RICK WAKEMAN (YES) CRIMINAL RECORD ULTRA-RARE ORIG '77 A&M TEST PRESSING LP

$

158

WE CURRENTLY HAVE  NEARLY 500  LISTED ITEMS

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·       RICK WAKEMAN – CRIMINAL RECORD – ORIGINAL 1977 A&M RECORDS STEREO LP SP-4660 (NO CATALOG NUMBER OR MATRIX NUMBER; THE ALBUM CAN BE IDENTIFIED BY THE HANDWRITTEN TRACKS ON THE LABELS)

·       ORIGINAL U.S. PRESSING

·       ULTRA-RARE TEST PRESSING

·        

·       WE NOTE THE FOLLOWING DISCREPANCY BETWEEN THE RELEASED ALBUM AND THIS TEST PRESSING: SIDE 2 OF THIS TEST PRESSING HAS FOUR "BANDS" AS OPPOSED TO THREE ON THE FINAL, RELEASED VERSION OF THE ALBUM; WE ARE NOT SURE IF THE FOURTH "BAND" WAS "MISBANDED" (INADVERTENTLY DETACHED FROM TRACK 3: 'JUDAS ISCARIOT') OR IF IT IS AN ENTIRELY SEPARATE, UNRELEASED FOURTH TRACK ON SIDE 2 (SEVENTH ON THE ALBUM); THE NUMBER OF THE "BANDS" ON THE RECORD (4) DOES NOT MATCH THE NUMBER OF HANDWRITTEN TRACKS ON THE LABEL (3): 

·       VERY RARE WEST COAST PRESSING (MONARCH PRESSING PLANT, LOS ANGELES)

·       PLAIN, WHITE, GENERIC A&M TEST PRESSING LABEL WITHOUT ANY IDENTIFICATION MARKS WHATSOEVER EXCEPT FOR THE TECHNICAL AND LEGAL DISCLOSURE

·       THIS TEST PRESSING COMES IN ITS GENERIC, PLAIN, WHITE COVER

·       THIS IS THE ORIGINAL, AUTHENTIC, FIRST U.S. PRESSING; THIS IS NOT A REISSUE, AN IMPORT, OR A COUNTERFEIT PRESSING.

·       FAIRLY THICK VINYL PRESSING On the scale from 1 to 10 (1 being the least, and  10 being the most severe), we assess the thickness of the vinyl as 7.

·       CLEAN, WEAR-FREE LABELS

·       PLEASE NOTE: THE MATRIX NUMBER IN THE TRAIL-OFF VINYL (DEAD WAX) OF THE RECORD IS CONSISTENT WITH THE ORIGINAL, FIRST, 1977 PRESSING OF THIS ALBUM; THIS IS NOT, REPEAT: NOT A TEST PRESSING OF ONE OF THE SUBSEQUENT REISSUES OR REMASTERS.

(►PLEASE SEE THE IMAGE OF THE COVER, LABEL OR BOTH, SHOWN BELOW)

(Note: this is a REAL image of the ACTUAL item you are bidding on. This is NOT a "recycled" image from our previous auction. What you see is what you'll get.  GUARANTEED!)

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 (►PLEASE SEE THE IMAGE OF THE COVER, LABEL OR BOTH, SHOWN BELOW)

(Note: this is a REAL image of the ACTUAL item you are bidding on. This is NOT a "recycled" image from our previous auction. What you see is what you'll get.  GUARANTEED!)

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Amazing !!! An unbelievable piece: What we have here is an unheard-of TEST PRESSING of this Progressive keyboard genius's 1977 recording..  While many test pressings often have alternate or demo- versions of known, later released songs, and while it is possible that this particular test pressing contains demo or alternate versions of some of the tracks,  we simply don't know, because the record is technically still sealed, and can't tell.

PLEASE NOTE: THIS TEST PRESSING APPARENTLY NEVER HAD A CUSTOM COVER;  THE ALBUM WILL BE SHIPPED IN A PLAIN, GENERIC [WHITE] CARDBOARD COVER. TEST PRESSINGS ARE RARELY – IF EVER – FOUND IN CUSTOM (STOCK) COVERS

***

Within the same year of re-joining Yes for 1977's Going for the One, Rick Wakeman released yet another solo instrumental concept album. Criminal Record, Wakeman's sixth album in five years, involves six tracks that instill Wakeman's keyboard wizardry to both fictional and historical accounts of punishment, villainy, and crime. With help from both Chris Squire and drummer Alan White, Wakeman managed to land the album within the U.K. Top 30 before the year's end, even though it fell well beyond the Top 100 on the U.S. album charts. Wakeman does a great job at sketching each theme with an appropriate dose of keyboard fire, with "Judas Iscariot" and "Crime of Passion" arising as two of the album's most potent tracks. Wakeman's employment of a Swiss Choir for "Judas" presents it with a wonderful pastoral feel, emphasizing the character's struggle between good and evil while toning different portions of the tracks with light and dark, as well as heavy and soft keyboard segments. Because there are only six cuts on the album, the concept in which Wakeman tackles never strays too far, and even in some of the less grandiose tracks like "Birdman of Alcatraz" or "Chamber of Horrors," there's a lingering sense of Wakeman's ideas hiding somewhere within his rock-infused keyboard styles. Although it may not be as musically dynamic or as instrumentally moving as his earlier concept pieces like Myths and Legends of King Arthur or Six Wives, he still manages to be both effective and entertaining throughout the length of the album, and, more importantly, his thematic intention is strongly held together without any vocal involvement.

 (EXCERPT FROM AN ONLINE REVIEW BY MIKE DEGAGNE, ALL MUSIC GUIDE  /ALLMUSIC.COM/)

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·                               CONDITION:

·                               RECORD

 (IMPORTANT NOTE: unless otherwise noted, ALL records are graded visually, and NOT play-graded!; we  grade records under the strong, diffuse room light or discrete sunlight)

(a)          WE GRADE THE VINYL AS STRONG VG++, just a notch below NEAR MINT. A few light abrasions (probably just sleeve scuffs inflicted in storage over the years) ARE VISIBLE, but they appear fairly  insignificant relative to the overall condition of the vinyl, and are only moderately visually distracting. For most part, the vinyl looks impeccable, without any MAJOR visual flaws or imperfections. Much of the original luster is intact, and the vinyl shines and sparkles almost like new.

(b)            The record is pressed on a RELATIVELY  thick, inflexible vinyl. This is NOT a thin, flimsy ('dynaflex' type),  vinyl, but not the thickest, most rigid vinyl, either.

(c)           Of course, this is a full-bodied ANALOG recording, and not an inferior, digital recording!!!

COVER : This reference pressing comes without any custom jacket, and will be shipped in its original plain, generic, white cardboard cover (NOT GRADED SEPARATELY, BUT IN A NICE CONDITION OVERALL)

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POSTAGE & SHIPPING:

We offer THREE postage rates for both Domestic and International Mail: Media Mail, Priority Mail and Express Mail for domestic, and First Class, Priority International Mail, and Express International Mail for international orders. INTERNATIONAL CUSTOMERS PLEASE NOTE: WE RECOMMEND that you pay for USPS International Priority Mail OR International Express mail when making a payment in order to obtain tracking information, which is NOT available for First Class International shipments.

INTERNATIONAL POSTAGE rates vary from country to country. For SPECIFIC international and domestic postage rates ►click here. While you can be rest assured that ►our packaging is careful, sturdy and impact-proof, please note that damage, loss or theft in transit is always possible, and in the case of some countries even PROBABLE. To discuss this potential problem and ensure flawless delivery, please contact us thru eBay BEFORE placing a bid.

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OUR REFUND POLICY :

WE OFFER UNCONDITIONAL MONEY-BACK GUARANTEE WITHIN 30 DAYS FROM THE RECEIPT OF THE MERCHANDISE, NO QUESTIONS ASKED (THE BUYER PAYS FOR THE RETURN POSTAGE); Still sealed items MUST be returned sealed in order to be eligible for a refund Some restrictions apply. Please read our complete refund policy before placing a bid. ►Click here  for the full text of our policy

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