PAPER BUBBLE Scenery 1969 ORIGINAL UK FOLK SITAR PSYCH LP Strawbs DERAM ST HEAR

$

75

PAPER BUBBLE "SCENERY" LP

ORIGINAL 1969 LP ON THE UK DERAM LABEL, STEREO SML 1059

COVER IN VG+ shape, light corner wear, some light staining on back

VINYL plays VG++ to EXCELLENT

Original UK pressing of this rare folk psych album, Paper Bubble’s “Scenery” on the Deram label, from 1969.  Produced by Dave Cousins and Tony Hooper of the Strawbs.   I have to admit, for years this sat on my shelf between my Pantera albums and the soundtrack to “Party Monster” (starring Macauley Culkin, mind you), mostly because I remember feeling cheated by the misleading cover.  With its bendy Bill Graham poster lettering and trippy color scheme, this thing practically promised you something mind-blowing inside.  So imagine my surprise when the music turned out to be Honeybus lite.  

As it turns out, since those formative years of my musical education, my tastes have grown considerably, to the point where I actually like Honeybus.  So I thought a more mature critical re-evaluation of the long-forgotten album was in order.  And after taking it down from the shelf (I don’t actually own any Pantera albums, by the way), and rediscovered, or reaffirmed, that a lot of Paper Bubble’s album is, in fact, way too delicate and twee for its own good, and that, yes, the album cover Is still a prime example of product packaging gone wrong.  But my newly refined musical ear also found a lot more pleasant surprises here than I had expected.  And one track, “Energy”, actually DID live up to the psychedelic promise of the cover – a totally tripped-out floaty bit of ethereal psychedelia that hovers like a paisley gypsy moth for three mindblowing minutes, then builds to a big “Day in the Life” orchestrated crescendo before leaving the atmosphere completely for one final full-on acid-spiked verse and chorus.  

Other subtle hallucinogenic touches can be found scattered throughout the album – in the sitar that dances through the cosmic haze in the mystical “Tomorrow Never Comes Like A Silver Spoon” (whatever that means), and in the most “rock” song here, the popsike gem “Mother, Mother, Mother”, one of the few songs here to feature a full rock band backing track, led by a kaleidoscopic swirling Matthew Fisher organ and the kind of instantly catchy likeable melody that you might expect from…oh, I don’t know…Honeybus.  

Much of the rest of this album is acoustic folk pop, about as far from the Bonnie Maclean front cover as a David Dundas reunion tour, but that being said, there are quite a few acoustic pop and baroque pop treasures to be found.  Like “Fillin’ A Gap”, the opening track, which should have all those soft pop connoisseurs talking, with a lethal combination of sawing strings, lovely harmonies and some trippy seagulls and surf sound effects.  It’s wonderfully crafted pop bliss, the kind of stuff Fading Yellow fans dig, and something Brian Wilson might’ve written had he grown up in England around beaches less conducive to surfing.  

And Left Banke fans, listen up!  The oddly titled “MM of LA” is actually about Marilyn Monroe (of Los Angeles), and even though it manages to be even more trite lyrically than Elton John’s Marilyn tribute “Candle in the Wind” (or was that Lady Di, hmmm…), with lines like “Were you something more than what we used you for?” and “Who will judge you now?  No one but the clouds!” sure to elicit groans, MUSICALLY it’s sheer baroque pop brilliance, and actually sounds a LOT like the Left Banke’s “Myrah” – high praise indeed.  

So after a little critical reevaluation – and fifteen years sitting on my shelf – this one delivers a few pleasant surprises and a couple genuine pop masterpieces.  And a beautiful, if totally unrelated, cover.  Original 1969 pressing on the UK Deram red label, stereo.   

PLEASE NOTE I NO LONGER SHIP TO ITALY DUE TO A CORRUPT POSTAL SYSTEM (THERE, NOT HERE).  BUYERS FROM ITALY AGREE TO PAY FOR GLOBAL PRIORITY MAIL INSURED ONLY!

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.