Search Results for “test pressing”

ZZ Top – Fandango! original Japan LP with obi

Offered for sale is an original Japanese pressing of Fandango! by ZZ Top, including the original obi.

About this copy: This copy of Fandango! is a 1975 pressing on the London label.

The cover is VG++ with slight edge and corner wear.

The obi is M-. The lyric insert and custom inner sleeve are M-.

The disc is M- on side one and VG++ (and close to M-) on side two with a couple of faint inaudible hairlines. It’s a clean disc that has had little play.

A nice copy of a rare ZZ Top LP, as the band’s albums sold quite poorly in Japan.

Background: Released in 1975, the half live/half studio Fandango! was the fourth album by ZZ Top.

The album reached #10 on the U.S. album charts, helped by the Top 20 single, “Tush.”

Allmusic.com gave Fandango! a 3 1/2 star review:

Blessed with their first full-fledged hit album, ZZ Top followed it up with Fandango!, a record split between a side of live tracks and a side of new studio cuts. In a way, this might have made sense, since they were a kick-ass live band, and they do sound good here, but it’s hard not to see this as a bit of a wasted opportunity in retrospect. Why? Because the studio side is a worthy successor to the all-fine Tres Hombres, driven by “Tush” and “Heard It on the X,” two of their greatest songs that build on that album by consolidating their sound and amplifying their humor. If they had sustained this energy and quality throughout a full studio album, it would have been their greatest, but instead the mood is broken by the live cuts. Now, these are really good live cuts — and “Backdoor Medley” and “Jailhouse Rock” were fine interpretations, making familiar songs sound utterly comfortable in their signature sound — and Fandango! remains one of their better albums, but it’s hard not to think that it could have been even better.

This record is eligible for PayPal Credit financing by PayPal. U.S. customers may choose to pay later at checkout, and may receive up to six months financing with no interest. Click the banner below for more information. (opens in a new window)

Country of origin:	Japan
Size:	12″
Record Label:	London
Catalog Number:	GP-152
Year of Release:	1975
Format:	Stereo
Share:

Herdsmen – Play Paris 1955 U.S. green vinyl white label promotional LP

Offered for sale is an original U.S. green vinyl white label promotional copy of The Herdsmen Play Paris by the Herdsmen.

About this copy: This copy of The Herdsmen Play Paris is a 1955 U.S. mono pressing on the Fantasy label.

The cover is VG, with moderate general wear, but no splits.

The green vinyl white label promo disc is VG++ with a couple of light sleeve scuffs and a couple of faint hairlines on side two. It’s a clean disc that has had little play.

A nice copy of a scarce Jazz LP.

Background: Released in 1955, The Herdsmen Play Paris is the only album by a short-lived group of musicians who, in their day jobs, were members of Woody Herman’s Third Herd.

Allmusic.com gave The Herdsmen Play Paris a 3 star review:

Here’s the deal on this set from “the Herdsmen”: Dick Collins, Red Kelly, Ralph Burns, and a few other cats went over to Paris from Germany while they were playing with Woody Herman’s Third Herd, the first to play Europe in 1954. All the players involved — Nat Pierce, Cy Touff, Jerry Coker, Bill Perkins, Dick Hafer, Chuck Flores, Jimmy Gourley — were either currently in the Third Herd or kicking around Europe anyway. Why have you heard of so few of these people? Simply because they are footnotes in jazz history, not major players. This is not to imply that they are not quality musicians, just that they were, most of them, workmen in various bands of the era, from Herman to Shorty Rogers to Kenton to Charlie Ventura, etc….This is a blowing date. The arrangements are loose, the swing value is high, and there is a feeling of relaxation and reckless abandon found on few recordings from this period. This is West Coast jazz with a European elegance courtesy of Renaud — one of the greatest pianists in any genre France ever produced.

Country of origin:	U.S.
Size:	12″
Record Label:	Fantasy
Catalog Number:	3-201
Year of Release:	1955
Format:	Mono
Share:

Who – The Who Sell Out 1980 Japan LP with obi

Offered for sale is a Japanese pressing of The Who Sell Out by The Who, including the original obi.

About this copy: This copy of The Who Sell Out is a 1980 Japanese pressing of an album that was originally released in 1967.

The cover is M-. The obi is M-. The insert is M-.

The disc is M- and looks unplayed. Clean disc!

A nice copy of a classic Who LP.

Background: Released in 1967, The Who Sell Out was the third album by the Who.

The album reached #13 on the UK album chart and #48 on the U.S. chart, helped by the single, “I Can See For Miles.”

Allmusic.com gave The Who Sell Out a 5 star review:

Pete Townshend originally planned The Who Sell Out as a concept album of sorts that would simultaneously mock and pay tribute to pirate radio stations, complete with fake jingles and commercials linking the tracks. For reasons that remain somewhat ill defined, the concept wasn’t quite driven to completion, breaking down around the middle of side two (on the original vinyl configuration). Nonetheless, on strictly musical merits, it’s a terrific set of songs that ultimately stands as one of the group’s greatest achievements.

Country of origin:	Japan
Size:	12″
Record Label:	Polydor
Catalog Number:	MPX-4019
Year of Release:	1980
Format:	Stereo
Share:

Miles Davis – Kind of Blue 1970 UK stereo LP

Offered for ale is a UK pressing of Kind of Blue by Miles Davis.

About this copy: This copy of Kind of Blue is a 1970 UK pressing on the orange CBS label of an album that was originally released in 1959.

The cover is VG+ with light ring wear on the back cover and a couple of minor creases on the front.

The disc is VG+ on side one, with a couple of light scuffs and an inaudible mark through the last track. Side two is M-.

It’s a fairly clean disc that has been well cared for. It’s also a very good pressing and sounds great. This was our personal “play copy” for many years.

A nice copy of a classic LP.

Background: Recorded in 1959 by a “supergroup” that included Davis, John Coltrane, Cannonball Adderley and Bill Evans, the album is also one of the best-selling jazz albums ever.

Kind of Blue is also a very well recorded album that has long been a favorite of audiophiles.

AllMusic.com gave Kind of Blue five stars:

Kind of Blue isn’t merely an artistic highlight for Miles Davis, it’s an album that towers above its peers, a record generally considered as the definitive jazz album. To be reductive, it’s the Citizen Kane of jazz — an accepted work of greatness that’s innovative and entertaining. That may not mean it’s the greatest jazz album ever made, but it certainly is a universally acknowledged standard of excellence. Why does Kind of Blue posses such a mystique? Perhaps it’s that this music never flaunts its genius. It lures listeners in with the slow, luxurious bassline and gentle piano chords of “So What.” From that moment on, the record never really changes pace — each tune has a similar relaxed feel, as the music flows easily. Yet Kind of Blue is more than easy listening. The end results were wondrous, filled with performances that still crackle with vitality. Few albums of any genre manage to work on so many different levels, but Kind of Blue does. It can be played as background music, yet it amply rewards close listening. It is advanced music that is extraordinarily enjoyable. It may be a stretch to say that if you don’t like Kind of Blue, you don’t like jazz — but it’s hard to imagine it as anything other than a cornerstone of any jazz collection.

This item is eligible for PayPal Credit financing by PayPal. U.S. customers may choose to pay later at checkout, and may receive up to six months financing with no interest. Click the banner below for more information. (opens in a new window)

Country of origin:	UK
Size:	12″
Record Label:	CBS
Catalog Number:	SBPG 62066
Year of Release:	1970
Format:	Stereo
Share:

Frank Zappa/Mothers – Bongo Fury 1975 U.S. live LP

Offered for sale is an original U.S. pressing of the live album Bongo Fury, by Frank Zappa, Captain Beefheart, and the Mothers of Invention.

About this copy: This copy of Bongo Fury is a 1975 U.S. pressing on the Discreet label.

The cover is VG++ with slight edge and corner wear.

The disc is VG++ with a few light scuffs from the heavy paper inner sleeve, as is common on mid-1970s Warner Brothers LPs.

A nice copy of a classic LP.

Background: Released in 1975, Bongo Fury was the twenty first album by Frank Zappa and the Mothers of Invention.

The album reached #66 on the U.S. album chart.

Allmusic.com gave Bongo Fury a 3 1/2 star review:

Bongo Fury captures Captain Beefheart aka Don Van Vliet with Frank Zappa during their brief reunion for a series of shows in the spring of 1975. This album is a pastiche of both live performances — taken from two evenings at the Armadillo World Headquarters in Austin, TX — and studio recordings that were almost a year-and-a-half old. This is the last album to feature the highly technical jazz fusion of Mothers of Invention, whose roots can be traced back to 1973 circa Over-Nite Sensation. The live portions are highlighted by the latest addition to the band — frenetic percussionist extraordinaire Terry “Ted” Bozzio, who would stay with Zappa for a majority of the ’70s. Most Zappa enthusiasts either love or hate Bongo Fury. Much of the disparity has to do with the lack of the extended fusion-based instrumentals that had graced their predecessors One Size Fits All and Roxy & Elsewhere as much as it does with the inclusion of Captain Beefheart. Conversely, those consumers whose passions tend toward both Zappa and Captain Beefheart consider this disc as a mutual zenith.

Country of origin:	U.S.
Size:	12″
Record Label:	Discreet
Catalog Number:	DS 2234
Year of Release:	1975
Format:	Stereo
Share:

Yardbirds – Having a Rave Up With the Yardbirds 1965 U.S. stereo LP

Offered for sale is an original U.S. stereo pressing of the 1965 LP Having a Rave Up With the Yardbirds by the Yardbirds.

About this copy: This copy of Having a Rave Up With the Yardbirds is a 1965 electronically reprocessed stereo pressing on the yellow Epic label.

The cover is VG+ with light general wear but no splits.

The disc is M- with a couple of spindle marks on the labels but no marks on the vinyl. Clean disc!

A nice copy of a classic LP that’s usually found in terrible condition.

Background: Having a Rave Up With the Yardbirds was the second album by the Yardbirds to be released in the United States and it reached #52 on the U.S. album charts. It also remained in print longer than any other album by the group, staying in print until 1972.

Side one of the album contains studio tracks with Jeff Beck on guitar. Side two contains live tracks with Eric Clapton on guitar, though he isn’t pictured on the cover or credited in the liner notes. The tracks on side two were taken from the band’s UK Five Live Yardbirds LP, which wasn’t released in the United States.

The album was originally released in mono and stereo, though the stereo pressings were partially in rechanneled (fake) stereo, making the mono pressings the more desirable version. The mono version was deleted in early 1968, making it somewhat rarer than the stereo version, which stayed in print for a few more years.

Allmusic.com gave Having a Rave Up With the Yardbirds a 4 1/2 star review:

In its original U.S. vinyl release, this album, comprised of several singles and B-sides plus excerpts off of Five Live Yardbirds, was one of the best LPs of the entire British Invasion, ranking on a par with the greatest mid-’60s work of the Beatles and the Rolling Stones; it was also just a step away from being a best-of the Yardbirds as well. No collection has ever outdone the sheer compactness and high quality of Having a Rave Up.

You can listen to “You’re a Better Man Than I” here:

Country of origin:	U.S.
Size:	12″
Record Label:	Epic
Catalog Number:	BN 26177
Year of Release:	1965
Format:	Rechanneled stereo
Share:

Who – The Who Sell Out 1967 U.S. MONO LP

Offered for sale is an original U.S. mono pressing of The Who Sell Out by The Who.

The mono version of this album features an alternate version of “Our Love Was, Is.”

About this copy: This copy of The Who Sell Out is a 1967 U.S. pressing on the Decca label, pressed at Decca’s Gloversville, New York pressing plant.

The cover is VG with moderate ring wear and some wear on the spine.

The mono disc is VG+, with a few light marks on each side but no significant scratches. It’s a fairly clean disc that’s been well cared for.

A nice copy of an album that is very hard to find in mono, and the only mono copy we’ve ever seen.

Background: Released in 1967, The Who Sell Out was the third album by the Who and the last to be released in both mono and stereo in the United States. The mono pressing was deleted shortly after the album’s release.

The album reached #13 on the UK album chart and #48 on the U.S. chart, helped by the single, “I Can See For Miles.”

Allmusic.com gave The Who Sell Out a 5 star review:

Country of origin:
Size:	12″
Record Label:
Catalog Number:
Year of Release:
Format:	Stereo
Share:

Tangerine Dream – Phaedra 1975 Japan LP with obi

Offered for sale is an original Japanese pressing of Phaedra by Tangerine Dream, including the original obi.

About this copy: This copy of Phaedra is a 1975 Japanese pressing on the Virgin label.

The cover is M-. The obi is VG++ with slight foxing, but no tears. The insert is M-.

The disc is M- with a few spindle marks on the labels, but no marks on the vinyl. Clean disc!

A nice copy of a classic LP.

Background: Released in 1974, Phaedra was the fifth album by Tangerine Dream.

The album reached #15 on the UK chart and #196 on the U.S. album chart.

Allmusic.com gave Phaedra a 5 star review:

Phaedra is one of the most important, artistic, and exciting works in the history of electronic music, a brilliant and compelling summation of Tangerine Dream’s early avant-space direction balanced with the synthesizer/sequencer technology just beginning to gain a foothold in nonacademic circles. …Perhaps even more powerful as a musical landmark now than when it was first recorded, Phaedra has proven the test of time.

Country of origin:	Japan
Size:	12″
Record Label:	Virgin
Catalog Number:	YQ-7021-VR
Year of Release:	1975
Format:	Stereo
Share:

Supertramp – Crisis? What Crisis? Canada half speed mastered audiophile LP

Supertramp - Crisis? What Crisis? Canada half speed mastered LP

Offered for sale is a limited edition half speed mastered audiophile pressing of Crisis? What Crisis? by Supertramp, issued in Canada in 1981.

About this copy: This copy of Crisis? What Crisis? is a 1981 Canadian issue on the A&M label, though the record was actually pressed by JVC in Japan, using the same “Super Vinyl” that was used to press records for Mobile Fidelity.

The cover is M-. The disc is M-, with a few spindle marks on the labels, but no marks on the vinyl. Clean disc!

A nice copy of a scarce Supertramp LP. Nice sounding LP, too!

Background: Released in 1975, Crisis? What Crisis? was the fourth album by Supertramp.

The album reached #44 on the U.S. album charts, and #20 in the UK. No singles from the album reached the charts in either the UK or the U.S.

Allmusic.com gave Crisis? What Crisis? a 3 star review:

Nestled between the accomplished Crime of the Century album and 1977’s Even in the Quietest Moments, Crisis? What Crisis? may not have given the band any chart success, but it did help them capture a fan base that had no concern for Supertramp’s commercial sound. With Rick Davies showing off his talent on the keyboards, and Roger Hodgson’s vocals soaring on almost every track, they managed to win back their earlier progressive audience while gaining new fans at the same time. Crisis received extensive air play on FM stations, especially in Britain, and the album made it into the Top 20 there and fell just outside the Top 40 in the U.S.

Country of origin:	Canada
Size:	12″
Record Label:	A&M
Catalog Number:	SPJ-4560
Year of Release:	1981
Format:	Stereo
Share:

Stevie Ray Vaughan – The Sky is Crying 1991 Dutch LP

Stevie Ray Vaughan - The Sky is Crying 1991 EU LP

Offered for sale is an original Dutch pressing of the 1991 LP The Sky is Crying by Stevie Ray Vaughan.

This LP was manufactured in the Netherlands for distribution throughout all of Europe.

About this copy: This copy of The Sky is Crying is a 1991 Dutch pressing on the Epic label.

The cover is M-. The inner sleeve is M- with no splits. The disc is M- and looks unplayed. Clean disc!

A nice copy of a fairly rare Stevie Ray Vaughan LP.

Background: Released in 1991, The Sky is Crying was the first posthumous album by Stevie Ray Vaughan.

The album peaked at #10 on the U.S. album chart, making it Vaughan’s highest charting album ever.

The album was released in limited quantities on vinyl in both the U.S. and Europe.

Allmusic.com gave The Sky is Crying a 4 star review:

The posthumously assembled ten-track outtakes collection The Sky Is Crying actually proves to be one of Stevie Ray Vaughan’s most consistent albums, rivaling In Step as the best outside of the Greatest Hits collection. These songs were recorded in sessions spanning from 1984’s Couldn’t Stand the Weather to 1989’s In Step and were left off of the LPs for whatever reason (or, in the case of Soul to Soul’s “Empty Arms,” a different version was used). What makes the record work is its eclectic diversity — … Vaughan makes the material resonate, and in light of his death, “The Sky Is Crying” and the touching survivor-story ballad “Life by the Drop” are two of the most moving moments in Vaughan’s oeuvre.

Country of origin:	Netherlands
Size:	12″
Record Label:	Epic
Catalog Number:	468640 1
Year of Release:	1991
Format:	Stereo
Share: