PETE DELLO & FRIENDS - INTO YOUR EARS/NEPENTHA UK 1971
£
345
$
457
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Description
Pete Dello & Friends – Into Your Ears – Nepentha 6437001
For auction is without doubt one of the rarest pop-psych/singer songwriter albums released in the UK. Issued in 1971 on the tiny Vertigo-offshoot label Nepentha, this is the original first pressing, which sold next to none on release and was soon deleted.
Unfortunately, it has come to a point where I can no longer afford to have this beautiful LP sitting on my shelf any longer. I have added a modest reserve but please be aware – this rarely ever appears on the market and not in this amazingly preserved condition.
Condition
Cover - VG
The photo doesn't really do justice to the cover with over-exposure of any markings. As is common with this specific un-laminated record sleeve, there is some fading in an inverse 'L' shape on the front. All edges are intact other than a few small storage grazes on the spine and lower edge. The rear of the sleeve has some ringwear at the base. The Roger Dean drawings are still rich and colourful as ever.
Vinyl - EX
I did a full playback of the LP yesterday to give the clearest indication of quality. I have been very conservative as I know opinions differ wildly on this subject. Overall there is no deterioration in sound, as amazingly clear as if it were pressed yesterday. Visually there is one small scuff (not scratch) on the A side, the B side is pristine. This doesn’t detract from the fact that the sound is absolutely crystal clear and the vinyl is generally untouched and lustrous and sounds even better than the Repertoire CD re-issue!
Labels – NM
Clean, bright, un-faded, paper labels with the tiniest 'snail-trail' needle wear. Near perfect.
Postage and payment
The LP will be sent extremely well-packaged to withstand any eventualities.
UK – Insured, signed-for delivery £4.00
Europe – Insured delivery £13.00
R.O.W. – Insured delivery £15.00
For my protection and yours, I only accept Paypal payments.
More information
The '60s spawned so many psychedelic bands that the reissue has become its own genre. Audiophiles flock to conventions worldwide to pay exorbitant amounts of money for obscurities that your average music fan would recoil at. This passion has unearthed horrible artifacts, intriguing oddities, and the occasional gem. After tasting success in 1968 with the single "I Can't Let Maggie Go," Honeybus founder Pete Dello left the band after only one album to pursue a more settled lifestyle. His distaste for the rigors of touring left him with a surplus of un-recorded material that would eventually steer him back into the studio to record his first and only solo record. Into Your Ears features 14 songs, each under three-and-a-half minutes long, that prosper through a winning combination of goofy psychedelia and Beatlesque beauty. The sweet melodies and gentle harmonies of "It's What You've Got" and "Taking The Heart Out Of Love" are timeless, devoid of irony, and begging for placement in a Wes Anderson film. "Do I Still Figure In Your Life," which has since been covered by the likes of Joe Cocker, conveys the same irresistible form of melancholy that permeates a great Randy Newman or Harry Nilsson recording, and more than makes up for the wince-inducing "Uptight Basil" and "Harry The Earwig (the latter inspired the horrific Roger Dean cover art). Dello's voice is sweet and clear, with only a tinge of the British folk throatiness that ruled the era. The songs, while never complex, benefit from strategically placed string arrangements that rarely disappoint, and crisp production as exemplified on the set closer "Arise Sir Henry." Also included are the Magic Valley versions of "Taking The Heart Out Of Love" and "Uptight Basil," which differ only in sound quality (poorer) from the album renditions, and provide collector's with the definitive edition of this highly sought after (almost) masterpiece. ~ James Christopher Monger, All Music Guide
