PHIL SPECTOR BACK TO MONO 5-LP AUDIOPHILE BOX SET+BOOK+BADGE

$

105

·       PHIL SPECTOR AND ASSOCIATED ARTISTS (THE RONETTES, THE CRYSTALS, RIGHTEOUS BROTHERS, BOBB B. SOXX AND THE BLUE JEANS, DARLENE LOVE, GENE PITNEY, IKE & TINA TURNER, PARIS SISTERS, BEN E. KING, THE CHECKMATES AND OTHERS) – BACK TO MONO (1958-1969) – VERY RARE ORIGINAL 1991 ABKCO/PHILLES RECORDS 5-LP MONO BOX SET 7118-1PRESSED ON AUDIOPHILE-GRADE VIRGIN VINYL

 

·       ORIGINAL U.S. PRESSING

 

·       ORIGINAL, CUSTOM GRAY "BRICK WALL" LABEL WITH PHIL SPECTOR'S SILLHOUETTE , UNIQUE TO THIS TITLE (CHRISTMAS ALBUM HAS ITS OWN, DISTINCT, WHITE LABELS)

 

·       INCLUDES A GORGEOUS ORIGINAL ILLUSTRATED 96-PAGE COLOR PHOTO BOOK

 

·       ALSO INCLUDES ORIGINAL RED "BACK TO MONO" BADGE,NOT SHOWN IN PHOTO,BUT INCLUDED

 

 

·       THIS IS THE ORIGINAL, AUTHENTIC, FIRST U.S. PRESSING; THIS IS NOT A REISSUE, AN IMPORT, OR A COUNTERFEIT PRESSING.

 

·       ORIGINAL, 1-INCH THICK CARDBOARD BOX

 

·       ORIGINAL "TEXTURED" (CRUDE FINISH) BOX WHICH EMULATES "BRICK" FINISH (THE BRICK WALL IS INTENDED TO BE A VISUAL PUN ON PHIL SPECTOR'S LEGENDARY "WALL OF SOUND" PRODUCTION METHOD; IT IS NOT MEANT TO SYMBOLIZE THE PRISON WALLS)

 

·       CLEAN, WEAR-FREE LABELS

 

 

At the time Back to Mono was released in 1991, Phil Spector's reputation as one of pop's great visionaries was intact, but there was no way to hear his genius. It wasn't just that there were no collections spotlighting his productions, there weren't collections of artists he produced. It wasn't until Back to Mono that there was a thorough overview of Spector's greatest work, and while it's not without flaws, it still stands as one of the great box sets. Some may complain that there are no selections from his superstar '70s productions for John Lennon, George Harrison, Leonard Cohen, and the Ramones, but that's for the best, since their presence would have been incongruous, taking attention away from the music that forms the heart of Spector's legacy. All of that music is here, not just on the first three discs, all devoted to singles, but also on the fourth disc, his seminal 1963 holiday album, A Christmas Gift for You, which isn't just the greatest rock Christmas album, but a crystallization of his skills. It could be argued that the song selection overlooks some obscure fan favorites, such as "Do the Screw," but that's simply nitpicking, because what's here are all the great Spector records, which were hardly just great productions, they were great songs as well. As the set plays, it's hard not to be stunned by the depth of the material and clarity of Spector's vision for his famed Wall of Sound, whether you've heard these songs hundreds of times or not at all -- especially because they gain power when grouped together. Many producers have been credited as the true creative force behind many rock records, but usually that's hyperbole. In Spector's case, it wasn't, as this set gloriously proves.

 

 (EXCERPT FROM AN ONLINE REVIEW BY STEPHEN THOMAS ERLEWINE, ALL MUSIC GUIDE  /ALLMUSIC.COM/)

 

THIS IS A NO-RESERVE AUCTION!

 

 

·       CONDITION:

 

·       RECORDS

 

(IMPORTANT NOTE: unless otherwise noted, ALL records are graded visually, and NOT play-graded!; we  grade records under the strong, diffuse room light or discrete sunlight)

 

(a)          VG++ all albums are very clean,they look like they have not been played or very little. Some superficial marks on a few records. The records have some slight edge wobble from storage. This does not affect play or sound at all. It level of wobble decreases with each record. Excellent condition,well taken care of.

BOX AND BOOKLET CONDITION:

VG++ shows very little wear. The corners are not broken. Small wear mark on front. Very nice. Sleeves shows some ring wear. The first sleeve has a small split at the bottom,all of the rest do not have splits.

 

(b)          The album comes with the original booklet still intact.

 

(c)           The album comes with the original back-to-mono badge INCLUDED

 

(d)          The records come in their original, custom, inner sleeves, which are UNIQUE to this album.

 

International orders will need to be registered if this item sells over $100 dollars for an additional $12 plus shipping.
PLEASE EMAIL ME WITH QUESTIONS,CHEERS! 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mint (M) Perfect Condition, which basically means that it is as good as new, literally. The vinyl has to look new and sound as though it was never played, and the cover has to look untouched. Some argue that the only mint records are brand new unopened ones still in their original packing.

Near Mint (NM) Vinyl is near perfect. At most, a light scuff appears on the record, but it should play without any noise or skips. The record sleeve should also be near perfect with only minor signs of wear. There should be no" outline sleeve.)

Excellent (EX or VG++) Vinyl should still play with no skips of any kind. There can be some very minor surface scuffs, but they should not affect the sound quality. The record sleeve can have some minor ring wear but it should be mostly in good shape. Also, there can be some minor creases in the corners but no splits in the seams.

Very Good+
(VG+) This is the grading category where the quality of the sound is affected -- there will be some surface noise -- and the vinyl will show wear, including surface scuffs and some light scratches. However, the record is still very listenable as there are no deep scratches that cause skips. On the cover, the corners may be slightly bent, but not broken. There may be wear to the seams but not tears or holes.

Very Good
(VG) Vinyl doesn't necessarily look good, but still plays well enough. Surface noise will probably be present, including pops and clicks. At higher volume levels, the music should overpower any pops and clicks present. There may be seam splitting, but not complete separation of the sleeve panels from each other. There will be noticeable ring wear on the cover, but the cover should for the most part still be in good condition.

Good (VG-) Vinyl is well played and looks it. However, the record should still play without skipping. It will have substantial surface noise, pops and clicks. Loss of various parts of the dynamic range will occur due to worn grooves. This grade depends a lot on the owner and the type of records he or she collects. A rock record may still sound ok at a high volume, but quieter styles of music will be practically unlistenable. The record cover may have many problems including seam splits, tears, and writing on it.

Fair/Poor (F/P)

Using the word fair for this quality of record is, in the opinion of JRS, too generous and not recommended since it may be misleading. Records described as fair (F) or Poor (P) in the Goldmine grading system are ones that are basically unlistenable. Surface noise, skips and pops make hearing what's on the record nearly impossible, if not completely impossible. The cover is falling apart, torn, and has writing all over it. The only reason to keep it would be if the record is extremely rare or you want to eventually melt the vinyl and shape it into an ashtray.