Beach Boys Surf's Up 1971 1st Press UK Press Factory Sample in Ex Condition

	£		23
	$		30

I am selling off some of my collection and over the next few months will be listing some very nice and very rare albums and singles from the 50's through to the 90's!! I will be listing The Beatles, Cream, Purple, Zeppplin, The Stones, Small Faces, Floyd, Creedence Clearwater, Beach Boys and many, many more so please add me to your watch list as I may have something you need to help complete you collection!!!!

Artist or Band: The Beach Boys

Album/Single Title: Surf's Up

Producer(s): Brian Wilson

Cat Number: SSL 10313

Label/Format: Black & Silver Stateside 1 Boxed EMI

Country of Manufacture: UK

Side 2:  I Feel Flows; Lookin' At tomorrow; A Day In The Life Of A Tree; 'Til I Die; Surf's Up

Matrix Nos: Side 1: SYRX-3649-1 Side 2: SYRX-3650-1

Stamper Codes: Side 1: 1 and DG Side 2: 1 and GA

Other Etchings: 

Musicians: Al Jardine: Vocals; Guitars on "Don't Go Near the Water" and "Lookin' at Tomorrow"; Banjo on "Lookin' at Tomorrow". Bruce Johnston: Vocals. Mike Love: Vocals; Tambourine on "Student Demonstration Time". Brian Wilson: Vocals;  Tambourine on "Take a Load Off Your Feet"; Baldwin Organ and Piano on "Feel Flows"; Harmonium on "A Day in the Life of a Tree"; Hammond Organ on "'Til I Die". Carl Wilson: Vocals; Guitars; Tambourine on "Don't Go Near the Water"; Keyboards on "Long Promised Road"; Fuzz Guitar on "Feel Flows"; Bass Guitar. Dennis Wilson: Vocals; Drums.

Brief Artist & Album Info: "SURF'S UP" is the 17th studio album by American rock band the Beach Boys, released in 1971. It was met with a warm critical reception and reached No. 29 on the US record charts, becoming their best-performing album in their home country since 1967. In the UK, the album peaked at No. 15, continuing a string of chart successes that had not abated since 1965.

Both the album's Title and Cover artwork are an ironic, self-aware nod to the band's original Surf music style. It was named for the closing track "Surf's Up", a song which had been written and partially recorded in 1966 for the group's unfinished album Smile. Surf's Up's creative direction was largely influenced by newly employed band manager Jack Rieley, who strove to reinvent the group's image and Reintroduce them to the era's counterculture. Two singles were issued in the US: "Long Promised Road" and "Surf's Up". Only the former charted, peaking at No. 89.

Music critic John Bush wrote "(Most of the) songs are enjoyable enough, but the last three tracks are what make "Surf's Up" such a Masterpiece. The first, "A Day in the Life of a Tree", is simultaneously one of Brian's most deeply touching and bizarre compositions ... The second, "Til I Die," isn't the love song the title suggests; it's a haunting, fatalistic piece of pop surrealism that appeared to signal Brian's Retirement from active life. The album closer, "Surf's Up" is a Masterpiece of baroque psychedelia, probably the most Compelling track from the Smile period. Mojo critic Ross Bennett regarded "Surf's Up" as "the Definitive version" of the Smile recordings, "with those crystalline vocals imbuing Parks' cryptic verses with a grace and simplicity missing from the 2004 reboot". Keith Phipps from The A.V. Club called it "the Darkest Album of the group's career, a record that also spotlighted a growing social conscience".

CONDITION

Labels: The One Boxed EMI Logo Silver & Black Stateside Labels are both in Fantastic condition. There are no signs of Spindle Wear or Spider Marks anywhere to be seen. There is no Writing, Label Lifts or Marks. The Silver Print against the Black backdrop is in Superb order and is completely Unfaded. This Album has Obviously been Very well looked after and has Not had many Plays. I have No hesitation in grading them as Excellent ++!!!!

Vinyl: Plays throughout absolutely Brilliant with no Pops, Clicks or Jumps. The record still retains that glossy sheen though there are a couple of light surface marks and thumbnails to be seen, these in NO way interfere with the Superb sound quality. This Album plays up to and  beyond its High visual grading with hardly anything of note to Fault. It offers strong, distortion-free sound, all frequencies are sharp and clear – sound quality is very high with a wide dynamic range and very detailed sound. A typical polished production from Brian Wilson. Minimal surface sound and no tracking issues. This play-grade proved a real pleasure when playing this fast disappearing album, this being the first example I have had for some time, and possibly the best all-round one for me yet. It will prove quite Difficult to find a significantly better copy and merits a Very strong recommendation. I would grade both sides as Excellent ++!!!!

Cover/Sleeve: This most Un-Beach Boys Textured sleeve is a painting based on the sculpture End Of The Trail, by James Earle Fraser.  Fraser is probably Best known as the designer of the famous Buffalo Nickel.  He had witnessed the increasingly futile resistance by Native Americans against the expansionist white man, and created End Of The Trail as his way to Honour their struggle.  Fraser’s 18-foot plaster sculpture debuted at the 1915 Panama-Pacific International Exposition in San Francisco.  It now Resides at the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum in Oklahoma City.

It would be really Easy to suppose that this image of an Exhausted Warrior whose people is on the brink of Extinction was chosen as an analogy to the Beach Boys’ commercial and artistic plight.  I’ve certainly read others make that comparison, and it could be accurate.  Or it could have just been chosen because it’s a really Excellent work of Art.

This Textured Sleeve Truly has a Magnificent  front picture and is in Very Good shape. There are no Lifts, Splits or Tears or Writing anywhere to be seen. There are the Odd (not Too many) small Crease to both the Front and Rear (though None of these are Splits or Tears. All Corners and Edges are in Good order including the Opening. There is a Very slight Indentation showing from where the Previous owner had stored both Record and Cover together.  The Cover was Printed and Made by Garrod & Lofthouse. This cover is incredibly difficult to find in Excellent+ or Better condition simply because of it's design and age. However I would be happy enough to grade it as Very Good ++!!!!

Cover/Sleeve Summary: Not seen often, this one is in Very nice condition with only very Gentle clues of age. This classic Cover should (as described) please Many collectors.

Inner Sleeve: The Inner Sleeve. Patent Number 1,125,555 is Graded as Very Good++!!!!

Folded Lyric Insert: Is in absolutely Superb condition with Not a Mark on it. It looks as Good as the Day it was First printed. Graded as Excellent ++!!!!

Album Played For Grading: I play/grade ALL records I offer before submitting, I also play them in their entirety unless clearly stated otherwise. I do NOT play snippets or joining grooves to check for sound quality and quietness I play from the beginning to end. I use a Linn LP12 Sondek turntable with Ittok Mk II arm and Ortofon Quintet Black moving coil cartridge and Linn Lingo, with my Linn system and Forest Totem Speakers. This system is guaranteed  to pick up any distortion or interference within the sound.

Grading: In my opinion I REFUSE to believe that there is ANY record that can be truly graded as Mint, the BEST that could be offered is Mint- (minus)!!!! Especially so from the 50's, 60's, 70's or up to the present date!!!! Even copies bought new today would have some form of imperfection on the Record or Cover!!!! Under that assumption I will NEVER use the word Mint in any of my descriptions and Mint- is the HIGHEST grade I would ever use. So I will only offer Excellent, Good or Poor with a -(minus), +(plus) or ++(plus,plus)!!!!