Captain Beefheart And His Magic Band ? Safe As Milk Pye Mono A1 /B1

	£		17
	$		22

Captain Beefheart And His Magic Band
Safe As Milk 
Marble Arch Records ?– MAL 1117, Pye International ?
Mono UK release 1969 A-MAL 1117 A1 ?T   / B-MAL 1117 B1 ?T

Mono re-issue of the 1968 release on Pye's budget series "Marble Arch" sleeve. Pye used their "PYE International" pale blue label for this release, rather than the regular yellow "Marble Arch" label. 

Released in 1967, Safe As Milk was Captain Beefheart and the Magic Band’s debut album and featured Ry Cooder. It’s working title was in fact "Abba Zaba", after the American candy bar of Cardinet Candy Co., in a yellow/black checked wrapper (hence the back cover design on original issues).
The album was released in the UK on Pye International and subsequently reissued on Pye’s budget Marble Arch series as a 10-track, omitting "I'm Glad" and "Grown So Ugly". When Buddah's UK distribution passed to Polydor in 1970 it was again reissued, this time on Buddah in Polydor's budget 99 series and retitled Dropout Boogie. The album made a greater impact in the UK than in the U.S., probably to do with being promoted by the late great John Peel.

Sleeve:  Printed by Garrod and Lofthouse. Laminated front sleeve which still retains its gloss, shows light signs of age related wear; no rips, splits, tears or writing, all edges true, fully proud, readable (proud) spine,  a few small creases. Back, non-laminated sleeve; opening edge shows light wear/rub,  signs of handling, as expected with  non-laminated, sounds worse than it is (see photos) graded VG+

New poly-lined inner sleeve

Labels: Classic Pye light blue first issue grooved Mono label.  Light spindle marks that show low usage, see photos VG+

Vinyl:  Nice bright and clean, vinyl retains its original sheen - no nasties or groove wear, couple of light wispy hairlines from sleeve removal , feint lines only mainly visible under light solid Ex- towards EX

Audio: Lovely deep Mono clarity. No hisses, hops, skips, sticks, pips, pops or distortion. Plays through clean, nothing that overpowers or interferes with listening in any way - overall graded EX

I have tried to be honest and transparent in my description - the photographs form part of the description. Questions are welcome, don't hesitate to ask. I have good feedback (and positive comments) as both a buyer and seller, so you can buy with confidence. I am a collector for 45+ years the few records I sell are either the results of upgrades, duplicates or a bit of thinning every now and again. If anything is not as expected, please contact me straight away, and I will do everything to resolve any problems without argument.

I strictly adhere to the Record Collector Magazine's Grading Guide using one + or - for addition guidance:

Audio:  audio quality can differ from one pressing to another and unless you have two copies to compare it is sometimes difficult to know. Audio quality can also vary from one system to another and while I try to describe my audio experience it might not be the same as somebody elses.

MINT: The record itself is in brand new condition with no surface marks or deterioration in sound quality. The cover and any extra items such as the lyric sheet, booklet or poster are in perfect condition. 

EXCELLENT: The record shows some signs of having been played, but there is very little lessening in sound quality. The cover and packaging might have slight wear and / or creasing.

VERY GOOD: The record has obviously been played many times, but displays no major deterioration in sound quality, despite noticeable surface marks and the occasional light scratch. Normal wear and tear on the cover or extra items, without any major defects, is acceptable.

GOOD: The record has been played so much that the sound quality has noticeably deteriorated, perhaps with some distortion and mild scratches. The cover and contents suffer from folding, scuffing of edges, spine splits, discolouration, etc.