LEVI SMITH'S CLEFS EMPTY MONKEY SWEET PEACH 1970 MANIC PROG PSYCH MONSTER RARE

$ 125

$ 125 Sold For

Apr 24, 2013 Sold Date

Apr 17, 2013 Start Date

1 Number Of Bids

Australia Country Of Seller

eBay Sold at

save auction

Description

US BUYERS DO NOT PAY IMMEDIATELY

WAIT FOR MY INVOICE

the eBay automated shipping system showing $4.00 is incorrect

this is not a domestic item - it will be shipped by tracked air from Australia

LEVI SMITH'S CLEFS

EMPTY MONKEY

SWEET PEACH SPB 504 (AUSTRALIA) 1970 1st PRESS

BEYOND RARE AUSTRALIAN HEAVY ROCK / PROG / PSYCH / R&B / SOUL ALBUM

ON THE SAME LABEL AS THE LEGENDARY EXTRADITION

among the near extinct Australian progressive albums, this is an awesome heavy guitar and Hammond organ assault, showcasing the powerful and soulful vocals of Barrie McAskill, backed by outrageously manic guitar (Mick Jurd) and steaming Hammond organ (John Bissett), with fine bass and drums by Bruce Howe and Tony Buettel

the LP sold next to nothing and is one of the hardest to find of all psych / progressive records - here is the single cover SPB 504 first pressing with primitive dark mustard coloured labels (with black, red & yellow logo) the same as Extradition, not the gatefold cover SPL 102 second issue with yellow labels - don't ask me why there were two versions when it sold so few copies, I have no idea, weirdly perhaps, BOTH are widely considered to be genuine originals. . .

anyway, the playing, particularly by Mick and John, is beyond belief - truly incredible!

Mick's guitar is reminiscent of Pete Banks (RIP) from the first, and best, two Yes LPs (and later Flash), but way more manic and tortured - FANtastic!

but the rhythm section really drives hard and hammers home too - SUPERBLY recorded, which makes all the difference - the band sound like Fuzzy Duck on crack, and that surely ain't no bad thing. . . Barrie's vocals - what can I say? - here is a guy who even challenges the almost incomparable Arthur Brown, and that is SOME compliment. . .

every cut is a standout - but for sheer unbridled, majestic, explosive power, listen to Lisa and Shake & Finger Pop from side two - or, even better, the whole of side one: Relief From A Lighted Doorway, Shotgun and the closing epic progressive overload of the Lennon McCartney classic You Can't Do That - it is beyond AMAZING what these guys do with this number and impossible to imagine until you hear it for yourself. . .

record

this extraordinary thick, heavy mutha of a disc looks very good, considering its extreme rarity - clean and glossy with only the inevitable numerous superficial hairlines and some tiny marks here and there. . . however, the sound IS a little scuffy and scratchy - but the incredible upfront power and guts of the band, as well as the production, engineering and mastering quality - not to mention the splendid deep groove hefty vinyl - all serve to keep the background noise just that - well in the background. . .

play-in grooves on both sides start with crackle but this begins to fade as soon as you get past the outer perimeter (always the most handled) edges, beyond any quiet intros and into the meat of each track - strangely, some numbers have no background noise at all so you begin to wonder if it’s a contributing factor to some degree on all copies - obviously, the surface noise is also apparent in the quiet space between tracks but mostly not even noticeable when the music is underway, except for the very quiet passages (of which there are few!) and those intros already mentioned - this LP is so brilliantly performed and masterfully played - so strongly recorded and engineered, even with the background thing, you don't even notice it because the music is just so massively s-t-r-o-n-g. . . still plays with startling crystal precision in the high end, crisp clean mid-range and clear thundering power on the lower frequencies - in fact the audio is beautifully clear and separated across the entire frequency range. . .

labels

labels both near mint except for a name to side two - very minor spindle wear

cover

the cover has significant circular wear front and back (see photos) and there is a small name on the front - no splits, tears, stickers, stains or other writing but there is creasing along the opening edges and the seams and spine are worn and scuffy - the corners are all bumped - there are other small areas of light wear to both sides but this is a nice 'honest' sleeve with no crappy and annoying amateur 'repairs'

I have not had another copy since May 2008 (5 years back) and that one sold for US $495 (then more than AU $600)

therefore I will sell this lesser condition example with a starting price of $125 - less than a QUARTER of that price

SUPERB SONGS, ARRANGEMENTS, PERFORMANCE AND RECORDING

OK, THIS EXAMPLE IS NOT PERFECT. . .

BUT IT IS ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE TO FIND ANY COPY!

LOST, BURIED - ALMOST EXTINCT - HARD ROCK / PROG MASTERPIECE

side one

RELIEF FROM A LIGHTED DOORWAY

SHOTGUN

YOU CAN'T DO THAT

side two

LISA