NEIL YOUNG (1st album) RARE UK RSLP 1970 EX+ LP, NICE SOUND & NO NAME COVER.

	£		69
	$		91

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ANY ITEM or ITEMS TO BE PAID WITHIN A MAXIMUM OF 6 DAYS or they will be cancelled – NO EXCEPTIONS.

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Artist or Band: NEIL YOUNG

Album Title: Neil Young

Producer(s): David Briggs; Jack Nitzsche, Ry Cooder & Neil Young.

TRACK LIST:

Side 1: The Emperor of Wyoming; The Loner; If I Could Have Her Tonight; I’ve Been Waiting For You; The Old Laughing Lady.

Side 2: String Quartet From Whiskey Boot Hill; Here We Are In The Years; What Did You Do To My Life?; I’ve Loved Her So Long; The Last Trip To Tulsa.

Label/Format: Reprise – second RSLP press with the new deep tan colour format with matt very gently textured surfaces.

Label Conditions: Both clean, fresh and attractive with only a couple of mild spindle marks each side.

Catalogue Number: RSLP 6317

Mode / Speed: Stereo / 33.3 rpm (not issued in mono)

Warps or Lateral Movement: Assume all records I offer have no significant warping or lateral movement to cause sound or tracking issues. All should play fine even on budget turntables.

Weight of this Record: 131 grams.

Country of Manufacture: England

Rarity & Overview: The first RSLP numbered originals were pressed on the tri-colour AND then again later in 1969 on the new tan label. This being that tan version that very briefly replaced the 1969 tri-colour riverboat format. This is just as elusive, arguably more so, as the very first version as it was also made in minimal numbers, still selling sparsely and only very briefly available before everything changed. The 1971 Kinney repressings with the paler labels and new K 44059 catalogue number were also remixed and soon included the more common ‘named’ cover. Firstly, a poor selling record and many sources state it was not issued in the UK initially, but was delayed and appeared after the American release date. So the amount of time this title would have been available on either RSLP format was somewhat limited. Only early copies of this record included the cover without his name appearing on the front, an unusual and bold thing to do on a ‘debut’ album, later pressings had his name included. Remember, Neil Young was a relative unknown at this time. A member of Buffalo Springfield, but they had minimal sales in the UK and many would not even know who this man was. Another major factor about these early pressings, they were the only source to the original mix which Young himself was not satisfied with. Subsequent pressings had some songs remixed with his voice a little more prominent and clearer in the sound. Two tracks had additional guitar added as well. Many Young connoisseurs preferred this original mix, his slightly muted voice actually adds to the atmosphere and mystery of the songs. The remixed version is quite different, the original sound is the most cherished by his fans. A delicate album that many acclaim as one of his finest ever, it experiments by blending folk, rock with orchestral elements and it works brilliantly. This an impressive example and has no pressing issues, it plays mostly with fine clean sound and the cover is also nice as-seen. A delicate album and finding a ‘perfect’ one will never prove easy. This album was not issued in mono, so it was likely a high percentage were subjected to much harsher mono record-player treatment – and most collectors will know what that potentially means. With much of the album acoustic, the odd sporadic click here-and-there to politely remind of what is being played, if near impossible to avoid totally, but the vast majority of this copy plays impresisvely.

Original Year of Release: January 1969. This tan label RSLP copy a few months later.

Matrix Nos: RSLP 6317 A-1 *T / RSLP 6317 B-1 *T [identical to the tri-colour label copy]

Stamper Codes: V 1 / M 1

Musicians: Neil Young – guitar, piano, electric piano, harpsichord, pipe organ, vocal; Jim Messina – bass; George Grantham – drums. Also: Ry Cooder – guitar; Jack Nitzsche – electric piano. Guest Vocalists: Merry Clayton; Brenda Holloway; Patrice Holloway; Gloria Richetta Jones; Sherlie Matthews; Gracia Nitzsche.

Brief Info: After the breakup of Buffalo Springfield, Stephen Stills stayed with Atlantic records but Neil Young went his own way to pursue a solo career and signed for Frank Sinatra’s fledgling label Reprise. This debut album received mixed reviews at the time and sold poorly making the early ‘original’ pressings difficult to find. I have outlined the details of the production and it’s subsequent remixing above. The material is varied, ranging from rock to folk and unusually, the opener is an instrumental. The Young classic ‘The Loner’ follows and actually benefits from the low vocal mix. There is not a bad track throughout and time has acknowledged this album a ‘classic’. ‘The Old Laughing Lady’ has genuine eeriness and mystery, the death-like creepy backing vocals again work brilliantly on this original mix. This is one of the album’s most challenging songs. The vocals are intense and often break-up or clip with crackle even on modestly played copies if played on less worthy equipment from the past. Here focused and sharp and with no inherent pressing flaws from which some do suffer. ‘The Last Trip to Tulsa’ is Young’s first solo epic, a long finale with great lyrics and a distinct folk-rock sound, an astonishing piece that set out the pathway for future great songs and eventual popularity, although the journey at times became rocky. This is a rare record as an RSLP UK pressing, and this is possibly hard to imagine for a man who is now a household name, but this was the beginning of the road that made him a superstar. The actual time this was available in this format was only quite brief and few took any notice. This a clean record – yes the odd sporadic click here-and-there – but few these days will play with nothing, this does have some quiet songs and passages. The famed and prized no-name cover is very nice as well with only some relatively mild laminate creases.

Cover Grade and Format: EXCELLENT(–): a single fully laminated format that was printed and made in England by Garrod & Lofthouse Ltd. It was distributed by Pye Records. This is the very scarce original ‘No Name’ cover that was relatively quickly replaced with his name printed on the front. The polylined inner sleeve is included.

Lamination – Front & Back: A strikingly beautiful cover and this does it fine justice. It retains rich intense colour as seen through shiny clear laminate. Any dulling mild seen under light and the lack of lifting a major plus. There are some quite light laminate creases, mostly fine edge ones and little overall detracts from the splendid artwork. So lightly aged, but now over half-a-century old, it has probably earned the right, but this scarce first print will not prove easy to find considerably better.

Top & Bottom Edges: Both very thin, but still straight with no bowing. The only wear at the very end tips which have rubbed, the main areas still fully laminated and smooth.

Right Edge(s), and Type: The front edge has some thickening, the back edge which is a fraction shorter less so. The record is stored on this edge.

Spine and Text: Very thin but still solid and straight. This the reason why this area will rarely avoid some fine hair creases or light cracks, but this has very few at all. Slight scuff and toning traces near the very ends, but all the text unworn and superbly centred on the very narrow depth.

Corners: Light to moderate tip rubs with any creasing here few and very light. Fine shape retained with no heavy knocks.

Cover Summary: A rare and spectacularly attractive cover. The ‘No Name’ original graphic is beautiful and the lack of identity gives it a real sense of mysteriousness. It’s flimsiness is a always a factor, and although this has gently aged with a few quite light creases, it should please many fans and collectors.

The Inner Sleeve: NEAR EXCELLENT: a plain white polylined inner mainly marked down for some natural discolouration of the paper. Most of any creasing light with two neat undamaged crisp window circles and the polylining still reasonably clear, all edges naturally intact. This is UK patented and has ‘Foreign Patents Pending’ text.

Vinyl Condition/Visual Grading: EXCELLENT(+): a very fine visual copy that is very clean with equally fine shine and solidly pressed. A copy with minimal plays on all the evidence with any surface marks few, very light and faint as seen critically under bright light. No penetrating stylus scratches, viewed in average room light, hardly anything even registers. Visually a super record that should please many 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 equipment, all listed further down.]

Sound Quality and Audio Grading: This quality first mix album plays mostly above it’s high visual grading with little to fault. Offering strong, distortion-free sound, all frequencies are sharp and clear – sound quality is very high with a wide dynamic range and very detailed sound. Any surface sounds are minimal indeed and this is a very clean pressing with no tracking issues* or inherent pressing noises. Yes, a few sporadic clicks that politely remind of what is being listened to – a record now into its 52nd year, not a squeaky clean digital version. Few available copies will outperform this early RSLP pressing significantly I feel sure. Both channels are clean and sharp, I am certain this record has been played very lightly and appears carefully handled and lightly used. Little of any note spoilt my pleasure when play-grading this lovely record. It will prove difficult to find significantly better and can be highly recommended.

* As played-graded on a high-end Linn LP12 Sondek turntable with Ittok Mk II arm and Ortofon Quintet Black moving coil cartridge tracking at 2 grams. Records are a ‘contact’ format, and few will avoid the odd minor sound blemish.

I am one of the most established sellers on Ebay, trading since 2001 and offering the finest 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 all elements of the items I offer for sale. You may notice I only submit records quite sparingly on Ebay as I Play-Grade every record I offer in their entirety – also on higher-end equipment – not just bits to guess a grade – visuals alone do not always tell a true story. I will try to 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 it’s good. I get just as much pleasure offering a relatively common record in near mint condition as the real rare items. All the pictures I use for your guidance are the item being offered with no digital enhancements. Room light factors can make things vary sometimes, that is hard to control, especially in winter. I hope the item below is to your liking – any questions can be emailed and I will do my best to answer you. I am enthusiastic, and have a fair degree of knowledge about many genres and I promise quality items. Please assume all records I offer have NO jumps, sticks, major 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 Quintet Black moving coil cartridge (tracks at 2 grams). Amps: Naim Supernait 2 with Project USB phono stage and Tellerium Black interconnects. Speakers: B&W 805 Nautilus (bi-wired with Tellurium Black terminated cable) with REL subwoofer. All records I offer on Ebay are cleaned on a professional Nessie 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 D7500 DSLR 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.

PLEASE NOTE: I now exercise my right to open a dispute after the Ebay rule of TWO days if no payment is received. I will then cancel the dispute to end the bid, 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 as will any suspicious bids or bid bid retractions. 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] = £7.50. (this includes insurance of £500). Add £1 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 £2 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 only 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 2 days for communication and 7 days for payment to arrive – if not I will relist the item or offer to the runner-up.

My Guarantee: If any winning bidder is not satisfied with their purchase I will offer a complete refund if the item is returned in the same condition is was sent e.g. as per the listing pictures.

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, 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.