SKIN ALLEY - 1st Press CBS 1969 laminated sleeve NM Prog Monster Rarity Vertigo

	£		91
	$		121

SKIN ALLEY

  CBS

 S 63847

1st NL Press 1969

DISCOGS.COM

Notes

Barcode and Other Identifiers

• Matrix / Runout (Runout etched A side): S - 63847 . 1
• Matrix / Runout (Runout etched B side): S . 63847 - 2
• Rights Society: GEMA
• Rights Society: BIEM

It takes just one listen to Skin Alley's eponymous 1969 debut album to explain the band's popularity in Britain's underground college and club scenes. Here was a group who refused to play by the rules, a band whose diverse musical influences were given free rein, but who beautifully stitched together their eclectic stylings into a sound quite uniquely their own. Like most British acts of the day, Skin Alley were beholden to the blues, and the band paid off part of the debt with the barrelling "(Going Down The) Highway." But as passages in that song made just as clear, the group were equally enthralled by experimental jazz, a style that would be explored more intimately on the atmospheric stunner of the track "All Alone." That conjured up smoky torch clubs, while jazz of a more exhilarating mode is given its due on the equally excellent "Marsha," which slips happily in and out of R&B as well. The set opener, "Living in Sin" is a breezy piece of British blues/psych, but given an intriguing twist of the Middle East. It had all the makings of a single, but instead it was the more downbeat "Tell Me" that was chosen, albeit not in its original portentous album form, but in a jazzed-up version along with it's B-side "Better Be Blind." But Alley's influences did certainly not end in America, they were equally inspired by their own musical heritage, as the medieval tinged "Country Aire" illustrates. Folk is pulled into the psych/prog world on the equally single worthy "Night Time," then enters the arenas with the ballad-cum-haunting show-stopper "Mother, Please Help Your Child." All told Skin Alley was a stunning debut with tinges reminding of the Floyd, Group 1850, Tonton Macoute and the Pretty Things, with excellent production by ex-Pretty Things guitarist Dick Taylor.

So, so hard to find, Skin Alley's debut classic album and here it is where it all came together from start to finish!! Splendid prog/psych album in great condition!! This is grandeur from the first note till the very last. I am very happy to be able to present this fantastic and ULTRA rare album. This will be a great first acquisition and a top copy for the discerning prog collector!!This is the very scarce Dutch press of the album. The first originals on CBS only came as a UK and an NL press as documented through discogs.com

 IT WILL BE A LONG TIME BEFORE THIS TURNS UP AGAIN IN THIS SPLENDID CONDITION WITH AGAIN MORE TAKERS THAN EVER BEFORE. THIS IS AN EXCELLENT INVESTMENT PIECE.

I AM OFFERING ANOTHER HIGHLY SOUGHT AFTER PROG / PSYCH ROCK VINYL LP RARITY FROM MY COLLECTION OF SIMILAR ITEMS !! A FANTASTIC ALBUM BY SKIN ALLEY,  STUPENDOUSLY CREATIVE MUSICIANSHIP . A MUST FOR ANY PROG COLLECTOR.

Vinyl: NM.  Looks untouched and barely played at all!! The audio is fantastic and this vinyl sounds out of this world, a majestic album that went largely unnoticed with poor distribution. This one was stamped as a sample copy on the label (MUSTER OHNE WERT) in Germany as the Dutch press would also be sold in Germany as no German press exists. The audio has beautiful separation and there is barely ever any background noise. I played this in full and thoroughly enjoyed it. There are no marks or hairlines. This vinyl looks mint and has mirror like glossy surfaces with a high sheen.. Played in full on my Linn Sondek/ Rotel/B&W set-up. Needless to say NO jumps, sticks, clicks or ticks. The audio of this recording is simply outstanding and will be an upgrade to any collector. Wow!!

  Sleeve: EX. Beautiful laminated sleeve with the Banksy-esque front picture  without any damage at all. This ultra thin stunning sleeve has been well protected all those years, coming up to 50 years now, by a caring meticulous prog collector. The edges are fantastic without any wear at all. Totally impossible and I have never seen this beautiful condition before for this sleeve.  The spine is 100% legible.  The opening is super crisp. This is most definitely an upgrade for all prog collectors. NO writing, NO splits, NO tears etc. The pictures tell all.

This is a unique investment opportunity!!! The next prog album to go completely through the roof. The chance of finding this album in any condition at all is negligible so late in the day. Finding it in this splendid condition will prove nearly impossible!! Get this while you still can. This value of the album is only going to go one way ... up and up ... until it will be totally unavailable at all for a reasonable price.

Important : International postage will be registered and insured if over GBP 20.00.  Please wait for my invoice before paying. Postage will be according to Royal Mail rates. Postage is NOT a money spinning exercise for me.

Though there are rarely ever any problems with my items, I always try my very best to describe everything exactly!  PLEASE REMEMBER to contact me FIRST,  if you have any problems at all, before you leave feedback and star ratings, so I get a chance to turn any negative experience into a positive one!  I can always happily sort anything out for you, if you let me know you have a problem!  This way no one has to leave Negative/Neutral feedback - and we both walk away happy! Similarly with the amount of stars, anything less than a full 5 * rating is effectively detrimental to a seller's rating as lower ratings will incur higher Final Value Fees  and lower priority in the bidlists eventually making it unattractive to list items on Ebay at all. I know of at least one major previous Ebay seller who has decided not to list via Ebay again. Please do NOT bid if you cannot give me at least 1 chance to sort everything out to your FULL satisfaction in the unlikely event of a problem.  Thanks again!!

This an excellent investment opportunity!!! Any questions please ask me and I will try to answer soon.