YES Relayer 1974 UK ATLANTIC 1st PRESS A1/B1 MINT
  £   117
  $   155

 


£ 117 Sold For
Jun 1, 2012 Sold Date
May 22, 2012 Start Date
£   22 Start price
9   Number Of Bids
  Great Britain Country Of Seller
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Description

YES Relayer 1974 UK ATLANTIC 1st PRESS A1/B1 MINT

YES
Relayer

UK ATLANTIC (K 50096) FIRST PRESSING (November 1974) OF YES' SUPERB AND VASTLY UNDERRATED "Relayer" LP
THEIR LAST GREAT PIECE OF WORK AND AN OUTSTANDING PROG/JAZZ MASTERPIECE
IN EXCEPTIONAL CONDITION - THIS COPY HAS HARDLY BEEN PLAYED (possibly just once) AND IT DELIVERS SENSATIONAL AUDIO THROUGHOUT WITH NOTHING TO FAULT

PRESSED ON HEAVYWEIGHT VINYL WITH THE FIRST ISSUE CUSTOM DESIGN (ROGER DEAN) PICTURE LABELS
FIRST UK PRESS MATRIX: K 50096 A1 (etched "BILBO!") / K 50096 B1 (etched "BILBO") - it is very unusual to find a first pressing cut/mastered by Denis Blackham (Bilbo) as virtually ever other copy I have seen has been mastered by George Peckham with his moniker "Pecko" etched in the run-off
THE RECORD IS HOUSED IN THE ORIGINAL GATEFOLD SLEEVE WITH FACTORY SEALED LEFT SIDE EDGE AGAIN, DESIGNED BY ROGER DEAN AND PRINTED IN ENGLAND BY "Shorewood Packaging Ltd."
COMPLETE WITH THE ORIGINAL (FIRST ISSUE) THICK GREY CARD TEXTURED LYRIC INNER SLEEVE WITH A SMOOTH WHITE INNER COATING

After the ambitious double-concept album Tales from Topographic Oceans, Rick Wakeman left Yes to resume his solo career.
The band auditioned several prospective replacements, the closest contender being the Greek keyboardist Vangelis. He did not become a member of Yes, but these auditions paved the way for several future collaborations between Vangelis and Jon Anderson. The band finally chose Swiss-born Patrick Moraz as a replacement while this album was well into production.
The album title comes from the lyrics of 'The Remembering' from 'Tales from Topographic Oceans'
Relayer has the same song format as Close to the Edge—a long epic on the first side, and two nine-minute pieces on the second—but employs a radically different musical style.
"The Gates of Delirium" is a dense, 22-minute piece that was inspired by Leo Tolstoy's War and Peace and features lengthy improvisations by each member of the band, sometimes clashing intentionally with one another. Featuring lyrics about the futility of war, it remains one of the most musically aggressive songs ever produced by the band. The final section, in which the drive of the previous sixteen minutes is suddenly replaced by a gentle melody and a lyrical prayer for peace, was released as a U.S. single under the title "Soon" in early 1975. "Sound Chaser" is a jazzy, mostly instrumental piece that echoes King Crimson. "To Be Over" is the gentlest piece on the album, and features complex, melodic arrangements of guitar and electric sitar.
The critical reaction to Relayer, coming after a predecessor that many critics felt was pretentious and long-winded, was mixed. However, it was still a commercial success, with many observers later considering it vastly underrated. No doubt, many were surprised at the sudden departure in terms of sound which Yes had made on this disc.
The atmosphere and sonic quality are very different from Close To The Edge or most of Tales From Topographic Oceans (the one track on that album which could be said to point towards Relayer is The Ancient with its free-form, spinning rhythms, Arabic-tinged percussion and its frantic, dramatic guitar work.)
The vocals on Relayer are more dramatic, emotionally charged with aggression, and the guitar has stepped up to the front (in consequence of Wakeman's sudden departure), with a new hard edge.

Side 1: THE GATED OF DELIRIUM
Side 2: SOUND CHASER / TO BE OVER

LABELS: MINT-
The Roger Dean labels are clean, fresh and unmarked with just one light spindle trace on one side, none on the other
VINYL Visual: MINT-
The vinyl surfaces retains their original deep, like new glossy sheen and are practically unmarked - just a tiny superficial 'thumbnail' mark on the edge of Side Two - of no audio consequence
VINYL Audio: MINT
Outstanding audio delivery throughout - crystal clear, deep, rich, very sharp and extremely strong.
The soundscapes Yes create on this work are absolutely stunning and the complex prog/jazz structures (especially on "Sound Chaser") outshine all of their previous work in scope and ambition.
My play-check at loud volume revealed no audio issues of note - no scratches, no clicks/pops and no surface noise - the whole set plays beautifully from start to finish
SLEEVE: MINT-
The original matt gatefold cover is clean, bright and fresh. The edges and spine are crisp and sharp and all text on the wide spine is clear and bold (although it's hard to read as it's printed in white) - lovely example
INNNER SLEEVE: MINT
The textured, thick card lyric inner is also in superb condition - clean, crisp and square with no marks, no wear and no splits

A PROTECTIVE POLY SLEEVE, NEW INNER SLEEVE WITH ANTI-STATIC LINER, QUALITY BOX (NOT ENVELOPE) MAILER AND AMPLE STIFFENERS ARE ALWAYS USED TO ENSURE THAT YOUR RECORD ARRIVES SAFELY
POST & PACKING:
UK: 1st Class: £4.50 (recorded delivery)
EUROPE: Airmail: £7.00 or £12.00 (International Signed For delivery)
INTERNATIONAL: Airmail: £12.00 or £17.00 (International Signed For delivery)
***Any record (or combination of records) which sells for more than £40 must be sent by a trackable method ie INTERNATIONAL SIGNED FOR outside of the UK (please wait for invoice)
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