Rare Psych Folk 1/1 Vinyl Acetate Alan Lyons 8 Months Grail Loner Real People

Description: If you are reading this, are you are most likely a serious collector who just got a ping on a saved search. You probably saw this listing and either scoffed or had all of your hairs stand on end. Unless someone is able to provide me with information on this album that I haven’t been able to find after years of scouring the internet, the latter is the appropriate response. Let me begin to attempt to describe what you have stumbled upon. About a decade ago I was garage saling in a small North Dakota town. I was digging through a crate of albums and it was all garbage (Herb Alpert, Fireside, etc.). But, like a true addict, I kept thumbing my way through to the finish line. As you know, 999 times out of 1000 you come up empty handed flipping through a stack like that. Seemed like that would be the case once again. However, upon looking at the last album, I happened to glance behind the cardboard box that the crate was sitting on. There, leaning against the wall of the garage was the album you are now looking at. I picked it up and immediately felt a thrill of electricity run through me. I asked the old gal who was running the sale what she knew about the record. She didn’t know where it or any of the others had come from, but said it could be mine for a dime. Suffice it to say, I made the purchase. I took the album home and looked it over. The thing had the appearance of a puzzle wrapped in an enigma. Hand written notes, lyrics and recording information were scrawled all over the thing. The album appeared to be entitled “8 Months” and was the work of a couple of guys named Alan Lyons and Al Paterson. According to a note Alan did all of the writing and playing and Al performed the vocals. After a brief google search with no hits, I consulted my reference books (Fuzz, Acid and Flowers, The Acid Archives, The Archivist, etc.) and found nothing. I was increasingly getting the feeing that I had made some sort of killer discovery. I had a lot of research left to do, but I still hadn’t listened to the thing. I decided to drop the needle and dive in. I had high hopes (which is never a good way to go into a new listing experience). However, the sounds that came streaming out of the speakers were more amazing than I could ever have dreamed to have expected. 8 Months, by Alan Lyons, is perhaps, one of the last truly great undiscovered gems of its era. Recorded in 1971 (according to the writing on the sleeve), it is a mostly stripped down recording of twelve songs (two of which are mostly destroyed by the broken vinyl) featuring excellent acoustic guitar work as well as moments of tastefully psych-tinged electric. The vocals are well sung and simply treated. Both the playing and singing retain the vitality of what were likely early (and seemingly only) takes. The lyrics weave a tapestry of emotions as Lyons considers his muse. He seemed to have been processing a particular love relationship with someone from whom he had been enduring a season of separation. Love, loss and longing are the primary themes here. Lyons’ lyrical stylings are simultaneously earthbound and hovering in mystical flight. His sparkling descriptions of the natural world and his deeply personal expressions of the human relational experience are moving and thought provoking. Writing credit for the final song on the album is given to someone only referred to as “Janine”. By my reckoning as a collector, this album is a stellar example of the genres of loner, real people, folk, and folk-psych. So, more on the mystery of this album. Part of the reason for the quality of the recording is that it appears to have been done with a legit producer/engineer at a legitimate studio. Lyons and Paterson seem to have come into some arrangement with EMI/Northern Songs to make the record at Morgan Studios in London, England. The producer was a “David McKay” who was (most likely) a fellow from Australia who was known for his work with Bonnie Tyler, Dusty Springfield, Cliff Richard, The New Seekers and a host of other artists. What I gathered from the writing on the sleeve, was that the duo was somehow able to make the album and get a test pressing done based on an arrangement with EMI where EMI would retain the masters of the recording and the guys would get to cut the record for their personal use. The album includes a serial number but it hasn’t led anywhere in my research. There is reference to photographs having been taken for a cover, though I couldn’t find anything on those either. There are are also a couple of Boston phone numbers from the 1970’s that led nowhere. That is pretty much what I have been able to uncover about this record. The rest is left to conjecture and imagination. Referred to on the cover as an “Acetate Demonstration Album”, I am assuming that this album was a test pressing of the recording and that it was one of a small handful of copies, if not the only one ever made. The album certainly presents as having been made for the ears of one individual and this would appear to be the copy sent to her. There are multiple sentimental inscriptions on the sleeve alluding to that idea. “This album is solely dedicated to a wonderful person.” “To you in an eight month absence!” “In memory of a friend who will remain an inspiration always.” Whatever the case may be, it is safe to assume that there have never been more than a few ears to take in the sounds captured on this disc. It is probably about as rare as they come. I made extensive notations on the condition of the album, which is certainly not cherry. The most tragic condition issue is the large piece of the record that was broken off apparently at the time of its pressing. A note was made on the album sleeve that says “Note: Album Broken first track both sides”. We will likely never know what those two songs sound like in their entirety. The rest of the album plays nicely with some surface noise. It’s an incredible listen, especially knowing the rarity of the album and the intimate nature of the songwriting. And that is my tale. I don’t know what the next step in this album’s journey will be. If rights could be secured it would make for an incredible repress. Well, technically it would be a first pressing since it was never actually released. Or, perhaps it goes into the hands of a private collector who has an all-timer all to themselves. Or maybe a documentary film maker is looking for a musical mystery to unravel. It’d be a hell of an interesting trip, trying to get the full history of this thing and the guys that made it. Whatever the case may be, as of the posting this listing, the cat is out of the bag. Feel free to reach out for or with information. If you know something I don’t about this album please let me know and I will gladly update my listing. Only serious inquiries for purchase. Oh, and I suppose I ought to make the case for my bona fides since I am making a pretty big claim here. I was a very serious collector for about twenty years. I primarily focused on Christian (“Xian” in the collectors circles) psych, folk, rock etc. My collection was very large and included more than a few seriously heavy hitters including original copies of Concrete Rubber Band’s “Risen Savior” and Fraction’s “Moon Blood”. I broke the habit and have been more of a seller than a buyer over the past several years. I’ve held onto this thing because It was a once in a lifetime find. But, I’ve had my moment and am ready to pass it on. So, there’s my shingle, for what it’s worth. Free shipping. USPS Priority Mail. Double boxed. Will be insured for the full value of the album. I will only ship internationally through EBay’s international shipping hub. Track Listing FreeWe’ll Always Be Together It Takes Me Back A WhileNeverSing Your Heart Out To MeWaiting For The Sun to RiseJust You And ITen Thousand Pairs of EyesYour Loving Meloving You So MuchYou Remind MeAnd So Goodbeye!

Price: 9999.99 USD

Location: Bismarck, North Dakota

End Time: 2024-11-20T17:56:40.000Z

Shipping Cost: N/A USD