SILVER APPLES - CONTACT LP - Original Kapp issue 1969

$

93

Description: SILVER APPLES ~ CONTACT LP.  Original issue - cutout hole - label inner sleeve - VG+/EX-
 
Issue year: 1969 [no date listed on the lp or jacket.]
 
Label: KAPP
 
Catalog #: KS-3584 STEREO
 
Scarcity: Uncommon, and frustratingly difficult to find a clean-playing copy. Largely remaining in the hands of collectors and record store employees (can't think of the last time I actually saw a copy of this on the wall of any store!), lesser copies do change hands on a slow but fairly regular basis. The problem is, like many records from the late-60's, there seem to be few well-preserved specimens.
 
Cover condition, overall grade: VG+.
 
Outer jacket front & back: Cutout hole in upper left corner - a small drill hole. Front cover has some notable rubbing wear near left edge.  Faint ring-wear evident, but not distracting. Back cover (paper glued "wrap-around" style) in overall fine condition, with little aging or discoloration to black & white artwork.
 
Outer jacket spine, edges, and corners: Spine and corners show some stress and wear. Top edge has greatest wear with a small seam split  (2-3 cm) at opening. The rest of the top edge shows wear to paper layer but not split through entire seam. Moderate shelf wear to all corners. Overall sturdy and presentable; this copy only shows its age upon closer inspection.
 
Inner sleeve condition: Original Kapp company stock sleeve still present and in good shape (vinyl stored in a new paper sleeve.) Sleeve promotes Silver Apples' debut lp and other Kapp titles.

Album disk weight: 136 grams.

Inner groove matrix etching: KS 8 3584-A-2; KS 8 3584-B-2

Vinyl condition, overall grade: EX-.
 
Labels: Clean. Glossy black/red Kapp label, Spindle hole reveals evidence of some play but nothing serious.
 
Vinyl: Glossy black with a nice luster. Visually, bright light shows numerous hazy sleeve scuffs, and a few light sleeve scratches. With no outstanding or suspicious marks or scratches, this evaluates as one worthy of good play (and testing confirms this). No dirt, grime, or crud... a clean copy overall.

Provenance: This copy was aquired in Chicago, approximately 1998, directly from a fellow collector. It's remained cared-for, well-preserved and largely unplayed since then.
 
Play tested for this auction? Yes.
 
Listening notes:

It's hard to overstate the importance of Silver Apples and the influence their classic albums have had on the four-decade progression of experimental rock, modern disco, and electronic music in general. There's a debt, direct or implied, owed to the duo of Simeon Coxe and Danny Taylor from artists like Stereolab, Labradford, Momus, Quintron, Portishead,  LCD Soundsystem, Suicide, or even the Boredoms. However, they are exceptional among other "groundbreaking" artists for remaining as unique, challenging and enjoyable as ever.

I'm always stunned by the musical resolution found in original Kapp pressings of Silver Apples lps from the 60's. And although the MCA masters on cd have clear and fairly true-to the original sound (and the MCA cd easily beats the acoustics of the earlier TRC bootleg cd and the later "Simeon-approved" Whirlybird cd remasters), it's no substitute for experiencing these albums in their original vinyl issue.

This is especially true of CONTACT, the psychedelic duo's second album, which takes their unique sound into a fairly intense and somewhat darker musical terrain. The massive drumkit shimmers and pulsates in both channels, and the throaty D-I-Y electronics gain a dimension of, well, palpable-ness... this is real raw music that you can practically hold in your hand.

Overall, careful listening to this album on vinyl reveals amazing dimension and gritty realism. The electronic aspect of Silver Apples can feel somewhat sterile and detached in other editions, but here remains organic and hand-driven. It's easy to hear the many layers of oscillators, referencing but somehow transcending real instrument depictions like clarinet, electric bass, hurdy-gurdy, or Hammond.

The duo's strengths are especially astounding on the album opener, "You and I", where the wheezy organ tones and vaguely threatening disharmony seem to wrap around both drum kit and vocals, sucking the listener into a murky, pulsating haze... This track was a primary influence for Portishead's "We Carry On", from their recent lp THIRD, and if you haven't heard either version, you should run out and rectify the situation immediately...

The crackly insect/frog tones in "Water", the vacuum-cleaner hum in "A Pox on You" and the spacious echo in "Ruby" all continue to blow away the listener, differing noticeably from any cd issue and adding a great deal of dimension and enjoyment to the listening experience, in my opinion.

This copy, specifically, plays wonderfully. The vinyl groove is virtually silent, as evidenced from the spaces between tracks and even at the very beginning of each side! It's easy to hear the analog noise levels elevate when the jet aircraft samples fade-in at the very beginning of side one. And the end of "Ruby" (side one, track three) plays so cleanly that it's easy to hear the hiss on the master tape recede quickly at the moment of fade-out. No compression needed here, folks - this is pure and raw, mastered as only records from the 60's-70's can be.

The whole bandwidth, from solid bass to treble hiss, seems well-supported and balanced, with no notable (unintended!) distortion that I can hear. No skips or nasty acoustic artifacts of any kind noted. I didn't catch any pops or clicks worth writing down, save for some very faint clicks near the beginning, and end, of "You're Not Foolin Me" (side one, final track.) This copy certainly does not disappoint, and in fact plays much better than it looks! (And it looks pretty nice, too.)
 
Web link:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silver_Apples

http://www.terrascope.co.uk/MyBackPages/silver.html
 
Shipping: Flat rate shipping calculated below. Insurance optional. International shipping discounts are available for multiple items; overseas winners should request total before sending payment.
 
Extra-careful packaging. I have years of experience packing fragile vinyl LPs and CDs for safe shipment. As both a regular eBay buyer and seller, I understand that accurate item descriptions and secure, overkill packaging are essential to a good transaction. Please contact me with any questions you have.
 
About these pictures:  I aim to please the most discerning vinyl collector. Unfortunately, photos might appear with some degree of flash illumination, reflection, or lens shadow. I prefer to snap photos with a flash, although this method can be brutally revealing of even the slightest anomaly in cover or vinyl. Generally speaking, these records will look nicer in person!  Please check item description for details - I try to be very thorough when examining records for anything that might affect the grade. If you need different photos or a clarification about anything, just ask!
 
Equipment: I listen to music on modest, yet high-performance components, including a well set-up turntable fitted with a Sumiko Pearl cartridge. Please contact me if you've got any questions about associated equipment, record handling and storage, or anything else...