ZAPPA / MOTHERS Uncle Meat + RARE ORIG COVER STICKER

	£		66
	$		87

ONEADAYRECORDS – Simply Delivering Quality Music to the World.

Postage: UK £4.25. Europe (including Russia) £12. Rest of World £16. ALL signed for in quality, safe packaging – I NEVER use mailing envelopes.

NOTE: I now apply the Ebay ‘4-day’ rule for non-payment. I try to keep my P&P prices as low as possible after the very significant Royal Mail price increases and will never compromise on solid, safe packing.

Artist or Band: THE MOTHERS OF INVENTION

Album Title: Uncle Meat .

Produced: Frank Zappa.

TRACK LIST:

Side 1: Uncle Meat; The Voice of Cheese; Nine Types of Industrial Pollution; Zolar Czakl; Dog Breath in The Year of the Plague; The Legend of the Golden Arches; Louie Louie; The Dog Breath Variations.

Side 2: Sleeping in a Jar; our Bizarre Relationship; The Uncle Meat Variations; Electric Aunt Jemima; Prelude to King Kong; God Bless America; A Pound for a Brown on the Bus; Ian Underwood Whips it Out.

Side 3: Mr Green Genes; We Can Shoot You; If We’d All Been Living in California; The Air; Project X; Cruising for Burgers.

Side 4: King Kong Itself; King Kong by Don Preston; King Kong by Motorhead; King Kong the Gardener varieties; King Kong ‘deranged’; King Kong by Ian Underwood.

Label/Format: Transatlantic – as can be seen, side one has the ‘400 Days of the Year’ track error. The first record labels are smooth finished. The second has textured surfaces. I have found this record with both finishes and it seems to make no difference of when it was pressed. The matrix details are always the same. Indeed this record was not pressed many times anyway and was not available too long as a UK pressing. That is why so many American copies ended up here in the UK, this being considerably easier to find than original British issues.

Label Conditions: All four very clean, fresh and attractive with only very light, few, fine and faint spindle marks. For the few who bought this album on issue, most were big Zappa fans who played it many times and this has always been a difficult album to find in fine condition – that is cover and records.

Cat Number: TRA 197.

Mode / Speed: Stereo / 33.3 rpm.

Weight of this Records: 145 / 153 grams. Typically thick and heavy UK records. Most American issues were very thin and flimsy.

Country of Manufacture: England.

Rarity: UK pressings on Transatlantic are quite rare. It was not available very long before being deleted and not repressed here. So later Zappa fans had to rely on imported, usually US copies which were wafer thin. The UK pressings did NOT include a book, but a British-made book, being different inside to the US book exist and were made available at the gigs of the era, they are very rare indeed and not really part of this particular issue. Now this ultimate first-pressed copy is rarer still because of the cover detail: Until recently, my own personal copy is the only one I had seen with the original manufacturer’s large price sticker on the front. I had seen a couple with large residues left by the sticker being removed but most of these never had this included in the first place. Removing this from new would have been a perilous and highly risky venture, usually resulting in cover tearing. I could hardly believe my eyes when I first saw this on an ‘Uncle Meat’ cover in the first place. I had to wait until the age of 51 to actually see one, not even knowing this ever had a manufacturer’s price sticker at all. The original US version had a dark red sticker promoting the book, but practically all UK covers are seen devoid of any stickers. Another shock was the original asking price for this (still then obscure) double set – 79s. 9d – that is a three old pennies under £4, a substantial price for any record in 1968, especially one unlikely to sell in any great numbers. Transatlantic were the only label at the time that would issue this album due to the explicit language used on some songs. This ultra rare original large price sticker (seen in close-up) has remained largely intact. I suspect the original owner did consider or attempt removal and thought better of it quickly as there is a little evidence of disturbance on two right edges, but only quite minor. I am delighted this very rare sticker was left alone – I love pre-decimal price stickers as they give that piece of extra history prior to the currency change that happened in 1971. So few of these are seen with it included. The cover has always been fragile and prone to all forms of wear and this has aged a little. The records appear hardly played and offer wonderful sound that blow the CD version away. A huge title within Zappa’s vast catalogue and with the original cover sticker, this is rare, make no mistake.

Original Year of Release: 1969

Matrix Nos: STRA 197 A1 / STRA 197 B1 / STRA 197 C1 / STRA 197 D1

Musicians: Frank Zappa – guitar, percussion, vocals; Ray Collins - vocals; Jimmy Carl Black - drums; Roy Estrada - electric bass, vocal; Don Preston - electric piano; Billy Mundi - drums; Bunk Gardner - piccolo, flute, clarinet, bass clarinet, soprano sax, alto sax, tenor sax, bassoon (all mostly electrified); Ian Underwood - electric organ, pinao, harpsichord, celeste, flute, clarinet, alto sax, baritone sax; Art Tripp - drums, timpani, vibes, marimba, xylophone, wood blocks, bells, small chimes; Euclid James (Motorhead) Sherwood - frenetic sax; tambourine. Guests: Ruth Komanoff (later Underwood) - marimba, vibes; Nelcy Walker - soprano vocal.

Brief Artist & Album Info: In terms of ‘progressive’ music, they don’t come much more progressive than this awesome double album. One of the cornerstones of a serious Zappa collection regardless of which pressing or country of issue it comes from. I am happy to offer any super-clean great-sounding copy of what is one of my favourite albums ever. An amazing blend of rock, psychedelia and free-jazz and very experimental. The use of early electronics and treatments of voices and traditional musical instruments is quite mind-blowing. This was the Mothers of Invention with eleven members, it introduces us to Ruth Komanoff (later Underwood) a very talented classically-trained percussionist who really understood Zappa’s complex music and plays the distinctive marimba and other vibes on this remarkable set. Zappa was still printing Edgard Varèse’s quote on his albums - ‘The present day composer refuses to die!’ - but so far his talent for outrage had somewhat obscured his skills as a composer. Uncle Meat aimed to put that right, a double release that down-played lyrics. ‘Basically this is an instrumental album’, it stated inside the gatefold. A note described the technique of overdubbing, which was used extensively, opening up the weird world of virtual orchestration. New recruits, Arthur Tripp and Ruth Komanoff were both added on percussion with Jimmy Carl Black. They helped Zappa realise some of his fiendish metrical ingenuities. Ian Underwood played harpsichord: a jangling, absurdist quality infuses all the music. Uncle Meat eventually became a great favourite in Europe, and almost single-handedly gave birth to the genre of ‘Art Rock’. The music was to be used in the movie of the same name, but never got actually finished until much later (the money ran out). This is Zappa at the very peak of creativity, predominately instrumental, but not all, it includes classic live performances taken from tours in the US and UK. ‘Louie Louie’ features Don Preston on the ‘mighty Royal Albert Hall Pipe Organ’ and the band also demolish ‘God Bless America’ (an equivalent statement to the distortions Hendrix was applying to ‘Star Spangled Banner’). Pamela Zarubica (a one time house-mate) appeared as the ‘Voice of the Cheese’ - Zappa takes the listener from domestic intimacy to rock-venue spectacle in breathtaking lurches. Every track is interesting in it’s complexity either vocally, or more so instrumentally. Zappa’s solo on ‘Nine Type of Industrial Pollution’ inspired many guitarists in the future with it’s strange chord structures and sound. ‘The Air’ had lyrics about customs searches and tape recordings and ‘If We’d all Been Living in California’ is a conversation between Jimmy Carl Black and Zappa about why the Mothers were not making more money being on the road and being near destitute. The album’s piece-de-resistance and long-standing favourite is Side D taken up by one of Zappa’s greatest compositions: ‘King Kong’, this is a six section instrumental featuring some blistering solos from Underwood on electric alto sax, Motorhead on a deranged baritone sax and best of all Bunk Gardner’s solo. Many assume this is a treated electric saxophone solo, but not so. The amazing sounds are created on an electric clarinet - you have never heard nothing like this before - the reed’s spit and rasp and create a sound possibly unique to this amazing album. The instrument is simply blown to destruction, this is Gardner’s tour de force, and his finest moment with the Mothers. The large band is in overdrive on ‘Kong Kong’ and sounds created are astonishing. I compared this vinyl record against the Japanese card cover CD and the vinyl has the edge in all departments with more detail and depth. The prelude to King Kong on side B is pretty amazing too, a vast free-form jazz rock instrumental - this is the band blowing at their very best. For any Zappa fan who has not heard this amazing journey into free jazz and weird creativity, this has to be experienced. If it proved to weird for you back in the late 60s, give it another try today, the best records take time to fully appreciate and this is more than worthy of perseverance. Regarding this man’s work – this is truly one of the very best ever. Weird? oh yes, and proudly so – enjoy!

Cover’s Potential for Wear: Very high++. Both UK and US covers are notoriously fragile and split, rub and wear so easily. I have rarely seen either in top conditions, that is why my own personal copies are so highly prized and valued.

Cover Grade and Format: EXCELLENT(-): an unlaminated gatefold format with matt, smooth surfaces. Printed and made in England by MacNeill Press and INCLUDES the rare original pre-decimal sticker on the front. The UK pressings did NOT include a book. But one does exist that was made available at the gigs but is not considered as a part of this album. Only the early US versions included one.

Cover Front: The front has minimal wear and please be aware just how fragile this cover is. I have described this ultra rare price sticker in my ‘Rarity’ paragraph further up and do not underestimate just how elusive it is. 79 shillings and 9 pence was a hefty price back in 1969 and would not have helped sales, that is a fraction under £4. Very thin card double sets with thick heavy records inside mean ring wear – this has very little at all – a gentle rim arc rub at the bottom only. There are some press marks towards the top but no ink removal, hence only really seen under angled light. A little fine edge creasing and rubbing but little else. The sticker always goes a little transparent over time – my own personal copy is the same. As stated, it appears the owner may have thought about a removal with light evidence on the right edge, but though better of it, hence this rare pre-decimal sticker is largely intact and quite neat as seen on my close-up picture. This truly will not be seen often and is totally genuine, it is gently aged as all will be. So a very decent front and far better than many seen.

Cover Back: The back is equally fine and similar to the front, possibly even better with no press marks and again a modest rim rub arc near the top and a mere trace at the bottom. More often seen with full circle cutting ring wear, this is unusual so light.

Cover Inner Gatefold: Very little to fault inside – a gentle trace of set-off near the bottom edges, but that near impossible to avoid and as light as it gets.

Top & Bottom Edges: All edges have moderate rubbing, and will rarely, if ever not have. Quite soft thin card means it is incredibly hard to avoid. There are no splits which is a bonus.

Right Edge(s), and Type: These entrance edges have thickened a little with any burring modest. They are guaranteed untrimmed.

Spine and Text: Quite solid and unsplit and even straight, this is folded square as well, so the edges meet up very closely together and parallel – not always the case. The ends have rubbed but most of the artwork is present, and very unusually, the folds themselves retain nigh-on full ink coverage. The text itself – in terms of this cover – is very respectable. The ‘TRA 197’ and ‘BIZARRE/TRANSATLANTIC’ are fully intact and unworn. The ‘Uncle Meat’ title almost the same. The band name however does have some rubbing with around 50% only remaining. Again, I have seen this sleeve with zero text and the spine being totally devoid of ink and threadbare.

Corners: All the corners have moderate rubbing but retain fine shape overall.

Cover Summary: The most difficult UK-made Zappa cover ever. Unlaminated double sets with heavy records inside have little chance and this one is very rare to find even near Excellent, let alone better. With most wear predominately on the edges, I think my excellent minus grading is fair, but subjective. The main areas have little wear and far less than average and this is still an attractive cover overall. So not for the perfectionist but many Frank fans will enjoy it. That rare sticker makes it a rare find and that for me more than compensates edge rubbing. One of the two original plain white unlined inners are included along with a replacement second that is a very close match with same ‘Patents Applied For’ text.

Vinyl Condition/Visual Grading: EXCELLENT: a very fine visual pair that are very clean, shiny, intense black and heavily pressed. Be under illusion, most who bought this album back 69 were not hi-fi connoisseurs, but of certain types who experimented with the more ‘Out There’ music of the time, hence few of these survive in really top conditions. Both discs have a few light surface marks as seen under light with barely any audio affect. A couple of tiny, almost pin-prick sized marks on ‘Ian Underwood Whips it Out’ have half a dozen or so brief clicks, but little else on the whole set and few will better this very clean sounding pair. Rarely will this double set, which has been only very modestly played be found a great deal better and it should please many, if not most collectors.

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: Both records play above their high visual grading with very little to fault. Strong, distortion-free sound, all frequencies are sharp and clear - sound quality is simply awesome with a wide dynamic range and very detailed sound. The details and dynanics of a first issue pressing blows away any others and the CD versions hardly even compare. Minimal traces of any surface sound, which is very good news as Transatlantic were not always the most reliable label for pristine pressings, but this overall is impressive. Just the aforementioned brief few, quite gentle clicks noted on the final track on side two from a tiny mark but little else. Not a label known for too many ‘progressive’ or ‘underground’ acts, mostly a dedicated folk label and this was Zappa’s only release on it. Few copies will match or outperform this very well preserved set. Nothing of any real note spoilt my pleasure when play-grading these classic records, it’s always a thrill for me to hear this album via the analogue format and my Japanese card CD versions are slowly gathering dust. A difficult set for the cover and records and overall, a very fine example – not for the perfectionist, but worthy of strong recommendation for most, as stated, these do not come along often like this.

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 8,000+ items sold in over 10 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] = £4.25

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 (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 (£17 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’.