VELVET UNDERGROUND, NICO ANDY WARHOL BANANA/TORSO COVER MEGARARE ORIG ' 67 VERVE LP
Item History & Price
<img src= http://picsWE CURRENTLY HAVE NEARLY 200 LISTED ITEMS ►Clickhere to see ALL our ROCK auctions ►OurPSYCH & PROGRESSIVE auctions ►OurPUNK & NEW WAVE auctions ►Our JAZZ auctions ►OurBLUE NOTE JAZZ auctions ►OurBLUES auctions ►OurCLASSICAL auctions►OurCOUNTRY auctions ►OurFUNK auctions ►OurLATIN auctions ►OurMETAL auctions►OurREGGAE auctions ►OurSOUL auctions ►Our STILL ...SEALED ITEMS ►OurPROMO auctions ►OurACETATE auctions ►OurTEST PRESSING auctions ►OurAUDIOPHILE auctions ♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫ · THEVELVET UNDERGROUND - THEVELVET UNDERGROUND AND NICO (SELF-TITLED FIRST ALBUM, ALSO KNOWN AS THE'THE BANANA COVER') - ORIGINAL 1967 VERVE STEREO LP V6-5008 WITHFULL AND UNCENSORED, ORIGINAL "TORSO" BACK COVER (ERIC EMERSON’S TORSO IS PRESENT AND FULLY VISIBLE) · ORIGINALU.S. PRESSING · THE INFAMOUS PEELABLE BANANA STICKER IS COMPLETELY PEELED-OFF; INORDER TO RECONSTRUCT THE ORIGINAL ARTWORK, WE HAVE AFFIXED A HIGH-RESOLUTION REPLICA STICKER OVER THE PINK BANANAMADE FROM THE BEST SOURCES AVAILABLE (FRANKLY, WE DOUBT THAT EVEN ANDY WARHOLCOULD TELL THE DIFFERENCE); AGAIN: THE COVER AND THE RECORD ARE BOTH ORIGINAL, AUTHENTIC FIRST PRESSINGS; HOWEVER, THE BANANA STICKER IS A HIGH-QUALITYREPLICA. PLEASE NOTE: THE STICKER IS AFFIXED WITH A WATER-SOLUBLE GLUE AND CANBE EASILY REMOVED BY SATURATING IT WITH WATER) · THIS IS A MONSTROUSLYRARE “FIRST STATE” VERSION OF THE COVER WITH THE ERIC EMERSON’S TORSO HANGING UPSIDE-DOWN, SUPERIMPOSED OVER THE GROUP’S PHOTO ON THE BACK PANEL. THIS SHORT-LIVED ORIGINAL VERSION WAS INPRINT SEEMINGLY ONLY FOR A NANOSECOND: PRACTICALLY IMMEDIATELY UPON RELEASE, VERVE WAS FORCED TO APPLY A LARGE STICKER WITH ALBUM TITLE ONTHE BACK COVER TO CAMOUFLAGE THE PROBLEMATIC “TORSO” SECTION IN ORDER TO AVERTA COPYRIGHT INFRINGEMENT LAWSUIT (THESE SECOND VERSIONS ARE USUALLY REFERRED TOAS “SECOND STATE” COVERS). SUBSEQUENT PRESSINGS – WITH OR WITHOUT BANANASTICKER, ALL HAVE THE OFFENSIVE TORSO AIRBRUSHED (THESE ARE KNOWN AS “THIRDSTATE” COVERS. WE PROUDLY OFFER THE RARESTVERSION OF THEM ALL: THE BRUTALLY RARE FIRST STATE “TORSO” COVER. · EASTCOAST PRESSING · ORIGINAL BLUE VERVELABEL WITH LARGE T-SHAPED LOGO AND SILVER PRINT. · THIS IS THE ORIGINAL, AUTHENTIC, FIRST U.S. PRESSING; THIS ISNOT A REISSUE, AN IMPORT, OR A COUNTERFEIT PRESSING. · ORIGINAL GATEFOLD COVER, MADE OF THICK CARDBOARD (AMERICANSTYLE) · THICK, HEAVY VINYLPRESSING · CLEAN, WEAR-FREE LABELS (►PLEASE SEE THEIMAGE OF THE COVER, LABEL OR BOTH, SHOWN BELOW)(Note:this is a REAL image of the ACTUAL item you are bidding on. Thisis NOT a "recycled" image from our previous auction. What you see is what you’llget. GUARANTEED!) ♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫ We claim withoutany reservations or exaggerations, in full responsibility, sound mind and goodconscience that THIS is the singlemost important album in Rock history and the single most influential Rocksession of the 20th Century – far exceeding in musical and historical importance EVEN themost important albums by The Beatles, Rolling Stones, Bob Dylan, Jimi Hendrix, Led Zeppelin or The Doors. BID NOW. DON’T WAIT. THEORIGINAL PRESSINGS WITH “UNCENSORED” (TORSO) COVERS APPEAR ON EBAY ONLY EVERYOTHER YEAR OR SO… Why do we believe that thismodest first album – recorded by a heretofore unknown band, under medieval andchaotic conditions, to no corporate fanfare, with very little promotion ormarketing and almost zero sales, managed to surpass in its musical brilliance andartistic and stylistic importance even such cornerstones of Rock music as TheBeatles’ Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts’ Club Band; The Rolling Stones’ Beggar’sBanquet; Jimi Hendrix’ “Are youexperienced” or Bob Dylan’s “Blonde on Blonde”? The answer is simple. Allthese fine rock classics sold millions, made a huge splash, big noise, explodedfor a few weeks or months, topped the charts, illuminated the minds oftheir contemporaries’ and rivals’alike, influenced some artists (and alienated the others) and then retired intoa comfortable niche of the “rockclassic” status bestowed upon them over the next few years and decades. Inother words, they may be historically and critically important, but they arefor all practical purposes DEAD – they are museum exhibits, of their time andplace, but not of this moment; of this time and place; beautiful piecescarved into cold, hard marble, but aged, cold and definitely notbreathing. Make no mistake: all these rock classics are our personal favorites.But they carry no immediate or permanent importance, personal resonance andcontemporary message. Their age shows, and it shows in ways that are not alwayscomplementary or graceful. Not so with VelvetUnderground and Nico. The album has had a life like no other in the history ofpopular music. From its modest, humble beginnings (except for three tracks, thesessions took place after Columbia already declined to sign up the band, in adecrepit Wand/Scepter studio that was literally being demolished as the band wasrecording in it), the album snowballed – despite all possible legal, commercialand marketing complications and distractions – into a massive force of its own;an artistic equivalent of avalanche or tsunami. A cultural paradigm not unlikethat of the Birth of Jazz, or the dawn of the abstract art (Andy Warhol’ssubversive, eye-popping, brain-teasing banana artwork clearly playing a majorrole in this). If, in fact, there isanother work of art comparable to this album (and this is a BIG “if”), itsurely would not be a Rock album -- for there are NO known cultural antecedents and predecessors inthe world of popular music, and no points of reference either. The only comparable thing that comes to mindwould be Picasso’s Girls of Avignon, or Stravinsky’s Rites of Spring (both from1913). In the world of contemporary music, the only session that comesreasonably close to the level of the chutzpah and artistic courage of theVelvets’ first album would be John Coltrane’s Ascension (recorded barely a yearprior to Velvet Underground and Nico, and quite possibly exerting a stronginfluence on both Reed and Cale; compare, for example, the maddeningcacophonics of the Velvets’ European son with the gushing, unrestrainederuptions of Coltrane’s pure, protean expression, to see what we mean). And it is easy to see whythere are not too many precedents. These works of art are some of the mostradical, revolutionary conceptions ever, causing uproar and upheaval ofgalactic proportions (and in the case of Stravinsky’s ‘Rites of Spring, even apublic riot – quite literally!); just like Velvet Underground’s first album, these astonishing works are one-way-ticket departures from all existing normsand forms, dispensing with all structures, conventions and rules once and forall. Think of the Velvets’ first album as Lou Reed and John Cale taking popmusic to the guillotine and waving its somewhat slightly detached head to theshocked masses thereafter. Forty one year later, it is still too radical andrevolutionary for some narrow minds. If Lou Reed wasn’t alwaysable to maintain this level of brilliance over the next 40 years of his career, he can easily be forgiven: this album has more brilliance, creativity andingenuity (and make no mistake, Nico, Cale, Tucker and Morrison ALL equallyco-participated in it) to last a lifetime; certainly more than many artists’entire careers worth of. It’s almost as if Lou Reed spurted all his creativeenergy on this one session, leaving precious little left for his subsequentworks (although this by no means was his sole masterpiece; there would be moreto come). In short, the branch of Rockevolution that Velvet Underground single-handedly begat and nourished is stillalive and well, bearing shoots, leaves and fruits (and an occasional dud hereand there) long after many larger (and thicker) branches of Rock evolution havewithered, died and fallen off. The Velvets’ esthetic vision is as alive andvibrant today as it was 40 years ago, if not more so. If it were for its lasting durability and longevity alone, thealbum would deserve to be called a Titan. Read on (don’t lose patience! - there’s much to read) ABOUT THE ALBUM: What else can be said ofthis album that hasn’t already been said? The album that defi(n)ed the era; themusic that shattered conventions, the production that influenced everyone overthe next four decades, the lyrics that sound fresher today than they did in1967 and the Andy Warhol artwork that still captures the imagination. This is asexy, moody, brilliant and occasionally violent work that would be impossibleto reproduce today, in the age of political correctness gone amok. Mostimportantly, THE MUSIC!!!. This is the only album that will make you a honoraryresident of New York City, without you ever having to set foot in it. From theopening track ("Sunday Morning"), to the last one ("Europeanson"), Lou Reed, John Cale, Nico and the rest of the crew take you throughthe kaleidoscope of emotions, settings, ambients, situations, moods andrhythms, not all of which are for the faint of heart. The album includes someof the most beautiful, poetic imagery ever committed to a disc (I’ll be yourmirror; Famme Fatale; Venus in Furs). Whether you are into singers-songwriters, pre-punk, beatnik poetry, or ‘60’s rock, this is a must-have. The guiding light behind thealbum’s artistic vision, and the proverbial ‘red thread’ that runs through it, it is the depiction of human nature in all its aspects: the good, the bad andthe ugly (mostly the latter). The narrative is in the first or the thirdperson, often situational (as in “I’m waiting for my man”), focusing onanxiety, addiction, loneliness, pain, perversion, sex, death, urban cacophony(no, folks, this is NOT your typical flower-power record), and are interspersedwith quieter (and shorter), introspective songs and moody, lyrical passages.There is no moralizing involved, no judgmental posturing or sermonizing. Likeall great writers of the past, Lou Reed leaves that role to the listener. The naturalistic, ultra-realistic, at timesnear-savage depictions of desires, cravings, infliction of pain (on self aswell as others), scenes of bodily decay and psycho-physical deprivation anddislocation leave listener wanting to do something, but what? Lou Reed’smorally neutral position as a narrator-in-chief and his status as passiveobserver does not help the listener or provide any guidance. One is never quitesure whether Lou Reed is a cynical observer, a critic, an antagonist, a chiefprotagonist, or perhaps all of the above. The narrator’s intent is about as inscrutable as that mysterious bananaon the cover. You will read into thisalbum whatever you want to. The medium is NOT the message here; the LISTENERis. The effect on the listener is eerilydisquieting. The songs – at first listen – have the feel of Emile Zola’s novel(transplanted to New York), roman à clef, or perhaps a film noir. In any event, the “French Connection” (the palpable influence of the French modernists, symbolists and naturalists) is more than evident, from the album’s first verseto its final fade. In many ways, this is the single most “European” album evercreated in the United States, although with a distinctly New York flair, flavorand aroma (or stench, depending on one’s perspective). The secret behind thealbum’s highly successful and influential formula appears to rest not so muchin musicianship or in crafty songwriting, as in its tricky, creative, almostseductive track sequencing. The tracks flow and segue from each other naturallyand organically, although – paradoxically - in some unpredictable and schizophrenic fashion, like a bunch ofseemingly unrelated, disconnected vignettes. The sudden changes in songtextures and moods, and unexpectedtempo shifts, create a schizo-like, stop-and-gopattern, a tension-and-release adrenaline rush that never ends. The listener is constantly beingkick-started into a new mindset, a new vignette, a new emotional context. Oddly enough, despite allthe focusing on negative sides of the human psyche, the album is neverpessimistic or depressive. The contrasting moments of quiet beauty, joy andexuberance, as in “I’ll be your mirror”, “Femme Fatale” or “Sunday Morning”(which could easily be confused for a Peter, Paul and Mary tune, perhaps as anunintentional parody) are more than enough to compensate for its overwhelmingdarkness. This is one perfect exampleof consonance and dissonance resting side-by-side, feeding off of each otherand thriving on each other in a perfect yin-and-yang unison. We can only speculate thatthe album very accurately and in graphic detail reflects the life of a typicalNew York counterculture artist at the dawn of the psychedelic era, circa 1966.It is nothing short of amazing how relevant and alive this music still is.Nothing seems to have change since 1966, except the world climate andpresidential candidates. ABOUT THE COVER: This is the legendary - andmuch coveted - first version of the VelvetUnderground's "Banana Cover" album, WITH AN UNCENSORED (UN-AIRBRUSHED)image of the actor Eric Emerson's torso hanging upside-down, above the bandperforming on stage (there would be five versionsaltogether, with various combinations of back and front panels). Because Emerson objected tobeing included on the cover without his permission (and, more importantly, without adequate financial compensation), he filed a lawsuit against Verve(possibly even Warhol himself), who then decided to – rather than reach acostly out-of-court settlement with Emerson – either airbrush Emerson’s torso, or camouflage it by pasting a large black “song titles” sticker over thequestionable torso. While all this legalwrangling was going on, the album was held in marketing limbo, without anycovers available, and with no copies in stock to be shipped to the market. Analready slow chart action had slowed down to a crawl, never to regain itsmomentum again. Needless to say, these first versions of the cover (Torsocover) are many times – perhaps tens of times – rarer and harder to find than thesubsequent (stickered or airbrushed) covers. Then, there is the classicWarhol cover artwork: The mind-teasing cover is a sort of a Rorschach test:what exactly is this pink banana? Um… Andy, what was on (in?) your head…? Warhol’s incredible peelable“Banana” cover (yeah, some banana it is – until, that is, you peel it off anddiscover that – ahem! – it is not quite edible, and not really a banana, either) is a genuine Classic in true sense of the word, one of the most iconicrepresentations of Warhol’s subversive, decadent mind at work, and easily oneof most easily recognized works of 20th century Pop-Art. To put things inperspective, the year 1966/67 was a big year for corporate cover censors: mindyou, in less than a year, the Mamas and the Papas had to endure humiliatingcensorship of their “Toilet Seat” cover, Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons survived no less than threeencounters with the artwork police (on their “Four Seasons sing Bacharach-Davidand Dylan” album), Jefferson Airplane’s first album was altered in both contentand form (cover had to be changed, too), Frank Zappa’s first album (Freak Out)had a hippie hot-spot “blurb” excised from the cover; Bob Dylan (presumably onhis own volition?) changed the layout on his “Blonde on Blonde” album, deletingthe image of Claudia Cardinale; the Fugs’ first album underwent no less than 4(four !!!) alterations (their follow-up, the Fugs’ Second Album, “only” hadthree versions), the cover of the Monkees’ first album had to be changedbecause of misperceived “transsexual” reference, Buffalo Springfield’s firstalbum had to have a song deleted from BOTH record AND the cover; Simon andGarfunkel’s second album (The Sounds of Silence) underwent no less than threecover revisions; and even the mighty Beatles had to endure humiliatingretraction of the “Butcher” cover (ontheir ‘Yesterday and Today’ album). In other words, corporate censors andself-censors were out in full force back in 1966. A NOTE ON ANDY WARHOL'SALBUM COVERS: Warhol did album coversthroughout his entire life - the most well-known being this 1967 VelvetUnderground album featuring a banana and the 1971 cover for The Rolling Stones'album Sticky Fingers, co-designed with Craig Braun, which featured an image ofa man's crotch in a pair of jeans with a functioning zipper. The NationsNightmare was probably the first album cover featuring Warhol's work.Concidentally, it dealt with the use of recreational drugs - a theme that wouldoften be associated with Warhol and his entourage throughout the 1960s as aresult of films like The Chelsea Girls whichshowed Brigid Berlin shooting up speed on camera.Warhol would also became known for his use of transvestites in his films. In approximately1952, the same year that he won the award for The Nation's Nightmare, Warholalso did some of his earliest drawings of a man in drag when he sketched thephotographer, Otto Fenn, dressed as a woman. Warhol's drawings were similar tophotographs that Fenn had taken of himself dressed as a woman. Other than these, AndyWarhol also did fine cover artwork for albums by Artie Shaw, Count Basie, KennyBurrell (3 covers), Johnny Griffin, Joe Newman, Bennie Green, Diana Ross, JohnCale (2 covers), John Wallowitch, Rolling Stones (2 covers), Velvet Underground(2 covers), Moondog, Liza Minelli, John Lennon, Thelonious Monk, Paul Anka, Billy Squier, Tennesse Williams and many, many others. ABOUT THE ARTISTS WHOINFLUENCED THIS ALBUM: It is clear that the worksof French expressionists, esoteric symbolists and naturalists of the 19thcentury (and dadaists of the 20th), informed this album in a majorway -- and in more ways than one. Thealbum’s deceptive focus on negativism and occasional morbidity (check out BlackAngel’s Death Song, for example) can help us trace origins of its stylisticspirit to a great Charles Baudelaire; the album’s subversion and decadence aredirectly attributable to Paul Verlaine; the bits of savage naturalism andorganic decay are telltale signs of the impact of Zola and Flaubert (who maywell have penned Venus in Furs himself), the deconstructionist mindset of LouReed can probably be credited to Cezanne and Braque, and so on and so forth.Whether the European influences are the result of the group’s two European“imports” (Cale and Nico) or are genuinely Lou Reed’s own, we dare notspeculate. Perhaps both. The impact of FrenchDadaists is more complex and tenuous, and almost certainly coming from JohnCale rather than Lou Reed. Cale made numerous references to Dada in his solowork (check out his 1973 ‘Paris 1919’ album, whose very title evokes certaindadaist connotations and connections). Another European source ofinfluence must have been the dark - and distinctly European - art film. Itseems to me that Lou Reed (more likely it was Warhol, though) was weaned onBergman, Polanski, Malle and Antonioni to such an extent that it was inevitablethe album would overflow with intense psychological tension that would make atypical Anton Chekhov drama feel positively listless. But this is only one side ofthe affair. The album is a work of American artists first and foremost, createdin American milieu, and its American credentials and bloodlines are thick asmud. Its zen-like, haiku-styled verses and beatnik romanticism show directinflux of the preceding generation of Beat Poets and artists: That AllenGinsberg and Jack Kerouac were among Lou Reed’s formative influences goeswithout saying: it is a foregone conclusion. Then, there are oddities:‘There she goes again’ is a note-for-note carbon copy of Marvin Gaye’s ‘Prideand Joy’ from 1963 (bordering on – gasp! – plagiarism), a small morsel ofinspiration passed on to Lou Reed directly from the world of Rhythm and Blues(the R&B connection is clearly detectable on some of the tracks, notably on‘Waiting for my man’ but is greatly lost elsewhere). Was Lou Reed listening tothe Blues?!?! You bet your sweet derierre he was. Listen closely enough, andyou will find bits and pieces (and sometimes even truck-sized boulders) ofJimmy Reed, Howlin’ Wolf and Slim Harpo, all neatly buried in the mounds ofgarage noise and electric cacophony piling up in the foreground. The Fugs’ in-your-faceantagonism and unabashed anarchism, social (and personal) deviance andincestuous subversion must have made quite a seismic impact on Lou Reed. Mindyou, by the time Velvets’ first album came out, the Fugs already had two albumsunder their belt and were considered a revolutionary avant-garde in their owncity, a massive influence on just about every garage band to follow in theirfootsteps. Fugs and Velvets share one important common denominator: both wereLower East Side-based and gigged extensively in the East Village area. Then there is a forebodingshadow of Bob Dylan, hovering above the album’s characters and verses like aghost of Hamlet’s father. Fromdouble-entendres to surreal word play to deadpan delivery, the album has“Dylan” sprayed all over it. But this Dylan is not so much playful as he isdark, menacing and cryptic. This Dylan is more like a Golem from some Jewishghetto than a playful, punning modster who gave us “Rainy Day Women” and“Subterranean Homesick Blues”. Bob Dylan and Velvets shared one very importantcommon denominator: both Dylan’s Highway 61 Revisited, released in 1965, andthis album (Velvet Underground and Nico) shared the same producer: Tom Wilson.Tom Wilson was also a common denominator between the Velvets and their “eviltwins” from the West Coast: Frank Zappa’s Mothers of Invention (Tom Wilsonproduced the Mother’s first album, Freak Out). Speaking of Dylan, there isno doubt in my mind that there is another kindred spirit haunting the groovesof this album about as much as Dylan: that of Lenny Bruce (who toured withZappa & the Mothers around the time Velvets began recording this album).Bruce, who died later that year (August 1966) was probably more of an influenceon Lou Reed than all of the above combined. His relentless, corrosive verbalassault on petty burgoisie and petty minds permeates this album from start tofinish. If he’d heard the Velvets album from some comedy clubhouse in the sky, he must have laughed his a** off (sorry, Lenny, eBay forbids expletives; we arestill being forced to self-censor, even today, 40 years after your death. Todayit is called “community standards” (yikes!). Finally, there is also aminor possibility – we remain open-minded on this one - that Lou Reed waslistening to classic Jazz vocalists of the bygone era and was greatly touchedby some of them. If you listen to his vocal delivery more closely, you willfind mannerisms of Billie Holiday (to whom he dedicated “Lady Day” from his1973 ‘Berlin’ album), raspy playfulness of Louis Armstrong, whispery quality ofPeggy Lee, occasional traces of wistful melancholy of Helen Merrill and thinlyveiled sexual undertones of Dinah Washington. In all, the Velvet Underground’sfirst album is a microcosm, an organic soup of diverse, sometimes incongruent, but always eclectic, influences that shaped the lives and the musical tastes ofits founding members. ABOUT THE ARTISTS WHO WEREINFLUENCED BY VELVET UNDEGROUND: This is the album for allpeople, and all seasons, and one of the very few "Rock" albums thatnot only aged with dignity, but actually improved with age. If you wishto know just how much meaningful this music was to the artists who followed inVelvets’ footsteps, just ask Jonathan Richman who, by his own admission, attended every single one of the band’s East Coast concerts between 1969 and1971 (some 70 or so concerts, in all). What is particularlyimpressive is that this album inspired not only one artist and not onlyone Rock offshoot, but many different and diverse schools of Rock over the nextfour decades. From Glamrock of the New York Dolls and David Bowie, toin-your-face assault of The Stooges, to the glue-sniffing riffs of the Ramones, to the urban romanticism of Television, to the soul-tearing psychic agony ofJoy Division, to buzz-saw torrents of punk noise of the Clash and Sex Pistols, to the politically activist rock of The Gang of Four, to gothic noise of SonicYouth, to disgruntled grunge of Nirvana, and beyond -- on to the repetitive industrial rhythms ofTechno and Electronica, the spirit of the Velvet Undergroud is alive andwell. Perhaps more now than it has everbeen. Even the lateral branches of the gigantic Rock Tree were touched andinspired by the urban lyricism of the Velvets’ first album. Listen closely andyou will find traces of Lou Reed in vaudevillian surrealism of Tom Waits, inthe sparse, austere sound of the Cowboy Junkies, in the gothic quality ofMarianne Faithfull’s live appearances and just about everything and everyone inbetween. In closing: does the firstparagraph of this essay, which claims that: “… THIS is the single most importantalbum in Rock history and the single most influential Rock session of the 20thCentury” now make a little more sense? If it does NOT, you should NOT bid on this album. If it DOES, you SHOULD. *** For its extraordinarycontribution to the contemporary music, superb production, craftsmanship, finemusicianship, revolutionary significance and influence it exerted on numerousgenerations of musicians, songwriters and general public, or for some otherinherent quality, this album was voted one of top-200 albums of all time in oneof the largest poll of critics, music reviewers, show business professionalsand producers ever organized: the poll, which was conducted by Paul Gambaccini, the legendary BBC Radio A&R man, surveyed more than 50 top musicprofessionals (including Roy Carr, Jonathan Cott, Robert Christgau, CameronCrowe, Chet Flippo, Ben Fong-Torres, Charlie Gillett, Greil Marcus, Murray theK., Lenny Kaye, Bruce Morrow (a/k/a "Cousin Brucie"), Tim Rice , LisaRobinson, Robert Shelton, Ed Ward, Joel Whitburn, Pete Wingfield, etc.). Formore details, see: "Critics Choice: Top-200 albums" , Omnibus Press, Library of Congress Catalog No.7855565. Reflecting the historicalimportance of this album, as well as its popular and critical acclaim, TheRolling Stones Magazine selected this album as on of the top-200 Rock albums ofall time in their recent global poll. TO SEE IF WE HAVE OTHER ITEMS BY VELVET UNDERGROUND ► CLICKHERE TO SEE IF WE HAVE OTHER LISTED ITEMS BY LOU REED ► CLICKHERE TO SEE IF WE HAVE OTHER LISTED ITEMS BY NICO ► CLICKHERE TO SEE IF WE HAVE OTHER LISTED ITEMS BY JOHN CALE ► CLICKHERE TO SEE IF WE HAVE OTHER LISTED ANDY WARHOL COVERS ► CLICKHERE ♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫ · CONDITION: · THE RECORD (IMPORTANT NOTE: unless otherwise noted, ALLrecords are graded visually, and NOT play-graded!; we grade records under the strong, diffuse room light or discretesunlight) (a) WE GRADE THE VINYL AS STRONG VG++, JUST ANOTCH BELOW NEAR MINT. A few light abrasions (probably just sleevescuffs inflicted in storage over the years) ARE VISIBLE, but they appearfairly insignificant relative to theoverall condition of the vinyl, and are only moderately visually distracting.For most part, the vinyl looks impeccable, without any MAJOR visual flaws orimperfections. Much of the original luster is intact, and the vinyl shines andsparkles almost like new. (b) The record is pressed on a beautiful, thick, inflexible vinyl, whichwas usually used for the first or very early pressings. Usually, the sound onsuch thick vinyl pressings is full-bodied, vivid, and even dramatic. Do notexpect to obtain such a majestic analog sound from a digital recording! (c) The record comes in a poly-lined inner sleeve, which has - apparentlywith success - shielded the vinyl from the harmful impact of elements over manyyears! (d) Of course, this is a full-bodied ANALOG recording, and not an inferior, digital recording!!! · THE COVER THE COVER IS NICE --- ABOUT VERY GOOD++ (VG++). The following flaws orimperfections are noted on the cover: - The gatefold cover has partially split seams on 3 out of 4"legs" of the cover (about 6, 4, and 2 inches) ; All three splitseams were delicately taped by the previous owner with a piece of transparentscotch tape - Cover has some light ring wear (nothing significant); On thescale from 1 to 10 (1 being the least, and 10 being the most severe), we assess the severity of ring wear as 3 - Back cover has circular tarnish (grayish, dust-coveredsections, which closely follow the contour of the record), probably caused by friction or by rubbingagainst other covers during the storage. The tarnish is similar in appearanceto a common ring wear, but, UNLIKE ring wear, these grayish areas may bepossible to clean up with a minor effort and with a right cleansing solution. - A visible pressure mark (erased letter "A" writtenin one top corner) noted on the backside (less than 1/2 square inch in size); slightly smaller similar mark notedon the either side; both letters have been erased, but the minor pressure markremains - Cover has a few tiny wrinkles along the spine (nothing significant) - Visible shelf wear noted on the top and bottom seams - Minor shelf wear noted on the opening side and spine(nothingsignificant) - Minor shelf wear noted on the top and bottom seams (nothingsignificant) - Minor discoloration (off-color spots) noted on the bananareplica sticker (nothing significant) NO OTHER VISIBLE FLAWS OR IMPERFECTIONS ON THE COVER ♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫ POSTAGE &SHIPPING: We offer THREE postage rates for both Domesticand International Mail: Media Mail, Priority Mail and Express Mail fordomestic, and First Class, Priority International Mail, and ExpressInternational Mail for international orders. INTERNATIONALCUSTOMERS PLEASE NOTE: WE RECOMMEND (BUT DO NOT INSIST) that you selectUSPS International Priority Mail OR International Express mail when making apayment. INTERNATIONAL POSTAGE ratesvary from one region of the world toanother. For SPECIFIC international and domestic postage rates ►click here.While you can be rest assured that our packaging is careful, sturdy andimpact-proof, please note that damage, loss or theft in transit is alwayspossible, and in the case of some countries even PROBABLE. To discussthis potential problem and ensure flawless delivery, please contact us thrueBay BEFORE placing a bid. WANT ADISCOUNT ?!? IT’SEASY: CLICK ►HERE TO see HOW! (pleasenote recent changes in our policy) ♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫ FOR OTHER IMPORTANT INFORMATION, CLICK ON THE LINKSBELOW: ►OUR VOLUME DISCOUNTS ANDPOSTAGE REBATES ►OUR GRADING POLICY►ITEMS WE DO NOTGRADE ►HOWTO ACKNOWLEDGE WINNING BID OR RESOLVE A DISPUTE ►OURPAYPAL “CHARGEBACK” POLICY ►ACCEPTABLEPAYMENT METHODS ►OUR REFUND POLICY►POSTAGE RATES ANDDISCLOSURES ►PAYMENTDEADLINES ►FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS(FAQ) ♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫ OUR REFUND POLICY : WE OFFER UNCONDITIONALMONEY-BACK GUARANTEE WITHIN 30 DAYS FROM THE RECEIPT OF THE MERCHANDISE, NOQUESTIONS ASKED; Still sealed items MUST be returned sealed inorder to be eligible for a refund Some restrictions apply. Please read our completerefund policy before placing a bid. ►Click here for the full text of our policy FINE (BUT IMPORTANT!) PRINT (1) The year indicated in the title bar is the year ofthe original release, NOTnecessarily the year of the actual pressing; for the actual generation of thepressing, please see our item description (top section, text in red letters).(2) Please do NOT bid based on the title bar, subtitle bar oritem specifics box alone; instead, please read the entiredescription and grading before bidding; (3) Absolutely NOorder cancellations after the auction closes. ever, under anycircumstances. We can ONLY cancel bids before the item closes. (4)We are unable to cancel bids in the final 12 hours of the auction; if you needto do so, please contact eBay for help (5) We are unable to providematrix-, stamper- or other pressing information in the final 24 hours of the auction. If you require thisinformation, please contact us well before the final day of the auction.(6) Yes, we DO combine shipments. Please click on "Shippingand Payment" tab on top of the auction page for additional details. (7) All Paypal payments must be made fromconfirmed Paypal shipping addresses. NO third party shipping addresseswill be honored (8) Absolutely NOpartial refunds: if you are unhappy with the merchandise you received, pleasereturn it for a full refund, postage included (9). Civilizedpeople can disagree without accusing each other of being indecent or dishonest;if you need proof of this seller's personal integrity, please check our eBayfeedback, which speaks for itself (10)All disagreements and miscommunications can be - and will only be -solved in a civil and mutually respectful manner; please avoid puerile, offensive, abrasive or menacing language(attempted humor is fine and usually appreciated, although overused-to-deathsarcasms can be really, really tedious. (11) This seller willaccommodate all reasonable requests and is generally a flexible andagreeable person (12) Our love & appreciation for your trust, loyalty and business, always and forever; Thank You & Good Night! © 2001, 2007 MDJ. All rights reserved.
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