Bob Downes - Electric City Vertigo Swirl EX++

	£		107
	$		142

Bob Downes - Electric City

Vertigo 6360 005

1ST  UK PRESS- VERTIGO SWIRL**** UK 1970 BARELY PLAYED SUPER VINYL****VERY SCARCE  ALBUM  THAT NEVER TURNS UP THESE DAYS- FINAL UPGRADE*****1Y//1  2Y//1 MATRICES***

ONE OF THE HARDEST  AND EARLIEST SWIRLS TO FIND, VIRTUALLY IMPOSSIBLE IN THIS BARELY PLAYED SUPREME CONDITION

**** THE BEST ORIGINAL VINYL OF THIS MAJOR RARITY I HAVE EVER SEEN****

ELUSIVE PSYCH/FOLK MONSTER!!!STUNNING SONGCRAFT!!!AN INSPIRATION TO MANY SUBSEQUENT TOPACTS!!!

!!!!AN EXTREMELY HARD FIND!!! As regular visitors to my auctions will know I always attempt to bring at least one stunning and scarce super rare album of the Golden Era of music to auction each week. A few hundred (rumoured to be around 500) were ever pressed of this fantastic psych/folk album. It is not too hard to understand why this never sold in larger numbers. The songwriting is angular with unexpected twists. Hardly what the average record buyer was looking for in a more positive time than our present one. Surging flute solos and  real adventurous album that you want to come back to each time and it then evolves and becomes part of your DNA!!! This has similarities to other great psych/folk acts like Spirogyra or Dando Shaft. This is a must hear for the more probing alternative collector!!! I surely loved every second of listening to this stunner!!!

In all my years this is only the second time I have come across this PROGMONSTER of which only 500 are rumoured to be about. Rare ... anyone?? This one is more desirable still as the vinyl does not appear to have been played much at all. Under an intense light there are NO lines or marks to be seen.

Sensational sound quality, I have played this through in its entirety and it was a great joy!!! NO skips or jumps. NO clicks or crackle, this is really a stunning heavy glossy jet black vinyl .  Inspected under an intense lightsource and angled.

            The songs on this album are  very diverse and of an extreme sophistication. The songcraft is just mesmerising!! For whatever reason this stunning album, without filler and now rightly regarded as a lost classic, sold zilch!!!

         It's hard to put  into words how stunning this album is. Avant jazz/prog with  unexpected twists round every corner. The adventurous Psych/Folk/Prog/Jazz collector will salivate over this absolute stunner.

 Track Listings

1 No time like the present
2 Keep off the grass
3 Don’t let tomorrow get you down
4 Dawn until dawn
5 Go find time
6 Walking on
7 Crush hour
8 West II
9 In your eyes
10 Piccadilly circles
11 Gonna take a journey

Released on the legendary Vertigo “swirl” label, Electric City was one of the wilder and more obscure issues of the famous 6360 series. But if I say wild and obscure, it is nothing compared to his later works in the mid-70’s, as here the music is very accessible resembling some kind of brass rock, as the cast of guest on Bob’s first album is an impressive who’s who of Phillips-related musicians, pictured assembled on the inner gatefold. The outer gatefold presents a wild collage electronic devices, wild psychedelic colours and Downes in full action, the whole thing permeating a white dummy head; stunning.

Made of short tracks (except the closing opus), the album has splendid up-tempo rhythms, juicy horn arrangements, great virtuoso musicianship and acceptable vocals. Yup, Downes’ vocals are not the main asset of this album yet, Bob’s lyrics (all his except for the opening No Time like The Present, which is from poet Robert Cockburn, foreseeing their collab of Deep Down Heavy) are always interesting, but let’s face it, we want his flute and sax and he doesn’t disappoint. Indeed the fabulous Keep Off The Grass, Dawn Until Dawn (where Downes shows his passion for sax as well), the pedestrian Walkin’ On (Bob goes nuts on the sax), the tense Crush Hour, the explosive Piccadilly Circles (waaaah, the pun) and its direct continuity into the lengthy (7-mins+) Gonna Take A Journey, which plunges into free improvs.

       Vinyl:  EX++ bordering on NM!! A sensational find!!! I have played this in FULL twice over> The replay is ASTOUNDING!!! I first played for a general listen and a second time for a more detailed observation. There are NO jumps NO skips NO sticks. This vinyl has barely been played and been looked after!!  There are NO marks and only one wispy hairline I could spot under an intense light!!! NOT any trace of wear. This is one of those occasions where it can truly be said that it is an opportunity to buy this vinyl in this STUNNING condition that will probably not come along again!!!  I am very glad to be able to report that this is a fine slab of superheavy vinyl without any problems at all and as such worthy of inclusion of any great prog collection and a mighty investment to boot!!

     Gatefold Sleeve:  EX. This is a matt sleeve as most Swirls were and for that reason susceptible to wear. This, however is one of the better ones and will suit nicely in any but the most demanding of collections. All edges are straight. The spine is fully legible. There is slight ringwear to the back. NO writing and NO smudges. The inside gatefold is also unmarked. Importantly there are NO creases at all. The pictures say all!!

Inner Swirl Sleeve: EX++. A beauty with all polyliner still firmly attached. NOT yellowed like most. A small discreet stamp "D.F." on one side top corner. The right datestamp "1070" ensures an original swirly inner.

This is a unique investment opportunity!!! Nowadays any early Swirl is golddust!!! Get this while you still can, once absorbed in a quality collection this won't come back!! It is very late in the day now to still find this gem!!!

 This is  a great and seriously collectable super album!! 

Labels: EX+.

Important : International Postage. This will be sent via Signed For service or Airsure service if over GBP 40.00 depending on the destination country. A different courier like UPS or DHL might be used for certain countries. This will be sent fully insured!! Packaging will be thorough and substantial with stiffeners on each side and the disc separated from the sleeve to prevent scything. To Italy this will only be sent via recorded service, please wait for my invoice.

UK postage: if over GBP 200.00 this will be sent out via Special Delivery. This will be fully insured for GBP 7.50.

Though there are rarely ever any problems with my items, I always try my very best to describe everything exactly!  PLEASE REMEMBER to contact me FIRST,  if you have any problems at all, before you leave feedback and star ratings, so I get a chance to turn any negative experience into a positive one!  I can always happily sort anything out for you, if you let me know you have a problem!  This way no one has to leave Negative/Neutral feedback - and we both walk away happy! Similarly with the amount of stars, anything less than a full 5 * rating is effectively detrimental to a seller's rating as lower ratings will incur higher Final Value Fees  and lower priority in the bidlists eventually making it unattractive to list items on Ebay at all. I know of at least one major previous Ebay seller who has decided not to list via Ebay again. Please do NOT bid if you cannot give me at least 1 chance to sort everything out to your FULL satisfaction in the unlikely event of a problem.  Thanks again!!

In my opinion an absolute vinyl top copy which could only be bettered by utilising a time travelling device! As always I have a no quibble money refund option in place in case you are not 100% satisfied!!!