NEIL YOUNG On The Beach SCARCE Orig UK EX LP, N/M Inner

	£		53
	$		70

Artist or Band: NEIL YOUNG

Album Title: On The Beach.

TRACK LIST:

Side 1: Walk On; See The Sky About to Rain; Revolution Blues; For The Turnstiles; Vampire Blues.

Side 2: On The Beach; Motion Pictures; Ambulance Blues.

Label/Format: Reprise – Tan format with no Warner logos.

Label Conditions: Near mint examples with barely any spindle marks at all. (Please see my label scan).

Cat Number: K 54014.

Mode / Speed: Stereo / 33.3 rpm.

Weight of this Record: 111 grams. I have yet to see a heavy pressed copy of this title. [These days, many modern Audiophile reissues are pressed on super-heavyweight 180 gram vinyl. Only a small percentage of ‘vintage vinyl’ was ever pressed this heavy. Records pressed in the 1960s averaged around 140 to 150 grams. Records pressed in the 1970s were usually lighter and averaged more around 115 – 125 grams. Some records pressed around 1973 were very thin and light due an oil crisis and shortage around this time. Some records were even issued on recycled vinyl from this period and sounded poor with crackle and surface noise evident from the very first play. If any record I buy is deemed ‘recycled’, I will never offer it, I have a very simple test to detect these records if I suspect this to be the case other than audible imperfection. Some records from this period were even pressed on other materials the most notable was ‘Dynaflex’, used by RCA around this time. Although inferior to vinyl, this at least mostly sounded reasonably acceptable but pressings on this material were wafer thin and flimsy. Beyond the 70s, records often became thinner and lighter still but most played fine but were never quite the quality as from the ‘Golden Era’]. (This was based on ‘average’ weights for 20 records from these eras. Later pressings were usually lighter still).

Country of Manufacture: England

Rarity: Scarce, some say rare but I disagree with this, it does show up occasionally but it’s the condition that often lets it down. I have seldom heard a ‘perfect’ copy of this classic Young album but this is the very best I have ever had. The best all-round example I have yet had with a very neat and attractive cover, an inner with no cellotape on the edges – for some reason owners often reinforced this inner to avoid edge splits – this has none and no edge damage at all. And the record plays to near perfection throughout and any faint small surface blemishes are simply ignored. This monumental Young album that was for so long out-of-print will rarely be heard better via its original vinyl format.

Original Year of Release: July, 1974

Matrix Nos: 54014 A4 / 54014 B4 (This is the first example I have seen that does not have the B5 matrix).

Musicians include: Neil Young – guitar, vocal, harmonica, wurlitzer piano; Ben Keith – Steel guitar, slide guitar, vocal, hand drum, bass guitar; Billy Talbot – bass; Ralph Molina – drums, vocal.

Brief Artist & Album Info: After the live Time Fades Away Young undertook another controversial tour but the album that was due to be issued Tonight’s The Night was put on hold. Instead Young issued this remarkable set, one of the greatest achievements from his highly impressive catalogue. Issued to very mixed reviews at the time On The Beach is now regarded by most Young and rock fans as a masterpiece, so long out of print and unavailable. Often regarded as too bleak, it does feature the word ‘Blues’ in three titles. The album took the pain and uncertainty witness on Young’s last two tours and distilled from it a work of astonishing vision. Here was Young both analysing his past like a man three times his age and offering a fresh perspective on his future. The second side of the album especially is testament to Young’s songwriting brilliance and has classic written all over it, that said there is not a bad musical moment on this record. After two gentle openers, the third song ‘Revolution Blues’ is a daring attempt at satire based on Charles Manson, it might not be the most tasteful of ideas but it works superbly. The title song and the first of the momentous second side, Young questions the nature of fame and its impact upon his mental state. A stunning slow guitar solo unfolds as he seems to resolve his state of mind. ‘Motion Pictures’ written as a tribute to his actress wife, Carrie Snodgrass has the man sounding at his saddest, a trait always associated with Young when he sings his happiest songs. The finale, the long ‘Ambulance Blues’ is arguably the best song Young ever wrote, its an extraordinary examination of his career but unlike ‘Don’t Be Denied’, this is not a straight autobiography but a more a mental journey into his history and career, scathing attacks on his critics and at times he almost seems to get entrapped in a web of lyrical complexity - It’s hard to tell the meaning of this song - this is a beautiful acoustic track and was the summit of his achievement as a singer songwriter and still remains the strongest candidate as his best ever song. Finding this album is not quite as difficult as some imagine – that said this is my first for some time and they do seem to be getting ever more elusive. So many are unplayable with constant surface sound throughout and covers damaged and inners in a right mess. I am happy to reitterate again, this is a great copy and plays beautifully. This was not a great period for some records with variable pressing quality and this album seemed to suffer badly (as did one or two others from his early 70s catalogue). From memory, I am sure all other examples of this classic I have offered have had some sound blemishing, even if not serious, but this one plays throughout with no pressing problems or inherent surface sounds. The delicate song ‘See the Sky Abvout to Rain’ seems the most affected by crackle and pressing noise, but even this fragile song plays superbly and for a change, quiet. It was a delight to listen to and truly such pressings are scarce. Regarding the cover, this has a delicate pale unlaminated sleeve that never wears well and the inner is often written off or even missing altogether. Included too is the famous wall paper design on the inside of the cover, yes where the record is stored (please see the inside picture, I have tried my best to show this as best as I can, this proved difficult without stressing this unusual cover). The hard original inner is also included and for a change is not split or torn, the best I have ever seen by some margin, it could pass for new. Overall this is a super copy of this most famous work and many collectors should treasure it.

This Cover’s Potential for Wear: Very High.

Cover Grade and Format: A very fine EX, a single format, and unlaminated. Printed in England by Shorewood Packaging Co Ltd. A notoriously difficult cover to find in top condition, the one remains very attractive.

Cover Front: Great artwork and looking superb and one of the better examples I have seen. Rich colour is retained with minimal grubbiness. There is a light friction ring arc near the top and bottom that has modest visibility and a rub to the bottom right corner tip but little else of real note. The lack of major creasing and surface rubbing is highly unusual, any creases are tiny and show little. Overall this famous front retains an unusual freshness and with many found with deletion saw-cuts, sheered-off corners or drill-holded, this is like a breath of fresh air.

Cover Back: Very similar again but even better, a light inner seam rub near the top edge and any marks very fine and faint. The lack of ringwear and creasing is always a bonus on this one.

Cover, Inside: I rarely have to mention the inside of the cover, that is where the record is stored but on this cover it’s vitally important. This famous cover is fully printed on the inside with what looks like a flowered wallpaper (please see my picture of this). All this appears to be perfect with no rubbing which can and does happen via the hard inner. This sleeve does exist without the ‘wallpaper’ design as a plain white inside.

Top Edge: Light patchy rubbing only.

Bottom Edge: Light+ surface rubs.

Right Edge(s), and Type: Clean, quite sharp with few traces of wear. Record enters on this edge.

Spine and Text: A very fine spine, more often seen faded, rubbed and tatty. This is very solid and straight with only very faint rub traces. All the delicate small text is perfect and unworn.

Corners: The corners have rubbed but not excessively. The bottom right is the most affected. Fine shape and definition is generally retained.

Cover Summary: A splendid cover for this difficult record, one of the more difficult from this era to find even near excellent. With minimal wear and no damage, this is certainly one of the best I have seen for some considerable time.

The Inner: Mint(-) and it could almost pass as new. No splits, tears or marks, ultra clean and unworn and NO tape or signatures - a very pleasant change. A couple of tiny and faint surface creases if viewed critically and close but try to find this looking much better.

Vinyl Condition/Visual Grading: EX/EX+, A lovely visual copy that is super clean, shiny, intense black and quite solidly pressed. A copy with minimal plays on all the evidence. Side one has a couple of light surface marks and side two just a couple of fine traces. These have NO effect on sound whatsoever and this record plays exceptionally well. Visually a super record that should please most collectors.

Album Played For Grading: Yes. [I play ALL records I offer before submitting to Ebay, also the record is played in its entirety unless clearly stated otherwise. I do NOT play snippetts or joining grooves to check for sound quality and quietness – I play from the beginning to end via clinically revealing B&W speakers that include the legendary tweeter from their awesome Nautilus range that reveals every blemish or miniscule sound present on any record.]

Sound Quality and Audio Grading: This classic status record plays up to its high visual grading with nothing to fault. Strong, distortion-free sound, all frequencies are sharp and clear - sound quality is very high with a wide dynamic range and very detailed sound. Any surface sounds are minimal indeed and no pops or clicks were noted and this is an exceptional clean pressing for a very challenging title. It does have some gentle moments but even these (for a change) play extremely well and most all very quiet indeed. Few copies will outperform this early pressing significantly I feel sure. Nothing spoilt my pleasure when play-grading this wonderful record – probably the most satisfying vinyl copy I have ever heard. This copy will prove very difficult to find significantly better and can be strongly recommended.

Final Summary: A very special album at long last available on CD, but owning this on vinyl is still mandatory for any serious collector. The strange inclusion of that printed inner storage area is bizarre and almost unique. A gorgeous cover and don’t forget that almost like new inner. I enjoyed this vitally important record immensely and I feel most other Young fans will too.

Now one of the most established sellers on Ebay and still offering the finest and most accurately described and graded records I can find. I pride myself on offering a variety of genres to keep my site as interesting as possible. I will rarely offer any record that falls below a true Excellent grading, unless its of a certain rarity which will justify offering a lesser grade. I try, to the best of my ability to describe as accurately and as honesty as I can all items I offer for sale with all the relevant information I can think of to help any potential bidder and collector. You may notice I only submit records sparingly on Ebay - on average ONEADAY, a couple more at weekends if time permits, hence the name - time rarely allows for more as I Play-Grade virtually every record I offer in their entirety, not just bits to guess a grade - visuals alone do not always tell a true or full story. I will mention any defects or flaws no matter how small that I notice to be fair as possible to any interested collector – I am very fussy and my buyers have the right to be too. Every record I offer, whether it be a common or rare item deserves the same respect as far as I am concerned and will be treated the same - just because an item is rare does not always mean its good. I get just as much pleasure offering a relatively common record in stunning near mint condition as the real rare items. All the pictures I use for your guidance are taken with a digital camera or scanned - they are NOT improved, cleaned-up or made better looking than they are with camera trickery or enhancing with digital programmes. What you see is what you get and scanned labels will give a more accurate representation of the genuine colour than flash photography where light is variable. I cannot guarantee total accuracy for colours however but most will be very close. If any picture I take looks more flattering than the actual item for any reason, I will clearly state the fact in the advert and vice-versa. I hope the item below is to your liking - any questions can be emailed and I will do my very best to answer you. I am enthusiastic, and have a fair degree of knowledge about many genres and I promise quality items - bid with confidence - excellence comes as standard and so does Near Mint regularly. Please assume all records I offer have NO jumps, sticks, warps or writing on covers or labels unless clearly stated to the contrary. Thanks for your interest and Good luck – MIKE.

Deck: Linn LP12 with Ittok Mk IV arm and Ortofon Samba Moving Coil cartridge (tracks at 1.8 grams). Amps: Naim Nait 5i with Project USB phono stage and Chord interconnects. Speakers: B&W 704 Floorstanding 3-way Monitors (bi-wired). All records I offer on Ebay are cleaned on a professional Moth vacuum machine before play-grading for the cleanest and best possible sound and will include a brand new lined inner and protective cover too.

First-time, zero-rated bidders, who do not ask permission to bid, will be cancelled immediately and blocked – NO exceptions. For winning bidders who I consider excessively slow to make contact or submit payment, I will use my right to block future bids. If any bidder who wins in the final seconds is present to do so, surely they can at least email me to inform of intention and payment method? If swift or promp payment is a problem, please do not bid.

POSTING & PACKING: What You Get: I usually post on Fridays, most will arrive Saturday to make signed-for delivery easier. All records are posted in professional boxes (NOT mailers) with the record(s) REMOVED from their main cover to avoid edge splits and placed within a brand new polylined inner. The record’s original inner will be included if available. The boxes are then reinforced with TWO thick stiffners for even extra protection. The cover will be placed within a BRAND NEW heavy duty soft protective sleeve and the actual record will be professionally cleaned on my Moth Pro vacuum system to give ultimate clean grooves and playing surfaces and the best possible looks and ultimate sound quality. Printed address labels are used for clarity and well as sender label. You will NOT get tired, dull looking, dust infested records inside worn and foggy covers with tatty inners from this seller and that’s a promise and guarantee. Customers requests or special needs for P&P will be respected if at all possible but NOT surface mail abroad. I never make profit on posting and offer probably the best-value and safest shipping possible. I will invoice any winning bidder as soon as possible after the auction ends, with the total costs including ‘standard’ or ‘optional extra insurance’ P&P – ALL UK and Russian packets go out non-negotiable Recorded Delivery. My ‘loss’ or ‘damage rate’ is less than 0.1 per percent based on over 4,000+ items sold in over 7 years of Ebay trading and I consider that pretty exceptional.

PLEASE NOTE: I will now only send packets to Russia with Recorded Delivery at a cost of £7 per single LP. If this is unacceptable to Russian collectors, please do not bid. I only want my records to arrive safely and this gives packets a better chance to do so. Also ALL UK packets will be sent with either Recorded or Special Delivery as standard (both have to be signed for). All shipping costs and rules can be found after my description. If they are not acceptable, please do not bid.

NOTE: First Time Bidders: I will cancel ALL first-time bidders with no feedbacks or excessive negatives who do not ask me if its OK to bid first – NO EXCEPTIONS.

Please Note: I will now offer any item to the runner-up after the mandatory Ebay 3 days if no contact is made by the winning bidder unless prior notice of any delay is given beforehand. The same applies if no payment is received within the mandatory 7 days so any bidder who has just lost out can still email me to reserve the item as priority second chance – it’s always worth asking.

SHIPPING COSTS & OPTIONS:

Posting & Packing: UK & CHANNEL ISLANDS all now sent Recorded Delivery:

1 LP (First Class Recorded Delivery with Standard Royal Mail Insurance) [Signed For] = £4 (OPTIONAL).

1 LP (Special Delivery with Standard £500 Maximum Insurance) [Signed For, Next Day] = £7 (OPTIONAL).

Posting & Packing: ALL EUROPE & SCANDINAVIA (NOT RUSSIA, see below) (Airmail Only):

1 LP (Small Packet Standard with Standard Royal Mail Insurance) = £5.

1 LP (Small Packet ‘Signed For’ with included Insurance to Item’s ‘Sold’ Value, £500* Maximum) = £9 (OPTIONAL).

Posting & Packing: RUSSIA (Recorded Only, if this is unacceptable, please do not bid):

1 LP (Small Packet ‘Signed For’ only £7) = £9 (OPTIONAL extra insurance as above).

Posting & Packing: ALL OVERSEAS (non-European) e.g. USA (any part); Australia; Canada; Japan and other Far East; (Airmail Only: I NEVER use Surface Mail):

1 LP (Small Packet Standard with Standard Royal Mail Insurance) = £8.

1 LP (Small Packet ‘Signed For’ with included Insurance to Item’s ‘Sold’ Value, £500* Maximum) = £13 (OPTIONAL).

* If Rules allow for that country.

PLEASE NOTE: I always get a Royal Mail ‘Proof-of-Posting’ receipt for ALL packets that are sent out and I am happy to prove this to any customer who wishes to see it via email.

Payment Conditions:

I prefer PayPal or cheque from UK winning bidders. I can accept PayPal from overseas bidders.

The customer can choose their method of shipping with the exception of second class or surface mail overseas – these I will NOT use. The winner bidder chooses his/her posting method and if uninsured is chosen, its their decision and they have to stick with it, I can accept no responsibility if an item is lost in the post. I can only try to claim at standard levels if no enhancement is chosen (£35).

Potential Bidders: Please do not bid if you have negative feedback unless checking first, I will cancel any bids I feel are timewasters. A maximum 3 days for communication and 7 days for payment to arrive - if not I will relist the item or offer to the runner-up. Fast deals get great feedback from me. Any questions - please ask and thanks for looking.

My Guarantee: If any winning bidder is not satisfied with their purchase I will offer a complete refund minus the Posting and All Ebay costs as long as the item detail has been read and understood. I will not refund if any defect detail is clearly stated on the advert and missed by the buyer. If any overseas collector does not understand anything in my listing, please email and ask me to help.

SOME GENERAL GUIDES TO WEAR AND CONDITIONS TO HELP YOU DECIDE

My Use of Description Terminology: Surface Marks = Superficial, usually light marks, hairlines or light scuffs that rarely sound. Scratch = a needle mark that goes below the record’s surface, some will sound, some will not, my play-grade will inform. Original = a record that has been pressed with the first label design which does NOT neccessarily mean a very first pressed record. First Pressing = A record that I believe or know to be a genuine very first pressed record. I do not claim to always know for sure, and that’s why I state the stamper and matrix numbers if at all possible, for those who claim to know what they all mean, the information is there for the collector to decide. I prefer to use terms like ‘Early Copy’ rather than ‘First Pressing’ if I am not totally sure. Surface Sound = Mild, light sound, usually light crackle or similar. Distortion = Break up of the actual sound caused by groove wear or damage from a chipped stylus – the most undesirable form of unwanted sound, vintage mono records were the most prone to this happening but not exclusively so. The symptoms of distortion are high frequency clipping, moderate constant crackle or an echo type sound quality. Violin, piano and vocals are most prone to groove-wear distortion. Feathering = Fraying or softening of the entry edge of a cover. Covers with feathered entrance edges are more likely to have had the actual record inserted and removed more than a non-feathered, sharp-edged cover which are always far more attractive. Set Off, actually a printer’s term for dark ink leaving mild residue on pale or white ink when rested upon. e.g. when a gatefold cover has black ink closed against white, this can leave some black residue on the pale area – this is mostly unavoidable or course.

The Argument for Vinyl Original sound and mix (mono mixes are rarely available on CD), high quality sound on clean copies (played on a hi-end dedicated analogue system – breathtaking sound!), beautiful, large format covers, artwork, inserts and even full size posters etc; huge investment potential, and the pleasure of owning ‘the real thing’.