991.com Sleevenotes : A Blog about Collecting Rare Vinyl 7", 12" & LP Records, CDs, Memorabilia & Music

Wednesday's Top Three! Including Al Cohn & Zoot Sims On This '67 LP, An Original 1984 Metallica Ticket Stub And A Joe Jackson Gold Award!

AL COHN & ZOOT SIMS Al & Zoot In London

1967 UK 8-track stereo LP, a WRC mail order only release starring Stan Tracey on piano, housed in a unique front laminated flipback sleeve. The sleeve shows minimal wear and the vinyl looks barely played.

 

METALLICA Lyceum Ballroom

Rare original 1984 UK concert ticket stub for admittance to the Thursday 20th December 1984 show at the Lyceum Ballroom in London. This was from the the 'Bang That Head That Doesn't Bang' tour in support of the first two albums and would have been only the 2nd visit to the UK. Blue coloured paper printed with brown text and stamped 'Over Eighteens Only Admitted On This Ticket', apart from a couple of light crease marks this is still in superb condition for an early UK show.

 

JOE JACKSON Night And Day

Official US A&M In-House GOLD Award issued to commemorate American album sales in excess of 500,000 copies. This nicely framed and glazed award measures 21" x 17" in size, and features a gold LP disc above the album artwork miniature and the authentic, custom engraved dedication plaque printed with the A&M logo at the bottom. All mounted on a black background in a black & gold wooden frame

The last 48 hours to get 20%-75% off (nearly) all CD albums at 991.com

Don't forget, it's the last 48 hours for (nearly) all CD albums reduced by between 20% and 75% at 991.com

That's over 28,000 new, rare, deleted, import, promo, picture disc & double CDs discounted!

Regards

Robert Croydon
Managing Director
http://991.com Rare vinyl records, CDs & Memorabilia

Another Batch Of Classic Drum And Bass!

 

After more hours spent trawling through our recently acquired Drum and Bass collection we have unearthed even more classics to get your teeth into. We have a large number of releases from the key labels in the Drum and Bass scene from Ram Records, Renegade Hardware, True Playaz, and Charge Recordings. These labels were home to some of the biggest names in the game today such as Pendulum, Chase & Status, Nero, and more so don't miss this chance to revisit their some of their peers.

 

On the subject of Ram Records we have a large number of items in stock by the founders of the label, the legendary Ram Trilogy, which comprises of award winning Producer Andy C, his Origin Unknown partner in crime Ant Miles, and Shimon. They revolutionised Drum N Bass in the early 00's with their own sound, while still remaining true to the underground that spawned them.

 

We also still have plenty of singles, White labels, and promotion samples from artists such as Omni

Trio, Roni Size, Dieselboy, Dillinja, Total Science, Bad Company, Mampi Swift, J Majik and more!

It doesn't matter if you are a budding DJ who still spins vinyl, a fan of dance music, or an old school raver looking to revisit your youth, head to here and check out these fantastic items before they are gone for good!

 

Tuesday's Top Items! Including A Mega Rare AC/DC Pressing On ORANGE Vinyl, A Fantastic David Bowie Genesis Publication And The Beatles' Help First Pressing!

AC/DC Highway To Hell

Mega rare 1979 German limited edition 10-track ORANGE VINYL LP for the sixth studio album by the Australian hard rock band and the last featuring Bon Scott, who died early the following year. Housed in a glossy picture sleeve which has only a few minor storage wear marks mostly on the edges, the vinyl is immaculate - a fantastic copy.

 

DAVID BOWIE by MASAYOSHI SUKITA Speed Of Life

Fantastic 2012 UK Genesis Publications individually numbered limited Collector's Edition of the 304 page superior quality book featuring the classic photos of Masayoshi Sukita from 1972 to date. Thebook is printed on 250mm x 360mm 200gsm matt art paper & quarter hand-bound in a bespoke dyed calfskin leather, onto a turquoise cloth cover as personally selected by David & housed in a hand-made slipcase, bound in black buckram featuring pink, silver and turquoise foils and calfskin leather accents. Each copy is hand numbered and SIGNED by both David Bowie & Masayoshi Sukita & also comes with an exclusive photographic quality 7" picture disc featuring parts one & two of 'It's No Game'. Yet another magnificent book to the high quality we have come to expect from Genesis & an edition that sold out in mere hours of becoming available for purchase.

 

THE BEATLES Help!

Original 1965 UK first pressing 14-track mono vinyl LP on the black & yellow Parlophone label, with 'Sold In The UK', 'The Gramophone Co' label perimeter text and 'KT' tax code visible, front laminated flipback picture sleeve.

Monday's Top Items! Including A Sought-After Slab Of Prog Jazz-Rock From Bob Downes, A Rare Rolling Stones' 1966 Tour Programme And Chris Squire On this Atlantic '75 Classic!

BOB DOWNES OPEN MUSIC Electric City

Rare and in demand British Progressive Jazz-Rock 1970 UK 11-track LP on the highly collectable Vertigo 'swirl' label, starring Clem Cattini, Ian Carr, Harry Beckett, Chris Spedding, Ray Russell, Kenny Wheelerand more. The gatefold picture sleeve shows only the very lightest of edge wear with age and is otherwise near mint, with die-cut company 'swirl' inner. The vinyl looks mint - clean with no scratches or spindle wear. Highly recommended.

 

ROLLING STONES Rolling Stones 66

1966 UK 16-page black and white tour programme featuring great photos and profiles of the band and support acts including Ike & Tina Turner, The Yardbirds, The Jay Walkers & Long John Baldry, great picture cover.This copy is in wonderful condition with clean pages, no rips, tears or major creasing & minimal scuffing to the cover - A superb copy of this very rare item.

 

 CHRIS SQUIRE Fish Out Of Water

Original 1975 UK 5-track Atlantic LP with A2/B2 matrices, housed in a non laminated gatefold picture sleeve with lyrics inside, comes complete with the thick card picture inner sleeve and original fold-out poster.The sleeve on this copy has some minor shelfwear on the edges & corners, the vinyl is near mint with only a couple of light surface marks; the poster is immaculate.



Saturday's Top Three! Including A Jellyfish 4-CD Box Set, The Lovely Jackie De Shannon On This '64 LP And Mountain's Nantucket Sleighride!

JELLYFISH Fan Club - From The Rare To The Unreleased... And Back Again

Rare deleted 2002 US 80-track 4-CD box set, this set captures some of the rarer recorded moments. The discs are presented in book format with two on each inside cover together with a 24 page built-in glossy colour booklet containing photos and track notes from various members of the band - superb set and a must have for any fan! Still factory sealed from new.

JACKIE DE SHANNON Don't Turn Your Back On Me

Rare 1964 UK 13-track mono LP, arranged by the legendary Jack Nitzsche, and including a superb arrangement of Needles & Pins plus her own classic When You Walk in the Room, gorgeous front laminated flipback sleeve. The sleeve shows minimal wear and the vinyl is excellent with just some light spindle marks one side. Nice!

 

MOUNTAIN Nantucket Sleighride

Original 1971 UK 9-track LP on the pink rimmed Island 'palm tree' label. The gatefold picture sleeve is front laminated and in immaculate condition. The labels have just the few spindle marks to indicate play, otherwise a beautiful near mint example.

More Drum and Bass has landed!!

After many hours searching through our recently acquired Drum and Bass collection, some more incredible rarities have emerged. Test Presses, and EP's by the one and only J Majik, white label samplers from Black Sun Empire and Shy FX, and more singles by Roni Size.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The pick of the day would have to be the timeless Renegade Snares by Omni Trio. Not one, but tworemix 12" by High Contrast, Foul Play, Aquasky, and the original 1993 ambient classic.

Any budding DJ's out there will do well to snap some of these items up before they are gone forgood, as a collection like this may never be seen again. Even if you are just a fan of this ever expandinggenre that paved the way for Pendulum, Chase and Status and Skrillex to storm the charts, then get searching for the latest additions here !

 

Friday's Top Three! Including A FULLY AUTOGRAPHED Rolling Stones Jaw-Dropper, The Who's On This Deluxe Japanese Box Set And A Kate Bush Pink Vinyl Rarity!

ROLLING STONES 19th Nervous Breakdown

Stunning US framed custom display, featuring a Fully Autographed black & white 9" x 11" print for the single [same 'lake' shot as the US release], signed by Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Charlie Watts,Ronnie Wood, Bill Wyman and, all-importantly, Brian Jones. Those of Jagger & Jones are period signatures from the era, with Keith, Charlie, Ronnie & Bill signing later in silver marker pen (Wyman in gold). This is mounted alongside the six names plus a superb black & white photo of the '66 5-piece Jones-era line-up. Measures 29" x 23" and is professionally framed - a beautiful item!

 

THE WHO Quadrophenia Director’s Cut

2011 Japanese Limited Super Deluxe Edition 5 SHM-CD/DVD Box set - Pete Townshend explains; ”The time has come for me and my team to honour ‘Quadrophenia’ with a carefully presented package that features examples of the impact surround sound [quadrophonic] would have on the music, to remaster the vinyl mixes, and to collect and restore my demos. I am also going to try to shed some light on the way ‘Quadrophenia’ came about, and how it was inspired by events in my life in 1970 and 1971 when I scribbled or typed the very first notes and lyrics for some of the songs that made it onto the final record.’ This set includes the 2011 Remastered album on the Audiophile Japanese exclusive SHM-CD [Super High Material] format as well as two discs of demo tracks from Pete Townshend’s studio archive, including songs that didn’t make the finished album, an exclusive eight track DVD re-mixed for 5.1 surround sound and a replica 7" vinyl single featuring the hit single ’5.15'. This set is lavishly presented in stunning package replicating the striking black and white imagery from the original vinyl LP photography and adds never-seen colour out-takes of the famous cover shot which also contains a set of six facsimile memorabilia ‘inserts’ housed in a card envelope and a deluxe 100-page, hard-back book featuring a brand new 13,000 word essay by Pete Townshend. This copy still retains the original [opened], hype stickered factory shrink!

 

KATE BUSH Hounds Of Love

Rare 2011 US Record Day exclusive Collectors Edition 4-track 10" EP pressed on PINK VINYL, featuring The Big Sky, Cloudbusting, Watching You Without Me and Jig Of Life. Picture sleeve - still sealed from new.

991 brings you excerpts from this weeks R.C. Weekly Newsletter. You can subscribe to the full version by contacting Anna, [email protected]  Get tour news, reviews, new release information and the chance to win some very cool prizes... Please mention 991 when you subscribe.

*****

A busy week, despite it being the lull period that lurks between the sending of the next issue of the magazine to the printer and its arrival at RC’s cosy cottage, Villa Vinyl.

After the 400^th special edition we knew we had to make 401 a “biggie” (as Tony Blackburn used to say, I’m not sure what about), and we have. There’s a three-in-one Beatles story, the main part of which finally nails which is the rarest of the Please Please Me album pressings once and for all – and it might not be the one you think it is. This has been a bone of contention among collectors for years. And even if you are not interested in the album itself, the extensive and thorough research, commissioned for the Rare Record Price Guide 2014, reveals a lot about the manufacturing process for vinyl in the 60s and why there are some albums where the stamper numbers don’t tally up.Having seen a lot of records advertised on eBay as “First press A1/B1”, it has always been clear that it has never been quite so simple. This fascinating story will tell you exactly why.

For those not of Moptop inclinations, there a major feature on one of the most enduring punk bands, Cockney Rejects (and they’re more than just punk, as those know heard their later albums will know); an interview with Madness in which they take us back to their ska days; we meet “the German Pink Floyd”, Eloy; and hear from The Smiths’ Mike Joyce about a new project which includes something big and unseen about the band (no, we haven’t seen it yet either, sadly).

Apart from dodging the rain, what else has been happening? We had one of Nirvana drop into the office – it wasn’t Kurt, although our sister magazine Kindred Spirit could probably arrange that. I am of course, talking about the original Nirvana, psychedelic legends. I spoke to one of the Small Faces on the phone – it wasn’t Steve, although our sister magazine… etc. I bought some records from a new website, reggaerhythms.co.uk, and enjoyed a first visit to Alan’s Record & CD Shop in East Finchley, which has gobsmackingly huge stock. And I watched RC’s staff return from Utrecht agreeably lighter on back issues but also lighter of wallet from buying vinyl. The drug dealer’s code is “if you sell, don’t use”. The same applies to records, surely, although I only knew one serious record dealer who didn’t much care for records himself, Charlie of the long-lost Backtrax in Ilford. What a shop that was… And I am indebted to reader Michael McPartland, whose letter reminded me of a fabulous place I haunted in my youth, Vintage Record Centre of Roman Way, North London. It’s present in  britishrecordshoparchive.org, a great website I love to drool over: have a look.

Thank you for reading

Have a great week

Ian McCann, Record Collector Editor

 

 

Flash Sale - (Nearly) All CD albums 20% to 75% off at 991.com!

For the next few days only, (nearly) all CD albums are reduced by between 20% and 75% at 991.com.

That's over 28,000 new, rare, deleted, import, promo, picture CD & double CDs discounted!

Regards

Robert Croydon
Managing Director
http://991.com  Rare vinyl records, CDs & Memorabilia

Thursday's Top Three! Including A Double Avant-Garde Whammy On The Legendary Deutsche Grammophon Label And A Scarce Radiohead Dutch 2-CD Set!

VARIOUS Avant-Garde Vol. 2

Very rare and legendary 1969 German Deutsche Grammophon stereo 6-LP box set, compiling an astonishing collection of avant-garde works by some of the most important composers in the field such as Karlheinz Stockhausen (Telemusik, Mixtur), John Cage (Cartridge Music in particular, which showcases the earliest example of 'turntabilism') plus obscure but no less fascinating recordings from Gruppe Nuova Consonanza (an improv group starring Ennio Morricone), Gottfried Michael Koenig (Terminus II, Funktion Gruen: elektronische nirvana!

 

VARIOUS Avant-Garde Vol. 3

Very rare and legendary 1971 German Deutsche Grammophon stereo 6-LP box set, compiling an astonishing collection of avant-garde works by some of the most important composers in the field such as Mauricio Kagel (Der Schall), Ligeti (Streichquartett), Karlheinz Stockhausen (Stimmung, Fortsetzung), Luc Ferrari (Societe II and the much celebrated musique concrete pieces Presque Rien No. 1.

 

RADIOHEAD The Bends - Pinkpop Edition

Extremely rare Dutch issue 2-CD album set, includes bonus disc with 5 tracks recorded live at Rock City Nottingham on Nov 5th 1995. A fantastic rarity complete with Pinkpop edition sticker on the front of the case. A little seen item and one of the jewels of any Radiohead collection.

Classic Drum and Bass!

Out of the shadows of the mid 90's dance and breakbeat scene Drum and Bass emerged and unleashed such classic and genre-bending cuts as Omni Trio's Renedage Snares, Adam F's Dirty Harry and Roni Size Reprazent's Brown Paper Bag that a new standard was set. This dominant scene has progressed and expanded to establish sub-genres that include intelligent D&B, Liquid Funk and Dubstep which have since raided the charts and maintained a huge mainstay in clubs countrywide.

We've been lucky enough to discover a mouth-watering collection of this essential faction of dance music consisting of some of the most sought after and collectable mixes and releases from leading labels like Ram Records, Renegade Hardware, True Playaz and Bad Company to cuts and mixes by key purveying Artists and DJ's like Total Science, Friction, Fresh, and the Andy C led Ram Trilogy.

 

So if the chart dominating tunes of Pendulum or Chase & Status are your bag, or you're already a budding DJ seeking out essential hard to find D&B for your wheels of steel then get searching right here at 991 for a truly exciting catalogue of must have Drum and Bass!

Click here for links to top releases and rare treats with lots more landing soon!

Wednesday's Top Three! Including A Rare Philharmonic Orchestra 1959 Pressing, A Japanese Pink Floyd LP And The Hollies '68 Release On Rare Red Vinyl!

PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA Cello Concerto In A Minor

Very rare 1959 UK 1st issue stereo LP on the blue/silver Columbia label, also featuring an incredible performance of Tchaikovsky's 'Variations On A Rococo Theme, op. 33', both conducted by Sir Malcom Sargent and starring the great Pierre Fournier. The picture sleeve is fully laminated with scalloped flipbacks and shows only the lightest of ring wear - the print on the reverse is a perfect off-white and the spine is immaculate. The vinyl has no scratches, spindle marks or blemishes whatsoever, and is exceptionally clean playing to the highest standard. A beauty!

 

PINK FLOYD Ummagumma

Mid 1970s Japanese third issue 9-track double vinyl LP issue of the 1969 album, housed in a pasted gatefold 'Gigi' picture sleeve complete with Japanese text biography/lyric insert and 'Rock Greatest' obi-strip.

 

THE HOLLIES The Best Of The Hollies

Rare 1968 Japanese 14-track Odeon label stereo LP compilation pressed on Everclean Wine Red Vinyl manufactured by Toshiba Musical Industries Ltd. Housed in a flipback picture sleeve with pinched spine, Everclean catalogue paper inner sleeve and English lyric sheet and original Odeon obi-strip. The sleeve is immaculate and the vinyl has just a few spindle marks to indicate play - a fantastic copy of a very rare pressing!

Tuesday's Top Items! A Bumper Set Of Rolling Stones Vinyl, A Japanese Jethro Tull Masterpiece And A White Label Promotional Bowie 7"!

ROLLING STONES The Rolling Stones 30

Fantastic set of ALL TEN Deleted 1993 Japanese 'final vinyl' issues of their first ten LPs, each in their own picture sleeve with fold-out Japanese/lyric inserts & 'Rolling Stones 30' obi-strips!

 

JETHRO TULL Minstrel In The Gallery

1975 Japanese 7-track vinyl LP album, housed in a pasted picture sleeve complete with the original illustrated lyric inner sleeve and Japanese text insert plus 'British Rock Invasion' obi-strip.

 

DAVID BOWIE The Jean Genie

Rare 1973 Japanese RCA white title label promotional sample 7" including John I'm Only Dancing, housed in a record company sleeve and comes complete with a unique textured picture insert with lyrics on the reverse.

Monday's Top Items! Including RARE Japanese Products From The Damned, Elvis And Pink Floyd!

THE DAMNED The Black Album

Rare 1980 Japanese Chiswick label promo sample 18-track 2-LP vinyl set manufactured by Warner-Pioneer, housed in a colour gatefold picture sleeve complete with Japanese text biography insert and original obi-strip. Thesleeve displays minimal wear and both discs are in stunning near MINT condition!

 

ELVIS PRESLEY Paradise, Hawaiian Style

Rare 1966 Japanese original HMV Victor black & silver label 'Living Stereo' LP. This copy is perfect with MINT vinyl. The laminated gatefold picture sleeve is stunning, retaining vibrant colours andunfaded white titles, plus crisp white background with the full lyrics printed inside the gatefold. Complete with the original blue and white obi, which is usually missing from these 45+ year old originals. How this record has stayed in suchspectacular condition for this long is nothing short of a miracle, and this rariety should not be missed out on!

 

PINK FLOYD The Dark Side Of The Moon

Mid 70s Japanese issue of the 1973 9-track vinyl LP, housed in its iconic gatefold sleeve complete with two fold-out posters, double sided postcard, unique glossy illustrated 32-page booklet with band history, lyrics, discography & tour dates, plus superb picture band picture obi-strip - a sumptuous package!

Saturday's Top Items! Including A Rare Radiohead Boxset, Argent On This First Press And A Grand Funk Railroad '71 Classic!

RADIOHEAD In Rainbows

Rare 2007 UK limited edition pre-order box set only available through the official inrainbows.com & waste.uk.com websites. This stunning box set features the album pressed on heavyweight 45 rpm vinyl 2-LP set and CD, the second compact disc is enhanced and features eight additional tracks as well as digital photos and artwork - not available with the normal release of the album and runs for 26:53 minutes. Presented in a 13" x 13" hardback book with lyrics insideand also includes a separate picture booklet, all housed in a outer picture slipcase - a must have for any fan!

 

ARGENT In Deep

Rare 1973 UK first pressing 8-track LP on the Yellow Epic label with 'a product of CBS records' text & A1 / B1 matrix numbers. Housed in a gatefold picture sleeve which apart from some minor shelfwear on the edges is in superb condition, the vinyl is in excellent condition with only a couple of cosmetic surface marks - overal a great copy.

 

GRAND FUNK RAILROAD E Pluribus Funk

Original 1971 UK 7-track LP in embossed circular silver coin picture sleeve, complete with picture/lyric insert. These LPs were issued without an inner sleeve of any kind & are often found seriously scratched.This copy does have a few light cosmetic scuffs, but nothing material to affect play, & is therefore probably as good as it gets with this release. Sonically this copy would be graded EX as what marks exist are mostly inaudible - a nice copyof this normally wrecked album!

 

The Legacy Of Beatles Vinyl - from VinylRecordSearch.com

This blog posting is courtesy of www.vinylrecordsearch.com

The Legacy of Beatles Vinyl

For Beatles fans all over the world, listening to classic songs like 'Hey, Jude,' 'I Wanna Hold Your Hand,' and 'Strawberry Fields Forever' on vinyl is a memorable experience. Vinyl not only produces the most basic, simple and clean sounds, the artwork and liner notes speak of the history and legacy of one of the most amazing bands of all time.

For many record lovers, cover art and liner notes provider 'insider' information to how bands like The Beatles were feeling at the time. Unfortunately, digital media has diminished the intimacy between musicians and fans for the sake of convenience. Luckily, there are still plenty of people searching for that special connection with bands like The Beatles – fans like you who want to experience the music as it was originally intended – cover art, liner notes and all. 

According to Nielsen Soundscan, The Beatles Abbey Road, was the top-selling vinyl record in 2011 – the album has held this title for three consecutive years now. This says a lot about a band formed in 1960! What this also says is that more and more people have a new-found appreciation for vinyl records.

The fact that The Beatles are one of the most beloved bands of all time probably didn't hurt vinyl sales, but with the advancement of other music mediums, most notably, instant downloads to portable devices, many people still chose to purchase the entire album instead of cherry picking individual songs. This is an interesting phenomenon that suggests that CD and Mp3 portability isn't as important as sound quality or nostalgia.

Beatles Fans: Then and Now

One of the most remarkable things about The Beatles is their continuing popularity and adoration from people of various ages, races, and geographic locations. As a Beatles fan, you may meet people in their 50's, 60's and 70's at a convention or tradeshow listening to Beatles recordings next to those in their teens, 20's, 30's and so on. The Beatles produced songs with universal appeal that span numerous generations.

And since the resurgence of vinyl, which really started to take off just a few years ago, you can easily find teenagers and college kids enjoying the music of The Beatles exactly the way their parents and grandparents did – on vinyl.

The really great thing is that many music producers have embraced vinyl and offer recordings by legendary and new bands on this medium. Some producers offer digital downloads of songs with the purchase of a record. This creates a bridge between older mediums and new ones – which is irresistible to younger generations.

Beatles Collectible Albums

If you want to increase your record collection or if you're looking for a specific Beatles album or single LP, there are many resources available online to make your search a little easier. Websites like http://www.vinylrecordsearch.com/beatles-vinyl-records.html allow you to easily conduct album searches. And, with the growing popularity of vinyl records, many small book/CD shops now carry a selection of albums. You can also attend conferences, tradeshows, auctions, estate sales or contact other collectors to find rare and collectible Beatles albums.

What are your thoughts about the legacy of Beatles Vinyl?

Have your say by responding to this post or email VinylRecordSearch.com directly.

 

 

Friday's Top Three! Including A Madonna / William Orbit Publishing CD, Frank Zappa's Hot Rats And David Bedford's The Odyssey!

MADONNA / WILLIAM ORBIT William Orbit

Rare official 2002 US two-disc publishing CD set to support William Orbit's publishing catalogue. Sporting day-glo green playing surfaces and featuring 43 amazing tracks produced by William Orbit, this stunning and legendary rarity includes TEN Madonna tracks, most notably the exclusive and otherwise unavailable instrumental versions of Drowned World, Amazing, Ray Of Light and Mer Girl. Also included is a double-sideddisplay disc with complete tracklistsings. Housed inside a spectacular Lucite perspex spindle casement shell, this is THE Madonna-related rarity that many wish to covet but very few will ever get to own!

 

FRANK ZAPPA Hot Rats

Scarce original 1969 UK issue 6-track stereo LP on the three-colour Reprise 'steamboat' label, including the marvellous Little Umbrellas, Willie The Pimp with Captain Beefheart and the oceans of harmony of Peaches En Regalia, finally waking up the world to the quality of FZ's music. The matt gatefold sleeve shows only the lightest of edge wear with the print unblemished and the spine perfectly legible. The vinyl is exceptionally clean with no scratches or spindlemarks and looks mint - amazing!

 

DAVID BEDFORD The Odyssey

1976 UK 11-track colour 'two virgins & dragon' label LP featuring Mike Oldfield and Police's Andy Summers, laminated picture sleeve which has 'Featuring Mike Oldfield' printed on the front and comes with the original insert. The sleeve has only a few light storage marks with the vinyl in near mint conditon.

Collecting in the Digital Age...

Courtesy of VinylRecordSearch.com - an apt and interest article about why Vinyl still remains King in the Digital Age.

Record Collecting in a Digital Era

 Vinyl may not be the everybody's music format of choice these days, what with instant digital downloads at people's fingertips; but that doesn't mean that it's on it's way to extinction. In fact, far from it! Even though it's no surprise that rock legends like The Beatles, Elvis, The Rolling Stones and others continue to turn huge profits on the sale of vinyl to collectors and devoted fans, bands such as the Foo Fighters, Beck and even up-and-coming bands (teenagers and artists in their 20's) release vinyl records and single LP's.

Easy Ways to Find Records

Collecting in a digital era is perhaps a little easier than it was twenty or thirty years ago. Using the Internet, you can easily contact record collectors and distributers all over the world via email or through their Facebook pages. You can also sign up to receive alerts about upcoming auctions, conferences, tradeshows and local swap meets through retailers, collector's associations or local clubs and organizations. Else, there are a wealth of different websites that concentrate on selling vinyl. You can even search online using websites like www.vinylrecordsearch.com to find both obscure and common titles. With a new generation of listeners experiencing the clarity of vinyl recordings, the demand for records has actually gone up slightly in recent years. This is great news for collectors, because the value of their collections continues to rise. And even though the demand may have increased, there is so much vinyl floating around, collectors should not have much difficulty finding what they need to create a unique and outstanding record collection.

The Magical Sounds of Vinyl

Ask most people, those in the music industry and those with no association – just an appreciation for good music, vinyl just sounds better. This is because sound compression is limited when imprinting on vinyl. CD's can hold more compressed sound, which is great for getting as many songs as possible onto one portable CD, but the sound quality definitely suffers. Vinyl, even records with pops and hisses and pronounced skips, have a clear, simple sound that's refreshing for the listener. Many musicians and music technicians agree that vinyl allows listeners to hear a song the way the artist intended.

Sitting Around the Turntable

In addition to clear, crisp sound, there's something really cool about sitting around the turntable with a bunch of friends listening and talking about the music, life and everything in between. Record albums have that little something extra that CD's and downloads don't provide – fabulous artwork and liner notes. Many discussions, fights, make-ups, break-ups and truths have been revealed during conversations about cover art and musical artist intent.

A Return to Vinyl

Though there have been many wonderful advances in the digital age of music (portability, shareability, global access, etc.), vinyl is still one of the best musical mediums ever created. There will always be collectors and listeners of vinyl. The digital era has made vinyl even more important and essential today because of the sound quality and socialization aspects. Because there's truly nothing better than sitting around and having to get up and flip over an album. The anticipation of hearing beautiful, clear sounds and discussions that follow just can't be replicated through the digital media of today.

VinylRecordSearch helps you track down the missing pieces in your collection and where you may purchase them.

991.com can help fill gaps in your collection - what do you have missing?

Thursday's Top Items! Including An 'Advance Review Copy' CD For Iron Maiden, An Abba International Magazine Complete Run And A Dedicated Promotional Spiritualized 3-CD Box Set!

IRON MAIDEN From Fear To Eternity: The Best Of 1990 - 2010

Official 2011 US UMe label 23-track 'Advance Review Copy' promotional TWO CD-R acetate set, featuring highlights from their last 8 studio albums and follows 2009's compilation of their earlier work [Somewhere Back In Time 1980-1990] compilation. Includes songs such as 'Fear Of The Dark', 'The Wicker Man', 'Blood Brothers' and 'Dance Of Death', 'El Dorado', 'When The Wild Wind Blows' with the Blaze period of the band present with the songs 'Man On The Edge', Sign Of The Cross' and 'The Clansman' all recorded live with Bruce on vocals. Custom printed discs complete with a custom 'Advance Review Copy' gatefold picture sleeve with the final dates of 'The Final Frontier World Tour 2010-2011' printed on the reverse plus a tracklisting back insert.

 

ABBA International ABBA Magazine

A complete run of sequential issues of the official UK fan A5 sized magazine, starting at No. 1 and ending with the final issue No.24. The fanzines feature exclusive interviews, quizzes, letters, reviews, discography and much more. Issue 10 is the only one to have the crossword filled in, otherwise this set is in near mint condition with no rips or tears. A very rare chance to purchase the entire set in one go!

 

SPIRITUALIZED Lazer Guided Melodies

Rare 1993 UK Dedicated promotional-only 3-CD box set featuring the full 12-track CD album [DEDCD004, plus the Feel So Sad CD single [SPIRT001CD] and the Medication CD single [SPIRT005CD] - all housed in jewelcase picture sleeve. Presented in a custom printed 'Special Edition Pack' title box with unique glossy picture/biography insert and 'Spiritualized European Tour - Summer '93' belly band, the outer box shows some signs of shelf wear due to theage of the item, however the contents is all mint.