Holy Grail CDs

I read with interest the thread about CDs you found once and never saw again. A related thread would be our respective "holy grails", i.e., CDs that are out there but we've never been able to locate or acquire despite our best efforts.

For example, I initially passed on buying the last Cd by the Primitives, Galore, when it came out as an import in 1991, due to the cost. I later shopped unsuccessfully for it during my honeymoon in England in 1992, and never saw it again in a record store anywhere. It wasn't until the advent of ebay and heavy bidding ten years later that I was able to remove it as my "holy grail" on my want list...

 

I have to agree. That issue of the Odeon Japanese 1st Abbey Road issue was fantastic. For the reason that it's hard to find, been out of print for ages, and the incredible sonics it has, I'd have to agree with Gary.

But I played Exile On Main St last night. I don't think I ever moved to do anything else for those 66 minutes.

 

No such thing as a Holy Grail CD for me, now lets talk LP's. Oh lets see

Let It Be - A mint original UK box set

Electric Ladyland - a US Mono Promo copy

A Saucerful of Secrets - UK Mono

Sell Out - UK copy WITH THE POSTER

I could go on and on.

 

There is a Sealed Japanese Abbey Road on Ebay
Currently $300 ouch!
Picked mine up for about $80 - 6 months ago.
Here is the link

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=851667616

The disc I have never seen is MFSL 912 Sergei Stadler Bach Partitas
Not sure if it exists, haven't seen it on ebay for 3 years. If anyone has an extra...
Thanks

 

Oh please don't buy this disc at this price. Buy the used one, even one with a couple of minor scratches.

That's just rape, plain and simple.

 

A few that come to mind immediately:

CSN - ALLIES (remedied, painfully, on eBay)

CSN - "Chippin' Away" CD3

The Band - MUSIC FROM BIG PINK (MoFi)

Nat King Cole - AT THE SANDS

Nat King Cole - L-O-V-E

Nat King Cole - BALLADS OF THE DAY

OST - PORKY'S REVENGE

 

I don't know if it's a "holy grail" but I've been looking for the Vertigo 1/2 speed mastered limited edition Dire Straits s/t LP. It's been up on ebay a couple of times over the last 6 months and goes for about $50 - $80. I have one of these limited edition lps for "Making Movies" and think the sound is terrific.

 

Are you sure this exists? I was told by a Phonogram member/record dealer that this record positively does not exist. He knows a collector who has spent thousands of dollars and decades trying to find one, to no avail. The collector reported this to Goldmine who, of course, keeps printing it in their price guides.

Same thing happened with me and the stock mono Bookends LP. I reported (to Tim Neely) that it does exist, pointed him to an ebay auction, and never heard from him. Funny, they bother to include a large section at the front of their guides that says (paraphrasing), "Help us be more accurate about late mono LPs."

 

Muppet Movie soundtrack
Hawklords--25 Years On
Hawkwind--Quark Strangeness and Charm
Ian Hunter--All the Good Ones Are Taken
Bram Tchaikovsky--Strange Man Changed Man

(All of these often pull $100 or more on eBay)

Eno--Instrumentals Box Set
Bay City Rollers--Box Set (Japanese)

I bought the Eno vocals box when it came out, figured I'd wait on the instrumentals. Waited too long.

I had one crack at the Rollers box years ago, and passed it up. Arrghhh!

 

In the last few years I've managed to score a stereo LP copy of "Who's Next" and a mono LP of Hendrix's "Are You Experienced", both on the Track label. Found them at two different used record stores in the Atlanta area and paid the equivalent of about what one new gold CD costs.

 

I guess high on my list at the time would be an obscure Christmas CD by a band called Ghostly Trio. I finally transferred a cassette onto CDR but it's not the same. I don't think I've EVER seen it on CD, although I know it's out there on vinyl and was allegedly released on CD.

I'm still missing Harry Nilsson's Duit On Mon Dei and Sandman (living with CDR transfers of the Japanese imports), but understand they're soon to be rereleased as a 2-fer by Camden. George Harrison's Gone Troppo has also eluded me so far. I wonder when they'll get around to remastering his catalogue?

 

George Harrison Remasters

God, that scares me given what they've done to All Things Must Pass. I believe his catalog has already been remastered but just not released yet. Both Living in the Material World and Bangla Desh were on Capitol's official release schedule towards the end of last year and were pulled. I've given up hope on a decent remaster campaign for him, unless Steve gets it which I think is unlikely now, I'm more interested in hearing his last album.

 

I saw the Bangla Desh at a local Ciruit City just last Sunday.

 

My "holy grail" CD is a Ray Thomas (of Moody Blues fame) solo HOPES WISHES & DREAMS. Issued briefly in Europe about 15 years ago and hasn't been seen since, at least not by me. If anyone has a copy, it'll go for at least $300 on eBay. I have vinyl so count me out at that price...

Oh yea...BROKEN BARRICADES MFSL Procol Harum. It's been reissued privately lately by Gary Brooker...anyone have it?

 

Jimbo,
I knew you were coming back for it and I snagged "Instrumentals" when you had your back turned....you might say I took it "...by Strategy"

Dave

 

Hmmmm, didn't realize that one was going for big bucks. How about the 2 (at least) cast albums? That was good stuff, including skits and music. I've got a NM copy of the movie soundtrack, but it was a record club pressing. If I run across another, would you like a heads up?

 

Re: George Harrison Remasters

Well, the WB stuff always sounded kinda good, so the old (hard to find now, but not if it gets remastered!) issues can always be a last resort if the reissues seriously suck.

My Holy Grails...damn. Of course, the London Stones discs, but I managed to get pretty much all of them. EMI Zappa CDs, same deal.

Recently, though, my holy grail was the original issues of Japanese Group Sounds material before Teichiku got their grimy hands on 'em. Fantastically, I managed to find a REALLY nice guy (Thanks, Hiroshi!) who sold me some of the OOP stuff for realllly reasonable prices.

-D

 

Muppet CDs

Yes, please!! The Muppet Movie soundtrack is showing up regularly on eBay lately with an "Import" sticker on it, I suspect they are boots. The 2 Muppet Hits CDs, which include songs and skits from The Muppet Show fetch pretty high prices as well. I had hoped all the CDs would be reissued when the movies were released on DVD last year, but no such luck.

 

You're kidding me, the Muppet Movie? The one with Miss Piggy and Kermit drawn/painted on the cover? I used to listen to that back in high school! My brother lent me that copy and he's had it for the last couple of years! Never thought it was rare. I think he got it cheap from a Target store or something.

 

You saw the original CD not the remaster. It hasn't been released yet.

 

For me it's either the rare oop Bram Tchaikovsky's-Strange Man,Changed Man (Japanese) or Rhino Handmade's oop Stooges-Funhouse box set-Which by Rhino/Electras twisted logic is the only way fans can get a copy of the garage rock masterpiece remastered.

 

Re: George Harrison Remasters

Absolutely no reason to remaster the Warner Bros CDs. They sound quite good (at least the three I've heard). They should just put 'em back in print exactly as they were.

The OOP CD I'd most like to find right now is 33 1/3. I don't know if I'd really call it a "holy grail" cd, though, because I don't want it THAT bad. A nice album, it'd be nice to have on CD, but until I find it my LP will do.

 

I've got a couple of Holy-Grailers...

Joe Cocker "I Can Stand A Little Rain". Remember this one? Passed up on this CD about 10 years ago. Sure enough, it goes out of print. Only found it again late last year, sealed, on E-bay. Cheap, too. At long last...

Richie Havens "The End Of The Beginning": How many of you have heard THIS one. Wish this would come out on CD. It's got some nice things on there...not to mention the best version of "I'm Not In Love" I've ever heard...