ROB HOEKE Celsius 232.8 1968 ORIGINAL DUTCH R&B GARAGE

$

30

ROB HOEKE RHYTHM & BLUES GROUP "Celsius 232.8"

Original (maybe later reish?) 1968 LP on the Dutch PHILIPS label, STEREO XPY 855 087

COVER:  EXCELLENT shape, flipback cover (possible slightly later reish)

VINYL:  Plays VG++ to EXCELLENT

Like the Dutch Stones, Rob Hoeke’s R&B group hit you with a barrage of blues-based rockers right from the start on 1968’s Celsius 232.8 – named after the temperature at which Donald Trump’s hair finally melts.  They’re looser and rawer here than before, “Lying In The Grass” with “Purple Potatoes” and “Yellow Stone.”  You can tell they’re seeing colors they didn’t see one year earlier, because now they’re spiking their blues and boogie instrumentals with murky psychedelic Yardbirds-like chants, as on “Fahrenheit 451.”  And they’re getting uncharacteristically introspective, singing about “purple skies and scarlet seas, orchids, roses, birds and bees” on the downright flower powery “How High We Used To Go.”  But chemical enhancement does ‘em good, especially when they crank out a masterpiece of spooky freakbeat crunch like “(The Only Thing That Hasn’t Changed During The Times Is) The Rain Falling From Above,” whose title sounds like something off the Esperanto version of Forever Changes.  In the end, though, they wrap things up the way they started – with the blues – and the 5-minute album closer “Just Make Me A Pallet” (again with that pesky language barrier) proves that Rob Hoeke and crew are still the undisputed masters of Dutch blues jams, as they slither and crawl on their bellies through a slow burning guitar lovers’ dream.  They may sing about purple potatoes and yellow stones and scarlet seas, but in the end, the boys’ favorite colors are still the blues.

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.