GENE ESTIBOU & JEAN-PAUL PICKENS - ITENSIFICATIONS - GRATEFUL DEAD SERPENT POWER

$

28

Description :

GENE ESTRBOU & JEAN-PAUL PICKENS - INTENSIFICATIONS

RECORD LABEL CATALOG #

MFA RECORDS CL-1                                 

VINYL GRADE

NM8 - private press with pen mark on side 2 label

COVER GRADE

EX6 with sticker and marks on front cover and small ink mark on and back cover

ARTIST

GENE ESTRIBOU

JOHN-PAUL PICKENS

PERFORMANCE/TRACKS

1.) You Know The One You Played Saturday Night

2.) Amalgam

3.) Metathanks

4.) Eeee Minor

(side 2) JEAN-PAUL PICKENS

1.) Coo Coo Bird

2.) Shady Grows

3.) G.R.

Comments or Matrix notes

RARE private instrumental LP features one side by Pickens who was later with Serpent Power, and one side by guitarist Estribou who recorded the Grateful Dead session that spawned their debut 45.

Acoustic guitarist Estribou recorded the Grateful Dead and released their first single in 1965. But that's hardly enough to keep the man on even the most detailed of musical maps, let alone earn a dazzling level of popularity.
Jean-Paul Pickens is also one of popular music's many footnotes, a banjoist in Bay Area poet David Meltzer's psych/folk-rock outfit Serpent Power, who could claim to be among the pioneers of Hindi modes-meets-Western pop "raga-folk." But that's a boast that could also be made by John Fahey or Sandy Bull or Robbie Basho-- all of whom worked at nearly the same time as, and were more innovative than, Pickens. And so it follows that Intensifications, Estribou and Pickens' split LP of solo improvised instrumentals, fell by the wayside.
Intensifications is not and never was groundbreaking-- even at its most extreme, the improvisations are still relatively normal given the Basho-weirdo benchmark. But the album is solid, and, amidst the current free-folk love affair, is certainly relevant and worthy of its remastering, re-release, and reconsideration.
To an extent, improvised solo instrumentals are less about a song and more about the player's technical ability, so showboating factors heavily into one's appreciation of these virtuosic displays. And despite the album's split nature, Estribou and Pickens complement each other well. Estribou's conceits are primarily tonal and less rhythmic. The raga opener, "You Know, the One You Played Saturday Night", is somewhat dogmatic, beginning high and ghostly before settling into breezy strums and high noon modal ebbing. Slide picks and Delta blues licks dominate Estribou's tense double-plucked meanderings on "Amalgam", whereas "Metathanks" seems decidedly more guilt-free, structured and countrified. Estribou's last cut, "Eeee Minor", is at once his most musically and rhythmically energetic piece, as he carefully fits his most abrasive dissonances alongside dactylic jitter.
Pickens' portion of the record smokes from the start. On "Coo Coo Bird", Pickens begins with a wash of strings before launching into some swift and hyper-rhythmic but still remarkably melodic Americana banjo. Burner "Shady Grows" sounds like a Celtic woodwind ditty performed at Rescue Ranger speeds, albeit also with a high degree of melodic retention. And the sprawling "G.R." is Pickens' answer to the variety of playing styles Estribou displays on "Eeee Minor", as he places non-gimmicky rubato one-liners between dense, swift packets of terrific strumming. In a fictitious world where virtuoso folk guitarists contest for title belts, "G.R." would cinch Pickens' victory over Estribou. But there's no need for a grudge match here: Intensifications features impressive performance from both artists."

 I have been a part time seller of Original Vintage Audiophile, Classical, Jazz, and Rock records on eBay for over 15 years and an avid vinyl junkie for over 35 years when I got my first job in a used record store in Northern CA. With 100% satisfaction rating and many repeat customers, I aim to please with every transaction.   

All records are professionally cleaned and graded visually and if necessary play graded.

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Goldmine grading guidelines

10 point Grading System-- GRADING STANDARDS FOR EP AND LP COVERS The following are the grading standards used by Vinylfever for 45 RPM and LP covers and records Note that there are two grades in each listing for every 45 RPM and LP. 

COVERS

GEM MINT (GEM-MT 10): Cover is brand new! Cover artwork is virtually perfect with no noticeable manufacturing defects. 

MINT (MT 9): Cover is new with no visible wear. Cover artwork colors are full and bright. There will be no serious manufacturing defects. 

NEAR MINT (NM 8 or "M-"): Cover appears new at first glance. There will be some barely noticeable wear. Cover artwork colors are full, but may be subdued. White areas may show some very slight mellowing. 

EXCELLENT (EX 7 or "VG++"): Cover shows some very minor wear, but no serious defects. Cover artwork colors are complete, but may show some minor friction or light flaking. The corners will still be relatively sharp. May show some age mellowing of the white and colored areas. 

VERY GOOD to EXCELLENT (VG-EX 6 or "VG+"): Some moderate wear will be noticeable on artwork, but there will be no serious problems. There will be no major fraying of the corners. 

VERY GOOD (VG 5): Cover will show obvious signs of wear. Portions of the artwork colors may be flaked off. There may be writing, non-major tears, stains, or other abuses. Corners may be somewhat frayed. 

GOOD to VERY GOOD (GD-VG 4 or "VG-"): Cover shows heavy wear. Portions of the cover artwork may be almost worn off and may show some scratches, or other major abuses. Corners may be very tattered. 

GOOD (GD 3): Cover shows very heavy wear. Some portions of the cover artwork may be worn off. Corners may be rounded. There may be some serious scratches, tears, splits, or serious problems. 

FAIR (FR 2): Cover shows extreme wear and major portions of cover artwork may be missing. Cover may have very serious scratches and tears, or other disfiguring defects.

POOR (PR 1): Mutilated, but identifiable.

RECORDS

GEM MINT (GEM-MT 10): Vinyl has no imperfections. Vinyl gloss is 100% full and blazing. Label has no wear. Label has no noticeable imperfections. Label displays ultra bright, original color. 

MINT (MT 9): Vinyl has no noticeable imperfections. Vinyl gloss is full. No label wear should be evident. Label has no major imperfections. Label should display full, original color, but may have a spindle mark or two.

NEAR MINT (NM 8 or "M-"): Vinyl has a few minor imperfections. Vinyl
gloss nearly full. Label wear, if any, should be barely dectectable. May have a few minor label imperfections. Label should display full, original color, although it may be somewhat subdued. Record should play without surface noise. 

EXCELLENT (EX 7 or "VG++"): Vinyl has a few noticeable imperfections. Vinyl should display some gloss. May have slight label wear. May display some label imperfections, but nothing major. May exhibit slight fading of label color. Record may play with some very slight surface noise, but nothing distracting. 

VERY GOOD to EXCELLENT (VG-EX 6 or "VG+"): Vinyl has noticeable, but not major, imperfections. May display some original gloss. Label can show some wear, but cannot have large areas of wear. Can have some noticeable label imperfections. Record may play with some slight surface noise, but nothing that impedes the sound. 

VERY GOOD (VG 5): Vinyl has several moderate and/or one or two major flaws. Vinyl gloss may not be evident. Label may show wear. Label has several moderate and/or one or two major imperfections, such as writing, tears, stains, etc. Record may play with some slight surface noise, but nothing that overwhelms the sound. Label may be somewhat faded or discolored. May have some writing, tears, tape or seam splits. 

GOOD to VERY GOOD (GD-VG 4 or "VG-"): Vinyl has some major imperfections. Label may be very worn. Label may have some major imperfections. Label may exhibit definite fading or discoloration. Record will play with noise but no skips. 

GOOD (GD 3): Vinyl has major scratches. Label may be well worn. Some of the lettering or label design may be worn away. Label may have major flaws. Record will play through, but may be rather noisy. 

FAIR (FR 2): Both vinyl and label exhibit major abuses to the surfaces. Major portions of the lettering and label design may be missing. Record may barely play through. 

POOR (PR 1): Vinyl has so many imperfections that the record may not be playable. Label may be barely readable.

All record are removed from covers and enclosed in a 3 mil LP bag. All packages are professionally shipped using corrugated LP fillers surrounding the records and are packaged in a heavy weight bubble package.
(Items are typically sent out the day after payment unless I am on a road trip. I always ship on Friday of each week at the latest)

USA:
$4.00 - USPS Media Mail delivery confirmation included (add 1.00 each additional LP/disc)

CANADA:
$10.50 - USPS 1st Class AIRMAIL + $4.50 for each additional LP UP TO 4 RECORDS
ASIA, AUSTRALIA, EUROPE & UK:
$16.50 - USPS 1st Class AIRMAIL + $4.50 for each additional LP UP TO 4 RECORDS

Packages over 4 Records and 4 lbs. must be priced using USPS Priority Mail rates

California Residents are subject to 8.75% sales tax which will be added to purchase price. International Bidders are responsible for applicable duty charged by their respective country for the item purchased. I reserve the right to insure packages for my protection at my expense and always state the actual value of the item as required by USPS and my insurance provider. Please do not ask me to make any exceptions.

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