Sold Date: November 28, 2019
Start Date: September 11, 2019
Final Price: £29.00 (GBP)
Seller Feedback: 5316
Buyer Feedback: 206

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CAT STEVENS Mona Bone Jakon 1971 UK ISLAND NEAR MINT CAT STEVENS
Mona Bone Jakon

1971 UK ISLAND (ILPS 9118) SECOND PRESSING
AN OUTSTANDING COPY WHICH LOOKS UNPLAYED

PRESSED WITH THE SECOND ISSUE PINK RIM ISLAND LABELS
MATRIX: ILPS 91187 A-3U / ILPS 9118 -B-3U
THE RECORD IS HOUSED IN THE ORIGINAL MATT SLEEVE ”Printed and made by MacNeill Press Ltd., London, S.E.1"
COMPLETE WITH THE ORIGINAL PALE BLUE POLY-LINED ISLAND INNER SLEEVE

Cat Stevens virtually disappeared from the British pop scene in 1968, at the age of 20, after a meteoric start to his career. He had contracted tuberculosis and spent a year recovering, from both his illness and the strain of being a teenage pop star, before returning to action in the spring of 1970 -- as a very different 22-year-old -- with Mona Bone Jakon.
Fans who knew him from 1967 must have been surprised. Under the production aegis of former Yardbird Paul Samwell-Smith, he introduced a group of simple, heartfelt songs played in spare arrangements on acoustic guitars and keyboards and driven by a restrained rhythm section.
Built on folk and blues structures, but with characteristically compelling melodies, Stevens' new compositions were tentative, fragmentary statements that alluded to his recent "Trouble," including the triviality of being a "Pop Star."
But these were the words of a desperate man in search of salvation. Mona Bone Jakon was dominated by images of death, but the album was also about survival and hope.
Stevens' craggy voice, with its odd breaks of tone and occasional huskiness, lent these sometimes sketchy songs depth, and the understated instrumentation further emphasised their seriousness.
If Stevens was working out private demons on Mona Bone Jakon, he was well attuned to a similar world-weariness in pop culture. His listeners may not have shared his exact experience, but after the 1960s they certainly understood his sense of being wounded, his spiritual yearning, and his hesitant optimism.
Mona Bone Jakon was only a modest success upon its initial release, but it attracted attention in the wake of the commercial breakthrough of its follow-up, Tea for the Tillerman

Side 1:
Lady D'Arbanville (3:40)
Maybe You're Right (3:20)
Pop Star (4:10)
I Think I See The Light (4:00)
Trouble (2:50)
Side 2:
Mona Bone Jakon (1:38)
I Wish, I Wish (3:45)
Katmandu (3:17)
Time (1:26)
Fill My Eyes (2:58)
Lilywhite (3:40)

LABELS: MINT
An immaculate set of labels without any spindle traces or any sign the record has ever been played
VINYL Visual: NEAR MINT
Both surfaces are clean and even under bright light there is barely a mark to be seen
VINYL Audio: NEAR MINT / EXCELLENT+
Plays beautifully throughout with crystal clear, clean, fresh sound.
No scratches, loud clicks or pops.
Just an occasional light background tick noted but I did not clean this copy as it looks so pristine so these will no doubt disappear after a clean/few spins
SLEEVE: NEAR MINT
Crisp, sharp and fresh with all spine text clear and bold

POST & PACKING:
A PROTECTIVE POLY SLEEVE, NEW ANTI-STATIC LINERS, QUALITY BOX (NOT ENVELOPE) MAILER AND AMPLE STIFFENERS ARE ALWAYS USED TO ENSURE THAT YOUR RECORD ARRIVES SAFELY
UK: £5.00 (Recorded Delivery)
UK: £11.00 (Royal Mail Special Delivery Next Day by 1pm)
EUROPE: Airmail: £15.00 (International Signed For delivery)
INTERNATIONAL: Airmail: £20.00 (International Signed For delivery)

Combined Post: Additional records £1 (UK) £2 (Europe including Russia) £3 (International)
Guarantee: All records are unconditionally guaranteed (including sealed and/or unplayed) and I will offer a complete, no quibble refund upon return of the item should you not be pleased with it in any way
I will email you when payment has been received to let you know when the item will be posted. Please leave feedback upon receipt of the item so that I know you have received it safely. Thanks
 _gsrx_vers_856 (GS 7.0.20 (856))