RARE RECORDS CATALOGUE
K-L
Q-R Offers Ethnic Recordings U-V S-T O-P W-X K-L M-N V.A. I-J Y-Z G=H E-F C-D A-B

1471. KALAPARUSHA: “S/T” (Trio Records – PA-7167) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Near Mint/ Insert: Near Mint/ Obi: Near Mint) 1977 Japan only release in top condition and all complete with obi and insert. For this live recording, Kalaparusha Maurice McIntyre gets flanked by Karl Berger (vb,p), Ingrid Berger (vo), Tom Schmidt (b) and Jack DeJohnette (ds). The whole set was recorded at the Creative Music Studio Auditorium in New York in 1975. The opening track “Mulberry Bush” immediately dive-bombs into loose polyrhythmic grooves and sets the tone for the gospel apocalypse feel unto which the album will enfold. Driven by Kalaparusha’s understated molecular shifting saxophone lines that are blessed with a bewitching and bruised beyond repair tone, carried by DeJohnette’s shatter-shot drumming and injected with Ingrid Berger’s tortured scatt vocals that at times come over as a larynx-stretching gravel growl. Continuing to lay down a nervous free-for-all spiritual whirlwind, “Ismac” is the culmination of it all, sounding more like a spaceship slowly descending into sweet astral fuzziness after a smooth intergalactic voyage but without ever losing its ethnic feel and organic atmospheric sound that floats on Berger’s vibes, Schmidt’s hypnotic bass runs and DeJohnette’s ethnic percussion, allowing Kalaparusha to stretch out. The intuitive approach of the closing track “Celestial” is a jaw dropper, with Berger's aggressive vibes interlocking with DeJohnette’s disjointed drum rolls, Ingrid's screechy scatting over which Kalaparusha blows out an exploratory sound, sealing it all off. A masterpiece! Price: 200 Euro
1472. KAMIKAZE: “The No More Series” (Private – a-8104) (8-Inch LP Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Near Mint). Fucking rare and largely unknown Japanese private press demented punk slide released in 1980 in a small run of only 100 copies. This is one rare bird and not surprisingly largely unknown. Copies just do not surface but the music is pure heat! Kamikaze (best name for a punk band – as these guys were for fucking REAL!!!) were a degenerate trio that left behind the acid-soaked late seventies psych and early punk scene and traded it in to seek sanctuary in the gritty basement of amphetamine-soaked freedom culminating bruised dungeon ankle-chopping riffs of the most primitive kind. The band comes over like a Pitbull running around on crack, creating a blissful degrading experience that is hard to keep a focus on what is really going on! It all culminates on their cover of the Stooges’ “I Feel Alright” but unlike the original version, Kamikaze soaked the bastard with gasoline and tossed a match on it! Primitive, stripped down to the bare minimum, gritty, unhinged, nasty and jaw-breaking! Kamikaze’s sole 8-Inch (the devil’s format!) 4-track record is teeth-grinding slab of prehistoric hellish intensity that makes you foam at the mouth, like the rising edge of a speed trip. Top condition, impossibly rare and all killer no filler private press punk slide! Price: Offers!!!
1473. KAMIKUBO JUN: “Nothingness – San Francisco No Kiseki” (Express Records – ETP-8210) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Excellent – has two small indentation nibbles on the opening side, apart from that just perfect/ Insert: Near Mint/ Obi: Near Mint). Impossibly rare Japan 1st original pressing – WHITE label PROMO issue all complete with insert and insanely rare OBI. Just never surfaces killer Japanese underground psychedelia! Kamikubo Jun is a totally overlooked artists that was active during the hey-days of the New Rock boom at the beginning of the seventies. He cut this one and sole recording all by himself and failing to attract any sales (maybe the oblique sleeve art did not enhance its sales potential) of this now hideously rare album for Express records, an effort filled with burning fuzz licks, howling vocals, psychedelic interplay, screaming fuzz guitar and great vocals – an amazing and utterly obscure Japanese underground album similar to some extent to Apryl Fool. This is the 1st original pressing and once you behold this LP in your hands, you will notice that although the album’s artwork is very stark and minimal, it is quite different from the other reissues or the Shadoks boot version being that Shadoks cleaned the original design up, making that the smeared black texture on the corners disappeared. Maybe it was an attempt to clean up the jacket without knowing and seeing that it formed an integral part of the initial sleeve’s design. So here is the real thing, amazing condition, an album that surfaces on these shores only once in a decade. The music is just stellar and if you ride for the greatness of Apryl Fool, than this beast will have you gasping for air. Highest recommendation but sadly enough rare as hell freezing over on a hot summer’s day. Released in bleak cardboard sleeve design and comes with insert and OBI. The sleeve has on the right-hand opening side two small indentations resembling a mouse bite but apart from that all is just pristine as can be. Impossible to lay your hands upon original, let alone with Obi present. Price: Offers!!!!
1474. KAN MIKAMI: “Mikami Kan no Sekai” (Columbia – YS-10093-J) (Record: Near Mint/ Gatefold Jacket: Near Mint/ OBI: Excellent). Copies with Obi never turn up and this is a white label promo to boot. Bloody rare white label PROMO COPY!!! First ever Mikami Kan record to hit the streets, released in 1971 on Columbia, selling poorly and shortly after its release the disc was withdrawn and sales became prohibited due to some of the offending lyrics Mikami sprouted out. So seen in that light it comes as no surprise that this record hardly surfaces these days. Graced with the stunning cover art of Saeki Toshio, the 19 year old Mikami delivered with his 1st album already a piece de resistance whose importance keeps on resonating throughout the Japanese folk scene. Music wise, Mikami's first record is a real stunning piece balancing the razor’s edge between deep enka and rural folk dwellings. Like his 2nd album that also came out on Columbia, Mikami breaths out a similar mystique drawing blood from melancholic vibes and rural influences, going back directly to his childhood musical influences such as loner enka blues, the barren land and wind swept plains of Aomori, Tsugaru minyo and so much more. His songs and voice are emotionally gut wrenched, boiling over with presence and dark, harrowing, ‘real' lyrical subject matter. Some of the songs you might even recognize since they appear is reworked versions on his later output. But here is where it all began and hard to believe that a 19 year old could have such a wintered through, tormented voice that has enough emotional power, well-directed venom filled anger and bleakness to strip the paint of your walls. And bleak it is, singing about murder, rape, yakuza gangsters, life like living it on desolation row and other light-hearted subjects that were poignant enough to scare any possible big success straight out of the window. A classic and rarely surfaces here in Japan due to the limited number of copies that got into circulation. Highest all time possible recommendation!! Price: Offers!!!!
1475. KAN MIKAMI: “Odo - Mikami Kan no Hitorigoto” (Columbia – YS-10114-J) (Record: Mint/ Gatefold Jacket: Near Mint/ Attached Insert: Near Mint/ Obi: Mint). Ultimate top copy, completely near mint condition. All complete with rare first issue obi present, it has been ages since I have seen a clean copy of Mikami’s 2nd LP. Wow, here you have a disc that hardly surfaces at all, the second album by Mikami Kan, released in a tiny run in 1972 on the major Columbia. Tiny run since the disc failed to sell well, resulting in the company withdrawing the remaining copies left lingering around in shops and destroying them. Hereafter, Mikami would shift change labels and move towards the URC folk camp where he recorded the “Hiraku Yume” disc. Still, his Columbia days were quite a different affair than the style he got renowned for at URC and later even PSF. Although that his unmistakable trademark style is already omnipresent, Mikami sounds more melancholic and high on his rural roots, drawing blood directly from his childhood musical influences like deprived enka blues, the barren land and wind swept plains of Aomori, Tsugaru minyo and so much more. The A-side of the album depicts Mikami out on a limp, wailing away alone with as solo accompaniment his rudimentary guitar strumming and sounding more fragile and vulnerable than his later outings. He sings into being chilling versions of songs, of which some would resurface on his later albums but reshaped into total different versions. Here they still sound utterly fragile and lonely. So great. The B-side sees Mikami backed up by some stripped to the bare minimum accompanying musicians, attributing to his compositions a total different mindset and feel. Here, his rooting become more overtly clear and he sounds even lyrical at some points. Creeping and chilling to the bone stellar stuff. It is here that it all began and unlike any other recording of Mikami you have ever heard. You will get goose bumps just from spinning this disc, 100% pure beauty embodied by this rough edged howler while he was barely 20 years old. The A and B-sides are totally different moods and mindsets of music, making this a highly diverted album that does not contain one bad note. A classic and one of my all time favorite Mikami discs. Historical and almost insanely rare. Comes in a nice foldout jacket. Melancholic and depraved acid folk to the max. Killer material all round. Getting so scarce these days, top copy all around with salacious first issue obi attached. Fucking KILLER!!! Price: 350 Euro

1476. KAN MIKAMI: “Mikami Kan Enka no Sekai - Sentoukouta” (Columbia – CD-7106) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Near Mint/ Insert: VG++/ OBI: Near Mint). Top copy!!! Hideously rare Mikami Kan record, possibly one of the rarest together with the first two and his privately released one. Comes complete with OBI. And for some reason, this one is to my humble ears one of his best discs ever due to the fact that instead of expressing himself in his always distinct style, he here goes head on first straight into deep enka infested waters. Here Mikami proves that he is a real gifted and talented singer and not just a blues folk singer who howls against the moon. He delivers classic enka tunes in an astonishing way and is in my opinion on of the few male enka singers – together with Funamura Toru – that is worth listening to. You can tell that he has “lived” and “experienced” the enka way of life, unlike the larger bulk of plastic enka singers that plaster the airwaves with their well-polished crap. Mikami breathes out desolation; loneliness, desperation, and an unbearable sadness that is needed to convincingly give live to real deep enka. And by listening to his renditions, one can understand why enka is sometimes referred to as the Japanese equivalent of the blues because it is all heartbreak, tears and sorrow. It is like he sings, being born and brought up in the nightly darkness, breathing out an abandonment of hope, hard liquor, melancholy and distress. In short the real stuff you have to experience in order to understand the value of life. Also it is interesting other versions of classic like “ Yokohama Tasogare” and seeing it in a totally different light than for example Ike Reiko's sultry version of the song. They are worlds apart, although that still the backing and strings remain omnipresent. In short, bone-chillingly great and one of the best “real” deep enka discs around. It would be his 3rd and final recording for Columbia before the label sacked him. Again he failed to attract an audience, I guess he was just too bleak and real for people to handle, confronting them with their deepest intimate feelings they always try to ignore. Mikami rules, he is the king and this disc again proves it. Genuinely rare. Price: 300 Euro

1477. KAN MIKAMI: “Yuyake no Kioku Kara – Mikami Kan Aomori Live” (Victor – SF-10065) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Near Mint/ Insert: Near Mint/ Obi: Near Mint). Released in 1976 on the legendary Victor SF series documenting outsider folk activities in Japan, this is one of the hardest Mikami LP’s to track down, apart from his first two albums. This record sees Mikami returning to his home base, the northern prefecture of the bone-chillingly cold and weather-beaten Aomori, delivering an intimate performance where he accompanies himself just on guitar with no back-up. A stunning and blood curdling live performance that proves once again that he is the ultimate acid folk/ rural beatnik guttural hero. He wails out elegiac songs with enough conviction to strip the paint of the walls. But at the same time it is possibly – partly due to his return to the motherland after having spent so much time in the concrete jungle of the capital – his most private statement to date, loaded with cries of sorrow and grief, introspective mind trips and venomous laments that suggests he cries his heart out for dead souls and lost memories. In other words, his performance squeezes the last whiff of air out of your longs, leaving you exhausted and emotionally distressed. Great, only superlatives do him justice, all time possible highest recommendation. By the way, the audience response in the small theatre is great and provides at times the ideal backup for his songs. You have to hear it in order to believe it….Price: 150 Euro
1478. KAN MIKAMI: “Jûkyû Sai Nikka Getsu Jûroku Nichi Yoru” (Mikami Komuten 1~2) (2 LP SET: Mint/ Gatefold Jacket: Mint/ Booklet: Mint) One word, monster private press rarity out of Japan, which came out as a numbered edition of only 100 copies. Second time ever I actually have & see a copy of this loner acid folk beast. Totally mint copy of this private press acid folk monster, one of the rarest discs of lately. Without a single doubt one of the rarest and most sought after Japanese acid folk artifacts is this fan club only subscription record by Mikami Kan, released as a numbered edition of only 100 copies, housed in hand drawn jackets. I have only seen this disc 2 times. Rare as hell and I doubt that you will see this one popping up on e-gay or on any list any time soon, probably never since no copies were never shipped abroad. The recording itself dates from 1970, recorded at the legendary Shibuya hangout Station’70. Here, merely 19 years old, avant-folk gut howler Mikami hurls out songs of lust, anger, blood and rage, sounding at one moment fierce, violent and sensual at the other. Killer stuff and rare as hell. Totally mint copy. Bleak, gripping and angst-ridden folk songs, cross-mutating with Mikami’s rural background, his love for twisted and sake drenched Enka songs and counter-cultural antics. Highest recommendation. One of the rarest acid folk/ psych folk/ and loner folk gems to seep out of Japan. Hardly no one has a copy of this beast, this copy is top shelf, mint as a virgin’s ass, so need some wrist slashing and gut wrenching offers in order to let this beast go, one off chance I reckon. Price: Offers!!!!
1479. KAN MIKAMI, YOSHIZAWA MOTOHARU, HAINO KEIJI: “Jou” (PSF Records - PSF-5) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Near Mint/ Insert: Near Mint/ Obi: Near Mint). The fist album in a series of two, released in 1990 in an edition of 500 copies only. Getting scarcer with every breath you take. Defining slab of underground activity that instigated the late eighties and early 1990’s boom of independent sub-cultural activities in Tokyo’s mud hole. Highly essential album, part one and part two make a nice pair that will liberate your dusted mind. Limited press of only 500 copies way back….Price: 75 Euro
1480. KAN MIKAMI, YOSHIZAWA MOTOHARU, KEIJI HAINO: “Live in the First Year of Heisei – Ge” (PSF Records – PSF-6) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Near Mint/ Obi: Near Mint/ Insert: Near Mint). Released in an edition of 500 copies 27 years ago and long gone & dried up. One of the key released to define the late 1980s and early 1990s Japanese underground, delivered to you by three historical figures to be around for more than 3 decades. Fronted by Tsugaru folk howler Mikami Kan who batters down on a semi-acoustic guitar, he spews out detached and fragmented songs, spiked up with the roaring mumblings and vicious outcries exhorted in his native Tsugaru dialect. Flanking him are veteran players Motoharu Yoshiwaza on the double bass and Keiji Haino adding blistering lead guitar backdrops. Deprived of any catchy melodic twist and turns the trio meanders with brilliant unpredictability, improvising aloof like there is no tomorrow while all the time emanating psychedelic rays of black sunlight. Mikami definitely acts as the front man, declaiming and spitting out his lyrics rather than merely singing them, wrestling out many choppy licks and near-bluesy chord figures from his guitar. His moves get accentuated by Haino, toning down his familiar all-out guitar attack in favor of adding the appropriate and interpretative effects to each song. Still his playing is all over this disc and his effects blaze like a forest fire on the Mediterranean coast. For the rest burst of astonishing and piquant harmonica playing pierces throughout and Haino reinvents the instrument on the spot and avoids any pitfalls of familiarity. In all this is one of the defining underground discs that heralded the new Tsunami of Japanese psych and improve to hit Western shores. The disc dried up in a second, here is a change to grab a totally mint copy, it will significantly alter your sorry ass existence. Price: 75 Euro
1481. KANEDA MIEKO: “Mizu Kagami” (Tam – AX-8808) (Record: Near Mint ~ MINT/ Jacket: Mint/ Obi: Mint). Bloody rare original – only 2nd time ever I have a copy of this killer. Obscure and rare original 1975 pressing of this Japanese traditional female vocalist and shamisen player who infused her minyo and enka-styled creations with a funky groove and swing, spiked up with booty shaking strings, horns and brooding Fender Rhodes organ moves. This is one hybrid kind of disc, bringing together waves of traditional Japanese song cycles brimming over with shamisen strummings, taiko drumming and koto vibes and injecting it with a shameless mid-1970s butt-shaking ingredients, turning the whole affair into a one-of-a-kind musical experience that is nothing but highly original. In a way, this is not surprising at all since Kaneda Mieko had – upon recording this majestical LP – already a 10 year long career as a NHK radio DJ, keeping her fingers on the beating pulse of all new music and hip trends. Still she also had a deep love and affinity for traditional Japanese song forms, especially minyo, enka, kayokyoku and rural festival music, influences she mixed up with black music maneuvers, deranged Toho movie soundtrack choruses, deep rural vocal wailings, swinging organ riffages, bombast orchestration moves, country twangs, funky butt-shakes, old-skool nursery rhymes, Tsugaru shamisen attacks, intoxicating bass lines, wrist-slashing guitar riffage and other stimulative ingredients that make this LP such a compelling listening experience. It all gets mixed down in an impressive post-production, gelling it all together into one wheeler-dealer booty slammer of a disc. Maybe the most astonishing feat here is Kanda’s lovely voice since she comes over as a truly highly skilled singer that has no problem tackling and mixing up all of these styles and breathing them out with much confidence into one coherent wave of other-directional music, without ever coming over as forced or having to force herself. She is just an amazing vocalist, girlie-like in the execution of her songs but with a funk-Queen like touch. Mix this all up with those traditional Japanese mood swings and you have a killer hybrid record on your hands that cannot be compared to any other record out there. Just massive, hopelessly obscure and largely undetected. This is a beast and one – if not – the best musical epiphany I had this year so far. Kaneda Mieko just tackled me without mercy and blew me away … Price: 200 Euro

1482. KANG TAE HWAN: “Solo, Duo, Trio” (Chap Chap Records – POJE-9002/3) (2 LP Record: Mint/ Jacket: Mint/ Obi: Mint/ Insert: Mint/ Sticker: Mint). Limited to only 250 copies pressing that is so stunning, it makes your stomach convulse in weird contortions. This is one killer 2 LP set. Recorded live at the Café Amores in Hofu on August 30, and September 1st, 1994 – it depicts Kang Tae Hwan in a trio formation with Ned Rothenberg (as, B-cl) and Otomo Yoshihide (turntables); Kang Tae Hwan solo and in a duo formation with Otomo Yoshihide. The end result of all three formations is nothing short of totally mind-blowingly great. WOW - this music is a free-fall of acoustic wonder. Crystallized to the trio of Hwan, Rothenberg and Otomo this trio singlehandedly jelled itself down as the most exciting live experience to take place at the tail end of the last century. Their sound take elements of wall-destroying free jazz and welds it to a black backbone that mixes tar-thick electronics, enormous bottom end drones and heavenly stripped down waves of minimal pressure bombs to conjure the kind of ritualistic wipe-out of some sort of ethnic tribe on Quaaludes in Papua New Guinea. Elsewhere the vertical take-offs of shredded reed and minimal voice action circuitry mirrors the arc of Steve Lacy’s collaborations with MEV while minting a form of improvisation that is as dense as it is fleet and ferocious. Pretty fantastic. This is an amazing set, Hwan’s sax provides a heady counter-point to Rothenberg’s bass clarinet, melting perfectly with Otomo’s full-scale turntable gimmickry drones, heavenly choral circuitry and thudding electro undercurrents while Hwan responds with some beautifully considered statements, with a lucid tone. But it’s the low-level, more intimate settings that most impress, with the duo of Hwan and Otomo coming over like a post-NWW take on the night time atmospherics of ‘Freedom’ Frank Lowe and Philip Wilson’s “Out Of Nowhere” side. While playing solo, Hwan’s style is oddly lyrical, ripping through staggered scales and sounding single note fanfares in a way that is utterly compulsive. The rigor is still there, the deconstructive vision, but this one feels somehow more affirmative, a classic solo record in the mode of Braxton’s For Alto and Kaoru Abe’s Live At Gaya series. In all, this is a massive set and one of the best free jazz slides of late. 250 copies only, this one is destined for utter greatness. Price: 150 Euro

1483. KANTNER, PAUL & GRACE SLICK (JEFFERSON AIRPLANE): “Sunfighter” (RCA – R4P-5027) (Record: Excellent ~ Near Mint – has one sidelong sleeve line on side a/ Gatefold Jacket: Near Mint/ Insert: Near Mint/ Illustrated Booklet: Near Mint/ 4 - Channel Obi: Near Mint). All complete copy with insert + booklet + Obi of rare 4 Channel Quadrophonic press issue – one of the rarest Quadrophonic obi releases out there. Essential Jefferson Airplane spin-off with all the right scenesters giving a helping hand to elevate this sonic trip towards the stars and beyond. First time ever I could lay my mittens on the Quad version all complete with obi and booklet. Price: Offers!!!

1484. KATSUO ITABASHI TRIO: “October First 1977” (Private Press – LM-1061) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Near Mint). Insanely rare Japanese free jazz monster, privately released in 1977 in a run of 200 to 250 copies only. This beast has been elusive since the day it was birthed out. A tense apocalyptic fury of a firecracker in free form mode, shaking off all shackles and restraints that held them reigned in, so they could dive headfirst into the abyss of improvisational madness and delight. Spearheaded by Itabashi on piano and flanked by Morikaku Osamu on bass and Takahara Koji on drums, the sax-less trio certainly knows how to stir things up and create a furious racket, crashing around like a Pitbull on crack. The trio moves like a single unit of free improvisers of the highest order, so it's not surprising that the sonic outburst is highly rhythmic, densely noisy, and at all times very imaginative. Itabashi engages in intense conversations with Morikaku and Takahara, interacting with loose precision and exploding into frenzies of clattering assault. Isolating the individual contributions is virtually fruitless, but one can discern the body smackings, as well as the free groove and call and response activities with each other. An amazing recording documenting the deep Japanese free jazz underground, utterly obscure and extremely rare. Finally proud to be able to offer this private press free jazz beast. Price: Offers!!!!
1485. KAZUTOKI-KAPPO-UMEZU: “Bamboo Village” (Next Wave – 25PJ-1003) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Near Mint/ Insert: Near Mint). Original 1980 first pressing in top shape. Deep meditative bliss jazz slide that will elevate you to the higher cosmic regions of your deserted mind. Mystifying droned out sounds fade out and interlock with a frantic free jazz aesthetic, taking you on a ride ranging from a spiritual high towards a trench warfare.  Free running saxophone blowouts, bubbling soap-land bass runs, technocratic minimal percussion rattling’s, Kazutoki creates one hell of a sonic ride. It is all over the place, but he manages to create one solid run for your money that will leave you breathless and begging for more, just one more fix of the same medicine. If you do not know this one, then do yourself a favor, get this one, it is damned cheap, but the music embedded within the record’s grooves is beyond priceless. Until the bigger hipster crowd gets a sniff of this one, then you will be fucked and must run as a dog with its tail between its legs for your money. Don’t say you haven’t been warned. Highest recommendation. Price: 50 Euro
1486. KEEF HARTLEY BAND: “Little Big Band” (Deram/ King Records – DL-30) (Record: Near Mint/ Gatefold Jacket: Near Mint/ Insert: Excellent/ Obi: Near Mint) Japan 1st original pressing in virginal condition – this is the hardly ever seen or offered TEST PRESSING – go figure! The whole affair was recorded at the Marquee Club in 1971. The repertoire chosen for revisiting was drawn from all three of Hartley's existing studio sets, with emphasis on the first, Halfbreed. Keef s 'registered small group' had latterly been cut to a quartet of himself on drums. Miller Anderson (Guitar, Vocals), Gary Thain (Bass) and Mick Weaver (Keyboards). Featuring an eight-piece horn section (including such luminaries as Barbara Thompson, Chris Mercer and Lyn Dobson) plus guest percussionist Pete York, Little Big Band remains one of Hartley's most ambitious affairs. Price: 150 Euro
1487. KELLEE PATTERSON: “Maiden Voyage” (Black Jazz – BJQD-12) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Excellent). Hopelessly rare and hardly ever seen or offered US first original TEST PRESSING!!! Despite an offer from Motown Records Patterson chose to go with the less well-known but arguably much hipper Black Jazz Records, which resulted in this fantastic album, originally released in 1974 and featuring a great vocal version of Herbie Hancock's "Maiden Voyage". It was the most righteous album ever from Kellee Patterson – her first record, and a set that's way different from her more soul-based sides of later years! The album's got Patterson working in a wonderfully soulful approach to jazz – a style that's not unlike the earliest work by Dee Dee Bridgewater, especially her seminal Afro Blue album – and which mixes Kellee's unique vocals with some very hip backings that are right in the best Black Jazz mode! Instrumentation is from a loose jazz combo, and the tunes are a mix of jazzy numbers and a few tighter tracks – a really rich array of sounds that comes together beautifully in the hands of producer Gene Russell and accompanied by George Harper's sprightly flute and a subdued rhythm section, Patterson's lovely, sure-pitched voice fits the love song ‘Magic Wand of Love’ and the boogaloo ‘Soul Daddy’ well, as does her interpretation of lyrics specially fashioned for the Herbie Hancock instrumental ‘Maiden Voyage’. These babies sold next-to-nothing when they were released here domestically and copies complete with obi are bloody rare, bordering on the hopelessly insane. Top condition US TEST press original. Price: Offers!!!!
1488. KELLEE PATTERSON: “Maiden Voyage” (Black Jazz/ Toei Geion – YX-6070) (record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Near Mint/ Insert: Near Mint/ Obi: Near Mint). Hopelessly rare 1974 Japan 1st original pressing all complete with insert and never seen before OBI. Despite an offer from Motown Records Patterson chose to go with the less well-known but arguably much hipper Black Jazz Records, which resulted in this fantastic album, originally released in 1974 and featuring a great vocal version of Herbie Hancock's "Maiden Voyage". It was the most righteous album ever from Kellee Patterson – her first record, and a set that's way different from her more soul-based sides of later years! The album's got Patterson working in a wonderfully soulful approach to jazz – a style that's not unlike the earliest work by Dee Dee Bridgewater, especially her seminal Afro Blue album – and which mixes Kellee's unique vocals with some very hip backings that are right in the best Black Jazz mode! Instrumentation is from a loose jazz combo, and the tunes are a mix of jazzy numbers and a few tighter tracks – a really rich array of sounds that comes together beautifully in the hands of producer Gene Russell and accompanied by George Harper's sprightly flute and a subdued rhythm section, Patterson's lovely, sure-pitched voice fits the love song ‘Magic Wand of Love’ and the boogaloo ‘Soul Daddy’ well, as does her interpretation of lyrics specially fashioned for the Herbie Hancock instrumental ‘Maiden Voyage’. These babies sold next-to-nothing when they were released here domestically and copies complete with obi are bloody rare, bordering on the hopelessly insane. Top condition original. Price: 550 Euro
1489. KEYS, CALVIN: “Shawn-Neeq” (Black Jazz Records – BJ/5) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Excellent). US 1971 first original pressing in very nice shape – top copy. A stone classic on the Black Jazz label – and one of the most unique guitar albums ever! We're not sure what the title meant originally – but over the past few decades, it's come to stand for some heavy heavy guitar work from the legendary Calvin Keys – a record that's really stood the test of the time, continually rediscovered by new generations of diggers! Keys has a unique touch here – a mix of open chords and tighter lines – beautifully wrapping up a history of soul jazz guitar that stretches back to the early 60s – then propelling things forward with loads of righteous 70s spiritual jazz energy. The set also features loads of sweet keyboards – played by Larry Nash and mixed with flute and "hose-a-phone" from Owen Marshall – set to grooves from Lawrence Evans on bass and Bob Braye on drums. A stone classic from the Black Jazz label! Price: 500 Euro
1490. KEYS, CALVIN: “Shawn-Neeq” (Black Jazz/ Toei Geion – OPL-2005) (Record: Near Mint/ Textured Jacket: Near Mint/ Insert: Near Mint/ Obi: Near Mint). WHITE label PROMO issue, Japan 1972 first original pressing. A stone classic on the Black Jazz label – and one of the most unique guitar albums ever! We're not sure what the title meant originally – but over the past few decades, it's come to stand for some heavy heavy guitar work from the legendary Calvin Keys – a record that's really stood the test of the time, continually rediscovered by new generations of diggers! Keys has a very unique touch here – a mix of open chords and tighter lines – beautifully wrapping up a history of soul jazz guitar that stretches back to the early 60s – then propelling things forward with loads of righteous 70s spiritual jazz energy. The set also features loads of sweet keyboards – played by Larry Nash, and mixed with flute and "hose-a-phone" from Owen Marshall – set to grooves from Lawrence Evans on bass and Bob Braye on drums. A stone classic from the Black Jazz label! Price: 450 Euro
1489. KEYS, CALVIN: “Proceed With Caution!” (Black Jazz/ Toei Records – YX-7017) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Near Mint/ Insert: Near Mint/ Obi: Near Mint). Damned rare Japan original pressing with obi. “This date followed Keys’ first, Shawn Neeq, by about two years. Hazy, psychedelic, post-bop is the order of the day here as well, but as most soul-jazz collectors will tell you, there's always a chance for some monster funk on a Black Jazz record so, as predictable as these releases may be on the surface, you never really know until you hear them. In this case, the bomb drops at the beginning of Side Two with "Aunt Lovely." While probably a little too 'out there' for most dance floors, "Aunt Lovely" begins like some of the best funky Grant Green of the era. As the track progresses, though, it gets more than a little hectic -- especially during Charles Owens’ Pharoah Sanders-esque soprano solo. Kirk Lightsey’s overdriven and distorted electric piano only serves to add to this tension later. Otherwise, Proceed With Caution moves along rather like most good Black Jazz and Strata-East dates: a touch of straight bop here, some sustained and swirling Rhodes organ there. Keys may not blow you away with his licks, but he certainly never disappoints. This is a fine record very much in tune with the idiom of the day.” (All Music Guide). Price: 400 Euro
1491. KHAN: “Space Shanty” (King Records Japan/ DERAM – SL-288) (Record: Near Mint/ Gatefold Jacket: Near Mint/ Insert: Near Mint/ OBI: Near Mint) Rare 1st issue Japanese pressing of 1976 all complete with insert and OBI. Khan was recorded during early 1972 and employed Egg keyboardist Dave Stewart, Arzachel mastermind and future Gong gun slinger Steve Hillage as the key protagonists. By turns mellow and forthright, and possessing something of the tone of post-Syd Pink Floyd, the music floats away on Hillage’s singular guitar playing, while the lyrics are charged with a beautifully described emotional energy. Space Shanty is an impressive work for Hillage to have opened his account with, a Canterbury-influenced mix of progressive and jazz-rock. An old skool classic that has lost none of its initial luster and bewitching beauty. Killer in its field and I ride bloody hard for this disc. Top copy Japanese 1st original pressing. Price: 100 Euro
1492. KIKEIJI: “Pressure” (ADK records – ADK-10S) (Red Wax 2 Sided 4-track 33 RPM Flexi Disc Single: Mint/ Gatefold Picture Sleeve: Mint/ 2 Inserts: Mint) Pressure was Kikeiji’s third and rarest 7-inch record- a 4 track 33 rpm slab of psychedelic punk, released in 1984 on Tam’s ADK Records. Just like their previous releases from the eighties, this record is a mix of dissonant post-punk and (mostly) slow, but aggressive and dark punk rock. If it turns up, this is always in bad shape and missing the inserts but this copy is a dead stock unplayed original and as Kikeiji is slowly attracting some attention from the outside world of punk collectors, prices are on the rise as the pressing numbers were low. Perfect condition for this masterpiece. Price: 250 Euro
1493. KIKUCHI MASABUMI: “Poo-Sun” (Philips – FX-8506) (Record: Near Mint/ Gatefold Jacket: Near Mint/ Obi: Near Mint). Japan first original press issue from 1970 all complete with rare obi. Much revered and acclaimed killer slide by Masabumi Kikuchi who puts down some awesome electric piano here, often deploying loud, bold tones that lie somewhere between Joe Zawinul's work with Cannonball Adderley and Miles Davis! The album's an extremely sweet electric side and features great work on reeds from Kosuke Mine, who plays both alto and soprano sax, the latter with a wonderfully soulful, lyrical tone. Other players include Motohiko Hino on drums and Hideo Ichikawa on additional electric piano and organ. The killer track "Dancing Mist" gets showcased here and is totally bewitching!!! One of the all-time great Japanese groovy jazz slides that is a jaw-dropper from start to finish. First original pressing in top shape and complete with rare obi. Price: 400 Euro
1494. KIKUGUCHI MASABUMI with TOGASHI MASAHIKO & PEACOCK GARY: “Poesy – The Man Who Keeps Washing His Hands” (Philips – FX-8518) (Record: Near Mint/ Gatefold Jacket: Near Mint). Rare original 1971 first original pressing that comes housed in 1st press only gatefold jacket art. A set that definitely lives up to the poetry promised in its title – with none of the too-clean sounds you might guess from its hand-washing reference either! The album's one of the freest, most organic sessions we've heard from pianist Masabumi Kikuchi – almost improvised at points, but with a poetic cohesion in the piano lines that's really great – kind of an offbeat sense of lyricism that points in the same directions that Steve Kuhn or Keith Jarrett were heading in the late 60s. Drummer Masahiko Togashi plays lots of cool percussion and even a bit of gong – and Gary Peacock's bass here is as great as on any of his other excellent Japanese recordings. Price: 150 Euro
1495. KIKUCHI MASABUMI: “Dancing Mist - In Concert” (Philips Records – FX-8515) (Record: Near Mint/ Gatefold Jacket: Near Mint/ Obi: Near Mint). Damned rare Japan very first press issue from 1971 all complete with rare first issue obi. Classic Japanese jazz slide, floating heavily on electric piano by the hand of Masabumi Kikuchi -- played here on two side-long tracks that really stretch out! The album's a live one, and features Kikuchi working with a sextet -- a great lineup that features soprano sax, bass, and drums plus some added organ and keyboards next to Masabumi's own keyboards, especially nice on one track that also features piano! There's a sensitivity to these tunes that's wonderful -- a hint at the straighter Japanese trio mode that would dominate later in the 70s, but played with some of the best boldness that scene was bringing to its work at the start of the decade. Killer. Pristine condition copy and impossible to find complete with first issue obi. Price: 300 Euro
1496. KIKUCHI MASABUMI with ELVIN JONES: “Hollow Out” (Philips/ Nippon Grammophon – FX-8526) (Record: Near Mint/ Gatefold Jacket: Near Mint/Capsule Obi: Near Mint). Rare Japan very first press issue from 1973 all complete with damned scarce capsule obi. Pianist Masabumi Kikuchi joins drummer Elvin Jones in a really great trio date, one that draws extra power from the mighty bass of Gene Perla, whose soulful tones help push the music along strongly! The Jones/Perla combination is always great, but it seems to take on a whole new level of sensitivity in the presence of Kikuchi, showing more sense of space to allow Masabumi's piano some great placement in the date, yet without any of the "hollowed out" modes you might guess from the title. Perla can be bold one minute, very subtle the next – and his presence is always appreciated on the record, making you wish in vain he'd recorded more with Kikuchi over the years. Stellar all the way from start to finish. Rare very first pressing with always elusive obi. Top shape!!! Price: 400 Euro
1497. KIKUCHI MASABUMI: “Hollow Out” (Philips – FS-6508) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Near Mint/ Insert: Near Mint/ Obi: Near Mint). Japan 2nd press issue from 1977 all complete with obi – WHITE label PROMO issue. Pianist Masabumi Kikuchi joins drummer Elvin Jones in a really great trio date, one that draws extra power from the mighty bass of Gene Perla, whose soulful tones help push the music along strongly! The Jones/Perla combination is always great, but it seems to take on a whole new level of sensitivity in the presence of Kikuchi, showing more sense of space to allow Masabumi's piano some great placement in the date, yet without any of the "hollowed out" modes you might guess from the title. Perla can be bold one minute, very subtle the next – and his presence is always appreciated on the record, making you wish in vain he'd recorded more with Kikuchi over the years. Stellar all the way from start to finish. Price: 75 Euro
1498. MASABUMI KIKUCHI QUINTET: “End For The Beginning” (Philips – FX-8527) (Record: Near Mint: Jacket: Near Mint & Fully Signed By all band members/ Insert: Excellent). Damned rare 1973 original first pressing in outstanding shape and all complete with insert and mega rare OBI. Comes fully signed by all the quintet’s members. A modal – spiritual jazz cornerstone! End from the Beginning is a soulful masterpiece by the quintet comprised out of Kosuke Mine, Hideo Miyata, Yoshio Suzuki and Hiroshi Murakami who together with leader Kikuchi Masabumi created this chef d’oeuvre of spiritual jazz, recorded live in the studio and brimming over with a vibrating tension and exploratory emotions. Right from the start with its dynamic intro up to the massive “Admire, But Detest” and the cool-as-fuck modal jazz groover “Green Dance”, wherever you drop the needle, you will be hit with intoxicatingly deep & groovy sounds. Exquisite modal jazz, post-Coltrane inspired improvisations and spiritual vibes with Kosuke Mine excelling on soprano sax and his sidekick Miyata filling the gaps on tenor and flute while Kikuchi again brings delight and pure pleasure on the ivory keys. The composition Gin-Kai feels like a breath of fresh air with its Japanized touch drifting on percussive rattles and cymbal effects, infused with dissonant soprano/ flute tones interlocking with a poetic and delicate but free roaming piano riffage. “Bell” on the other hand has a strong spiritual vibe drifting on a suggestive theme with a strategic improvisational touch, without losing its subtility, bringing out an elegance not unlike the one found in Scandinavian jazz. In all, End of the Beginning brings together themes that are close to Kikuchi, with its at times bolstering flights but also its moments of grand accuracy that will please any seasoned ear looking for the pleasures of deep spiritual jazz. Price: Offers!!!
1499. KIKUCHI MASABUMI: “Hairpin Circus Original Soundtrack” (Philips – FX-8521) (Record: Near Mint/ Gatefold Jacket: Near Mint) First press Japan original dating back to the glorious year of 1972. TOP condition – virginal all the way but no obi so this one comes death cheap!!! One of Japan’s essential deep spiritual jazz slides everybody should at least own multiple copies of. Drop dead bottom feeder price as the obi is missing but then again the condition is virginal so…. Price: 350 Euro
1500. KIKUCHI MASABUMI: “Hairpin Circus Original Soundtrack” (Philips – FX-8521) (Record: Near Mint/ Gatefold Jacket: Near Mint/ Obi: Near Mint). Now this baby is rare – 1972 Japan first original press issue all complete with freakingly rare obi. Hairpin Circus is sparse on plot and dialogue, but heavy on car action. Lengthy car races and chases make up the bulk of the film's 84-minute running time, while the Kikuchi Masabumi’s jazz score vies for aural dominance with an unrelenting chorus of revving engines. The end result is quite hypnotic, an almost abstract, purely kinetic form of action cinema with a finale that verges on oneiric with the main characters chasing each other through the nighttime city streets, while literally get high on speed, while all the time Kikuchi’s score is the real torcher, fusing neatly with the adrenaline fumed car action. The line-up is finger-licking awesome and reads as a who-is-who of J-Jazz with Kikuchi Masabumi getting flanked on Bass & Electric Bass by Yoshio Suzuki; Motohiko Hino on drums and Nakamura Yoshiyuki on Electric Piano Fender, organ by Masahiro Kikuchi and Kohsuke Mine on Soprano Saxophone. Ripe for rediscovery, Hairpin Circus is quite a ride indeed. Price: Offers!!!!!

1501. KILLING FLOOR: “Call For The Politicians b/w Acid Bean” (Penny Farthing Records/ Canyon Records – Y-6-P) (7 Inch Single Record: Near Mint/ Picture Sleeve: Excellent ~ Near Mint/ Company Inner Sleeve: Near Mint). Stupidly rare Japan ONLY picture sleeve single issue – WHITE label PROMO issue. Loud, finger-blistering guitar charged heavy bluesy psych monster. A raw, immediate, overdriven, psychedelic blues group as Killing Floor hits you with a heavy and reverent update of the Yardbirds rave-up sound. This s debut burns across two tracks and it is graced with that white-boys-blues trashy sound not unlike Burning Plague. Singer and harp player Bill Thorndycraft had a gruff deep down-from-the-belly vocal style, sounding utterly wasted and he had the gift to blow the harp and give the music that earthy blues feeling that could be found in all the Mississippi Delta acoustic blues. Michael Clark was an exceptional six-string slinger igniting a fire burning he let loose on his strings, molten lava emanating out of it and hitting you right in the face; you could just hear it in his playing, and the rhythm section of Bas Smith (drums) and Stuart MacDonald (bass) was steadfast and true in support of his fire branded flourishes. Lou Martin added the additional elements of keyboards to give their music more texture and a modern updated sound. Damned rare Japan only picture sleeve issue, top shape and PROMO to boot! Price: 400 Euro

1502. KILLING FLOOR: “S/T” (Spark – SRLP-102) (Record: Near Mint/ Flip Back Jacket: Near Mint) Top UK copy of this loud, finger-blistering guitar charged heavy bluesy psych monster. The sheer toughness -- and overall derivative nature of Killing Floor's debut album, issued six months after Led Zeppelin's debut in 1969 on the Spark label, is a wondrous contrast to the overly slick treatment American blues were given by British artists. All of these tunes, with the exception of one are revamped versions of songs from the blues canon with different words. The lone "cover" in the set was written by Willie Dixon titled "Woman You Need Love”. This is a raw, immediate, overdriven, psychedelic blues record as Killing Floor hits you with a heavy and reverent update of the Yardbirds rave-up sound This self-titled debut burns from start to finish and it is graced with that white-boys-blues trashy sound not unlike Burning Plague. Singer and harp player Bill Thorndycraft had a gruff deep down-from-the-belly vocal style, sounding utterly wasted and he had the gift to blow the harp and give the music that earthy blues feeling that could be found in all the Mississippi Delta acoustic blues. Michael Clark was an exceptional six-string slinger igniting a fire burning he let loose on his strings, molten lava emanating out of it and hitting you right in the face; you could just hear it in his playing, and the rhythm section of Bas Smith (drums) and Stuart MacDonald (bass) was steadfast and true in support of his fire branded flourishes. Lou Martin added the additional elements of keyboards to give their music more texture and a modern updated sound. Original copies in nice condition are completely vanished these days, so… Fucking wasted and dirty white trash psychedelic blues album that till this day hasn’t met his rival yet, so Jon Spencer go suck some more on your mother’s tit, Killing Floor blaze you away any day of the week. Price: Offers!!!!
1503. KILLING JOKE: “S/T aka Kuro-Iro Kakumei” (Polydor – 28MM 0014) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Near Mint/ Obi: Near Mint/ Insert: Near Mint). 1980 Japan original 1st pressing. Out of all the bands who emerged blinking into the light after the emergence Punk, there were few stranger than Killing Joke. Killing Joke’s main-man Jaz Coleman once fled to Iceland to escape the imminent apocalypse. That's the level of paranoia we're talking here. So it is no wonder that the band's debut remains their best, most cohesive statement. The album’s cover (a Crass - like montage of post industrial cold war gloom) gives a pretty good indication of what to sonically expect. Harsh vocals riding over a pulsating synth on the opener "Requiem" have a vigor and passion that few imitators have managed to match, a menacing, chugging monster of a song. It gives you a primitive and primal reflection of life in Thatcher's Britain. Reality check - No future for sure. Bleakness all round with incessant pounding drums and industrial-esque guitars, rumbling bass and howled vocals. Coleman is chanting like a rabies infected Jello Biafra on crack. Dub, metal and Krautrock all blend into one, stringed together with a slice of cold war paranoia...thrashing guitars and angry vocals. "Man watching city fall, the clock keeps on ticking. He doesn't know why, he's just cattle for slaughter" barks Coleman in a voice that is both ominous and chilling. The whole sonic mud stream is carried by the poignant rhythm section of Paul Ferguson (drums) and Youth (bass) that dominates throughout, along with the dirty metallic shards of shrapnel cluster-bombed by six string mangler Geordie. Coleman's synth interjections offer gaseous spurts of noise adding more addictive bleakness and furiousness to the overall sound. Just brilliant! Scarce Japanese original, with obi. Price: 125 Euro
1504. KIM FOWLEY JR: “Son of Frankenstein” (Moxie – MLP06B-Fdisk9B) (Record: Excellent/ Jacket: Mint). Totally obscure and off-the-radar killer slide that will make your jaw drop and hit the floor in disbelief. Kim Fowley, or as this album claims, Kim Fowley Jr. somehow existing as both an outsider musician and as one of pop's top producers, Kim is possibly one of the weirdest of the rock and roll mutants: he started out as a kid in Hollywood with actor parents, started his first band with Phil Spector and Sandy Nelson, recorded countless 60s novelty singles and sat underneath the piano during Zappa's "Freak Out" sessions before moving to England and working with every up and coming star in the mid 60s then coming back to the states to record hundreds of gold records,started the Runaways in the late 70s, pioneered synth-punk in the 80s, and still had time in between all the gold records to make a couple thousand solo albums with absolutely no commercial potential. “Son of Frankenstein”is one of his better albums – if not his best LP ever – and is divided into an “Alcoholic Side” and a “Psychedelic Side” so you can already guess in what kind of sick realms this baby steers into. The “Psychedelic Side” featuring the notorious spoken-word freak-out “Invasion of the Polaroid People” which starts of with the all time classic line “I am Goatman/ Gorgo the Dog Boy talking about everything he saw/ When he was stoned in High School/ Shooting up in the boys room/ Of Dog High School, Dorkville, USA”. And so it goes on, with numerous nonsense and totally demented bizarro sicko tracks all delivered in a typical Fowley stream-of-consciousness style. This is totally wicked and demented stuff that should appeal to all of those Prozac heads out there cause Fowley sounds like junked-up Iggy Pop on downers backed by early Suicide. Now THAT'S entertainment for ya all. Sheer brilliance!! Price: 75 Euro
1505. KING TUBBY: “Prophets – King Tubby’s Prophesy of Dub” (Private – VJ8125) (Record: Excellent/ Generic Paste On Sleeve: Near Mint). Freakingly rare UK private press original that was issued in a limited run of 300 copies only back in 1976. Hardly ever surfaces, especially in such a nice condition as this baby here with only a few of superficial sleeve line visible under bright light. “King Tubby's Prophecy of Dub represented the first in a series of collaborations between singer/producer Yabby U and the great dub mixe King Tubby. The vocal tracks of the former are stripped entirely from the music taking Yabby’s Biblically informed verses along with them. Tubby’s re-creations however, are extremely tasteful, producing the best of both worlds: Yabby’s excellent rhythms stripped down to their essential elements, with each touch of dub superbly integrated into the instrumental landscape. Tubby highlights not only the horn players, but guitarists Earl “Chinna” Smith, Albert Griffiths and Ranchie McCLean as well, for wonderful results. Their lines spring from the receding background on "Robber Rock" and rise, sublimely to the surface on "Love and Peace." "Creations and Versions," the track that brought King Tubby's Prophecy, in its original 1976 incarnation, to a close, is filled with supple six-string flourishes. Hardly anything, save the sparse bass/drum foundation, avoids the trap of Tubby’s echo. The dub organizer slows down the rhythm (its opening drum strokes hardly get off the ground) and offers a distinctly different, even improved excursion with a gritty, bordering on lo-fi, quality. Those looking for some of Tubby’s more extravagant productions might want to look elsewhere, but King Tubby's Prophecy remains a rugged, consistent and tasteful roots set. Another host of collaborations by the duo can be found on the two-disc Blood and Fire compilation, Jesus Dread.” (All Music Guide) This unfolds like a dub classic, with hissing hi-hats and rippling top lines all underpinned by impossibly buoyant bass. Along the way, there are up tempo rumblers next to sink into your sofa stoner sessions that all make it a perfectly warm and escapist trip. For 1976 and even for King Tubby it is not super single noted or overly repetitive. Each track blossoms in a really enjoyable way which is a huge surprise for a release that is this early in the dub genre. Absolutely killer and super scarce first original pressing in great shape. Price: Offers!!!
1506. The KINKS: “S/T” (Sound Marketing System Inc. – SP20-5023) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Near Mint/ Insert: Excellent/ Obi: Near Mint). Japanese press issue from 1983 of the 1st Kinks LP – PROMO issue. Top shape and essential. First cheap for a Nm condition copy… Price: 50 Euro
1507. The KINKS: “Percy” (Pye/ Nippon Columbia – YS-2542-Y) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Near Mint/ 4-paged Insert: Near Mint/ Obi: Near Mint). Damned scare Japan 1st original pressing all complete with rarely seen or offered first issue obi. “Percy was the story of the world's first penis transplant. Although virtually unseen in the United States, it was still popular enough to yield a sequel (Percy's Progress), but its real impact came from its soundtrack. Ray Davis wrote some hauntingly beautiful ballads and some solid blues and country as well -- "God's Children" and "Animals in the Zoo" have turned up on some career anthologies, but there's a lot more to Percy than those two tracks. "Completely" is as fine a slow blues as the band ever recorded, with a sizzling performance by Dave Davies and "Dreams" is a pretty solid rocker, even up alongside "Animals in the Zoo." To this day the album has never appeared in the U.S. catalog -- recorded at the tail end of their contract with Pye Records in England and Warner/Reprise in America, and connected with a movie that was never going to see much exposure in the U.S.A., Reprise passed on it at the time.” (All Music) rare Japanese original, hardly ever surfaces with OBI present. Top shape. Price: Offers!!!
1508. The KINKS: “Collector’s” (Pye Records/ Teichiku – UPS-593-Y) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Near Mint/ Insert: Near Mint/ OBI: Near Mint). Japan only issue with very first issue obi. Throws together some essential Kinks tracks consisting out of: Come On Now – I Need You – Don’t Ever Change – Wait Till The Summer Comes Along – Wonder Where My baby Is – Look For Me Baby – So Long – It’s All Right – I Gotta Move – You Shouldn’t Be Sad – Ev’rybody’s Gonna Be Happy – Got My Feet On The Ground – Naggin’ – Nothin’ In The World Can Stop Me – Worrying’ About That Girl”. Comes with insert and cool Pye Records Obi. Rarely surfaces and this is a top notch copy. The Kinks ruled!!! Price: 350 Euro

 

1509. The KINKS: “Everybody’s In Showbiz, Everybody’s A Star” (RCA Records – RCA-9386~7) ( 2 LP Record: Near Mint ~ Mint/ Gatefold Jacket: Near Mint ~ Mint/ 4 Page Insert: Near Mint/ Obi: Near Mint ~ Mint). 1972 Japan first original press issue all complete with OBI – WHITE label PROMO in top condition. “Everybody's in Show-Biz is a double album with one record devoted to stories from the road and another devoted to songs from the road. It could be labeled "the drunkest album ever made," without a trace of hyperbole, since this is a charmingly loose, rowdy, silly record. It comes through strongest on the live record, of course, as it's filled with Ray Davies’ notoriously campy vaudevellian routine (dig the impromptu "Banana Boat Song" that leads into "Skin & Bone," or the rollicking "Baby Face"). Still, the live record is just a bonus, no matter how fun it is, since the travelogue of the first record is where the heart of Everybody's in Show-Biz lies. Davies views the road as monotony -- an endless stream of identical hotels, drunken sleep, anonymous towns, and really, really bad meals. There's no sex on the album, at all, not even on Dave Davies’ contribution, "You Don't Know My Name." Some of this is quite funny -- not just Ray’s trademark wit, but musical jokes like the woozy beginning of "Unreal Reality" or the unbearably tongue-in-cheek "Look a Little on the Sunnyside" -- but there's a real sense of melancholy running throughout the record, most notably on the album's one unqualified masterpiece, "Celluloid Heroes." By the time it gets there, anyone that's not a hardcore fan may have turned it off. Why? Because this album is where Ray begins indulging his eccentricities, a move that only solidified the Kinks' status as a cult act. There are enough quirks to alienate even fans of their late-'60s masterpieces, but those very things make Everybody's in Show-Biz an easy album for those cultists to hold dear to their hearts.” (All Music). Pristine condition with obi promo. Price: 200 Euro
1510. The KINKS: “The Best of The Kinks” (Pye Records/ Teichiku – GH-59-Y) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Near Mint/ Insert: Near Mint/ Obi: Near Mint). Scarce Japan only compilation in top condition – this being the rarest variation with the purple obi designs. Price: 100 Euro
1511. The KINKS: “The Best Of The Kinks” (Columbia – YS-2236) (Record: Near Mint/ Gatefold Jacket: Near Mint/ Attached Insert: Near Mint/ OBI: excellent). Japan only 1969 release, throwing together the Kinks best loved jammers. This is the rarely seen WHITE label PROMO/ TEST pressing. Comes all complete with scarce Columbia OBI!!! Top shape, they do not come better than this one here. Price: 175 Euro
1512. The KINKS: “Shangri La b/w This Man He Weeps Tonight” (Pye/ King Records – LL-2313-Y) (7 Inch Single Record: Near Mint/ Gatefold Picture Sleeve: Excellent ~ Near Mint – has stain inside gatefold due to age/ Company Inner Sleeve: Near Mint). Damned rare WHITE label TEST PRESSING with hand-stamped labels. In the novel Lost Horizon, Shangri-La is the mystical, hidden paradise of legend. But in the The Kinks’ song, it’s the name given to the humble home of Arthur, the main character in Ray Davies’ concept album/rock opera Arthur (Or The Decline and Fall of The British Empire). Written as the accompaniment for a TV movie that was never produced, Arthur still stands as one of The Kinks’ best works, and “Shangri-La” was the stand-out track for the aforementioned LP. Hardly ever offered Japan test pressing…..Price: 250 Euro
1513. The KINKS: “All Day And All Of The Night b/w I Gotta Move” (Pye/ Nippon Columbia – LL718-Y) (7 Inch Single Record: Near Mint/ Gatefold Picture Sleeve: Near Mint/ Company Inner Sleeve: Near Mint). Scare 1964 Japan 1st original pressing in absolutely pristine condition. Not an easy feat finding these babies in top shape so… Price: 100 Euro
1514. The KINKS: “A Well-Respected Man B/w Such a Shame” (Pye/ Nippon Columbia – LL-869-Y) (7 Inch Single: Near Mint/ Gatefold Picture Sleeve: Near mint/ Company Inner Sleeve: Near Mint). Top condition Japan 1st original press issue from 1966 of rarely popping up Kinks single. Top shape. Price: 150 Euro
1515. The KINKS: “Kinks Mini Hits Deluxe with: You Really Got Me – Tired of waiting for You b/w Sunny Afternoon – All Day and All of the Night” (Pye/ Teichiku Records – YSS-134-Y) (4 Track 7 Inch EP Single: Near Mint/ Heavy Cardboard Picture Sleeve: Excellent ~ Near Mint/ Two Sided Lyrics Insert: Excellent – some foxing). Top shape Kinks Japan only issue. 4 killer tracks housed in great hard-card picture sleeve. Price: 75 Euro

1516. The KINKS: “Sitting In The Midday Sun b/w Sweet Lady Genevieve” (RCA/ Victor Records – SS-2346) (7 Inch Single Record: Near Mint/ Picture Sleeve: Near Mint/ Company Inner Sleeve: Near Mint). Top shape 1974 Japan only single issue of classic Kinks. Rarely offered WHITE label PROMO in virginal condition. Two classic tracks, eye-popping picture sleeve, a slice of Brit psych history as released in the Far East. Brilliant from start to finish. Picture sleeve is an eye-gorger, both tracks are classics. Condition is top shelf. Impossible to improve upon. Price: 150 Euro

1517. The KINKS: “Celluloid Heroes b/w Motorway” (RCA – SS-2263) (Two Track Single Record: Near Mint/ Picture Sleeve: Excellent – some faint foxing). Rare Japan only Kinks issue with picture sleeve – WHITE label PROMO issue. Another essential Kinks two-tracker fire cracker. Cool sleeve, even cooler white label promo issue but the music fries it all to a smoldering critter. Awesome. Price: 150 Euro
1518. The KIOWA PEYOTE MEETING: “S/T” (Ethnic Folkways – FE-4601) (3 LP Record set: Near Mint/ Outer Box Set: Excellent/ Booklet: Near Mint). In 1964, Harry Smith was held for a week in an Oklahoma jail on suspicion of stealing guns, and there he met several Kiowa Indians who introduced him to peyote rituals and songs of the Native American Church. In 1973, Smith returned to record. He decided to set up his equipment in singers’ homes or his hotel room, rather than at an actual ceremony, because the Kiowa often sang the songs in casual settings; he also would be able to record commentary. The Kiowa people, a Native American group, have made the cactus herb peyote part of their religious observance. Peyote or mescal is thought to have healing properties, and it inspires hallucinations: it looks like a turnip and has little buttons that can be eaten, brewed, powdered, or smoked. It is fascinating to hear Kiowa church members talk about their reconciliation of spiritual practices, as they do on the The Kiowa Peyote Meeting. One member says the Natives were influenced by meeting Bible-reverent Mexicans, and that each person has to find his own path to worship—but that their god has not failed them. There is no starchy piety: a member speaks of his drinking, but of not wanting to embarrass himself with inebriation, and then of smoking peyote as part of spiritual preparation. Praise is given to nature—to the winds, the land, the seasons, and to time, with gratitude for human existence. Obviously, there is a blend of traditional Native and western Christian thinking; and there are musical demonstrations of differing quality. There is a droning kind of chanting, earthy, intimate, intense. The songs are dedicated to particular times—such as morning and midnight, with prayers for “everybody.” The chants with both male and female voices have a greater appeal than those with only male voices—there is more complexity, and clearly more community. God planted the herb, the peyote, says a woman. She cites the biblical book of Romans that commends the herb be used as a brew for illness. Religion is a lasting force, but it may be no more, at root, than a primitive hope, a way of calming fears about death and the perpetual emptiness of life. One man talks about worshipping several gods—ten gods. One man talks about worshipping “God the father” and talks about that god making him “feel good”—and he explains that he was sick with tuberculosis—doctors had given up on him—but the herb peyote helped him. He sings a song received from another tribe, adding Kiowa words. The percussion of another song is so ringing it is almost a dance song. (Daniel Garrett) Top condition. Price: 275 Euro
1519. KIRISA GO: “Chin-Jara b/w Dogan Tengoku” (Harvest Records – YA-16) (7 Inch Single Record: Near Mint/ Picture Sleeve: Near Mint). Bloody rare 1969 Japan original underground cum weird Bossa Kayo Jazz groover. Bizarre and strange oddball cross-pollinated sonic real people one-off release that defies clear categorization and resulting in a highly unique hybrid sound that could only have been birthed on these shores during that brief but fertile pocket in time. Balancing the razors edge between primitive bossa, spastic kayo/ enka, caveman jazz vibes and sleazy hotel lounge act, all complete with witchy echoe-y female vocals pulled through walls of reverb and backed up by a male cocktail backing vocals, the songs bounces along like a drunken mermaid on shore-leave. The B-side is also a queer one, but not as outlandish as the title track, Still, kooky and high-flown interludes are never far behind. Long time underground favorite but extremely hard one to find as copies are beyond scarce. Easy to understand when immersing yourself in this oddity as sales at the time of its release must have been next-to-near non-existent. A genre defying oddball groover that could have attained mass-appeal if people were attuned to it and listening. Took me over a decade to locate a copy so happy to offer this largely unknown and undetected rarity. Highest recommendation for sure. Price: 400 Euro
1520. KIRK, ROLAND: “We Free Kings” (Philips/ Nippon Victor – SM-7086) (Record: Near Mint/ Flip Back Jacket: Near Mint/ Obi: Near Mint) Bloody scarce Japan very first press issue all-complete with rarely seen OBI present. A hell of a record from the young Roland Kirk on which he is simply mind-blowing, playing tenor, flute, manzello, and stritch – often at the same time, and in a mode that's no gimmick at all, but which instead shows his wonderfully sophisticated understanding of sound and resonances between the reed instruments! And as always with Kirk, there's a strong current of soul in the music too, which gets emphasized here by backing work from players who include Richard Wyands or Hank Jones on piano, Art Davis or Wendell Marshall on bass, and the great Charlie Persip on drums.  Essential and damned rare 1st press Japan original with hardly ever seen obi! Price: 200 Euro
1521. KIRK, ROLAND: “Kirk In Copenhagen” (Mercury Records/ Nippon Victor – SM-7155) (Record: Near Mint ~ Mint/ Flip Back Jacket: Near Mint ~ Mint & with languette still attached inside the cover/ Obi: Mint). Viciously rare Japan 1964 first press issue with rare first issue obi. A rare slice of work by Roland Kirk from his early years – a great live set recorded in Europe in the mid 60's – done in a looser mode than his studio sessions from the time! Kirk's playing his usual array of incredible horns – tenor, stritch, flute, nose flute, and manzello – with an international group that features Tete Montoliu on piano, Niels Henning Orsted Pederson on bass, and J.C. Moses on drums. In the setting, there's more of a hard bop feel to the material than on some of Kirk's studio sets – but given Roland's penchant for unusual phrasing, twin-reed blowing, and general free-thinking overall, the sound is pretty unique overall! Top condition and this earliest pressing just never surfaces this pristine. Price: 200 Euro
1522. KIRK, ROLAND: “Rip, Rig & Panic” (Mercury/ Nippon Phonogram – SFX-7288) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Excellent ~ Near Mint/ Insert: Near Mint/ Obi: Near Mint) Damned rare Japan very first original press issue in top shape and all complete with rare 1st issue gold colored obi. “Despite its brevity, Rip, Rig, and Panic may be pre-Rashaan Roland Kirk’s greatest outing. Recorded in 1965 at Rudy Van Gelder's studio in New Jersey, Kirk is teamed with the most awesome rhythm section he ever recorded with: drummer Elvin Jones, pianist Jaki Byard and bassist Richard Davis. Clocking in at a mere 36 minutes, Kirk and his quartet moved through a series of musicological changes that defined him as an artist at the time. Five of the seven compositions are his, and reach through each of the phases that Kirk was interested in integrating into his compositional and improvisational voice. First there is the elegant modal music of "No Tonic Press," with its non-linear mathematic groove maintained with verve by Jones in all the knotty spots. Then there is the ethereal Middle-Eastern harmony juxtaposed against the changes in "Once in a While" by Bennie Green. But the whole thing comes together by the third tune, when Kirk sifts his hearing of New Orleans music into gear with "From Bechet, Byas, and Fats." Using his loopy manzello to approximate the soprano saxophone, Kirk and Byard trade fours on some odd open-D modal theme before shifting into the music of Bechet's time and coming out on tenor with direct quotes from the Don Byas book, with Byard and Davis turning around on a blues motif as Jones double times with a sheet of rim shots. Through the rest, the set moves consistently more outside, with Kirk flipping instruments and Jones and Davis turning the rhythmic patterns around on Byard, who takes it all in stride and shifts the harmonic levels to Kirk’s intensity on the title track and "Mystical Dream." The set ends with the bluesy, somnambulant groove of "Slippery, Hippery, and Flippery." There's a paranoid opening with Jones running all over the kit, Byard slipping up and down the board, and Kirk making siren sounds before entering his bluesy post-bop nightmare of a jam that winds itself out over studio distortion, Kirk’s noises, and a killer tenor solo that caps everything on the album. Positively smashing.” (All Music) Hardly ever offered for sale 1st original Japan press issue with OBI. Price: 150 Euro
1523. KIYOSHI SUGIMOTO TRIO:“Country Dream” (Nippon Columbia/ Takt Jazz Series – XMS-10024-CT) (Record: Near Mint/ Gatefold Jacket: Near Mint/ Obi: Excellent ~ Near Mint). Killer Japanese jazz slide that is getting next-to-impossible to dig up these days all complete with obi. Debut album by Sugimoto Kiyoshi who pops up on a multitude of Japanese jazz albums as a leader of sideman but here finally fronting his own trio. Nothing "country" about this record as Sugimoto keeps things very hip and contemporary working in a dense groovy and melodious lyrical way that exhibits his utterly freely fluid style injected with a few funky touches as well! The group on the set is a quartet with Kiyoshi's guitar amidst piano, bass, and drums, the last of which are played by Motohiko Hino with a nice little snap that brings that delirious groovy touch to the record, even when the tunes are long and open-ended. Sugimoto's got a richly chromatic way of playing the guitar that's infectious, emanating a signature sound that would not have been misplaced on a Gary Burton album from the late 60s, but which comes across even better here in the wonderfully creative style of the session. All tracks are just wonderful, making this a highly sought after but sadly difficult to obtain 1st original pressing. Awesome!!!! Price: Offers!!!!
1524. KOMUSO: “Chiku-In” (Columbia – WZ-7068) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Near Mint/ Insert: Near Mint). Rare and totally obscure but total killer LP documenting the Komuso, non-monastic monks whose history goes back to the Edo period and who roamed the Japanese archipelago wearing bamboo-woven basket hats while blowing the shakuhachi flute. Esoteric and austere Japanese music, desolate, minimal, eerie, ghostly bewitching and steeped in a century’s long tradition. This set will only appeal to the most seasoned listener, if you are a hipster and you decide to get lost in this kind of music, you will get bummed out, depressed and on the brink of slashing your wrists and setting fire to yourself. Still, for the more experienced listener this is something that most of your “rock” fiends – how heavy and far out you conceive yourself to be – will fail to get a grasp on. So, if you consider yourself a Japanophile and culturally enhanced listener who frequently dabbles in the Horogei and field recording sections of this site, for those listeners this set will be a total mind shattering revelation, revealing to you some of the most exquisite sounds ever recorded. For the rest of you, this stuff will bum you out and make you utterly depressed so steer away from it. I myself I am hooked to this shit, always looking for a next fix and this set just may do it, so lovers of Watazumido and Yamada Chisato should jump into this set blindfolded because the music is insane. So, you guessed it, this is the DEEP shit, predating Japanese jazz by a century and a half, and touching on a more outward-bound spiritual realm of shakuhachi flute music. Never came out with obi, this LP was actually a private pressing printed at Columbia and tagged with Columbia label and catalogue number. Top shape. Price: 150 Euro
1525. KONITZ, LEE with LENNIE TRISTANO: “Subconscious-Lee” (Victor Records/ Prestige – MJ-7089) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Near Mint/ Obi: Excellent – lower seam split). Rare Japan original pressing with scarce obi. “A debut for both Lee Konitz and the Prestige label, Subconscious-Lee brings together many of the students who came through Tristano’s idiosyncratic "school" of jazz during the immediate postwar years. Forging a heady approach to Charlie Parker’s innovations, full of lithe and at times super fast solo lines, Tristano and his favorite pupil Konitz in particular nurtured an introverted, wan, yet still swinging alternative to the frenetic muscle of bebop. Other students like tenor saxophonist Warne Marsh, pianist Sal Mosca and bassist Arnold Fishkin staked claims as well and show up prominently here. And while Tristano’s "Judy" and "Retrospection" get mired in somewhat tired contemplation, Konitz' "Subconscious-Lee" and Marsh’s "Marshmallow" stand out with brisk tempos, cascading horn lines, and fetching head statements. Avoiding the meandering course of his originals, Tristano shines at the piano with a bevy of exciting and substantial solos; Mosca and guitarist Billy Bauer keep up the good work with fine contributions of their own. Good for both mind and feet and chock-full of groundbreaking work by Konitz and Marshespecially, this 1949-1950 recording makes for essential jazz listening.” (All Music) Price: 75 Euro
1526. KONITZ, LEE: “Am Blues” (RCA Records – SHP-6111) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Near Mint/ OBI: Mint). Rare Lee Konitz release, Japan first original press issue that comes housed in Japan ONLY jacket art. Released in Europe under the title “Stereo Konitz” and housed in totally different jacket art, this one here is the rare Japan only issue, all-complete with first issue obi. “Lee Konitz has had many opportunities to record with European artists over the decades, but this session is a bit unusual, in that all the compositions are by bassist Giovanni Tommaso and Konitz doesn't stick strictly to alto saxophone. Joining them are pianist Franco D’Andrea, trumpeter Enrico Rava and drummer Gege Munari. Tommaso’s charts delve into bop and cool, with Konitz primarily playing the Varitone (a form of electronic saxophone that was experimented with briefly and abandoned by reed players in the late '60s), though he does play some alto sax and also makes a rare appearance on flute (doubling on it in "Take Seven"). While the music from this 1968 session is enjoyable, even though the sound quality of the Varitone pales when compared to a regular saxophone, this remains one of Lee Konitz’s more obscure recordings from the '60s” (All Music Guide). Top condition copy of rarely seen high quality Japan original first pressing. Never turns up…. Price: 100 Euro
1527. KONITZ – SOLAL: “European Episode” (Fontana – FO X-7012) (Record: Near Mint/ Gatefold Jacket: Near Mint/ Gold Obi: Mint/ Insert: Mint). Rare original Japan 1st original press issue, housed in great heavy gatefold jacket art and comes with first issue gold obi. Pretty modern work from Konitz – recorded in Rome in 1968, with a French rhythm section of Martial Solal on piano, Henry Texier on bass, and Daniel Humair on drums. The presence of Solal especially gives the session an edge – as Kontiz drifts into Solal's moody, introspective mode of the time – playing long, angular, sparely-hung solos that rank with some of his most challenging work of the 60s. Top condition and stunning sounding high quality Japanese press issue. Totally essential stuff!!! Price: 150 Euro
1528. KONITZ - SOLAL: “Impressive Rome” (TOHO Records - YX-7008) (Record: Near Mint/ Gatefold Jacket: Near Mint/ Insert: Near Mint/ Obi: Near Mint). Bloody nice Japanese pressing with obi in top shape – 2nd press issue. “Lee Konitz’s initial recording session with pianist Martial Solal produced two albums including alternate versions of several songs. With bassist Henri Texier and drummer Daniel Humair rounding out the lineup, the quartet tackles a rapid-fire take of "Anthropology" and a somewhat spacey interpretation of "Lover Man." Two pieces are credited to an Italian composer. "Impressive Rome" is a bit meandering with a haunting air, while the more straight-ahead "Roman Blues" features the alto saxophonist's best solo work of the date. The one duet is "Stella by Starlight," in which Solal plays some wild lines to back Konitz, making it far more memorable than typical arrangements of this standard. This was a great beginning to an occasional partnership that lasted into the early '80s and produced several more albums.” (All Music Guide). Top condition. Price: 50 Euro

1529. KOSUGI TAKEHISA: “Catch Wave” (CBS Sony – SOCM-88) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Near Mint/ OBI: Near Mint/ Card Insert: Near Mint/ Photo Insert 12 ~ 8,5 cm: Mint) Mega rare Holy grail of Japanese top copy for dead cheap. All complete with rare OBI, card insert and additional original vintage 1975 photo still depicting Kosugi and fellow Taj Mahal traveler on board of the Shinkansen train! Here you have a top-notch original first press copy of the ultra-rare Kosugi solo album. Virtually impossible to get (even here in Japan), Catch Wave is the ultimate example of Kosugi creating an organic drone sequence fusing into another mind- elevating document of violin induced tone-float Kosugi was the founding father for cult outfits and improvising collectives such as Group Ongaku and the Taj Mahal Travelers. "Catch Wave's" elegance lies in its economy of means. He uses his violin by engaging simple electronics (ring modulator and delay unit) to multiply a single sound source into an undulating, ever expanding sound field. The quote on the back cover of the LP reads: "SOUNDS SPEEDING ON LIGHT, LIGHT SPEEDING ON SOUNDS -- BETWEEN RIDDLES & SOULTIONS." This is the real deal and a rarely offered nugget in virginal condition. Bloody rare these days, even here in Japan, mint copies seem to have vanished from the face of the earth. This one is all complete with insert card, OBI and a never published before bonus vintage picture of 1975! A beast of a record and in stunning shape. Price: 400 Euro

1530. KOSUGI TAKEHISA + AKIO SUZUKI DUO: “New Sense of Hearing” (ALM-URANOIA – UR-3) (Record: Near Mint ~ Mint/ Jacket: Mint/ OBI: Mint). TOP COPY complete with always-missing OBI. This do not get any better, here you have another one of these rarely offered for sale but much rumored about records. Here, two titans meet, a clash of tow of the all time greatest improvisers, both massively under-documented, strap in for a confrontational head on improvisational collision that will take you to the outward bounds of the time – space continuum. Long time Fluxus activist, electronic music wizard and long time Merce Cunningham collaborator Takehisa Kosugi joins forces with the illusive legendary Japanese musician / inventor / instrument builder / visionary modern sound art and sound art explorationist Akio Suzuki. Home made echo machines-like soundings create throbbing, hypnotic voice-scapes, warm and soft and naturally unique. Sounds are shuffled, creating insect symphonies of high-end whir and distant chirps. Long glass tubes are struck and rubbed and bowed mimicking the sound of birdcalls. Slow, complex, irregular throbbing waves of sound, broadcast through distant loudspeakers and recaptured and reincorporated. Feedback, time-space lag, horns, echo machines, and primitive handmade electronic devices all contribute to the ever-shifting clouds of sound. So unbearably awesome. Eventually the echoing rattle and clatter of percussion enters the sound field, but emptiness and hum are still the main attraction. This track builds in drone-full intensity, with long notes drawn out into abstract mystery. Abstraction that continues with additional density. Getting almost impossible to score these days. Killer album. Price: 400 Euro
1531. KOSUGI TAKEHISA & SHINOZAKI AYAKO: “Harp no Koten” (Columbia – OP-7064-N) (Record: Near Mint ~ Mint/ Jacket: Mint). Freakingly rare 1st original pressing from 1974!!!! Never surfaces. First original pressing housed in a totally different jacket as opposed to the more common 2nd pressing which came out on Denon and came housed in a tasteless jacket art. The 1st press does not surface at all, first time ever I have a copy to spare of this rarity. Comes with totally different cover artwork. All was recorded on 25 and 26 of June, 1973 at the Columbia studios. Side A consists of the tracks “Stanza II”, a composition by Toru Takemitsu out of 1971 and Katsuhiro Tsubono's “Poem for Lin” of 1972. On these tracks, young harpist Ayako Shinozaki steals the show on her own by delicately birthing out electronically treated harp sounds that take the timbral range of to previously unattained heights of sonic extravaganza. On “Stanza”, Shinozaki creates a drone on her harp she enriched by tape manipulated sounds that bounce of straight into the heights of a deep-throbbing ionosphere reaching far beyond the known Copernican universe. By the time she steers into “Poem for Lin”, Shinozaki allows some improvisational playing to interact with the original score and enriches her harp sounds by adding rattles, bell sounds resembling diminutive esoteric Buddhist percussive accents and austere meandering vocal sounds that fuse neatly in and out of focus. By doing so she is able to touch down on some cold metagalaxy composed out of primitive celestial bodies. By the time one gets to side B for things really begin to take of into another dimension. Here one gets treated to the sidelong composition “Heterodyne” by Kosugi Takehisa (1973) and on this one Kosugi executes it himself while being flanked by Shinozaki on harp. Here it is that the sonic extravaganza gets adrift in a pulsating, ever revolving universe of coalescing asteroids. Like “Catch Wave”, it really sounds like the final frontier or the homogenetic mass that preceded the big bang. In short, this composition is really the piece de resistance with Kosugi in full swing, surfing the sound and radio waves with his heavily-processed violin sounds, a sonic Walhalla where alternating currents of different frequencies are combined to produce new frequencies, the sum and difference of the original frequencies. This was something he had worked with on earlier recordings and continued to be important through later works. The interaction with Shinozaki takes on an almost extra-terrestrial shape and floats off in between electronic pulses and complex slowly evolving sound waves. Utterly breathtaking. Never offered for sale before 1st pressing and never seen before edition that will leave you baffled and stunned with disbelief. Highest recommendation. Price: Offers!!!!
1532. KOUSOKUYA: “S/T” (Ray Night Music – RNM0001) (Record: Near Mint/ Gatefold Jacket: Near Mint/ Insert: Near Mint). TOP copy – has been ages since I last saw a copy of this beast. Released in a miniscule edition of merely 200 copies way back in 1990, Kosokuya’s self-entitled first album almost instantly reached the status of much heard about but never seen records, places inhabited by albums like the 1st High Rise, White Heaven’s “Out”, Maher Shahal Hash Baz’s “Maher Goes to Gothic Country”, Holy Angels and a couple of other tiny runs of psychedelic dementia of the late eighties and early nineties. This is the classic original line-up of this dark-clad psychedelic combo from the netherworld, spearheaded by guitarist Kaneko, female bassist/vocalist Mick and sparse but nevertheless incinerating drummer Ikuro Takahashi (of Fushitsusha, Che-Shizu, LSD March et all). Ominously heavy, darkly textured and kerosene driven psychedelic mayhem that instantly blows all competition straight out of the water. I guess that most of you are fully aware of the stature and reputation of this disc, so needles to dwell into pointless explanations. Extremely rare LP (200 copies only) and this one is the most perfect copy you will ever encounter. No doubt about that. Already becoming one of the most sought after Japanese psychedelic artifacts so grab your chance now or hold your peace forever. Price: Offers!!!!
1533. KRAFTWERK: “Autobahn b/w Morgenspaziergang” (Vertigo – SFL-2023) (Two Track Single Record: Excellent ~ Near Mint with only a non-sounding hairline on side a/ Picture Sleeve: Excellent ~ Near Mint – faintest trace of foxing on back/ Company Inner Sleeve: Near Mint). Rare Japan picture sleeve issue. Rarest Kraftwerk slide out there and in great nick. Price: 300 Euro
1534. KRALINGEN: “S/T” (Wild Thing Records) (3 LP Set: Mint/ Flimsy Gatefold Jacket: Mint). Infamous Dutch 3 LP live recording of the same festival in 1970. UNPLAYED COPY!!!! Very rare Holland only 3 LP set release that documented the amazing Kralingen Pop Festival that was held for 3 days in a row in Rotterdam in 1970. Spread over 3 LP’s you are treated to live recordings from that festival including amazing performances by Hot Tuna; Santana; Jefferson Airplane; Exception; Pentangle; Tyrannosaurus Rex; The Byrds; Dr. John The Nighttripper; It’s A Beautiful Day (with a thunderstorm exploding over their heads); Soft Machine and Pink Floyd – performing at 5 o’clock at dawn. Truly mind blowing selection of historical live acts, all showcasing their intoxicating sounds at the same festival. Never seen this 1st press edition of this LP in such a perfect condition. 2nd presses are common, this is the true 1st press issue. Mint as a virgin’s ass. Price: 250 Euro
1535. KROG, KARIN: “By Myself” (Philips – RJ-7153) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Near Mint/ Insert: Near Mint/ Obi: Near Mint). Rare Japan 1st original pressing in top shape and with first issue obi present! 1964 recording and one of the finest moments in Norwegian/ European vocal jazz and also Karin Krog’s debut recording. Indispensable and damned rare with obi. Price: 75 Euro
1536. KROG, KARIN: “Jazz Moments with Karin Krog” (Sonet/ Teichiku Records – UPS-2019-N) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Near Mint/ Obi: Near Mint). Japan original pressing all complete with rare very first issue OBI. Originally released by Sonet Records this is the very first Japanese press issue of a 1966 session features an all-star line-up. A young Jan Garbarek is featured on two tracks and the stellar rhythm section is made up of Kenny drew on piano, Niels Henning-Orsted Pedersen on bass and Jon Christensen on drums. One of the cornerstone recordings out of the Norwegian jazz scene, indispensable in my book. Top condition and copies with obi are a bitch to unearth. Price: 75 Euro
1537. KROG, KARIN & FRIENDS: “Joy” (Sonet/ Teichiku – UPS-2018-N) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Near Mint/ Insert: Near Mint/ Obi: Near Mint). Top condition Japan very first original press issue that sounds awesome. A groundbreaking session of European jazz – one of the first true moments of genius from singer Karin Krog! Tracks are long and experimental without getting too far out – and Karin's icy voice flows out magically over compelling tunes that still remain some of the most striking jazz vocals ever recorded! The set has Karin singing with a group of young, hip Scandinavian players that include Jan Garbarek on sax, Arild Andersen on bass, and Terje Bjorklund on piano – all of whom stretch out in long, spare, modally-influenced grooves – of the sort that completely transform the role of the singer in jazz. The whole thing's great – trippy, yet still soulful, rhythmic, and swinging! Japan first original press issue that sounds absolutely gorgeous! Complete with insert and OBI!!! Price: 250 Euro
1538. KROG, KARIN: “You Must Believe In Spring – Songs By Michel Legrand” (Philips – SFX-6019) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Near Mint/ Insert: Near Mint/ Obi: Near Mint). Japan original press issue. Here are a group of very good European musicians with many outstanding recording sessions under their respective belts taking part in an effort to transform Michel Legrand’s music into a combination of pop, rock and fusion. Every electronic gimmick ever invented by an engineer is used here. There's an electric bass, piano, echo chambers, etc. The musicians, handpicked by Mikkelborg, also offer a super string quartet led by Finn Ziegler. Philip Catherine is featured on guitar. Amongst the songs featured are "Once upon a summertime", "Watch what happens" and "Ask yourself why". Top condition. Price: 75 Euro
1539. KROG, KARIN & DEXTER GORDON: “Some Other Spring – Blues And Ballads” (Sonet/ Teichiku – UPS-2021-N) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Near Mint/ Insert: Near Mint/ Obi: Near Mint). “The talented Norwegian singer Karin Krog sings standards and her own "Blue Eyes" on this enjoyable collaboration with tenor saxophonist Dexter Gordon. Krog, a versatile vocalist, sounds perfectly at home on such tunes as "Some Other Spring," "How Insensitive," "Jelly, Jelly," and "Shiny Stockings." Dexter is in excellent form (he had lived in Europe at that point for eight years) and the group is completed by pianist Kenny Drew (who switches to organ on "Blue Eyes"), bassist Niels Pedersen and drummer Espen Rud. This is one of the most accessible Karin Krog releases around and is recommended.” (All Music Guide). So sweet, it almost hurts. Scare Japanese first original pressing with rare obi. Price: 50 Euro

1540. KUHN, JOACHIM: “Paris Is Wonderful” (BYG Actuel Records/ Toho Geion – YX-6057) (Record: Near Mint/ Gatefold Jacket: Near Mint/ Insert: Near Mint). Scarce Japanese original pressing – WHITE label PROMO issue. One of the last records to come out on the BYG label, classic thunderous recording where Kuhn gets flanked with Jean-François Jenny-Clark, Aldo Romano and Jacques Thollot. Original French pressing on BYG label. Classic free floating jazz beast that unfortunately sits in the shadow of all the other slides released on the label, which is a shame as it deserves is places in the blazing sun! Highly recommended. Price: 50 Euro

 

1541. KUWABARA YUKIKO: “Kuwabara Yukiko to Anata” (Victor – SJV-529) (Record: Near Mint/ Gatefold Jacket: Near Mint/ Pin-Up Poster: Near Mint/ Obi: Near Mint). Top-notch complete copy with pin-up poster included and obi intact. Hideously rare erotic artifact in this condition with obi and poster included. Here is a brief review from the guys at Boomkat on the reissue of this disc on Tiliqua Records: “I think it must be obvious to the casual observer by now that we've developed something of a taste for Tiliqua's utterly essential series of ‘Erotic Oriental Sunshine' releases, which basically comprises of odd pop music made by 1970s Japanese porn stars. What's not to like? We've got breasts, attitude, exotic musical accompaniment and often some orgasmic moaning – now that sounds like a pretty decent night in to me and well worth the asking price. This particular chunk of erotic action from Kuwabara Yukiko, an actress who became best known for starring in erotic action series ‘Play Girl' which became a huge success, lasting 287 episodes and leaving her not a great deal of time to record music. Indeed ‘Kuwabara Yukiko to Anata' is Yukiko's only existing recorded output and what a strange beast it is. For some reason the actress (or her production team maybe) decided it might be best to layer her erotic ramblings over some over-sentimental French orchestral soundtrack fodder and the result is as mesmerizing as it is odd. We all know the sound, it's so familiar, but hearing a heated, oversexed Japanese twenty something breathily babbling over the top is unmissably unique. What we end up with is something, which could easily be placed between the more inventive work of James Last, if it were not for the overt sexual content and unashamed Japanese-ness of the whole thing. Another devastatingly good curiosity and fabulous Christmas present for the more discerning music fan, you'd better snap this one up quickly as (like the others) it's going to be gone very quickly indeed. Huge recommendation.” (Boomkat) Monster rarity & Top-Notch Copy!!! Price: 400 Euro
1542. LA MONTE YOUNG: “Sunday AM Blues/ Bb Dorian/ The Well Tuned Piano/ Map of 49’s Dream” (No Label) (2 LP Set: Near Mint/ Jacket: Near Mint, still in shrink). Superb high quality recording 2 LP set, released in a miniscule run back in 1992. Only the 2nd time in 10 years I see a copy of this magnificent & crystal clear La Monte Young recording that features LEE KONITZ!!!! The records (one white label, one black label) come in a single die cut white sleeve with a Xerox pasted to the shrink-wrap, indicating just the track titles. No further info given on the release. One of the best La Monte Young recordings out there, crystal clear sound recording that surpasses even his official releases. Damned rare and kick ass minimal droned out sounds. The addition of Lee Konitz to the line-up is pure magic! Price: Offers!!!!
1543. LA MONTE YOUNG: “The Theatre of Eternal Music – Dream House 78’17”” (Shandar – 83510) (Record: Near Mint/ Gatefold Jacket: Near Mint). Hardly any introduction is needed here I guess. Well know and sought after minimal music masterpiece. Original French pressing in top condition. "Dream House 78' 17" is one of the very few recordings ever made by minimalist composer La Monte Young in this case together with his long-time companion Marian Zazeela and the Theatre of Eternal Music. The 78' 17" in the title consists of the duration of the record and its duration was almost double what was the norm. Young in the sleeve notes says that "Time is so important to the experiencing and understanding of the music in the record that every effort was made to make the record last as much as the original master tapes. The first composition, "Drift Study 14 VII 73 9:27:27-10:06:41 PM NYC" is a part of "Map of 49's Dream The Two Systems of Eleven Sets of Galactic Intervals Ornamental Light-years Tracery", itself a section of an even longer work called "The Tortoise, His Dreams and Journeys". In it, three sine waves interlocking with the players. According to Young, the lack of harmonic content of the sine waves makes accompanying them with regular instruments and human players extremely difficult. The second composition, "Drift Study 14 VII 73 9:27:27-10:06:41 PM NYC (39" 14")", is played entirely by sine wave generators. Frequencies and voltages of the sine waves generators were determined and tuned by La Monte Young using oscillators custom-designed by sound technician Robert Adler to generate specific frequencies and voltages of great stability. The sine waves produced are such that they interfere with each other, creating changes of volume both in time and space that can be experienced either walking within the room or staying put. In any case, a groundbreaking classic and till this day still not reissued in any other format, so the original LP is the sole medium out there to enjoy this slab of greatness. Price: 250 Euro
1544. LA ROCA PETE: “Turkish Women at the Bath” (Douglas – SD-782) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Excellent – has upper right drill hole) Clean and mean US first original pressing of subliminal spiritual jazz slide. This album was a Pete La Roca inspired, composed and led project for DJ Alan Douglas' short lived record label, Douglas. The album was recorded with Pete's sometime working band of 1967 which included Walter Booker, John Gilmore and Chick Corea. “Turkish Women at the Bath is based on the painting by Jean Auguste Dominique Ingres, offering inspiration for each of LaRoca's seven compositions. The drummer, as leader, drives the rhythm and surrounds his quartet with shimmering cymbals. Walter Booker performs accompanying walking and running duties for the largely hard bop session, and offers a lyrical bass solo on "Bliss." Behind the bass solo, Corea repeats a one-measure descending motif tirelessly for over two minutes. LaRoca borrowed that pattern from a Pakistani tune; the modal harmonies throughout the session lend an authentic Middle Eastern mood. Gilmore and Corea share the solo spotlight; at the time of this recording, the tenor had only recently left Art Blakey's tutelage, and Corea had recorded his first albums as a leader: Tones For Joan's Bones and Inner Space, both on Atlantic. "Marjoun" is a Corea feature, showing the pianist's churning motion at the keyboard, while Gilmore rolls with contrasting waves of sound. This being the late sixties, the session includes some intentional reverberation with the saxophone on "Turkish Women at the Bath," and with the piano on "Marjoun." Stepping into the spotlight on "Dancing Girls," LaRoca punctuates clearly while Corea repeats the same one-measure phrase for almost three minutes. LaRoca's extended unaccompanied drum solo takes place in "Sin Street," another hard bop number laced with postmodern elements.” (All About Jazz) Highly recommended. Price: 450 Euro
1545. The LA’S: “S/T” (Go! Discs – 828.209-1) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Near Mint/ Imprinted Insert: Near Mint). Scarce 1990 UK very first original press issue in top shape with A-1U-1 and B-1U1 as matrix numbers and with Townhouse machine-stamped into the dead wax. “Some albums exist outside of time or place, gently floating on their own style and sensibility. Of those, the La's lone album may be the most beguiling, a record that consciously calls upon the hooks and harmonies of 1964 without seeming fussily retro, a trick that anticipated the cheerful classicism of the Brit-pop '90s. But where their sons Oasis and Blur were all too eager to carry the torch of the past, Lee Mavers and the La's exist outside of time, suggesting the '60s in their simple, tuneful, acoustic-driven arrangements but seeming modern in their open, spacy approach, sometimes as ethereal as anything coming out of the 4AD stable but brought down to earth by their lean, no-nonsense attack, almost as sinewy as any unaffected British Invasion band. But where so many guitar pop bands seem inhibited by tradition, the La's were liberated by it, using basic elements to construct their own identity, one that's propulsive and tuneful, or sweetly seductive, as it is on the band's best-known song, "There She Goes." That song is indicative of the La's material in its melodic pull; the rest of the album has a bit more muscle, whether the group is bashing out a modern-day Merseybeat on "Liberty Ship" and bouncing two-step "Doledrum," or alluding to Morrissey’s elliptical phrasing on "Timeless Melody." This force gives the La's some distinction, separating them from nostalgic revivalists even as their dedication to unadorned acoustic arrangements separates them from their contemporaries, but it's this wildly willful sensibility -- so respectful of the past it can't imagine not following its own path -- that turns The La's into its own unique entity, indebted to the past and pointing toward the future, yet not belonging to either” (All Music) Price: 200 Euro

1546. LACEWING: “Paradox b/w Our World (It Can Happen)” (Mainstream/ Nippon Columbia – LL-2460-MS) (7 Inch Single Record: Near Mint/ Gatefold Picture Sleeve: Near Mint/ Company Inner Sleeve: Near Mint). Seriously rare 1971 Japan only issue that comes housed in great picture sleeve. PROMO issue. Very strange this got released in Japan with picture sleeve, before it dropped to the deepest depths of obscurity and vanishing with only a few having seen an actual copy. Classic Westcoast Airplane/Mamas & Papas/Big Brother influenced femme-vox folk rock and psych with fuzz leads and minor prog ambitions. Stupidly rare Japan only picture sleeve single that sold zilch and never made it beyond the promo stages, depressing sales prevented the LP from being granted a domestic release, making this sole artifact rare for all eternity!!! Price: Offers!!!!

1547. LACY, STEVE with DON CHERRY: Evidence” (Prestige New Jazz) (Record: Excellent ~ Near Mint/ Textured Jacket: Excellent ~ Near Mint with “RW” Review stamp on back). Original US first pressing – MONO issue & Deep Groove label as issued on the legendary Prestige label for their New Jazz series. This album stands as one of Steve Lacy's earliest Monk's music explorations. A reflective journey through the visionary world of the high priest of bop featuring the great Don Cherry on trumpet, the solid Carl Brown on bass and the marvellous Billy Higgins on drums. A historical studio session based on a Monk/Ellington split track list including four Monk's compositions and two lesser-known Ellington pieces. Clean US first original pressing in great shape, rarely turns up this neat! Price: Offers!!!!
1548. LACY, STEVE with DON CHERRY: “Evidence” (Prestige/ Victor Records – SMJ-7567) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Near Mint/ Insert: Near Mint/ OBI: Excellent). WHITE label PROMO of rare 2nd press issue in top shape. This album stands as one of Steve Lacy's earliest Monk's music explorations. A reflective journey through the visionary world of the high priest of bop featuring the great Don Cherry on trumpet, the solid Carl Brown on bass and the marvelous Billy Higgins on drums. A historical studio session based on a Monk/Ellington split track list including four Monk's compositions and two lesser-known Ellington pieces. Rare Japanese pressing with obi – PROMO! Price: 125 Euro
1549. LACY, STEVE with DON CHERRY: “Evidence” (Victor Records – SMJ-6271) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Excellent ~ Near Mint/ Insert: Near Mint/ Obi: Near Mint). Top shape Japanese pressing – same as the one listed above but 2nd press issue complete with obi. Price: 50 Euro

1550. LACY, STEVE: “The Straight Horn of Steve Lacy” (Candid/ Victor Records – SMJ-7132) (Record: Near Mint/ Flip Back Jacket: Excellent/ Obi: Near Mint). Japan very first original press issue all complete with never offered before very first issue obi. “Some of soprano saxophonist Steve Lacy’s most interesting recordings are his earliest ones. After spending periods of time playing with Dixieland groups and then with Cecil Taylor (which was quite a jump), Lacy made several recordings that displayed his love of Thelonious Monk’s music plus his varied experiences. On this particular set, Lacy’s soprano contrasts well with Charles Davis’ baritone (they are backed by bassist John Ore and drummer Roy Haynes) on three of the most difficult Monk tunes ("Introspection," "Played Twice," and "Criss Cross") plus two Cecil Taylor compositions and Charlie Parker’s "Donna Lee.” (All Music Guide). Freakingly rare very first Japan press issue with obi, never saw a copy before until now…Price: 300 Euro

1551. LACY, STEVE: “The Straight Horn of Steve Lacy” (Candid/ CBS SONY – SOPC-57006) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Excellent/ Cap Obi: Near Mint). Same as the above but this one here is the 2nd press issue out of 1971. This version is also one that hardly never shows up but of course is not as rare as the flip back version that came first. Still the obi is a rare feat. Great condition and great sounding Japanese pressing. Price: 50 Euro

1552. LACY, STEVE: “The Forrest And The Zoo” (ESP Disk – ESP-1060) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Near Mint). SIGNED BY LACY & RAVA. Original US first pressing from 1967 with the first press issue address - 156 Fifth Ave – stated on jacket. This is the earliest press issue with the Black & White labels. Hereafter came the colored version labels. Virginal original pressing and best condition possible with on the labels both the signatures of Steve Lacy and Enrico Rava!!! One of a kind unique item! Price: 200 Euro
1553. LACY, STEVE: “The Forrest And The Zoo” (ESP Records/ Victor Records – SMJ-7490) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Near Mint/ Obi: Mint). Damned rare Japan 1st original pressing with first issue Victor obi. Lacy’s band was truly an international one: Lacy and Italian trumpeter Enrico Rava made up the front line, and the rhythm section included South African expats Johnny Dyani on bass and drummer Louis Moholo. The musical interaction that takes place over 40 minutes here is compelling, fraught with openness and the willingness to explore the margins. Unlike a lot of the other "new thing" recordings made at the time, the focus here is unusually rich, expressive, colorful, and easy on the ears -- though it may not have been at the time. Lacy, had been increasingly influenced by the music of Ornette Coleman, John Coltrane and Albert Ayler. His own exploration of his chosen instrument, the soprano saxophone, is all evident here in the manner in which he is considering new tonal, textural, and color possibilities as a soloist and as a functioning member of an ensemble. This is white-hot musical invention -- it meanders, swoops, soars, digs in its heels, and above all offers a staggering kind of communication between four players who took nothing for granted and knew that everything was up for grabs. Even at this early stage of Lacy and company's investigation of free and improvised music, there is a healthy melodicism, rich counterpoint exchanges between Lacy and Rava and a wildly expansive rhythmic palette employed by Dyani and Moholo. This is not normally considered an essential part of Lacy’s very large catalog, but in the 21st century it does deserve to be heartily and critically reexamined. The cover painting by the late artist Bob Thompson makes the set worth owning simply for its beauty.” (All Music Guide) Bloody rare Japan 1st press issue with rare 1st obi in top condition, first time ever I have a copy of this one in all these years! Price: 250 Euro
1554. LACY, STEVE: “Epistrophy” (BYG Records/ Toei Records – YX-2015) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Near Mint/ Obi: Near Mint). Scarce Japan original press issue complete with obi. “1969 French date released on the BYG label as Epistrophy. Plays Monk is also the first record Lacy made after taking up residence in Paris. His band for the outing features the legendary Italian drummer Aldo Romano, the pianist Michel Graillier and bassist Jean-Francois Jenny Clark. There are five unusually complex Monk tunes here -- "Thelonious," "Ruby My Dear," "Light Blue," "Mysterioso," and "Friday the Thirteenth" -- and two versions of "Epistrophy." This is easily Lacy’s "straightest" album from the period, and he stays melodically and harmonically close to Monk’s original compositions in the heads before taking off somewhere else in the solos. But Lacy keeps to the notion of repetition, syncopation, and melodic invention that Monk did and the band is nearly symbiotic in its communication around and with him. The music here is a delight and a revelation all at the same time.” (All Music Guide). Top shape and not seen so often Japanese original. Price: 50 Euro

 

1555. LACY, STEVE: “Moon” (BYG Actuel/ Toei Geion – YX-6056/ actuel-52) (Record: Near Mint/ Gatefold Jacket: Near Mint/ Insert: Near Mint/ Obi: Excellent). Bloody scare Japan first press issue of classic BYG/ Actuel title complete with rare OBI. Soprano saxophonist Steve Lacy’s first recording as a leader since moving to Europe was originally cut for the Byg label. Lacy was in Rome after being "stranded" in South America for quite some time. He had embraced many of the aspects of free jazz, and his interplay with the Italian musicians (trombonist Italo Toni, clarinetist Claudio Volonte, bassist Marcello Melis and drummer Jacques Thollot), as well as cellist Irene Aebi (who would soon become a permanent member of his groups), is intriguing, often dense, and quite passionate. Lacy had not yet fully developed his more relaxed, scalar approach to improvising, but his playing is certainly quite distinctive and generally pretty lyrical during performances of his five originals. Price: 150 Euro
1556. LACY, STEVE: “Sortie” (GTA Records – GT LP-1002) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Near Mint). Italian only 1966 Italy only issue that later down the line was reissued in other country with alternated sleeve art. This is the genuine first original pressing in awesome condition!! First copy I see WITHOUT any lamination creases, perfect condition + signed on the back by Steve Lacy! Sortie is quite a rare Italian album from Steve Lacy – featuring a quartet with Enrico Rava on trumpet, Kent Carter on bass, and Aldo Romano on drums – the same group on Lacy's Disposability album, but with the excellent addition of trumpet – which gives the music an even more powerful sound! The mixture of Lacy's soprano and Rava's trumpet is wonderful – and Carter and Romano are on fire in terms of their rhythms – post-Monk, post-Ornette, but also maybe still with more structure than some of the free jazz generation to come – a great balance that really draws some soulful currents from Lacy's horn. Titles include "Black Elk", "Helmy", "Fork New York", "Living T Blues", and "Sortie". Damned rare original pressing of stellar free improvisation LP by Lacy and cohorts, indispensable! Top condition!!!! Price: Offers!!!
1557. LACY, STEVE: “Sortie” (Globe Records/ Victor Records – SMJ-7429) (Record: Near Mint/ Flip Back Jacket: Near Mint). Original Japan 1966 very first press issue and impossibly rare! Pristine condition and the first time ever I could encounter a Japanese press original. Same as the one listed above but must confess this pressing sounds much better than the Italian original one. Comes housed in a thicker than life flip back sleeve. Essential Lacy!!! Price: 400 Euro
1558. LACY, STEVE: “Wordless” (Futura Records/ Epic – ECPL-23-FU) (SEALED COPY with OBI). Damned rare Japanese press original of Futura title all complete with insert and seriously scarce obi. “The 1971 session Wordless is an interesting and often overlooked entry in the long discography of saxophonist Steve Lacy. Relatively new to Paris at the time (he and his wife Irene Aebi had relocated there just two years earlier), Lacy was by all appearances inspired by the momentum among visiting and relocated African Americans (Anthony Braxton, Archie Shepp, and the Art Ensemble of Chicago among them) that was being documented by the BYG/Actuel label. Whatever the inspiration, Wordless is the rare free-improv record from a Lacy band, especially from his early days. The title may well come from Aebi's role on cello (prior to her switch to violin) as she passes on the vocals that make her a controversial presence among some Lacy aficionados. The rest of the band is an interesting amalgam, with Chicagoan Jerome Cooper on drums and Kent Carter, who permanently left the States for Europe in 1969 and would work with Lacy of choice for years to come, on bass. Rounding out the group is the little heard South African trumpeter Ambrose Jackson, who appeared on several Lacy and BYG sessions, but seems to have disappeared shortly thereafter. As a Lacy record, it's not the most satisfying. Musical themes are worked here that would be revisited in years to come, but it doesn't have the feeling of cohesiveness Lacy usually generates (nor does it have any Monk songs!). In hindsight, it feels more like a product of those anything-goes Parisian days, which in itself makes it an interesting document. The compositions are all credited to Lacy, but it is infused with the inventive flurry of '60s free improvisation.” (Squid’s Ear) Hard to track down Japan original with always missing obi. SEALED COPY!!! Price: 200 Euro

1559. LACY, STEVE with FRANZ KOGLMANN; TONI MICHLMAYR, MUHAMMAD MALLI and GERD GEIER: “Flaps” (Pipe Records – PR-151) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Near Mint). Original 1973 Austrian private press slide that saw the light of day on the small Pipe Records imprint that only released 3 LP’s in a small pressing run. One of Lacy’s finest hard boiling slides. Price: 300 Euro

1560. LACY, STEVE: “Steve Lacy Solo at Mandara” (ALM Records – AL-5) (Record: Near Mint ~ Mint/ Jacket: Mint/ Insert: Mint/ OBI: MINT). Top copy that comes with always missing insert and with never offered for sale OBI, first all complete copy I have in 13 years time. The rarest of Lacy’s recordings. Recorded live from a solo concert at the famed Mandara live house in Tokyo’s Kichijoji district on June 8, 1975, it depicts Lacy at his finest hour ever. It was Lacy’s first even gig in Tokyo and the material on display here was taken from the second set of that evening. Enfant terrible, music critic and writer Aquirax Aida, who invited Lacy over to Japan and staged some concerts for him, organized the whole affair. It was here at this gig that Lacy debuted Snips and Stabs. His first adventure in Japan was without a doubt the most daring and astonishing of all his trips over there. He was then tapping into still virginal territory, mapping out the boundaries of his own still developing playing and touching reputedly on magic and greatness that only a very few can even dream off of possibly attaining, but Lacy did it. Of the five splendid albums produced during his first trip over there, only Distant Voices made it as a CD reissue. Other much desired ones like this one here, possibly his rarest one (esp. in mint condition) is craved for by many but only actually seen by a very few select avid music fans. “Steve Lacy Solo at Mandara” is in a way a bit like Van Gogh’s stunningly colorful paintings or like a surreal Dali coming to life through sound. He blows out a gently myriad sound by playing an instrument – the soprano saxophone -, which has had few real icons. But Lacy truly was an icon for the instrument and singlehandedly rescued it from obscurity, giving it a potent voice in the avant-garde. Simply stuff of legends. Hideously rare LP, released in an edition of 300 copies according to Mr. Kojima and copies complete with obi in such nice nick as this baby here simply do not turn up. First copy in a long time I can clutch my fingers around. An obscured dead cold classic. Massive and certainly one of those Holy Records in my Free Jazz top ten. TOP condition!!! Comes with MEGA RARE OBI!!!! Price: Offers!!!!
1561. LACY, STEVE: “Torments – Solo In Kyoto” (Morgue – Morgue-01) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Near Mint). Great copy of the rarest of Lacy’s recordings. Recorded live from a solo concert at the Silk Hall Kyoto in Kyoto on July 6, 1975, it depicts Lacy at his finest hour ever. It was Lacy’s first ever gig in Kyoto and the material on display here was taken from the first set of that evening. Enfant terrible, music critic and writer Aquirax Aida, who invited Lacy over to Japan and staged some concerts for him, organized the whole affair and eventually released this in 1979 on his own Morgue label, in a very tiny edition of about 200 copies only. His first adventure in Japan was without a doubt the most daring and astonishing of all his trips over there. He was then tapping into still virginal territory, mapping out the boundaries of his own still developing playing and touching reputedly on magic and greatness that only a very few can even dream off of possibly attaining, but Lacy did it. Of the five splendid albums produced during his first trip over there, only Distant Voices made it as a CD reissue. Other much desired ones like this one here, possibly his rarest one is craved for by many but only actually seen by a very few select avid music fans. “Steve Lacy – Torments – Solo in Kyoto” is in a way a bit like Van Gogh’s stunningly colorful paintings or like a surreal Dali coming to life through sound. He blows out a gently myriad sound by playing an instrument – the soprano saxophone – which has had few real icons. But Lacy truly was an icon for the instrument and singlehandedly rescued it from obscurity, giving it a potent voice in the avant-garde. Simply stuff of legends. Hideously rare LP, released in an edition of 200 copies according to Mr. Kojima and copies in such nice nick as this baby here simply do not turn up. First copy I can clutch my fingers around. An obscured dead cold classic. Massive and certainly one of those Holy Records in my Free Jazz top ten. Fair reserve price due to slightly lesser sleeve at EX condition. Price: Offers!!!!
1562. LACY, STEVE – The STEVE LACY SEXTET: “The Wire” (Columbia Records – YX-7553-ND) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Near Mint/ Obi: Near Mint - minimal folding crease/ Insert: Near Mint). Bloody rare all complete Japan only issue with OBI and insert. Recorded in 1975 but not released until 1977, The Wire ranks amongst one of Lacy’s finest recordings and his rarest to seep out of Japan, all complete with obi. So far an all-complete copy with obi has not been offered before ever so…. Improvising and playing his own compositions with the cream of the cream of the creative Japanese scene. The Wire was recorded in 1975 recording by a Japanese sextet that included Steve Lacy on soprano saxophone, Masahiko Satoh on piano, Masahiko Togashi on percussion, Keiki Midorikawa on cello and bass, Yoshio Ikeda on bass, and Motoharu Yoshizawa on bass. If you note a preponderance of low-frequency strings, you are correct! Although clearly identifiable as ‘free jazz’, there are strong compositions and structures to accompany the wild improvisation. The way the Togashi, Midorikawa, Satoh, Yoshisawa and Ikeda are dealing with the material and the music is astonishing. The interacting seems to really fit the way that the compositional material is constructed. The string dominated sound of he group works extremely well with the sole sax playing by maestro Lacy. Top condition original pressing all complete with insert and hardly ever seen OBI, so make your best move ‘cause this one hardly ever surfaces all pristine & complete with obi in all its glory…. Price: Offers!!!!
1563. LACY, STEVE with KOSUGI TAKEHISA & TAKAHASHI YUJI: “Distant Voices” (Columbia – YX-7085) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Excellent ~ Near Mint/ Insert: Near Mint). “Distant Voices” is one of the rarest items in Steve Lacy’s and Kosugi's lengthy discography. Originally recorded in 1974 and released in 1975, “Distant Voices” sees Kosugi joining forces with Steve Lacy and Yuji Takahashi. The disc is considered to be one of Lacy's most radical pieces ever recorded, materialized when he came to Japan for the first time and the interaction between these three key avant-garde players sounds like a more defractured and demented version of the Taj Mahal Travelers on a trip down to Transylvania. This first adventure in Japan by Lacy was without a doubt the most daring and astonishing of all his trips over there. Of the five splendid albums produced when in Japan, this is the most ethereal one. Kosugi’s echo-drenched violin manipulations and its clutch of haunting reverberations fog up Takahashi’s skeleton undercurrent piano playing, only to get flanked by Lacy’s aspirational soprano sax noodlings that surge up out the concealed depths of space. The three of them engage by doing so in a very subtle form of downers/laxatives induced trench warfare, where the tiniest gestures trigger apocalyptic ever-evolving waves of exploratory sound. The panoramic undulation of ever floating sounds glide in return without much effort and through a carefully ignited impulse on the surface of a fluid whisper that is busy folding and manipulating space. The whole affair is fueled by an intuitive approach, existing on its own plane, both impervious to and not responsible for trends of any kind. The trio’s sonics are just brimful of poetic resonance coupled to a shamanistic sense of poetry. Much desired by collectors and music geeks, this LP is a bit like Van Gogh's stunningly colorful paintings; many have heard of it but very few have actually seen the real thing: Steve Lacy, Takehisa Kosugi and Yuji Takahashi did not sell many, but… it does not make the music any less angelic. The disc is needless to say rare beyond belief and does not turn up, it just does not…until now! It's amazing music. One of those Holy Grails many are after but very few seem to encounter. Has been ages since I could offer a spare of this record – complete with the always-elusive insert. Massive and out of this world. Top Copy!!! Price: Offers!!!

1564. LACY, STEVE with ROSWELL RUDD & SHELLA JORDAN: “Blown Bone” (Philips – RJ-7490) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Near Mint/ OBI: Near Mint). Rare Japan ONLY Steve Lacy issue that rarely surfaces. All complete copy with stupidly rare OBI present. Japanese-only Philips platter, carries the colorful signifier “Jazz (Free/Blues/Latin),” a definite first in the commonly free improv-focused catalog and one that speaks directly to trombonist Roswell Rudd’s career-spanning eclecticism. The cast of characters is just as colorful with Steve Lacy, Enrico Rava, Paul Motian, Sheila Jordan and seven others convening for a small handful of ensembles. Rudd has always been about placing his slippery slide-calibrated brass in unexpected contexts. This consistently entertaining hodgepodge doesn’t disappoint a whit on that score. First time I can offer a copy with obi present. Price: 450 Euro

1565. LACY, STEVE: “Stalks” (Columbia – YQ-7507-N) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Near Mint / Insert: Near Mint/ Promotional Obi: Near Mint). RARE PROMO issue all complete with insert and mega rare OBI. The obi has a rare promotional tag added to the lower part, highlighting the contents of the music in brief. Getting rarer with every breath you take as complete mint copies just do not surface at all!! Extremely rare Japan only Steve Lacy release that just almost never pops up here anymore. Recorded and released in 1975, “Stalks” sees Lacy working with renowned Japanese free jazz heavyweights Yoshizawa Motoharu (bass) and Togashi Masahiko (drums). Again an indispensable entry in Lacy's discography or – for who cares – in Yoshizawa Motoharu's discography. Contrary to “Lapis”, on “Stalks” Lacy does sound more mature and lyrical. Still that does not mean he has lost his cutting-edge sound he displayed on Lapis. No not at all. Hearing him interacting with these seasoned Japanese improvisers brings out the best of him, which can also be said for Yoshizawa and Togashi, gelling together as a flexible seasoned trio – although that they only have been playing together for a couple of concerts after Lacy's arrival in Japan before heading down to the Tokyo Studios of Columbia. In all a stunning artifact documenting a sort of a clash of the titans, east meets west kind of free improvisation interaction on which all of the three players shine brightly. Rare Japan only Lacy release that only sporadically surfaces. Original press in top condition with the always-missing obi present and accounted for. Price: Offers!!!!

1566. LACY, STEVE: “Stalks” (Columbia Records – YQ-7507-N) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Excellent – has some faint foxing visible). Japan only issue – first press original. Obi is missing so comes dead cheap. One of Lacy finest moments recorded in Japan where he is backed by the finest free spirits being bass wonder Yoshizawa Motoharu and Togashi Masahiko on drums. Incendiary stuff and cheap. Price: 175 Euro
1567. LACY, STEVE: “The Kiss” (Lunatic Records – LUNATIC-002) (Record: Near Mint ~ Mint/ Jacket: Mint/ Obi with Attached 4 Paged Insert: Mint). Damned rare Japan only issue. For some perverse reason Lacy did his finest work ever while he was in Japan and this recording is again in the same sonic ballpark as “the Wire”, “Live in Kyoto”, “Mandara Live” and others. Although recorded almost a decade later as previously mentioned highlights, “the Kiss” sees him again in top form. Recorded on May 24th, 1986 at a solo concert in Hiroshima, Lacy shines through in all his intimacy, his solo brimming over with poetic resonance, an enhancement that gives his skeletal music on this occasion undercurrents of shamanistic depth. Deceptively intense, he has a gift for unexpected lyrical impact, blowing out tones endowed with pure uncut beauty that are casual in its feel, yet meticulous in its musical detail. And all the time he is guided by his intuitive approach that takes him and his music to places no one has ever gone before or hereafter. Astonishingly beautiful, recorded crystal clear and pressed on the best vinyl imaginable, this sonic document is set to rattle your ears. Copies seem to have vanished completely this past decade…top condition one up for grabs…Price: 200 Euro
1568. LAGAGNAMO: “Saspeupu” (Private – MS-11750) (Record: Excellent/ Jacket: Excellent). Totally obscure and rare 1975 privately pressed in extremely limited quantities (100 to 250 maybe?) Quebec - Canadian Lo-Fi underground/ basement free improvisation/ cum-blues/ free jazz slide that rarely surfaces and hardly ever makes it out into the sunlight. Although the record is obscure beyond belief, it has its minor claim to fame as local famous blues guitarist Bob Walsh plays on it as well as members of the progressive rock band Ungava. This loosely thrown together line-up of players is responsible for the deep subterranean vibe that oozes out of it all, resulting in a weird hellbroth of high-tension sounds that leaps into a melting pot of styles, quelling the darker sides of trench warfare blues, basement free jazz, malicious primitive psych vibes and plain weird sounds. It culminates in a panoramic sound floating somewhere between early Soft Machine and the boundless fury of the Mothers. The album is very rare but still largely undetected, breathing out a tornado of dusty low-fi sounds floating on an intuitive approach that is both impervious to and not responsible for trends of any kind. It was recorded live in a bar and it feels like you just stand next to humming amplifiers, making that the whole affair is blessed with the aspirational surges out of the concealed depths of improvisational interplay intertwined with the V.U.’s urbanized take on basement rock. What a ride!!! Price: 375 Euro
1569. LANCASTER, BYARD with STEVE MAC CALL & SYLVAIN MARC: “Us” (Palm Records – PALM-8) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Near Mint). French 1st original pressing in TOP condition. Original 1973 French original pressing without the 7-inch single. Wow! Rare free jazz on the French Palm label. Recorded on November 24th, 1973, with Sylvain Marc on electric bass and the evergreen Steve McCall on drums, who add a wonderful dimension to the trio’s line-up. Here, the trio works from the John Coltrane model; free jazz shook up by the timely contributions of the bassist, followed by a mesmerizing atmospheric music. Then, Lancaster delivers a sinuous solo path, which brings forth his unique tone, with a very free blowing approach, much more adventurous than his US recordings at the time. Killer slide, virginal condition and mucho in demand so… Price: Offers!!!!
1570. HAROLD LAND QUINTET: “The Peace-Maker” (Cadet Records/ Baybridge – UXP-122-BC) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Near Mint/ Insert: Near Mint/ Obi: Near Mint). Very first Japan original pressing in top shape. Difficult to dig up original with obi and without cut outs and ring-wear. Best copy imaginable. Vibes maestro Bobby Hutcherson linked up here for the first time in the studio with Harold Land on the hard-bop tenor saxophonist’s 1968 album The Peace-Maker, released on the Cadet label. Recorded in two sessions (December 11, 1967 and February 26, 1968), the Harold Land Quintet disc unfortunately didn’t make many waves and remained a largely woefully under-appreciated album issued in Land's name. That album featured next to Land and Hutcherson a rhythm section consisting of Joe Sample (p); Buster Williams (b); and Donald Bailey (d), since it was recorded on the West Coast. Top shape!!! Price: 150 Euro
1571. LAND, HAROLD: “Take Aim” (Blue Note/ King Records – GXK-8174) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Near Mint/ Insert: Near Mint/ Obi: Excellent) Top condition Japan only issue of unreleased Harold Land Blue Note recording! A little-known and seldom seen Blue Note session by tenor saxophonist Harold Land went unreleased until this 1980 LP. Land and an obscure supporting cast (trumpeter Martin Banks, pianist Amos Trice, bassist Clarence Jones and drummer Leon Petits) perform five hard bop originals and a lyrical "You're My Thrill." The performances, which are now hard to find, should interest Land collectors and fans of the era's modern mainstream jazz. Top condition! Price: 75 Euro
1572. LARD FREE: “Gilbert Artman’s Lard Free” (Vamp – VP59500) (Record: VG++ ~ Excellent, record has a few paper scuffs that do not affect the playing or sound/ gatefold Jacket: Excellent). First original French pressing of 1973. Lard Free’s first Lard Free record, originally released in 1973. Relaxed drum and bass grooves collide with sonorous sax lines popping out of the electric fog, colliding head on with noisy Quaalude-infected electric guitar screams while all the time the rhythm section maintains a downer relaxed groove. Ambient electro-rhythms, beeping electronics, funky bass riffs, feedback humming and acidic guitar licks make this slide an excellent example of psychedelic avant-rock. Lard Free was just brilliant. Record has only a few paper scuffs but plays EX‾NM all way through. Great keeper copy. Price: 100 Euro

1573. LED ZEPPELIN: “S/T” (Atlantic – MT-1067) (Record: Near Mint ~ Mint/ Gatefold Jacket: Near Mint ~ Mint/ Obi: Mint). Virginal condition – no foxing spots, untouched original obi …. The debut album – this one released in Japan in October 1969, there were the blue stripe issue came out in May of that year. So original 2nd issue obi that comes housed in cool heavy duty gatefold sleeve. Just impossible to ever upgrade upon Japan original press – 2nd issue with orange stripe obi. Time machine archival condition copy!!! Never seen a copy this perfect and clean so….Price: Offers!!!!

1574. LED ZEPPELIN: “II” (Atlantic Japan – P-8042A) (Record: Excellent ~ Near Mint/ Gatefold Jacket: Near Mint/ Rock Age Flower Obi: Excellent ~ Near Mint/ Insert: Near Mint/ Company Inner Sleeve: Near Mint/ Big Poster: Near Mint) Rarest Japanese pressing of the 2nd Zeppelin record and all complete with insanely rare Rock Age Obi and with the always-missing big poster also accounted for. Hideously rare with obi intact, especially in such a stunning condition as this copy offered here. These babies – in such a nice nick – just never surface on this side of the globe anymore, especially with obi, poster, company inner and insert intact. Bound to skyrocket even more in the future. Classic disc and at least everyone needs a copy of this baby. Extremely rare Japanese press issue. Top notch condition; do not believe they come any better than this one here. Price: Offers!!!!
1575. LED ZEPPELIN: “III” (Atlantic Japan – MT-2043) (Record: Near Mint/ gatefold Jacket with Movable Parts Wheel: Near Mint/ Insert: Near Mint/ Obi: Near Mint). Rarely seen WHITE label PROMO issue, original first press issue. Much of the album was written at a remote cottage in Snowdonia while Page and Plant recuperated following an extensive US tour. The cottage had no electricity which encouraged the pair to explore the band’s mellower, pastoral side and resulting in many acoustic introductions to many of the songs. The album’s generally laid-back feel, features one of the band’s most blatantly overt big-trouser moments such as opener Immigrant Song, with its addictive riff and macho subject matter, it is proto-heavy metal at its best. The bulk of the material doesn’t favor rock so much, with even Celebration Day and Out on the Tiles lacking the sledgehammer weight of the previous two albums, but this is no lightweight fluff. Elsewhere, the wistful folk rock of Tangerine and Gallows Pole – another Zep arrangement of a traditional folk song – bolster what is by any reckoning an underrated work. Price: Offers!!!!
1576. LED ZEPPELIN: “Houses of the Holy” (Atlantic Japan – P-8288) (Record: Near Mint ~ Mint/ Gatefold Jacket: Near Mint/ Insert: Mint/ Imprinted Inner Sleeve: Mint/ Red Colored Atlantic Obi: Near Mint/ Double Decker Houses of the Holy Obi: Near Mint). First original Japanese pressing out of 1973 in top condition. This version here for grabs is the mega rare WHITE LABEL PROMO issue that is blessed with a fuller sound/ mix as opposed to the regular version. Just about never surfaces on these shores and only a handful of copies have popped up and are in circulation. Top condition – complete with 3 (Three!!!) obi’s and insert and imprinted inner sleeve. First Japanese promo I encounter after all these years. Price: Offers!!!!

1577. LEE HAZELWOOD & NANCY SINATRA: “Nancy & Lee” (Reprise/ Victor Records Japan – SJET-8053) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Near Mint/ SJET Obi: Near Mint/ Insert: Near Mint). Insanely rare Japan 1st press issue on tri-color label and complete w/ obi and Japan ONLY jacket and the always-missing insert. This is a really scarce Japanese copy (released in late 1960’s) of Nancy & Lee album, complete with OBI & insert. The front-cover art is totally different from the common US edition. Next to that, another discrepancy is the track-listing which is also completely different from that of US issue. Extremely hard to find Japanese copy of this album especially with obi and inert present. Last copy on E-bay went for 600 plus and that was the 2nd press tan version, this one here is the 1st pressing on the tri-color reprise imprint. Stunning condition. Price: 250 Euro

1578. JEANNE LEE: “Conspiracy” (Earthforms Records) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Excellent). 1974 US original pressing in top condition. Female vocals free Jazz monster by former Art Ensemble of Chicago vocalist Jeanne Lee. Like some reviewer somewhere pointed out, Jeanne Lee combines acrobatic vocal maneuvers with a deeply moving sound and quality that allows her to alternate between soaring, upper register flights and piercing, emotive interpretations. She's extremely precise and flexible, and moves from a song or solo's top end to its middle and bottom accompanying an instrument with a stunning ease. Though many critics have cited Lee as creating free jazz's most innovative vocal approach, she's done very little recording, almost none of it as a leader, and even less on American labels. So this one, “Conspiracy” is her greatest and maybe rarest ever effort to make it down to wax with her credited as a leader. She gets backed up though by some heavyweight champions such as Gunter Hampel, Steve McCall, Sam Rivers, Jack Gregg, Perry Robinson, Allan Praskin, Mark Whitecage and Marty Cook. Original 1974 pressing in near mint condition that will make the earwax in your ears melt and dribble out, just that delicious this ear candy here is. Price: 400 Euro
1579. LEE PERRY: “Disco Prisoner – Free The Prisoners” (Conquering Lion Of Judah) (Record: Excellent ~ Near Mint/ Jacket: Excellent ~ Near Mint). Bloody rare 1978 Jamaica original pressing that also comes housed in Jamaica made & imprinted jacket, which makes this baby damned scarce!!! If it turns up it is always housed in a UK imprinted sleeve but this one here is all the way and completely a Jamaica original issue in top shape!!! “Even by Perry’s own standards, "Free Up the Prisoners" was a peculiar single, a 12" that spun at 33 rpm, released in two different versions on the one-off imprint Disco Prisoner during 1978. The riddim began life as Clancy Eccles’ "Feel the Rhythm," a 1967 single that the Upsetter had helped out on, but which bears little resemblance to this later incarnation, which has a slowly coursing and thumping rhythm that brings an entirely new feeling to the riddim. Perry created an abridged version for Mickey Dread’s "Home Guard" single, which Dread later recut as "Neighbourhood Watch." But in its full glory, Perry’s "Prisoners" was a 13-minute epic, with the more interesting of the two versions adding vivacious and prominent piano to the mix. However, the backing isn't the main draw; what's fascinating about this number is Perry’s protracted pleas to liberate the jailed, although at times his mumbled and indistinct vocals somewhat weaken his case, and in places he even drowns himself out with percussion and effects. Some may feel the song is in need of serious editing, as some sections do become overly repetitive. However, Perry’s heartfelt prayers and petition for the prisoners' liberty still packs a punch. One of the Upsetter’s most courageous releases.” (All Music Guide). Record has a small non-sounding scuff on opening side A so graded at EX~NM. Sleeve has no defects, faintest sign of storage wear so also EX~NM. Top copy, 100% Jamaica original for sleeve and disc. Price: 400 Euro
1580. LEE WONHUI (Aka TAKAGI MOTOTERU) with KIKUCHI KOJI: “Grow” (Johnny’s Disk – JD-13) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Near Mint/ Booklet: Near Mint). Without a grain of doubt on my mind, Takagi Mototeru was the all-time greatest sax howler to roan the Japanese Isles and every record he put out showcases this. Grow is no difference and again ascertains the majesty of Takagi’s talent. It also is one of the rarest of all Takagi Mototeru releases that came out. One difference is that this one here was released under his real (Korean) name of Lee Wonhui and released on the legendary private press label Johnny’s Disk. One of the hardest to track down releases on the label and also one of the best hands down. Has been ages since I last saw a copy of this menacing slide, this is a seriously rare and unusual album with hard blower Mototeru Takagi blowing things differently. Drum & sax duo that goes deep. High energy poetry! Spotless copy. Impossible to find! Complete with 4-paged insert. Price: Offers!!!!

1581. The LEMON DIPS: “Who’s Gonna Buy?” (Music-De Wolfe – DW/LP-3114) (Record: Excellent ~ Near Mint/ Jacket: Excellent – lower side slight humidity discoloration). Recorded by an anonymous studio band, musically 1969’s “Who’s Gonna Buy?” was a major curiosity. The album is divided into a side featuring six vocal performances and a side with seven gritty instrumentals. Assuming J. Hawksworth and P. Reno are the main members (as they were given writing credits for all 14 selections), the album offers up a wonderful selection of greasy garage tracks and psychedelic groovers. Tracks such as ‘I Am the Man’, ‘Who’s Gonna Buy?’ and ‘Unpack Your Bags’ are amazing tunes, blessed with excellent snarling vocals, all punched up with tons of feedback guitar and walls of keyboards. This psychedelic garage/pop selection is a bit like the Electric Banana albums, but with hints of The Kinks, The Move or even The Troggs and spiked with snearing fuzz guitar and a slightly stoned flower-power feeling. The album was used as the soundtrack to at least two movies of the time, a Tigon and an Amicus film apparently, including one scene where the band in the film are obviously miming to a song from this record. Not at all well-known but what a great slide of uncut UK psyched out dementia. Price: 450 Euro

1582. LEMURIA: “Lemuria” (P-Vine Records – PLP-6952) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Near Mint/ 2 Inserts: Mint/ Obi: Mint). Immediately sold out limited Japanese pressing of classic AOR slide. “Originally issued on Hawaii's Heaven label in 1979, this Japanese limited LP reissue brings listeners one of the more stunning unheard funky R&B records of the late 20th century. In the tropical climes, multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, arranger, and producer Kirk Thompson put together Lemuria from some of the best musicians in the area and came up with a stylistic blend of funk, Latin grooves, Stevie Wonder-esque sexiness, and the studio feel of the Fantasy studios that artists like Sylvester used Roy Ayers would have been jealous as hell if he knew this record existed back in the day. The tracks here are all uplifting and spiritual, sweet and yet deep in a popping groove that would make any party or dance floor jump. With a trio of female vocalists called the Ladies of Lemuria, the 11 tracks included here are so infectious, so regal, and so dreamy they deserve a place in the collection of every fan of late-'70s urban soul. The polish that Thompson puts behind his songs serves to make them deeper, more meaningful. Standout tracks are "Dreams," "All I've Got to Give," with its glorious vocal and jazzed-out guitar solo, and "Moonlight Affair," with the steamy tropic moonlight drenching the vocal and slippery groove of the rhythm section. Quite beautiful, extremely consistent, and as much a treasure in the 21st century as it was in the 20th.” (All Music Guide). Amazing Japanese high quality pressing released in an edition of 300 copies only and which evaporated as fast as snow in Death Valley. Price: 65 Euro
1583. LEON THOMAS & H. RAP BROWN: “SNCC’s Rap – Recorded Live October 22, 1969/ at Long Island University” (Flying Dutchman – FDS-136) (Record: Near Mint/ Gatefold Jacket: Near Mint). Top condition US first original press issue. Price: 75 Euro
1584. LEON THOMAS: “Leon Thomas in Berlin” (Flying Dutchman – FD-10142) (Record: Mint/ Gatefold Jacket: Mint still housed in shrink/ Insert: Mint/ Direct Import Obi: Mint) Totally virginal condition copy, housed still in shrink and complete with direct import obi. A wonderful live performance by vocalist Leon Thomas – and a set that seems to link together both his own excellent solo material of the time, and his key Impulse recordings with Pharoah Sanders! The group here is a small one – with the wonderful Oliver Nelson on alto sax, showing off his more spiritual side here in ways that didn't always happen on other records of the period – in a quintet lineup that also features piano, bass, drums, and some nice extra conga work! Some material has Thomas really stretching out and getting spiritual – as on the remakes of the Sanders numbers "The Creator Has a Master Plan" and "Pharaoh's Tune (The Journey)" – and then he even gets a bit more avant and outside on the track "Umbo Weti", then moves to straighter bebop vocalese on a sweet take on "Straight No Chaser". A great record – and one that really sums up his genius!  Impossible to ever upgrade upon. Price: 100 Euro
1585. LEONARD COHEN: “S/T” (CBS Sony – SONP-50182) (Record: Near Mint ~ Mint/ Jacket: Excellent ~ Near Mint/ 4 Paged Insert: Near Mint) Damned rare Japan first original pressing. Leonard Cohen's debut for CBS Sony in Japan, one of the most astounding first albums of its era, and to this day a towering achievement in both songwriting and myth making! The production is that perfectly haunting mix of sparseness and grandeur, with Cohen's lyricism piercing and penetrating wonderfully – his voice never sounded better, and this is certainly one of the great "lightening in a bottle" efforts that was hard to top by Cohen or anyone else in the more poetic upper levels of pop music. Includes ""Suzanne", "Master Song", "Winter Lady", "The Stranger Song", "Sisters Of Mercy", "So Long, Marianne", "Hey, That's No Way To Say Goodbye", "Stories Of The Street", "Teachers" and "One Of Us Cannot Be Wrong". Hardly ever offered Japan first press original in great condition. Price: 50 Euro
1586. LES BAXTER AND HIS ORCHESTRA: “The Primitive and the Passionate” (Reprise Records/ Victor Records – SJET-7151) (Record: Excellent ~ Near Mint/ Flip Back Jacket: Near Mint/ Company Inner Sleeve: Excellent/ Obi: Near Mint). First original Japanese pressing on the tri-color Reprise label, all complete with bloody rare 1stissue OBI. With song titles like "Peking Tiger" and "A Night with Cleopatra," 1962's The Primitive and the Passionate is a pretty typical -- and entertaining -- mix of Baxter's instrumental exotica and standards. And, while the relatively straightforward renditions of "Laura," "Little Girl Blue," and "A Taste of Honey" might be a little too tasteful to pique the interest of modern exotica/lounge fans, their supreme smoothness is almost as much of an accomplishment as the album's more whimsical moments. These include the spooky, mariachi-lounge of "Fiesta Brava"; the Latin rhythms and smoky flutes on "Congalé"; and "Bird of Paradise," a sunny, string-driven track that builds on Baxter's quintessential hit, "Quiet Village." An Exotica classic. Price: 100 Euro
1587. LES BAXTER AND HIS ORCHESTRA: “The Soul Of Drums” (Reprise Records – SJET-7349) (Record: Excellent/ Flip Back Sleeve: Near Mint/ Obi: Near Mint). First original Japanese pressing on the tri-color Reprise label, all complete with bloody rare 1st issue OBI. Released in 1963 on Reprise Records and sporting 12 tracks and a multiplexing of two Latin styles with superb symphonic Space-Age strings, bucolic big band brass bursts and cavalcades of drums par excellence, this LP is a culmination point of some sort, a superimposition of the composer’s utterly drum-focused “Skins” from 1957. Soul of the Drums is another Baxter album from the early 60's that largely adheres to that marvelous "Les Baxter Sound," with fabulous results. Where Primitive and Passionate might subtly highlight horns, however, Soul of the Drums obviously favors an ever-present drum sound. From its opening moments, this is absolutely classic Exotica. The first track, "Girl Behind the Bamboo Curtain", is just one of those quintessential upbeat flute safaris, a light, bouncy composition of the sort favored by Martin Denny. "Coffee Bean and Calabash Annie" once again finds Baxter cannibalizing bits of his earlier melodies-- in some circles this could be seen as a negative but such repetitions are right at home in Exotica, a genre that lives and dies on derivations on familiar themes. "Sunrise at Kowloon" is a perfectly archetypal string-led piece of orchestral Exotica. "River of Dreams" is at least as lovely as it sounds, and "Shadow of Love and the Enchanted Reef" is a romantic canoe-trip masterpiece with just enough mystery to make it titillating. The closing track, "Ceremony" is a drum workout. The Soul Of The Drums is no more remarkable than any other of Baxter’s albums of one’s choice, but does thankfully emit a strictly uplifting, mirthful aura which is only fugaciously interrupted by mystical heterodynes, otherworldly phantasms and ritualistic drum patterns. It is not as cineastic as his first forerunner and pre-Exotica blueprint Ritual Of The Savage (1951), but this works to its advantage, as the flow or fluxion is uninterrupted. While there are a few pinpointable real-world locations such as Kowloon and Rio on it, this is no dedicated travelog LP rather than a concoction of delight. Price: 150 Euro
1588. LIBAEK, SVEN: “Ron & Val Taylor’s Inner Space” (Festival – FL-34855) (Record: Side 1 is Near Mint & side 2 is Excellent ~ Near Mint with only a small feelable fingernail scuff on track one that does not sound/ Laminated Jacket: Near Mint ~ Mint/ Insert: Near Mint). Top condition Australian 1973 first press issue. Sven Libaek’s Inner Space is regarded as one of the most legendary soundtrack recordings in the history of Australian music. Released in 1973, soundtracking a documentary series on underwater life by Ron & Valerie Taylor, it now stands proud as a key album of ‘underwater music’, one of the most rightly and righteously revered fields within soundtrack and library music circles. This was a legendary undersea TV series and the Taylors were the most experienced researchers in their field, with the Great White Sharks as a main focus for them, which explains why Spielberg enlisted their help for Jaws. The music composed by Libaek to underscore the documentary is endlessly inventive, gorgeously melodic, at times oceanic, even amphibian and at other times it steers right into the mysterious deep-sea nautical atmosphere to accentuate and complement the images perfectly. It makes of Inner Space one of the classic underwater OSTs and library records out there, rubbing shoulders with other highly revered recordings such as Egisto Macchi’s Fauna Marina, the Sonoton Underwater Music series, the Ittologia and Biologia Marina set and Danielle Patucchi’s Men Of The Sea. Considered to be one of the unsung masters of Australian Film music, Sven Libaek composed for many Australian Films and TV series in 1960’s and 70’s. Inner Space is considered amongst his finest works. Featuring the best Australian jazz musicians including Don Burrows and John Sangster, they masterfully range from the incidental to the improvisational as they create a whirlpool of sublime aquatic jazz exotica. Amazing copy, comes housed in laminated sleeve and has the always missing insert present. Price: Offers!!!!
1589. LIEBMAN, DAVID: “First Visit” (Philips – RJ-5101) (Record: Near Mint/ Gatefold Jacket: Near Mint). 1973 Japan only issue of largely overlooked and discarded spiritual jazz brain freezer, a true masterpiece. Recorded in Japan with Dave Liebman (Soprano Saxophone, Tenor Saxophone, Flute Alto) gets flanked by heavy scenesters Richard Beirach (Piano), Dave Holland (Double Bass) and Jack DeJohnette (Drums). Right from when the needle hits the opening groove, the tone is set and one gets sucked into Liebman’s sonic vortex of hypnotic spiritual jazz flow. The interval is fast paced, the execution is flawless and the sonic tidal range moves in fast pacing cycles. Every combatant is on fire, shatter shots of relentless soloing interlock with each other, creating an addictive sonic blanket one just cannot but love and adore! How this record gets so little praise is beyond my comprehension. Exquisitely executed, intoxicating spiritual vibes throughout, this one ticks all the right boxes. And based on that, it should be a 4-figure record but it is not. Nevertheless, Liebman’s First Visit is so killer it makes your ears sprout out blood!!! Ectoplasmic goo of pure sonic pleasure! And cheap beyond reasonable comprehension. Do yourself a favor and get your mittens on this baby, it will elevate your sorry-ass existence to a higher place as it blows most big ticket private press jazz slides straight outa gene pool. Price: 50 Euro
1590. LIGHTNING HOPKINS: “Early Recordings” (Stateside/ Toshiba – ISR-8145) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Near Mint/ Insert: Near Mint/ Obi: Near Mint). Spotless Japan original first press issue all complete with obi. “This is one of several collections put together from 78s recorded by Houston's Lightnin' Hopkins during the second half of the '40s. During this time he was a regular visitor at several studios with a regular jukebox market for his creations, and these are a really fine example of blues songs that are more like instant poetry that were concocted at the spur of the moment rather than slick, formalized, individualized song "hits." Much of the body of this blues artist's song catalog kind of runs together into a long odyssey, delivered in a rubato medium feel, sometimes locking into a steady beat but often hovering somewhere behind and ahead. As if performing an endless series of card tricks with only three cards, he comes up with variation after variation on the basic 12-bar form and a series of blues riffs that he has ready to fit any and all occasions. Listeners may not be able to tell one track from the next, but Hopkins' feel on guitar and charismatic, lilting voice has proven to be a winner with blues fans decade after decade. The ever-adventuresome Hopkins cut some tracks on organ during this period, and these are parceled out among the collections. Although the resulting "Organ Boogie" certainly provides some variety, the songs with the guitar are of much more lasting music value, the organ numbers mostly of interest as an oddity.” (All Music) Price: 75 Euro
1591. LILBURN, DOUGLAS: “Soundscape – Electronic Works By Douglas Lilburn” (Kiwi Pacific Records – SLD-59) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Excellent). Top copy of damned scarce New Zealand electronic music slide. Original New Zealand pressing of 1980. Finally, here is one of the greatest but sadly largely overlooked electronic music mavericks of all time, the ultimate masterpiece of Douglas Lilburn. During the 1930s, after winning a composition prize offered by Percy Grainger, Lilburn attended the Royal College of Music in London and became a student of Ralph Vaughan Williams. In the 1960s he visited Darmstadt and also worked in the electronic music studios at the University of Toronto. By 1966 he established the Electronic Music Studio at Victoria University in Wellington, the first in New Zealand or Australia. It was in 1975 that he turned his attention exclusively toward the composition of electronic music. Lilburn had often sought to realize the sound of the NZ landscape in his compositions. The possibilities of electronic music, which let him replicate birdsong, waves, wind, rivers, and rain, and incorporate taped sounds from the natural world, turned out to be a revelation, a head twister. Slow electronic sounds merge with modified field recordings in a dreamlike sequence. The art of mastering simplicity is what could best define Lilburn's electronic compositions. His economy of means and use of clear and defined electronic material and sound objects is what made his signature sounds so unique. Spare identifiable drops and the exploration of the calm territories with a nearly Buddhist touch towards sound by using what electronically transformed gongs and metal plates resonations, injected with electronic birds and joyous concrete sounds and electronic blips. Through listening to this, I am now more than ever convinced that Douglas Lilburn was the real deal. Because he was willing, as an established composer, to leap into the unknown realm of electronic sound, to learn a new language, a new way of working, he produced a body of music capable of inspiring listeners as diverse as his academic contemporaries and self-taught, anti-compositional philistines such as me. Essential! Price: 175 Euro
1592. LIMBUS 3: “New Atlantis” (CPM – S-001) (Record: Near Mint/ Flimsy Gatefold Jacket: Excellent ~ Near Mint – has stamp on back – upper left corner). Original German private pressing out of 1969. Heralding from Karlsruhe and Heidelberg, sub-titled “Cosmic Music Experience”, Limbus 3 (later down the line, they would rename themselves as Limbus 4 and record the more avant-garde oriented “Mandalas) was conceived in 1969 and originally released as a private pressing in tiny numbers. University students at the time, Limbus 3 musical voyage dwelled into the realms of ethnic induced psychedelic maelstrom improvisations while touching on ad hoc avant-garde elements and tumbling down instrumental excursions into deep cave man territory. With track titles such as “One-way Trip”, “Breughel’s Hochzeitstanz”, “Valiha” and the sidelong “New-Atlantis”, you can hardly go wrong. Excellent mind bender and hard to come by these days. Original German private pressing in top shape. Price: Offers!!
1593. LINCOLN ST. EXIT: “Drive It!” (Mainstream Records – S-6126) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Near Mint/ Company Inner Sleeve: Near Mint). US first original pressing in virginal condition and one of the hardest to track down titles on the Mainstream label imprint. That said, Lincoln Street Exit is one fierce jam of drenched bluesy psych by group with a definite ear for Native American issues! The work here is very heavy on bottom sounds – rumbling bass and heavy drums that underscore the fuzzy guitar nicely – and vocals from singer Michael Martin are almost shouted with an intensity, underscoring the edgey lyrics perfectly! With a sound that leaves behind the amphetamine-fueled blues basement to seek sanctuary in the penthouse of acid-soaked freedom that culminates in a fuzzed-out cauldron of demonic bass, talking drums, manic cackles and liquid wah-wah! One of the rarest slides on the Mainstream label and this copy here looks like it was plucked out of a time machine. Impossible to upgrade so… Price: Offers!!!
1594. LINDSAY, ARTO/ AMBITIOUS LOVERS: “Envy” (Editions EG/ Polydor Japan – 28MM0406) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Near Mint/ 4 Paged Insert: Near Mint/ Obi: Near Mint). Virginal condition scarce Japan 1984 pressing all complete with obi. Despite its smooth rhythms and concessions to pop, Envy more or less picks up where DNA left off. Arto's guitar wanders in and out of noise-land, producing some ear-shattering effects, but mostly this begins his musical odyssey with the sounds of his youth -- that is, Brazilian music. In fact, Lindsay occasionally sings in Portuguese. Which begs another point: Lindsay is not the greatest singer in the world, but the twists and turns that make this album uniquely wonderful help smooth over any problems one may have with his vocals. A startling and very successful debut. (AM). Top condition. Price: 65 Euro
1595. The LINES: “Ultramarine” (Red – ROUGE-3) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Excellent). Totally underrated and largely overlooked post punk killer slide, original UK pressing from 1983. English post-punk band the Lines formed in 1977 and released their last record in 1983, quietly leaving a couple of impressive albums - Therapy (1981) and Ultramarine (1983) - and a handful of singles and EPs in their wake. Fairly indifferent to the press, affiliated with a very small label, and, despite connections to Alternative TV and Fad Gadget, not part of any scene, the Lines gained a small and fervent following, and their releases remained obscure. Which is a shame because their “Ultramarine” LP is nothing but a pure uncut gemstone of a recording. Price: 100 Euro
1596. LITTLE FEAT: “S/T” (Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab – MFSL-1-299) (Record: Excellent/ Gatefold Jacket: Near Mint/ Gatefold Insert: Near Mint) Rare 2007 audiophile release, numbered edition, this being 1650. Comes housed in thick gatefold sleeve. Price: 100 Euro
1597. LIZZY MERCIER DESCLOUX: “Mission Impossible b/w Fire” (Ze Records/ Toshiba – ILS-17004) (7 Inch Single Record: Near Mint/ Picture Sleeve: Near Mint/ Company Inner Sleeve: Near Mint) Japan original single issue of this post punk no wave classic. A two-sider with tense, terse tunes owing more to disco, funk, and film scores than punk rock. The lead single, a cover of Arthur Brown s "Fire," couldn't have ripped out Descloux's no wave roots any more violently, all the while changing the original's fire-and-brimstone theatrics into a zippy roller-rink wink. Covers of Lalo Schifrin composition -- "Mission: Impossible" is relatively faithful, though Descloux adds something of her own. Spirited, fun, and full of luscious basslines, just awesome! Price: 50 Euro
1598. LIZZY MERCIER DESCLOUX:“Mambo Nassau” (Philips – 6313.122) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Near Mint) French original first pressing from 1982. Ze Records diva Lizzy Mercier Descloux works here with influential post-disco, post-punk producer Steve Stanely on a set of tunes cut in Nassau, with some great backing by a combo that includes Wally Badarou on keyboards. The resulting groove takes the skittish pan-club sound of the early 80s Ze Records scene and infuses it with the hippest take on Jamaican rhythms of the time -- resulting in a groundbreaking batch of tunes that were years ahead of their time! “Mambo Nassau, Lizzy Mercier Descloux's second solo album. Descloux had become inspired by the traditional world music released on France's Ocora label, and in 1980 she took drummer Bill Perry down to Nassau to record at Compass Point, where she was aided by a number of people, including keyboard wiz, arranger and future Talking Heads associate Wally Badarou. The intent was to incorporate African elements into Descloux's existing vibrant mix of arty funk, disco, and film music, and the result was an album that nearly rivals just about any other rhythmically inventive release that came from the rock world at the time. Naturally, Mambo Nassau is even more adventurous than Press Color. The instrumental setup -- with the exception of some of the percussion -- is completely Western and rock-oriented, with Badarou’s excitable synthesizer often figuring prominently, whether churning out squiggled melodies or affecting the mood of the song with sensitive accents. The interplay between all of the instruments is positively acrobatic, including off-kilter time-keeping, wriggling guitars, and plump basslines that seem to twist in place. And, of course, there's Descloux's voice at the centre of it all, adding even more life to the material with infectious wide-eyed exuberance. Eight of the album's ten songs are originals. Once you hear the cover of Kool & the Gang’s "Funky Stuff," you'll realize that no one has ever had as much fun as Descloux had playing that song.” (All Music) Top condition. Price: 200 Euro
1599. The LOFT: “Once Round the Fair” (Creation – CRELP-047) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Near Mint). UK original press issue from 1989 on the legendary and stellar Creation Records imprint! “An excellent compilation that gathers this short-lived group's output. The Loft never quite got the attention they deserved as a guitar pop band. The fact that they were on Creation Records and later turned into the Weather Prophets seemed to often overshadow the band's music. The complete, stumbling, perfect imperfections of "Why Did the Rain" highlight the group's strong points, with distinct, melodic guitar leads over a jangling rhythm section. Tracks like this one helped set the stage for the direction of indie pop over the next 20 years. The warm production emphasizes a classic structure that draws from the Velvet Underground, Television and the Byrds. A crisper production follows on the rest of the tracks, but this short collection never falters in song quality. "Skeleton Staircase" lightly drones and jangles as Pete Astor croons is his faltering, song-speak way. Andy Strickland’s clean guitar work balances out the uneven moments. "Winter" is another fine track, with the vocals and guitar raised to the very front of the track as the muffled drums carry the back. It could easily be mistaken for something off of the Flying Nun roster. "Up the Hill and Down the Slope" is the group's swan song -- endemic of their entire output -- a seemingly tangled mess of guitars and crooked melodies, but structured to perfection.” (All Music) Price: 50 Euro
1600. LOLLIPOP SHOPPE: “Just Colour” (Uni – 73019) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Near Mint) Pristine US first original issue of all-time psych classic. “Garage fans latched on to the killer 45 track ‘You Must Be a Witch’ at an early stage, while the rest of this album used to be a bit overlooked. In recent years, it’s come into vogue and is now UNI’s major rarity along Druids Of Stonehenge. It’s really one of the craziest major label LPs from the era (released in April 1968) with an idiosyncratic, uncommercial sound that is like proto- ‘70s punk avant refraction of the first Love album. Fred Cole’s vocals are so far out you wonder how they ever got a contract, and the 7-minute downer trip of “Underground Railroad” blows much private press stuff away. The album is perhaps more eccentric than truly good but should be checked out – the kind of record that will become a personal talisman to some, while others will scratch their heads. Their manager Lord Tim Hudson tried a Seeds-style hype with them but it never really clicked. The band, originally known as The Weeds, had a couple of non-LP releases” (PL – Acid Archives). Never scratched my head while blasting this gem, instead for me it became much of a personal talisman…one of the most essential records ever – pristine condition US first press original. Price: Offers!!!
1601. LONDON EXPERIMENTAL JAZZ QUARTET: “Invisible Roots” (Scratch Records – SR-10) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Near Mint). Original Canadian first press issue from 1974. Top condition!!! The London Experimental Jazz Quartet were an obviously talented combo of jazz-cats hailing from London, Ontario and centred around soprano and alto sax virtuoso Eric Stach. As an experimental unit, they recorded this sole and very scarce LP t to some extent is largely overlooked and a tad obscure. ‘Invisible Roots’ is a scandalously overlooked, brilliant little gem from the Canadian jazz scene of the mid-seventies and should deservedly stand and rub shoulders with other keystone recordings of that era and is a stone-cold-classic of experimental jazz. The music is totally mind-blowing, played by a cast eight experimental heads who were stunning at creating a massive groove while not forgetting to add some spice by messing it all up a little by steering the sonic palette into the outward regions, combining modes that were at times highly rhythmic and tight, only to ascend into looser and more freewheeling territory just when things are about to get a bit too structured and regulated. With a thrilling mix of soprano and alto sax, wood flute, cello, piano, bass, funky drums, vibes and even some tape manipulation, this little Canadian obscurity is a real treat if you are into free jazz, improvisational music and experimental sounds. An astounding piece of music. Top shape 1st Canadian private press original for your pleasure. Price: Offers!!!!
1602. JACK LONDON & THE SPARROWS: “S/T” (Capitol – T-6115) (Record: Excellent ~ Near Mint/ Jacket: Near Mint – still housed in shrink). Top condition Canadian first original pressing of awesome beat/ garage LP that is blessed with a sort of twilight vibe. Originally released on Capitol in 1968, the band is often referred to as the first British Invasion band not only in Canada, but in the whole of North-America. It was formed in Oshawa in 1964 by London-born Dave Marden (Jack London) and quickly acquired a good reputation and a solid local following. After moving to Toronto they released their only album, which was the first beat album in Canada to containing only original songs. The album has several stand-out tracks, with a marked Beatles/ Zombies sound but oozes out an innocent teenage and slightly twilight vibe that makes it so appealing, and is often cited as a favorite by well-known rock'n'roll writers and ilk. Later down the line the band would morph into Steppenwolf but that is a different tale. If garage and beat is your thang, then this one is a must. Never surfaces this clean and still housed in shrink so… Price: 350 Euro
1603. LONNIE LISTON SMITH & THE COSMIC ECHOES: “Reflections of a Golden Dream” (Flying Dutchman/ RCV Corporation – RVP-6076) (Record: Near Mint/ Gatefold Jacket: Near Mint/ Insert: Near Mint/ Obi: Near Mint) Top condition Japan first original press issue all complete with obi. Lonnie Liston Smith grooves it hard here with his Cosmic Echoes group – mixing in a stronger dose of soul than ever before, yet still giving tracks a righteous feel overall! The approach here is a bit like that of Roy Ayers work from the 70s – still jazzy at its core and conception, but often featuring vocals to deliver a wider message for the tunes – plus some nicely snapping rhythms that are enough to get a few cuts good play on the dancefloor! The record's still got plenty of great mellow tracks too, though – the kind of floating spacey numbers that Smith virtually invented during the 70s, and which stand here as a more strongly jazz-voiced contrast to some of the soul tunes in the set. Donald Smith and Dave Hubbard are still working here with Lonnie to give the work a really solid sound. Top condition Japanese press original…. Archive and time machine condition copy here. Price: 150 Euro
1604. LONNIE LISTON SMITH & THE COSMIC ECHOES: “Visions of a New World” (Flying Dutchman/ RCV Corporation – RVP-6010) (Record: Near Mint/ Gatefold Jacket: Near Mint/ Insert: Near Mint/ Obi: Near Mint) Top condition Japan first original press issue all complete with obi. Lonnie Liston Smith is really tightening up his groove on this one – bringing a bit more funk into the mix, and creating that amazingly sweet glide in his keyboard sound! The record's still steeped in the righteous influences of years past, but it brings the message out to a bigger audience – letting soul flow into the jazz-based tunes in the same way that Norman Connors was doing at the time – and creating the same sort of warm glow through a mix of earthy percussion and electric keys. Vocals on most numbers are by Donald Smith, who has a great approach that has the depth of Leon Thomas but the warm focus of Michael Henderson – and he's a perfect fit for Lonnie's well-crafted tunes on the set! Highlights are the nicely breaking "Devika", plus "A Chance For Peace", "Colors of The Rainbow", "Visions Of A New World", and the killer mellow track "Summer Nights", a very warm electric piano cut, with a nice sort of "Summer Madness" feel! Top shape Japanese original with obi, impossible to ever upgrade upon. Price: 150 Euro
1605. LORREN MAZZACANE: “Listen To The Blues” (Daggett Records – dtt-11) (7 Inch Single EP Record: Excellent/ Picture Sleeve: Near Mint) With Kath Bloom and Tom Hanford, recorded in live performance at Chapel Arts Center. One of the rarest early works left by Loren Mazzacane Connors on his own label Daggett Records. A 33-inch seven-inch mini-album released in the early 1981. The setting of the trio consisting of Kate Bloom and Tom Hanford was a unique organization that can only be heard in Mazzacane’s very early works, including this one. A total of 6 songs blessed with his flickering finger picking style that oozes out a crying and sobbing humming that squeezes out the emotions from the inside out. Connors makes use of layered swells and serrated feedback; just as arresting is his permissive handling of negative space and scattered fuzz. Connors’s playing often luxuriates in extended caesura, punctuated by thin squeals and deliberately skeletal leads. Unanchored notes seem set aloft, only to drift and kink mid-air or be cut short by little catches of breath. A cornerstone recording that captures a pilgrimage of the soul by returning to the blues. Most of the Daggett Records releases of this period were only pressed between 25 to 50 (!!) copies, which is a very small number to see the light of day and many were destroyed and cast away toward the dumpster by Mazzacane himself. This one here is also a surviving copy of probably dozen only and most of those surviving ones come without picture sleeve. A bitch to track down and comes housed in a nice fragile paper picture sleeve. Highest recommendation. Price: 300 Euro
1606. LOS ANGELES FREE MUSIC SOCIETY/ LAFMS – V/A: “Blorp Esette Volume One” (LAFMS – LAFMS-5) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Mint, still in shrink/ 3 inserts: Mint). Top copy. The first of the series adorned with a Don Van Vliet/ Captain Beefheart painting. Original 1977 pressing. Two sides crammed full with weirdness and Dadaist inspired rock by the hands of Dr. Odd, Electric Willy, Daniel Stewart, Cheezit Ritz, Smegma, The Residents, The Patients, the professor, Reet Meat, Le Forte Four, Gods of the pits, Ace, Ju Suk Reet Meate, Mr. Foon’s Bandaloon and Frank bedal. Just awesome collection of DIY scum weirdness. Awesome. Price: 275 Euro
1607. LOS ANGELES FREE MUSIC SOCIETY/ LAFMS – V/A: “Blorp Esette Volume Two” (LAFMS) (Record: Excellent ‾ Near Mint/ Jacket: Near Mint). Top copy. The second and last of the series adorned with a Don Van Vliet/ Captain Beefheart painting. Original 1979 pressing. Two sides crammed full with weirdness and Dadaist inspired rock by the hands of Dennis Duck, Joe Potts, Smegma, Electric Willy trio, the reverend Toad-Eater, Joe Hall’s Dead/ The New Los Grifos Band, Ju Suk Reet Meate, Patients, Chip Chapman, Sucmeof the Spud, The Child Molesters & Charles Wasserburg. Just deliriously insane. Price: 250 Euro
1608. LOS ANGELES FREE MUSIC SOCIETY/ LAFMS – V.A.: “Blub Krad” (LAFMS-7 – 1978) (Record: Near Mint/ Paste On Jacket: Excellent). Original 1st issue. I guess the LAFMS collective does hardly need any introduction. This disc is a superb collection containing tracks by Half Japanese, Vetza, The Pablums, Fredrik Nilsen, Tom Recchion, The Yvonnes, Paul is Dead, The Square Haircutts, The Fine Art Dumpsters, Rick Potts, Yoel and El Trio Primo. All the tracks on display on this disc depict demented geniuses at work, bringing forth primitive avant-rock, prehistoric styled psych and splendid outsider music. This is the real stuff. Every track is a killer; especially The Pablums take on a Rolling Stones song and remodeling it into “Under My Gums”, a sheer hysteric, de-contextualized and hilarious parody. Highly recommended. Especially in this condition. For adventurous music geeks. Price: 200 Euro
1609. LOS VIDRIOS QUEBRADOS: “Fictions” (UES Producciones – CML-2534-X) (Record: Excellent ~ Near Mint – has only 2 faint inaudible hairlines on side 1 so play-grade is NM~M/ Jacket: Near Mint/ 4 Paged Booklet: Near Mint). Impossibly clean top condition 1st original press issue of this 1967 Chilean psychedelic garage & beat monster. Comes complete with the always-missing booklet and comes housed in ultra-fragile and pristine sleeve. “Some came to make records. Others did not leave any recorded evidence—they have been reduced (at best) to the testimony of a blurred photograph in an old magazine. But it was a generation of bands from Chile which gave shape to a stream of permeating rock, beat, folk and psychedelia music influences radiating from the "first world." And on that list of pioneers of Chilean rock, Los Vidrios Quebrados (the Broken Glass) are unanimously considered as the greatest. They had a certain intellectual arrogance. They considered that rock 'n' roll could only be sung in English and refused to sing in their native language, arguing that a cueca (the Chilean national dance) could not be sung in English. They also made their own instruments—creating their own guitars and amplifiers from furniture and loudspeakers. On one guitar, they replaced a pick-up with a record player needle. It gave an extraordinary sound. That sort of creativity flows freely throughout the music on their only album, the now-legendary "Fictions". The LP is an excellent collection of songs, recorded in just nine hours), with intimations of psychedelic rock amidst the influence of bands like The Byrds, The Beatles and The Kinks (with nods to Bach and the classics), all while maintaining a fresh beat sound; "Fictions" is an album that can compare with the best works of psychedelic pop bands from England and America. Los Vidrios Quebrados is one of a handful of Chilean groups to receive attention around the world; and their songs ‘Oscar Wilde’ and ‘Fictions’ are considered among the all-time best tracks in South American rock history.” (Lion). Clean top shape original press with booklet insert. Price: Offers!!!!
1610. LOST AND FOUND: “S/T” (International Artists – IA-LP#3) (SEALED ORIGINAL). 1967 original pressing in the best condition imaginable – sealed with absolutely no defects. Emerging from the same mid-60s Houston, Texas scene as label mates Thursday’s Children and The Red Crayola, Lost And Found were formed in 1965 and originally called themselves The Misfits, changing their name just prior to undertaking a six-month residency at Houston's Living Eye Club – one of the centers of the area’s thriving psychedelic scene. The Lost And Found were one of the several obscure Texas psychedelic groups recorded by the International Artists label, most famous as the home of the 13th Floor Elevators. Like their label mates the Golden Dawn they also sounded very similar to the Elevators. The Lost And Found’s psychedelic sound was assuredly drug-inspired; one of the reasons they signed with International Artists. Lost And Found recorded their one and only album, ‘Everybody's Here’, in the summer of 1967, working with producer Lelan Rogers and engineer Frank Davis. Made up of mostly original material written by group members Harrell and Frost, except for a cover of the Elevators’ ‘Don’t Fall Down’ it was certainly a strong debut, melding the influences picked up on their LA jaunt with more esoteric elements picked up from the Elevators, and their mystical quest for pure sanity. The group broke up after only one album, Forever Lasting Plastic Words, which became a highly valued collectible years later and sealed copies are genuinely hard to come by. Price: 350 Euro
1611. LOU REED: “Berlin” (RCA – RCA-6181) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Near Mint/ 4 page Insert: Near Mint/ Booklet: Mint/ Obi: Mint) Very first Japan original pressing with first issue obi and booklet in virginal condition. “Transformer and "Walk on the Wild Side" were both major hits in 1972, to the surprise of both Lou Reed and the music industry, and with Reed suddenly a hot commodity, he used his newly won clout to make the most ambitious album of his career, Berlin. Berlin was the musical equivalent of a drug-addled kid set loose in a candy store; the album's songs, which form a loose story line about a doomed romance between two chemically fueled bohemians, were fleshed out with a huge, boomy production and arrangements overloaded with guitars, keyboards, horns, strings, and any other kitchen sink that was handy (the session band included Jack Bruce, Steve Winwood, Aynsley Dunbar and Tony Levin). And while Reed had often been accused of focusing on the dark side of life, Reed approached Berlin as their opportunity to make The Most Depressing Album of All Time, and they hardly missed a trick. This all seemed a bit much for an artist who made such superb use of the two-guitars/bass/drums lineup with the Velvet Underground, especially since Reed doesn't even play electric guitar on the album; the sheer size of Berlin ultimately overpowers both Reed and his material. But if Berlin is largely a failure of ambition, that sets it apart from the vast majority of Reed's lesser works; Lou's vocals are both precise and impassioned, and though a few of the songs are little more than sketches, the best -- "How Do You Think It Feels," "Oh, Jim," "The Kids," and "Sad Song" -- are powerful, bitter stuff. It's hard not to be impressed by Berlin, given the sheer scope of the project, but while it earns an A for effort, the actual execution merits more of a B-.” (All Music) Pristine condition!!! Price: 85 Euro
1612. REED, LOU: “Rock N Roll Animal” (RCA Records – RCA-6200) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Near Mint/ 4 Page Insert: Near Mint/ Obi: Excellent). Japan 1st original pressing with obi – WHITE label PROMO issue. Top condition. Price: 125 Euro
1613. LOVE: “Feathered Fish – Gethsemene b/w It’s The Marlin, Baby” (LSD Records – LSD-1) (EP Record: Near Mint/ Picture Sleeve: Near Mint). Scarce but damned great and seldom seen Love bootleg EP that absolutely rocks. Price: 40 Euro
1614. LOVE: “7 And 7 Is b/w My Little Red Book” (Elektra – JET-1715) (7 Inch Single Record: Near Mint/ Picture Sleeve: Mint/ Company Inner Sleeve: Near Mint) Japan only EP release housed in killer picture sleeve. Comes complete with company inner sleeve and centre piece attached. Rarely surfaces with all intact and this copy is just perfect, impossible to ever upgrade upon. Price: Offers!!!
1615. LOVE: “Stand Out b/w You Are Something” (Blue Thumb/ King Records – HIT-1814) (EP Record: Near Mint/ Gatefold Picture Sleeve: Near Mint/ Company Inner Sleeve: Near Mint). Rare 1970 original & Japan ONLY EP & picture sleeve issue of Arthur Lee’s Love. Rarely seen PROMO issue with promo stamp on label. No white label version of this one exists. The A-side is a live cut from a gig in London performing the amazing “Stand Out” version and the B-side is an unreleased track that apparently only turned up on this release. This makes this issue quite a unique Love release and one of the band’s rarest out there. Stunning condition. First copy I have in many, many years. Comes in beautiful eye-popping sleeve art. Price: Offers!!!!
1616. LOVE: “S/T” (Elektra – EKL-4001) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Near Mint – still housed in shrink). 1st Love album, 1966 US first pressing Gold label MONO. After gigging around the Los Angeles scene for three years, Arthur Lee was ready for something different. Inspired by seeing The Byrds live, he decided to merge their folk-rock sound with the driving r&b he had been playing to create a new group, dubbed Love. Recruiting guitarists Johnny Echols and ex-Byrds roadie Bryan Maclean, bassist Ken Forssi and drummer Alban "Snoopy" Pfisterer, Love began recording their eponymous debut LP in January 1966. Their first single, Bacharach/David composition "My Little Red Book," spotlights an insistent, menacing riff that sounds nothing like what their contemporaries were committing to vinyl. Other cuts highlight the writing talents of Lee and the band members, notably on Lee's anti-drug essay "Signed, D.C." and Maclean's "Softly to Me." Also included is their version of the rock standard "Hey Joe," rivaling The Leaves' hit version for power and sporting some lyric alterations. The group, which lived communally at the time in a house formerly owned by Boris Karloff (they are pictured in the house's garden on the LP cover), quickly coalesced into one of the West Coast's most influential and exciting groups; here is where it all began. Top condition original pressing, gold label MONO. Price: 450 Euro

1617. LOVE: “Forever Changes” (Elektra – EKS-74013) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Mint, still in shrink/ Company Inner Sleeve: Near Mint). Bloody rare top copy of Love’s debut, GOLD Label Elektra 1st pressing, stereo pressing. “Despite being undoubtedly a psychedelic folk album, Forever Changes is one of the oddest, most sinister products of the mid 60s West Coast that you’re ever likely to hear. The band, formed around the twin talents of Hollywood brat, Bryan MacLean and folk beat rebel Arthur Lee, were seen as moody outsiders to the LA peace 'n' love community, known for their insularity and rather edgy image. By 1967, after two albums, the band was holed up in Bela Lugosi’s mansion in the grip of acid-fried egotism and early heroin addiction. Always drawn to outsiders, it was Neil Young who originally agreed to produce, but dropped out at the last minute, leaving it to Elektra’s house producer, Bruce Botnick (aided by Lee). Dismayed by the band's sorry state he drafted in session players like Hal Blaine and Carol Kaye. Luckily this had the correct galvanizing effect and the band pulled themselves together just enough to complete the sessions themselves. The result was the aforementioned weird mix of gossamer psych folk and itchy LSD musing. MacLean's Alone Again Or with its Southern Californian mariachi frills is a disarmingly pretty opener. But Lee’s lyrics are exactly on the cusp between blessed out surreality and bad trip paranoia. Live And Live has one of the strangest opening lines of all time in: ''Oh, the snot has caked against my pants/It has turned into crystal…'' but within one line the protagonist is wielding a gun to repel all trespassers. Meanwhile on A House Is Not A Motel, after sarcastically singing that, ''the streets are paved with gold'' he says: '' …the water's turned to blood, and if you don't think so go turn on your tub and it's mixed with mud''. Such reminders of the beast lurking underneath the hippy dream were probably too blunt for an audience desperate to escape the reality of Vietnam and civil unrest. And that's why it took years for first the cognoscenti and now, seemingly, the rest of the world to catch up with this startling album. It didn't avert the demons banging at the door of Love's mansion, but it serves as an eternal reminder of the other side of idealism's coin.” (Chris Jones BBC Music). One of the greatest albums of all time, this is mean and clean first issue stereo pressing of this masterpiece – housed still in shrink, in top condition. Price: 500 Euro

 

1618. LOVE: “Four Sail” (Elektra – EKS-74049) (Record and Jacket are Mint – SEALED). US original stereo sealed copy. “From a retrospective point of view, this might be the first album in the career of singer and songwriter Arthur Lee that might have been received with more enthusiasm had it been released under his name, and not under the band name. Obviously, it must have been in his commercial best interests to retain the Love identity, but here Lee is the only member of the original band left. He is trying to recreate a Love-able identity with fewer players than he had before and a completely different sound. The old Love delivered material in a solidly folk-rock vein, meaning among other things an emphasis on combinations of acoustic and electric guitars. When the original group wanted something a little heavier, it would really put the hammer down. Records such as "My Little Red Book" and "Seven & Seven Is" were tough enough to be rightly considered precursors of punk rock, which is a lot of mileage to get out of a Burt Bacharach tune. Lee’s new lineup here does not have this kind of versatility. Guitarist Jay Donnellan plays a heavy lead guitar minus the impressive chops and gets lots of solo space in the arrangements. The rhythm section favors a more leaden sound as well, particularly drummer George Suranovich, who soaks the barbecue with Keith Moon and Mitch Mitchell licks. Lee fills in on several different instruments, but his real strength is the set of ten original songs he has provided. The tracks are deep in feeling and performed with an emotional fervor that sometimes approaches anguish. It is like going into a dark coffeehouse late at night and finding an electrically charged performer delivering messages about things familiar to one and all: love, memories, friendship, "Good Times," and even "Nothing." Lee’s lyrics and performances have been compared to Jimi Hendrix, certainly a compliment. This album is such a good example of these strengths that it rises above the garage band sound to communicate a sense of time and place as well as some truly sincere feelings.” (Eugene Chadbourne/ All Music). Top condition sealed US stereo original. Price: 250 Euro

1619. LOVE: “False Start” (Blue Thumb Records – BTS-8822) (Record & Gatefold Jacket: MINT – still SEALED and Hype Sticker on the back. Perforated upper right corner). Flawless, virginal and SEALED condition US first original pressing of stellar Love slide, making this copy here is virginal. Largely overlooked Love effort but which brims over with amazing tracks, Lee is on fire and like all other Love records this is as indispensable as all their other releases. Top condition, just flawless and sealed once are damned scare out there, so… Price: 300 Euro

1620. LOVE: “False Start” (Blue Thumb/ King Records – SR-487) (Record: Near Mint ~ Mint/ Jacket: Near Mint ~ Mint/ Insert: Near Mint/ Obi: Mint) Insanely rare Japan real time first original pressing all complete with insert and never ever seen or offered before 1st issue OBI. PROMO issue! This was the very first Love record that came out in Japan and advertised as “Love Debut” & “A special appearance of Jimi Hendrix with Love” on the obi. I heard rumors of this issue but never ever saw an actual copy in over 20 years’ time. So finally, here is one, in archival condition but you better aim high for this beauty…one of the rarest Japanese pressings out there so…. sell a kidney or two, mortgage your house, auction your wife and kids off into slavery and hit me up with your best offer. Price: Offers!!!!
1621. LOVE LIVE LIFE + ONE: “Love Will Make a Better You” (King Records – SKK-3009) (Record: Excellent ~ Near Mint/ Gatefold Jacket: Excellent ~ Near Mint/ Insert: Mint/ Obi: Excellent – a couple of wrinkles on lower side). Fantastic copy of this all-time psychedelic free improvisation masterpiece, one of the rarest psych artifacts to roll out of Japan. This one here comes with the hardly ever seen obi attached, making it a monster rarity!! 1971 original release in exquisite gatefold jacket. Like so many other groups, the formation of this outfit happened rather coincidental and took place in 1971 at the premises of newly found record label King (°1970), that profiled itself as mainly being preoccupied with jazz related activities. One of the central figures circulating at the fringes that scene was the saxophone player Kôsuke Ichihara and flutist Toshiaki Yokota. The sessions took place under the banner of “New Emotional Series” and succeeded in attracting a wide range of illustrious musicians such as Kimio Mizutani, Yanagida Hiro and Chito Kawauchi. Other interested musicians like Takao Naoi and rock star singer Akira Fuse drifted in for the “New Emotional Series” sessions, grouping themselves in the one-time off outfit Love Live Life + One. King released the unit's album “Love Will Make A Better You” in April 1971, which displayed a consistent, advanced jazz-rock sound in the vein of King Crimson's “Islands” and Keith Tippet, infused with improvisational interplay, vicious organ riffage and frantic chord changing. To top it all off there is Akira Fuse's frantic soulful vocal attacks, the free jazzing meets psychedelic blizz interplay and the fuzzed-out organ napalm bomb like attacks that spiced it all up. In short, a whirlwind of lysergic dementia and one of the hottest psyched out monster disc to come out of Japan. KILLER all way through, highest ever-possible recommendation and blood rare. Record is in fantastic shape all way through with no visible defects. Gatefold sleeve is crisp and clean with no damages or splits. One of the nicest copies I’ve had in a long time and getting next to impossible to get in decent shape. Copies do not surface anymore here so…getting hard to dig up. These babies will break the bank in years to come as Japanese psych artifacts are getting closer to extinction with every breath you take. And this one ain’t no different. Price: Offers!!!!
1622. LOVE LIVE LIFE: “Satsujin Juushou – 10 Chapters of Murder” (CBS Sony – SOLL-74002) (Record: Near Mint ~ Mint/ Gatefold Jacket: Near Mint ~ Mint/ Two Inserts: Near Mint ~ Mint/ Obi: Near Mint ~ Mint). Top copy & all complete with the 2 inserts and with always missing obi. Has been almost a decade since I have seen a copy of this beast. Their follow-up to the highly acclaimed “Love Will Make A Better You”. Unlike its predecessor, “10 Chapters of Murder” is more progressive heavy rock tinted. Released in 1972, “Satsujin Juushou” is a fucking killer LP, taking off where “Love Will Make a Better You” left off and taking towards the next level of delirious madness, mixing outward bound jazzy moves with heavy progressive rock freak-outs and psychedelic incantations and private ecstasies. Kimio Mizutani’s wrist-slashing fuzzy guitar licks wah’s through it all like a surgeon operating on some defractored brain, Hammond organ lines slice through it all and heavy horn sections give it a LSD soaked mid-seventies Miles Davis kind of vibe you won’t be able to recover from without leaving behind a piece of your sanity. Demented howling female laughing vocals pop on through at unexpected times, rendering the whole into an even more disjointed teeth-grinding frenzy, all fused in a cloud of smoke, making it a stranger fusion of fucked up eclectic jazz moves, with unhinged psychedelic rock jamming and transporting it into driven jams of explosive jazzed out cosmic rock. The whole disc is booming over with the proper ingredients for a musical outrage, fucking up with and fusing musical traditions and stranding in a hazy but potent universal horizon obscured by mind bending lysergic mutations and sweating out heavy psychedelics. In short this is a fucking MONSTER. One of the best and still undetected Japanese heavy psychedelic & transcendental jaw-dropping jazzy explorations, all embalmed into one cinematic epiphany meshed into intoxicating boosted crescendos of crystalline hallucinogenic quivering sonic attacks. Head-spinning, mind-altering freeform psyched out jazz rock, a vicious musical beast from the east, still undetected, bloody rare and unreissued. Highest possible recommendation and best condition imaginable copy around for lightyears. Price: Offers!!
1623. LOWE, FRANK & RASHIED ALI: “Duo Exchange” (Survival Records – SR-101) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Near Mint). Top copy! It has been a long time since I ran across this free-blowing masterpiece, an item that gets more and more difficult to dig up. Top copy, all the way mint. All time stellar free jazz heavy weights team up for a frontal head on collision that birthed out one of hardcore jazz’s cornerstone sonic artifacts. This disc is like an epiphany, deliriously great, membrane opening and spiritual in its cosmic interplay between former Alice Coltrane sideman Lowe and John Coltrane heavy rolling and riffing skin mangler Ali. Clash of two giants creating a merger to entwine cluster of soundzz, high-octane tenor shrieks, combustional improvisational interplay, inter-galactic head spinning and so much more. This disc is a must for anyone who is even vaguely and remotely interested in the early seventies free jazzing counter culture. A classic that was released on Ali’s own private Survival Records imprint. It was the label’s first and finest release. KILLER STUFF. Price: 325 Euro

1624. LOWE, FRANK: “Black Beings” (ESP DISC – ESP-3013) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Excellent ~ Near Mint). Original ESP disc. Essential free jazz disc. Much harder to track down that Duo Exchange for some perverse reason. This historical session, recorded in 1973 for ESP-Disk', was tenor saxophonist Frank Lowe's debut as leader and is one of his most electrifying earlier efforts. Black Beings features all original Lowe material, with Joseph Jarman on alto and soprano sax and Leroy Jenkins on violin. Lowe participated in the New York free jazz revolution, first gaining notoriety in the mid-sixties playing with Sun Ra, and later, Alice Coltrane, Rashied Ali, Don Cherry and violinist Billy Bang. This disc is also the first one that features bass virtuoso William Parker but he is nearly invisible behind the two screeching saxophones, with Lowe's tenor dominating the long intro thrash, and Joseph Jarman’s alto evening things out on the closer: two taut horn lines in continuous opposition, strident, almost comically so. Nasty all the way through, hardcore free blowing jazz and indispensable. Clean original 1st pressing. Price: 200 Euro

 

1625. LOWE, FRANK: “The Other Side” (Palm Records – PALM-25) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Near Mint). 1977 original 1st press issue as released on highly acclaimed Palm Records imprint. Great French session recorded by Jef Gilson. On this free jazz date, the powerful tenor Frank Lowe teams up with Butch Morris (cornet) Didier Levallet (bass) and George Brown (drums) and finds him breaking free from the hard-blowing freak-out fests and moving on to improvisational work-outs blistered with jagged textures and semi-harsh dissonance. He showcased that he still possessed a distinct air of menace. The Other Side is a wonderful piece of work, and marks the point in Lowe’s career where he finally began to emerge from the shadow of Coltrane’s influence to forge his own inimitable aesthetic. Lowe's harsh/gentle saxophone playing is a constant search for the possibilities of expression - from the harshest coarse growls to soft, quiet tones. This is a very explorative and rather emotional music that holds one's interest throughout. Still, these often-heated performances are better heard than described. But as always Lowe never fails to impress. Killer slide and in top shape! Price: 175 Euro
1626. LSD: “S/T” (Capitol Records – TAO-2574) (Record: Excellent/ Gatefold Jacket: Excellent ~ Near Mint). Original Capitol pressing on rainbow label. One of the most famous, and arguably the most entertaining, spoken word drug LPs of the 1960s. An unaccredited Dick Clark narrates with superbly silver-tongued and subtle sarcasm as various aspects of the expanding LSD scene are examined. The bad trip of poor 'Brian' is particularly memorable, along with unique to this album acid raps from Leary, Ginsberg, Kesey. Superb gatefold cover. “Extraordinary documentary on the new drug craze sweeping the nation, one of the best and most entertaining spoken word LP’s of the era. The narration is superbly eloquent and manages to portray the whole acid wave for con-men and loonies, without ever saying so openly. Alan Ginsberg, Laura Huxley, Ken Kesey get only to see their most bizarre sides exposed, while Tim Leary fares better doing his usual ritual spiel. There are interviews with dozen of teenage heads, and an unforgettable peak is reached with an actual trip recording of “brain”, a hipster acidhead who unfortunately happens to have his first bad LSD experience while being recorded. The Brain recording is authentic-sounding and either funny or pretty scary depending on how hardcore you are. A highly sophisticated anti-drug Lp and the artwork and photos are equally outstanding. All material is unique to this album, which was released as early as August 1966” (PL – Acid Archives). Top LP, to these ears, when spinning it I look back with much pleasure on my own dives into the lysergic pool….so listening to it does not come over as “anti” per se but either creates an crave for some additional drops towards wonderland avenue. Price: 75 Euro
1627. LUCIER, ALVIN: “Bird and Person Dying” (Cramps RecordsCRSLP6111/1) (Record: Mint/ Gatefold Jacket: Mint/ Imprinted Inner Sleeve: Mint). Original 1976 Italian pressing. “When experiencing this piece performed live it was like nothing I could have ever imagined. 15 minutes of bird calls feedbacking. Tone, Pitch, Volume and Phantoms controlled by Mr. Alvin Lucier walking from the back of the room to the front. With the most slight movements of his body he created swoops of sound. Deafening high frequencies and ghostly lows, sculpted by his slow motion creep across the room. The tools he used to create this audio beauty: A small speaker mounted on a microphone stand (on stage), a small box of electrical wizardry (in his left hand), a coil of wire leading back to the stage (in his right hand), two minature Sennheiser binaural microphones (one in each ear) and a very talented Sound Engineer at the desk. There was something else amazing about this piece. Alvin creates Phantoms, these are ghost frequencies which sound like they are eminating from the centre of your head, you feel confused and anxious as you hear these sounds and frantically look around the room to see if anyone else is experiencing them, only to hear/feel them leave your head and go off on a journey around the room. You search frantically for the source of this sound but to no avail. This record is quite simply amazing! Nothing can ever re-create the ambience of the live performance, but you have to experience this to believe it, soo BUY IT!!!”(A. Hobden). Right on. Price: 150 Euro
1628. LULA CORTES & LAILSON: “Satwa” (Rozenblit – LLP-005) (Record: Excellent – has a couple of visible faint hairline scuff on each side that does not sound/Brazilian Style Gatefold Jacket: Near Mint). Brazilian original first pressing of 1973 in outstanding condition. Written, recorded and released just as Brazil’s military dictatorship reached the climax of its long black arc, the one and only album by Satwa is a divinely subtle protest, often cited as Brazil’s first independent record. Recorded and released in 1973 by the duo of Lula Cortes & Lailson, it is a real lost masterpiece from any angel, and the first release of the fertile Recife psych scene of the early 70's… mesmerizingly beautiful sitar & 12 string psych ragas beaming strait for your third eye, and lifted ever higher by occasional angelic vocals or a burst of fuzz guitar… truly amazing stuff sure to turn the ears of any folk/psych fan, past or present. The whole affair is a stoned improvisational jam that doesn’t really sound Brazilian, it doesn’t even sound remotely earthly for that amtter. It’s so effortlessly celestial, it’s less an improvisation and more a transmission from the heavens. Lailson was from the verdant former Dutch colony of Pernambuco, while Côrtes hailed from the wild badlands of Paraiba. But for 11 days in January 1973 the pair jammed cross-legged and produced the folk trance gems that adorn this self-titled debut. The whole recording is largely void of any voice and words, the songs – Côrtes plucking steely leads from his sitar while Lailson’s 12-string thrums crystalline chords – are loose and lovely. The sole interference in these glistening arabesques is the hoary electric fretwork of one Robertinho Do Recife, injecting some cranium-fried licks. With a limited edition and distribution mainly regional, the disc disappeared almost as soon emerged, making it another Holy Grail record alongside Paebiru. Copies if they surface at all, are mostly trashed and in bad shape as can be expected of a 1973 uber obscure Brazilian psych release. However this copy is possibly the cleanest you can hope for, sleeve is perfect with no defects, the record – which was cheaply pressed – is in eye-blinding EX ~ NM condition with only one non-sounding hairline scuff on each side. Top condition of an ever elusive and almost impossible to attain private press psychedelic acid folk head trip. Act now and hold your peace forever!!! Price: Offers!!!!
1629. LYMAN, ARTHUR & His Group: “Paradise” (London – SLC-114) (Record: Mint/ Fragile Flip Back Jacket: Mint/ Obi: Mint). First original Japanese high quality pressing from 1964 complete with obi. Released on the heels of Lyman At The Crescendo and followed up with Cast Your Fate To The Wind. These two albums are pure Lyman exotica. This album features covers of many exotica favorites including Poincianna, Shangri-La, Pearly Shells, Baubles Bangles and Beads and Song Of India. Lyman charted with his single Love For Sale in 1963, so he was surfing a crest of success during this period with his brand of exotica. This one here is the 1st Japanese pressing, with rare obi. Top condition, virginal all the way. Japanese original from 1964 is pretty rare, 1st time I see one all complete. Impossible to upgrade upon. Price: 75 Euro
1630. LYMAN, ARTHUR & His Group: “Mystery In South Pacific” (London – SLC-118) (Record: Mint/ Fragile Flip Back Jacket: Mint/ Obi: Mint). First original Japanese high quality pressing from 1964 complete with obi. From Hawaiian sounds to Polynesian melodies, with side trips into jazz and Broadway, Lyman was one of three reigning kings of exotica. Having learned his lessons in exotica while playing the vibraphone for Martin Denny, Arthur Lyman went on to become one of the Big Three (along with Denny and Les Baxter) in exotic lounge music during the '50s and '60s. He deftly grafted unusual tropically inspired instrumentation and jazzy arrangements onto tunes ranging from Polynesian melodies to Broadway standards. Killer and classic Exotica slide, this one here is the 1st Japanese pressing from 1964, with rare obi. Top condition, virginal all the way. Japanese original from 1964 is pretty rare, 1st time I see one all complete. Impossible to upgrade upon. Price: 75 Euro
1631. LYONS, JIMMY: “Other Afternoons” (BYG Actuel – BYG-9) (Record: Excellent/ Gatefold Jacket: Near Mint/ Attached Insert: Near Mint/ Obi: Excellent). Japan original pressing with rare obi. Another all-time classic disc. Line-up consists out of Lester Bowie (trumpet), Jimmy Lyons (alto), Alan Silva (bass) and Andrew Cyrille (drums). Again, an all-incinerating combination. Great fire music in totally mint condition. Original Japanese press. “The music of Jimmy Lyons as a leader is of main interest here, but this particularly fine late-'60s session has other valuable lessons to offer about the nature of jazz improvising. The impact of both a bandleader and the music they compose is made very clear by the direction this session took, despite the fact that its rhythm section had already established its own way of playing through previous relationships with pianist Cecil Taylor. But this, along with whatever conceptual impact Taylor may have had on his longtime main hornman, Lyons, are all factors that are tossed in the bin like yesterday's news as the music being created takes its own course. The combination of Lyons with Lester Bowie is simply marvelous. The alto saxophonist's specialty is a kind of pungent yet unsentimental tone, kind of a thinking man's Cahrlie Parker, while trumpeter Bowie seems to pack every note, whether it is blasted or delicately blown, with deep pockets of potential comedy or melancholy. It is a perfect match of contrasts, made even more interesting by both players' reliance on space, in each case developed as an alternative to the amount of intense energy or sonic bombast being tossed up by other members of these players' regular associations, the Taylor group and the Art Ensemble of Chicago respectively. From drummer Andrew Cyrille and bassist Alan Silva a listener might expect a certain kind of firepower as well as rhythmic developments being colored in terms of suggestions and impulses rather than firmly shoved in a pocket. These two master players are thrilling here in their adventurous attempts to give their friend Jimmy Lyons a whole new sound on his album. And it is true; while the results can be compared to other alto saxophoinist leaders of Lyons’ generation, such as the more thoughtful efforts of Marion Brown, this album stands out as containing much superior playing, springing from what seems to be a fully realized conception of just where the music was going. The session has been released by several labels, and not even the bomb-crater-size surface-noise pockmarks of the BYG pressings can destroy the power of these performances. "However" is a great tune, so is the title number and the delicate, pretty set-closer, "My You.” (All Music Guide). Price: 125 Euro
1632. LYRICS: “Mr. Man b/w Wait” (London Records/ King Records – TOP-1213) (7 Inch Single Record: Near Mint/ Gatefold Picture Sleeve: Near Mint/ Company Inner Sleeve: Near Mint). Stupidly and insanely rare 1967 Japan only picture sleeve issue of US garage holy grail. These sold next to nothing, sank to the bottom of obscurity since the day it came out in Japan and copies just do not exist. This baby here is a virginal condition original, impossible to ever upgrade upon, and unobtainable beyond your wildest dreams until now. If you knew about this one, you will know this is serious shit so…. Comes with killer picture sleeve. Price: Offers!!!!!