This image is a general representation of the item and the actual product may differ slightly in terms of color shading, logo placement, borders, or other small details. Used items may have various cosmetic differences as well.
Vinyl should be very clean, but can have less luster than near mint.
Should still shine under a light, but one or two marks may show up when tilted.
Can have a few small marks that may show up easily, but which do not affect play at all. Most marks of this quality will disappear when the record is tilted, and will not be felt with the back of a fingernail.
This is the kind of record that will play "near mint", but which will have
some signs of use (although not major ones).
May have slight surface noise when played.
Additional Marks & Notes
If something is noteworthy, we try to note it in the comments — especially
if it is an oddity that is the only wrong thing about the record.
This might include, but isn't limited to, warped records, tracks that skip,
cover damage or wear as noted above, or strictly cosmetic flaws.
An oft-overlooked jazzy gem from Gil Scott-Heron and Brian Jackson – and a beautifully swinging session that has Gil toning it down a bit, and working into a nicely musical groove that gets past the heavy politics of earlier years! The record's a great showcase for the more upbeat side of ... LP, Vinyl record album
Killer stuff from Gene! After recording a few sadly overlooked albums for Brunwsick, Gene hit big big big with this killer record on Mercury! The record virtually defines the Chicago soul sound of the late 60s – with arrangements by Tom Tom, production by Gene, and a great loping soul ... LP, Vinyl record album
Lost bit of soul by Chuck Jackson, recorded in LA in the early 70s, between his Wand hit years, and his later stuff on All Platinum. The sound is sort of a rootsy studio soul sound, if that makes any sense – but some of the tracks are also a bit funky. There's a great sample on the cut ... LP, Vinyl record album
A nicely rootsy set from the team of Ike & Tina Turner – an album that's almost more "down home" than any of the records made by the pair in their roots! The style here is that "back to the country" sound that was favored both with mainstream rock and soul-revival ... LP, Vinyl record album
A clubbier album than usual from Curtis Mayfield – a mid 70s attempt to move onto the dancefloor, but a set that's still got the undeniable Mayfield charm! Half the tracks here were done in collaboration with disco maestro Gil Askey – and these numbers are longer tracks that soar and ... LP, Vinyl record album
Massive work from Sun – a large ensemble funk group who somehow managed to groove with the grace of a small combo! The album's got a sweetly compressed sound that's really setting the stage for 80s groove – lots of sweet keyboard and bass licks dancing around each other in a style that' ... LP, Vinyl record album
A pivotal album for Gladys Knight and group – as the record features their super-huge hit "The Midnight Train To Georgia", a landmark track that not only had a catchy pop hook, but which spoke volumes about African-American migration in the postwar years. The track's one of those ... LP, Vinyl record album
A fantastic album from tenor legend Benny Golson – one in which he reinvents his sound for the 70s, but still keeps all the tight sense of arrangement we loved in his earlier work! Benny's going for a funky jazz groove on most cuts – a bit clubby, in a Kudu Records mode – with a ... LP, Vinyl record album
An obscure little album by Jimmy – a real lost session that kind of fell between his Blue Note and Solid State years. The set's got Jimmy grooving in 2 different modes – one a more traditional soul jazz organ style, similar to other 60s work, but almost tighter; the other a freer, ... LP, Vinyl record album
Groovy swinging guitar stuff from one of the giants of the LA studio scene. Not as pyrotechnic as Billy Mure, but with a nice electric sound, especially on tracks like "Route 66", "Lover", and "You and the Night & the Music". Mostly standards. LP, Vinyl record album
Have guitar, will travel – and back in the day, Bo Diddley was going pretty darn far with great material like this! The album's a real standout, even in the classic Chess catalog of the early years –no filler, no covers, just all original material by Bo Diddley – done in that ... LP, Vinyl record album
An obscure Art Blakey session from that unusual year of 1957 – a time when the Jazz Messengers had a very striking lineup – with Jackie McLean on alto, Bill Hardman on trumpet, and Sam Dockery on piano! The set was recorded in Minneapolis – a further mystery for the date, given ... LP, Vinyl record album