ZAPPA/MOTHERS Grand Wazoo UK 72 Reprise N/M LP & Cover

	£		22
	$		29

ONEADAYRECORDS – Delivering Quality Music to the World.

Artist or Band: THE MOTHERS

Album Title: The Grand Wazoo.

Producer(s): Frank Zappa.

Track Listing:

Side 1: For Calvin (and his next two hitchhikers); Grand Wazoo.

Side 2: Cletus Awreetus-Awrightus; Eat That Question; Blessed Relief.

Label/Format: Reprise. (please see my label scan).

Label Conditions: Both as made with no spindle marks. Side two has manufacture crinkle around the rim at the 3 to 6 o’clock position.

Cat Number: K 44209.

Mode / Speed: Stereo / 33.3 rpm.

Weight of this Record: 120 grams. [These days, many modern Audiophile reissues are pressed on super-heavyweight 180 gram vinyl. Only a small percentage of ‘vintage vinyl’ was ever pressed this heavy. Records pressed in the 1960s averaged around 135 to 145 grams. Records pressed in the 1970s were usually lighter and averaged more around 115 – 125 grams. Some records pressed around 1973 were very thin and light due an oil crisis and shortage around this time. Some records were even issued on recycled vinyl from this period and sounded poor with crackle and surface noise evident from the very first play. If any record I buy is deemed ‘recycled’, I will never offer it, I have a very simple test to detect these records if I suspect this to be the case other than audible imperfection. Some records from this period were even pressed on other materials the most notable was ‘Dynaflex’, used by RCA around this time. Although inferior to vinyl, this at least mostly sounded reasonably acceptable but pressings on this material were wafer thin and flimsy. Beyond the 70s, many records often became thinner and lighter still but most played fine but were never quite the quality as from the ‘Golden Era’]. (This was based on ‘average’ weights for 50 records from these eras.

Country of Manufacture: England.

Rarity: Moderate+, although not strictly commercial, this sold slightly better than would have been predicted, the stunning artwork would have probably helped sales. This is a slightly later pressing but plays with pristine sound from two immaculate playing surfaces.

Original Year of Release: December 1972

Matrix Nos: K 44209 A1 / K44209 B1

Run-Out Groove Etchings: ‘RAYS + KIPS’ on side two.

Brief Artist & Album Info: Long overdue for offering another Zappa album, and this is one of his very best. Certainly one of the most inspired albums he produced in the early 70s. This carries on the ideas on Waka/Jawaka and extends them much further with a big band of session musicians and a few of the remaining Mothers of Invention. This is a predominately instrumental set and includes some stunning solos and virtuosity. The Grand Wazoo must have surprised those who thought Zappa had gone down the road of bawdiness – this proved yet again the unpredictable nature of his albums and that was just one reason why his music was so fascinating. This is a superb set, one of my personal favourites from his amazing catalogue. This is big band jazz-rock, often dubbed as ‘Art Rock’, few albums I have heard sound quite like it. Highly rhythmical, with Aynsley Dunbar on drums, George Duke on keyboards and featuring a great Moog solo by Don Preston. An album including 22 musicians including Frank, this is superbly produced by the man himself and this copy plays beautifully. A joy from start to finish and this monumental set was a stepping stone to his later complex instrumental works. The cover is astonishing, featuring stunning artwork from Cal Schenkel, this would have helped sell a few albums for those curious buyers at the time. This is one all collectors will want near perfect and this will not disappoint, the slightly later example has the semi-gloss varnished surface that almost gives the effect of laminate and brings out the details and colour even better than the full matt format. The record looks as new and plays beautifully with vast amounts of detail. For those who found a vocal Zappa a little too extreme at this time, this classic mainly instrumental set is well worth checking out – I guarantee, few will be disappointed – this is kind’a like jazz, but not as we know it.

This Cover’s Potential for Wear: High.

Cover Grade and Format: One small bottom edge rub short of Mint. A gatefold format, unlaminated but with a superb varnished front and back. The inside is matt. Printed in England by Gothic Print Finishers, the earliest matt versions were printed by Howards. An astonishing sleeve and now looking almost de luxe, for me one of the best ever, with stunning artwork by Carl Schenkel and this is a splendid example with barely any traces of wear. This example will please my ever-expanding customer-base of Zappa collectors.

Cover Front: Contender for the most attractive I have ever seen, this cannot be faulted in any way. The varnish line ends a fraction short of full width on the opening edge, just like laminate usually does.

Cover Back: Similar to the front with just the odd microscopic surface blemish or tiny crease when scrutinised closely. Always nice to see devoid of ringwear and grubbiness, this again raises the bar high.

Cover Inner Gatefold: Supreme condition again with nothing to fault. All the musicians are pictured with instrument details and the text describes the ‘Legend of Cleetus Awreetus’.

Top Edges: Unworn.

Bottom Edges: Light surface rub on the back towards the right.

Right Edge(s), and Type: Clean, sharp with no wear or feathering. Record entered on right outside back edge.

Spine and Text: A complex graphic spine that is solid, very straight, uncompressed and dead square, both right edges meeting up very closely together and parallel. This is in superb condition with no wear and up there with the very best ‘Wazoo’ spines seen (and I’ve had a few). All text and artwork near perfect and unworn and this is truly exceptional.

Corners: Very light tip rubs bottom right, the rest almost as made and retaining superb neat shape.

Cover Summary: The amazing artwork is as complex as the music enclosed and will rarely be found as good as this, a truly beautiful example, it should please all collectors. The original unlined inner is included also and is near mint.

Vinyl Condition/Visual Grading: Tempted to grade this stunning record full Mint, it really could pass as new and it looked possibly unplayed until my sound-check. An amazing visual copy that is super clean, shiny, intense black and solidly pressed. Both playing surfaces are unmarked and I actually wonder if this had ever been removed from its inner or seen light-of-day. It should please all collectors again.

Album Played For Grading: Yes. [I play ALL records I offer before submitting to Ebay, also the record is played in its entirety unless clearly stated otherwise. I do NOT play snippetts or joining grooves to check for sound quality and quietness – I play from the beginning to end via clinically revealing B&W speakers that include the legendary tweeter from their awesome Nautilus range that reveals every blemish or miniscule sound present on any record.]

Sound Quality and Audio Grading: This super record plays up to its high visual grading with nothing to fault. Strong, distortion-free sound, all frequencies are sharp and clear - sound quality is astonishing with a massive dynamic range and very detailed sound. Devoid of surface sounds and no pops or clicks were noted and few copies will even match this for pristine sound. Detail from the big band, the sheer power and realism on any quality system will impress even the most demanding listener and this record gives a commanding display. This is analogue and vinyl close to its very best. Zappa proves again he is the master musician, and his backing musicians excel on this massive issue. This set has clearly been carefully stored and probably little handled (if indeed at all), almost certainly in a non-smoking environment. Nothing spoilt my pleasure when play-grading this Zappa classic. This copy will prove nigh-on impossible to find better and unreservedly recommended.

Now one of the most established sellers on Ebay and still offering the finest and most accurately described and graded records I can find. I pride myself on offering a variety of genres to keep my site as interesting as possible. I will rarely offer any record that falls below a true Excellent grading, unless its of a certain rarity which will justify offering a lesser grade. I try, to the best of my ability to describe as accurately and as honesty as I can all items I offer for sale with all the relevant information I can think of to help any potential bidder and collector. You may notice I only submit records sparingly on Ebay - on average ONEADAY, a couple more at weekends if time permits, hence the name - time rarely allows for more as I Play-Grade virtually every record I offer in their entirety, not just bits to guess a grade - visuals alone do not always tell a true or full story. I will mention any defects or flaws no matter how small that I notice to be fair as possible to any interested collector – I am very fussy and my buyers have the right to be too. Every record I offer, whether it be a common or rare item deserves the same respect as far as I am concerned and will be treated the same - just because an item is rare does not always mean its good. I get just as much pleasure offering a relatively common record in stunning near mint condition as the real rare items. All the pictures I use for your guidance are taken with a digital camera or scanned - they are NOT improved, cleaned-up or made better looking than they are with camera trickery or enhancing with digital programmes. What you see is what you get and scanned labels will give a more accurate representation of the genuine colour than flash photography where light is variable. I cannot guarantee total accuracy for colours however but most will be very close. If any picture I take looks more flattering than the actual item for any reason, I will clearly state the fact in the advert and vice-versa. I hope the item below is to your liking - any questions can be emailed and I will do my very best to answer you. I am enthusiastic, and have a fair degree of knowledge about many genres and I promise quality items - bid with confidence - excellence comes as standard and so does Near Mint regularly. Please assume all records I offer have NO jumps, sticks, warps or writing on covers or labels unless clearly stated to the contrary. Thanks for your interest and Good luck – MIKE.

Deck: Linn LP12 with Ittok Mk IV arm and Ortofon Samba Moving Coil cartridge (tracks at 1.8 grams). Amps: Naim Nait 5i with Project USB phono stage and Chord interconnects. Speakers: B&W 704 Floorstanding 3-way Monitors (bi-wired). All records I offer on Ebay are cleaned on a professional Moth vacuum machine before play-grading for the cleanest and best possible sound and will include a brand new lined inner and protective cover too.

First-time, zero-rated bidders, who do not ask permission to bid, will be cancelled immediately and blocked – NO exceptions. For winning bidders who I consider excessively slow to make contact or submit payment, I will use my right to block future bids. If any bidder who wins in the final seconds is present to do so, surely they can at least email me to inform of intention and payment method? If swift or promp payment is a problem, please do not bid.

POSTING & PACKING: What You Get: To confirm to the strict Ebay rules on shipping, I must now send ALL my packets out ‘Signed-For’ with NO exceptions. Both buyers and sellers want their packets to have a safer journey and this is no bad thing. Also: any item with a value over £40 will have to be insured as well, but for any item that sells for over £150, I will pay the extra insurance (then the lower shipping price applies).

I now offer the fastest possible posting, mostly the very next day after payment is received or within three days maximum (unless on holiday). All records are posted in professional boxes (NOT mailers) with the record(s) REMOVED from their main cover to avoid edge splits and placed within a brand new polylined inner. The record’s original inner will be included if available. The boxes are then reinforced with TWO VERY THICK stiffners for even extra protection – these are FOUR TIMES thicker than commercial stiffners and are custom-made for oneadayrecords. Really rare and expensive albums will be Double Boxed. The cover will be placed within a BRAND NEW heavy duty soft protective sleeve and the actual record will be professionally cleaned on my Moth Pro vacuum system to give ultimate clean grooves and playing surfaces and the best possible looks and ultimate sound quality. Printed address labels are used for clarity as well as a sender label. You will NOT get tired, dull looking, dust infested records inside worn and foggy covers with tatty inners from this seller and that’s a promise and guarantee. Customers requests or special needs for P&P will be respected if at all possible but ‘Signed-For’ posting is NOT an option anymore. I do not profit on posting and offer probably the best-value and safest shipping possible. I will invoice any winning bidder as soon as possible after the auction ends. My ‘loss’ or ‘damage rate’ is less than 0.1 per percent based on over 4,000+ items sold in over 8 years of Ebay trading and I consider that pretty exceptional. I discount of course of multiple purchases with a maximum of FOUR records per packet. I will not respond to questions on shipping costs as all the details are included in the advert.

NOTE: First Time Bidders: I will cancel ALL first-time bidders with no feedbacks or excessive negatives who do not ask me if its OK to bid first – NO EXCEPTIONS.

Please Note: I will now offer any item to the runner-up after the mandatory Ebay 3 days if no contact is made by the winning bidder unless prior notice of any delay is given beforehand. The same applies if no payment is received within the mandatory 7 days so any bidder who has just lost out can still email me to reserve the item as priority second chance – it’s always worth asking.

SHIPPING COSTS & CONDITIONS – THESE comply with EBAY’S RULES - PLEASE READ CAREFULLY:

Posting & Packing: UK & CHANNEL ISLANDS all now sent via Recorded Delivery:

1 LP (First Class Recorded Delivery with Standard Royal Mail Insurance) [Signed For] = £4. (Only for items under £40)

1 LP (Special Delivery with Standard £500 Maximum Insurance) [Signed For, Next Day] = £7 (Compulsory for items over £40).

Posting & Packing: ALL EUROPE & SCANDINAVIA including RUSSIA and nearby countries. (Airmail Only):

1 LP, value less than £40 (Small Packet ‘Signed For’ with Standard Royal Mail Insurance [£39 maximum]) = £8.

1 LP, value greater than £40 (Small Packet ‘Signed For’ with Insurance to Item’s ‘Sold’ Value, [£500 Maximum]) = £11.

Posting & Packing: ALL OVERSEAS (non-European) e.g. USA (any part); Australia; Canada; Japan and other Far East; (Airmail Only: I NEVER use Surface Mail):

1 LP, value less than £40 (Small Packet ‘Signed For’ with Standard Royal Mail Insurance [£39 maximum]) = £12.

1 LP, value greater than £40 (Small Packet ‘Signed For’ with included Insurance to Item’s ‘Sold’ Value, £500 Maximum) = £15.

For items that sell over £150, I will pay the insurance, so the lower shipping price will apply.

Payment Conditions:

I prefer PayPal or cheque from UK winning bidders. I can accept PayPal from overseas bidders or direct payment into my bank account.

Potential Bidders: Please do not bid if you have negative feedback unless checking first, I will cancel any bids I feel are timewasters. A maximum 3 days for communication and 7 days for payment to arrive - if not I will relist the item or offer to the runner-up. Fast deals get great feedback from me. Any questions - please ask and thanks for looking.

My Guarantee: If any winning bidder is not satisfied with their purchase I will offer a complete refund minus the Posting and All Ebay costs as long as the item detail has been read and understood. I will not refund if any defect detail is clearly stated on the advert and missed by the buyer. If any overseas collector does not understand anything in my listing, please email and ask me to help.

SOME GENERAL GUIDES TO WEAR AND CONDITIONS TO HELP YOU DECIDE

My Use of Description Terminology: Surface Marks = Superficial, usually light marks, hairlines or light scuffs that rarely sound. Scratch = a needle mark that goes below the record’s surface, some will sound, some will not, my play-grade will inform. Original = a record that has been pressed with the first label design which does NOT neccessarily mean a very first pressed record. First Pressing = A record that I believe or know to be a genuine very first pressed record. I do not claim to always know for sure, and that’s why I state the stamper and matrix numbers if at all possible, for those who claim to know what they all mean, the information is there for the collector to decide. I prefer to use terms like ‘Early Copy’ rather than ‘First Pressing’ if I am not totally sure. Surface Sound = Mild, light sound, usually light crackle or similar. Distortion = Break up of the actual sound caused by groove wear or damage from a chipped stylus – the most undesirable form of unwanted sound, vintage mono records were the most prone to this happening but not exclusively so. The symptoms of distortion are high frequency clipping, moderate constant crackle or an echo type sound quality. Violin, piano and vocals are most prone to groove-wear distortion. Feathering = Fraying or softening of the entry edge of a cover. Covers with feathered entrance edges are more likely to have had the actual record inserted and removed more than a non-feathered, sharp-edged cover which are always far more attractive. Set Off, actually a printer’s term for dark ink leaving mild residue on pale or white ink when rested upon. e.g. when a gatefold cover has black ink closed against white, this can leave some black residue on the pale area – this is mostly unavoidable or course.

The Argument for Vinyl Original sound and mix (mono mixes are rarely available on CD), high quality sound on clean copies (played on a hi-end dedicated analogue system – breathtaking sound!), beautiful, large format covers, artwork, inserts and even full size posters etc; huge investment potential, and the pleasure of owning ‘the real thing’.