JEFFERSON AIRPLANE Crown of Creation Orig N/M

	£		47
	$		62

Hi, I am Mike, I am 46 and have been a music collector and enthusiast for over 33 years now. We all wish we could turn back the clock and buy those wonderful brand new records from the 60s and 70s, but alas, this is not possible; so I always try to offer the finest and most accurately described and graded records I can find. No vinyl/music lover really would choose to buy second-hand, but this is only way now to own these valuable, prized and ellusive items now. 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, hence the name - time rarely allows for more as I Play-Grade virtually every record I offer in their entirity, not just bits to guess a grade (on a Rega 3 deck with Ortofon cartridge) - 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 reader – 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. 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 or sticks or writing on covers or labels unless clearly stated to the contrary. Thanks for your interest and Good luck – MIKE.

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. 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. Item wants are always welcome - email me with anything needed, you never know - I may just have a copy in stock. I by quality single items and collections also (Email me please if you have quality items for sale).

Debutant Bidders: Many sellers refuse first time buyers: I do not follow this practice (everybody has to start somewhere), but I would appreciate any first timer letting me know their intentions of their intended payment method and very prompt communication, preferably before any bid or soon after the auctions ends. This gives confidence that their intentions are honourable, and I in return guarantee extra special good feedbacks to get zero rated Ebayers off to a flying start to help them with future transactions. NOTE: I WILL NOT ACCEPT BIDS FROM UNREGISTERED USERS, I will cancel them immediately, and sorry, I cannot give valuations on people’s personal items just for their own curiosity, no item can be accurately valued blindly.

Please read all the information carefully - these adverts take an age to compile properly - so it’s well worth a few minutes of your time to read the details thoroughly. I really cannot take any responsibility if any bidder fails to read any facts that are clearly stated in the advert - Thankyou.

Artist or Band: JEFFERSON AIRPLANE

Album Title: Crown of Creation

Cat Number: LSP 4058 Stereo.

Label and Condition: RCA Victor black stereo. Supreme examples of this beautiful USA version with the dog and gramophone format - quite possibly the best I have ever seen for a US RCA. Side one may have one faint trace and side appears to have none, it goes without saying the area around the centre hole as zero wear and this record may have been played twice at most, once by me for grading. (Please see label scans, almost too incredible to be true).

Country of Manufacture: US - and after seeing this for the first time still in its shrinkwrap, the UK versions simply dont compare - you will rarely see me state this in my adverts. Maybe it was silly to remove the original protective cellophane but how else could I show the sheer beauty of this cover, the colours are for real they are NOT enhanced in any way, go on take another look - this is factory fresh.

Rarity: Very Scarce, this copy is very early, it includes the rare ‘Brumus’ illustrated lyric insert as well which is mint.

Original Year of Release: 1968

Matrix Nos: A1/B1

Brief Artist & Album Info: Without doubt one of the greatest 60s bands ever, with the greatest female rock vocalist ever - Grace Slick - Jefferson Airplane’s early albums were a class apart from the other West Coast bands and most others too. Only after Volunteers did their music quality dip and the 60s albums must be considered essential. A non-charting masterpiece in the UK but this gem peaked at 6 in their native US. A rich and varied collection showing off the different talents of the main songwriters. Their major breakthrough was still to follow with Volunteers a year or so later, but this is their Revolver - every song is memorable and there are some real classics included on this set. The two Grace Slick compositions: ‘Greasy Heart’ with very intense lyrics about the drug problems and the sublime and downright disturbing ‘Lather’ - even today this track still chills and rarely did Grace sing better than on this bizarre song. The band blend beautifully on a stunning version of David Crosby’s ‘Triad’ and Jack Casady’s bass throughout this album is sublime. Even the short instrumental at the end of side one, ‘Chushingra’ is terrific, a wierd atmospheric tune, very surreal and it would not go amiss in a David Lynch movie. Even the cover is disturbing on this one, it depicts the Hiroshima atom bomb and this gives a clue to the political themes included on this album. The final track, ‘The House at Pooneil Corners’ is without doubt the most chilling track I have ever heard, its apocalyptic theme with its scarcy siren sounding guitars that builds to an intensity I have rarely heard matched anywhere - it easily rivals The Doors ‘The End’ from their debut album. This is incredibly powerful, the warning of nuclear devastation which was rife in the minds of people in these dangerous times must have made this song hard to listen too. I reproduce a segment of the lyrics to this song below, believe me with the intense music this is awesomely frightening:

“Everything someday will be gone except silence - Earth will be quiet again - Seas from clouds will wash off the ashes of violence - Left as the memory of men - There will be no survivors my friend - Suddenly everyone will look surprised - Stars spinning wheels in the skies - Sun is scrambled in their eyes - While the moon circles like a vulture - Someone stood at a window and cried - One tear I thought that should stop a war - But someone is killing me - And that’s the last hour to think anymore - Jelly and juice and bubbles - bubbles on the floor - Castles on cliffs vanish - Cliffs like heaps of rubbish - Seen from the stars hour by hour - As splintered scraps and black powder - From here to heaven is a scar - Dead centre - deep as death - All the idiots have left - Epitaph: The cows are almost cooing - Turtle doves are mooing - Which is why a poo is pooing - In the sun.’’

Powerful indeed, this has to be heard.

US copies of the early Jefferson Airplane classics are, in my opinion, superior the UK copies, in Britain this band were never treated well, far less well packaged - The UK Surrealistic Pillow was a revamped selection of tracks from the unissued debut and the proper album and omitted the masterpiece ‘White Rabbit’, After Bathing at Baxters was a non-gatefold compared to the US gatefold version that also included an inner. This album includes the lovely ‘Brumus’ lyric insert which makes this copy special. And this copy is in stunning condition. The cover is in superb condition and devoid of the usual US rubbing, splitting and ringwear, infact this was still partially wrapped, I removed the rest to reveal this stunning cover for all to see. Apart from a faint hairline mark near the top this would grade as mint, you will never see it better, the intense colour of the artwork has to be seen. The record and insert too are superb and play the same. What an incredible copy of this very early US version, the labels alone are stunning and set the standard - like all their first five albums, the US versions are a class above the UK versions, the real secret is finding near mint copies and that is a very different story.

Cover Grade and Format: Mint(-), single format, non-laminated as US covers were, but has a semi-gloss sheen finish. The back cover states: ‘See Brumus sheet on inside cover’. Printed in the USA.

Cover Front: A fine hairline type scratch near the top with a couple of pin-prick size marks and that’s about it - what a stunning front cover this is, like the album chilling, this has to be one of the darkest album covers ever made, observe this while playing ‘Pooneil Corners’ and its about as nilistic as you can get. The sheer colour and intensity of this artwork, apparently the actual picture of the real event (the USAF is ‘credited’ on the back cover), is astounding. I dont think I have ever seen a US cover quite this good, its crease and rub free with no splits or tears. Its pristine clean and could almost pass for new, it blows away the UK version - sublime.

Cover Back: This is pure mint, even a whisker better than the front, this has not marks and not even a trace of ringwear - connoisseur material.

Insert Condition A beautiful item that was excluded from the UK version - its pristine mint.

Top Edge: Unworn.

Bottom Edge: Unworn.

Right Edge(s), and Type: Clean, sharp with little wear. Record entered on right outside edge.

Spine and Text: Solid and square with little wear, text is near perfect and unworn.

Corners: All four are near perfect and all still nicely shaped.

Cover Summary: A phenominal example of this fragile late 60’s cover, one that will prove impossible to find better. This incredible item should please just about all collectors.

Vinyl Condition/Visual Grading: EX++ A superb copy with just the odd faint surface trace or hairline - anything is superficial and nothing sounds. Super clean and shiny, and jet black, pressed on solid vinyl. Like most US albums, these always seem to have surface traces, the hard inners are never a help, but typically this plays superbly and any marks are ignored. A copy with minimal plays on all the evidence. Visually a very nice record that should please most collectors again.

Sound Quality and Audio Grading: This super record plays up to its high visual grading with little to fault. Strong, undistorted sound, all frequencies are sharp and clear. No pops or ticks from memory and a fine pressing, any surface sounds are minimal indeed. Both channels are clean and clear, I feel very sure this record has been played little and has been well stored and looked after, almost certainly in a non-smoking environment. Little, if anything spoilt my pleasure when play-grading this gem, maybe slightly underproduced but who cares with music of this quality. This copy will prove near impossible to find significantly better.

Mono vs Stereo, an overview: Always a matter of opinion which is better or more important. For any serious collector where there is a choice e.g. Beatles, Stones, Hendrix etc. both are essential. True Stereo albums give great imagery and presence whereas mono albums usually are more dynamic, louder and present the detail more clearly. Mono albums are far harder to find in genuinely top playing condition. Most were heavily played, particularly the truly great bands and artists, often covered in mark and scratches, many severe and labels that were a mass of spindle marks. The majority were played on vintage and unsubtle decks with heavy tonearms and thick styli (often sapphire, not diamond, that chipped more easily) that rendered heavy wear in a very short time to many a fine classic record. Wear to the delicate groove walls, particularly the innermost tracks to the labels were most vulnerable where the tracking angle became more severe and the backdrag actually stripped the delicate groove walls. This resulted in surface noise and mild/moderate distortion or worse. These old decks tracked by sheer weight and little of any refined engineering. Next time you see such a deck at a local record fayre, feel the weight of the arm, it almost makes you wonder how any records survived at all. The point of this paragraph is emphasise that when a truly clean, lightly played and great sounding 60s mono album (or stereo come to that) is offered, treasure it, because for sure they are truly getting vary rare and precious - beware - demand only play-graded records. As a general guide to rarity, mono was the far more common format from 61–65; Around 66–67 the balance was roughly equal, then from 68-69 the balance swung more to stereo, making monos from these dates far scarcer, even rare - this guide is important and effects values greatly.

Track Listing: Lather; In time; Triad; Star track; Share a little joke; Chushingura; If you feel; Crown of creation; Ice Cream Phoenix; Greasy Heart; The House at Pooneil Corners.

Album Played For Grading: Yes.

Final Summary: Jefferson Airplane made music few others could match, political acid rock that could blow the mind, literally. Slick’s vocals were perfect for this album’s contents - sheer power and bags of expression, few matched her then or ever. Often controversial and never afraid to experiment and change their style. This lesson in intensity is testament to their greatness, choosing their best album for me is impossible, Pillow, Baxters, Crown and Volunteers are all incredible recordings and no album collection would be the same without them all. This stunning copy, the packaging alone is worth any price, will stand up proudly in any serious collection. A near mint US copy in the UK must be considered rare and that insert puts the icing on the cake - this was indeed the Crown of Creation, so dont lose this one. – Mike.

Payment Details please read carefully:

UK First Class: = £2.50; Recorded Delivery (Recommended) = £4.00 Special Delivery (Next day, insured up to £250), the best service available = £6.00

Europe Air Mail: = £4 Insured: £8.00

Overseas, non-Europe e.g. USA, Japan, Australia etc. Airmail:= £7; Insured with recorded delivery (where available) = £11.00

Singles: (Packed to the high standards of the LPs)

UK First class: = £2.00 Insured: £4

Europe Air Mail = £3.00 Insured: £5.50

Overseas, non-Europe (as above) Airmail £3.50 Insured: £6.00

Doubles add extra £1, triples add extra £2. Box sets add extra £3 (£4 overseas and Europe)

Any item that sells for over £85 will be sent Special Delivery in the UK at no extra cost. Items over £125 get the same service Overseas. This is gives peace of mind for the winning bidder and myself for valuable items. Reduced postage of course for multiple items.

The winner bidder chooses his/her posting method and if uninsured is chosen, its their decision and they have to stick with it, I can accept no responsibility if an item is lost in the post. I can only try to claim at standard levels if no enhancement is chosen (£28). PLEASE NOTE: I will NOT use surface mail, its too slow, with a higher risk of loss and damage.

Mailing Details: Please note I do not profit on postage (my packing standards are high and the package weighs a little more. All records are sent in plastic covers with the record taken out of the sleeve and sent in professional mailers with FOUR professional stiffners for extra protection (if space allows), I do NOT use old cardboard boxes or cereal packets for protection. More expensive items are also inserted into a de-luxe heavy duty padded bag AS WELL to give that extra protection. I truly want ALL my items to arrive to their destination in the same condition they leave me. I will also include in most cases a brand new lined inner, but will include the original inner if available and in a condition to be given.

I accept cash for payments worldwide in UK Pounds Sterling, Euros or US Dollars - but this at the senders own risk. Please send registered and insured if this method is chosen. I cannot accept responsibility if any cash payments do not turn up. This system is very reliable and rarely goes astray. The same goes for any shipped uninsured item, I can only try to claim for any undelivered or damaged article at basic insurance levels if no enhanced insurance is requested and paid for (unless the value threshold is high enough for me insure as standard, see above)

Overseas bidders please note conversion rates for Pounds to Dollars and Pounds to Euros will be charged at 1.7 to cover PayPal or cash conversion costs.

PLEASE NOTE: Any PayPal user can now pay me with UK Sterling if they wish with no need to convert to US dollars (although they still can if they wish to). Any instant PayPal transaction from anywhere in the world will mean the item will be sent immediately - it makes deals fast and very efficient.

Potential Bidders: Please do not bid if you have negative feedback unless checking first, I will cancel any bids I feel are timewasters. I now only accept PayPal, International money orders or cash from overseas bidders (UK Sterling, US dollars or Euros). Cash, cheques, postal orders and PayPal are fine from the UK. I allow maximum 3 days for communication and 7 days for payment to arrive - if this does not happen I will relist the item and may send negative feedback unless an explanation is given. Fast deals get great feedback from me. Any questions - please ask. Please keep watch on my Ebays, I have other interesting items coming very soon. Thanks for looking.

My Guarantee: As listening to every single record I offer all the way through is difficult timewise, can I make it clear 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. I still endeavour to play all the items in their entirity for grading if at all possible and is usually the case.