VAN DER GRAAF GENERATOR Pawn Hearts RARER EARLY UK 1971 B&C CHARISMA EX LP.

	£		48
	$		57

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Postage: UK £4.75 (£1 per extra record). Europe (including Russia) £12.50 (£2 per extra record). Rest of World (including ALL parts of the USA) £16.50 (£3 per extra record). All boxes signed for in quality, safe packaging – I NEVER use mailing envelopes that offer virtually no protection at all – in fact I think these things should be banned as records WILL arrived damaged in them at some time. More details on my packing nearer the end of the listing.

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ALSO: I now apply the Ebay ‘4-day’ rule for non-payment to keep things moving – cash-flow is important to any small business. I will always keep my P&P prices as low as possible, and even after yet another Royal Mail price hike from April this year, I have NOT raised my prices and will never compromise on solid, safe packing that is invariably heavier than most you will get. My P&P offers probably the best value-for-money for vinyl records available, and I even will pay for full insurance on any record that sells for over £100 at NO extra cost – that is UK and abroad. Also I aim to post the very same day after payment is received. You WILL see the difference when my packet arrives.

Artist or Band: VAN DER GRAAF GENERATOR

Album Title: Pawn Hearts.

Producer(s): John Anthony.

TRACK LIST:

Side 1: Lemmings; Man-Erg.

Side 2: A Plague of Lighthouse-Keepers. Parts 1-10

Label/Format: Charisma – pink scroll format with matt smooth surfaces.

Label Condition: Both very clean, fresh and attractive. Spindle marks are low in number and generally light and quite faint. In terms of sound quality for this utmost challenging record, it plays great with very little unwanted.

Cat Number: CAS 1051 (Manufactured and distributed by B&C Records Ltd, later copies were Phonogram).

Mode / Speed: Stereo / 33.3 rpm.

Warps: Assume all records I offer have no warping of any significance and all tracking is easy and effortless and should play on all turntables and even ‘budget’ decks.

Weight of this Record: 142 grams. A typical solid weight for this record.

Country of Manufacture: England.

Rarity: Getting rare on Pink Scroll, this was never a big seller especially early on – it even failed to chart. This copy includes an ORIGINAL lyric insert which is rare with only a small number of early copies ever including it. The overall rarity of this album however I think lies within the quality of the pressing. Charisma quality was – to say the least – variable and many of the early VDGG albums play with very noisy sound and often with considerable distortion. Such unwanted sounds cannot be seen and even the cleanest looking records will often dissappoint and fail to please. I am asked regularly if I have any VDGG albums that actually do play well as many are fed up trying another one only to be disappointed again. Along with King Crimson, this band’s albums are amongst the most difficult to find that will play with clean sound, and this album is one of the most challenging ever put to vinyl within this genre of ‘progressive rock’. After some time (as I will not offer unworthy examples) I have a copy that does play really well and sound quality clean and enjoyable with little unwanted. There is NO groovewear or pressing distortions or rasps, and that in-itself is great news. I actually played and enjoyed this one to near the maximum and I truly adore this album. One of the greatest within it’s field and now recognised by so many as the same. The odd light crackle trace and the odd sporadic tick is practically impossible to avoid as a bare minimum. If that is not good enough, try the remastered CD – it’s very good but still lacks the power and dynamics of the original vinyl. For sound, this will take a lot of beating and such fine sounding examples are truly rare and make no mistake about that.

Original Year of Release: 1971

Matrix Nos: CAS 1051 A-1U and CAS 1051 B-1U. The cut of this copy sees the music area go very close to the lable rims (especially on side two), meaning an extra wide dynamic range and maximum fidelity for the sound purist.

Stamper Codes: 2 H / 1 GA. This is the ‘BOBIL’ cut with this word seen on side one dead wax.

Musicians: Hugh Banton – Hammond E&C, Farfisa Professional organs, piano, mellotron, ARP Synth, bass pedals, bass guitar, psychedelic razor, vocals; Guy Evans – drums, tympani, percussion, piano; David Jackson – Tenor, alto, soprano saxes, devices, flute, vocals; Peter Hammill – guitars, piano, vocals. With Robert Fripp of King Crimson on guitar.

Brief Artist & Album Info: This non-charting album has to be a strong contender for the greatest ‘real’ progressive album ever – for me still impossible to choose between this and King Crimson’s debut. I now have three great friends who openly state this is their favourite album of all-time. It’s a unique classic and I hear something new on every fresh listen – it’s fast becoming a personal top 10 classic for me me too. Quite a challening album you either love or hate. Limited sales on issue, this album has gained in stature over the years and finding early copies in anything like decent playing condition that includes even a respectable, little worn cover is very difficult indeed. Copies with the insert are even more challenging, but this HAS one and it’s guaranteed ORIGINAL (but it does have folds). Like this band, Hammill’s vocals are either the greatest in rock (for many) or pretentious and unlistenable (to others) - there seems little inbetween - a little manic and expressive, even eccentric, few have ever matched his intensity and delivery. Pawn Hearts remains for me one of the greatest and complex albums ever issued. Musically dark and compelling - Jackson’s use of the double simultaneously played electric saxes is stunning with amazing sounds generated. Using two adjoined saxophones that had multi-pickups, these treated winds sounded more like 16, often so loud he was told to calm it down by fellow band members. Complex and ever-changing time structures and patterns to the music will challenge any unfamiliar listener – one minute quiet and melodic, the next blistering barrages of sound bordering on bedlam – this is not for the faint-hearted casual listener or pop music fan. Special mention has to be made on the production and engineering of this record: this is a soundscape of stereo brilliance with imagery and effects second-to-none. Just a shame the manufacture of the final product was not always up to the same standard. At their peak of intensity VDGG can make the most brilliant racket and test any sound system to the utmost. Dense, complex lyrics, this has to be one of Hammill’s finest works all put to one near perfect album. ‘A Plague of Lighthouse Keepers’ is a prog classic – a tale of an old lighthouse keeper whose life has had great joy and sadness as the ships and lives he has saved and the sadness of the ones that were lost on the rocks. A roller-coaster ride of volume and intensity and almost impossible to find a ‘perfectly’ quiet record for this title. This one is well pressed, modestly played and one I enjoyed immensely. All plays through effortlessly and sound quality at times if simply breathtaking, any surface sound minimal, infrequent and light. The odd sporadic light tick or crackle trace being near unavoidable. I still maintain perfection on this Charisma record is near impossible with surface sound often overpowering the music on the quiet passages. Not on this one and there are NO pressing sounds, rasps or distortions, a common factor on this and other early VDGG albums. I have heard some terrible pressings of this and their previous two albums that can simply make you cringe with hidden nasties within manufacture. This Bobil example has avoided that. The details on this recording are at times mind-blowing. This head-spinning progressive masterpiece should be included in any serious rock collection and is almost too good for words.

Cover Grade and Format: EXCELLENT: arguably better. A cover almost as difficult as the record and it is rarely seen devoid of substantial ringwear and rubbing. An unlaminated gatefold format with matt, smooth surfaces and made with quite heavy card. Printed in England by the E. J. Day Group with the B&C credits. This copy includes the rare, and guaranteed original lyric insert.

Cover Front: The first thing immediately apparent, is the lack of rubbing or creasing on a cover that seldom escapes often significant amounts. Any traces are few and light indeed with a hint near the edges only. Any marks or blemishes few and faint and no sticker issues, pulls or tears and NO tip-ins are evident at all. This retains fine colour and freshness, a difficult front in very fine overall condition.

Cover Back: All very similar again, the lack of ringwear from quite a thick record being of considerable note. Not seen too many of these backs better.

Cover Inner Gatefold: A slightly bizarre inner, this has very little wear and still looks impressive. Slight traces of rubbing near the top edges and odd gentle hint of set-off where dark rests upon white. I reitterate, this is the original with the B&C credits.

Top Edges: Both very straight with only rugging on the right corner tip areas.

Bottom Edges: Some rubbing near the very ends, anything inbetween, very light patchy and faint. Again these are straight.

Right Edge(s), and Type: Clean, fairly sharp, little wear, any thickening or burring viewed end-on light. Record entered on the back edge, both guaranteed untrimmed or enhanced.

Spine and Text: A very impressive spine: solid, thick and straight. Folded square with minimal compression, all the edges meet up closely and parallel. This has minimal traces of wear to the surface or fold hinges. All text is perfect and unworn, bold and sharp with no fading.

Corners: The spine pair have minimal wear, the right ones have moderate rubbing. Fine to very fine shape retained.

Cover Summary: A very difficult cover, but a very fine all-round example of this B&C, E. J. Day original. One that will prove difficult to find much better. With just enough light wear, mainly on the corners, to remind of it’s considerable age and fragility, my grading could indeed be deemed harsh. This splendid item should please many collectors.

The Lyric Insert: VERY GOOD: and never underestimate the rarity of this. Although I have occasionally offered replica inserts for this album (on thicker card), this one is GUARANTEED ORIGINAL. The main isssue with it are the folds and a couple of fine creases (bottom right area). One small edge tear was carefully repaired by myself and has modest visbility. Just to include this is a considerable bonus as it only came with a select few for a limited time – a bit like the poster with the ‘Least We Can Do’ album. So not perfect by any means, but better this than none at all – this lyric inner is not seen or offered often.

The Inner Sleeve: EXCELLENT(++): these early pink scroll albums included a solid white unlined inner, this one hardly aged at all. Minimal creasing or discolouration and all edges unsplit with no repairs.

Vinyl Condition/Visual Grading: EXCELLENT: and it could be argued better still. Clean, with fine shine and very solidly pressed on thick vinyl. Any surface traces are fine and faint, mainly quite whispy as seen under bright angled light. There are NO penetrating scratches and any minor visual blemishes are purely superficial, few early examples will avoid minor friction traces as a bare minimum. Also worthy of note, this one has NO raised blistering which again is fairly common on this album, when these are present, they nearly always sound. No pressing rasps or distortions – for those who know that album well, most would have encountered them before. Charisma vinyl was not always the very best pressed or reliable and blemishes and manufacture problems are relatively common. This one made by EMI and more reliable than earlier manufacturers for this label. This is a very difficult album and I would think very few ‘perfect’ copies will exist – even from day one, some had small faults and most all invisible and only detectable when played. This copy does plays very well – the odd crackle trace or sporadic light click, as stated already, near impossible avoid totally, just enough to remind what are actually listening too. But the incredible sound and detail always the most impressive factor and little heard here detracts. Tracking is effortless and overall, this is a very pleasing and well-pressed copy.

Album Played For Grading: Yes. [I play ALL records I offer before submitting to Ebay, also the record is played in its entirety unless clearly stated otherwise. I do NOT play snippets or joining grooves to check for sound quality and quietness – I play from the beginning to end via clinically revealing B&W speakers that include the legendary tweeter from their awesome Nautilus range that reveals every blemish or miniscule sound present on any record.]

Sound Quality and Audio Grading: Overall, a very strong copy that plays very well and mostly even above it’s high visual grading. Immensely powerful, distortion-free sound, all frequencies are sharp and clear - sound quality is astonishing (and in this case, the word meant with a passion) with a massive dynamic range and very detailed sound. Any surface sound minimal, this copy gave a great account of itself with spectacular dynamics and presentation. I have sold this album a few times before as an original and this one compares favourably with the best I have heard. Vitally important, the actual sound is sharp, fully focused and distortion free and any small blemishes were infrequent and light. Special mention must be made to the production of this astonishing record. Played on a large dedicated analogue, real hi-fi system this record is capable of the most astonishing sound. The dynamics and sheer power of this record almost take the breath away – it can be a wonderful experience if the record remains clean enough, with thunderous bass with real slam and power. Jackson’s dual, treated electric saxes are remarkable and Hammill’s vocals have an in-the-room quality. The manic interplay between vocal, electric reeds, keyboards and guitars is captivating. The massive highs and lows on ‘Plague of Lighthouse Keepers’ has to be heard to be believed – the beginning incredibly quiet and fragile, will any copy play this silent, especially on very sensitive equipment? An album of beautiful sound and emotion with all the instruments clearly focused and defined, even on the most intense of passages where things get quite chaotic. The stereo separation and effects of the instruments is pure genius. At times there is so much happening, it’s impossible to take it all in and it can, and does leave you in a daze. An awesome experience; few rock albums get close, this is REAL progressive music at it’s very best. This copy really delivers and any minor blemishes washed over me and was simply blown away by the sheer scale, drama, passion and power of this remarkable recording. If clinical silence is wanted, a CD version will give you that – but this title on vinyl is genuinely exciting and even with the odd tiny blemish, it remains a thrilling listen.

End Piece: A spine-tingling and magnificent experience from a band now very much back in vogue after reforming nearly a decade ago, touring and issuing more impressive albums that received high praise from everywhere, including original fans, the music press and even the quality British newspapers. Their revival concerts selling out fast and also receiving incredible acclaim – all pretty amazing considering Hammill’s health problems and they seem more popular now than way back in the early 70s when they did not even sell out my ‘local rock’ venue in Ipswich (bet they would now). I was absolutely delighted to hear about this band reforming, who could have even imagined it? Every listen to a VDGG album reveals something new, complex musically and cryptic lyrically this is not pop music or for everyone. Their albums did not sell initially in anything like large amounts, more often found on the later Hatter Charisma label as more rock fans discovered them. Vinly is still the definitive way to hear this groundbreaking album with the original mix. A splendid copy, I can strongly recommend, all the major strengths far outweigh any small blemishes - a classic for sure from this so often ignored and misunderstood band. Hammill remains, even today, one of the great vocal eccentrics, few put quite this emotion into a song and I hope he carries on for as long as possible. If you are prepared for a challenge, Pawn Hearts will enthrall and compell, and what it will do for sure is entertain. The inclusion of a genuine original inser, although not perfect, is the icing on the cake and with it you can follow the lyrics with far more ease. Albums like this are a thing of the past which is a shame, the era of creativity and originality, no small wonder interest remains so high - this is an indispensable work and arguably their best album ever.

Now one of the most established sellers on Ebay and still offering the finest and most accurately described and graded records I can find. I pride myself on offering a variety of genres to keep my site as interesting as possible. I will rarely offer any record that falls below a true Excellent grading, unless its of a certain rarity which will justify offering a lesser grade. I try, to the best of my ability to describe as accurately and as honesty as I can all items I offer for sale with all the relevant information I can think of to help any potential bidder and collector. You may notice I only submit records sparingly on Ebay - on average ONEADAY, a couple more at weekends if time permits, hence the name - time rarely allows for more as I Play-Grade virtually every record I offer in their entirety, not just bits to guess a grade - visuals alone do not always tell a true or full story. I will mention any defects or flaws no matter how small that I notice to be fair as possible to any interested collector – I am very fussy and my buyers have the right to be too. Every record I offer, whether it be a common or rare item deserves the same respect as far as I am concerned and will be treated the same - just because an item is rare does not always mean its good. I get just as much pleasure offering a relatively common record in stunning near mint condition as the real rare items. All the pictures I use for your guidance are taken with a digital camera or scanned - they are NOT improved, cleaned-up or made better looking than they are with camera trickery or enhancing with digital programmes. What you see is what you get and scanned labels will give a more accurate representation of the genuine colour than flash photography where light is variable. I cannot guarantee total accuracy for colours however but most will be very close. If any picture I take looks more flattering than the actual item for any reason, I will clearly state the fact in the advert and vice-versa. I hope the item below is to your liking - any questions can be emailed and I will do my very best to answer you. I am enthusiastic, and have a fair degree of knowledge about many genres and I promise quality items - bid with confidence - excellence comes as standard and so does Near Mint regularly. Please assume all records I offer have NO jumps, sticks, warps or writing on covers or labels unless clearly stated to the contrary. Thanks for your interest and Good luck – MIKE.

Deck: Linn LP12/Hercules/Cirkus with Ittok Mk II arm and Ortofon Rondo Red moving coil cartridge (tracks at 2 grams). Amps: Naim Nait 5i with Project USB phono stage and Chord interconnects. Speakers: B&W 704 Floorstanding 3-way Monitors (bi-wired with Terrarium Black terminated cable). All records I offer on Ebay are cleaned on a professional VPI-17 vacuum machine before play-grading for the cleanest and best possible sound and will include a brand new lined inner and protective cover too. Pictures taken with a Nikon D5000 SLR Digital Camera.

PACKING - THIS IS WHAT YOU GET.

What You Get: To confirm to the strict Ebay rules on shipping, I must now send ALL my packets ‘Signed-For’ with NO exceptions. Both buyers and sellers want their packets to have a safer journey and this is not a bad thing.

I now offer the fastest possible posting, often the very next day after payment is received or within two to three days maximum (unless on holiday). I only use FIRST-CLASS Mail. The record’s cover will be placed within a BRAND NEW soft protective sleeve and the actual record will be professionally cleaned on my new VPI-17 Pro vacuum system to give ultimate clean grooves and playing surfaces and the best possible looks and ultimate sound quality. You will NOT get tired, dull looking, dust infested records inside worn and foggy covers with tatty inners from this seller and that’s a promise and guarantee. All records are posted in professional boxes (NOT Mailers, these do not offer any real protection). The record(s) are REMOVED from their main cover to avoid edge splits and placed within a brand new polylined inner. The record’s original inner will be included if available. The boxes are then reinforced with at least TWO, ULTRA THICK stiffeners for maximum extra protection – these are FOUR TIMES thicker than commercial stiffeners and are custom-made for oneadayrecords. Really rare and expensive albums will even be Double Boxed if deemed necessary and possible. When larger boxes are used, the thick record and stiffener ‘sandwich’ is then thickly embedded into bubble-wrap to bulk out the record inside the box to centre the item inside to reduce the risk of damage still further. Printed address labels are used for clarity as well as a sender label. Customers requests or special needs for P&P will be respected if at all possible but ‘Signed-For’ posting is NOT an option anymore. I do not profit on posting and the cost of this lavish packing is NOT even charged for, I offer probably the best-value and safest shipping possible for ultimate confidence. The boxes and ultra thick double-wall stiffeners and bubble wrap make a near impregnable fortress for safe shipping and this is used inland and overseas for ALL my records, not just the rare and expensive. I will invoice any winning bidder as soon as possible after the auction ends. My ‘loss’ or ‘damage rate’ is less than one in two thousand+ based on over 10,000+ items sold in over 12 years of Ebay trading and I consider that pretty exceptional. The only damage rate acceptable for this seller is ZERO and I think my packets will offer just that. It would take a vicious postman or postal service to damage these for sure. Even one of these stiffeners cannot be bent by hand, so what chance 2 inside a box? Oneadayrecords is a MAILER-FREE ZONE. I discount of course for multiple purchases with a maximum of FIVE records per box (one double can sometimes be included subject to total weight). All postage costs are below and at the top of the listing.

NOTE: First Time Bidders: Please ask me first.

PLEASE NOTE: I now exercise my right to open a dispute after the Ebay rule of FOUR days if no payment is received. I will then cancel the dispute to end the, again after the mandatory FOUR days and then offer the item to the runner-up or relist. The non-payer will also be blocked from my Ebay site and they take the Ebay consequences (a strike or removal from the system). Small businesses need prompt payment to trade and these strict rules WILL be applied.

SHIPPING COSTS & CONDITIONS – THESE comply with EBAY’S RULES - PLEASE READ CAREFULLY:

Posting & Packing: UK & CHANNEL ISLANDS all now sent via Recorded Delivery:

1 LP (FIRST-CLASS Recorded Delivery with Standard Royal Mail Insurance) [Signed For] = £4.75

1 LP (Special Delivery with Standard £500 Maximum Insurance) [Signed For, Next Day] = £8. (this includes insurance of £500). Add £2 per extra LP.

Posting & Packing: EUROPE & SCANDINAVIA. (Airmail Only):

1 LP (Small Packet ‘Signed For’ with Standard Royal Mail Insurance [£50 maximum]) = £12.50 (enhanced Royal Mail insurance is an optional extra £3). Add £3 per extra LP.

Posting & Packing: ALL OVERSEAS (non-European) e.g. USA (ANY PART OF); South America; New Zealand; Australia; Canada; Japan and other Far East; (Airmail Only: I NEVER use Surface Mail):

1 LP (Small Packet ‘Signed For’ with Standard Royal Mail Insurance [£50 maximum]) = £16.50 (£17.50 for double sets). Add £3 per extra LP. (enhanced Royal Mail insurance is an optional extra £3)

Payment Conditions:

I prefer PayPal or cheque from UK winning bidders. I can accept PayPal from overseas bidders or direct payment into my bank account.

Potential Bidders: I will cancel any bids I feel are time-wasters. A maximum 3 days for communication and 7 days for payment to arrive - if not I will relist the item or offer to the runner-up. Fast deals get great feedback from me. Any questions - please ask and thanks for looking.

My Guarantee: If any winning bidder is not satisfied with their purchase I will offer a complete refund. I will not refund if any defect detail is clearly stated on the advert and missed by the buyer, so read the item description carefully. If any overseas collector does not understand anything in my listing, please email and ask me to help. Thank You.

SOME GENERAL GUIDES TO WEAR AND CONDITIONS TO HELP YOU DECIDE

My Use of Description Terminology: Surface Marks = Superficial, usually light marks, hairlines or light scuffs that rarely sound. Scratch = a needle mark that goes below the record’s surface, some will sound, some will not, my play-grade will inform. Original = a record that has been pressed with the first label design which does NOT necessarily mean a very first pressed record. First Pressing = A record that I believe or know to be a genuine very first pressed record. I do not claim to always know for sure, and that’s why I state the stamper and matrix numbers if at all possible, for those who claim to know what they all mean, the information is there for the collector to decide. I prefer to use terms like ‘Early Copy’ rather than ‘First Pressing’ if I am not totally sure. Surface Sound = Mild, light sound, usually light crackle or similar. Distortion = Break up of the actual sound caused by groove wear or damage from a chipped stylus – the most undesirable form of unwanted sound, vintage mono records were the most prone to this happening but not exclusively so. The symptoms of distortion are high frequency clipping, moderate constant crackle or an echo type sound quality. Violin, piano and vocals are most prone to groove-wear distortion. Feathering = Fraying or softening of the entry edge of a cover. Covers with feathered entrance edges are more likely to have had the actual record inserted and removed more than a non-feathered, sharp-edged cover which are always far more attractive. Set Off, actually a printer’s term for dark ink leaving mild residue on pale or white ink when rested upon. e.g. when a gatefold cover has black ink closed against white, this can leave some black residue on the pale area – this is mostly unavoidable or course.

The Argument for Vinyl Original sound and mix (mono mixes are rarely available on CD), high quality sound on clean copies (played on a hi-end dedicated analogue system – breathtaking sound!), beautiful, large format covers, artwork, inserts and even full size posters etc; huge investment potential, and the pleasure of owning ‘the real thing’.