Chrysalis —
Definition ... LP MGM, 1968. Near Mint- Gatefold ...
Out Of Stock
The one-and-only album by upstate New York's wonderfully trippy psych-folk Chrysalis – a buried rock treasure from 1968. Definition is a strange title for the record, as the group refuses to be bound to any one – mixing laidback, trippy psychedelia, oddball folk, and meandering strains of free and old timey jazz influences! Led by rhythm guitarist J Spider Barbour, the group featured vocals by Nancy Nairn and standard psych rock arrangements, plus leftfield acoustic instrumentation and trippy keyboards! The main album includes the tracks "That Will Be The Morning", "Lacewing", "Lake Hope", "Piece Of Sun" and "Dr. Roots Garden". LP, Vinyl record album
(Stereo gatefold pressing, with cool foil artwork inside! Cover has some light wear and a cutout hole, but is nice overall.)
Not as sublime as their first LP, but still a nice batch of modern pop sound collage. More traditional song structures are poking through the cool po-mo facade here. With "Opus 4", "Eye Of A Needle", "Backbeat", "Instruments Of Darkness", "Peter Gunn" and "Beatback". (Soul, Rock)LP, Vinyl record album
Titles include "Treat Me Right", "Hell Is For Children", "Hit Me With Your Best Shot", "You Better Run", and "Wuthering Heights". LP, Vinyl record album
Pat Benatar —
Tropico ... LP Chrysalis, 1984. Near Mint- ...
Out Of Stock
... LP, Vinyl record album
7
Blondie —
Autoamerican ... LP Chrysalis, 1980. Very Good ...
Temporarily Out Of Stock
The biggest sounding Blondie album by far – and a radical leap from New York new wave scene band to a wildly ambitious pop pastiche machine! The band always had a fearless way of filtering far-reaching pop sounds into their material, even when they were still on the CBGBs scene, and while their stylistic reach grew with each successive album, Autoamerican really takes it to extremes. It's somewhat notorious for favoring session players over the core band, but given how crazy the stylistic breadth is – no disrespect to that incredible core band – it's a creative win, as much BECAUSE they bit off more than they could chew production wise, as it is despite that. It's most famous (or infamous, depending on who's talking about it) for "Rapture", and other tracks include "Europa", "Live It Up", their classic, breezy cover of "The Tide Is High", "Here's Looking At You", "Faces", "Follow Me" and more. LP, Vinyl record album
(Includes one side of the printed inner sleeve. Cover has some edge wear.)
Blondie had a lot to live up to after Parallel Lines, but they pulled it off here – Eat To The Beat is another classic! Downtown cool, a strong sense of pop history and tight production by Mike Chapman make for a really distinct sound on this one. Standouts include the excellent opener "Dreaming" (one of the finest Harry/Stein songs ever, if you ask us), the punky title track, "Union City Blue" and "Accidents Never Happen", and while Blondie albums are by nature hit-and-miss given the fearless mish-mash of styles they always brought in, the whole thing is pretty great! Other tracks include "Shayla", "Die Young Stay Pretty" and "Living In The Real World". LP, Vinyl record album
(Still in the shrink with hype sticker. Includes the printed inner sleeve.)
9
Chick Churchill —
You & Me ... LP Chrysalis, 1974. Very Good+ ...
Out Of Stock
With Cozy Powell, Roger Hodgson, and Martin Barre. LP, Vinyl record album
10
Gentle Giant —
Free Hand ... LP Chrysalis/Capitol, 1975. Very Good ...
Out Of Stock
... LP, Vinyl record album
(Original red label pressing. Includes the printed inner sleeve. Cover has some wear, and clear tape on the corners and down the spine.)
11
Nick Gilder —
Frequency ... LP Chrysalis, 1979. Sealed ...
$4.99
... LP, Vinyl record album
(Still sealed, with light wear and a small Special Offer sticker.)
(Promo. Cover has some ringwear, yellowing from age, some light stains on both sides, and some heavy aging in back.)
16
Debbie Harry —
Kookoo ... LP Chrysalis, 1981. Near Mint- ...
Out Of Stock
A nice change in sound for Debbie Harry – thanks to Chic production from Nile Rodgers and Bernard Edwards – who really help the solo singer find a groove that's quite different than her work in Blondie! The style's a mixture of the funky club that Chic did so well, with elements that lean a bit more towards an early 80s rockish dancefloor – almost with a vibe that echoes some of the UK imports trickling over to these shores at the time, but with a definite New York vibe underneath! The setting gives Harry's vocals a great way to hit a more playful nature – that sound that was creeping in a bit in Blondie, but which some folks thought was wrong for the group – and Chris Stein is still on hand to bring in some street-sensitive riffing guitar. Titles include "Backfired", "Military Rap", "Oasis", "Surrender", "Chrome", "Jump Jump", and "The Jam Was Moving". LP, Vinyl record album
17
Billy Idol —
Billy Idol ... LP Chrysalis, 1982. Very Good+ ...
Out Of Stock
... LP, Vinyl record album
(Includes the printed inner sleeve. Cover has light ring wear.)
18
Billy Idol —
Rebel Yell ... LP Chrysalis, Early 80s. Very Good+ ...
Out Of Stock
The album that really broke Jethro Tull out of the prog rock underground and into the mainstream – and a set that showed that the group weren't just a combo with creative use of flute, but a band that could really rock off their ass when they wanted to! Previous records were all pretty great, but there's definitely something special in the air with this one – an extra-amped version of the group that even seems to have Ian Anderson's flute blowing out all stops, and his vocals sounding even more menacing than before! Martin Barre's maybe the real master, though – searing on guitar, and punctuating all of Anderson's efforts with his own mad energy – on titles that include the classic "Aqualung", plus "Wondering Aloud", "Cheap Day Return", "Cross Eyed Mary", "My God", "Slipstream", "Locomotive Breath", "Wind Up", and "Mother Goose". LP, Vinyl record album
(Tan Reprise label pressing, including the insert! Cover has a small top seam split.)
21
Jethro Tull —
Benefit ... LP Chrysalis/Reprise, 1970. Near Mint- ...
Temporarily Out Of Stock
An early gem from Jethro Tull – and a set that has the group really reaching forth with some of their more complicated, jazz-based musical impulses – while still holding onto some of the rawer power of the early days too! The album's lesser-known than some of the group's earlier hits – which may well make it even fresher all these many years later – a really stunning set of sounds that showcases the newly lyrical sensibility of Ian Anderson – both vocally and on flute – as well as the searing guitar of Martin Barre, which was really becoming a core element of the group at this point. Titles include "For Michael Collins Jefferey & Me", "Inside", "Play In Time", "Sossity You're A Woman", "With You There To Help Me", and "Nothing To Say". LP, Vinyl record album
(Late 70s blue label Chrysalis pressing. Cover has light wear, lightly bent spine, and some peeled spots and strip at the bottom left corner.)
22
Jethro Tull —
Heavy Horses ... LP Chrysalis, 1978. Very Good+ ...
Out Of Stock
Titles include "Old Brown Mouse", "Weathercock", "Journeyman", "Moths", "No Lullaby", and "And The Mouse Police Never Stops". LP, Vinyl record album
A bit of old, and a bit of new – and includes some great live material on the second half, including the extended "By Kind Permission Of" and "Dharma For One" – and the great "Christmas Song". Other titles include "Bouree", "Song For Jeffrey", "Love Story", "Wondering Again", "Up The Pool", "From Later", and "Nursie". LP, Vinyl record album
(Original US green label pressing in the hardbound cover with booklet. Cover has light surface wear. The back cover has chewed up bottom corner with wear.)
Includes "Teacher", "Aqualung", "Thick As A Brick", "Locomotive Breath", "Fat Man", "Living In The Past", "Rainbow Blues", "Nothing Is Easy", and more. LP, Vinyl record album
Lots of classics – including "Living In The Past", "Aqualung", "Bungle In The Jungle", "Skating Away On The Thin Ice Of A New Day", "Life's A Long Song", and "Thick As A Brick". LP, Vinyl record album
27
Jethro Tull —
Passion Play ... LP Chrysalis, 1973. Very Good+ Gatefold ...
Out Of Stock
(Includes the printed inner sleeve. Cover has light wear.)
30
Jethro Tull —
This Was ... LP Reprise/Chrysalis, 1968. Very Good+ Gatefold ...
Out Of Stock
Funky bluesy flutey magic from The Tull – includes a wonderful version of Roland Kirk's "Serenade To A Cuckoo" – plus "My Sunday Feeling", "Dharma For One", "It's Breaking Me Up", and "Song For Jeffrey". LP, Vinyl record album
Titles include "Taxi Grab", "Pied Piper", "Chequered Flag", "Big Dipper", "Bad Eyed & Loveless", "Quizz Kid", and "From A Dead Beat To An Old Greaser". LP, Vinyl record album
32
Jethro Tull —
War Child ... LP Chrysalis, 1974. Very Good+ ...
Out Of Stock
Includes the classics "Skating Away On The Thin Ice Of A New Day" and "Bungle In The Jungle". LP, Vinyl record album
Procol Harum —
Grand Hotel ... LP Chrysalis, 1973. Near Mint- Gatefold ...
$19.99
Procol Harum check into the Grand Hotel – and check out with one of their greatest albums ever! The set's got that majestic sound that was the group's strongest point – a strange mix of the very personal vocals of Gary Brooker and the expansive blend of piano, organ, and guitar that the group often sent soaring to the skies – augmented here with some perfect use of strings and chorus – never too heavy, but all fused perfectly with the core energy of the sextet! In fact, it's that sense of compression – of folding everything together so well – that really makes the group so great, and such an important precursor for so many acts that were beginning to blossom in the UK scene, using a similar approach in different ways. Yet it's that Gary Brooker/Keith Reid sense of songwriting that still sets these guys apart from anyone else – as you'll hear on titles that include "Grand Hotel", "Tojours L'Amour", "TV Caesar", "A Souvenir Of London", "Robert's Box", "Fires", "For Liquorice John", and "A Rum Tale". LP, Vinyl record album
(Japanese pressing WWS-71001. Includes insert. Cover has light wear and yellowing from age.)
Selecter —
Too Much Pressure ... LP 2 Tone/Chrysalis, 1980. Near Mint- ...
Temporarily Out Of Stock
One of the greatest groups of the legendary 2 Tone records scene at the start of the 80s – and a group that's maybe got an even harder edge than their more familiar labelmates, The Specials! The groove here is revival ska, but with a lean, jagged quality that's very different than so many of the softer groups that sprang up in later years – definitely tied more to the sound of the late 70s punk years, overall – thanks in part to the urgency of the lead vocals of Pauline Black, who really seems to dominate the lyrics over the group's other singer, Arthur Hendrickson. Instrumentation is nice and spare – which keeps the sound sharp – and titles include "Missing Words", "My Collie (Not A Dog)", "Three Minute Hero", "Too Much Pressure", "Murder", "Out On The Streets" and "James Bond". LP, Vinyl record album
The second great set from The Specials – music once billed as "revival ska" – but which has arguably gone onto have a bigger impact than the first wave of the genre! There's a rough edged quality to the music that's totally great – a rude boy aesthetic filtered through the post-punk generation – perfect for the spare, earthy Two Tone production – and just right for a post-colonial London, looking for new ways to express itself! The studio work is as great as the core grooves from the band – lots of odd echoes and cool effects – kind of a Brit take on Kingston dub, served up beautifully to abstract the tunes. So many others ruined this approach in later years with weaker work – but here's a chance to hear it perfectly in an original conception! Titles include "International Jet Set", "Enjoy Yourself", "Stereotypes", "Holiday Fortnight", and "I Can't Stand It". LP, Vinyl record album
(Later US pressing – PV 41303. Includes the printed inner sleeve.)
One of the most important albums on the mighty 2 Tone label – and part of a huge ska revival on the British scene that would send ripples through modern music for years to come! And sure, the words "ska" and "revival" in the same sentence can often make most folks wince – but The Specials here work at a time long before the mode was reduced to cliche – and during a punk rock period when their contributions were especially vital – presented beautifully here on an album that's also produced by a young Elvis Costello! There's no overdone jams, no schlocky frat boy modes, just hard-edged London ska with a strong nod back to Kingston roots – on titles that include "A Message To You Rudy","Do The Dog", "It's Up To You", "Doesn't Make It Alright", "Concrete Jungle", "Monkey Man", "(Dawning Of A) New Era", "Too Much Too Young", and "Gangsters". LP, Vinyl record album
(Original US pressing. Cover has light wear.)
50
Specials, Selecter, Madness, English Beat, etc —
Dance Craze ... LP 2 Tone/Chrysalis, 1981. Very Good+ ...
Out Of Stock
A big moment for the British ska scene – and the soundtrack to a film that featured live work by nearly all of the big names at the time! The album features live work by artists who owed a lot to 2 Tone, but who'd even moved onto bigger fame by the film – but who are working here in a nice back-to-basics mode – and titles include live versions of "Concrete Jungle", "Man At C&A", and "Nite Klub" by The Specials; "Mirror In The Bathroom", "Big Shot", and "Ranking Full Stop" by The English Beat; "Inner London Violence" and "Lip Up Fatty" by Bad Manners; "Easy Life" by The Bodysnatchers; and "Razor Blade Alley" and "One Step Beyond" by Madness. LP, Vinyl record album
Wild twanginess from this off-beat group that included Kev Hopper on bass and samples. This was the one that was supposed to make them stars, but instead got them shackled to an unfortunate major label contract that smothered them. Too bad, but the records got some nice moments like "Charlton Heston", "Bone", "Buffalo", "Living It Down", and "Alcohol". LP, Vinyl record album
56
Robin Trower —
Back It Up ... LP Chrysalis, 1983. Near Mint- ...
Temporarily Out Of Stock