THE CAN Soundtracks SCARCE ORIG UK 1970 A1/B1 EX++ LP, SUPERB SOUND - MOTHER SKY

	£		59
	$		78

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Postage: UK £4.75 (£1 per extra record). Europe (including Russia) £12.50 (£2 per extra record). Rest of World (including ALL parts of the USA) £16.50 (£3 per extra record). All boxes signed for in quality, safe packaging – I NEVER use mailing envelopes that offer virtually no protection at all – in fact I think these things should be banned as records WILL arrive damaged in them at some time. Here, you get what you pay for – SAFE PACKING in BOXES using 7mm DOUBLE-WALL STIFFENERS. Full details 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 ‘2-day’ rule for non-payment to keep things moving – cash-flow is important for any small business. I will always keep my P&P prices as low as possible, and even after yet another Royal Mail price hike from April this year, I have NOT raised my prices and will never compromise on solid, safe packing that is invariably heavier than most you will get. My P&P offers probably the best value-for-money for vinyl records available, and I even will pay for full insurance on any record that sells for over £100 at NO extra cost – that is UK and abroad. Also I aim to post the very same day after payment is received. You WILL see the difference when my packet arrives.

FINALLY: Late payers, non-payers and ‘0’ bidders will now be blocked or cancelled at my discretion. As will any bidder who cancels a bid. I do not like this practice as it is most often used to phish out the price to beat. Ebay does not approve and neither do I – so only bid on my items if you want them.

Artist or Band: CAN

Album Title: Soundtracks

Producer(s): Can

TRACK LIST:

Side 1: Deadlock; Tango Whiskyman; Deadlock; Don’t Turn the Light On, Leave Me Alone; Soul Desert.

Side 2: Mother Sky; She Brings the Rain.

Label/Format: United Artists – original cream and brown format with matt, smooth surfaces.

Label Conditions: Both little short of immaculate with barely a spindle trace to be seen.

Cat Number: UAS 29283

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 this Record: 125 grams. Around average for the time.

Country of Manufacture: England

Rarity: Scarce: one of the more elusive Can albums. Even within the progressive rock genre, these German bands only had limited appeal and were far too experimental and challenging for many. Now sort-after and in demand, they are amongst the very best progressive albums ever issued. And certainly never easy to find in this condition.

Original Year of Release: 1970

Matrix Nos: UAS 29283 A-1 / UAS 28283 B-1

Stamper Codes: 1 GR / 1 GD

Musicians: Damo Suzuki - vocals, Malcolm Mooney - vocals; Jaki Liebezeit - drums, percussion, flute; Michael Caroli - guitars; Irmin Schmidt - organ; Holger Czukay - bass.

So What is Krautrock?: ‘Krautrock’ was an affectionate term given to a new wave of young German bands in the late 1960s and early 1970s. Before the emergence of these pioneering experimental rock and electronic artists, the German music scene was a real mess of sugary pop music. Out of this fog of a musical mire, a very new sound emerged as radical and as daring as anything ever heard. Whereas in the UK, rock music was very much blues or psych-based, but these young long-haired, pioneering German musicians played music that was very different. They opened new musical horizons and boundaries into the use of sound as entertainment. Several were classically trained musicians (Can) – some could barely play a traditional instrument as all. Far too weird and experimental for most, many were into avant garde territory, but this German underground scene was admired by many and loved by a small number of record buyers of the time. The sounds they created were often challenging and difficult, but unique and were highly influential for the development of music. Some used conventional instruments, some delved into electronics and some used unconventional devices to form sound. A few became successful even outside Germany with the odd hit single or two (Kraftwerk and Can), but some did not compromise and never sort commercial success (Faust, Neu). Although there were others, the best-known of the early experimental Krautrock bands were: Kraftwerk, Can, Faust, Amon Duul II, Neu, Popul Vuh, Guru Guru, Kluster and Tangerine Dream. All are worth checking out – they made some of the most groundbreaking music in rock and their importance is beyond dispute. In terms of rarity, these early albums are never easy to find especially in top conditions, they sold in relatively small numbers and are seldom seen or offered.

Brief Artist & Album Info: Still for me, the greatest of the ‘Krautrock’ pioneers, an affectionate term for German progressive rock from the late 1960s and early 1970s. The cover states this is the second Can album but not number two. That means this record was composed specially for movie themes. This is another remarkable work to follow the legendary ‘Monster Movie’ debut and another captivating classic. The main theme is the lengthy ‘Mother Sky’ clocking in at 14.5 minutes, a master track and one of the greatest of the genre, featuring Damo Suzuki on vocals and one of their finest ever songs. Czukay’s bass lines on this track are sublime with a beautiful pulsating ‘twang’ and the splintering electric guitar of the late, great Michael Karoli was rarely better and the usual intensity is maintained throughout. But there is not a bad (Sound)track on this brilliant album, it features their most famous line-up, also original vocalist Malcolm Mooney on two songs, they simply never made a bad album - never be put off by this album’s title, this is pure vintage Can sounding brilliant and groundbreaking as all their other UA albums were. This was recorded in 1969 at the Inner Space Studios. A remarkable band and set, their influence is still strongly felt today, any fan of this legendary band will love this album – and it plays superbly.

Cover Grade and Format: EXCELLENT: and realistically I think worthy of a (+), the back rarely wears as well as this. A single format with a laminated front that wraps around the spine on to the back, this has the original artwork. For some reason, the reissuses and CD versions have different graphics and the celloloid original graphic seems to be exclusive to the early vinyl originals. Printed and made in England, uncredited, includes the plain white inner sleeve.

Lamination & Front: This front looks superb: the laminate retains fantastic shine, freshness and clarity with no lifting and any of the very little creasing gentle and faint. Even under light, barely even a trace of dulling or marks, this is very impressive indeed.

Cover Back: A difficult back that always seems to get grubby and age. This has gentle traces only, mostly near athe edges, but little else to fault. I have seen very few better than this, including my own copy.

Top Edge: Straight, smooth as-made with barely even a hint of wear.

Bottom Edge: Equally as fine.

Right Edge(s), and Type: Clean, sharp with barely any thickening or burring at all, this guaranteed untrimmed. Record enters on this edge.

Spine and Text: Solid, straight with any compression patchy and light. All text is perfect and unworn under the solid and unpeeled laminate. A couple of fine hairline laminate creases.

Corners: A tiny chip on the bottom left tip, this on the edge rather than the actual front, so hardly even seen. Little else, all retain excellent or better shape with no bashes or dinks.

Cover Summary: A very strong all-round example of this elusive early, first format 1970’s cover, one that could prove difficult to find much better. Even with gentle clues of age on the back, it should please many, if not most collectors.

The Inner Sleeve: EXCELLENT(+): a plain solid white unlined inner at this time. Minimal ageing or discolouration with little creasing and no edge splits (or repairs).

Vinyl Condition/Visual Grading: EXCELLENT(++): arguably better with only a tiny few very fine and faint hairlines seen with utmost scrutiny under bright angled light. This retains fantastic shine and freshness, clearly hardly even played and quite solidly pressed. An album of upgrade quality, this 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 minuscule sound present on any record.]

Sound Quality and Audio Grading: This magnificent Krautrock classic plays even above its high visual grading with very little to fault. Very gentle surface traces for a few brief seconds at the very beginning disappeaing fast, then barely anything else to fault for the rest. It offers strong, distortion-free sound, all frequencies are sharp and clear - sound quality is at times astonishing with a wide dynamic range and very detailed sound. Overall, an exceptional clean pressing for this challenging album. Brilliantly produced with a real intense sound, ‘Mother Sky’ remains one of my favourite Can tracks ever and here sounds simply amazing with flawless sound. Czukay’s basslines still give me that rare tingle factor when played on clean vinyl and this this copy does it nigh-on maximum justice. The only question is: ‘can your system handle it?’ The playing surfaces have very wide and complex groove patterns which is always a sign of super-fidelity sound, this has no tracking issues*. ‘Mother Sky’ is simply stunning and worthy of the price alone. Few copies will outperform this early first issue pressing I feel sure. Nothing of any real note spoilt my pleasure when play-grading this wonderful record, it does have a few quiet passages so absolute silence is a huge ask. For fans of really exciting and pioneering rock music, this and all early Can albums really hit the mark, strongly 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 2.2 grams.

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 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 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 it’s 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. Room light factors can make things vary sometimes, that is hard to control, especially in winter. 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 Quintet Black moving coil cartridge (tracks at 2.2 grams). Amps: Naim Supernait 2 with Project USB phono stage and Tellerium Black interconnects. Speakers: B&W 704 Floorstanding 3-way Monitors (bi-wired with Tellurium 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, better quality packaging costs, I offer probably the best-value and safest shipping possible for ultimate confidence. The boxes and ultra thick double-wall stiffeners 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 minuscule in over 14 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. Oneadayrecords is a MAILER-FREE ZONE – they offer next-to-no-protection, and should be banned, no ‘professional’ should consider using them in my opinion. 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 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 withdrawals. 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 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’.