CAT STEVENS Mona Bone Jakon 1970 UK ISLAND 1st PRESS w/INNER *MONO* LABEL
£
129
$
171
£ 129
Sold For
Jul 26, 2020
Sold Date
Jul 14, 2020
Start Date
1
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Great Britain
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Description
CAT STEVENS Mona Bone Jakon 1970 UK ISLAND 1st PRESS w/INNER *MONO* LABEL
CAT STEVENSMona Bone Jakon
UK ISLAND (ILPS 9118) FIRST PRESSING (June 1970)
A VERY NICE ORIGINAL COPY WHICH PLAYS BEAUTIFULLY
PRESSED WITH THE FIRST ISSUE PINK ISLAND LABELS
THE SIDE TWO LABEL IS MISPRINTED WITH *MONO* RATHER THAN *STEREO* ON THE RIMS (PLAYS IN *STEREO* OF COURSE)
I HAVE NEVER SEEN THIS BEFORE AND AS FAR AS I AM AWARE IT IS UNDOCUMENTED
MATRIX: ILPS 9118 A▽2 11 1 STERLING RL LH / ILPS 9118 B▽2 11 9 STERLING LH
THE RECORD IS HOUSED IN THE ORIGINAL VERY THIN AND FLAT MATT SLEEVE ”Printed and made by MacNeill Press Ltd., London, S.E.1"
COMPLETE WITH THE ORIGINAL POLY-LINED INNER SLEEVE OVERPRINTED WITH BLUE HANDWRITTEN LYRICS DATED MARCH 1970
Cat Stevens virtually disappeared from the British pop scene in 1968, at the age of 20, after a meteoric start to his career. He had contracted tuberculosis and spent a year recovering, from both his illness and the strain of being a teenage pop star, before returning to action in the spring of 1970 -- as a very different 22-year-old -- with Mona Bone Jakon.
Fans who knew him from 1967 must have been surprised. Under the production aegis of former Yardbird Paul Samwell-Smith, he introduced a group of simple, heartfelt songs played in spare arrangements on acoustic guitars and keyboards and driven by a restrained rhythm section.
Built on folk and blues structures, but with characteristically compelling melodies, Stevens' new compositions were tentative, fragmentary statements that alluded to his recent "Trouble," including the triviality of being a "Pop Star."
But these were the words of a desperate man in search of salvation. Mona Bone Jakon was dominated by images of death, but the album was also about survival and hope.
Stevens' craggy voice, with its odd breaks of tone and occasional huskiness, lent these sometimes sketchy songs depth, and the understated instrumentation further emphasised their seriousness.
If Stevens was working out private demons on Mona Bone Jakon, he was well attuned to a similar world-weariness in pop culture. His listeners may not have shared his exact experience, but after the 1960s they certainly understood his sense of being wounded, his spiritual yearning, and his hesitant optimism.
Mona Bone Jakon was only a modest success upon its initial release, but it attracted attention in the wake of the commercial breakthrough of its follow-up, Tea for the Tillerman
Side 1:
Lady D'Arbanville (3:40)
Maybe You're Right (3:20)
Pop Star (4:10)
I Think I See The Light (4:00)
Trouble (2:50)
Side 2:
Mona Bone Jakon (1:38)
I Wish, I Wish (3:45)
Katmandu (3:17)
Time (1:26)
Fill My Eyes (2:58)
Lilywhite (3:40)
LABELS: EXCELLENT+
Both labels are clean and unmarked with a moderate amount of spindle rub
VINYL Visual: EXCELLENT+
Both surfaces retain a nice gloss with fine hairlines under bright light but nothing of any audible significance
VINYL Audio: EXCELLENT+
Superb sound quality to this first press - deep, rich and warm with lovely bass.
Plays beautifully throughout with little to fault.
No scratches, loud clicks ticks or pops, just a little low-level surface between some of the tracks, nothing really
SLEEVE: EXCELLENT+
Crisp, sharp and fresh cover with little wear to speak of and a strong spine with all text clear and bold
INNER SLEEVE: EXCELLENT
Apart from some foxing spots the inner is unmarked and sound without any seam splits or damage
POST & PACKING:
A PROTECTIVE POLY SLEEVE, NEW ANTI-STATIC LINERS, QUALITY BOX (NOT ENVELOPE) MAILER AND AMPLE STIFFENERS ARE ALWAYS USED TO ENSURE THAT YOUR RECORD ARRIVES SAFELY
UK: £5.00 (Recorded Delivery)
EUROPE: Airmail: £15.00 (International Signed For delivery)
INTERNATIONAL: Airmail: £20.00 (International Signed For delivery)
Combined Post: Additional records £1 (UK) £2 (Europe including Russia) £3 (International)
Guarantee: All records are unconditionally guaranteed (including sealed and/or unplayed) and I will offer a complete, no quibble refund upon return of the item should you not be pleased with it in any way 1233 (GS 8.1.1 (1233))
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