SEALED LP: NATIONAL HEALTH: NATIONAL HEALTH

$

25

National Health: National Health

FACTORY SEALED LP

• Thermos Roads
• Brujo
• Borogoves, Pt. 2 [Excerpt from Pt. 2]
• Borogoves, Pt. 1
• Elephants

• Kevin Burke: Cover Design
• Paschal Byrne: Remastering
• Mike Dunne: Producer, Engineer
• Brian Gaynor: Engineer
• Alan Gowen: Piano, Keyboards, Piano (Electric), Moog Synthesizer
• Jimmy Hastings: Clarinet, Flute, Clarinet (Bass), Wind
• Nick Levitt: Engineer, Mixing
• Laurie K. Lewis: Photography
• Phil Miller: Guitar, Group Member
• John D Mitchell: Percussion, Conga, Temple Blocks
• John Mitchell: Percussion
• Neil Murray: Bass, Group Member
• Paul Northfield: Engineer, Mixing
• Amanda Parsons: Vocals
• John Platt: Liner Notes
• Pip Pyle: Drums, Glockenspiel, Gong, Tambourine, Bells, Shaker, Cowbell, Finger Cymbals, Tape Editor, Pixiephone, Group Member
• Becky Stewart: Package Design
• Dave Stewart: Organ, Piano, Keyboards, Piano (Electric)

• The first National Health album couldn't have come at a worse time, just when punk and new wave were the musical orders of the day. Of course, in many ways it did itself no favors. This swan song of the fecund Canterbury Scene is ultra-serious, and determined to show its musical prowess by frequent, complex changes of time signature, dense, convoluted arrangements, and frightening technical ability. In that regard, really, it differed from the main ethos of Canterbury prog rock and fusion, which had offered a whimsical, often surreal hippie vision of the world, never taking itself too seriously (if you like, its antecedent was really an earlier group of keyboard player Dave Stewart, Egg). Because of its attitude, the opening epic, "Tenemos Roads," stands head and shoulders above the rest of the disc, suffused with both light and space, and lifting into a breathless atmosphere when singer Amanda Parsons enters. Melody is the key, and the track has plenty of them, mostly from Stewart and keyboard "guest" (and former member) Alan Gowen, who also shares compositional credits for much of the disc. From there, however, it's pretty much all downhill. There's still exceptional playing, but it seems more like the members saying "this is what we can do" rather than setting out to entertain and enthrall; in others words, it's very self-indulgent, rarely more so than on the dark "Elephants." "Brujo" has moments of hope, but in the main this is a band that -- however good -- sadly already sound past their sell-by date.

• National Health is one of those rare English progressive bands whose classic mid-'70s output still sounds fresh today. Their sound prospered on imaginative linear musicality, often in a jazzy format that emphasized extended instrumental solos. In keeping with the collaborative spirit of the times, National Health had an ever-changing lineup, sharing members with other influential groups like Hatfield and the North, Henry Cow, Matching Mole, and others. After a pair of 1978 releases, National Health and Of Queues and Cures, the group issued 1982's D.S. Al Coda and then fell silent. The overview Complete appeared in 1990; Missing Pieces, a collection of outtakes, followed in 1996. in 2000, Cuneiform issued a live album, Playtime which was recorded at two different shows in 1979 and sequenced and mastered in 2000 by Phil Miller and Pip Pyle as a tribute to their late bandmate, Alan Gowen, who had died of leukemia in May 1981.

• This Sealed LP came from a record store called "Phantasmagoria" which was located in Allentown, Pennsylvania. Phantasmagoria went out of business in 1978. I purchased most of their unsold inventory some years later when I owned "Music Madness" - a new & used record store in Catasauqua, Pennsylvania.
• Phantasmagoria used round colored stickers to indicate the price of the albums. They had a chart on the wall with the color sticker combinations for the customers to use so they knew the price of the albums. Most of the albums still have these stickers on them, and in some rare cases, the stickers are written on. Some of the records have prices on them. This is the price you would have paid for the record in 1978 if you would have bought it at Phantasmagoria. Please don't confuse these prices with their current value.
• All Sealed LP(s) are being sold as collector's items and cannot be returned due to manufacturer's defects. It may be almost impossible to replace many of the sealed albums that I am selling.

• If I list an album as "New", but not sealed, it is because the album is probably an import or from a small USA record company. Back in the 70's, many imported albums were not sealed by the record companies, and the importers/distrubutors did not spend the time or money to seal them before being sent to the stores. I will not knowingly misrepresent an album as new if I have any doubts.
  
• All pictures are of the exact Sealed LP being sold.
• I always leave feedback before your item ships. Please consider leaving feedback for me after you have had a chance to inspect and enjoy your purchase.
• Please avoid questions on the last day of the auction. I might not have enough time to give you an answer before the auction ends.
• All reviews, credits and artist biographies are from All Music Guide. If you haven't been to their web site, you have to check it out. It's one of the most comprehensive music references on the internet. In some cases, credits may include reissue (CD) information. Obviously any credits referenced to CDs do not apply to this album release.

Shipping and pick-up

WITHIN U.S.A.

• The default shipping is Media Mail. You can opt to pay extra for for Priority Mail if you choose.
• Priority Mail  is faster and includes free insurance.
• Pick-up is fine with me, but be prepared to pay by cash. E-mail me to setup a time and place that is convenient for the both of us.

OUTSIDE U.S.A.

• International Shipping is calculated by the weight of your package.
• If you purchase multiple items, please wait until after all the auctions end for eBay to send an invoice.
• I cannot ship by International First Class if it is not available to your country. The USPS discontinued this service to several countries. If it is not an available option, I will send a revised invoice with the least expensive option available to your country. This is non-negotiable because I have no control over the shipping options and rates to your country.
• The buyer is responsible for all customs regulations and fees in their own country. I will declare the value of all items at $10 each on the Customs Form. Please let me know if you want the actual winning bid price listed on the Customs Form. This is something to consider if you think there is a potential for damage or loss of your package. Insurance (if purchased by the buyer)will only reimburse you for the actual declared value.