[bentconvert]

Dave Matthews Band Before These Crowded Streets on vinyl

I found a copy several years ago for around $6.00 and said to myself, "cool Dave Mathews Band on Vinyl". Then I went home and looked it up and said "Holy Sh!t!!!!".
https://www.discogs.com/sell/release/1699618?ev=rb

[neobop]

There's a whole series of Lyrita discs of that era that should be bought on sight!.  I was lucky enough to find 8 of them at one time some 30 years ago.  TAS list, if I recall.

Don't forget Jazz at the Pawnshop.  I stupidly let mine go....

I wouldn't go that far with Lyrita.  When I was a record buyer for a high end store (late '80s), I stocked the whole catalogue.  While most all of them are good recordings, some are downright boring.  Luckily I had Dr. Arthur Lintgen as a consultant.  He told me which titles were more desirable and I ordered multiple copies of those.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arthur_Lintgen

Can't concur about "Jazz at the Pawnshop", a mediocre performance and a half decent recording.  There are many great live jazz performances on record.  If you want to hear a great live recording, try Bill Evans "Sunday at the Village Vanguard". 



neo

[neobop]

I think some of my objection to "Jazz at the Pawnshop" is from overfamiliarity.  But, while I never got tired of hearing "Money for Nothing" over and over, Pawnshop got tedious.  It does have a certain appeal at first.

It was Dr. Lintgen who turned me on to Lyrita.  He was a customer and a groove reader.  You could cover the label of any orchestral record and he could not only tell you what it was, he could tell what version.  We tested him a few times and he scored 100%.  Lintgen demonstrated this skill to HP at Sea Cliff, and probably told him which classical records were more desirable. 

Some great jazz records now extremely hard to find, are on Steeplechase.  Some were also pressed in the US on Inner City - quality is a mixed bag, generally inferior to Steeplechase, and Tete Montoliu is hard to find:







There are a few others.  Here's a great Sam Jones:



neo

[simoon]

I have quite a few rare albums that fit your description.

Most of them are 1970's Italian prog-rock.

Because of their love of classical music, music training in public schools, and the high level of musicianship, Italy really took to prog-rock. There were many bands that produced one incredible album, then for whatever reason, were done. Italy had many bands that were just as good as the better known British bands (YES, King Crimson, Genesis, Gentle Giant, ELP, etc) but due to non English vocals, they did not receive the worldwide recognition they deserved. When Genesis was barely known in the States, they were selling out large venues in Italy. Even bigger than they were in the UK.

If you ever run across these, and you are lucky enough that the owner has no idea what he/she has, buy them!


De De Lind - Io Non So Da Dove Vengo E Non So Dove Mai Andrò, Uomo È Il Nome Che Mi Han Dato

This consistently sells for between $1000 and $2000 on the collector's market!





Murple - Io Sono Murple

Another killer album by a one-and-done band. These go for about $600 on the collector's market.





Il Baletto di Bronzo - YS

This one is a bit controversial among prog fans. Some consider it one of the best prog albums ever made, others, not so much. I fall in with the former group.

It's about as dark and menacing as any prog album of its time. Geoni Leoni, the keyboard player, is easily as good technically as Keith Emerson or Rick Wakeman.

These sell for about $500.




Alphataurus - S/T

This one, for me, does not hold up as well musically as the others I've listed, but it is super rare. Regularly selling for about $1000.

It has a great triple gatefold album cover.





Semiramis - Dedicato A Frazz

And yet another killer one-and-done band.

Sells for $1000 +.




I could list many more from Italy. And many from Germany, France and Spain also.

Spain had a particularly interesting prog scene, since many bands beautifully integrated Flamenco into their version. 

[Folsom]

I haven't found a single Led Zeppelin II, to check!