VAN DER GRAAF GENERATOR Pawn Hearts SCARCE EARLY UK 1971 EX LP. STUNNING SOUND.

	£		122
	$		146

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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 arrive damaged in them at some time. Here, you get what you pay for – SAFE PACKING in BOXES using 7mm DOUBLE-WALL STIFFENERS. Full details nearer the end of the listing.

Posting to Russia: Yes, I do post to Russia. But delivery can take up to 4 to 6 weeks from the UK. So please be patient. I will submit a tracking number to the winning bidder, and when the packet arrives there it can be followed online using the Russian post website.

ALSO: I now apply the Ebay ‘2-day’ rule for non-payment to keep things moving – cash-flow is important for 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.

FINALLY: Late payers, non-payers and ‘0’ bidders will now be blocked or cancelled at my discretion. As will any bidder who cancels a bid. I do not like this practice as it is most often used to phish out the price to beat. Ebay does not approve and neither do I – so only bid on my items if you want them.

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 clean, still quite fresh and attractive with lovely deep colour. Just a tiny few small, quite light spindle marks that show little. In terms of sound quality for this utmost challenging record, it plays superbly 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: 135 grams. A 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 failed to chart. The biggest challenge is finding copies well pressed and offering clean sound – this copy does just that. An incredibly complex work with huge volume contrasts, this one plays with little unwanted, and so few ever do. This also has a little worn cover, again somewhat above the average. The insert sheet is a fantastic reproduction that actually looks better than most-all originals I have seen. This I did to the highest possible standard from an original, this printed on thicker paper than the flimsy originals and, being honest, of superior look and feel. But it is what it is – a repro – and a free ‘extra’ for the winning bidder. Originals are not seen often and only came with a few early copies.

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: 1 RA / 1 P. This is the ‘BOBIL’ cut with this word seen on side one run-out area.

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. I 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 listen. Quite a challenging album in the same mould as the likes of King Crimson and Gentle Giant. Limited sales on issue, this album has gained considerable stature over the years, and finding early copies in anything like decent playing condition is very difficult indeed. Peter 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. 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 and sends the senses into overdrive. This head-spinning progressive masterpiece should be included in any serious rock collection and is almost too good for words. Put simply: no one makes music like this anymore, this is progressive rock at its very best.

Cover Grade and Format: EXCELLENT: or very close to. 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. Includes the plain white inner sleeve and a superb repro of the rare lyric sheet.

Cover Front: A very fine front on a cover prone to all forms of wear. Generally clean, still fresh and lacking the usual rubbing, creasing and sticker marks many seem to get. The only crease of note is a fine one on the left central area that shows little, there is a very small rub trace on the fold just above it (look hard). Any marks or blemishes, even tip rubbing, are small, very few and light. An uncompromising surface that will not be seen a great deal better often.

Cover Back: In terms of wear, this has hardly any. The lack of ringwear especially is a huge plus. A little gentle toning near the right spine edge is lightly seen with a couple of very fine spine creases. Like the front, this will take a fair degree of beating.

Cover Inner Gatefold: A slightly bizarre inner, this has very little wear and still looks impressive. One or two light surface creases – one edge and one corner tip – but little else. I reiterate, this is the original with the B&C credits.

Top Edges: Both thick, straight, flat and practically parallel with minimal traces of rubbing.

Bottom Edges: Similar again with only very light patchy rubbing. Possibly the least I have seen to date for this cover on these vulnerable storage edges.

Right Edge(s), and Type: Clean, sharp, with little wear, any thickening or burring viewed end-on light is again minimal, hardly any at all in fact. Both ends are open, the front likely unstuck, but I am not even sure if it was ever adhered as there is no evidence of any raised or rough adhesive smearing at all. But a totally flat dull line on the inside card on one edge only. Record traditionally enters on the back edge, both guaranteed untrimmed or enhanced. The front would be ideal for the insert sheet of course.

Spine and Text: Solid, thick and straight. A small central compression from a minor dink with a gentle rub and crease. But that the only blemish of note on a spine hardly worn apart. Folded square, so the edges meet up closely and parallel. All text is perfect which is another considerable plus, and mainly all ink present on the surface and even the folds.

Corners: Mainly small tip rubs that few can hope to avoid. Very fine or better shape retained with minimal hint of dinks and certainly no significant knocks.

Cover Summary: A very difficult cover, but a very fine all-round example of this B&C, E. J. Day original. One that could prove difficult to find much better. With only light traces of ageing and minor wear, this splendid item should please many collectors.

The Inner Sleeve: EXCELLENT: a solid white unlined inner, this one aged little with minimal creasing or discolouration. All edges unsplit with no repairs.

The Lyric Insert: NO GRADE: as this is a brand new reproduction. It looks fantastic and blows away most flimsy originals that surface. As many, if not most do not include one at all, this makes this very fine example ‘complete’. Like the original, this is only printed on one side.

Vinyl Condition/Visual Grading: EXCELLENT / EXCELLENT(+): very clean, with equally fine shine and solidly pressed. A few light surface marks, mostly on side one, but these have no audio effect. There are NO penetrating scratches and any minor visual blemishes are purely superficial, few early examples will avoid minor marks or traces as a bare minimum. Side two especially is exceptional with little. Also worthy of note, this one has NO raised blistering spots 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 ones. 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 with very little unwanted, so overall, a very impressive record.

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 immense (and in this case, the word meant with a passion) with a massive dynamic range and very detailed sound. Any surface sound minimal and no tracking issues*, 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 light blemishes were infrequent and minor. 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 jaw-dropping sound. The dynamics and power of this album 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 pretty chaotic. The stereo separation and effects of the instruments is pure genius, a masterclass of engineering. 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. Also, of course, this the original mix. Personally, I do not want classics like this remixed or the sound changed on digital versions, as so many invariably are these days. Strongly recommended for music fans who want something different and original – a real art that now seems lost – long live Peter Hammill!

* As played-graded on a high-end Linn LP12 Sondek turntable with Ittok Mk II arm and Ortofon Quintet Black moving coil cartridge tracking at 2.2 grams.

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 as I Play-Grade every record I offer in their entirety – also on higher-end equipment – 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 it’s 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. Room light factors can make things vary sometimes, that is hard to control, especially in winter. 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 Quintet Black moving coil cartridge (tracks at 2.2 grams). Amps: Naim Supernait 2 with Project USB phono stage and Tellerium Black interconnects. Speakers: B&W 704 Floorstanding 3-way Monitors (bi-wired with Tellurium 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, better quality packaging costs, I offer probably the best-value and safest shipping possible for ultimate confidence. The boxes and ultra thick double-wall stiffeners 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 minuscule in over 14 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. Oneadayrecords is a MAILER-FREE ZONE – they offer next-to-no-protection, and should be banned, no ‘professional’ should consider using them in my opinion. 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 TWO days if no payment is received. I will then cancel the dispute to end the bid, 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 as will any suspicious bids or bid withdrawals. 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] = £7.50. (this includes insurance of £500). Add £1 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 £2 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’.