Another CARNEGIE MELLON First 1969 RARE TRIPPY SUNSHINE PSYCH LP shrink LISTEN

$

100

Now this is great.  Rare too, because it was pretty much a freebie handout given to the 1969 graduating class of Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, PA, and if you weren’t there, you couldn’t buy this.  Now I know what you’re thinking – most college band albums, even the ones in the late 60’s, are mostly square “Hair” affairs.  But this one’s different.  This was actually recorded by CMU alumni – “two guitarists and a mini-skirted singer” according to the liner notes – not the college marching band and glee club.  Consequently, the songs are pretty mature for a college-related album.  Production is first-rate, and some of these tracks by this uncredited mystery co-ed alumni band could easily pass for a second-tier sub-Jefferson Airplane Mainstream label outfit, for example.  “Just Begun” sounds like some mystical Fifty Foot Hose or Neighb’rhood Childr’n track, with nihilist lyrics and a subtle Eastern hookah vibe.  “A Vision of Participation” is not far at all from the mighty Jefferson Airplane, and the closest thing here to genuine garage ballroom psychedelia.  “The Place” hews closer to strummin’ Association/Green Lyte Sunday coed sunshine pop, and is so clearly the work of an accomplished adult band and not a bunch of choir singers.  “Mystery Man” is another subtly trippy slice of jangly pop, like a sunshine pop Byrds with Roberta McGuinn as lead singer.  The lyrics on “Mystery Man” are more direct as to their purpose – “What can you do for me?” they sing.  “I only come out in the middle of the night.  Don’t drop out of sight…lend a hand to the helping hand that once helped you.”  Yup, you guessed it, the not-so-subversive message behind these flashing Fillmore East ballroom psych pop songs is simple.  Graduates – once you’ve made it big in the Pennsylvania engineering world, give a little something-something back to the college that trained you.  Tune in, turn on, and drop us some cash.  Still, even with the phone salesman style innuendos, ANOTHER CARNEGIE MELLON FIRST is probably one of the finest “college band” albums of the Sixties, even if it skates by on the technicality of featuring alumni.  And mini skirts.  It was also good enough to get a mention in Acid Archives, which normally doesn’t rate college albums.  Now, mind you, as good as the mystery band is on Side 1, the band featured on Side 2 is credited.  It’s the Kiltie Symphony Band and Pipers, and it’s bagpipe music.  But hey, there’s a Universal Ignorants album out there somewhere fetching thousands of dollars that’s got a second side of limp folk by the Hilltones.  So you gotta take what you can get.  In this case, it’s excellent subversive trippy pop psych.  So bid and be happy.  Or, like the album says, if you’d just rather donate, that’s fine too.

ORIGINAL 1969 LP still in the original shrinkwrap!  Cover then is NEAR MINT.  Vinyl plays VG++ to EXCELLENT.  May be the best copy and the ONLY copy you'll ever see!  I'd been looking for this one for YEARS myself!  Check it out below...

And click here to listen to another!

The less exciting stuff

Media mail shipping with delivery confirmation starts at $4.00 in the US, with each additional record only $1 additional shipping.  Overseas shipping has, unfortunately, gone way up in the fast few months, which translates to $15 for the first LP to Canada ($3 each one thereafter) and $24 for the first LP everywhere else in the world, with each add'l LP an extra $5 (so it pays to buy more, nudge nudge wink wink).   I accept payments through Paypal. 

I try to grade as best as I can, and I list as many blemishes/imperfections I can find (writing, ringwear, scuff marks, etc.) – Also, please note that I DO listen to these albums – I may not listen to every track, but my grades are based on LISTENING, not just looking at it, since chances are you’ll be listening to the record you buy, not just looking at it.  Most of the albums I sell are the ones I’ve enjoyed for years – and I treat my records with kid gloves.  But sounds speak louder than words, so check out the sound clips below – they’re from the actual record you’re bidding on. 

SHIPPING AND PACKAGING

Listen, I buy a bunch of records too (when I’m not getting outbid at the last second, which is more often than not) – and I know what it’s like to get a rare, one-of-a-kind album packaged dangerously in a flimsy bubblewrap package.  I hate that too.  So rest assured, I ALWAYS package albums with stiff cardboard reinforcements, same for 45s.  And yes, the records are removed from the sleeves (for albums).  I ship out once a week, every Friday, because I have a regular day job.  But I’d be willing to give that up if you’d all be so kind as to bid my items up to stupidly high amounts. 

 For more security and international tracking, you may request GLOBAL PRIORITY MAIL - but bear in mind the cost of this service is upwards of $30.  For expensive items, however, it may be well worth it.  Unfortunately, there isn’t a cost-effective way of tracking parcels to foreign countries yet, and shipping times vary depending on your country’s postal system.   Italy in particular seems to be really bad at delivering packages quickly, or delivering packages at all, now that you mention it.  I will always email you when your package ships, but once it’s on its way, please don’t ask me when it will arrive because I don’t know.  If the world’s postal systems can ever agree on a universal tracking system that’s affordable, I’ll be the first to use it.

NOW IT’S YOUR TURN…

I will always leave positive feedback for successful transactions, and would appreciate the same in return.  All I ask of you is the following – please pay for your items within 14 days of the close of auction.  Compared to other sellers, that’s a generous amount of time, so if you don’t pay within 2 weeks, then I have to assume something’s wrong.  You’ll get an Ebay payment reminder at that point, and possibly a decapitated horse head in your bed.  If, after 30 days, you still haven’t forked up the cash, I’ll relist the item and yell at you if I ever see you in town.