TODD RUNDGREN ? A WIZARD / A TRUE STAR ? EX 1973 Bearsville WLP promo prog psych

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Original white label promotional first press of the acid-soaked tour-de-force. This DJ version has different a Bob Ludwig mastering than the standard version, and one less song on side 2. The sound of a synthesized jet straining to reach full throttle opens the album. This, paradoxically, is the sound of his top 40 career crashing, as Rundgren abandoned the safe confines of radio-friendly power pop for the unknown. Released a year after Something/Anything? (the double masterwork brimming with great songs such as “I Saw the Light,” “Couldn’t I Just Tell You” and his biggest hit, “Hello It’s Me”), pop fans found themselves confronted with the 12-title song cycle full of noise, synthesizers, hard rock and pure psychedelia that took up the first side, while a more traditional rock and soul approach filled out side 2. The album cover should have been a tip-off. Artist Arthur Wood’s brightly colored psychedelic portrait of Rundgren came in a die-cut pattern; Jungian stars, sugar cubes, mandalas, pyramids and bubbles framed the Picasso-like image of the artist, who appears to sport at least three ears. Rundgren says none of the music was recorded on psychedelic drugs, despite the talk. “The songs themselves had changed form,” he said. “They began to incorporate other sorts of modalities, other sorts of instrumentation (including synthesizers). Most people couldn’t get through it, I went off on a weird tangent and the rest is history.” It became an essential classic in the proficient artist’s canon, second perhaps only to Something/Anything?. “Never Never Land” gives way to a dizzy quintet of 1-minute songs, ranging from prog-rock blasts to Zappa-esque nonsense. The lyrics veer from the nonsensical to surreal and hallucinatory, and his offbeat humor is apparent throughout. It does have its lush and linear moments, notably the the soul hits medley that brightened side 2 and the anthem “Just One Victory,” which closes many concerts. But overall it is still one of the finest acid-drenched conceptions ever unleahsed on the public. The first pressing (mastered by Robert Ludwig and identifiable by the notation "STERLING RL" written in the trail-off), is the only version made from the original masters, and has the best fidelity. First issues also included a die-cut postcard encouraging purchasers to send in their names to be included on a poster in Todd's next album; after 1973 it was replaced with a "band aid" poem written by Patti Smith as a bio of the album. Reissues of the vinyl LP did not include any of these extras, and was issued in a standard square cover. AWATS contains yet another nod to fans: “Wait another year/and Utopia is here,” and sure enough, four of the musicians featured - Klingman, Labat, Shuckett and Siegler - would go on to be core players on that band's debut in 1974.



Artist: TODD RUNDGREN

Title:

Year: 1973

Label: Bearsville

Catalog Number: BR-2133

Mono/Stereo/Quadro: stereo

Country: USA

Weight: 111 grams

Cover Format: die-cut gatefold rear slick

Cover Condition: EX (sharp, crisp, vivid & tight, mild edge wear mainly on bottom, otherwise solid NM with no shelf wear)

Vinyl Condition:

Label Condition: a few spindle marks

We clean every record on a VPI HW-17F using Audio Intelligent Vinyl Solutions multi-step process (every disc goes into a brand-new poly-lined inner sleeve).

Everything is strictly graded using the classic Goldmine Standards that we have been applying since 1983: 

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We visually grade all records using the classic Goldmine Standard, to which we have added EX (as have many others), but we do not use any other variant from the classic scale.  No NM- or EX+ (which are both EX), EX- VG+++ or Near Excellent (which are all VG+), or any such other nebulous grades here!  We feel that nearly every collector will be more than pleased with anything listed EX or above in our auctions; they will all be top-shelf, archive quality items which will play M- throughout.  A VG+ record will truly satisfy all but the most critical curator.  On the very rare occasion we actually grade an opened LP as straight MINT, we can guarantee you’ll never find a nicer copy anywhere!

We will play-grade any LP if there is any reason to do so; any questionable mark, scuff or noteworthy artifact of any kind will be sampled to determine its true significance (which may obviously impact the grade ).  We will also gladly play-grade anything upon request; if you are curious about the actual pressing characteristics or any have other questions about its actual performance please feel free to ask.

MINT :  Absolutely perfect.

This record looks like it has just left the plant, with no flaws whatsoever.  It appears unhandled and unplayed, with no marks of any sort.  Usually only sealed or (sometimes) unplayed LPs will warrant this grade.

The cover does not appear to have had a record inside it; there is no wear or distraction of any kind.

 NM : Virtually flawless, top copy.

The record is virtually identical to the moment it was opened, but may have a few faint paper, packaging or pressing scuffs which will produce no sound whatsoever and are very hard to see without critical inspection.  It was very carefully handled and played, likely only once or twice.

The cover is as close to perfect as can be expected given its age.  There may be minor impressions due to the outer edge of the vinyl (no ring wear), the lightest possible corner bumps, or a few tiny laminate creases (mainly on imports), but no wear or whitening of any kind whatsoever.

EX : A beautiful specimen, which will please most critical collectors and not need to be upgraded.

The record has no scratches or significant blemishes, and will play NM throughout.  It retains 100% of the gloss, sheen and luster, but may have a handful of faint superficial scuffs, hairlines or light spindle marks which will not produce any sound whatsoever.

The cover is nearly perfect.  There may be the absolute faintest suggestion of ring wear or possibly a light touch of dulling on the corners (nothing wrinkled or obtrusive in any way), but no notable seam or spine wear, writing or sign of tape anywhere.

 VG+ : Plays perfectly nearly all of the time, with only a few minor distractions.

The record still retains nearly all of the gloss, sheen and luster, but there may be a handful of inaudible superficial marks or scuffs, a mild scattering of light hairlines (which would only be faintly audible between tracks or in some very quiet passages), or a few stray marks which may mildly sound for a few revolutions. Each flaw is very minor, barely noticeable to the naked eye, and will not detract from the enjoyment in any way.

The cover is still very clean and crisp, but may look slightly more aged and have a few minor flaws such as small unobtrusive writing, minor wear to the seams and spine (no splits), slightly worn corners, very light ring wear or minor creasing.  No flaw is at all distracting in and of itself.

 VG : A nice play copy, which will perform without much significant distraction.

The record appears well played, but still has the majority of the luster.  It will not have been abused, though there will be some audible sound defects which will not overpower the dynamics of the music, such as mild surface noise in the quietest sections, a handful of stray isolated pops and clicks (which are brief and occasional), or possibly some very mild groove wear; still no skips, repeats, or anything deep or seriously pronounced.  It will play through quite nicely most of the time, with very minimal distraction.

The cover looks somewhat used and shows some mild wear.  There may be some minor seam splitting, ring wear (which still doesn’t overwhelm the cover), discreet writing (not large magic marker), or mild yellowing due to air contaminants. It is still nice, just a few notable flaws away from VG+.

We will never sell anything less than VG, so the rest of the scale is unnecessary.  We absolutely detest groove wear, so we will almost never list anything lacking the overwhelming majority of the luster, sheen and gloss.  Anything of significance will always be noted. 

THANK YOU FOR SHOPPING!

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