drawn all but wiped out Joe Cocker -- on a psychic level -- because the music was presented on such a vast scale (and there is a moment in the movie where he mentions breaking up his former backing group, the Grease Band, with a hint of regret in his voice) and his own contribution was so muted by Russell's work as arranger and bandleader. He may well have been the "victim" of a "hijacking" of sorts, but the musical results, apart from the dubious "Give Peace a Chance," are difficult to argue about upon hearing this record anew, decades after the fact -- it's almost all bracing and beautiful.

(REVIEW REPRINTED COURTESY OF BRUCE EDER, ALL MUSIC GUIDE /ALLMUSIC.COM/)

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THIS IS A NO-RESERVE AUCTION!

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·       CONDITION:

·       RECORD

(IMPORTANT NOTE: unless otherwise noted, ALL records are graded visually, and NOT play-graded!; we grade records under the strong, diffuse room light or discrete sunlight)

(a)            WE GRADE ALL SIDES OF THE VINYL AS EXCELLENT, EXCEPT SIDE 3 WHICH IS VERY GOOD++. This is one of those albums that are somewhat difficult to grade. It is somewhere between VG++ and NEAR MINT, just a notch below NEAR MINT. A few light abrasions ARE visible, but they are extremely shallow, superficial and only moderately visually distracting (nothing significant).For the most part, the vinyl looks impeccable without any MAJOR visual flaws or imperfections. Much of the original luster is intact, and the vinyl shines and sparkles almost like new.

(b)            The records are pressed on a beautiful, high-quality, virgin-grade vinyl, which is usually used for audiophile, extended-dynamic-range, half-speed mastered and connoisseur pressings.

(c)             In addition, the record is pressed on a fairly thick, relatively inflexible vinyl.

(d)            Of course, this is a full-bodied ANALOG recording, and not an inferior, digital recording!!!

·       COVER

THE COVER IS ABOUT VERY GOOD (VG)

The following flaws or imperfections are noted on the cover:

-         The gatefold cover has partially split seams on 3 out of 4 "legs" of the cover (less than 2 inches, each / 1 inch = 2.5 centimeters).

-         Cover has some visible fraying/tattering on all three seams and the opening side

-         Cover has some writing on its front side (initials of the previous owner written in thin green marker, about ¼ x ¼ inches in size)

-         Cover has some ring wear. On the scale from 1 to 10 (1 being the least, and 10 being the most severe), we assess the severity of ring wear as 4 (front side) and 5 (back side).

-         Cover has circular tarnish (grayish, dust-covered sections, which closely follow the contour of the record), probably caused by friction or by rubbing against other covers during the storage. The tarnish is similar in appearance to a common ring wear, but, UNLIKE ring wear, these grayish areas may be possible to clean up with a minor effort and with a right cleansing solution.

-         Cover shows some light yellowing on both sides, apparently from aging.

-         Cover has a visible "wrinkle"(crease) in one of the corners.

-         Cover has two corners slightly worn / frayed / bent.

-         Two small (1/4-inch) dents (tears) noted on the opening side (VISIBLE ON FRONT SIDE ONLY)

-         Tiny, barely visible water stain noted on the spine (less than ½ square inch in size); visible on BOTH sides

-         Back cover has a few small drop-like stains (total area covered is less than ¼ square inch)

NO OTHER IMPERFECTIONS ON THE COVER:

-         No cut-out (drill) holes.

-         No cut-out corners

-         No saw-marks or indents

-         No stamps

-         No mold or mildew spots

-         No stickers or labels

-         No water damage

-         No razor marks, scratches, pressure marks, lines, streaks, or cuts.

-         No warping

-         No wax, glue, paint or liquid drops on the cover

-         No glue traces or wax residue.

-         No bar codes

-         No RIAA stamps or stickers.

POSTAGE & SHIPPING:

Generally, US POSTAGE is $5.80 FOR THE FIRST ITEM shipped via USPS PRIORITY MAIL (this includes a small $1.00 packaging surcharge).

INTERNATIONAL POSTAGE- and insurance rates vary from country to country. For SPECIFIC international and domestic postage and insurance rates ►click here. While you can be rest assured that our packaging is careful, sturdy and impact-proof, please note we are NOT responsible for uninsured items.

Media- and Surface Mail rates are available ONLY to orders of $200.00 or more. NO EXCEPTIONS.

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OUR REFUND POLICY :

Cash refund will be granted only for DEFECTIVE items, but we are flexible and reasonable in reviewing the merits of each individual case. We do NOT play-grade records and can only make reasonable inference on the item's condition based on its visual appearance. Every bid carries a risk that purchased item might play worse than its visual grade may indicate. Still sealed items MUST be returned sealed in order to be eligible for a refund. Please read our complete refund policy before placing a bid. ►Click here for the full text of our policy .

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