AMON DUUL II Phallus Dei VERY RARE ORIG 1969 UK TEST PRESS with UNIQUE UK COVER.

	£		275
	$		364

ONEADAYRECORDS – Simply Delivering Quality Music to the World in Quality, Safe Packing.

Postage: UK £4.75 (£1 per extra record). Europe (including Russia) £12.50 (£2 per extra record). Rest of World (including ALL parts of the USA) £16.50 (£3 per extra record). All boxes signed for in quality, safe packaging – I NEVER use mailing envelopes that offer virtually no protection at all – in fact I think these things should be banned as records WILL arrive damaged in them at some time. Here, you get what you pay for – SAFE PACKING in BOXES using 7mm DOUBLE-WALL STIFFENERS. Full details nearer the end of the listing.

Posting to Russia: Yes, I do post to Russia. But delivery can take up to 4 to 6 weeks from the UK. So please be patient. I will submit a tracking number to the winning bidder, and when the packet arrives there it can be followed online using the Russian post website.

ALSO: I now apply the Ebay ‘2-day’ rule for non-payment to keep things moving – cash-flow is important for any small business. I will always keep my P&P prices as low as possible, and even after yet another Royal Mail price hike from April this year, I have NOT raised my prices and will never compromise on solid, safe packing that is invariably heavier than most you will get. My P&P offers probably the best value-for-money for vinyl records available, and I even will pay for full insurance on any record that sells for over £100 at NO extra cost – that is UK and abroad. Also I aim to post the very same day after payment is received. You WILL see the difference when my packet arrives.

FINALLY: Late payers, non-payers and ‘0’ bidders will now be blocked or cancelled at my discretion. As will any bidder who cancels a bid. I do not like this practice as it is most often used to phish out the price to beat. Ebay does not approve and neither do I – so only bid on my items if you want them.

Artist or Band: AMON DÜÜL II

Album Title: Phallus Dei

Producer(s): Olaf Kübler

TRACK LIST:

Side 1: Kanaan; Dem Guten, Schönen, Wahren; Luzifers Ghilom; Henriette Krötenschwanz.

Side 2: Phallus Dei.

Label/Format: Liberty – this a white label Test Pressing – it would have been on the original Liberty blue format. This white test pair have matt, smooth surfaces.

Label Conditions: No writing or identification, clean with mild dulling seen under light. Spindle marks on the lighter side of moderate, reasonably fine and inconspicuous with normal viewing.

Cat Number: LBS 83279

Mode / Speed: Stereo / 33.3 rpm.

Warps: Assume all records I offer have no warping of any significance and all tracking is easy and effortless and should play on all turntables and even ‘budget’ decks.

Weight of this Record: 119 grams. A little below average for the era.

Country of Manufacture: England

A Special Note About This Record and its Rarity: The Holy Grail for many Krautrock collectors. This debut on the blue label is a significant rarity with only a small, limited run made on this label before being repressed on the budget Sunset label. Rarely seen or offered, this album has now almost reached legendary status within the German rock genre. Few would have even noticed its issue. Purchased by a small number of certain types at the time, few were hi-fi enthusaists, but substance-loving music addicts who enjoyed the latest Freak-Out style music to blow their minds too. This is an ultimate first-made example with the earliest mother and stamper codes (seen below), a pre-production Test Pressing that would have soon to have included the Liberty Blue labels. Most examples were ‘tested’ and discarded or destroyed, those that survive often badly scratched or mistreated. This one is in very impressive condition and plays beautifully with that super-detail and audio quality intact - in this form, a major rarity and clearly, even rarer than a standard first shop issue. The inclusion of the cover is a major plus, many Test Pressings fail to have a cover at all. This being significant as the cover as a UK original is unique and also rare. Finding one to add to a Test Pressing without a record unlikely. So along with the Hawkwind debut Test Pressing I am also offering, this is one of the rarest albums I have potentially offered to date.

Original Year of Release: 1969

Matrix Nos: LBS 83279 A//1 420 1 1 1 & LBS 83279 B//1 420 1 1 1 [ultimate first details, rarely seen on commercially available copies]

Musicians: Dieter Serfas - drums, electric cymbals; Peter Leopold - drums; Shrat - bongos, vocals, violin; Renate Knaup - vocals, tambourine; John Weinierl - guitar, 12-strong bass; Chris Karrer - violin, guitar, 12-string guitar, soprano saxophone, vocals; Falk Rogner - organ; Dave Anderson - bass Guests: Holger Trulzsch - Turkish drums; Christian Borchard - vibraphone.

So What is Krautrock and its Rarity?: ‘Krautrock’ was an affectionate term given to a new wave of young German bands in the late 1960s and early 1970s. Before the emergence of these pioneering experimental rock and electronic artists, the German music scene was a real mess of sugary pop music. Out of this fog of a musical mire, a very new sound emerged as radical and as daring as anything ever heard. Whereas in the UK, rock music was very much blues or psych-based, but these young long-haired, pioneering German musicians played music that was very different. They opened new musical horizons and boundaries into the use of sound as entertainment. Several were classically trained musicians – some could barely play a traditional instrument as all. Some to out-there and experimental, many were into avant garde territory, but this German underground scene was admired by many and loved by a small number of record buyers of the time. The sounds they created were often challenging and difficult, but unique and were highly influential for the development of music. Some used conventional instruments, some delved into electronics and some used unconventional devices to form sound. A few became successful even outside Germany with the odd hit single or two (Kraftwerk and Can), but some did not compromise and never sort commercial success. Although there were others, the best-known of the early experimental Krautrock bands were: Kraftwerk, Can, Faust, Amon Duul II, Neu, Popul Vuh, Guru Guru, Kluster and Tangerine Dream. All are worth checking out – they made some of the most groundbreaking music in rock and their importance is beyond dispute. In terms of rarity, these early albums are never easy to find especially in top conditions, they sold in relatively small numbers and are seldom seen or offered.

Musicians: Dieter Serfas - drums, electric cymbals; Peter Leopold - drums; Shrat - bongos, vocals, violin; Renate Knaup - vocals, tambourine; John Weinierl - guitar, 12-strong bass; Chris Karrer - violin, guitar, 12-string guitar, soprano saxophone, vocals; Falk Rogner - organ; Dave Anderson - bass Guests: Holger Trulzsch - Turkish drums; Christian Borchard - vibraphone.

Brief Artist & Album Info: After the split from the original incarnation of Amon Düül because of differences in musical direction, it was immediately evident from this stunning debut this splinter group meant business. Phallus Dei rose like a pheonix from the musical mire and carried on and extended the psychedelic sounds of bands like Pink Floyd and Jefferson Airplane and added heavy progressive elements. Along with Can’s Monster Movie, this is one of the classic German underground albums of all time. Atmospheric with shimmering guitars and splintering violin, freakbeat organ, guitar and bass. Rising and falling in volume with distinctive and sometimes chilling vocals from Renate. The Krautrock scene was born and flourished, for those who bought this music discovered great originality and genuine excitement. Unfortunately not too many bought this album on release and finding a copy of this on the original UK Blue Liberty label is immensely difficult. This copy considerably rarer still, being exactly that album, but as a white label Test Pressing with the ultimate first pressing codes (seen further up). Many Test Pressings do not include a cover, well this one does, that a huge bonus. It being very important, as the UK version of this groundbreaking set has unique artwork never used elsewhere, even on CD reissues (as far as I am aware). That a real shame in some ways, as the graphic is fantastic and sets the tone perfectly for the music. The record plays superbly and the music is magnificent. I doubt if few of these even exist these days and Test Pressings offer, in most cases, the very best detail and reproduction possible – a rare opportunity indeed.

Cover Grade and Format: VERY GOOD(+): a very delicate and flimsy unlaminated single format with matt textured surfaces. Printed and made in England by MacNeill Press. Includes the 1969 date-coded inner sleeve.

Cover Front & Back: Brilliant spaced-out artwork, this unique to the first UK pressing vinyl album. I have never seen this design anywhere else, even CD reissues. Incredibly thin card, this is incredibly delicate and wear-prone, so do not dismiss my grading as this rarely shows up a great deal better these days. With most of the wear on the edges, both front and back are in very fine condition. Take away the fine edge rubbing seen on the front and back, this would have graded excellent. Still clean, quite fresh with lovely colour, the texturing is fine and the card very thin. So yes, there is rubbing to the edges and particularly the fragile corners, but any creasing is light and quite little, no sticker issues and minimal hint of ringwear from which this cover often suffers badly. A tiny number ‘30’ is seen in pen near the front top left corner, any other marks or blemishes minimal. Given the uncompromising fragility of this vintage sleeve, this has fared reasonably well.

Top Edge: Thin, mostly straight with moderate wear that is a little patchy.

Bottom Edge: More consistent moderate rubbing.

Right Edge(s), and Type: Clean, mostly sharp with little wear, minor rubs and chips on the actual ends. Any thickening or burring minimal and light as seen viewed end-on. Record enters on this edge that is guaranteed untrimmed or enhanced.

Spine and Text: Fragile and thin, still fairly solid, reasonably straight with patchy compression. A white spine with blue text, there is evidence of some patchy rubbing, but somewhat against the odds, the majority of text is present and largely intact. A little erosion of a few characters, but still easily readable, given the other closed edges have rubbed considerably, this spine has fared way better.

Corners: Moderate or more corner tip rubbing with fair to good shape. No major knocks are evident.

Cover Summary: A very respectable example of this very fragile late 1960’s cover, one that could prove difficult to find much better. Again I state, this is a unique cover for the UK vinyl album and rare. Not seen often, and with the main front and back in very fine condition, and even the spine very decent, it should please many collectors.

The Inner Sleeve: NEAR EXCELLENT: a Polydor-style polylined inner with the LBS 83279 catalogue number written near one corner. This date-coded 119 (November 1969). A little aged with crinkle and gentle creasing, but no edge splits or repairs. The lining clear as seen through two undamaged neat window circles.

Vinyl Condition/Visual Grading: NEAR EXCELLENT: arguably better. A very fine visual copy that is very clean with equally fine shine and solidly pressed. A copy with modest plays on all the evidence with surface trace mostly fine, faint and wispy as seen critically under bright angled light. The odd minor light scuff, but no penetrating stylus scratches. For a Test Pressing, this has fared well, so many were stacked and not treated with due care. And this copy plays with superb sound with little unwanted. Viewed in standard daylight, this looks especially impressive, and is for an underground record this age, visually a record that should please many collectors.

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 snippets 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 minuscule sound present on any record.]

Sound Quality and Audio Grading: A major album in the development of rock and progressive rock. This rare album, in any original form, plays even above it’s high visual grading with very little to fault. Offering strong, distortion-free sound, all frequencies are sharp and clear - sound quality is very high with a wide dynamic range and very detailed sound. Any surface sounds are minimal indeed and this is an exceptional clean pressing with no tracking issues*. Test Pressings at their best offer the finest of sound, the earliest and unused stampers usually dictate that. Few copies will outperform this super-rare example significantly I feel sure. Such copies are not just for specialist collectors – they are for all who enjoy the finest sound. Nothing of any note spoilt my pleasure when play-grading this wonderful record. It will prove very difficult to find significantly better and can be strongly recommended. This record as a Test Pressing or on the blue Liberty label will seldom be seen or offered.

* As played-graded on a high-end Linn LP12 Sondek turntable with Ittok Mk II arm and Ortofon Quintet Black moving coil cartridge tracking at 2.2 grams.

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 as I Play-Grade every record I offer in their entirety – also on higher-end equipment – 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 it’s 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. Room light factors can make things vary sometimes, that is hard to control, especially in winter. 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/Hercules/Cirkus with Ittok Mk II arm and Ortofon Quintet Black moving coil cartridge (tracks at 2.2 grams). Amps: Naim Supernait 2 with Project USB phono stage and Tellerium Black interconnects. Speakers: B&W 704 Floorstanding 3-way Monitors (bi-wired with Tellurium Black terminated cable). All records I offer on Ebay are cleaned on a professional VPI-17 vacuum machine before play-grading for the cleanest and best possible sound and will include a brand new lined inner and protective cover too. Pictures taken with a Nikon D5000 SLR Digital Camera.

PACKING - THIS IS WHAT YOU GET.

What You Get: To confirm to the strict Ebay rules on shipping, I must now send ALL my packets ‘Signed-For’ with NO exceptions. Both buyers and sellers want their packets to have a safer journey and this is not a bad thing.

I now offer the fastest possible posting, often the very next day after payment is received or within two to three days maximum (unless on holiday). I only use FIRST-CLASS Mail. The record’s cover will be placed within a BRAND NEW soft protective sleeve and the actual record will be professionally cleaned on my new VPI-17 Pro vacuum system to give ultimate clean grooves and playing surfaces and the best possible looks and ultimate sound quality. 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. All records are posted in professional boxes (NOT Mailers, these do not offer any real protection). The record(s) are 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 at least TWO, ULTRA THICK stiffeners for maximum extra protection – these are FOUR TIMES thicker than commercial stiffeners and are custom-made for oneadayrecords. Really rare and expensive albums will even be Double Boxed if deemed necessary and possible. When larger boxes are used, the thick record and stiffener ‘sandwich’ is then thickly embedded into bubble-wrap to bulk out the record inside the box to centre the item inside to reduce the risk of damage still further. Printed address labels are used for clarity as well as a sender label. 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, better quality packaging costs, I offer probably the best-value and safest shipping possible for ultimate confidence. The boxes and ultra thick double-wall stiffeners make a near impregnable fortress for safe shipping and this is used inland and overseas for ALL my records, not just the rare and expensive. I will invoice any winning bidder as soon as possible after the auction ends. My ‘loss’ or ‘damage rate’ is minuscule in over 14 years of Ebay trading and I consider that pretty exceptional. The only damage rate acceptable for this seller is ZERO and I think my packets will offer just that. It would take a vicious postman or postal service to damage these for sure. Oneadayrecords is a MAILER-FREE ZONE – they offer next-to-no-protection, and should be banned, no ‘professional’ should consider using them in my opinion. I discount of course for multiple purchases with a maximum of FIVE records per box (one double can sometimes be included subject to total weight). All postage costs are below and at the top of the listing.

NOTE: First Time Bidders: Please ask me first.

PLEASE NOTE: I now exercise my right to open a dispute after the Ebay rule of TWO days if no payment is received. I will then cancel the dispute to end the bid, again after the mandatory FOUR days and then offer the item to the runner-up or relist. The non-payer will also be blocked from my Ebay site as will any suspicious bids or bid withdrawals. Small businesses need prompt payment to trade and these strict rules WILL be applied.

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] = £4.75

1 LP (Special Delivery with Standard £500 Maximum Insurance) [Signed For, Next Day] = £7.50. (this includes insurance of £500). Add £1 per extra LP.

Posting & Packing: EUROPE & SCANDINAVIA. (Airmail Only):

1 LP (Small Packet ‘Signed For’ with Standard Royal Mail Insurance [£50 maximum]) = £12.50 (enhanced Royal Mail insurance is an optional extra £3). Add £2 per extra LP.

Posting & Packing: ALL OVERSEAS (non-European) e.g. USA (ANY PART OF); South America; New Zealand; Australia; Canada; Japan and other Far East; (Airmail Only: I NEVER use Surface Mail):

1 LP (Small Packet ‘Signed For’ with Standard Royal Mail Insurance [£50 maximum]) = £16.50 (£17.50 for double sets). Add £3 per extra LP. (enhanced Royal Mail insurance is an optional extra £3)

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: I will cancel any bids I feel are time-wasters. 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. I will not refund if any defect detail is clearly stated on the advert and missed by the buyer, so read the item description carefully. If any overseas collector does not understand anything in my listing, please email and ask me to help. Thank You.

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 necessarily 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’.