CHICAGO TRANSIT AUTHORITY 1st ALBUM ULTRA-RARE LP MFSL AUDIOPHILE TEST PRESSING

$

305

    
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WE CURRENTLY HAVE   NEARLY 1,400    LISTED ITEMS.   TO DISPLAY ALL OUR AUCTIONS IN ALPHABETICAL ORDER (BY ARTISTS’ NAMES)  ►CLICK HERE

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·       CHICAGO - THE CHICAGO TRANSIT AUTHORITY  (FIRST ALBUM) – ORIGINAL 198? MOBILE FIDELITY HIGH-QUALITY 'ORIGINAL MASTERS' AUDIOPHILE, EXTENDED DYNAMIC RANGE VIRGIN VINYL LP  (NO NUMBER ON THIS COPY, BUT THE COMMERCIALLY RELEASED CATALOG NUMBER - WHICH IS ALSO A MATRIX STAMP ON THIS COPY - WAS MFSL-2-128)

·       ORIGINAL U.S. PRESSING

*** ULTRA-RARE TEST PRESSING ***

·       *** THE RECORD HAS STOCK MFSL LABELS WITHOUT ANY INFORMATION WHATSOEVER (THE RECORD MUST BE PLAYED TO BE IDENTIFIED ***

·       PLEASE NOTE: THIS TEST PRESSING HAS ONLY ONE (FIRST) OF THE TWO RECORDS CONTAINED ON THE ORIGINAL 1969 ALBUM, WHICH WAS A 2-LP SET; WE ARE NOT SURE IF THE TEST PRESSING WAS EVER MADE FOR A COMPLETE SET, OR IF ONLY ONE OF THE TWO RECORDS WAS PRESSED FOR TESTING PURPOSES.

·       BASED ON THE MATRIX STAMP, WE BELIEVE THAT THIS IS A BERNIE GRUNDMAN MASTERING

·       ORIGINAL WHITE MFSL LABEL

·       THIS IS THE ORIGINAL, AUTHENTIC, FIRST U.S. PRESSING; THIS IS NOT A REISSUE, AN IMPORT, OR A COUNTERFEIT PRESSING.

·       CLEAN, WEAR-FREE LABELS

·       THICK, HEAVY VINYL PRESSING

(►PLEASE SEE THE IMAGE OF THE COVER, LABEL OR BOTH, SHOWN BELOW)

(Note: this is a REAL image of the ACTUAL item you are bidding on. This is NOT a "recycled" image from our previous auction. What you see is what you’ll get.  GUARANTEED!)

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The until-recently-defunct "Mobile Fidelity Labs" audiophile album vinyl pressings were not only analogue, audiophile masterpieces and connoisseur delights, they have become true pieces of audio history and lore. These majestic recordings received a meticulous and laborious treatment like no other recordings in the entire history of the recorded sound. They are characterized by the massively extended dynamic and frequency range, mastering from the very first generation of original master tapes, almost compulsive attention paid to the detail and integrity of the pressing, and the highest quality of the material (only the "virgin-", audiophile-grade vinyl was used, and most of the titles were pressed by RCA/Victor and/or Warner-Pioneer corporations of Japan, both known for their near-obsessive attention paid to the fine sonic detail and audio craftsmanship); a special proprietary  technology was used to achieve analogue-like, warm, translucent, radiant, vivid and all-encompassing sound. To this day, many of these recordings remain unsurpassed, delivering music reproduction as close to the actual recording session as possible, without any loss of musical information inherent in the standard practice of mastering from the inferior "production" copies.  EVER SINCE THE MOBILE FIDELITY SOUND LABS TEMPORARILY CLOSED IN DECEMBER OF 1999 (ONLY TO REOPEN IN 2003), THESE RECORDINGS HAVE BEEN ESCALATING IN VALUE AND DEMAND.

This is a rare opportunity to acquire this great album in its FINEST audio format, no longer in print, and no longer easily obtainable.

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Amazing !!! An unbelievable piece: What we have here is an unheard-of TEST PRESSING of this classic Jazz/Rock/Psych Fusion album. While many test pressings often have alternate or demo- versions of known, later released songs, and while it is possible that this particular test pressing contains demo or alternate versions of some of the tracks, please don’t take our word that it does: unfortunately, we are not familiar with the entire album (we know only a few songs) and we regret  we cannot provide any competent information on how different this TEST PRESSING may be from the official release. Please contact us if you have any questions. The generic white test pressing label is  entirely blank and without any relevant details whatsoever.

PLEASE NOTE: THIS TEST PRESSING APPARENTLY NEVER HAD A CUSTOM COVER;  THE ALBUM WILL BE SHIPPED IN A PLAIN, GENERIC [WHITE] CARDBOARD COVER. TEST PRESSINGS ARE RARELY – IF EVER – FOUND IN CUSTOM (STOCK) COVERS.

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Few debut albums can boast as consistently solid an effort as the self-titled Chicago Transit Authority (1969). Even fewer can claim to have enough material to fill out a double-disc affair. Although this long- player was ultimately the septet's first national exposure, the group was far from the proverbial "overnight sensation." Under the guise of the Big Thing, the group soon to be known as CTA had been honing its eclectic blend of jazz, classical, and straight-ahead rock & roll in and around the Windy City for several years. Their initial non-musical meeting occurred during a mid-February 1967 confab between the original combo at Walter Parazaider's apartment on the north side of Chi Town. Over a year later, Columbia Records staff producer James Guercio became a key supporter of the group, which he rechristened Chicago Transit Authority. In fairly short order the band relocated to the West Coast and began woodshedding the material that would comprise this title. In April of 1969, the dozen sides of Chicago Transit Authority unleashed a formidable and ultimately American musical experience. This included an unheralded synthesis of electric guitar wailin' rock & roll to more deeply rooted jazz influences and arrangements. This approach economized the finest of what the band had to offer -- actually two highly stylized units that coexisted with remarkable singularity. On the one hand, listeners were presented with an incendiary rock & roll quartet of Terry Kath (lead guitar/vocals), Robert Lamm (keyboards/vocals), Peter Cetera (bass/vocals), and Danny Seraphine (drums). They were augmented by the equally aggressive power brass trio that included Lee Loughnane (trumpet/vocals), James Pankow (trombone), and the aforementioned Parazaider (woodwind/vocals). This fusion of rock with jazz would also yield some memorable pop sides and enthusiasts' favorites as well. Most notably, a quarter of the material on the double album -- "Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is?," "Beginnings," "Questions 67 and 68," and the only cover on the project, Steve Winwood's "I'm a Man" -- also scored as respective entries on the singles chart. The tight, infectious, and decidedly pop arrangements contrast with the piledriving blues-based rock of "Introduction" and "South California Purples" as well as the 15-plus minute extemporaneous free for all "Liberation." Even farther left of center are the experimental avant-garde "Free Form Guitar" and the politically intoned and emotive "Prologue, August 29, 1968" and "Someday (August 29, 1968)

 (EXCERPT FROM AN ONLINE REVIEW BY LINDSAY PLANER, ALL MUSIC GUIDE  /ALLMUSIC.COM/)

For additional historical or discography information on this album, including track listing ►click here

TO SEE IF WE HAVE OTHER LISTED ITEMS BY THIS GROUP OR ARTIST ►  CLICK HERE

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·       CONDITION:

·       RECORD

(IMPORTANT NOTE: unless otherwise noted, ALL records are graded visually, and NOT play-graded!; we  grade records under the strong, diffuse room light or discrete sunlight)

(a)          WE GRADE THE VINYL AS STRONG NEAR MINT. The original luster is very much intact, and the vinyl shines and sparkles almost like new.

(b)          The record is STILL in its original inner, hi-grade MFSL PVC inner sleeve, which has - apparently with success - shielded the record from the harmful impact of elements over many years!

(c)           The record is pressed on a beautiful, high-quality, virgin-grade vinyl, which is usually used for audiophile, extended-dynamic-range, half-speed mastered and connoisseur pressings.

(d)            The record is pressed on a beautiful, thick, inflexible vinyl, which was usually used for the first or very early pressings. Usually, the sound on such thick vinyl pressings is full-bodied, vivid, and even dramatic. Do not expect to obtain such a majestic analog sound from a digital recording!

(e)           Of course, this is a full-bodied ANALOG recording, and not an inferior, digital recording!!!

-        COVER : This reference (test) pressing comes without any custom jacket, and will be shipped in a plain, generic, white cardboard cover (NOT SEPARATELY GRADED, BUT IN A VERY NICE SHAPE OVERALL).

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POSTAGE & SHIPPING:

We offer THREE postage rates for both Domestic and International Mail: Media Mail, Priority Mail and Express Mail for domestic, and First Class, Priority International Mail, and Express International Mail for international orders. INTERNATIONAL CUSTOMERS PLEASE NOTE: WE RECOMMEND that you pay for USPS International Priority Mail OR International Express mail when making a payment in order to obtain tracking information, which is NOT available for First Class International shipments.

INTERNATIONAL POSTAGE rates vary from country to country. For SPECIFIC international and domestic postage rates ►click here. While you can be rest assured that ►our packaging is careful, sturdy and impact-proof, please note that damage, loss or theft in transit is always possible, and in the case of some countries even PROBABLE. To discuss this potential problem and ensure flawless delivery, please contact us thru eBay BEFORE placing a bid.

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WE OFFER UNCONDITIONAL MONEY-BACK GUARANTEE WITHIN 7 DAYS FROM THE RECEIPT OF THE MERCHANDISE, NO QUESTIONS ASKED (THE BUYER PAYS FOR THE RETURN POSTAGE); Still sealed items MUST be returned sealed in order to be eligible for a refund Some restrictions apply. Please read our complete refund policy before placing a bid. ►Click here  for the full text of our policy

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