BLO - Chapter One Monster Nigerian Afro Funk Psych Prog Still Sealed Reissue

$

20

ARTIST: BLO
TITLE: Chapter One
LABEL : Mr. Bongo 
YEAR OF RELEASE : 2016

Still Sealed reissue of this extremely rare African release first issued in 1973. Gatefold /w OBI.
 
CONDITION:
SLEEVE: Still Sealed Mint
RECORD: Still Sealed Mint

Re-mastered audio pressed on high quality vinyl, packaged in a gatefold with exact original artwork. African rock pioneer, Blo’s debut album, ‘Chapter One,’ was originally released by EMI in 1973.
Blo is most known for being the first rock band to emerge from Africa. This trio includes Berkely ‘Ike’ Jones on guitar, Laolu ‘Akins’ Akintobi on drums and Mike ‘Gbenga’ Odumosu on bass. Each member has also worked in Ginger Baker’s band, Salt prior to their formation in 1972. The band’s retro, afro-rock sound foundation of the late 60’s makes this one of the finest African fusion albums. ‘Chapter One’ features raw and outstanding guitar work from Jones, accompanied by the groovy collaboration of Akintobi’s drums and Odumosu’s bass, creating an out of this world, psychedelic vibe. Vocals are the least prominent feature of this brilliant album, functioning more like an additional soulful element rather than a key attribute to justify the 60’s style rock. This is demonstrated in the album’s only instrumental track, the Arabic-tinged ‘Miss Sagitt.’ ‘Chapter One’ is one of the most sought after African albums, despite the fact that it performed poorly upon release, which lead to the band switching labels to focus on a funkier sound. However, this album remains to be a rare piece of African psychedelic funk, which can reach up to $4000 for an original copy. Blo’s ‘Time To Face The Sun’ returned to the limelight when it was was sampled by legendary LA based hip hop producer Madlib on his hit 'Face The Sun'.


I'm a collector too and sell things from time to time to finance the habit.  I hate being disappointed as a buyer so my LPs are purposely graded conservatively.

Thanks to Goldmine Magazine for use of this Grading scale:

NB.  Addiitional Descriptors such as (++) added to enhance detail without jumping grade
Mint (M):

Absolutely perfect in every way - certainly never played, possibly even still sealed. Should be used sparingly as a grade, if at all.

Near Mint (NM or M-):

A nearly perfect record. Many dealers won't give a grade higher than this implying (perhaps correctly) that no record is ever truly perfect.

The record should show no obvious signs of wear. A 45 RPM or EP sleeve should have no more than the most minor defects, such as almost invisible wear or other signs of slight handling.

An LP jacket should have no creases, folds, seam splits or any other noticeable similar defect. No cut-out holes, either. And of course, the same should be true of any other inserts, such as posters, lyric sleeves and the like.

Basically, an LP in Near Mint condition looks as if you just got it home from a new record store and removed the shrink wrap.

Very Good Plus (VG+):

A Very Good Plus record will show some signs that it was played and otherwise handled by a previous owner who took good care of it.

Record surfaces may show some slight signs of wear and may have slight scuffs or very light scratches that don't affect one's listening experience. Slight warps that do not affect the sound are okay.

The label may have some ring wear or discoloration, but it should be barely noticeable. The center hole will not have been misshapen by repeated play.

Picture sleeves and LP inner sleeves will have some slight wear, lightly turned-up corners or a slight seam-split. An LP jacket may have slight signs of wear also and may be marred by a cut-out hole, indentation or corner indicating it was taken out of print and sold at a discount.

In general, if not for a couple of minor things wrong with it, this would be Near Mint. All but the most mint-crazy collectors will find a Very Good Plus record highly acceptable.

Very Good (VG):

Many of the defects found in a VG+ record will be more pronounced in a VG record. Surface noise will be evident upon playing, especially in soft passages and during a song's intro and fade, but will not overpower the music otherwise. Groove wear will start to be noticeable, as will light scratches (deep enough to feel with a fingernail) that will affect the sound.

Labels may be marred by writing, or have tape or stickers (or their residue) attached. The same will be true of picture sleeves or LP covers. However, it will not have all of these problems at the same time, only two or three of them.

Good (G),Good Plus (G+) or Very Good Minus (VG?)

Good does not mean bad! The record still plays through without skipping, so it can serve as filler until something better comes along. But it has significant surface noise and groove wear, and the label is worn, with significant ring wear, heavy writing, or obvious damage caused by someone trying to remove tape or stickers and failing miserably. A Good to VG cover has ring wear to the point of distraction, has seam splits obvious on sight and may have even heavier writing, such as, for example, huge radio station letters written across the front to deter theft.

If the item is common, it's probably better to pass it up. But if you've been seeking it for a long time, get it cheap and look to upgrade.

POOR (P) and Fair (F)
Poor (P) and Fair (F) records go for 0 to 5 percent of the Near Mint value, if they go at all. More likely, they end up going in the trash. Records are cracked, impossibly warped, or skip and/or repeat when an attempt is made to play them. Covers are so heavily damaged that you almost want to cry.