MusicStack has partnered with a vinyl to CD conversion service who will convert the LP Gatefold to recordable CD for you. It will sound great with no annoying clicks, pops or background noise. All recordable CDs come in a standard jewel case with artwork printed on glossy paper.
How does this service work?
The seller will ship the LP Gatefold to the digital conversion center in Arizona, USA where it will be format shifted onto a recordable CD directly from the LP Gatefold only for your ears. The LP Gatefold and the recordable CD will then be mailed to you. The digital conversion center will not retain any copies of the item.
What does it cost?
Price of the LP Gatefold + $35 USD for the conversion to recordable CD + cost of shipping of the LP Gatefold to Arizona + cost of shipping of the LP Gatefold from Arizona to your location paid in advance.
gatefold sleeve; punch out hole top right corner This one was a complete mystery to me - I'll admit to having bought it for the bizarre cover and the involvement of producer Tom Wilson. I'll also tell you it's a fascinating album. That's not to say it's a great album, perhaps not even a good album, rather it's a nice example of a late-'60s musical timepiece, complete with all the excesses you'd associate with that period - lots of heavy lyrics; complex themes, plenty of Blood, Sweat & Tears-styled horn arrangements, etc. - you've heard this kind of stuff before. The Last Ritual's roots were in New York City with members having played in The Cult, The Cast Aways, and The Take Five. The Cult recorded an obscure 1965 for 20th Century Fox: - 1965's 'Fire and Flood' b/w 'I Don't Know' (20th Century Fox catalog number 621) The Take Five evolved into a fairly well known New York Club band and by the late-'60s the line-up consisted of keyboard player Mickey Beskin (aka Mickey Davis), drummer Chris Efthimian, bassist Robert Lightig, vocalist Allan Springfield, and a horn section featuring Kenneth Lehman, Sharon Moe, Tony Salvatore, and John Scarzello. While their live shows focused on popular covers, the band recorded some demos featuring original material. They subsequently caught the interest of Capitol Records which signed them, teaming them with producer Tom Wilson. Wilson quickly suggested dropping the Take Five nameplate (inspired by the Dave Brubeck hit), in favor of The Last Ritual. Released in 1969, as alluded to, "The Last Ritual" was very much a time piece. Springfield was responsible for all six tracks which dipped their toes into a wide array of styles including Blood, Sweat & Tears-styled jazz-rock, Aaron Copeland-influenced classical moves (parts of the extended suite 'Bugler's Reveille'), and even soul moves ('Heritage'). The prominent horns, and complex arrangements gave tracks like 'Talk About Time We're Wasting' and 'Amazing Judgement' [sic] a distinctive BS&T feeling. That comparison was underscored by Springfield's deep, rustic voice which has always reminded me a bit of David Clayton Thomas - nah they don't sound alike, but share that gruff, overwhelming sound. Like Clayton-Thomas, Springfield wasn't always the most graceful singer, occasionally substituting power for talent. Add in ponderous, "deep" lyrics and parts of the collection (the epic 'Bugler's Reveille'), could be a challenge to sit through. By the way, the band was featured on the cover - Springfield was the corpse, Moe the lone woman, Salvatore the guy with the massive sideburns, holding a chalice. The others are lost to time. "The Last Ritual" track listing: (side 1) 1.) Talk About Time We're Wasting (Allan Springfield) - 3:10 rating: *** stars The first minute of 'Talk About Time We're Wasting" was pretty horrific, but when Springfield's take-the-skin-off-your-face vocals kicked in you forgot about everything else, including the torrents of complex, "important" lyrics. 'Course when he stopped singing you quickly became aware of the bleating BS&T-styled horns. 2.) Awaiting Judgement [sic] (Allan Springfield) - 8:00 'Awaiting Judgement' [sic] opened up with some nice, recital-styled Mickey Davis piano and then went completely off the rails with a weird mixture of Springfield's wild, barely-in-tune vocals, the patented pretentious lyrics, and a discordant horn arrangement. Well, to be honest, I actually liked parts of the horn arrangement - the sections that were melodic. rating: *** stars 3.) Heritage (Allan Springfield) - 7:44 Hum, bunch of New York guys trying to dip their collective toes into soul and country-rock ... Well, the combination of Robert Lightig fuzz bass and Springfield's growling voice was actually surprisingly impressive. Well, until Springfield ran out of steam and started to simply screech the lyrics out. rating: *
Payment Accepted: PayPal, Cash (USD - at your risk), Personal Check (USD made out to Scott Blackerby), Certified Check (USD made out to Scott Blackerby), Postal (USD made out to Scott Blackerby), PayPal (make payment to )
I've used the Goldmine Grading Guide in grading the collection. Most of the catalog is graded VG or slightly higher. To me that reflects an LP that's been played, but with care and attention. Neither the cover nor the vinyl are pristine, but the cover will be intact without substantial flaw and the vinyl will play without substantial hiss and without skips. Exceptions are noted for each offering. Since I buy music 'cause it's stuff I want to hear, virtually everything I sell is play graded - in other words, I've actually listened to the item. Finally, albums are graded cover first, vinyl second, i.e. VG/NM means a very good cover and near mint vinyl.
Goldmine Grading Standard:
Mint [M]: Absolutely perfect in every way - certainly never played, possibly even still sealed. (More on still sealed below). Should be used sparingly as a grade, if at all.
------------------------------------------------------------ Near Mint [NM or M-]: A nearly perfect record. Many dealers won't give a grade higher than this implying (perhaps correctly) that no record is ever truly perfect. The record shows no obvious sign of wear. A 45 rpm sleeve has no more than the most minor defects, such as almost invisible ring wear or other signs of slight handling.
An LP jacket has no creases, folds, seam splits or any other noticeable similar defect. No cut-out holes, either. And of course, the same is true of any other inserts, such as posters, lyric sleeves, and the like. Basically, Near Mint looks as if you just got it home from a new record store and removed the shrink wrap.
------------------------------------------------------------ Very Good Plus [VG+]: Shows some signs that it was played and otherwise handled by a previous owner who took good care of it. Record surfaces may show some slight signs of wear and may have slight scuffs or very light scratches that don't affect one's listening experience. Slight warps that do not affect the sound are OK.
The label may have some ring wear or discoloration, but is should be barely noticeable. The center hole is not misshapen by repeated play. Picture sleeves and LP inner sleeves will have some slight wear, lightly turn-up corners, or a slight seam-split. An LP jacket my have slight signs of wear also and may be marred by a cut-out hole, indentation or corner indicating it was taken out of print and sold at a discount.
In general, if not for a couple of minor things wrong with it, this would be Near Mint. All but the most mint-crazy collectors will find a Very Good Plus record highly acceptable.
------------------------------------------------------------ Very Good [VG]: Many of the defects found in a VG+ record are more pronounced in a VG disc. Surface noise is evident upon playing, especially in soft passages and during the song's intro and fade, but will not overpower the music otherwise. Groove wear will start to be noticeable, as will light scratches deep enough to feel with a fingernail) that will affect the sound.
Labels may be marred by writing, or have tape or stickers (or their residue) attached. The same will be true of picture sleeves or LP covers. However, it will not have all of these problems at the same time, only two or three of them.
------------------------------------------------------------ Good [G], Good Plus [G+]: Good does not mean bad! A record in Good or Good Plus condition can be put onto a turntable and will play through without skipping. But it will have significant surface noise and scratches and visible groove wear.
A jacket or sleeve has seam splits, especially at the bottom or on the spine. Tape, writing, ring wear or other defects will start to overwhelm the object. If it's a common item, you'll probably find another copy in better shape eventually. Pass it up. But if it's something you have been seeking for years, and the price is right, get it.
------------------------------------------------------------- Poor [P], Fair [F]: The record is cracked, badly warped, and won't play through without skipping or repeating. The picture sleeve is water damaged, split on all three seams and heavily marred by wear and/or writing. The LP jacket barely keeps the LP inside it. Inner sleeves are fully seam split, and written upon.
Except for impossibly rare records otherwise unattainable, records in this condition should be bought or sold for no more than a few cents each.
Payment Methods Accepted
PayPal, Cash (US Dollars - at your risk), Personal Check (US Dollars made out to Scott Blackerby), Certified Check (US Dollars made out to Scott Blackerby), Postal (US Dollars made out to Scott Blackerby), PayPal (make payment to )
Shipping Costs
I ship domestic orders via USPS media mail. Typical delivery is in 3 - 5 days.
I can usually pack 2 - 3 LPs into a mailer
Rates may change as USPS seems to modify their rate structure on a regular basis.
Currently I am limiting sales to the US.U
I ship via USPS media mail which has proven dependable and the most economical delivery for buyers
I can normally pack 1 to 3 LPs in an LP mailer $6.00. $1.00 for each additional LP.
Return Policy
Obviously, grading is subjective and there are bound to be cases where someone disagrees with the way we've graded an album. In cases where you feel I'm way off the mark, let me know and I'll work to reach a mutually agreeable solution. I've sold several hundred albums over the last couple of years, including many on eBay. During that timeframe I've run into two disagreements. I sold a Tommy Boyce solo album which noted the cover had a tiny tear where someone had taken a price sticker off. The buyer was upset since she had known Boyce and wanted to frame the LP for display purposes. Even though the description clearly noted the tiny tear (and it was visible in the picture we posted), I offered her a refund, or a price adjustment to what she thought was fair. I never got a response. I sold a Richard Wright LP. The buyer told me it was a misprint sporting the same track listing on both sides. I provided a full refund and let the buyer keep the LP (he was in South America and it wasn't worth the hassle to get the LP back). Curiously, as a Pink Floyd fan I'd listened to the LP a couple of times and had no recollection of the mispressing. Oh well ...
Seller Information
Reserving items: If you contact me in advance, I'll reserve items for up to 3 weeks. If I reserve something, make sure you honor your commitment to purchase the item, otherwise I'm unlikely to continue doing business with you. Packaging information: I pack items in new record mailers with filler pads for additional protection. So far I haven't had any problems ... Unless you're buying some exceedingly expensive items, or your order totals more than $100.00 I'd suggest not bothering with insurance. If you want insurance, let me know ...
Shipping to United States
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No Insurance, No Tracking, No Signature, - days Estimated Delivery
