TOM WAITS 'SMALL CHANGE' 1976 ASYLUM ORIGINAL FIRST PRESSING A RARE CLASSIC

$

25

TOM WAITS 'SMALL CHANGE' 1976 ASYLUM ~ ORIGINAL FIRST PRESSING ~ NICE!
TOM WAITS TITLE: "SMALL CHANGE" LABEL: ASYLUM RECORDS 7E-1078 PRESSING: ORIGINAL FIRST PRESSING 1976 PRESSING:  SPECIALTY RECORDS CORPORATION ~ OLYPHANT, PA RELEASE DATE: SEPTEMBER 21 1976 FORMAT: BLACK VINYL 33RPM RECORDED AT WALLY HEIDER RECORDING STUDIOS HOLLYWOOD ~ JULY 1976 MASTERED AT ELEKTRA SOUND RECORDERS MASTERING: TERRY DUNAVAN ("ESR TD 9-17-76" Etched in Matrix) MATRIX: (SIDE A) 'ETCHED' 7E-1078-B 6 Re SP PUBLISHING: ELEKTRA/ASYLUM/NONESUCH RECORDS ENGINEERING: BONES HOWE w/ BILL BROMS & GEOFF HOWE FRONT COVER PHOTO: JOEL BRODSKY
VINYL EX   JACKET EX-  (see Details below)

I've been going thru my massive vinyl record collection this summer and pulling out some LPs that I thought that someone else would want for their collection. I've been collecting records for over 40 years and it's time to pass some of them on to the next generation of collectors.
This week on EBay I am offering up this fantastic, original, First Pressing, clean copy of "Closing Time', Tom Wait's 4th album from 1976. This is my original copy that I've taken great care of for many years. 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ This is an original 1976 First Pressing of Tom Waits 4th album, 'Closing Time'
The Vinyl looks fantastic and the Jacket is also quite nice. More details about condition below.
It's on the Asylum label, pressed by 'Specialty'. Stamped in the Deadwax with their 'S' logo. The Matrix also has the original etched Mastering date of 9-17-76, unique to the first pressings.
Some very early pressings from certain pressing plants, had a custom Lyric sheet added. These 'Specialty' pressings did not, so NO lyric sheet. This copy also has no price code on the spine. Later vintage copies released in 1976 had the price code added (0698).
Many consider this the Best of his early albums, and certainly the Best of his Asylum years. Fans debate whether this or 'Rain Dogs' is his best overall album.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ This album is classic, vintage Tom Waits. The Album his fans love. The one to own if you only have one Waits album in your collection.
The 'band' on this release is basically a Jazz trio backing Waits on piano, doing his thing. There are some thoughtful strings added on a few numbers.
The Jazz Band behind Waits includes Lew Tabackin on Sax, Shelly Manne on Drums and Jimmy Hughart on Bass. They add the perfect background to Wait's tales of the dark, seedy side of life.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ This is the fourth release in Tom Waits' series of skid row travelogues which are full of songs steeped in whiskey and depravity. Just a perfect, timeless, Tom Waits album.
The songs illuminate a world of dark bars, exotic dancers and all-night diners. His characters revel in their own filth, while seeking some sort of redemption. They dream of genuine romances, stable jobs, escape, and recognition of their brief past glories. His broken and drunken characters live in an unescapable urban world in pursuit of meaningful human interaction. 
Waits really understands the people who exist on the fringes; barflies, cabbies, newsstand dealers, shoeshine boys and all-night waitresses. Waits has an eye, an ear, and a deep knowledge for the people he sings about.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Waits sings in a style that sounds like a wise, hip, drunken Beat poet.
On most of the songs, Waits plays simple but effective jazz piano and sings in a strangled, cigarette-and-whiskey voice, punctuated by short saxophone statements. At times, he has a sweet, sentimental, melancholic voice, but still gravelly and piercing.
Wait's lyrics are full of insider Beat poetry and he sings in a husky, hoarse, hipster voice that fits somewhere between Louie Armstrong, Howlin Wolf and Captain Beefheart. His lyrics are often sleazy and obscene, but perfectly set the mood. His one-line observations are priceless.
Most of the tunes find Tom in his late-night, drunken, romantic, beatnik mode, which is not a bad thing. He makes it work perfectly.
The album opens up with the beautiful "Tom Traubert's Blues" one of his best compositions. "Step Right Up" is one of Wait's most popular tunes. A hilarious pseudo-rap about advertising jingles with Tom singing over a jazzy bouncy rhythm section while a sax accentuates the words. It's drunken jazzy lounge music with personality. This album also includes the timeless 'The Piano has been drinking'.
This album is terrific and swings with all kinds of cool. It's one of the most interesting and enjoyable of his 70's albums. 
The great cover photo by Joel Brodsky was taken backstage at the 'Club Copacabana', a Burlesque theater in L.A. The sexy, sultry posed girl is Cassandra Peterson, who would later become Elvira, "Mistress of the Darkness." 
The photo reveals so much detail that an entire Novel or Film could be written about this cover art. The picture has empty beer bottles, cocaine dusted mirrors, amber jars of pills, bare lightbulbs, a jar of Vaseline, a box of condoms, tissues, hairspray, crumpled cigarette packs, and so much more. None of it placed or planned, just a snapshot the world that Waits existed in at the time.
In a creative writing class in College in the late 70s, we had an assignment to write a short story based on the 'story' going on in this cover art.
At the time, I smoked 'Turkish Special' cigarettes, the yellow rectangular box on the counter next to Tom's crumpled pack of 'Old Golds', and my 'story' revolved around the smokes and the powder on the mirror next to it. Very seventies stuff. The 'story' only got a B, but It's still one of my favorite album covers.
~~~~~~ CONDITION: 
I tried to show good hi-resolution photos of the cover, labels and vinyl in my pictures.
VINYL: The vinyl looks fine. Clean, bright, glossy with no obvious issues. I'd call it EX- to EX. It has the original early blue 'Gate & Clouds' Asylum labels. A great copy that I'm sure you'll be happy with. When listing this, I noticed that my photos show a little 'dust' on the album, small white dots. The vinyl is very nice despite the 'dots'. I didn't clean this LP before listing, so a good cleaning will make this album sparkle. No scuffs or scratches. It looks fine.
LABELS: The labels are clean with no marks or writing. The spindle holes look nice with little wear, suggesting minimal or very careful play.
JACKET: The jacket is also very nice for an original pressing from 45 years ago. NO names, marks, writing or signs of prior ownership. There's a small 'crease' in the top left corner (see detail pic) and some mild bottom corner bumping from many years of reshelving, but overall it's in nice condition. A real survivor.
Overall a very nice copy of this rare 1976 pressing. These early Asylum albums have seen very few re-issues over the years and are hard to find, especially in clean condition like this one.
Add this fantastic album to your collection today. It would make a great addition to any vinyl record collection. Everyone should have this classic Tom Waits albumin their collection.
~~~~~~~ I’m recently retired and downsizing and letting go some gems and rarities from nearly 45 years of vinyl record collecting. Check out the many other fantastic 45s and 33s coming soon to my page!
All records have been carefully evaluated and graded by me. I visually inspect all records under bright light, personally gently clean them with a soft cloth and then, if unsure, play them on a modern high-end turntable to get a true picture of condition. Please look at all the high-resolution pictures I added. They are all my own and are of the actual record being sold. The pictures are part of the description and can show small details, label variations, and condition better than I can put into words. 
My grading is fair and honest and I will ALWAYS refund you for anything you’re not happy with. I have had over 3,200 happy and satisfied EBay customers over the years, with 100% positive feedback, and I have been buying/selling on EBay for well over 20 years, so please bid with confidence!
I'm a 0ne-man operation, this is a hobby, not my job. I do this for fun. I do this because I love music, love collecting vinyl and want others to share in that same experience. I take my time listening, researching, grading, listing and packaging. I will NOT sell any record that I personally would not want in my collection.
As you well know, packing and shipping rare records requires special care and attention, therefore, shipping cost within the lower 48 states is $5.00 on this item. If you would like insurance, or anything faster than Media/Economy Mail, please let me know and I can arrange it for you. I’ll work with you to make sure you’re happy!
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THANK YOU for looking and reading if you got this far.  -- JOHN