PTARMIGAN s/t 1974 CANADA TRIPPY PSYCH ORIGINAL LP HEAR

$

134

WHAT WE HAVE HERE IS…

PTARMIGAN "Ptarmigan"

Original 1974 LP on the Canadian COLUMBIA label, STEREO ES 90257

COVER:  VG++, 1 corner crease, cutout hole

VINYL:  Light handling scuffs only, plays VG+ with light surface

The word “floaty” gets bandied about quite a bit in folk psych circles.  Things are generally considered “floaty” if they have breathy double-tracked vocals, lots of strumming acoustic guitars and very little in the way of rhythm.  Sitar helps too.  Ptarmigan’s self-titled album, however, redefines the term, or at least makes it seem like its scope should be narrowed down considerably.  Ptarmigan’s songs are literally “floaty” – they’re songs that seem to float, hover in mid-air, patient percussion-free affairs that take their time going in one place, hovering on gossamer wings of fluttering recorder and riding on upcurrents of droning, almost Zen-like acoustic guitar, often playing the same chord over and over.  If I made it sound boring, it ain’t – trancelike is more like it.  The droning “Go Dancing,” which opens the album, hovers for over 5 minutes without any bass guitar whatsoever, the “When Doves Cry” of the folk psych Seventies set, but it shimmers the whole time.  And it’s the shortest song here.

When the bass does kick in, somewhere around the 2-minute mark of second track “The Island,” a mesmerizing 9-minute trip across Bombay on a magic carpet, it adds some weight to the mystical grooves and a little bit of a snake charmer groove.  “The Island” is everything those hippies in the late Sixties tried to accomplish with their Eastern dabbling – dobro-like guitar, finger cymbals, Cobra recorder, chanting vocals, hand drums, and, above all, a patience and a lack of concern for the standard verse/chorus format that lends itself perfectly for extended bliss-outs like these.  When they sing “Reach out your hand to the sea and the sand,” it takes nearly 21 seconds.  “A maiden in saffron with jewel-studded eyes plays pipes to the sailors of ships passing by” sums it up perfectly.  It may say 1974 on the record label, but it could easily be 1969.  Or 200 BC for that matter. 

Side 2 stretches out even more – just two songs, “Night of the Gulls” and “Coquihalla”, 11 and 10 minutes respectively.  As such, they’re even more “floaty,” supremely patient Eastern head trips that spontaneously break into dizzying, spiraling little dances when you least expect ‘em.  Again, those skeptical of the release date should note that Ptarmigan’s 5 songs are trippier, freakier and more psychedelic than 90 percent of the stuff released in the Sixties.  And those of you going into this expecting “folk psych” (as its been described) along the likes of Melanie and Donovan, or “progressive rock” (as its also been described) along the lines of Starcastle or Marillion are going to be a little confused.  To put it simply, Ptarmigan is head music at its finest.  Patient, trancelike and yes, floaty, but it’ll get you there just the same.  And in this case, the journey’s all the fun.

HEAR IT!

UPDATE:  SORRY, I NO LONGER SHIP TO ITALY DUE TO A CORRUPT POSTAL SYSTEM (THERE, NOT HERE).

The less exciting stuff

Media mail shipping with delivery confirmation starts at $4.00 in the US, with each additional record only $1 additional shipping.  ALL DOMESTIC ORDERS REQUIRE DELIVERY CONFIRMATION, WHICH IS AN EXTRA 75 CENTS.  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.  ALL FOREIGN ORDERS REQUIRE CERTIFICATE OF SHIPMENT, WHICH IS AN EXTRA $1.10.  I accept payments through Paypal. 

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.   I DO NOW REQUIRE THAT ALL FOREIGN BUYERS PAY AN ADDITIONAL $1.10 FOR PROOF OF SHIPMENT.  IT'S A NOMINAL FEE AND THE CHEAPEST WAY FOR ME TO PROVE THAT I ACTUALLY SHIPPED YOUR PACKAGE AND DIDN'T JUST POCKET YOUR MONEY AND SKIP TOWN.  For more security and international tracking, you may request GLOBAL PRIORITY MAIL - but bear in mind the cost of this service is upwards of $30.  For expensive items, however, it may be well worth it.  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.