The RFD - Lead Me Home - rare private Xian folk rock

$

391

ALL OF MY ITEMS ARE ORIGINAL PRESSINGS

UNLESS NOTED OTHERWISE!

Artist / Title: The RFD  "Lead Me Home"

Label / Number / Details: no label / private press, USA, 1971 - The LP has a plain silver-on-black label with a logo of 2 intersecting guitars & a banjo at the top & the band's own logo (The letters RFD emblazoned on a Model T type vintage auto) at the bottom, "Copyright 1971 S/G" at the bottom,  Paste-on jacket.

Vinyl Condition: VG+ (almost NM-, very light paper scuffs - plays flawlessly!)

Jacket Condition (details): VG+ (again, almost NM-, 1 & 1/2 inch seam split at the bottom, traces of ringwear, some sticky residue from an old price tag that's been carefully removed) 

TRACKS: He Is Coming; Why Do I Feel Alone; Back Into My Mind; Loner; Lead Me Home; Take Time; No Man Is A Mountain; Long Time In The Rain; It Seems; On The Outside Looking In; Rap It Out

PERSONNEL: Dan Germain - guitar, vocals; Russ McIlwain - guitar, piano, vocals; Debbie McKee - vocals; Fred Stoppelkamp - bass, vocals; Larry Chilelli - drums

DESCRIPTION: All-original folk-rock wiht some (unintentional?) psych touches. The whole LP was recorded with a sort of heavy reverby sound, which gives the delicate interplay of the two guitars, bass & ensemble vocals an otherworldly quality (I like this quite a bit!). Some of the songs are pretty inventive, with odd, unexpected, or possibly just plain clumsy shifts in tempo - others are pretty straight up folk rock. Overall, The RFD Band's sound falls somewhere between a Buffalo Springfield / Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young sort of approach and the all-pervasive coffeehouse style of guitar-strummin' folk that dominated 60s & 70s Xian music scene. Not a heavy psych LP by any means, but also not as corny as - say - the New Troubadours. Debbie McKee's soprano vocals dominate but don't overwhelm. Stoppelkamp's bass playing is quite good, and the 2 guitarists (2 acoustics, or 1 electric & 1 acoustic) have the strumming / fingerpicking / folky / jazzy Byrds-like thing going on. The drummer seems to be a recent addition to the group, but he does OK.  The lyrics are pretty good, too - never real preachy or 'fire & brimstone'-y, they are mostly about Jesus & the Second Coming, but also (oddly, if you consider the developments of the last 3 decades) touch on social justice issues & environmental themes as well. A very rare private press Xian LP from the early 70s!

+++++++

S H I P P I N G (rates below quoted for 1 LP - multiple winners please contact me!) 

1 LP within US: Media Rate : $2.00 Priority: $5.00; Postal Insurance (within US only!) Up to $50 - $1.30; Up to $100 - $2.20; Up to $200 - $3.20.

International Postage:

CANADA - 1 LP via Air Mail - $5.50

UK, France, Germany, Netherlands - Air Mail - $10.00 (Double LPs are $12.00 by Air)

Italy, Hungary, Czech Republic, etc. - Air Mail - $11.00

Japan - Air - $12.00

ELSEWHERE (Thailand, Mexico, Australia, etc.) PLEASE ASK!

M A I L I N G: I generally can get to the post office 2 days a week, tops. Please be patient!! By the same token - most of my LPs get to their destination very quickly!!

P A C K I N G: I put the LP outside of the jacket and seal both in a plastic sleeve so that the LP cannot move around while in transit. I use recycled LP boxes and extra corrugated cardboard fillers for added strength. ALL LP boxes are clearly marked FRAGILE and DO NOT BEND. Believe me, this helps!!

V I N Y L G R A D I N G

MINT: no visible or audible flaws, essentially a new record. Not a grade I use unless I have cracked the new, sealed LP myself.

NEAR MINT: A record that has one or 2 tiny INAUDIBLE flaws, usually just a light paper scuff.

VERY GOOD PLUS (VG+): Not a perfect LP, but one that has been handled or played infrequently & with great care. Allowable flaws include light warping, or a few light scuffs or scratches that do not affect play (no clicks or pops).

VERY GOOD (VG): Still an enjoyable LP, but one that has visible signs of wear (slight warpage, or light scratches or scuffs) that produce SLIGHT AUDIBLE EFFECTS such as light, intermittent clicks, pops, etc. My VG does not include LPs that have loud or extended clicking / popping that overwhelms the music!!

Anything in worse than VG condition is not worth selling UNLESS it is an unusually rare LP. In these cases, I will list the flaws I see and hear individually and grade (VG- or G+) appropriately.