HOWLIN' WOLF MOANIN' IN THE MOONLIGHT CHESS 1434

$

307

Howlin' Wolf, Moanin' In The Moonlight, Chess LP 1434, matrix 9301 + 9302 from 1958. First pressing with the rarer Blue and Silver labels (and before anybody starts up with me the Chess brothers were such cheap bastards that they used both Blue and Black labels interchangably) If you don't have one of these you really can't call yourself a true blues collector! Vinyl is oh so close to M- with only light wispy paper scuffs showing, no spindle wear and play grades to it's high visual standard, but be aware that these are the first generation transfers of the original 78's and as such have a certain amount of high frequency distortion, I have several of these and they all sound the same, I'm sure they used the same master tapes and acetates over and over again. Cover VG++ with all seams intact, (has an expertly repaired one inch seam split on the top mouth, done from inside and hardly noticable), no writing and only moderate seam wear, spine tight with all printing legible, slight tip wear on top spine, VERY slight ring wear on the bottom front only and general aging on the back (slight yellowing, but come on it's 48 years old). Overall fantastic condition for a stupidly rare album (when was the last time you saw one of these?) My reserve is low considering it's rarity but I have no doubt that the serious collectors are going to come out for this one so be prepared. This is a big buck item for big boys (and girls) only. Let the games begin and good luck!

All items are from my personal collection, I am not a dealer. Generally, my items only make their way to Ebay if I have found a promotional copy in near perfect condition to replace them with, consequently you will see very few listings at any one time. As a VERY FINICKY collector, I grade very conservatively and make every effort to note any defects. My items are play graded, unless otherwise stated, on a VPI HRX with a Lyra Titan cartridge and have been cleaned on a VPI HW-27 Typhoon record cleaner. Please see photos and ask any questions about condition before you bid!

Mint (M) I don’t use mint for unsealed items.

Near Mint (NM or M-) This is the highest grade that I will assign to opened, handled records. The vinyl is virtually flawless, bright and shiny. A very minor, barely visible scuff or two may be permitted, but no scratches. The disc should play with no audible noise. The label is bright, clean and unmarked.

Very Good Plus Plus (VG++) Disc plays nearly perfectly, but may have minor paper scuffs that do not interfere with the sound quality. There can possibly be a hairline scratch or two but nothing that is obvious or affects play. Vinyl is bright and shiny; label is clean and unmarked.

Very Good Plus (VG+) Some visible surface wear, very minor scratches and scuffs, that do not interfere with the sound quality. Vinyl will still have good luster; labels may have minor imperfections (small labels or initials, etc) but otherwise clean.

Very Good (VG) Vinyl will have noticeable scratches or scuffs that cause minor surface noise, but do not overpower the music. There will be no skips. Vinyl may appear somewhat dull. Labels may have small tears, tape marks, larger writing, etc, but still easily legible. There may be wear or deformation of the spindle hole.

Items are well packed in LP mailers. Vinyl removed from sleeve prior to shipping. Insurance for full value is required on this one. Please contact me if you would like to expedite shipping during the hot seasons. I'd hate to see a great record warped by 100 degree temperatures! Good luck bidding - Chuck and Carolyn

On Sep-08-06 at 07:45:58 PDT, seller added the following information:

  09/08/06 Several people have contacted me regarding this item and my description of "high frequency distortion" so I'll try and clarify. When the Chess brothers issued this in 1962 they simply went back to the acetates and master tapes of the original 78's and issued them "as is" on lp, basically this sounds like a mono 78 slowed down to 33 1/3. As such it means that they sound like a typical mid 50's era 78 complete with some crackle and noise in the upper frequencys and some silibant spitting, but if you have ever listened to or collected 78's (as I do) also with all the presence, punch, drive and vibrancy usually lacked on most stereo recordings. I will happily trade the former for the later as will most collectors (there is a reason why they still make turntables that are dedicated to playing 78's, Rega makes a particulary good one, the Rega planar 78). After some customer complaints, Chess remixed the sound and drastically rolled off the high frequency's and compressed everything to quiet down the passage of the needle thru the grooves. This is one of the very first pressings of this and as such has the original sound, I have another mint copy of this (and no, it is not for sale) and it sounds exactly the same. So please, if you are expecting CD silence don't bid, if you are expecting the harsh, rolled off, compressed, gain limited sound of most late sixties to 90's vinyl don't bid, if however you want to have the closet thing to the sparkle, immediacy and realism of having the mighy wolf sitting in your listening room, then take a deep breath, roll up your sleeves and dig deep, because if you don't someone else is going to beat you to this piece of audio americania and chances are you're never going to see it again, certainly not in this condition.

On Sep-08-06 at 07:47:22 PDT, seller added the following information:

I' sorry of course this is the 1958 original of this.