CAPTAIN BEEFHEART Trout Mask Replica EARLY UK 1972 REPRISE N/M LPs - SUPERB COPY

	£		21
	$		28

ONEADAYRECORDS – Simply Delivering Quality Music to the World.

Postage: UK £4.75. Europe (including Russia) £12.50. Rest of World £16.50. All boxes signed for in quality, safe packaging – I NEVER use mailing envelopes that offer virtually no protection at all. More details on this 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 ‘4-day’ rule for non-payment. I try to keep my P&P prices as low as possible even yet another Royal Mail price hike, I will never compromise on solid, safe packing that is invariably a little heavier.

Album Title: Trout Mask Replica.

Producer(s): Frank Zappa.

TRACK LIST:

Side 1: Frownland; The Dust Blows Forward ’n’ the Dust Blows Back; Dachau Blues; Ella Guru; Hair Pie: Bake 1; Moonlight on Vermont.

Side 2: Pachuco Cadaver; Bill’s Corpse; Sweet Sweet Bulbs; Neon Meate Dream of a Octafish; China Pig; My Human Gets Me Blues; Dali’s Car.

Side 3: Hair Pie: Bake 2; Pena; Well; When Big Joan Sets Up; Fallin’ Ditch; Sugar ’n’ Spikes; Ant Man Bee.

Side 4: Orange Claw Hammer; Wild Life; She’s to Much For My Mirror; Hobo Chang Ba; The Blimp; Steal Softly Thru Snow; Old Fart at Play; Veteran’s Day Poppy.

Cat Number: K 64026.

Label/Format/Information: Reprise – matt smooth finish with no Warner logo at the 3 o’clock position making this a first repressing from around 1972 (please see label scan, all are of the same very high standard).

Label Conditions: All four fresh, clean and attractive with barely a spindle trace to be seen – rarely seen one of these better.

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 these Records: 103 / 101 grams. Like many of this era, pressed quite lightly, but on top quality vinyl – both records play superbly with nothing to fault.

Country of Manufacture: England.

Rarity: First-pressed UK Straight originals are scarce and quite elusive. Only the more adventurous of record collectors would have bought this album or simply the curious - I guess the cover would have attracted a few buyers and the Zappa linked may have helped. But this record was far too advanced and weird for most and even today it still causes divided opinion. The Straight label ceased to be around 1972 and this legendary set was repressed on Reprise – both labels were part of Warner. The first repressings still has the matt cover and the labels had no Warner logo. These are not so easily found either especially in top conditions. The cover has always been highly prone to all forms of wear, especially ring wear and rarely is it seen without it. At least an early copy with a very impressive, clean cover and both records look practically unused and offer pristine sound throughout. An all-round example that will never prove easy to find better.

Matrix Nos: K.64026.A1 / K.64026.B1 / K.64026.C1 / K.64026.D1

Run-Out Inscriptions: ‘ALLEN’ (on sides 1, 2 and 3)

The Magic Band: Bizarre by name – bizarre by nature: even the Magic Band members were given outlandish names: Zoot Horn Rollo (Bill Harkleroad): glass finger guitar, flute; Antennae Jimmy Semens (Jeff Cotton): Steel-appendage guitar, flesh guitar; Captain Beefheart (Don van Vliet): bass clarinet, tenor sax, soprano sax, simran horn, musette, vocals; The Mascara Snake (Victor Hayden): bass clarinet, vocal; Rockette Morton (Mark Boston): bass and narration; Drumbo (John French), Uncredited on the original album – drums, percussion. Frank Zappa produces and can be heard on dialogue. All songs written by Beefheart.

Uncredited Guests: Doug Moon – guitar on ‘China Pig’; Dick Kunc - speaking voice on ‘She’s Too Much for My Mirror’ (and engineer); Gary ‘Magic’ Marker – bass guitar on ‘Moonlight on Vermont’ and ‘Veteran’s Day Poppy; Frank Zappa – speaking voice on ‘Ella Guru’, ‘The Blimp’, and Pena’; Roy Estrada – bass guitar on ‘The Blimp’; Arthur Tripp III – drums & percussion on ‘The Blimp’; Don Preston – piano on ‘The Blimp’; Ian Underwood and Bunk Gardner – alto and tenor saxophones on ‘The Blimp’; Buzz Gardner – trumpet on ‘The Blimp’.

Brief Artist & Album Info: I am always delighted to offer quite possibly the most brilliantly bizarre album ever made, light years ahead of anything else loosely within it’s field – that said there has never been another album, artist or band quite like Captain Beefheart and his Magic Band and Trout Mask Replica, and never will be – this is true one-off. When I find ‘worthy’ copies to offer, I don’t mind where or when they were made, or on which label – I simply want to offer a top playing copy of one of the most famous records ever issued. To offer a once or twice-played early Reprise copy gives me no less pleasure than a Straight first issue, especially so with such a clean and attractive cover which are near impossible to find on Straight.

“If there has been anything in the history of popular music which could be described as a work of art in a way that people who are involved in other areas of art would understand, then Trout Mask Replica is probably that work” – BBC disc jockey John Peel.

Produced by Frank Zappa this extravaganza (arguably) features the best ever Magic Band and actually charted in the UK at 21, but did not enter the American charts at all. This is an album of myth and legend: The Captain, Zappa and his band entered a rented house, which acted as a studio with a few song ideas and what came out was nothing short of remarkable, even up to this very day. A blend of rock, delta blues, free-form jazz and avant garde instrumentals. Up until then, van Vliet has never been given the freedom of expression he wanted. Zappa was soon to put that right, and let the man perform his music and ideas exactly the way he wanted, and no stone was left unturned. Guitars thrash, barely in tune and totally off key – all quite deliberate – saxes and winds wail, blowing notes that hardly even exist and Beefheart sings at times almost like a wild animal, allegedly he ‘sang’ in a different room altogether. Musically this is as challenging as ‘rock’ music ever gets and van Vliet’s lyrical genius and crazed disjointed tunes probably never quite sounded this wonderful again. Amongst the playful mayhem there is catchiness and beauty. For those prepared to listen and give it a try, it’s possibly one of the most rewarding experiences you can ever imagine. Matt Groening creator of ‘The Simpsons’ explained in a TV Beefheart documentary some time ago, about his experience of this album, which exactly replicated my own (and I guess others too). He bought this album simply because it was produced by Zappa and thought ‘it must have something going for it’. First play: what the earth was that all about?, ‘the band aren’t even trying’. Undaunted, Second play: Still very difficult, but a chink of light. Third Play: things are becoming a little clearer. After around six plays, the genius of Trout Mask Replica kicks in and gets embedded into the mind. This remains easily in my top five albums ever, I never tire playing it and hearing a super clean vinyl copy is always extra special. The sounds pressed in these very clean UK Reprise grooves carry incredible detail and information along with top-drawer sound quality. Straight pressing quality was, to say the least, variable – the wonderful Tim Buckley pair, incredibly difficult to find nice. Few examples will ever play ‘silent’, but this early very clean and barely played Reprise copy plays beautifully with barely anything unwanted at all. The stereo imagery and wildness is incredible, remember, this is how Zappa wanted this album to sound and nothing beats the vinyl experience. I have to conclude this preamble about this landmark, groundbreaking issue by mentioning the late, great, BBC disc jockey John Peel. It’s now been some time since this great man’s untimely death but his memory will never fade. The greatest disc jockey ever introduced me to a vast array of varied music over the years and I know for certain this album had a special place in his own collection – he adored van Vliet and his music and Trout Mask Replica in particular, which is documented as his favourite album of all time. He often featured tracks on his radio shows. And even though the Captain had long since left the music business, they remained great friends.

“I thought it was the worst thing I’d ever heard. I said to myself, they’re not even trying! It was just a sloppy cacophony. Then I listened to it a couple more times, because I couldn’t believe Frank Zappa could do this to me – and because a double album cost a lot of money. About the third time, I realised they were doing it on purpose; they meant it to sound exactly this way. About the sixth or seventh time, it clicked in, and I thought it was the greatest album I’d ever heard” – Cartoonist and writer Matt Groening (The Simpsons).

It’s long been a matter of debate between collectors and music critics about this album – 28 songs of genius or the greatest musical joke of all time. Well I cannot end the debate – it’s simply a matter of opinion of course, but for me it’s the former. I adore this album (and like Groening, it took me 8 to 10 plays to fully appreciate it). Pop music is often instantly likeable, and, equally, often instantly disposable too – sometimes too easy to like a record on first play and get bored with it very quickly, but Trout Mask Replica is NOT pop music, it’s challenging, inventive, daring and at times difficult, but ultimately rewarding and original - you cannot be bored with this. Hugely complex and I would be certain, very difficult to even play – this Magic Band were very talented musicians and special mention has to be made on John French’s drumming which often holds the entire piece together. An album of legendary status – it even pops up periodically in newspapers and magazines for reassessment and debate – and how many albums ever do that from artists that many still are even unfamiliar with? It always features highly in any list of all time greats, and so it should, but that statistic is made even more remarkable given the fact it’s so weird and off-the-wall. When an album like this can actually claim a full page re-review in an English Sunday Newspaper some 37 years after issue, that has to tell it’s own story. Rock music has it’s eccentric and strange characters, often manufactured for appeal and publicity. But van Vliet was genuinely weird, a unique and bizarre character. Most listeners would run a mile or simply switch off on hearing ‘Pena’, ‘Ella Guru’, ‘Neon Meate Dream…’ or ‘Hair Pie’ and most of the others come to that, but they are wrong and you are right. Arguably too one of Zappa’s finest production. Early vinyl cuts encapture all the fine details, all the weirdness, all the sounds that make this masterpiece so special. In 2011, the album was even added to the United States National Recording Registry – a massive achievement of recognition for such a piece. If your collection is still missing Trout Mask Replica, it must put it right and be prepared to be mesmerised – ‘Fast ’n bulbous, got me’!

Cover Grade and Format: EXCELLENT(+): and this being critical on such a difficult and uncompromising cover. An unlaminated gatefold format with matt, smooth surfaces. Printed and made in England by Gothic and includes both the original plain inners.

Cover Front: Very clean, fresh and attractive with deep vivid colour and barely aged at all. A gentle rim rub trace near the top edge, a few mainly quite light edge creases and a fine fade on the very edge of the spine. This has always been very sensitive to light and copies with lightened spines are common. This is one to hold and enjoy and so few ever will be. – ‘that’s right the Mascara Snake’.

Cover Back: The top edge has a small light crease and again a fine and very faint rim rub. Few will better this for sure, this is incredibly clean indeed. A ‘Downtown Records’ sticker is seen near the bottom right corner, these can usually be removed if desired, but I prefer to leave them alone. Just look at the Magic Band, possibly the weirdest group in the history of ‘rock’.

Cover Inner Gatefold: The inside has little to fault at all, the odd hint of set-off being critical. Quite why ‘Drumbo’ (John French) fails to get a credit, I really do not know.

Top Edges: Any rubbing very fine and faint, both straight and lay flat.

Bottom Edges: A little gentle and light rubbing on the back that shows little, hardly anything on the front and again, both straight.

Right Edges, and Type: Clean and mostly very sharp with little wear, any thickening or burring gentle and light as seen viewed end-on. Records entered on these edges that are guaranteed untrimmed.

Spine and Text: Solid, straight with barely any compression. Also folded square, so the edges are flush and parallel. The only real issue is fading, this all-too common for rack-stored copies of this cover which (like many others) is common. All text fully present and unworn and still very easy to read.

Corners: Most have only light tip rubbing, just the bottom right back has a moderate one. Very fine to excellent (or better) shape is retained.

Cover Summary: A cover as famous as the music itself, this is a really clean and attractive example. Most collectors and fans will already know how badly this cover wears and this can be deemed way above average. NO tip-ins or tape applications – this again not unusual to see. One that should please many, if not most collectors.

The Inner Sleeves: EXCELLENT(++): two plain white unlined solid inners with barely any creasing and no edge splits or repairs. One has text, the other does not, that apart, they are the same. Neither have aged to any degree at all.

Vinyl Condition/Visual Grading: MINT(-): and as close to full Mint as they really get. A superb visual pair with any surface traces minuscule, even as seen very critically under bright angled light. Very clean, shiny, intense black, and fairly solidly pressed. For sure, these have hardly been played and would assume this was a curiosity purchase from the one and only owner. The production and mix is almost as bizarre as the music itself, some deliberately low-fi and all uniquely Zappaesque. It could appear a jump is heard on ‘The Dust Blows Forward’, but no, it is totally correct as it was recorded. Someof the spoken tracks are clearly edited and spliced together. This pair should please most-all 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: “It’s the Blimp Frank, It’s the Blimp!!!” This clean looking and pressed pair play up to their visual grading with practically nothing to fault. As stated, Straight Records were variable in pressing quality, but this early Reprise pair have no issues. These play with very clean sound that’s strong and distortion-free, all frequencies are sharp and clear as when recorded. Sound quality is very high with a wide dynamic range and very detailed sound, the simultaneously played saxes on ‘Ant Man Bee’ can be heard with stunning clarity and lovely channel separation, they have an in-the-room feel about them that is somewhat lacking from the CD version. Musically as complex and difficult as music gets, the skill of this Magic Band is almost without equal. They played Beefheart’s mind-blowing tunes just the way the man wanted. Special mention must go to John French, the unsung musical genius within the Beefheart legend. Few others could have beat the skins to keep the pace and rhythm of the mayhem better and his brilliant percussion is evident throughout these compositions. Obscure fractured guitar riffs blend with crazed wailing saxes and winds that rasp and tear at the speaker-cloth – when the Captain bellows nothing holds back. His backing vocals on ‘Pena’ are little short of scary and certainly unique. On a previous play-grade for a different copy for a past listing, my son (who rarely passes any comments on the music I play) entered the room to say: ‘Dad what the heck is that’? – ‘It’s the worst record you have ever played, who on earth would want to buy that?’ How can I begin to explain? – he just looked me with a blank stare – I quickly gave up. This is devoid of pops and clicks, all songs track and play beautifully. No pressing rasps and cutting flaws that do often spoil Straight copies. A difficult set in all respects with some very quiet passages and bizarre dialogue, but all plays as near perfect as vinyl ever will, this has exceptional clean sound for all it’s duration. Hearing this set again – and I have heard this album many times – is still an amazing experience, I never tire hearing a worthy vinyl copy and nothing spoilt my pleasure when play-grading this evergreen classic. Records are still the definitive way to experience this mind-bending album, still for me the most ‘Out There’ album of all time – “What do you run on Rocket Morton?” [say beans] – “I run on lazer-beams”. Heady crazed brilliance, few albums entertain like this one. Produced by Zappa – he gave Beefheart poetic licence to make music just as he wanted without any constraints or worries about commercial potential – that was what Straight Records were all about – most deemed ‘loss-leaders’, and this against the odds did quite well. The combination of the two brilliant minds – nothing quite like this had ever been heard before, or since – it’s totally unique. These two records, will prove difficult to find better and merit my highest possible recommendation – ‘Just dig it’.

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] = £4.75

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’.