The Travel Agency - Sealed Mint 1968 Orig Psych Viva Records LP

$

34

This is a sealed original mint copy of only LP by the band Travel Agency, released in 1968 on Viva Records. 

 Information on this band is scarce, but from what I can tell, they released only this, their debut LP, along with a few singles. I guess they just got swept up in the massive amount of new acts making psychedelia in the late 60's, but I'm honestly surprised that they didn't make much of a splash. The production here is great, and there's a lot of interesting sounds from just about every band member.

Opener "What's A Man" starts off with a pleasant, if overlong intro of harmonium and organ, with wailing vocals spiraling around. As the drones fade out, a nice little riff comes in, kicking the album into gear. The surprisingly nimble bass and drums set up a shuffling backbeat for the remarkably versatile vocals, and the lyrics are a pleasant departure from flower-power, with such gems as "You can't imagine what i'm thinking/ We've got to fight them when they're small/ Or their disease will soon be spreading/ And then we'll never kill them all" popping up in a well-written anti-war monologue.

"Sorry You Were Born" is an uptempo number, with some nice harmonies on the bridge and some engaging guitar work. "Cadillac George" is a skronky, buzzing tune about some kind of asshole bigwig, and "Lonely Seabird" slows things down for an ethereal dirge that really showcases the singer's unique voice. .

"So Much Love" has some great harmonies, but it's a little bit uneventful, and ends up falling behind the rest of the album. "Make Love", however, is a (relatively) aggressive song, with great performances from everyone, especially in the rhythm section. "That's Good" is the longest song on the album, and a great song to boot. It starts with some joyful harmonies and snarky lyrics("life is SO happy") and blossoms into a stomping, organ-laden jam in the middle, vocals slowly fading to the end. "I'm Not Dead" is a great psych-pop song, with some peppy guitar work backing up still more fantastic harmonies and featuring both a key and tempo change. "She Understands" fades in with a swaying, yet driving bass and guitar interplay, yet again showcasing The Travel Agency's fantastic harmonies. "Come To Me" and "You Will Be There" aren't bad, but are the most unremarkable tracks on the album. Closer "Old Man" makes up for the preceding two songs, and sounds somewhat like the opener, but does enough on its own to be memorable.

The LP is sealed. The top corner at the spine is sharp and the lower corner is excellent but slightly crimped. There is slight wear at the lower corner at the mouth where shrink is opened slightly. The shrink is missing about 4 inches near the top of the cover near the mouth where there is an area of cover damage, as well as cut out hole in the same area. There is rub wear in the area at the top of the cover where the shrink is missing but no split. There is also some minor spot wear on the bottom seam in couple of areas where the shrink is very slightly open. There is a sticker with numeric information affixed to the shrink only at the top of front cover. The spine is clean and strong with title information clearly visible.

The LP is being sold without reserve and payment is expected within 3 days of auction close. Return of the LP will only be accepted if the item is still sealed

If you bid on and win more than one item shipping for multiple purchases will be adjusted. If you win more than one item do not pay until I have had the opportunity to issue new invoice to reflect the lower shipping cost. Shipping is $4 via media mail and includes tracking.

I only ship to Paypal confirmed addresses in the United States. Thanks for looking

Save me as a seller as I have over 140 sealed rare rock, blues and soul LPS that are being listed, and then thereafter over 200 open very clean MFSL and other audiophile LPS, over 200 promos, and ultimately will be selling almost 7000 LPS