Sergio Mendes & Brasil 66 Crystal Illusion and similar items

Sergio Mendes Brasil 66 Crystal Illusions Vinyl LP - A M SP 4197 (1969) First Pressing with Shrink Wrap and Hype Sticker Condition: VG+ Vinyl and Near Mint Cover. Vinyl was play-tested on both sides and plays very well throughout with good fidelity. Cover is excellent with great color, no splits or writing, still has shrink wrap. Includes original A M inner sleeve. Crystal Illusions is the fifth album by Sergio Mendes and Brasil '66. Crystal Illusions AllMusic Review by Richard S. Ginell The sound and band that served Sergio Mendes well on Fool on the Hill remain intact on Crystal Illusions, with few modifications. Dave Grusin is right there with a lush, haunting orchestral chart when needed; Lani Hall is thrust further into the vocal spotlight, as cool and alluring as ever in Portuguese or English. Mendes remained on the lookout for fresh Brazilian tunes, and he came up with a coup, one of the earliest covers of a Milton Nascimento tune to reach North America, "Vera Cruz" (with Hall's English lyrics, it became "Empty Faces"), as well as Dori Caymmi's "Dois Dias." The two singles, the perky "Pretty World" and sax-streaked cover of Otis Redding's "The Dock of the Bay," are nice slices of Mendes pop, though they were not significant hits. And yes, Sergio Mendes Brasil '66 did take a large risk on the title track, a lengthy, kaleidoscopic treatment of an Edu Lobo tune that, inspired perhaps by "MacArthur Park," shattered radio's time barrier at seven minutes and 50 seconds. Yet while Grusin goes into a psychedelic freakout, we get a rare chance to hear Mendes stretch out a bit on electric piano. Weird and overblown, but wonderful. Track listing A1 (Sittin On) The Dock Of The Bay A2 Viola A3 Song Of No Regrets A4 Salt Sea A5 Empty Faces B1 Pretty World B2 Dois Dias B3 You Stepped Out Of A Dream B4 Crystal Illusions = Memorias de Marta Sare Musicians Sergio Mendes ? keyboards, vocals, arranger, producer Lani Hall, Karen Philipp ? vocals Oscar Castro-Neves ? guitar Sebastiao Neto ? bass Rubens Bassini ? percussion Dom Um Romao ? drums Herb Alpert ? producer Dave Grusin ? orchestra arranger, conductor _____________________________________________ Shipping: Calculated domestic shipping via Media Mail or Priority Mail. Will ship internationally at FLAT RATES. Records mailed in a proper cardboard LP mailer. All records cleaned prior to shipment. Check out my other auctions, and save on shipping! I do offer multiple-bid shipping discounts -- please contact me before paying if you plan to purchase or bid on multiple auctions. Payment: Paypal is preferred method of payment. Return Policy: I do accept returns for up to 30 days. Please let me know if you have questions about this item or any others I have for sale before you bid or purchase. If you are unhappy with your purchase, please contact me immediately and I will do whatever I can to resolve. This may be a replacement, a credit, or a full or partial refund depending on the circumstances. _____________________________________________ I use the Goldmine Grading System, and play-test all records. I note any differences between vinyl and cover, and make note of any inserts, special sleeves, or potential defects. MINT (M) - Absolutely perfect in every way. Most often this is a still sealed record, records that have been opened are rarely if ever marked as Mint. NEAR MINT (NM) - A good description is that it looks like it just came from a retail store and it was opened for the first time. In other words, it?s nearly perfect, with no visible defects. VERY GOOD PLUS (VG+) - Except for a couple minor things, this could be Near Mint. Most collectors will be happy with a VG+ record, especially if on the high end (VG++). VG+ records may show slight signs of wear, including light scuffs or very light scratches that do not affect the listening experience. Covers should have only minor wear. VERY GOOD (VG) - VG records are among the biggest bargains, and for many, will be worth the money. They can lack the original gloss, may have surface noise, and some scratches may be audible, especially in soft passages. But the noise will not overpower the music. VG covers will have signs of handling, and may have minor splits. GOOD PLUS (G+) - Good+ does not mean bad! The record still plays through without skipping, but it has significant surface noise and groove wear. Cover may have significant ring wear, noticeable writing, or obvious damage. GOOD (G) - Record may have some skipping, but is otherwise listenable. I generally avoid selling Good (G) rated records unless they are highly collectible or desirable, in order to enjoy until something better comes along. Cover has major wear or seam splits that need repair, or heavy writing like radio station call letters to prevent theft. Feel free to contact me with any specific questions.