GORDON ALEXANDER '68 Fading Yellow psych CURT BOETTCHER

$

32

WHAT WE HAVE HERE IS…

Gordon Alexander "GORDON'S BUSTER"

Original 1968 LP on the Columbia label, STEREO CS9693

Cover:  EXCELLENT/NEAR MINT, small cutout hole

Vinyl:  Clean, plays VG+ with steady but fairly light surface crackle.

“I like to fly using my middle eye on a beam to the end of my brain” sings Gordon Alexander somewhere in the middle of his psychedelic pop hookah drag “Thinking in Indian,” and in case there were any further doubt what state of mind he was in when he recorded his 1968 album Gordon’s Buster, take a look at that cover photo again.  The man’s more baked than Woody Harrelson after a Rusted Root concert.  And yet somehow, even in his California haze, he rounded up some of the heaviest friends in the industry to help out on his solo album.  The legendary Curt Boettcher produced, taking time out from his work with Millennium, whose singer and guitarist Lee Mallory also lends a hand.  And if that’s not enough to get your sunshine pop psych glands salivating, no fewer than FIVE members of the Music Machine back Gordo up.  And with a nearly Godlike collection of talent like that at his disposal, what else could Gordon do but create his own solo soft pop rendition of Love’s Forever Changes?

You’d be surprised how similar Gordon’s Buster is to that venerable El Lay landmark – albeit slightly softer and with more trippy production tricks (it’s Curt Boettcher, after all).  Songs like “Puppet Theatre 23” and “One Reel Spins Free” could’ve easily been outtakes from Forever Changes, with their swirling strings and stoned West Coast vibe.  And that refrain of “In-in-indian” in the aforementioned “Thinking in Indian” sounds an awful lot like “Live and Let Live” in my little red book.  Still, if you’re gonna use another album as a role model for your own, I got no problem with setting your sights on Arthur Lee’s masterpiece.  Gordon’s Buster is no Forever Changes to be sure, but it’s a nice companion piece.

And besides, it seems more psychedelic – maybe that’s the difference between 1967 and 1968, but Boettcher throws in all kinds of nifty little production gimmicks that Forever Changes lacked.  Like the wild ending to “Windy Wednesday,” or the bizarre backing vocals behind “Miss Mary” – but hey, these are to be expected from a guy who uses his middle eye on a beam to his brain.  Is that what you’re calling it these days, Gordon?  Just make sure you flush those beams down the toilet when the cops come a’knockin.

 TO HEAR SOUNDCLIPS FROM THIS ALBUM, PLEASE VISIT MY HOMEPAGE AT WWW.KATHLEENTURNEROVERDRIVE.WIKISPACES.COM - YOU CAN ALSO HEAR SOUND CLIPS FROM ALL THE ALBUMS I HAVE UP FOR AUCTION ON THIS PAGE TOO.

The less exciting stuff

Media mail shipping with delivery confirmation starts at $5.00 in the US, with each additional record only $1 additional shipping.  Air mail shipping to Canada starts at $10 US, each additional record $2 shipping.  Air mail shipping everywhere else in the world starts at $16 US, with each additional record only $3 shipping.  I accept payments through Paypal, or you can send checks and money orders made out in US dollars.  Items paid by check are held 14 days for the check to clear.

I try to grade as best as I can, and I list as many blemishes/imperfections I can find (writing, ringwear, scuff marks, etc.) – Also, please note that I DO listen to these albums – I may not listen to every track, but my grades are based on LISTENING, not just looking at it, since chances are you’ll be listening to the record you buy, not just looking at it.  Most of the albums I sell are the ones I’ve enjoyed for years – and I treat my records with kid gloves.  But sounds speak louder than words, so check out the sound clips below – they’re from the actual record you’re bidding on. 

SHIPPING AND PACKAGING

Listen, I buy a bunch of records too (when I’m not getting outbid at the last second, which is more often than not) – and I know what it’s like to get a rare, one-of-a-kind album packaged dangerously in a flimsy bubblewrap package.  I hate that too.  So rest assured, I ALWAYS package albums with stiff cardboard reinforcements, same for 45s.  And yes, the records are removed from the sleeves (for albums).  I ship out once a week, every Friday, because I have a regular day job.  But I’d be willing to give that up if you’d all be so kind as to bid my items up to stupidly high amounts. 

And finally, I include delivery confirmation on all shipments inside the US.  This is my proof of shipment, and also helps us to track your package if it doesn’t arrive when it should.  I will email you within 2 days of shipment and give you the confirmation number at that time.  Insurance is always optional, but for larger orders, it’s highly recommended.  Unfortunately, there isn’t a cost-effective way of tracking parcels to foreign countries yet, and shipping times vary depending on your country’s postal system.  Italy in particular seems to be really bad at delivering packages quickly, or delivering packages at all, now that you mention it.  I will always email you when your package ships, but once it’s on its way, please don’t ask me when it will arrive because I don’t know.  If the world’s postal systems can ever agree on a universal tracking system that’s affordable, I’ll be the first to use it.

NOW IT’S YOUR TURN…

I will always leave positive feedback for successful transactions, and would appreciate the same in return.  All I ask of you is the following – please pay for your items within 14 days of the close of auction.  Compared to other sellers, that’s a generous amount of time, so if you don’t pay within 2 weeks, then I have to assume something’s wrong.  You’ll get an Ebay payment reminder at that point, and possibly a decapitated horse head in your bed.  If, after 30 days, you still haven’t forked up the cash, I’ll relist the item and yell at you if I ever see you in town.